As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 28, 2016
1933 Act File No. 002-27962
1940 Act File No. 811-01545
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION |
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WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 |
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FORM N-1A |
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REGISTRATION STATEMENT
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POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 162 |
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REGISTRATION STATEMENT
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AMENDMENT NO. 149 |
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EATON VANCE SPECIAL INVESTMENT TRUST |
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(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter) |
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Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110 |
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(Address of Principal Executive Offices) |
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(617) 482-8260 |
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(Registrant ’ s Telephone Number) |
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MAUREEN A. GEMMA |
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Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110 |
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(Name and Address of Agent for Service) |
Core Bond Portfolio, Dividend Builder Portfolio, Greater India Portfolio, Growth Portfolio, Large-Cap Value Portfolio and Stock Portfolio have also executed this Registration Statement.
Eaton Vance Dividend Builder Fund
Class A Shares - EVTMX Class C Shares - ECTMX Class I Shares - EIUTX
Eaton Vance Global Small-Cap Fund
Class A Shares - EAVSX Class C Shares - ECVSX Class I Shares - EIVSX
Eaton Vance Growth Fund
Class A Shares - EALCX Class C Shares - ECLCX Class I Shares - ELCIX Class R Shares - ELCRX
Eaton Vance Large-Cap Value Fund
Class A Shares - EHSTX
Class C Shares - ECSTX
Class I Shares - EILVX
Class R Shares - ERSTX
Class R6 Shares - ERLVX
Eaton Vance Real Estate Fund
Class A Shares - EAREX Class I Shares - EIREX
Eaton Vance Small-Cap Fund
Class A Shares - ETEGX
Class B Shares - EBSMX
Class C Shares - ECSMX
Class I Shares - EISGX
Class R Shares - ERSGX
Eaton Vance Special Equities Fund
Class A Shares - EVSEX Class C Shares - ECSEX Class I Shares - EISEX
Prospectus Dated
May 1, 2016
The Securities and Exchange Commission ( “ SEC ” ) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined whether this Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
This Prospectus contains important information about the Funds and the services
available to shareholders. Please save it for reference.
Table of Contents
Fund Summaries |
3 |
Dividend Builder Fund |
3 |
Global Small-Cap Fund |
7 |
Growth Fund |
11 |
Large-Cap Value Fund |
14 |
Real Estate Fund |
17 |
Small-Cap Fund |
21 |
Special Equities Fund |
25 |
Important Information Regarding Fund Shares |
28 |
Investment Objectives & Principal Policies and Risks |
29 |
Management and Organization |
34 |
Valuing Shares |
37 |
Purchasing Shares |
38 |
Sales Charges |
42 |
Redeeming Shares |
44 |
Shareholder Account Features |
45 |
Additional Tax Information |
46 |
Financial Highlights |
48 |
Dividend Builder Fund |
48 |
Global Small-Cap Fund |
49 |
Growth Fund |
51 |
Large-Cap Value Fund |
53 |
Real Estate Fund |
55 |
Small-Cap Fund |
56 |
Special Equities Fund |
58 |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
2
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Fund Summaries
Eaton Vance Dividend Builder Fund
Investment Objective
The Funds investment objective is to seek total return.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge if you invest, or agree to invest over a 13-month period, at least $50,000 in Eaton Vance Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary and in Sales Charges beginning on page 42 of this Prospectus and page 25 of the Funds Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) |
5.75% |
None |
None |
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lower of net asset value at purchase or redemption) |
None |
1.00% |
None |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) (1) |
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Management Fees |
0.64% |
0.64% |
0.64% |
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees |
0.25% |
1.00% |
None |
Other Expenses |
0.
|
0.
|
0.
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
1.
|
1.
|
0.
|
(1)
Expenses in the table above and the Example below reflect the expenses of the Fund and
Dividend Builder Portfolio (the Portfolio), the Funds master Portfolio.
Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over the portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was
99
% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in dividend-paying common stocks and dividend-paying or interest-bearing securities that are convertible into common stock (the 80% Policy). The Fund may invest in companies with a broad range of market capitalizations, including smaller companies. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in fixed-income securities, including (with respect to up to 10% of its net assets) securities rated BBB by Standard & Poors Ratings Services (S&P) or Baa by Moodys Investors Service, Inc. (Moodys) or below and unrated securities determined by the investment adviser to be of comparable quality. For purposes of rating restrictions, if securities are rated differently by the rating agencies, the higher rating is used. The Fund may also invest in non-income producing securities. The Fund may invest up to 35% of its total assets in foreign securities, some of which may be issued by companies domiciled in emerging market countries. As an alternative to holding foreign stocks directly, the Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign companies that trade on U.S. exchanges or in the over-the-counter market (including depositary receipts that evidence ownership in underlying foreign stocks). The Fund may invest up to 10% of its net
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
3
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
assets in publicly traded real estate investment trusts
. The Fund may invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), a type of pooled investment vehicle, in order to equitize cash positions or seek exposure to certain markets or market sectors. The Fund may also lend its securities.
The Fund may engage in derivative transactions to seek return, to hedge against fluctuations in securities prices or currency exchange rates, or as a substitute for the purchase or sale of securities or currencies. The Fund expects to use derivatives principally when seeking to hedge against fluctuations in currency exchange rates through the use of forward foreign currency exchange contracts or to generate income by writing covered call options or put options. The Fund may also enter into a combination of option transactions on individual securities. Permitted derivatives include: the purchase or sale of forward or futures contracts; options on futures contracts; exchange-traded and over-the-counter options; equity collars and equity swap agreements. There is no stated limit on the Funds use of derivatives. The Fund may also engage in covered short sales (on individual securities held or on an index or basket of securities whose constituents are held in whole or in part or for which liquid assets have been segregated).
The portfolio manager seeks to purchase securities that he believes are reasonably priced in relation to their fundamental value and that may produce attractive levels of dividend income and offer the potential for dividend growth, while growing in value over time. The portfolio manager may also seek to purchase companies that he believes have the potential to initiate or reinstate a dividend in the foreseeable future. The portfolio of securities is selected primarily on the basis of fundamental research. The portfolio manager utilizes the information provided by, and the expertise of, the investment advisors research staff in making investment decisions. In selecting securities, the portfolio manager seeks companies with solid dividend prospects, a strong cash flow profile, a durable balance sheet and secular growth potential. In addition, the portfolio manager employs a portfolio construction process that seeks to manage investment risk. This process includes the use of portfolio optimization tools (quantitative tools that help track the portfolios fundamental characteristics such as its volatility, valuation and growth rate) and risk management techniques to assist in portfolio construction and monitoring and maintaining issuer and industry diversification among the Funds holdings. The portfolio manager may sell a security when he believes it is fully valued, the fundamentals of a company deteriorate, or to pursue alternative investment options.
The Fund currently invests its assets in the Portfolio, a separate registered investment company with the same investment objective and policies as the Fund.
Principal Risks
Equity Investing Risk. Fund performance is sensitive to stock market volatility. Stock prices may decline in response to adverse changes in the economy or the economic outlook; deterioration in investor sentiment; interest rate, currency, and commodity price fluctuations; adverse geopolitical, social or environmental developments; issuer- and sector-specific considerations; and other factors. Market conditions may affect certain types of stocks to a greater extent than other types of stocks. If the stock market declines, the value of Fund shares will also likely decline. Although stock prices can rebound, there is no assurance that values will return to previous levels.
Income Risk. The Funds ability to distribute income to shareholders will depend on the yield available on the common stocks and convertible securities and fixed-income securities held by the Fund. Changes in the dividend policies of companies held by the Fund could make it difficult for the Fund to provide a predictable level of income.
Foreign and Emerging Market Investment Risk. Because the Fund can invest a portion of its assets in foreign instruments, the value of shares may be adversely affected by changes in currency exchange rates and political, economic and market developments abroad, including the imposition of economic and other sanctions by the United States or another country. Investment markets in emerging market countries are typically smaller, less liquid and more volatile than developed markets, and emerging market securities often involve higher risk than developed market securities. Trading in foreign markets often involves higher expense than trading in the United States. The value of investments denominated in foreign currencies can be adversely affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Depositary receipts are subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign instruments.
Fixed-Income and Convertible Security Risk.
If the Fund invests in fixed-income securities or convertible securities,
Fund performance
may be sensitive to increases in prevailing and expected interest rates and the creditworthiness of issuers. An imbalance in supply and demand in the market may result in valuation uncertainties and greater price volatility, less liquidity, widening credit spreads and a lack of price transparency in the market. Fixed-income securities and convertible securities rated below investment grade and comparable unrated securities have speculative characteristics because of the credit risk associated with their issuers. Changes in economic conditions or other circumstances typically have a greater effect on the ability of issuers of lower rated investments to make principal and interest payments than they do on issuers of higher rated investments. An economic downturn generally leads to a higher non-payment rate, and a lower rated investment may lose significant value before a default occurs. Lower rated investments generally are subject to greater price volatility and illiquidity than higher rated investments. Fixed-income markets have recently experienced a period of relatively high volatility. As a result of
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
4
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
the Federal Reserve's action to end its quantitative easing stimulus program as well as the possibility that it may unwind the program and its recent decision to raise the
target
fed funds rate, fixed-income markets could experience
continued
high volatility.
Real Estate Risks. Real estate investments are subject to special risks including changes in real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, occupancy rates, government regulations affecting zoning, land use, and rents, and the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Changes in underlying real estate values may have an exaggerated effect to the extent that investments concentrate in particular geographic regions or property types.
ETF Risk. ETFs are subject to the risks of investing in the underlying securities. ETF shares may trade at a premium or discount to net asset value and are subject to secondary market trading risks. In addition, the Fund will bear a pro rata portion of the operating expenses of an ETF in which it invests.
Smaller Company Equity Risk. The stocks of smaller, less seasoned companies are generally subject to greater price fluctuations, limited liquidity, higher transaction costs and higher investment risk than the stocks of larger, more established companies. Smaller, less seasoned companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, may be dependent on a limited management group, and may lack substantial capital reserves or an established performance record. There may be generally less publicly available information about such companies than for larger, more established companies.
Derivatives Risk.
The use of derivatives can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the asset, index, rate or instrument underlying a derivative, due to failure of a counterparty or due to tax or regulatory constraints. Derivatives may create economic leverage in the Fund, which magnifies the Funds exposure to the underlying investment. Derivatives risk may be more significant when derivatives are used to enhance return or as a substitute for a cash investment position, rather than solely to hedge the risk of a position held by the Fund.
A decision as to whether, when and how to use derivatives involves the exercise of specialized skill and judgment, and a transaction may be unsuccessful in whole or in part because of market behavior or unexpected events. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. Derivative instruments traded in over-the-counter markets may be difficult to value, may be illiquid, and may be subject to wide swings in valuation caused by changes in the value of the underlying instrument. If a derivatives counterparty is unable to honor its commitments, the value of Fund shares may decline and the Fund could experience delays in the return of collateral or other assets held by the counterparty. The loss on derivative transactions may substantially exceed the initial investment
, particularly when there is no stated limit on the Funds use of derivatives.
Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves possible delay in recovery of the loaned securities or possible loss of rights in the collateral if the borrower fails financially.
Risks Associated with Active Management. The success of the Funds investment program depends on portfolio managements successful application of analytical skills and investment judgment. Active management involves subjective decisions. The portfolio manager also uses quantitative portfolio optimization and risk management techniques in making investment decisions for the Fund. There can be no assurance that these techniques will achieve the desired results.
General Fund Investing Risks. The Fund is not a complete investment program and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. It is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund is designed to be a long-term investment vehicle and is not suited for short-term trading. Investors in the Fund should have a long-term investment perspective and be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, entity or person.
Performance
The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Funds performance from year to year and how the Funds average annual returns over time compare with those of a broad-based securities market index. The returns in the bar chart are for Class A shares and do not reflect a sales charge. If the sales charge was reflected, the returns would be lower. Past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Updated Fund performance information can be obtained by visiting www.eatonvance.com.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
5
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
For the ten years ended December 31,
2015
, the highest quarterly total return for Class A was 14.52% for the quarter ended September 30, 2009, and the lowest quarterly return was
-
20.45% for the quarter ended September 30, 2008. For the 30 days ended December 31,
2015
, the SEC yield for Class A was 1.
60
%, for Class C was 0.
93
% and for Class I was 1.
95
%. For current yield information call 1-800-262-1122.
These returns reflect the maximum sales charge for Class A (5.75%) and any applicable contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) for Class
C.
Investors cannot invest directly in an Index.
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. After-tax returns for other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Class A shares. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the Sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
Management
Investment Adviser. Boston Management and Research (BMR).
Portfolio Manager. The Portfolio is managed by Charles B. Gaffney, Vice President of BMR, who has managed the Portfolio since August 2007.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase, redeem or exchange Fund shares on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. You may purchase, redeem or exchange Fund shares either through your financial intermediary or directly from a Fund either by writing to the Fund, P.O. Box 9653, Providence, RI 02940-9653, or by calling 1-800-262-1122. The minimum initial purchase or exchange into a Fund is $1,000 for each Class (with the exception of Class I) and $250,000 for Class I (waived in certain circumstances). There is no minimum for subsequent investments.
For important information about
taxes and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to Important Information Regarding Fund Shares on page 28 of this Prospectus.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
6
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Global Small-Cap Fund
Investment Objective
The Funds investment objective is to seek long-term total return.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge if you invest, or agree to invest over a 13-month period, at least $50,000 in Eaton Vance Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary and in Sales Charges beginning on page 42 of this Prospectus and page 25 of the Funds Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) |
5.75% |
None |
None |
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lower of net asset value at purchase or redemption) |
None |
1.00% |
None |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Management Fees
|
0.90% |
0.90% |
0.90% |
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees |
0.25% |
1.00% |
None |
Other Expenses |
0.
|
0.
|
0.
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
1.
|
2.
|
1.
|
Expense Reimbursement
(1
|
(0.
|
(0.
|
(0.
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement |
1.40% |
2.15% |
1.15% |
(1
)
The investment adviser, administrator and sub-adviser have agreed to reimburse the Funds expenses to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 1.40% for Class A shares, 2.15% for Class C shares and 1.15% for Class I shares. This expense reimbursement will continue through April 30, 2017. Any amendment to or termination of this reimbursement would require approval of the Board of Trustees. The expense reimbursement relates to ordinary operating expenses only and does not include expenses such as: brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses of unaffiliated funds, interest expense, taxes or litigation expenses. Amounts reimbursed may be recouped by the investment adviser, administrator and sub-adviser during the same fiscal year to the extent actual expenses are less than the contractual expense cap during such year.
Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
|
Expenses with Redemption |
Expenses without Redemption |
||||||
|
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years |
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years |
Class A shares |
$709 |
$1,
|
$1,
|
$2,
|
$709 |
$1,
|
$1,
|
$2,
|
Class C shares |
$318 |
$
|
$1,
|
$2,
|
$218 |
$
|
$1,
|
$2,
|
Class I shares |
$117 |
$
|
$
|
$1,
|
$117 |
$
|
$
|
$1,
|
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over the portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was
150
% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of small-cap companies (the 80% Policy). The portfolio managers generally consider small-cap companies to be those companies with market capitalizations within the range of companies included in the MSCI World Small
Cap Index. The market capitalization range for the MSCI World Small
Cap Index was approximately $49 million to $8 billion as of December 31, 2015. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest (i) at least 25% of its net assets in companies located outside of the United States, which may include emerging market countries; and (ii) in issuers located in at
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
7
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
least five different countries (including the United States). A company will be considered to be located outside the United States if it is domiciled in or derives more than 50% of its revenues or profits from non-U.S. countries and may include securities trading in the form of depositary receipts. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in publicly traded real estate investment trusts. The Fund may invest in
exchange-traded funds (ETFs
), a type of pooled investment vehicle, in order to equitize cash positions or seek exposure to certain markets or market sectors
. The Fund may also lend its securities.
The Fund may engage in derivative transactions to seek return, to hedge against fluctuations in securities prices or currency exchange rates or as a substitute for the purchase or sale of securities. The Fund expects to use derivatives principally to attempt to equitize cash through the use of futures contracts. Permitted derivatives include: the purchase or sale of forward or futures contracts; options on futures contracts; exchange-traded and over-the-counter options; equity collars and equity swap agreements. There is no stated limit on the Funds use of derivatives.
In managing the Fund, the portfolio managers seek to exploit inefficiencies in the small-cap market through fundamental bottom-up research conducted by the investment advisers and sub-advisers research staff. The portfolio managers employ a disciplined valuation framework in pursuit of attractive risk adjusted returns. The portfolio managers seek companies which may be best positioned to benefit from structural growth. The portfolio managers look for companies that, in their opinion, are high in quality or improving in quality. Such companies typically are well positioned in an industry or niche benefiting from structural change, or companies with differentiated products or services that possess defendable barriers to entry, competitive advantages, and scalable businesses. Characteristics of such companies may also include attractive earnings growth, profit margins and returns on capital which, if invested well, can lead to attractive compound rates of return through an economic cycle. The portfolio managers may also seek companies characterized as an improver or a rebounder. Such companies are typically characterized by either (i) a catalyst or identifiable positive agent of change, which are not fully reflected in the companys share price; or (ii) a company whose price was negatively impacted by an overreaction to near-term news or the short-term focus of analysts and momentum investors. The portfolio managers seek to manage investment risk by maintaining broad issuer and industry diversification among the Funds holdings, and by utilizing fundamental analysis of risk/return characteristics in securities selection. Securities may be sold if, in the opinion of the portfolio managers, the price moves above a fair level of valuation, the companys fundamentals deteriorate or to pursue more attractive investment opportunities.
Principal Risks
Equity Investing Risk. Fund performance is sensitive to stock market volatility. Stock prices may decline in response to adverse changes in the economy or the economic outlook; deterioration in investor sentiment; interest rate, currency, and commodity price fluctuations; adverse geopolitical, social or environmental developments; issuer- and sector-specific considerations; and other factors. If the stock market declines, the value of Fund shares will also likely decline. Although stock prices can rebound, there is no assurance that values will return to previous levels.
Small-Cap Risk. Because the Fund normally invests primarily in stocks of small-cap companies, it is subject to the risk of underperforming the overall stock market during periods in which stocks of such companies are out of favor and generate lower returns than the market as a whole.
Small Company Equity Risk. The stocks of small and emerging companies are generally subject to greater price fluctuations, limited liquidity, higher transaction costs and higher investment risk than the stocks of larger, more established companies. Small and emerging companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, may be dependent on a limited management group, and may lack substantial capital reserves or an established performance record. There may be generally less publicly available information about such companies than for larger, more established companies. Stocks of small and emerging companies frequently have lower trading volumes making them more volatile and potentially more difficult to value.
Foreign and Emerging Market Investment Risk. Because the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in foreign instruments, the value of shares may be adversely affected by changes in currency exchange rates and political, economic and market developments abroad, including the imposition of economic and other sanctions by the United States or another country. Investment markets in emerging market countries are typically smaller, less liquid and more volatile than developed markets, and emerging market securities often involve higher risk than developed market securities. Trading in foreign markets often involves higher expense than trading in the United States. The value of investments denominated in foreign currencies can be adversely affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Depositary receipts are subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign instruments.
ETF Risk. ETFs are subject to the risks of investing in the underlying securities. ETF shares may trade at a premium or discount to net asset value and are subject to secondary market trading risks. In addition, the Fund will bear a pro rata portion of the operating expenses of an ETF in which it invests.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
8
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Derivatives Risk.
The use of derivatives can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the asset, index, rate or instrument underlying a derivative, due to failure of a counterparty or due to tax or regulatory constraints. Derivatives may create economic leverage in the Fund, which magnifies the Funds exposure to the underlying investment
. Derivatives risk may be more significant when derivatives are used to enhance return or as a substitute for a cash investment position rather than solely to hedge the risk of a position held by the Fund.
A decision as to whether, when and how to use derivatives involves the exercise of specialized skill and judgment, and a transaction may be unsuccessful in whole or in part because of market behavior or unexpected events. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. Derivative instruments traded in over-the-counter markets may be difficult to value, may be illiquid, and may be subject to wide swings in valuation caused by changes in the value of the underlying instrument. If a derivatives counterparty is unable to honor its commitments, the value of Fund shares may decline and the Fund could experience delays in the return of collateral or other assets held by the counterparty. The loss on derivative transactions may substantially exceed the initial investment
, particularly when there is no stated limit on the Funds use of derivatives.
Real Estate Risks. Real estate investments are subject to special risks including changes in real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, occupancy rates, government regulations affecting zoning, land use, and rents, and the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Changes in underlying real estate values may have an exaggerated effect to the extent that investments concentrate in particular geographic regions or property types.
Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves possible delay in recovery of the loaned securities or possible loss of rights in the collateral if the borrower fails financially.
Risks Associated with Active Management. The success of the Funds investment program depends on portfolio managements successful application of analytical skills and investment judgment. Active management involves subjective decisions.
General Fund Investing Risks. The Fund is not a complete investment program and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. It is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund is designed to be a long-term investment vehicle and is not suited for short-term trading. Investors in the Fund should have a long-term investment perspective and be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, entity or person.
Performance
The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Funds performance from year to year and how the Funds average annual returns over time compare with those of two broad-based securities market indices. The returns in the bar chart are for Class A shares and do not reflect a sales charge. If the sales charge was reflected, the returns would be lower.
Past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. The Funds performance reflects the effects of expense reductions. Absent these reductions, performance would have been lower. Updated Fund performance information can be obtained by visiting www.eatonvance.com.
For the ten years ended December 31,
2015
, the highest quarterly total return for Class A was 18.35% for the quarter ended June 30, 2009, and the lowest quarterly return was
-
22.76% for the quarter ended December 31, 2008.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
9
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
These returns reflect the maximum sales charge for Class A (5.75%) and any applicable contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) for Class C. Prior to July 6, 2015, the Funds investment adviser employed a different investment strategy. Effective July 6, 2015, the Fund changed its name, investment objective and investment strategy to invest globally and to invest at least 80% of its net assets in small-cap companies defined as companies with market capitalizations within the range of companies included in the MSCI World Small Cap Index. The Class I performance shown above for the period prior to October 1, 2009 (commencement of operations) is the performance of Class A shares at net asset value without adjustment for any differences in the expenses of the two classes. If adjusted for such differences, returns would be different. The Funds primary benchmark has been changed to the MSCI World Small Cap Index because it was deemed by the portfolio managers to be a more appropriate benchmark for the Fund. (Source for MSCI World Small Cap Index: MSCI.) MSCI data may not be reproduced or used for any other purposes. MSCI provides no warranties, has not prepared or approved this data, and has no liability hereunder. Investors cannot invest directly in an Index.
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. After-tax returns for other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Class A shares. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the Sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
Management
Investment Adviser. Boston Management and Research (BMR).
Investment Sub-Adviser. Eaton Vance Management (International) Limited (EVMI).
Portfolio Managers
Aidan M. Farrell (lead portfolio manager), Vice President of EVMI, has managed the Fund since July 2015.
Patrick J. OBrien, Vice President of BMR, has managed the Fund since November 2013.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase, redeem or exchange Fund shares on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business.
You may purchase, redeem or exchange Fund shares either through your financial intermediary or directly from a Fund either by writing to the Fund, P.O. Box 9653, Providence, RI 02940-9653, or by calling 1-800-262-1122. The minimum initial purchase or exchange into a Fund is $1,000 for each Class (with the exception of Class I) and $250,000 for Class I (waived in certain circumstances). There is no minimum for subsequent investments.
For important information about
taxes and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to Important Information Regarding Fund Shares on page 28 of this Prospectus.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
10
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Growth Fund
Investment Objective
The Funds investment objective is to seek total return.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge if you invest, or agree to invest over a 13-month period, at least $50,000 in Eaton Vance Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary and in Sales Charges beginning on page 42 of this Prospectus and page 25 of the Funds Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Class R |
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) |
5.75% |
None |
None |
None |
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lower of net asset value at purchase or redemption) |
None |
1.00% |
None |
None |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) (1) |
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Class R |
Management Fees
|
0.65% |
0.65% |
0.65% |
0.65% |
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees |
0.25% |
1.00% |
None |
0.50% |
Other Expenses |
0.
|
0.
|
0.
|
0.
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
1.
|
1.
|
0.
|
1.
|
Expense Reimbursement
(
|
(0.
|
(0.
|
(0.
|
(0.
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement |
1.05% |
1.80% |
0.80% |
1.30% |
(1)
Expenses in the table above and the Example below reflect the expenses of the
Fund
and
Growth Portfolio
(the Portfolio), the Funds master Portfolio.
(2
)
The investment adviser has agreed to reimburse the Funds expenses to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 1.05% for Class A shares, 1.80% for Class C shares, 0.80% for Class I shares and 1.30% for Class R shares. This expense reimbursement will continue through April 30,
2017
. Any amendment to or termination of this reimbursement would require approval of the Board of Trustees. The expense reimbursement relates to ordinary operating expenses only and does not include expenses such as: brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses of unaffiliated funds, interest expense, taxes or litigation expenses. Amounts reimbursed may be recouped by the administrator during same fiscal year to the extent actual expenses are less than the contractual expense cap during such year.
Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over the portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was
55
% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund invests in a broadly diversified selection of equity securities, seeking companies with above-average growth and financial strength. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests primarily in large-cap companies. The portfolio managers generally consider large-cap companies to be those companies with a market capitalization equal to or greater than the median capitalization of companies included in the Russell 1000 ® Growth Index. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
11
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
foreign securities, some of which may be issued by companies domiciled in emerging market countries. As an alternative to holding foreign stocks directly, the Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign companies that trade on U.S. exchanges or in the over-the-counter market (including depositary receipts that evidence ownership in underlying foreign stocks). The Fund may invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), a type of pooled investment vehicle, in order to equitize cash positions or seek exposure to certain markets or market sectors. The Fund may also lend its securities.
The Fund employs a growth at a reasonable price investing style, seeking to acquire growing companies that the portfolio managers believe are reasonably priced in relation to their fundamental value. The portfolio managers may seek to capitalize on market volatility and the actions of short-term investors. Under normal conditions, stocks generally are acquired with the expectation of being held for the long-term. Investment decisions are made primarily on the basis of fundamental research. The portfolio managers utilize information provided by, and the expertise of, the investment advisers research staff in making investment decisions. In selecting stocks, the portfolio managers consider (among other factors) a companys earnings or cash flow capabilities, financial strength, growth potential, the strength of the companys business franchises and management team, sustainability of a companys competitiveness, and estimates of the companys net value. The portfolio managers may sell a security when they believe it is fully valued, the fundamentals of a company deteriorate, a stocks price falls below its acquisition cost, management fails to execute its strategy or to pursue more attractive investment options. The portfolio managers seek to manage investment risk by maintaining broad issuer and industry diversification among the Funds holdings, and by utilizing fundamental analysis of risk/return characteristics in securities selection. In addition to rigorous fundamental research, the portfolio managers use various risk tools to help manage and monitor the portfolios risk profile as well as individual stocks valuation, volatility and other risk characteristics.
The Fund currently invests its assets in the Portfolio, a separate registered investment company with the same investment objective and policies as the Fund.
Principal Risks
Equity Investing Risk. Fund performance is sensitive to stock market volatility. Stock prices may decline in response to adverse changes in the economy or the economic outlook; deterioration in investor sentiment; interest rate, currency, and commodity price fluctuations; adverse geopolitical, social or environmental developments; issuer- and sector-specific considerations; and other factors. If the stock market declines, the value of Fund shares will also likely decline. Although stock prices can rebound, there is no assurance that values will return to previous levels.
Large-Cap Growth Risk. Because the Fund normally invests primarily in growth stocks of large-cap companies, it is subject to the risk of underperforming the overall stock market during periods in which stocks of such companies are out of favor and generate lower returns than the market as a whole.
Foreign and Emerging Market Investment Risk. Because the Fund can invest a portion of its assets in foreign instruments, the value of shares may be adversely affected by changes in currency exchange rates and political, economic and market developments abroad, including the imposition of economic and other sanctions by the United States or another country. Investment markets in emerging market countries are typically smaller, less liquid and more volatile than developed markets, and emerging market securities often involve higher risk than developed market securities. Trading in foreign markets often involves higher expense than trading in the United States. The value of investments denominated in foreign currencies can be adversely affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Depositary receipts are subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign instruments.
ETF Risk. ETFs are subject to the risks of investing in the underlying securities. ETF shares may trade at a premium or discount to net asset value and are subject to secondary market trading risks. In addition, the Fund will bear a pro rata portion of the operating expenses of an ETF in which it invests.
Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves possible delay in recovery of the loaned securities or possible loss of rights in the collateral if the borrower fails financially.
Risks Associated with Active Management. The success of the Funds investment program depends on portfolio managements successful application of analytical skills and investment judgment. Active management involves subjective decisions.
General Fund Investing Risks. The Fund is not a complete investment program and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. It is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund is designed to be a long-term investment vehicle and is not suited for short-term trading. Investors in the Fund should have a long-term investment perspective and be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, entity or person.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
12
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Performance
The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Funds performance from year to year and how the Funds average annual returns over time compare with those of a broad-based securities market index. The returns in the bar chart are for Class A shares and do not reflect a sales charge. If the sales charge was reflected, the returns would be lower. Past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. The Funds performance reflects the effects of expense reductions. Absent these reductions, performance would have been lower. Updated Fund performance information can be obtained by visiting www.eatonvance.com.
For the ten years ended December 31,
2015
, the highest quarterly total return for Class A was 14.94% for the quarter ended March 31, 2012, and the lowest quarterly return was
-
20.76% for the quarter ended December 31, 2008.
These returns reflect the maximum sales charge for Class A (5.75%) and any applicable contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) for Class C. The Class I and Class R performance shown above for the periods prior to May 3, 2007 and August 3, 2009 (commencement of operations for such class, respectively), is the performance of Class A shares at net asset value without adjustment for any differences in the expenses of the classes. If adjusted for such differences, returns would be different. Investors cannot invest directly in an Index.
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. After-tax returns for other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Class A shares. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the Sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
Management
Investment Adviser. Boston Management and Research (BMR).
Portfolio Managers
Lewis R. Piantedosi (lead portfolio manager), Vice President of BMR, has managed the Portfolio since June 2002.
Yana S. Barton, Vice President of BMR, has managed the Portfolio since December 2009.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase, redeem or exchange Fund shares on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. You may purchase, redeem or exchange Fund shares either through your financial intermediary or directly from a Fund either by writing to the Fund, P.O. Box 9653, Providence, RI 02940-9653, or by calling 1-800-262-1122. The minimum initial purchase or exchange into a Fund is $1,000 for each Class (with the exception of Class I) and $250,000 for Class I (waived in certain circumstances). There is no minimum for subsequent investments.
For important information about
taxes and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to Important Information Regarding Fund Shares on page 28 of this Prospectus.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
13
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Large-Cap Value Fund
Investment Objective
The Funds investment objective is to seek total return.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge if you invest, or agree to invest over a 13-month period, at least $50,000 in Eaton Vance Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary and in Sales Charges beginning on page 42 of this Prospectus and page 25 of the Funds Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Class R |
Class R6 |
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) |
5.75% |
None |
None |
None |
None |
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lower of net asset value at purchase or redemption) |
None |
1.00% |
None |
None |
None |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) (1) |
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Class R |
Class R6 |
Management Fees |
0.61% |
0.61% |
0.61% |
0.61% |
0.61% |
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees |
0.25% |
1.00% |
None |
0.50% |
None |
Other Expenses |
0.
|
0.
|
0.
|
0.
|
0.
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
1.
|
1.
|
0.
|
1.
|
0.
|
(1)
Expenses in the table above and the Example below reflect the expenses of the Fund and
Large-Cap Value Portfolio (the Portfolio), the Funds master Portfolio.
Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over the portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was
98
% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of large-cap companies (the 80% Policy). The portfolio managers generally consider large-cap companies to be those companies having market capitalizations
within
the
range
of companies included in the Russell 1000
®
Value Index
, although the portfolio will generally consist of stocks with a market capitalization equal to or greater than the median market capitalization of companies included in such index. As of December 31, 2015, the range of companies in the Russell 1000
®
Value Index was $386 million to $439.7 billion and the median market capitalization was $7.1 billion.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests primarily in value stocks. Value stocks are common stocks that, in the opinion of the investment adviser, are inexpensive or undervalued relative to the overall stock market. The Fund primarily invests in dividend-paying stocks, but also may invest in
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
14
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
non-income producing stocks. The Fund may invest in convertible debt securities of any credit quality (including securities rated below investment grade (so-called junk
)). The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in foreign securities, some of which may be issued by companies domiciled in emerging market countries. As an alternative to holding foreign stocks directly, the Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign companies that trade on U.S. exchanges or in the over-the-counter market (including depositary receipts that evidence ownership in underlying foreign stocks). The Fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in publicly traded real estate investment trusts
. The Fund may invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), a type of pooled investment vehicle, in order to equitize cash positions or seek exposure to certain markets or market sectors. The Fund may also
lend its securities.
Investment decisions are made primarily on the basis of fundamental research. The portfolio managers utilize information provided by, and the expertise of, the investment advisers research staff in making investment decisions. In selecting stocks, the portfolio managers consider (among other factors) a companys earnings or cash flow capabilities, dividend prospects, financial strength, growth potential, the strength of the companys business franchises and management team, sustainability of a companys competitiveness, and estimates of the companys net value. The portfolio managers may sell a security when the investment advisers price objective for the security is reached, the fundamentals of the company deteriorate, a securitys price falls below acquisition cost or to pursue more attractive investment options. The portfolio managers seek to manage investment risk by maintaining broad issuer and industry diversification among the Funds holdings, and by
conducting an
analysis of
the
risk
and
return characteristics
of
securities
(as described above) in which the Fund invests.
The Fund currently invests its assets in the Portfolio, a separate registered investment company with the same investment objective and policies as the Fund.
Principal Risks
Equity Investing Risk. Fund performance is sensitive to stock market volatility. Stock prices may decline in response to adverse changes in the economy or the economic outlook; deterioration in investor sentiment; interest rate, currency, and commodity price fluctuations; adverse geopolitical, social or environmental developments; issuer- and sector-specific considerations; and other factors. If the stock market declines, the value of Fund shares will also likely decline. Although stock prices can rebound, there is no assurance that values will return to previous levels.
Large-Cap Value Risk. Because the Fund normally invests primarily in value stocks of large-cap companies, it is subject to the risk of underperforming the overall stock market during periods in which stocks of such companies are out of favor and generate lower returns than the market as a whole.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to the usual risks associated with income securities, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. Convertible securities may also react to changes in the value of the common stock into which they convert, and are thus subject to equity market risk. A convertible security may be converted at an inopportune time, which may decrease the Fund ’ s return.
Foreign and Emerging Market Investment Risk. Because the Fund can invest a portion of its assets in foreign instruments, the value of shares may be adversely affected by changes in currency exchange rates and political, economic and market developments abroad, including the imposition of economic and other sanctions by the United States or another country. Investment markets in emerging market countries are typically smaller, less liquid and more volatile than developed markets, and emerging market securities often involve higher risk than developed market securities. Trading in foreign markets often involves higher expense than trading in the United States. The value of investments denominated in foreign currencies can be adversely affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Depositary receipts are subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign instruments.
ETF Risk. ETFs are subject to the risks of investing in the underlying securities. ETF shares may trade at a premium or discount to net asset value and are subject to secondary market trading risks. In addition, the Fund will bear a pro rata portion of the operating expenses of an ETF in which it invests.
Real Estate Risks. Real estate investments are subject to special risks including changes in real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, occupancy rates, government regulations affecting zoning, land use, and rents, and the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Changes in underlying real estate values may have an exaggerated effect to the extent that investments concentrate in particular geographic regions or property types.
Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves possible delay in recovery of the loaned securities or possible loss of rights in the collateral if the borrower fails financially.
Risks Associated with Active Management. The success of the Funds investment program depends on portfolio managements successful application of analytical skills and investment judgment. Active management involves subjective decisions.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
15
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
General Fund Investing Risks. The Fund is not a complete investment program and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. It is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund is designed to be a long-term investment vehicle and is not suited for short-term trading. Investors in the Fund should have a long-term investment perspective and be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, entity or person.
Performance
The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Funds performance from year to year and how the Funds average annual returns over time compare with those of a broad-based securities market index. The returns in the bar chart are for Class A shares and do not reflect a sales charge. If the sales charge was reflected, the returns would be lower. Past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Updated Fund performance information can be obtained by visiting www.eatonvance.com.
For the ten years ended December 31,
2015
, the highest quarterly total return for Class A was 15.09% for the quarter ended September 30, 2009, and the lowest quarterly return was
-
21.37% for the quarter ended December 31, 2008.
These returns reflect the maximum sales charge for Class A (5.75%) and any applicable contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) for Class
C. The Class R6 performance shown above for the period prior to July 1, 2014 (commencement of operations) is the performance of Class I shares at net asset value without adjustment for any differences in the expenses of the two classes. If adjusted for such differences, returns would be different. Investors cannot invest directly in an Index.
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. After-tax returns for other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Class A shares. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the Sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
Management
Investment Adviser. Boston Management and Research (BMR).
Portfolio Managers
Edward J. Perkin, CFA (lead portfolio manager), Chief Equity Investment Officer and Vice President of BMR, has managed the Portfolio since June 2014.
John D. Crowley, Vice President of BMR, has managed the Portfolio since December 2009.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
16
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase, redeem or exchange Fund shares on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. You may purchase, redeem or exchange Fund shares either through your financial intermediary or directly from a Fund either by writing to the Fund, P.O. Box 9653, Providence, RI 02940-9653, or by calling 1-800-262-1122. The minimum initial purchase or exchange into a Fund is $1,000 for Class A, Class C and Class R, $250,000 for Class I and $1,000,000 for Class R6 (waived in certain circumstances). There is no minimum for subsequent investments.
For important information about
taxes and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to Important Information Regarding Fund Shares on page 28
of
this Prospectus.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
17
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Real Estate Fund
Investment Objective
The Funds investment objective is to seek total return.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
T his table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge if you invest, or agree to invest over a 13-month period, at least $50,000 in Eaton Vance Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary and in Sales Charges beginning on page 42 of this Prospectus and page 25 of the Funds Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
Class A |
Class I |
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) |
5.75% |
None |
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lower of net asset value at purchase or redemption) |
None |
None |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
Class A |
Class I |
Management Fees |
0.80% |
0.80% |
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees |
0.25% |
None |
Other Expenses |
0.50 % |
0.50 % |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
1.55% |
1.30% |
Expense Reimbursement (1) |
(0.30) % |
(0.30) % |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement |
1.25% |
1.00% |
(1)
The administrator has agreed to reimburse the Funds expenses to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 1.25% for Class A shares and 1.00% for Class I shares. This expense reimbursement will continue through April 30,
2017
. Any amendment to or termination of this reimbursement would require approval of the Board of Trustees. The expense reimbursement relates to ordinary operating expenses only and does not include expenses such as: brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses of unaffiliated funds, interest expense, taxes or litigation expenses. Amounts reimbursed may be recouped by the administrator during the same fiscal year to the extent actual expenses are less than the contractual expense cap during such year.
Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
|
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years |
Class A shares |
$695 |
$1,009 |
$1,344 |
$2,290 |
Class I shares |
$102 |
$382 |
$684 |
$1,541 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over the portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was
72
% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund seeks total return through a combination of capital appreciation and current income. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of companies primarily engaged in the real estate industry (the 80% Policy). Although it invests primarily in domestic securities, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in foreign securities. As an alternative to holding foreign stocks directly, the Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign companies that trade on U.S. exchanges, or in the over-the-counter market (including depositary receipts which evidence ownership in underlying foreign stocks). The Fund may also lend its securities. The Fund is non-diversified, which means it may invest a greater percentage of its asset in the securities of a single issuer than a diversified fund.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
18
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Companies primarily engaged in the real estate industry and other real estate-related investments may include publicly traded real estate investment trusts (REITs) or real estate operating companies that either own properties or make construction or mortgage loans, real estate developers, companies with substantial real estate holdings and other companies whose products and services are related to the real estate industry, such as lodging operators, brokers, property management companies, building supply manufacturers, mortgage lenders, or mortgage servicing companies. REITs tend to be small to medium-sized companies. The value of a REIT can depend on the structure of and cash flow generated by the REIT. REITs are pooled investment vehicles that have expenses of their own, so the Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of those expenses. The Fund will not own real estate directly.
The portfolio manager generally seeks to purchase securities of companies that he believes are high in quality and reasonably priced in relation to their fundamental value. In selecting securities, the portfolio manager generally seeks companies believed to have the potential for above-average earnings growth and profit margins, as well as good appreciation prospects and income-producing potential. Investment decisions are made primarily on the basis of fundamental research. The portfolio manager utilizes information provided by, and the expertise of, the investment advisers research staff in making investment decisions. Factors the portfolio manager considers in selecting real estate companies include one or more of the following: asset quality; quality and experience of management; type and location of real estate owned; nature of a companys real estate activities; sustainability of a companys competitive position; balance sheet strength; free cash flow and growth thereof; and relative valuation. While stocks generally are acquired with the expectation of being held for the long term, securities may be sold if, in the opinion of the investment adviser, the price moves above a fair level of valuation, the companys fundamentals deteriorate or to pursue more attractive investment options.
Principal Risks
Equity Investing Risk. Fund performance is sensitive to stock market volatility. Stock prices may decline in response to adverse changes in the economy or the economic outlook; deterioration in investor sentiment; interest rate, currency, and commodity price fluctuations; adverse geopolitical, social or environmental developments; issuer- and sector-specific considerations; and other factors. Market conditions may affect certain types of stocks to a greater extent than other types of stocks. If the stock market declines, the value of Fund shares will also likely decline. Although stock prices can rebound, there is no assurance that values will return to previous levels.
Real Estate Risks. Real estate investments are subject to special risks including changes in real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, occupancy rates, government regulations affecting zoning, land use, and rents, and the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Companies in the real estate industry may also be subject to liabilities under environmental and hazardous waste laws, among others. REITS are subject to the special risks associated with investing in the real estate industry. Changes in underlying real estate values may have an exaggerated effect to the extent that REITs concentrate investments in particular geographic regions or property types.
Industry Concentration Risk. Because the Fund will concentrate its investments in the real estate industry, the value of Fund shares may be affected by events that adversely affect that industry and may fluctuate more than that of a fund that invests more broadly.
Issuer Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified, which means it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer than funds that are diversified. Non-diversified funds face the risk of focusing investments in a small number of issuers, making them more susceptible to risks affecting such issuers than a more diversified fund might be.
Smaller Company Equity Risk. The stocks of smaller, less seasoned companies are generally subject to greater price fluctuations, limited liquidity, higher transaction costs and higher investment risk than the stocks of larger, more established companies. Smaller, less seasoned companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, may be dependent on a limited management group, and may lack substantial capital reserves or an established performance record. There may be generally less publicly available information about such companies than for larger, more established companies.
Foreign Investment Risk. Because the Fund can invest a portion of its assets in foreign instruments, the value of Fund shares can be adversely affected by changes in currency exchange rates and political and economic developments abroad, including the imposition of economic and other sanctions by the United States or another country. Foreign markets may be smaller, less liquid and more volatile than the major markets in the United States, and as a result, Fund share values may be more volatile. Trading in foreign markets typically involves higher expense than trading in the United States. The Fund may have difficulties enforcing its legal or contractual rights in a foreign country. Depositary receipts are subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign instruments.
Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves possible delay in recovery of the loaned securities or possible loss of rights in the collateral if the borrower fails financially.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
19
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Risks Associated with Active Management. The success of the Funds investment program depends on portfolio managements successful application of analytical skills and investment judgment. Active management involves subjective decisions.
General Fund Investing Risks. The Fund is not a complete investment program and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. It is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund is designed to be a long-term investment vehicle and is not suited for short-term trading. Investors in the Fund should have a long-term investment perspective and be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, entity or person.
Performance
The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Funds performance from year to year and how the Funds average annual returns over time compare with those of two broad-based securities market indices. The returns in the bar chart are for Class A shares and do not reflect a sales charge. If the sales charge was reflected, returns would be lower. Past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. The Funds performance reflects the effects of expense reductions. Absent these reductions, performance would have been lower. Updated Fund performance information can be obtained by visiting www.eatonvance.com.
During the period from December 31, 2006 through December 31,
2015
, the highest quarterly total return for Class A was 30.70% for the quarter ended September 30, 2009, and the lowest quarterly return was
-
35.70% for the quarter ended December 31, 2008.
Average Annual Total Return as of December 31,
|
One Year |
Five Years |
Life of Fund |
Class A Return Before Taxes |
|
|
6.
|
Class A Return After Taxes on Distributions |
|
|
5.
|
Class A Return After Taxes on Distributions and the Sale of Class A Shares |
|
|
4.74% |
Class I Return Before Taxes |
|
|
7.
|
Dow Jones U.S. Select Real Estate Securities Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
|
6.
|
S&P 500 Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
|
|
These returns reflect the maximum sales charge for Class A (5.75%). Class I commenced operations on April 28, 2006. The Class A performance shown above for the period prior to June 9, 2010 (commencement of operations) is the performance of Class I shares, adjusted for the sales charge that applies to Class A shares (but not adjusted for any other differences in the expenses of the two classes). If adjusted for such differences, returns would be different. Investors cannot invest directly in an Index.
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. After-tax returns for other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Class A shares. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
Management
Investment Adviser. Eaton Vance Management (Eaton Vance).
Portfolio Manager. The Fund is managed by J. Scott Craig, Vice President of Eaton Vance, who has managed the Fund since it commenced operations in April 2006.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
20
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase, redeem or exchange Fund shares on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. You may purchase, redeem or exchange Fund shares either through your financial intermediary or directly from a Fund either by writing to the Fund, P.O. Box 9653, Providence, RI 02940-9653, or by calling 1-800-262-1122. The minimum initial purchase or exchange into a Fund is $1,000 for Class A and $250,000 for Class I (waived in certain circumstances). There is no minimum for subsequent investments.
For important information about
taxes and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to Important Information Regarding Fund Shares on page 28
of
this Prospectus.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
21
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Small-Cap Fund
Investment Objective
The Funds investment objective is to seek long-term capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge if you invest, or agree to invest over a 13-month period, at least $50,000 in Eaton Vance Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary and in Sales Charges beginning on page 42 of this Prospectus and page 25 of the Funds Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
Class A |
Class B |
Class C |
Class I |
Class R |
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) |
5.75% |
None |
None |
None |
None |
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lower of net asset value at purchase or redemption) |
None |
5.00% |
1.00% |
None |
None |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
Class A |
Class B |
Class C |
Class I |
Class R |
Management Fees |
0.90% |
0.90% |
0.90% |
0.90% |
0.90% |
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees |
0.25% |
1.00% |
1.00% |
None |
0.50% |
Other Expenses |
0.
|
0.
|
0.
|
0.
|
0.
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
1.
|
2.
|
2.
|
1.
|
1.
|
Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over the portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was
71
% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of small-cap companies (the 80% Policy). The portfolio managers consider small-cap companies to be companies having a market capitalization that falls (i) within or below the range of companies in either the current Russell 2000® Index or the S&P SmallCap 600 Index, or (ii) below the three-year average maximum market cap of companies in either index as of December 31 of the three preceding years. The market capitalization range for the Russell 2000® Index was approximately $15 million to $6.4 billion, and the market capitalization range for the S&P SmallCap 600 Index was approximately $59 million to $4.6 billion as of December 31, 2015. The average maximum market capitalization of companies in either index as of December 31 of the three preceding years ended 2015 was approximately $6.3 billion. With respect to 20% of its net assets, the Fund may also invest in companies that are larger than the capitalization ranges stated above. The Fund may also invest up to 25% of its total assets in foreign securities, some of which may be issued by companies domiciled in emerging market countries. As an alternative to holding foreign stocks directly, the Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
22
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
securities of foreign companies that trade on U.S. exchanges or in the over-the-counter market (including depositary receipts that evidence ownership in underlying foreign stocks). The Fund may
invest in
exchange-traded funds (ETFs
), a type of pooled investment vehicle, in order
to
equitize cash positions or seek exposure to certain markets or market sectors.
The Fund may also invest up to 10% of its net assets in publicly traded real estate investment trusts.
The Fund invests primarily in a diversified portfolio of common stocks of small-cap companies that, in the opinion of the investment adviser, are expected to achieve earnings growth over the long term that exceeds the average long-term earnings growth of all publicly-traded small-cap companies in the United States. Investment decisions for the Fund are made primarily on the basis of fundamental research. The portfolio managers utilize information provided by, and the expertise of, the investment advisers research staff in making investment decisions. In selecting companies for investment, the investment adviser may consider overall growth prospects, financial strength, strength of the companys business franchises and management team, competitive position, technology, marketing expertise, profit margins, return on investment, capital resources and other factors. The portfolio managers may sell a security when the investment advisers price objective for the stock is reached, the fundamentals of the company change or to pursue more attractive investment options. The portfolio managers seek to manage investment risk by maintaining broad issuer and industry diversification among the Funds holdings, and by utilizing fundamental analysis of risk/return characteristics in securities selection.
Principal Risks
Equity Investing Risk. Fund performance is sensitive to stock market volatility. Stock prices may decline in response to adverse changes in the economy or the economic outlook; deterioration in investor sentiment; interest rate, currency, and commodity price fluctuations; adverse geopolitical, social or environmental developments; issuer- and sector-specific considerations; and other factors. If the stock market declines, the value of Fund shares will also likely decline. Although stock prices can rebound, there is no assurance that values will return to previous levels.
Small-Cap Risk. Because the Fund normally invests primarily in stocks of small-cap companies, it is subject to the risk of underperforming the overall stock market during periods in which stocks of such companies are out of favor and generate lower returns than the market as a whole.
Small Company Equity Risk. The stocks of small and emerging companies are generally subject to greater price fluctuations, limited liquidity, higher transaction costs and higher investment risk than the stocks of larger, more established companies. Small and emerging companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, may be dependent on a limited management group, and may lack substantial capital reserves or an established performance record. There may be generally less publicly available information about such companies than for larger, more established companies. Stocks of small and emerging companies frequently have lower trading volumes making them more volatile and potentially more difficult to value.
Foreign and Emerging Market Investment Risk. Because the Fund can invest a portion of its assets in foreign instruments, the value of shares may be adversely affected by changes in currency exchange rates and political, economic and market developments abroad, including the imposition of economic and other sanctions by the United States or another country. Investment markets in emerging market countries are typically smaller, less liquid and more volatile than developed markets, and emerging market securities often involve higher risk than developed market securities. Trading in foreign markets often involves higher expense than trading in the United States. The value of investments denominated in foreign currencies can be adversely affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Depositary receipts are subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign instruments.
ETF Risk.
ETFs are subject to the risks of investing in the underlying securities. ETF shares may trade at a premium or discount to net asset value and are subject to secondary market trading risks. In addition, the Fund will bear a pro rata portion of the operating expenses of an ETF in which it invests
.
Real Estate Risks. Real estate investments are subject to special risks including changes in real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, occupancy rates, government regulations affecting zoning, land use, and rents, and the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Changes in underlying real estate values may have an exaggerated effect to the extent that investments concentrate in particular geographic regions or property types.
Risks Associated with Active Management. The success of the Funds investment program depends on portfolio managements successful application of analytical skills and investment judgment. Active management involves subjective decisions.
General Fund Investing Risks. The Fund is not a complete investment program and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. It is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund is designed to be a long-term investment vehicle and is not suited for short-term trading. Investors in the Fund should have a long-term investment perspective and be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, entity or person.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
23
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Performance
The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Funds performance from year to year and how the Funds average annual returns over time compare with those of a broad-based securities market index. The returns in the bar chart are for Class A shares and do not reflect a sales charge. If the sales charge was reflected, the returns would be lower. Past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. The Funds performance reflects the effects of expense reductions for certain periods. Absent these reductions, performance for certain periods would have been lower. Updated Fund performance information can be obtained by visiting www.eatonvance.com.
For the ten years ended December 31,
2015
, the highest quarterly total return for Class A was 19.05% for the quarter ended September 30, 2009, and the lowest quarterly return was
-
30.94% for the quarter ended December 31, 2008.
These returns reflect the maximum sales charge for Class A (5.75%) and any applicable contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) for Class B and Class C. The Class I and Class R performance shown above for the periods prior to September 2, 2008 and August 3, 2009 (commencement of operations for such class, respectively), is the performance of Class A shares at net asset value without adjustment for any differences in the expenses of the classes. If adjusted for such differences, returns would be different. Investors cannot invest directly in an Index.
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. After-tax returns for other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Class A shares. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the Sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
Management
Investment Adviser. Boston Management and Research (BMR).
Portfolio Managers
Nancy B. Tooke (lead portfolio manager), Vice President of BMR, has managed the Fund and Small-Cap Portfolio (the portfolio the Fund invested in prior to May 1, 2012) since February 2006.
Michael D. McLean, Vice President of BMR, has managed the Fund since January 2015.
J. Griffith Noble, Vice President of BMR, has managed the Fund since January 2015.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
24
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase, redeem or exchange Fund shares on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. Class B shares are only available for purchase upon exchange from another Eaton Vance fund or through reinvestment of distributions. You may purchase, redeem or exchange Fund shares either through your financial intermediary or directly from a Fund either by writing to the Fund, P.O. Box 9653, Providence, RI 02940-9653, or by calling 1-800-262-1122. The minimum initial purchase or exchange into a Fund is $1,000 for each Class (with the exception of Class I) and $250,000 for Class I (waived in certain circumstances). There is no minimum for subsequent investments.
For important information about
taxes and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to Important Information Regarding Fund Shares on page 28 of this Prospectus.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
25
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Special Equities Fund
Investment Objective
The Funds investment objective is to provide growth of capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge if you invest, or agree to invest over a 13-month period, at least $50,000 in Eaton Vance Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary and in Sales Charges beginning on page 42 of this Prospectus and page 25 of the Funds Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) |
5.75% |
None |
None |
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lower of net asset value at purchase or redemption) |
None |
1.00% |
None |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Management Fees |
0.63% |
0.63% |
0.63% |
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees |
0.25% |
1.00% |
None |
Other Expenses |
0.
|
0.43 % |
0.
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
1.
|
2.06% |
1.
|
Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over the portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was
83
% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund invests primarily in common stocks of emerging growth companies. Emerging growth companies are companies that the investment adviser expects to achieve earnings growth over the long term that exceeds the average long-term earnings growth of all publicly traded companies in the United States. Many emerging growth companies acquired by the Fund have market capitalizations comparable to those of companies included in the Russell 2500 Index, but the Fund may also invest in larger or smaller companies that the investment adviser believes have emerging growth characteristics. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities (the 80% Policy). The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in foreign securities, some of which may be issued by companies domiciled in emerging market countries. As an alternative to holding foreign stocks directly, the Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign companies that trade on U.S. exchanges or in the over-the-counter market (including depositary receipts that evidence ownership in underlying foreign stocks). The Fund may invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), a type of pooled investment vehicle, in order to equitize cash positions or seek exposure to certain markets or market sectors. The Fund may also invest in publicly traded real estate investment trusts.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
26
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Investment decisions for the Fund are made primarily on the basis of fundamental research conducted by the investment advisers research staff. In selecting companies for investment, the investment adviser may consider overall growth prospects, financial strength, strength of the companys business franchises and management team, competitive position, technology, marketing expertise, profit margins, return on investment, capital resources and other factors. The portfolio managers generally seek to purchase securities of companies believed to have the potential for above-average earnings growth within their respective industries. The portfolio managers may sell a security when the investment advisers price objective for the stock is reached, the fundamentals of the company deteriorate or to pursue more attractive investment opportunities. The portfolio managers seek to manage investment risk by maintaining broad issuer and industry diversification among the Funds holdings, and by utilizing fundamental analysis of risk/return characteristics in securities selection.
Principal Risks
Equity Investing Risk. Fund performance is sensitive to stock market volatility. Stock prices may decline in response to adverse changes in the economy or the economic outlook; deterioration in investor sentiment; interest rate, currency, and commodity price fluctuations; adverse geopolitical, social or environmental developments; issuer- and sector-specific considerations; and other factors. Market conditions may affect certain types of stocks to a greater extent than other types of stocks. If the stock market declines, the value of Fund shares will also likely decline. Although stock prices can rebound, there is no assurance that values will return to previous levels.
Smaller Company Equity Risk. The stocks of smaller, less seasoned companies are generally subject to greater price fluctuations, limited liquidity, higher transaction costs and higher investment risk than the stocks of larger, more established companies. Smaller, less seasoned companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, may be dependent on a limited management group, and may lack substantial capital reserves or an established performance record. There may be generally less publicly available information about such companies than for larger, more established companies.
Foreign and Emerging Market Investment Risk. Because the Fund can invest a portion of its assets in foreign instruments, the value of shares may be adversely affected by changes in currency exchange rates and political, economic and market developments abroad, including the imposition of economic and other sanctions by the United States or another country. Investment markets in emerging market countries are typically smaller, less liquid and more volatile than developed markets, and emerging market securities often involve higher risk than developed market securities. Trading in foreign markets often involves higher expense than trading in the United States. The value of investments denominated in foreign currencies can be adversely affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Depositary receipts are subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign instruments.
ETF Risk. ETFs are subject to the risks of investing in the underlying securities. ETF shares may trade at a premium or discount to net asset value and are subject to secondary market trading risks. In addition, the Fund will bear a pro rata portion of the operating expenses of an ETF in which it invests.
Real Estate Risks. Real estate investments are subject to special risks including changes in real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, occupancy rates, government regulations affecting zoning, land use, and rents, and the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Changes in underlying real estate values may have an exaggerated effect to the extent that investments concentrate in particular geographic regions or property types.
Risks Associated with Active Management. The success of the Funds investment program depends on portfolio managements successful application of analytical skills and investment judgment. Active management involves subjective decisions.
General Fund Investing Risks. The Fund is not a complete investment program and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. It is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund is designed to be a long-term investment vehicle and is not suited for short-term trading. Investors in the Fund should have a long-term investment perspective and be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, entity or person.
Performance
The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Funds performance from year to year and how the Funds average annual returns over time compare with those of a broad-based securities market index. The returns in the bar chart are for Class A shares and do not reflect a sales charge. If the sales charge was reflected, the returns would be lower. Past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Updated Fund performance information can be obtained by visiting www.eatonvance.com.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
27
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
For the ten years ended December 31,
2015
, the highest quarterly total return for Class A was 19.40% for the quarter ended September 30, 2009, and the lowest quarterly return was
-
33.19% for the quarter ended December 31, 2008.
These returns reflect the maximum sales charge for Class A (5.75%) and any applicable contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) for Class C. The Class I performance shown above for the period prior to July 29, 2011 (commencement of operations) is the performance of Class A shares at net asset value without adjustment for any differences in the expenses of the two classes. If adjusted for such differences, returns would be different. Investors cannot invest directly in an Index.
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. After-tax returns for other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Class A shares. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the Sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
Management
Investment Adviser. Boston Management and Research (BMR).
Portfolio Managers
Michael D. McLean, Vice President of BMR, has managed the Fund since January 2015.
J. Griffith Noble, Vice President of BMR, has managed the Fund since January 2015.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase, redeem or exchange Fund shares on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business.
You may purchase, redeem or exchange Fund shares either through your financial intermediary or directly from a Fund either by writing to the Fund, P.O. Box 9653, Providence, RI 02940-9653, or by calling 1-800-262-1122. The minimum initial purchase or exchange into a Fund is $1,000 for each Class (with the exception of Class I) and $250,000 for Class I (waived in certain circumstances). There is no minimum for subsequent investments.
For important information about
taxes and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to Important Information Regarding Fund Shares on page 28 of this Prospectus.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
28
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Important Information Regarding Fund Shares
Each Funds distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income and/or capital gains, unless you are exempt from taxation.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase
a Funds
shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (collectively,
“
financial intermediaries
”
),
the
Fund, its principal underwriter and its affiliates may pay the financial intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend a Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediarys website for more information.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
29
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Investment Objectives & Principal Policies and Risks
A statement of the investment objective and principal investment policies and risks of
each
Fund is set forth above in
its
Fund
Summary
. As noted in each Fund Summary, each Fund (except
Global Small-Cap Fund,
Real Estate Fund, Small-Cap
Fund and Special Equities Fund) seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in the Portfolio
named therein. Set forth below is additional information about such policies and risks of the Fund described in Fund Summaries above. Information also is included about other types of investments and practices that the Fund may engage in from time to time.
References to the Fund below are to each Fund and each Portfolio, as applicable.
Equity Securities.
Equity securities include: common stocks; preferred stocks, including convertible and
contingent
convertible preferred stocks; equity interests in trusts, partnerships, joint ventures and other unincorporated entities or enterprises; depositary receipts, rights and warrants in underlying equity interests; and other securities that are treated as equity for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Foreign and Emerging Market Investments. Investments in foreign issuers could be affected by factors not present in the United States, including expropriation, armed conflict, confiscatory taxation, lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards, less publicly available financial and other information, and potential difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations. Because foreign issuers may not be subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standard practices and requirements and regulatory measures comparable to those in the United States, there may be less publicly available information about such foreign issuers. Settlements of securities transactions in foreign countries are subject to risk of loss, may be delayed and are generally less frequent than in the United States, which could affect the liquidity of the Funds assets.
Foreign issuers may become subject to sanctions imposed by the United States or another country, which could result in the immediate freeze of the foreign issuers assets or securities. The imposition of such sanctions could impair the market value of the securities of such foreign issuers and limit the Funds ability to buy, sell, receive or deliver the securities.
As an alternative to holding foreign-traded investments, the Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated investments of foreign companies that trade on U.S. exchanges or in the U.S. over-the-counter market (including depositary receipts, which evidence ownership in underlying foreign investments and are subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities). Unless otherwise stated in Fund Summaries, such investments are not subject to any stated limitation on investing in foreign securities.
The foregoing risks of foreign investing can be more significant in emerging markets. Emerging markets may offer higher potential for gains and losses than investments in the developed markets of the world. Political and economic structures in emerging market countries generally lack the social, political and economic stability of developed countries, which may affect the value of the Funds investments in these countries and also the ability of the Fund to access markets in such countries. Governmental actions can have a significant effect on the economic conditions in emerging market countries, which also may adversely affect the value and liquidity of the Funds investments. The laws of emerging market countries relating to the limited liability of corporate shareholders, fiduciary duties of officers and directors, and bankruptcy of state enterprises are generally less developed than or different from such laws in the United States. It may be more difficult to obtain a judgment in the courts of these countries than it is in the United States. Disruptions due to work stoppages and trading improprieties in foreign securities markets have caused such markets to close. If extended closings were to occur in stock markets where the Fund is heavily invested, the Funds ability to redeem Fund shares could become impaired. In such circumstances, the Fund may have to sell more liquid securities than it would otherwise choose to sell. Emerging market securities are also subject to speculative trading, which contributes to their volatility.
Foreign Currencies. The value of foreign assets and currencies as measured in U.S. dollars may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in foreign currency rates and exchange control regulations, application of foreign tax laws (including withholding tax), governmental administration of economic or monetary policies (in this country or abroad), and relations between nations and trading. Foreign currencies also are subject to settlement, custodial and other operational risks. Currency exchange rates can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or the failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the United States or abroad. Costs are incurred in connection with conversions between currencies. The Fund may engage in spot transactions and forward foreign currency exchange contracts, purchase and sell options on currencies and purchase and sell currency futures contracts and related options thereon (collectively, Currency Instruments) to seek to hedge against the decline in the value of currencies in which its portfolio holdings are denominated against the U.S. dollar. Use of Currency Instruments may involve substantial currency risk and may also involve counterparty, leverage or liquidity risk.
Derivatives. The Fund may enter into derivatives transactions with respect to any security or other instrument in which it is permitted to invest or any related security, instrument, index or economic indicator (reference instruments). The Fund may engage in derivative transactions to seek return, to hedge against fluctuations in securities prices or currency exchange rates, or
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
as a substitute for the purchase or sale of securities or currencies. Derivatives are financial instruments the value of which is derived from an underlying reference instrument. Derivatives transactions can involve substantial risk. Derivatives typically allow the Fund to increase or decrease the level of risk to which the Fund is exposed more quickly and efficiently than transactions in other types of instruments. The Fund incurs costs in connection with opening and closing derivatives positions. The Fund may engage in the derivative transactions set forth below, as well as in other derivative transactions with substantially similar characteristics and risks.
Certain derivative transactions may give rise to a form of leverage. The Fund is required to segregate or earmark liquid assets or otherwise cover the Funds obligation created by a transaction that may give rise to leverage. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet segregation requirements. Leverage may cause the Funds share price to be more volatile than if it had not been leveraged, as certain types of leverage may exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Funds portfolio securities. The loss on leverage transactions may substantially exceed the initial investment.
The use of derivatives can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the asset, index, rate or instrument underlying a derivative, due to failure of a counterparty or due to tax or regulatory constraints. Derivatives risk may be more significant when derivatives are used to enhance return or as a substitute for a cash investment position, rather than solely to hedge the risk of a position held by the Fund. A decision as to whether, when and how to use derivatives involves the exercise of specialized skill and judgment, and even a well-conceived transaction may be unsuccessful to some degree because of market behavior or unexpected events. Changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. Derivative instruments may be difficult to value, may be illiquid, and may be subject to wide swings in valuation caused by changes in the value of the underlying instrument. If a derivatives counterparty is unable to honor its commitments, the value of Fund shares may decline and the Fund could experience delays in the return of collateral or other assets held by the counterparty. The loss on derivative transactions may substantially exceed the initial investment.
Options on Securities, Indices and Currencies. The Fund may engage in transactions in exchange-traded and over-the-counter (OTC) options. There are several risks associated with transactions in options, such as imperfect correlation, counterparty risk and an insufficient liquid secondary market for particular options. By buying a put option, the Fund acquires a right to sell the underlying instrument at the exercise price, thus limiting the Fund's risk of loss through a decline in the market value of the instrument until the put option expires. The Fund will pay a premium to the seller of the option for the right to receive payments of cash to the extent that the value of the applicable instrument declines below the exercise price as of the option valuation date. If the price of the instrument is above the exercise price of the option as of the option valuation date, the option expires worthless and the Fund will not be able to recover the option premium paid to the seller. The Fund may purchase uncovered put options. The Fund also has authority to write (i.e., sell) put options. The Fund will receive a premium for writing a put option, which increases the Fund's return. In writing a put option, the Fund has the obligation to buy the underlying instrument at an agreed upon price if the price of such instrument decreases below the exercise price. If the value of the instrument on the option expiration date is above the exercise price, the option will generally expire worthless and the Fund, as option seller, will have no obligation to the option holder.
A purchased call option gives the Fund the right to buy, and obligates the seller to sell, the underlying instrument at the exercise price at any time during the option period. The Fund also is authorized to write (i.e., sell) call options on instruments in which it may invest and to enter into closing purchase transactions with respect to such options. A covered call option is an option in which the Fund, in return for a premium, gives another party a right to buy specified instruments owned by the Fund at a specified future date and price set at the time of the contract. The Fund's ability to sell the instrument underlying a call option may be limited while the option is in effect unless the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction. Uncovered call options have speculative characteristics and are riskier than covered call options because there is no underlying instrument held by the Fund that can act as a partial hedge. As the writer of a covered call option or an index call option, the Fund forgoes, during the options life, the opportunity to profit from increases in the market value of the security or the index covering the call option above the sum of the option premium received and the exercise price of the call, but has retained the risk of loss, minus the option premium received, should the price of the underlying security or index decline.
OTC options involve risk that the issuer or counterparty will fail to perform its contractual obligations. Participants in these markets are typically not subject to the same credit evaluation and regulatory oversight as are members of exchange-based markets. By engaging in option transactions in these markets, the Fund may take a credit risk with regard to parties with which it trades and also may bear the risk of settlement default.
The Fund may also enter into swaptions, which are options giving the option owner the right (but not the obligation) to enter into or cancel a swap agreement at a future date.
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Under certain market conditions, the Fund may purchase put option spreads rather than standalone put options. By doing so, the Fund can lower the net cost of its market hedging activities, since the premiums received from selling put options will offset, in part, the premiums paid to purchase the put options. Although less expensive than buying a standalone put option, buying a put option spread will expose the Fund to incremental loss if the value of the applicable instrument at contract expiration is below the exercise price of the put option sold.
Covered Calls and Equity Collars. While the Fund generally will write only covered call options, it may sell the instrument underlying a call option prior to entering into a closing purchase transaction on up to 5% of the Funds net assets, provided that such sale will not occur more than three days prior to the option buy back. In an equity collar, the Fund simultaneously writes a call option and purchases a put option on the same instrument.
Futures Contracts. The Fund may engage in transactions in futures contracts and options on futures contracts. Futures are standardized, exchange-traded contracts that obligate a purchaser to take delivery, and a seller to make delivery, of a specific amount of an asset at a specified future date at a specified price. The Fund also is authorized to purchase or sell call and put options on futures contracts. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts and options are imperfect correlation, liquidity, unanticipated market movement and counterparty risk.
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts. Certain forward foreign currency exchange contracts may be individually negotiated and privately traded so they are dependent upon the creditworthiness of the counterparty. Forward contracts are subject to the risk of political and economic factors applicable to the countries issuing the underlying currencies. Furthermore, unlike trading in most other types of instruments, there is no systematic reporting of last sale information with respect to the foreign currencies underlying forwards. As a result, available information may not be complete.
Equity Swaps. Equity swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of their respective returns as calculated on a notional amount of an equity index (such as the S&P 500 Index), basket of equity securities, or individual equity security. The success of swap agreements is dependent on the investment advisers ability to predict correctly whether certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Other risks include liquidity and counterparty risk.
Short Sales. The Fund may engage in covered short sales (on individual securities held or on an index or basket of securities whose constituents are held in whole or in part or for which liquid assets have been segregated). A short sale on an individual security typically involves the sale of a security that is borrowed from a broker or other institution to complete the sale. Short sales expose the seller to the risk that it will be required to acquire securities to replace the borrowed securities (also known as covering the short position) at a time when the securities sold short have appreciated in value, thus resulting in a loss. When making a short sale, the Fund must segregate liquid assets with a broker or the custodian equal to (or otherwise cover) its obligations under the short sale. The seller of a short position generally realizes a profit on the transaction if the price it receives on the short sale exceeds the cost of closing out the position by purchasing securities in the market, but generally realizes a loss if the cost of closing out the short position exceeds the proceeds of the short sale.
Real Estate Risk. Real estate investments are subject to special risks including changes in real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, occupancy rates, government regulations affecting zoning, land use, and rents, and the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Companies in the real estate industry may also be subject to liabilities under environmental and hazardous waste laws, among others. Changes in underlying real estate values may have an exaggerated effect to the extent that investments concentrate in particular geographic regions or property types.
Fixed-Income Securities.
Fixed-income securities include all types of fixed and floating-rate bonds and notes, such as convertible securities
and other hybrid securities (other than preferred stock);
corporate commercial paper; mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities; inflation-indexed bonds issued by both governments and corporations; structured notes, including
indexed
securities; loans; loan participations and assignments; delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities;
and bank certificates of deposit, fixed time deposits, bank deposits (or investments structured to provide the same type of exposure) and bankers acceptances of foreign and domestic banks and other debt instruments. Fixed-income securities are issued by: foreign governments or their subdivisions, agencies and government-sponsored enterprises; international agencies or supranational entities; the U.S. Government, its agencies or government-sponsored enterprises (or guaranteed thereby); central or quasi-sovereign banks and U.S. and foreign corporations. Fixed-income securities include deep discount bonds, such as zero coupon bonds, deferred interest bonds, bonds or securities on which the interest is payable in-kind (PIK securities), which are debt obligations that are issued at a significant discount from face value, and securities purchased on a forward commitment or when-issued basis. While zero coupon bonds do not make periodic payments of interest, deferred interest bonds provide for a period of delay before the regular payment of interest begins. PIK securities provide that the issuer thereof may, at its option, pay interest in cash or in the form of additional securities.
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Convertible Securities. A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred security, or other security that entitles the holder to acquire common stock or other equity securities of the same or a different issuer. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued or the dividend paid on such security until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities have characteristics similar to nonconvertible income securities. The value of a convertible security tends to be influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline. The credit standing of the issuer and other issuer and market factors also may have an effect on the convertible securitys value. A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible securitys governing instrument.
Preferred Stock. Preferred stock is a class of equity security that pays a specified dividend that typically must be paid before any dividends can be paid to common stockholders and takes precedence over common stock in the event of the issuers liquidation. Although preferred stocks represent an ownership interest in an issuer, preferred stocks generally do not have voting rights or have limited voting rights and have economic characteristics similar to fixed-income securities. Preferred stocks generally are issued with a fixed par value and pay dividends based on a percentage of that par value at a fixed or variable rate. Additionally, preferred stocks often have a liquidation value that generally equals the original purchase price of the preferred stock at the date of issuance. Preferred stocks are subject to issuer-specific and market risks generally applicable to equity securities and credit and interest rate risks generally applicable to fixed-income securities.
Hybrid Securities. Hybrid securities generally possess characteristics common to both equity and debt securities. Preferred stocks, convertible securities, and certain debt obligations are types of hybrid securities. Hybrid securities generally have a preference over common stock and perpetual or near perpetual terms. Hybrid securities generally do not have voting rights or have limited voting rights. Because hybrid securities have both debt and equity characteristics, their values vary in response to many factors, including general market and economic conditions, issuer-specific events, changes in interest rates, credit spreads and the credit quality of the issuer, and, for convertible securities, factors affecting the securities into which they convert.
ReFlow Liquidity Program. Large-Cap Value Fund may participate in the ReFlow liquidity program, which is designed to provide an alternative liquidity source for mutual funds experiencing net redemptions of their shares. Pursuant to the program, ReFlow Fund, LLC (ReFlow) provides participating mutual funds with a source of cash to meet net shareholder redemptions by standing ready each business day to purchase fund shares up to the value of the net shares redeemed by other shareholders that are to settle the next business day. Following purchases of fund shares, ReFlow then generally redeems those shares when the fund experiences net sales, at the end of a maximum holding period determined by ReFlow (currently 28 days) or at other times at ReFlows discretion. While ReFlow holds fund shares, it will have the same rights and privileges with respect to those shares as any other shareholder. For use of the ReFlow service, a fund pays a fee to ReFlow each time it purchases fund shares, calculated by applying to the purchase amount a fee rate determined through an automated daily auction among participating mutual funds. The current minimum fee rate is 0.20% of the value of the fund shares purchased by ReFlow although the fund may submit a bid at a higher fee rate if it determines that doing so is in the best interest of fund shareholders. Such fee is allocated among a funds share classes based on relative net assets. ReFlows purchases of fund shares through the liquidity program are made on an investment-blind basis without regard to the funds objective, policies or anticipated performance. In accordance with federal securities laws, ReFlow is prohibited from acquiring more than 3% of the outstanding voting securities of a fund. ReFlow will purchase Class I shares of the Fund at net asset value and will not be subject to any investment minimum applicable to such shares. ReFlow will periodically redeem its entire share position in the Fund and request that such redemption be met in kind in accordance with the Funds redemption-in-kind policies described under Redeeming Shares below. Investments in the Fund by ReFlow in connection with the ReFlow liquidity program are not subject to the two round-trips within 90 days limitation described in Restrictions on Excessive Trading and Market Timing below. The investment adviser believes that the program assists in stabilizing the Funds net assets to the benefit of the Fund and its shareholders. To the extent the Funds net assets do not decline, the investment adviser may also benefit.
Credit Quality.
Rating agencies are private services that provide ratings of the credit quality of certain fixed
income securities. In evaluating creditworthiness, the investment adviser
and sub-adviser (if applicable) consider
ratings assigned by rating agencies and generally
perform
additional credit and investment analysis. Credit ratings issued by rating agencies are based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, the issuers financial condition and the rating agencys credit analysis, if applicable, at the time of rating. The ratings assigned are not absolute standards of credit quality and do not evaluate market risks or necessarily reflect the issuers current financial condition. An issuers current financial condition may be better or worse than the current rating indicates. A credit rating may have a modifier (such as plus, minus or a numerical modifier) to denote its relative status within the rating. The presence of a modifier does not change the security credit rating (for example, BBB- and Baa3 are within the investment grade rating) for purposes of the Funds investment limitations. If a security is rated differently by two or more rating agencies, the highest rating will be used for any Fund rating restrictions.
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Lower Rated Securities. Investments in obligations rated below investment grade and comparable unrated securities (junk) have speculative characteristics because of the credit risk associated with their issuers. Changes in economic conditions or other circumstances typically have a greater effect on the ability of issuers of lower rated investments to make principal and interest payments than they do on issuers of higher rated investments. An economic downturn generally leads to a higher non-payment rate, and a lower rated investment may lose significant value before a default occurs. Lower rated investments generally are subject to greater price volatility and illiquidity than higher rated investments.
Smaller Companies. Securities of smaller, less seasoned companies, which may include legally restricted securities, are generally subject to greater price fluctuations, limited liquidity, higher transaction costs and higher investment risk than the securities of larger, more established companies. Because of the absence of any public trading market for some of these investments (such as those which are legally restricted) it may take longer to liquidate these positions at fair value than would be the case for publicly traded securities.
Pooled Investment Vehicles.
The Fund may invest in pooled investment vehicles. Pooled investment vehicles are open- and closed-end investment companies unaffiliated with the investment adviser
,
open-end investment companies affiliated with the investment adviser and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The market for common shares of closed-end investment companies and ETFs, which are generally traded on an exchange, is affected by the demand for those securities, regardless of the value of the funds underlying portfolio assets. The Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees and expenses paid by unaffiliated and certain affiliated pooled investment vehicles in which it invests, except that management fees of affiliated funds may be waived. If such fees exceed 0.01%, the costs associated with such investments will be reflected in Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table(s) in Fund Summaries. Requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), may limit the Funds ability to invest in other investment companies including ETFs, unless the investment company has received an exemptive order from the SEC on which the Fund may rely.
Illiquid Securities. The Fund may not invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, which may be difficult to value properly and may involve greater risks than liquid securities. Illiquid securities include those legally restricted as to resale (such as those issued in private placements), and may include commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A thereunder. Certain Section 4(a)(2) and Rule 144A securities may be treated as liquid securities if the investment adviser determines that such treatment is warranted. Even if determined to be liquid, holdings of these securities may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers become uninterested in purchasing them.
Portfolio Turnover. The annual portfolio turnover rate of the Fund may exceed 100%. A mutual fund with a high turnover rate (100% or more) may generate more capital gains and pay more commissions (which may reduce return) than a fund with a lower rate. Capital gains distributions will be made to shareholders if offsetting capital loss carry forwards do not exist.
Securities Lending. The Fund 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. Loans will only be made to firms that have been approved by the investment adviser, and the investment adviser or the securities lending agent will periodically monitor the financial condition of such organizations while any loans are outstanding. In addition, loans will only be made when the investment adviser believes the expected returns, net of expenses, justify 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 Fund may lend up to one-third of the value of its total assets (including borrowings) or such other amount as is permitted under relevant law.
Borrowing. The Fund is permitted to borrow for temporary purposes (such as to satisfy redemption requests, to remain fully invested in anticipation of expected cash inflows and to settle transactions). Any borrowings by the Fund are subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act. Borrowings are also subject to the terms of any credit agreement between the Fund and lender(s). The Fund will be required to maintain a specified level of asset coverage with respect to all borrowings and may be required to sell some of its holdings to reduce debt and restore coverage at times when it may not be advantageous to do so. The rights of the lender to receive payments of interest and repayments of principal of any borrowings made by the Fund under a credit facility are senior to the rights of holders of shares with respect to the payment of dividends or upon liquidation. In the event of a default under a credit arrangement, the lenders may have the right to cause a liquidation of the collateral (i.e., sell Fund assets) and, if any such default is not cured, the lenders may be able to control the liquidation as well. Fund borrowings may be equal to as much as 33 1 / 3 % of the value of the Funds total assets (including such borrowings) less the Funds liabilities (other than borrowings). The Fund will not purchase additional investment securities while outstanding borrowings exceed 5% of the value of its total assets.
Cash and Cash Equivalents. The Fund may invest in cash or cash equivalents, including high quality short-term instruments or an affiliated investment company that invests in such instruments.
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Issuer Diversification. A non-diversified fund can invest more of its assets in a smaller number of issuers than diversified funds. Concentrating investments could result in greater potential losses than for funds investing in a broader variety of issuers. However, the Fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. This requires the Fund to limit its investments so that, at the end of each fiscal quarter, at least 50% of the Funds total assets are invested in (i) cash and cash items, U.S. Government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies, and (ii) single issuers that are less than 5% of the total assets of the Fund and not more than 10% of the outstanding voting shares of the issuer. In addition, at the end of each fiscal quarter, no single issuer (excluding cash and cash items, U.S. Government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies) can exceed 25% of the Funds total assets.
Converting to Master-Feeder Structure. Global Small-Cap Fund, Real Estate Fund, Small-Cap Fund and Special Equities Fund may invest all of their investable assets in an open-end management investment company ( “ master fund ” ) with substantially the same investment objective, policies and restrictions as the Fund. Any such master fund would be advised by the Funds investment adviser (or an affiliate) and the Fund would not pay directly any advisory fee with respect to the assets so invested. The Fund may initiate investments in a master fund at any time without shareholder approval.
Use of Master-Feeder Structure
.
Dividend Builder Fund, Growth Fund and Large-Cap Value Fund invest substantially all of their assets in an affiliated investment fund having substantially the same investment objective and policies and operate in a
“
master-feeder
”
structure. Use of this structure enables a Fund to pool its assets with other investors in a Portfolio. Resulting efficiencies in management and administration can lower Fund costs and enhance shareholder returns.
The ability of
the
Fund to meet its investment objective is directly related to the ability of the Portfolio to meet its objective. Other investors in a Portfolio may have different expense structures and be offered and sold on different terms than the Fund. As a result,
the
Funds performance may differ from that of other investors in a Portfolio, including other Eaton Vance-sponsored funds. Contribution and withdrawal activities by other Portfolio investors may impact the management of the Portfolio and its ability to achieve its investment objective. A large withdrawal by a Portfolio investor could have an adverse effect on other Portfolio investors.
As a Portfolio investor,
the
Fund may be asked to vote on certain Portfolio matters (such as changes in certain Portfolio investment restrictions). When necessary,
the
Fund will hold a meeting of its shareholders to consider Portfolio matters and then vote its interest in the Portfolio in proportion to the votes cast by its shareholders.
The
Fund can withdraw its Portfolio investment at any time without shareholder approval.
General.
Dividend Builder Fund
’
s, Global Small-Cap Fund
’
s, Large-Cap Value Fund
’
s, Real Estate Fund
’
s, Small-Cap Fund
’
s and Special Equities Fund
’
s
80% Policy will not be changed unless shareholders are given at least 60 days
’
advance written notice of the change. The
Fund's (except Real Estate Fund's) investment objective may not be changed without shareholder approval. Real Estate Fund's investment objective and, for all Funds, certain other policies may be changed without shareholder approval. During unusual market conditions, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash or cash equivalents temporarily, which may be inconsistent with its investment objective(s) and other policies. The Fund might not use all of the strategies and techniques or invest in all of the types of securities described in this Prospectus or the Statement of Additional Information. While at times the Fund may use alternative investment strategies in an effort to limit its losses, it may choose not to do so.
The Funds annual operating expenses are expressed as a percentage of the Funds average daily net assets and may change as Fund assets increase and decrease over time. Purchase and redemption activities by Fund shareholders may impact the management of the Fund and its ability to achieve its investment objective. In addition, the redemption by one or more large shareholders or groups of shareholders of their holdings in the Fund could have an adverse impact on the remaining shareholders in the Fund. Mutual funds, investment advisers, other market participants and many securities markets are subject to rules and regulations and the jurisdiction of one or more regulators. Changes to applicable rules and regulations could have an adverse effect on securities markets and market participants, as well as on the Funds ability to execute its investment strategy. With the increased use of technologies by Fund service providers, such as the Internet, to conduct business, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks.
Management and Organization
Management.
Each Portfolios,
Global
Small-Cap Funds, Small-Cap
Funds and Special Equities Funds investment adviser is Boston Management and Research (BMR), an indirect subsidiary of Eaton Vance Corp. (EVC). Eaton Vance Management (Eaton Vance), a wholly-owned subsidiary of EVC, is Real Estate Funds investment adviser. Eaton Vance and BMR have offices at Two International Place Boston, MA 02110. Eaton Vance has been managing assets since 1924 and managing mutual funds since 1931. Eaton Vance and its affiliates currently manage over $300 billion on behalf of mutual funds, institutional clients and individuals.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Each investment adviser manages investments pursuant to an investment advisory agreement. Each Fund (except Global Small-Cap Fund, Real Estate Fund, Small-Cap Fund and Special Equities Fund) has been allocated its pro rata share of the advisory fee paid by the Portfolio(s) in which it invests. Pursuant to a sub-advisory agreement, BMR has delegated a portion of the investment management of Global Small-Cap Fund to Eaton Vance Management (International) Limited (EVMI), a registered investment adviser. EVMI is located at 125 Old Broad Street, London, United Kingdom, EC2N 1AR. BMR pays EVMI a portion of the applicable advisory fee for sub-advisory services provided to that Fund.
Eaton Vance serves as the administrator of each Fund, providing each Fund with administrative services and related office facilities. In return, Global Small-Cap Fund, Real Estate Fund and Small-Cap Fund are authorized to pay Eaton Vance a fee of 0.15% of average daily net assets. Prior to August 10, 2014, Growth Fund was authorized to pay Eaton Vance an annual fee in the amount of 0.15% of average daily net assets. For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the administration fee paid by
Global Small-Cap Fund, Real Estate Fund and Small-Cap Fund equaled 0.15% of
that Funds
average daily net assets. Eaton Vance does not currently receive a fee for serving as administrator of Dividend Builder Fund, Growth Fund, Large-Cap Value Fund and Special Equities Fund.
Each Funds semiannual report covering the fiscal period ended June 30 provides information regarding the basis for the Trustees approval of the investment advisory agreement and investment sub-advisory agreement, if applicable, with regard to each Portfolio, Global Small-Cap Fund, Real Estate Fund, Small-Cap Fund and Special Equities Fund.
Dividend Builder Portfolio. Under its investment advisory agreement with Dividend Builder Portfolio, BMR receives a monthly advisory fee as follows:
Average Daily Net Assets for the Month |
Annual Fee Rate
|
Up to $500 million |
0.6500% |
$500 million but less than $1 billion |
0.6250% |
$1 billion but less than $1.5 billion |
0.6000% |
$1.5 billion but less than $2 billion |
0.5500% |
$2 billion but less than $3 billion |
0.5000% |
$3 billion and over |
0.4375% |
*
Pursuant to a fee reduction agreement effective June 14, 2004.
For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the effective annual rate of advisory fee paid to BMR, based on average daily net assets of the Portfolio, was 0.64%.
Charles B. Gaffney has served as the portfolio manager of Dividend Builder Portfolio since 2007. He is a Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR and has managed other Eaton Vance portfolios for more than five years.
Global Small-Cap Fund. Under Global Small-Cap Funds investment advisory agreement, BMR receives a monthly advisory fee as follows:
Average Daily Net Assets for the Month |
Annual Fee Rate
|
Up to $500 million |
0.750% |
$500 million but less than $1 billion |
0.725% |
$1 billion but less than $2.5 billion |
0.700% |
$2.5 billion but less than $5 billion |
0.680% |
$5 billion and over |
0.665% |
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Prior to March 1, 2014, BMR received a monthly advisory fee as follows:
Average Daily Net Assets for the Month |
Annual Fee Rate
|
Up to $500 million |
1.0000% |
$500 million but less than $1 billion |
0.9375% |
$1 billion but less than $2.5 billion |
0.8750% |
$2.5 billion but less than $5 billion |
0.8125% |
$5 billion and over |
0.7500% |
For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the effective annual rate of investment advisory fee paid to BMR, based on average daily net assets of the Fund was 0.
75
%. BMR pays EVMI a portion of its fees for sub-advisory services provided to the Fund.
Global Small-Cap Fund is managed by Aidan M. Farrell (lead portfolio manager) and Patrick J. OBrien. Mr. Farrell has served as a portfolio manager since July 2015 and manages other Eaton Vance portfolios. Prior to joining EVMI as a Vice President in June 2015, Mr. Farrell was Managing Director at Goldman Sachs Asset Management where he also served as a portfolio manager
(
2008
2015
).
Mr. OBrien has served as a portfolio manager since November 2013, has been a Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR since November 2013 and manages other Eaton Vance portfolios. Prior to joining Fox Asset Management (a wholly-owned affiliate of Eaton Vance Corp.) in October 2012, Mr. OBrien was a portfolio manager and analyst with Brown Advisory/ABIM since 2001.
Growth Portfolio. Under its investment advisory agreement with Growth Portfolio, BMR receives a monthly advisory fee as follows:
Average Daily Net Assets for the Month |
Annual Fee Rate
|
Up to $500 million |
0.650% |
$500 million but less than $1 billion |
0.625% |
$1 billion but less than $2.5 billion |
0.600% |
$2.5 billion and over |
0.575% |
For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the effective annual rate of advisory fee paid to BMR, based on average daily net assets of the Portfolio, was 0.65%.
Growth Portfolio is managed by Lewis R. Piantedosi (lead portfolio manager) and Yana S. Barton
, both Vice Presidents of Eaton Vance and BMR
. Mr. Piantedosi has served as a portfolio manager of the Portfolio since it commenced operations in 2002 and has managed other Eaton Vance portfolios for more than five years. Ms. Barton has been a member of the portfolio management team since December 2009 and has managed other Eaton Vance portfolios for more than five years.
Large-Cap Value Portfolio. Under its investment advisory agreement with Large-Cap Value Portfolio, BMR receives a monthly advisory fee as follows:
Average Daily Net Assets for the Month |
Annual Fee Rate
|
Up to $2 billion |
0.625% |
$2 billion but less than $5 billion |
0.600% |
$5 billion but less than $10 billion |
0.575% |
$10 billion but less than $15 billion |
0.555% |
$15 billion but less than $20 billion |
0.540% |
$20 billion but less than $25 billion |
0.530% |
$25 billion and over |
0.520% |
*
Pursuant to fee reduction agreements effective March 27, 2006, April 27, 2009 and April 26, 2010.
For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the effective annual rate of advisory fee paid to BMR, based on average daily net assets of the Portfolio, was 0.61%.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
37
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Large-Cap Value Portfolio is managed by Edward J. Perkin, CFA (lead portfolio manager) and John D. Crowley. Mr. Perkin has served as a portfolio manager of the Portfolio since June 2014 and manages other Eaton Vance portfolios. He is Chief Equity Investment Officer and is a Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR. Prior to joining Eaton Vance in 2014, Mr. Perkin was Chief Equity Investment Officer, International and Emerging Markets Equity, and Managing Director, Portfolio Manager, Europe, EAFE and Global, at Goldman Sachs Asset Management (2002-2014). Mr. Crowley has served as a portfolio manager of the Portfolio since December 2009. He is a Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR and has been managing other Eaton Vance portfolios for more than five years.
Real Estate Fund.
Under its investment advisory agreement with Real Estate Fund, Eaton Vance receives a monthly advisory fee equal to 0.65% annually of the Funds average daily net assets. For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the effective annual rate of investment advisory fee paid to Eaton Vance, based on average daily net assets of the Fund
,
was 0.65%.
J. Scott Craig has served as portfolio manager of the Fund since it commenced operations in April 2006. He is a Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR.
Small-Cap Fund. Under its investment advisory agreement with Small-Cap Fund, BMR receives a monthly advisory fee as follows:
Average Daily Net Assets for the Month |
Annual Fee Rate
|
Up to $500 million |
0.7500% |
$500 million but less than $1 billion |
0.6875% |
$1 billion but less than $1.5 billion |
0.6250% |
$1.5 billion but less than $2 billion |
0.5625% |
$2 billion but less than $3 billion |
0.5000% |
$3 billion and over |
0.4375% |
For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the effective annual rate of advisory fee paid to BMR, based on average daily net assets
of the Fund,
was 0.75%.
Small-Cap Fund is managed by Nancy B. Tooke (lead portfolio manager), Michael D. McLean and J. Griffith Noble. Ms. Tooke has served as a portfolio manager of Small-Cap Fund and Small-Cap Portfolio since February 2006 and manages other Eaton Vance portfolios. She has been employed by Eaton Vance for more than five years and is a Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR. Mr. McLean and Mr. Noble have served as portfolio managers of the Fund since January 2015 and manage other Eaton Vance portfolios. Mr. McLean has been employed by Eaton Vance for more than five years and is a Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR. Mr. Noble is a Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR. Prior to joining Eaton Vance in 2012, Mr. Noble was an equity analyst with Black Rock, Inc. (2008-2012).
Special Equities Fund. Under its investment advisory agreement with Special Equities Fund, BMR receives a monthly advisory fee as follows:
Average Daily Net Assets for the Month |
Annual Fee Rate |
All assets |
0.625% |
For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the effective annual rate of advisory fee paid to BMR, based on average daily net assets
of the Fund,
was 0.625%.
Special Equities Fund is managed by Michael D. McLean and J. Griffith Noble. Mr. McLean and Mr. Noble have served as portfolio managers of the Fund since January 2015 and manage other Eaton Vance portfolios. Mr. McLean has been employed by Eaton Vance for more than five years and is a Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR. Mr. Noble is a Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR. Prior to joining Eaton Vance in 2012, Mr. Noble was an equity analyst with Black Rock, Inc. (2008-2012).
The Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about each portfolio managers compensation, other accounts managed by each portfolio manager, and each portfolio managers ownership of Fund shares with respect to which that portfolio manager has management responsibilities.
Eaton Vance provides sub-transfer agency and related services to Eaton Vance mutual funds pursuant to a Sub-Transfer Agency Support Services Agreement. For its services under the agreement, Eaton Vance receives an aggregate fee from such funds equal to the lesser of $2.5 million or its actual expenses incurred in performing such services.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
38
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Organization.
Each Fund is a series of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust
,
a Massachusetts business trust.
Each Fund offers multiple classes of shares. Each Class represents a pro rata interest in a Fund but is subject to different expenses and rights. The Funds do not hold annual shareholder meetings but may hold special meetings for matters that require shareholder approval (such as electing or removing trustees, approving management or advisory contracts or changing investment policies that may only be changed with shareholder approval).
Because the Funds use this combined Prospectus, a Fund could be held liable for a misstatement or omission made about another Fund.
Valuing Shares
Each Fund values its shares once each day only when the New York Stock Exchange (the Exchange) is open for trading (typically Monday through Friday), as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. eastern time). The purchase price of Fund shares is their net asset value (plus any applicable sales charge), which is derived from the value of Fund holdings, including the Funds interest in any Portfolio (if applicable). When purchasing or redeeming Fund shares through a financial intermediary, your financial intermediary must receive your order by the close of regular trading on the Exchange in order for the purchase price or the redemption price to be based on that days net asset value per share. It is the financial intermediarys responsibility to transmit orders promptly. Each Fund may accept purchase and redemption orders as of the time of their receipt by certain financial intermediaries (or their designated intermediaries).
The Trustees have adopted procedures for valuing investments and have delegated to the investment adviser(s) the daily valuation of such investments. The investment adviser has delegated daily valuation of a portion of Global Small-Cap Fund to the sub-adviser. Pursuant to the procedures, exchange-listed securities and other instruments (including derivatives) normally are valued at last sale or closing prices. In certain situations, the investment adviser(s) or sub-adviser may use the fair value of a security if market prices are unavailable or deemed unreliable, or if events occur after the close of a securities market (usually a foreign market) and before portfolio assets are valued which would materially affect net asset value. In addition, for foreign equity securities and futures contracts on foreign indices that meet certain criteria, the Trustees have approved the use of a fair value service that values such securities to reflect market trading that occurs after the close of the applicable foreign markets of comparable securities or other instruments that have a strong correlation to the fair-valued securities. 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. Because foreign securities trade on days when Fund shares are not priced, the value of securities held by a Fund can change on days when Fund shares cannot be redeemed or purchased. Eaton Vance has established a Valuation Committee that oversees the valuation of investments.
Purchasing Shares
You may purchase shares through your financial intermediary or by mailing an account application form to the transfer agent (see back cover for address). Purchase orders will be executed at the net asset value (plus any applicable sales charge) next determined after their receipt in proper form (meaning that they are complete and contain all necessary information) by a Funds transfer agent. A Funds transfer agent or your financial intermediary must receive your purchase in proper form no later than the close of regular trading on the Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. eastern time) for your purchase to be effected at that days net asset value. If you purchase shares through a financial intermediary, that intermediary may charge you a fee for executing the purchase for you.
Each Fund may suspend the sale of its shares at any time and any purchase order may be refused for any reason. The funds sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization (the Eaton Vance funds) do not accept investments from residents of the European Union or Switzerland. The funds also do not accept investments from other non-U.S. residents, provided that a fund may accept investments from certain non-U.S. investors at the discretion of the principal underwriter. The Funds do not issue share certificates.
As used throughout this Prospectus, the term employer sponsored retirement plan includes the following: an employer sponsored pension or profit sharing plan that qualifies under section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (such as a 401(k) plan, money purchase pension, profit sharing and defined benefit plan); ERISA covered 403(b) plan; TaftHartley multi-employer plan; and non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements that operate in a similar manner to a qualified retirement plan (including 457 plans and executive deferred compensation arrangements). Individual Retirement Accounts are not employer sponsored retirement plans for purposes of this definition.
Class A, Class B, Class C and Class R Shares
Your initial investment must be at least $1,000. Class B shares are only available for purchase upon exchange from another Eaton Vance fund or through reinvestment of distributions. After your initial investment, additional investments may be made in any amount at any time by sending a check payable to the order of the Fund or the transfer agent directly to the transfer agent (see back cover for address). Please include your name and account number and the name of the Fund and Class of shares
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
39
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
with each investment. You also may make additional investments by accessing your account via the Eaton Vance website at www.eatonvance.com. Purchases made through the Internet from a pre-designated bank account will have a trade date that is the first business day after the purchase is requested (provided the request is submitted no later than the close of regular trading on the Exchange). For more information about purchasing shares through the Internet, please call 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time).
You may purchase additional shares by automatically investing a designated amount from your bank account on a periodic basis provided such investments equal a minimum of $200 per year. You must elect this privilege on your account application or by providing written instructions. Please call 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time) for further information. The minimum initial investment amount and Fund policy of redeeming accounts with low account balances are waived for bank automated investing accounts, certain group purchase plans (including employer sponsored retirement plans and proprietary fee-based programs sponsored by financial intermediaries) and for persons affiliated with Eaton Vance, its affiliates and certain Fund service providers (as described in the Statement of Additional Information).
Class I Shares
Class I shares are offered to clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class I shares through a no-load network or platform. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments, foundations and employer sponsored retirement plans. Class I shares also are offered to investment and institutional clients of Eaton Vance and its affiliates and certain persons affiliated with Eaton Vance. Your initial investment must be at least $250,000. Subsequent investments of any amount may be made at any time, including through automatic investment each month or quarter from your bank account. You may make automatic investments of $50 or more each month or each quarter from your bank account. You can establish bank automated investing on the account application or by providing written instructions. Please call 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time) for further information.
The minimum initial investment is waived for persons affiliated with Eaton Vance, its affiliates and certain Fund service providers (as described in the Statement of Additional Information) and the ReFlow Liquidity Program. The minimum initial investment also is waived for: (i) permitted exchanges; (ii) employer sponsored retirement plans; (iii) corporations, endowments and foundations with assets of at least $100 million; and (iv) accounts of clients of financial intermediaries who (a) charge an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (b) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class I shares through a no-load network or platform (in each case, as described above), provided the total value of such accounts invested in Class I shares of Eaton Vance funds is at least $250,000 (or is anticipated by the principal underwriter to reach $250,000).
Class I shares may be purchased through a financial intermediary or by requesting your bank to transmit immediately available funds (Federal Funds) by wire. To make an initial investment by wire, you must complete an account application and telephone Eaton Vance Shareholder Services at 1-800-262-1122 to be assigned an account number. You may request an account application by calling 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time). Shareholder Services must be advised by telephone of each additional investment by wire.
Class R6 Shares
Class R6 shares are offered to employer sponsored retirement plans held in plan level or omnibus accounts; endowments; foundations; local, city, and state governmental institutions; corporations; charitable trusts; trust companies; bank trust departments; and insurance companies; clients of Eaton Vance Investment Counsel; and investment companies. In order to offer Class R6 shares to investors other than employer sponsored retirement plans, a financial intermediary must enter into a written agreement with the Funds principal underwriter to offer such shares.
There is no initial investment minimum for employer sponsored retirement plans and investment companies sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization. For all other eligible investors, the initial investment must be at least $1,000,000. Subsequent investments of any amount may be made at any time. Please call 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time) for further information.
Class R6 shares may be purchased through a financial intermediary or by requesting your bank to transmit immediately available funds (Federal Funds) by wire. To make an initial investment by wire, you must complete an account application and telephone Eaton Vance Shareholder Services at 1-800-262-1122 to be assigned an account number. You may request an account application by calling 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time). Shareholder Services must be advised by telephone of each additional investment by wire.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
40
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Restrictions on Excessive Trading and Market Timing. The Funds are not intended for excessive trading or market timing. Market timers seek to profit by rapidly switching money into a fund when they expect the share price of the fund to rise and taking money out of the fund when they expect those prices to fall. By realizing profits through short-term trading, shareholders that engage in rapid purchases and sales (including exchanges, if permitted) of a funds shares may dilute the value of shares held by long-term shareholders. Volatility resulting from excessive purchases and sales of fund shares, especially involving large dollar amounts, may disrupt efficient portfolio management. In particular, excessive purchases and sales of a funds shares may cause a fund to have difficulty implementing its investment strategies, may force the fund to sell portfolio securities at inopportune times to raise cash or may cause increased expenses (such as increased brokerage costs, realization of taxable capital gains without attaining any investment advantage or increased administrative costs).
A fund that invests all or a portion of its assets in foreign securities may be susceptible to a time zone arbitrage strategy in which shareholders attempt to take advantage of fund share prices that may not reflect developments in a foreign securities market that occur after the close of such market but prior to the pricing of fund shares. In addition, a fund that invests in securities that are, among other things, thinly traded, traded infrequently or relatively illiquid (including restricted securities and securities of certain small- and mid-cap companies) is susceptible to the risk that the current market price for such securities may not accurately reflect current market values. A shareholder may seek to engage in short-term trading to take advantage of these pricing differences (commonly referred to as price arbitrage). The investment adviser
and sub-adviser are
authorized to use the fair value of a security if prices are unavailable or are deemed unreliable (see Valuing Shares). The use of fair value pricing and the restrictions on excessive trading and market timing described below are intended to reduce a shareholders ability to engage in price or time zone arbitrage to the detriment of the Funds.
The Boards of the Eaton Vance funds have adopted policies to discourage short-term trading and market timing and to seek to minimize their potentially detrimental effects. Pursuant to these policies, an Eaton Vance fund shareholder who, through one or more accounts, completes two round-trips within 90 days generally will be deemed to be market timing or trading excessively in fund shares. Two round-trips within 90 days means either (1) a purchase of fund shares followed by a redemption of fund shares followed by a purchase followed by a redemption or (2) a redemption of fund shares followed by a purchase of fund shares followed by a redemption followed by a purchase, in either case with the final transaction in the sequence occurring within 90 days of the initial transaction in the sequence. Purchases and redemptions subject to the limitation include those made by exchanging to or from another fund. Under the policies, each Fund or its sub-transfer agent or principal underwriter will reject or cancel a purchase order, suspend or terminate an exchange privilege or terminate the ability of an investor to invest in the Eaton Vance funds if the Fund or the principal underwriter determines that a proposed transaction involves market timing or excessive trading that it believes is likely to be detrimental to the Fund. Each Fund and its principal underwriter use reasonable efforts to detect market timing and excessive trading activity, but they cannot ensure that they will be able to identify all cases of market timing and excessive trading. Each Fund or its principal underwriter may also reject or cancel any purchase order (including an exchange) from an investor or group of investors for any other reason. Decisions to reject or cancel purchase orders (including exchanges) in a Fund are inherently subjective and will be made in a manner believed to be in the best interest of a Funds shareholders. No Eaton Vance fund has any arrangement to permit market timing.
Investments
in Large-Cap Value Fund by ReFlow in connection with the ReFlow liquidity program (which is described under Investment Objectives & Principal Policies and Risks above) are not subject to the two round-trips within 90 days limitation.
The following fund share transactions (to the extent permitted by a funds prospectus) generally are exempt from the market timing and excessive trading policy described above because they generally do not raise market timing or excessive trading concerns:
·
transactions made pursuant to a systematic purchase plan or as the result of automatic reinvestment of dividends or distributions, or initiated by a Fund (e.g., for failure to meet applicable account minimums);
·
transactions made by participants in employer sponsored retirement plans involving participant payroll or employer contributions or loan repayments, redemptions as part of plan terminations or at the direction of the plan, mandatory retirement distributions, or rollovers;
·
transactions made by model-based discretionary advisory accounts; or
·
transactions made by an Eaton Vance fund that is structured as a fund-of-funds, provided the transactions are in response to fund inflows and outflows or are part of a reallocation of fund assets in accordance with its investment policies.
It may be difficult for a Fund or the principal underwriter to identify market timing or excessive trading in omnibus accounts traded through financial intermediaries. The Funds and the principal underwriter have provided guidance to financial intermediaries (such as banks, broker-dealers, insurance companies and retirement administrators) concerning the application of the Eaton Vance funds market timing and excessive trading policies to Fund shares held in omnibus accounts maintained and administered by such intermediaries, including guidance concerning situations where market timing or excessive trading is considered to be detrimental to a Fund. Each Fund or its principal underwriter may rely on a financial intermediarys policy to
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
41
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
restrict market timing and excessive trading if it believes that policy is likely to prevent market timing that is likely to be detrimental to the Fund. Such policy may be more or less restrictive than a Funds policy. Although each Fund or the principal underwriter reviews trading activity at the omnibus account level for activity that indicates potential market timing or excessive trading activity, the Funds and the principal underwriter typically will not request or receive individual account data unless suspicious trading activity is identified. Each Fund and the principal underwriter generally rely on financial intermediaries to monitor trading activity in omnibus accounts in good faith in accordance with their own or Fund policies. Each Fund and the principal underwriter cannot ensure that these financial intermediaries will in all cases apply the policies of the Fund or their own policies, as the case may be, to accounts under their control.
Choosing a Share Class. Each Fund offers different classes of shares. The different classes of shares represent investments in the same portfolio of securities, but the classes are subject to different expenses and will likely have different share prices due to differences in class expenses. A share class also may be subject to a sales charge. In choosing the class of shares that suits your investment needs, you should consider:
·
how long you expect to own your shares;
·
how much you intend to invest; and
·
the total operating expenses associated with owning each class.
Each investors considerations are different. You should speak with your financial intermediary to help you decide which class of shares is best for you. Set forth below is a brief description of each class of shares offered by the Funds.
Class A shares are offered at net asset value plus a front-end sales charge of up to 5.75%. This charge is deducted from the amount you invest. The Class A sales charge is reduced for purchases of $50,000 or more. The sales charge applicable to your purchase may be reduced under the right of accumulation or a statement of intention, which are described in Reducing or Eliminating Class A Sales Charges under Sales Charges below. Some investors may be eligible to purchase Class A shares at net asset value under certain circumstances, which are also described below. Class A shares pay distribution and service fees equal to 0.25% annually of average daily net assets.
Class B shares are offered at net asset value with no front-end sales charge, but are only available for purchase upon exchange from another Eaton Vance fund or through reinvestment of distributions. If you sell your Class B shares within six years of purchase, you generally will be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge or CDSC. The amount of the CDSC applicable to a redemption of Class B shares decreases over six years, as described in the CDSC schedule in Contingent Deferred Sales Charge under Sales Charges below. The CDSC is deducted from your redemption proceeds. Under certain circumstances, the Class B CDSC may be waived (such as in the case of the death of the shareholder). See CDSC Waivers under Sales Charges below. Class B shares pay distribution and service fees equal to 1.00% annually of average daily net assets. Class B shares automatically convert to Class A shares eight years after purchase.
Class C shares are offered at net asset value with no front-end sales charge. If you sell your Class C shares within one year of purchase, you generally will be subject to a CDSC. The CDSC is deducted from your redemption proceeds. Under certain circumstances, the CDSC for Class C may be waived (such as certain redemptions from employer sponsored retirement plans). See CDSC Waivers under Sales Charges below. Class C shares pay distribution and service fees equal to 1.00% annually of average daily net assets. Orders for Class C shares of one or more Eaton Vance funds will be refused when the total value of the purchase (including the aggregate market value of all Eaton Vance fund shares held within the purchasing shareholders account(s)) is $1 million or more. Investors considering cumulative purchases of $1 million or more should consider whether another Class of shares would be more appropriate and consult their financial intermediary.
Class I shares are offered to clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class I shares through a no-load network or platform. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments, foundations and employer sponsored retirement plans. Class I shares are also offered to investment and institutional clients of Eaton Vance and its affiliates, and certain persons affiliated with Eaton Vance and certain Fund service providers. Class I shares do not pay distribution or service fees.
Class R shares are offered at net asset value with no front-end sales charge to employer sponsored retirement plans and Individual Retirement Account rollover clients of financial intermediaries who charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services. Class R shares pay distribution and service fees equal to 0.50% annually of average daily net assets.
Class R6 shares are offered at net asset value to employer sponsored retirement plans and certain other investors as described under Class R6 Shares ” above. Class R6 shares are not subject to distribution fees, service fees or sub-accounting/recordkeeping or similar fees paid to financial intermediaries.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
42
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Payments to Financial Intermediaries. In addition to payments disclosed under “ Sales Charges ” below, the principal underwriter, out of its own resources, may make cash payments to certain financial intermediaries who provide marketing support, transaction processing and/or administrative services and, in some cases, include some or all Eaton Vance funds in preferred or specialized selling programs. Payments made by the principal underwriter to a financial intermediary may be significant and are typically in the form of fees based on Fund sales, assets, transactions processed and/or accounts attributable to that financial intermediary. Financial intermediaries also may receive amounts from the principal underwriter in connection with educational or due diligence meetings that include information concerning Eaton Vance funds. The principal underwriter may pay or allow other promotional incentives or payments to financial intermediaries to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations.
Certain financial intermediaries that maintain fund accounts for the benefit of their customers provide sub-accounting, recordkeeping and/or administrative services to the Eaton Vance funds and are compensated for such services by the funds, provided that no such compensation is paid with respect to Class R6 shares. As used in this Prospectus, the term financial intermediary includes any broker, dealer, bank (including bank trust departments), registered investment adviser, financial planner, a retirement plan and/or its administrator, their designated intermediaries and any other firm having a selling, administration or similar agreement with the principal underwriter or its affiliates.
Sales Charges
Class A Front-End Sales Charge. Class A shares are offered at net asset value per share plus a sales charge that is determined by the amount of your investment. The current sales charge schedule is:
Amount of Purchase |
Sales Charge
*
|
Sales Charge
*
|
Dealer Commission
|
Less than $50,000 |
5.75% |
6.10% |
5.00% |
$50,000 but less than $100,000 |
4.75% |
4.99% |
4.00% |
$100,000 but less than $250,000 |
3.75% |
3.90% |
3.00% |
$250,000 but less than $500,000 |
3.00% |
3.09% |
2.50% |
$500,000 but less than $1,000,000 |
2.00% |
2.04% |
1.75% |
$1,000,000 but less than $3,000,000 |
0.00** |
0.00** |
TIERED** |
$3,000,000 or more |
0.00** |
0.00** |
TIERED** |
*
Because the offering price per share is rounded to two decimal places, the actual sales charge you pay on a purchase of Class A shares may be more or less than your total purchase amount multiplied by the applicable sales charge percentage.
**
No sales charge is payable at the time of purchase on investments of $1 million or more. The principal underwriter will pay a commission to financial intermediaries on sales of $1 million or more as follows: 1.00% on amounts of $1 million or more but less than $3 million; plus 0.75% on amounts of $3 million or more. A CDSC of 1.00% will be imposed on such investments (as described below) in the event of redemptions within 18 months of purchase.
The principal underwriter may also pay commissions of up to 1.00% on sales of Class A shares made at net asset value to certain employer sponsored retirement plans.
Reducing or Eliminating Class A Sales Charges. Front-end sales charges on purchases of Class A shares may be reduced under the right of accumulation or under a statement of intention. To receive a reduced sales charge, you must inform your financial intermediary or a Fund at the time you purchase shares that you qualify for such a reduction. If you do not let your financial intermediary or the Fund know you are eligible for a reduced sales charge at the time of purchase, you will not receive the discount to which you may otherwise be entitled.
Right of Accumulation. Under the right of accumulation, the sales charge you pay is reduced if the current market value of your holdings in a Fund or any other Eaton Vance fund (based on the current maximum public offering price) plus your new purchase total $50,000 or more. Shares owned by you, your spouse and children under age twenty-one may be combined for purposes of the right of accumulation, including shares held for the benefit of any of you in omnibus or street name accounts. In addition, shares held in a trust or fiduciary account of which any of the foregoing persons is the sole beneficiary (including employer sponsored retirement plans and Individual Retirement Accounts) may be combined for purposes of the right of accumulation. Shares purchased and/or owned in a SEP, SARSEP and SIMPLE IRA plan may be combined for purposes of the right of accumulation for the plan and its participants. You may be required to provide documentation to establish your ownership of shares included under the right of accumulation (such as account statements for you, your spouse and children or marriage certificates, birth certificates and/or trust or other fiduciary-related documents).
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
43
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Statement of Intention. Under a statement of intention, purchases of $50,000 or more made over a 13-month period are eligible for reduced sales charges. Shares eligible under the right of accumulation (other than those included in employer sponsored retirement plans) may be included to satisfy the amount to be purchased under a statement of intention. Under a statement of intention, the principal underwriter may hold 5% of the dollar amount to be purchased in escrow in the form of shares registered in your name until you satisfy the statement or the 13-month period expires. A statement of intention does not obligate you to purchase (or a Fund to sell) the full amount indicated in the statement.
Class A shares are offered at net asset value (without a sales charge) to accounts of clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class A shares through a no-load network or platform, or self-directed brokerage accounts that may or may not charge transaction fees to customers. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments, foundations and employer sponsored retirement plans. Class A shares also are offered at net asset value to investment and institutional clients of Eaton Vance and its affiliates; certain persons affiliated with Eaton Vance; and to certain fund service providers as described in the Statement of Additional Information. Class A shares may also be purchased at net asset value pursuant to the reinvestment privilege and exchange privilege and when distributions are reinvested. Shares held in commission-based broker-dealer accounts may not qualify for purchases of Class A shares at net asset value. See “ Shareholder Account Features ” for details.
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge. Class A, Class B and Class C shares are subject to a CDSC on certain redemptions. The CDSC generally is paid to the principal underwriter. Class A shares purchased at net asset value in amounts of $1 million or more are subject to a 1% CDSC if redeemed within 18 months of purchase. Class C shares are subject to a 1.00% CDSC if redeemed within one year of purchase. Class B shares are subject to the following CDSC schedule:
Year of Redemption After Purchase |
CDSC |
|
CDSCs are based on the lower of the net asset value at the time of purchase or at the time of redemption. Shares acquired through the reinvestment of distributions are exempt from the CDSC. Redemptions are made first from shares that are not subject to a CDSC. |
First or Second |
5% |
|
|
Third |
4% |
|
|
Fourth |
3% |
|
|
Fifth |
2% |
|
|
Sixth |
1% |
|
|
Seventh or following |
0% |
|
The sales commission payable to financial intermediaries in connection with sales of Class B and Class C shares is described under Distribution and Service Fees below.
CDSC Waivers. CDSCs are waived for certain redemptions pursuant to a Withdrawal Plan (see Shareholder Account Features) and in connection with certain redemptions from employer sponsored retirement plans. The CDSC is also waived following the death of a beneficial owner of shares (a death certificate and other applicable documents may be required).
Conversion Feature. After eight years, Class B shares automatically convert to Class A shares. Class B shares acquired through the reinvestment of distributions convert in proportion to shares not so acquired.
Distribution and Service Fees. Class A , Class B , Class C and Class R shares have in effect plans under Rule 12b-1 that allow each Fund to pay distribution fees for the sale and distribution of shares and service fees for personal and/or shareholder account services (so-called 12b-1 fees). Class B and Class C shares pay distribution fees to the principal underwriter of 0.75% of average daily net assets annually. Class R shares pay distribution fees of 0.25% annually of average daily net assets. Although there is no intention to do so, Class R could pay distribution fees of up to 0.50% annually upon Trustee approval. Because these fees are paid from Fund assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase your cost over time and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. The principal underwriter compensates financial intermediaries on sales of Class B and Class C shares (except exchange transactions and reinvestments) in an amount equal to 4% and 1%, respectively, of the purchase price of the shares. After the first year, financial intermediaries also receive 0.75% of the value of Class C shares in annual distribution fees. Class B, Class C and Class R shares also pay service fees to the principal underwriter equal to 0.25% of average daily net assets annually. Class A shares pay distribution and service fees equal to 0.25% of average daily net assets annually. After the sale of shares, the principal underwriter receives the Class A distribution and service fees and the Class B and Class C service fees for one year. Thereafter financial intermediaries generally receive from the principal underwriter 0.25% annually of average daily net assets based on the value of shares sold by such financial intermediaries for shareholder servicing performed by such intermediaries. Distribution and service fees are subject to the limitations contained in the sales charge rule of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
44
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
More information about sales charges is available free of charge on the Eaton Vance website at www.eatonvance.com and in the Statement of Additional Information. Please consult the Eaton Vance website for any updates to sales charge information before making a purchase of Fund shares.
You can redeem shares in any of the following ways:
By Mail |
Send your request to the transfer agent (see back cover for address). The request must be signed exactly as your account is registered (for instance, a joint account must be signed by all registered owners to be accepted) and a Medallion signature guarantee may be required. Circumstances that may require a Medallion signature guarantee include, but are not limited to, requests to distribute redemption proceeds to a party other than the registered account owner(s); requests to mail redemption proceeds to an address other than the address of record; requests to distribute proceeds to a bank account not on file; or transaction requests from an account beneficiary when an account owner is deceased. You can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee at banks, savings and loan institutions, credit unions, securities dealers, securities exchanges, clearing agencies and registered securities associations that participate in The Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program, Inc. (STAMP, Inc.). Only Medallion signature guarantees issued in accordance with STAMP, Inc. will be accepted. You may be asked to provide additional documents if your shares are registered in the name of a corporation, partnership or fiduciary. |
By Telephone |
Certain shareholders can redeem by calling 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time). Proceeds of a telephone redemption are generally limited to $100,000 per account (which may include shares of one or more Eaton Vance funds) and can be sent only to the account address or to a bank pursuant to prior instructions. |
By Internet |
Certain shareholders can redeem by logging on to the Eaton Vance website at www.eatonvance.com. Proceeds of internet redemptions are generally limited to $100,000 per account (which may include shares of one or more Eaton Vance funds) and can be sent only to the account address or to a bank pursuant to prior instructions. |
For Additional Information |
Please call 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time). |
Through a Financial Intermediary |
Your financial intermediary is responsible for transmitting the order promptly. A financial intermediary may charge a fee for this service. |
The Funds' transfer agent or your financial intermediary must receive your redemption in proper form (meaning that it is complete and contains all necessary information) no later than the close of regular trading on the Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. eastern time) for your redemption to be effected at that days net asset value. Your redemption proceeds normally will be paid in cash within seven days, reduced by the amount of any applicable CDSC and any federal income and state tax required to be withheld. Payments will be sent by regular mail. However, if you have given complete written authorization in advance, you may request that the redemption proceeds be wired directly to your bank account. The bank designated may be any bank in the United States. The request may be made by calling 1-800-262-1122 or by sending a Medallion signature guaranteed letter of instruction to the transfer agent (see back cover for address). Certain redemption requests including those involving shares held by certain corporations, trusts or certain other entities and shares that are subject to certain fiduciary arrangements may require additional documentation and may be redeemed only by mail. You may be required to pay the costs of such transaction by a Fund or your bank. No costs are currently charged by a Fund. However, charges may apply for expedited mail delivery services. Each Fund may suspend or terminate the expedited payment procedure upon at least 30 days notice.
If you recently purchased shares, the proceeds of a redemption will not be sent until the purchase check (including a certified or cashiers check) has cleared. If the purchase check has not cleared, redemption proceeds may be delayed up to 15 days from the purchase date. If your account value falls below $750 (other than due to market decline), you may be asked either to add to your account or redeem it within 60 days. If you take no action, your account will be redeemed and the proceeds sent to you.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
45
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
While redemption proceeds are normally paid in cash, redemptions may be paid by distributing marketable securities. If you receive securities, you could incur brokerage or other charges in converting the securities to cash.
Shareholder Account Features
Distributions. You may have your Fund distributions paid in one of the following ways:
Full Reinvest Option |
Distributions are reinvested in additional shares. This option will be assigned if you do not specify an option. |
Partial Reinvest Option |
Dividends are paid in cash* and capital gains are reinvested in additional shares. |
Cash Option |
Distributions are paid in cash.* |
Exchange Option |
Distributions are reinvested in additional shares of any class of another Eaton Vance fund chosen by you, subject to the terms of that funds prospectus. Before selecting this option, you must obtain a prospectus of the other fund and consider its objectives, risks, and charges and expenses carefully. |
*
If any distribution check remains uncashed for six months, Eaton Vance reserves the right to invest the amount represented by the check in Fund shares at the then-current net asset value of the Fund and all future distributions will be reinvested.
Information about the Funds. From time to time, you may receive the following:
·
Semiannual and annual reports containing a list of portfolio holdings as of the end of the second and fourth fiscal quarters, respectively, performance information and financial statements.
·
Periodic account statements, showing recent activity and total share balance.
·
Tax information needed to prepare your income tax returns.
·
Proxy materials, in the event a shareholder vote is required.
·
Special notices about significant events affecting your Fund.
Most fund information (including semiannual and annual reports, prospectuses and proxy statements) as well as your periodic account statements can be delivered electronically. For more information please go to www.eatonvance.com/edelivery.
The Eaton Vance funds have established policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio holdings and other information concerning Fund characteristics. A description of these policies and procedures is provided below and additionally in the Statement of Additional Information. Such policies and procedures regarding disclosure of portfolio holdings are designed to prevent the misuse of material, non-public information about the funds.
Each Fund will file with the SEC a list of its portfolio holdings as of the end of the first and third fiscal quarters on Form N-Q. Each Funds annual and semiannual reports (as filed on Form N-CSR) and each Form N-Q may be viewed on the SECs website (www.sec.gov). The most recent fiscal quarter-end holdings may also be viewed on the Eaton Vance website (www.eatonvance.com). Portfolio holdings information that is filed with the SEC is posted on the Eaton Vance website approximately 60 days after the end of the quarter to which it relates. Portfolio holdings information as of each month end is posted to the website approximately one month after such month end except for Small-Cap Fund and Special Equities Fund which post calendar quarter
end holdings approximately two months after such quarter end. Each Fund also posts information about certain portfolio characteristics (such as top ten holdings and asset allocation) at least quarterly on the Eaton Vance website approximately ten business days after the period and each Fund may also post performance attribution as of a month end or more frequently if deemed appropriate.
Withdrawal Plan. You may redeem shares on a regular periodic basis by establishing a systematic withdrawal plan. Withdrawals will not be subject to any applicable CDSC if they are, in the aggregate, less than or equal to 12% annually of the greater of either the initial account balance or the current account balance. Because purchases of Class A shares are generally subject to an initial sales charge, Class A shareholders should not make withdrawals from their accounts while also making purchases.
Exchange Privilege. You may exchange your Fund shares for shares of the same Class of another Eaton Vance fund. For purposes of exchanges among Eaton Vance funds, Class A and Class I shares are deemed to be the same as Investor Class and Institutional Class shares, respectively, of other Eaton Vance funds. Exchanges are made at net asset value. If your shares are subject to a CDSC, the CDSC will continue to apply to your new shares at the same CDSC rate. For purposes of the CDSC, your shares will continue to age from the date of your original purchase of Fund shares. Any class of shares of a fund may be
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
46
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
exchanged for any other class of shares of that fund, provided that the shares being exchanged are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conditions for investing in the other class of shares described in the applicable prospectus are satisfied.
Before exchanging, you should read the prospectus of the new fund carefully. Exchanges are subject to the terms applicable to purchases of the new funds shares as set forth in its prospectus. If you wish to exchange shares, write to the transfer agent (see back cover for address), log on to your account at www.eatonvance.com or call 1-800-262-1122. Periodic automatic exchanges are also available. The exchange privilege may be changed or discontinued at any time. You will receive at least 60 days notice of any material change to the privilege. This privilege may not be used for market timing and may be terminated for market timing accounts or for any other reason. For additional information, see Restrictions on Excessive Trading and Market Timing under Purchasing Shares. Ordinarily exchanges between different funds are taxable transactions for federal tax purposes, while permitted exchanges of one class for shares of another class of the same fund are not. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors regarding the applicability of federal, state, local and other taxes to transactions in Fund shares.
Reinvestment Privilege. If you redeem shares, you may reinvest at net asset value all or any portion of the redemption proceeds in the same class of shares of the Fund you redeemed from, provided that the reinvestment occurs within 60 days of the redemption, and the privilege has not been used more than once in the prior 12 months. Under these circumstances your account will be credited with any CDSC paid in connection with the redemption. Any CDSC period applicable to the shares you acquire upon reinvestment will run from the date of your original share purchase. Reinvestment requests must be in writing. At the time of a reinvestment, you or your financial intermediary must notify the Fund or the transfer agent that you are reinvesting redemption proceeds in accordance with this privilege. If you reinvest, your purchase will be at the next determined net asset value following receipt of your request.
Telephone and Electronic Transactions. You can redeem or exchange shares by telephone as described in this Prospectus. In addition, certain transactions may be conducted through the Eaton Vance website. The transfer agent and the principal underwriter have procedures in place to authenticate telephone and electronic instructions (such as using security codes or verifying personal account information). As long as the transfer agent and principal underwriter follow reasonable procedures, they will not be responsible for unauthorized telephone or electronic transactions and you bear the risk of possible loss resulting from these transactions. You may decline the telephone redemption option on the account application. Telephone instructions are recorded.
Street Name Accounts. If your shares are held in a street name account at a financial intermediary, that intermediary (and not the Fund or its transfer agent) will perform all recordkeeping, transaction processing and distribution payments. Because the Fund does not maintain an account for you, you should contact your financial intermediary to make transactions in shares, make changes in your account, or obtain account information. You will not be able to utilize a number of shareholder features, such as telephone or internet transactions, directly with a Fund and certain features may be subject to different requirements. If you transfer shares in a street name account to an account with another financial intermediary or to an account directly with a Fund, you should obtain historical information about your shares prior to the transfer.
Procedures for Opening New Accounts. To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each new customer who opens a Fund account and to determine whether such persons name appears on government lists of known or suspected terrorists or terrorist organizations. When you open an account, the transfer agent or your financial intermediary will ask you for your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), residential or business street address (although post office boxes are still permitted for mailing) and social security number, taxpayer identification number, or other government-issued identifying number. You also may be asked to produce a copy of your drivers license, passport or other identifying documents in order to verify your identity. In addition, it may be necessary to verify your identity by cross-referencing your identification information with a consumer report or other electronic databases. Other information or documents may be required to open accounts for corporations and other entities. Federal law prohibits a Fund and other financial institutions from opening a new account unless they receive the minimum identifying information described above. If a person fails to provide the information requested, any application by that person to open a new account will be rejected. Moreover, if the transfer agent or the financial intermediary is unable to verify the identity of a person based on information provided by that person, it may take additional steps including, but not limited to, requesting additional information or documents from the person, closing the persons account or reporting the matter to the appropriate federal authorities. If your account is closed for this reason, your shares may be automatically redeemed at the net asset value next determined. If a Funds net asset value has decreased since your purchase, you will lose money as a result of this redemption. Each Fund has also designated an anti-money laundering compliance officer.
Account Questions. If you have any questions about your account or the services available, please call Eaton Vance Shareholder Services at 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time), or write to the transfer agent (see back cover for address).
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
47
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Additional Tax Information
Dividend Builder Fund expects to pay any required distributions monthly, Large-Cap Value Fund expects to pay any required distributions quarterly, and
Global Small-Cap Fund,
Growth Fund, Small-Cap
Fund and Special Equities Fund expect to pay any required distributions annually. Distributions may not be paid if Fund (and Class) expenses exceed Fund income for the period. Different Classes of a Fund will generally distribute different amounts. Each Fund intends to distribute any net realized capital gains, if any, annually.
It may also be necessary, due to federal tax requirements, for each Fund to make a special income and/or capital gains distribution at the end of the calendar year.
Real Estate Fund intends to make at least quarterly distributions to shareholders of substantially all of the distributions it receives from its real estate investments, less expenses, as well as income from other investments. Such distributions may be comprised of income, return of capital, and capital gains.
Real Estate
Fund may also realize capital gains on the sale of its real estate investments and other investments. Distributions of these gains, if any, will be made annually. In addition,
Real Estate
Fund may occasionally be required to make supplemental distributions at some other time during the year. The amount of distributions will vary, and there is no guarantee
Real Estate
Fund will pay either income or capital gain distributions. Different Classes of
Real Estate
Fund will generally distribute different amounts.
A portion of any distribution of a Funds investment income may, and any distribution by a Fund of net realized short-term capital gains generally will be taxed as ordinary income. Distributions of any net gains from investments held for more than one year will be taxed as long-term capital gains. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the Portfolio or Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares in the Fund. Distributions of investment income reported by a Fund as derived from qualified dividend income (as further described in the Statement of Additional Information) will be taxable to shareholders at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain provided holding period and other requirements are met at both the shareholder and the Portfolio or Fund level. Over time, distributions by each Fund can generally be expected to include ordinary income, qualified dividend income and capital gain distributions taxable as long-term capital gains. A portion of each Funds income distributions may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporations. A Funds distributions will be taxable as described above whether they are paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares. A return of capital generally will not be taxable to shareholders but will reduce the cost basis of a shareholders shares and result in a higher reported capital gain or a lower reported capital loss when those shares are redeemed.
Investors who purchase shares at a time when a Funds net asset value reflects gains that are either unrealized or realized but not distributed will pay the full price for the shares and then may receive some portion of the purchase price back as a taxable distribution. Certain distributions paid in January may be taxable to shareholders as if received on December 31 of the prior year. A redemption of Fund shares, including an exchange for shares of another fund, is a taxable transaction.
Each Portfolio is treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes. Each investor in a Portfolio, including a Fund, is allocated its proportionate share of Portfolio income, gains, losses, expenses and other tax items.
The unearned income of certain U.S. individuals, estates and trusts is subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax. For individuals, the tax is on the lesser of the net investment income and the excess of modified adjusted gross income over $200,000 (or $250,000 if married filing jointly). Net investment income includes, among other things, interest, dividends, and gross income and capital gains derived from passive activities and trading in securities or commodities. Net investment income is reduced by deductions properly allocable to this income.
Each Fund, except the Real Estate Fund, expects to send shareholders a statement each February showing the tax status of all distributions. (Real Estate Fund will mail its statements later because REITs do not provide information on the taxability of their distributions until after calendar year end.)
Each Portfolios,
Global Small-Cap Funds,
Real Estate Funds, Small-Cap
Funds and Special Equities Funds investments in foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes or other foreign taxes with respect to income (possibly including, in some cases, capital gains) which may decrease the Funds yield on such securities. These taxes may be reduced or eliminated under the terms of an applicable tax treaty. Shareholders generally will not be entitled to claim a credit or deduction with respect to foreign taxes paid by a Portfolio,
Global Small-Cap Fund,
Real Estate Fund, Small-Cap Fund
or Special Equities Fund. In addition, investments in foreign securities or foreign currencies may increase or accelerate a Funds recognition of ordinary income and may affect the timing or amount of the Funds distributions.
A Fund may be required to withhold, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, 28% of the dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds payable to shareholders who fail to provide the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number or make required certifications, or who have been notified by the Internal Revenue Service that they are subject to backup withholding. Certain shareholders are exempt from backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against a shareholders U.S. federal income tax liability.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
48
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Certain foreign entities may be subject to a 30% withholding tax on dividend income paid and after December 31, 2018 on redemption proceeds paid under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). To avoid withholding, foreign financial institutions subject to FATCA must agree to disclose to the relevant revenue authorities certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners and other foreign entities must certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners to the Fund. For more detailed information regarding FATCA withholding and compliance, please refer to the Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholders should consult with their tax advisors concerning the applicability of federal, state, local and other taxes to an investment.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
49
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights
The financial highlights are intended to help you understand a Funds financial performance for the period(s) indicated. Certain information in the tables reflects the financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the tables represent the rate an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in a Fund (assuming reinvestment of all distributions at net asset value). This information has been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP , an independent registered public accounting firm. The reports of Deloitte & Touche LLP and each Funds financial statements are incorporated herein by reference and included in the Funds annual report, which is available upon request.
(See footnotes on last page.)
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
50
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights (continued)
|
Dividend Builder Fund |
||||||||
|
Year Ended December 31, |
||||||||
|
2013 |
2012 |
2011 |
||||||
|
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Net asset value - Beginning of year |
$10.870 |
$10.910 |
$10.870 |
$9.800 |
$9.830 |
$9.790 |
$10.050 |
$10.080 |
$10.040 |
Income (Loss) From Operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment income (1) |
$0.158 |
$0.067 |
$0.189 |
$0.271 |
$0.193 |
$0.296 |
$0.373 (5) |
$0.300 (5) |
$0.399 (5) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) |
2.582 |
2.592 |
2.581 |
1.039 |
1.047 |
1.051 |
(0.263) |
(0.265) |
(0.264) |
Total income from operations |
$2.740 |
$2.659 |
$2.770 |
$1.310 |
$1.240 |
$1.347 |
$0.110 |
$0.035 |
$0.135 |
Less Distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From net investment income |
$(0.180) |
$(0.089) |
$(0.210) |
$(0.240) |
$(0.160) |
$(0.267) |
$(0.360) |
$(0.285) |
$(0.385) |
Total distributions |
$(0.180) |
$(0.089) |
$(0.210) |
$(0.240) |
$(0.160) |
$(0.267) |
$(0.360) |
$(0.285) |
$(0.385) |
Net asset value - End of year |
$13.430 |
$13.480 |
$13.430 |
$10.870 |
$10.910 |
$10.870 |
$9.800 |
$9.830 |
$9.790 |
Total Return (2) |
25.40% |
24.47% |
25.72% |
13.50% |
12.70% |
13.91% |
1.12% |
0.36% |
1.38% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of year (000s omitted) |
$787,254 |
$175,875 |
$67,746 |
$771,307 |
$164,219 |
$66,792 |
$805,556 |
$174,161 |
$77,399 |
Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets): (3) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenses (4) |
1.06% |
1.81% |
0.81% |
1.07% |
1.82% |
0.82% |
1.09% |
1.84% |
0.84% |
Net investment income |
1.30% |
0.55% |
1.55% |
2.59% |
1.83% |
2.82% |
3.75% (5) |
3.01% (5) |
4.02% (5) |
Portfolio Turnover of the Portfolio |
59% |
59% |
59% |
63% |
63% |
63% |
87% |
87% |
87% |
(See footnotes on last page.)
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
51
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights (continued)
(See footnotes on last page.)
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
52
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights (continued)
|
Global Small-Cap Fund |
|||||
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|||||
|
2013 |
2012 |
||||
|
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Net asset value - Beginning of year |
$14.230 |
$13.460 |
$14.350 |
$14.120 |
$13.520 |
$14.190 |
Income (Loss) From Operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment income (loss) (1) |
$(0.053) |
$(0.165) |
$(0.010) |
$0.020 |
$(0.086) |
$0.061 |
Net realized and unrealized gain |
4.476 |
4.218 |
4.523 |
1.341 |
1.277 |
1.350 |
Total income from operations |
$4.423 |
$4.053 |
$4.513 |
$1.361 |
$1.191 |
$1.411 |
Less Distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
From net realized gain |
$(1.273) |
$(1.273) |
$(1.273) |
$(1.251) |
$(1.251) |
$(1.251) |
Total distributions |
$(1.273) |
$(1.273) |
$(1.273) |
$(1.251) |
$(1.251) |
$(1.251) |
Net asset value - End of year |
$17.380 |
$16.240 |
$17.590 |
$14.230 |
$13.460 |
$14.350 |
Total Return (2)(6) |
31.47% |
30.51% |
31.84% |
9.59% |
8.76% |
9.89% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of year (000s omitted) |
$24,197 |
$9,876 |
$2,428 |
$19,174 |
$7,911 |
$1,598 |
Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets): |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenses (4)(6) |
1.45% |
2.20% |
1.20% |
1.45% |
2.20% |
1.20% |
Net investment income (loss) |
(0.32)% |
(1.07)% |
(0.06)% |
0.14% |
(0.61)% |
0.41% |
Portfolio Turnover |
52% |
52% |
52% |
36% |
36% |
36% |
(See footnotes on last page.)
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
53
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights (continued)
|
Global Small-Cap Fund |
||
|
Year Ended December 31, |
||
|
2011 |
||
|
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Net asset value - Beginning of year |
$14.510 |
$14.000 |
$14.550 |
Income (Loss) From Operations |
|
|
|
Net investment income (loss) (1) |
$(0.012) |
$(0.115) |
$0.035 |
Net realized and unrealized loss |
(0.233) |
(0.220) |
(0.250) |
Total loss from operations |
$(0.245) |
$(0.335) |
$(0.215) |
Less Distributions |
|
|
|
From net realized gain |
$(0.145) |
$(0.145) |
$(0.145) |
Total distributions |
$(0.145) |
$(0.145) |
$(0.145) |
Net asset value - End of year |
$14.120 |
$13.520 |
$14.190 |
Total Return (2)(6) |
(1.68)% |
(2.39)% |
(1.47)% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
Net assets, end of year (000s omitted) |
$22,099 |
$8,702 |
$1,322 |
Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets): |
|
|
|
Expenses (4)(6) |
1.56% |
2.31% |
1.28% |
Net investment income (loss) |
(0.09)% |
(0.83)% |
0.24% |
Portfolio Turnover |
30% |
30% |
30% |
(See footnotes on last page.)
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
54
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights (continued)
(See footnotes on last page.)
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
55
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights (continued)
|
Growth Fund |
|||||||
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|||||||
|
2013 |
2012 |
||||||
|
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Class R |
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Class R |
Net asset value - Beginning of year |
$17.540 |
$16.190 |
$17.750 |
$17.400 |
$15.730 |
$14.630 |
$15.910 |
$15.640 |
Income (Loss) From Operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment income (loss) (1) |
$0.012 |
$(0.127) |
$0.063 |
$(0.037) |
$0.002 |
$(0.118) |
$0.050 |
$(0.038) |
Net realized and unrealized gain |
6.069 |
5.558 |
6.138 |
5.998 |
1.992 |
1.862 |
2.012 |
1.982 |
Total income from operations |
$6.081 |
$5.431 |
$6.201 |
$5.961 |
$1.994 |
$1.744 |
$2.062 |
$1.944 |
Less Distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From net investment income |
$(0.001) |
$(0.001) |
$(0.001) |
$(0.001) |
$ |
$ |
$(0.038) |
$ |
From net realized gain |
(2.700) |
(2.700) |
(2.700) |
(2.700) |
(0.184) |
(0.184) |
(0.184) |
(0.184) |
Total distributions |
$(2.701) |
$(2.701) |
$(2.701) |
$(2.701) |
$(0.184) |
$(0.184) |
$(0.222) |
$(0.184) |
Net asset value - End of year |
$20.920 |
$18.920 |
$21.250 |
$20.660 |
$17.540 |
$16.190 |
$17.750 |
$17.400 |
Total Return (2) |
35.35% |
34.27% |
35.61% |
34.94% |
12.66% |
11.91% |
13.01% |
12.42% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of year (000s omitted) |
$89,426 |
$29,318 |
$28,336 |
$2,417 |
$86,843 |
$22,422 |
$29,920 |
$1,729 |
Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets): (3) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenses (4)(9) |
1.25% |
2.00% |
1.00% |
1.50% |
1.25% |
2.00% |
1.00% |
1.50% |
Net investment income (loss) |
0.06% |
(0.68)% |
0.31% |
(0.18)% |
0.01% |
(0.74)% |
0.29% |
(0.22)% |
Portfolio Turnover of the Portfolio |
42% |
42% |
42% |
42% |
40% |
40% |
40% |
40% |
(See footnotes on last page.)
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
56
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights (continued)
|
Growth Fund |
|||
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|||
|
2011 |
|||
|
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Class R |
Net asset value - Beginning of year |
$16.630 |
$15.590 |
$16.780 |
$16.580 |
Income (Loss) From Operations |
|
|
|
|
Net investment income (loss) (1) |
$0.009 |
$(0.107) |
$0.051 |
$(0.029) |
Net realized and unrealized loss |
(0.909) |
(0.853) |
(0.921) |
(0.911) |
Total loss from operations |
$(0.900) |
$(0.960) |
$(0.870) |
$(0.940) |
Net asset value - End of year |
$15.730 |
$14.630 |
$15.910 |
$15.640 |
Total Return (2) |
(5.41)% |
(6.16)% |
(5.24)% |
(5.67)% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of year (000s omitted) |
$99,259 |
$23,524 |
$30,675 |
$1,378 |
Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets): (3) |
|
|
|
|
Expenses (4)(9) |
1.25% |
2.00% |
1.00% |
1.50% |
Net investment income (loss) |
0.05% |
(0.70)% |
0.31% |
(0.18)% |
Portfolio Turnover of the Portfolio |
69% |
69% |
69% |
69% |
(See footnotes on last page.)
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
57
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights (continued)
(See footnotes on last page.)
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
58
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights (continued)
|
Large-Cap Value Fund |
|||||||
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|||||||
|
2013 |
2012 |
||||||
|
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Class R |
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Class R |
Net asset value - Beginning of year |
$19.500 |
$19.510 |
$19.550 |
$19.470 |
$17.130 |
$17.130 |
$17.170 |
$17.100 |
Income (Loss) From Operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment income (1) |
$0.267 |
$0.100 |
$0.326 |
$0.212 |
$0.289 |
$0.156 |
$0.340 |
$0.245 |
Net realized and unrealized gain |
5.402 |
5.401 |
5.411 |
5.391 |
2.399 |
2.400 |
2.408 |
2.395 |
Total income from operations |
$5.669 |
$5.501 |
$5.737 |
$5.603 |
$2.688 |
$2.556 |
$2.748 |
$2.640 |
Less Distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From net investment income |
$(0.266) |
$(0.098) |
$(0.324) |
$(0.210) |
$(0.318) |
$(0.176) |
$(0.368) |
$(0.270) |
From net realized gain |
(0.993) |
(0.993) |
(0.993) |
(0.993) |
|
|
|
|
Total distributions |
$(1.259) |
$(1.091) |
$(1.317) |
$(1.203) |
$(0.318) |
$(0.176) |
$(0.368) |
$(0.270) |
Net asset value - End of year |
$23.910 |
$23.920 |
$23.970 |
$23.870 |
$19.500 |
$19.510 |
$19.550 |
$19.470 |
Total Return (2) |
29.34% |
28.37% |
29.65% |
29.01% |
15.77% |
14.96% |
16.10% |
15.51% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of year (000s omitted) |
$2,912,022 |
$454,829 |
$2,892,359 |
$162,242 |
$3,327,753 |
$420,095 |
$3,186,538 |
$181,565 |
Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets): (3) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenses (4) |
0.99% |
1.74% |
0.74% |
1.24% |
0.99% |
1.74% |
0.74% |
1.24% |
Net investment income |
1.20% |
0.45% |
1.46% |
0.95% |
1.56% |
0.83% |
1.82% |
1.32% |
Portfolio Turnover of the Portfolio |
49% |
49% |
49% |
49% |
31% |
31% |
31% |
31% |
(See footnotes on last page.)
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
59
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights (continued)
|
Large-Cap Value Fund |
|||
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|||
|
2011 |
|||
|
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Class R |
Net asset value - Beginning of year |
$18.220 |
$18.220 |
$18.270 |
$18.190 |
Income (Loss) From Operations |
|
|
|
|
Net investment income (1) |
$0.259 |
$0.125 |
$0.305 |
$0.216 |
Net realized and unrealized loss |
(1.076) |
(1.079) |
(1.086) |
(1.078) |
Total loss from operations |
$(0.817) |
$(0.954) |
$(0.781) |
$(0.862) |
Less Distributions |
|
|
|
|
From net investment income |
$(0.273) |
$(0.136) |
$(0.319) |
$(0.228) |
Total distributions |
$(0.273) |
$(0.136) |
$(0.319) |
$(0.228) |
Net asset value - End of year |
$17.130 |
$17.130 |
$17.170 |
$17.100 |
Total Return (2) |
(4.48)% |
(5.23)% |
(4.27)% |
(4.73)% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of year (000s omitted) |
$6,521,082 |
$497,372 |
$4,757,063 |
$278,225 |
Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets): (3) |
|
|
|
|
Expenses (4) |
0.98% |
1.73% |
0.73% |
1.23% |
Net investment income |
1.45% |
0.70% |
1.70% |
1.21% |
Portfolio Turnover of the Portfolio |
41% |
41% |
41% |
41% |
(See footnotes on last page.)
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
60
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights (continued)
(See footnotes on last page.)
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
61
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights (continued)
|
Real Estate Fund |
|||||
|
Period Ended December 31, |
|||||
|
2013 |
2012 |
2011 |
|||
|
Class A |
Class I |
Class A |
Class I |
Class A |
Class I |
Net asset value - Beginning of year |
$11.300 |
$11.300 |
$9.960 |
$9.960 |
$9.280 |
$9.270 |
Income (Loss) From Operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment income (1) |
$0.123 |
$0.151 |
$0.121 |
$0.149 |
$0.095 |
$0.102 |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) |
(0.072) |
(0.060) |
1.423 |
1.421 |
0.750 |
0.774 |
Total income from operations |
$0.051 |
$0.091 |
$1.544 |
$1.570 |
$0.845 |
$0.876 |
Less Distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
From net investment income |
$(0.117) |
$(0.147) |
$(0.131) |
$(0.157) |
$(0.091) |
$(0.102) |
From net realized gain |
(0.144) |
(0.144) |
(0.073) |
(0.073) |
|
|
Tax return of capital |
|
|
|
|
(0.074) |
(0.084) |
Total distributions |
$(0.261) |
$(0.291) |
$(0.204) |
$(0.230) |
$(0.165) |
$(0.186) |
Net asset value - End of year |
$11.090 |
$11.100 |
$11.300 |
$11.300 |
$9.960 |
$9.960 |
Total Return (2) |
0.41% |
0.76% |
15.54% |
15.81% |
9.15% |
9.50% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of year (000s omitted) |
$7,438 |
$18,955 |
$8,692 |
$22,728 |
$4,550 |
$5,498 |
Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets): |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenses (14) |
1.25% |
1.00% |
1.29% |
1.04% |
1.40% |
1.15% |
Net investment income |
1.05% |
1.29% |
1.10% |
1.35% |
0.98% |
1.05% |
Portfolio Turnover |
22% |
22% |
33% |
33% |
22% |
22% |
(See footnotes on last page.)
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
62
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights (continued)
(See footnotes on last page.)
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
63
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights (continued)
|
Small-Cap Fund |
|||||||||
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|||||||||
|
2013 |
2012 |
||||||||
|
Class A |
Class B |
Class C |
Class I |
Class R |
Class A |
Class B |
Class C |
Class I |
Class R |
Net asset value - Beginning of year |
$14.170 |
$13.900 |
$13.450 |
$14.720 |
$14.040 |
$13.550 |
$13.300 |
$12.900 |
$14.050 |
$13.460 |
Income (Loss) From Operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment income (loss) (1) |
$(0.084) |
$(0.201) |
$(0.195) |
$(0.036) |
$(0.110) |
$(0.008) |
$(0.111) |
$(0.107) |
$0.030 |
$(0.027) |
Net realized and unrealized gain |
5.031 |
4.908 |
4.752 |
5.233 |
4.967 |
1.611 |
1.574 |
1.530 |
1.665 |
1.584 |
Total income from operations |
$4.947 |
$4.707 |
$4.557 |
$5.197 |
$4.857 |
$1.603 |
$1.463 |
$1.423 |
$1.695 |
$1.557 |
Less Distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From net investment income |
$(0.008) |
$(0.008) |
$(0.008) |
$(0.008) |
$(0.008) |
$(0.124) |
$(0.004) |
$(0.014) |
$(0.166) |
$(0.118) |
From net realized gain |
(1.069) |
(1.069) |
(1.069) |
(1.069) |
(1.069) |
(0.859) |
(0.859) |
(0.859) |
(0.859) |
(0.859) |
Total distributions |
$(1.077) |
$(1.077) |
$(1.077) |
$(1.077) |
$(1.077) |
$(0.983) |
$(0.863) |
$(0.873) |
$(1.025) |
$(0.977) |
Net asset value - End of year |
$18.040 |
$17.530 |
$16.930 |
$18.840 |
$17.820 |
$14.170 |
$13.900 |
$13.450 |
$14.720 |
$14.040 |
Total Return (2) |
35.25% |
34.20% |
34.24% |
35.63% |
34.93% |
11.85% |
11.00% |
11.03% |
12.08% |
11.58% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of year (000s omitted) |
$37,128 |
$3,832 |
$13,806 |
$171,120 |
$205 |
$32,126 |
$3,421 |
$11,099 |
$131,456 |
$65 |
Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets): (3) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenses (4) |
1.36% |
2.11% |
2.11% |
1.12% |
1.61% |
1.40% |
2.16% |
2.16% |
1.15% |
1.65% |
Net investment income (loss) |
(0.51)% |
(1.25)% |
(1.25)% |
(0.21)% |
(0.66)% |
(0.06)% |
(0.81)% |
(0.80)% |
0.21% |
(0.19)% |
Portfolio Turnover of the Portfolio (16) |
|
|
|
|
|
31% (11) |
31% (11) |
31% (11) |
31% (11) |
31% (11) |
Portfolio Turnover of the Fund |
44% |
44% |
44% |
44% |
44% |
31% (11)(17) |
31% (11)(17) |
31% (11)(17) |
31% (11)(17) |
31% (11)(17) |
(See footnotes on last page.)
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
64
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights (continued)
|
Small-Cap Fund |
||||
|
Year Ended December 31, |
||||
|
2011 |
||||
|
Class A |
Class B |
Class C |
Class I |
Class R |
Net asset value - Beginning of year |
$14.390 |
$14.230 |
$13.800 |
$14.880 |
$14.330 |
Income (Loss) From Operations |
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment loss (1) |
$(0.124) |
$(0.226) |
$(0.221) |
$(0.088) |
$(0.159) |
Net realized and unrealized loss |
(0.716) |
(0.704) |
(0.679) |
(0.742) |
(0.711) |
Total loss from operations |
$(0.840) |
$(0.930) |
$(0.900) |
$(0.830) |
$(0.870) |
Net asset value - End of year |
$13.550 |
$13.300 |
$12.900 |
$14.050 |
$13.460 |
Total Return (2) |
(5.84)% |
(6.54)% |
(6.52)% |
(5.58)% |
(6.07)% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of year (000s omitted) |
$44,565 |
$4,724 |
$13,663 |
$100,509 |
$37 |
Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets): (3) |
|
|
|
|
|
Expenses (4) |
1.48% |
2.23% |
2.23% |
1.23% |
1.73% |
Net investment loss |
(0.87)% |
(1.61)% |
(1.62)% |
(0.60)% |
(1.12)% |
Portfolio Turnover of the Portfolio (16) |
85% |
85% |
85% |
85% |
85% |
(See footnotes on last page.)
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
65
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights (continued)
(See footnotes on next page.)
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
66
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights (continued)
|
Special Equities Fund |
||||||||
|
Period Ended December 31, |
||||||||
|
2013 |
2012 |
2011 |
||||||
|
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Class A |
Class C |
Class I (18) |
Net asset value - Beginning of period |
$16.260 |
$15.390 |
$16.320 |
$15.250 |
$14.550 |
$15.270 |
$15.940 |
$15.320 |
$16.300 |
Income (Loss) From Operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment income (loss) (1) |
$(0.087) |
$(0.216) |
$(0.029) |
$(0.030) |
$(0.146) |
$0.010 |
$(0.106) (19) |
$(0.219) (19) |
$(0.021) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) |
6.017 |
5.683 |
6.044 |
1.040 |
0.986 |
1.040 |
(0.584) |
(0.551) |
(1.009) |
Total income (loss) from operations |
$5.930 |
$5.467 |
$6.015 |
$1.010 |
$0.840 |
$1.050 |
$(0.690) |
$(0.770) |
$(1.030) |
Less Distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From net investment income |
$(0.120) |
$(0.097) |
$(0.115) |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
Total distributions |
$(0.120) |
$(0.097) |
$(0.115) |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
Net asset value - End of period |
$22.070 |
$20.760 |
$22.220 |
$16.260 |
$15.390 |
$16.320 |
$15.250 |
$14.550 |
$15.270 |
Total Return (2) |
36.54% |
35.59% |
36.93% |
6.62% |
5.77% |
6.88% |
(4.33)% |
(5.03)% |
(6.32)% (11) |
Ratios/Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of period (000s omitted) |
$42,046 |
$3,280 |
$18,404 |
$35,592 |
$2,818 |
$11,550 |
$40,087 |
$4,146 |
$9,042 |
Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets): |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenses (3)(4) |
1.31% |
2.06% |
1.06% |
1.43% |
2.19% |
1.18% |
1.40% |
2.15% |
1.15% (12) |
Net investment income (loss) |
(0.45)% |
(1.20)% |
(0.15)% |
(0.18)% |
(0.96)% |
0.06% |
(0.65)% (19) |
(1.41)% (19) |
(0.32)% (12) |
Portfolio Turnover of the Portfolio (16) |
|
|
|
26% (11) |
26% (11) |
26% (11) |
84% |
84% |
84% (20) |
Portfolio Turnover of the Fund |
61% |
61% |
61% |
37% (11)(17) |
37% (11)(17) |
37% (11)(17) |
|
|
|
(1)
Computed using average shares outstanding.
(2)
Returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value with all distributions reinvested and do not reflect the effect of sales charges, if applicable.
(3)
Includes the Funds share of the Portfolios
allocated expenses
(for the period while the Fund was investing in the Portfolio, if applicable).
(4)
Excludes the effect of custody fee credits, if any, of less than 0.005%.
(5)
Net investment income per share
includes
special dividends allocated from the Portfolio which amounted to $0.092 per share. Excluding special dividends, the ratio of net investment income to average daily net assets would have been 2.83%, 2.08% and 3.09% for Class A, Class C and Class I, respectively.
(
6
)
The
investment adviser and
administrator
reimbursed
certain operating expenses (equal to 0.
32
%, 0.
34
%, 0.
55
%, 0.
63
% and 0.
49
% of average daily net assets for the years ended December 31,
2015,
2014, 2013, 2012
and
2011
, respectively).
Prior to March 19, 2012, a portion of the reimbursement was borne by the sub-adviser. Absent this reimbursement, total return would be lower.
(
7
)
Amount is less than $(0.0005).
(
8
)
Amount is less than (0.005)%.
(9)
The administrator reimbursed certain operating expenses (equal to 0.07%, 0.12%, 0.10%, 0.13% and 0.13% of average daily net assets for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively). Absent this reimbursement, total return would be lower.
(10 )
For the period from the commencement of operations, July 1, 2014, to December 31, 2014.
(11)
Not annualized.
(12)
Annualized.
(13 )
For the Portfolios year ended December 31, 2014.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
67
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
(
14
)
The administrator
reimbursed
certain operating expenses (equal to 0.30%, 0.
30%, 0.
27%, 0.24
% and
1.28%
of average daily net assets for the years ended December 31,
2015,
2014, 2013, 2012
and
2011,
respectively). Absent this
reimbursement
, total return would be lower.
(15
)
During the year ended December 31, 2014, the investment adviser reimbursed the Fund for a net loss realized on the disposal of an investment which did not meet the Funds investment guidelines. The reimbursement had no effect on total return for the year ended December 31, 2014.
(
16
)
Portfolio turnover represents the rate of portfolio activity for the period while the Fund was investing in the Portfolio. References to Portfolio herein are to Small-Cap Portfolio and Special Equities Portfolio, as applicable, Massachusetts business trusts having the same investment objective and policies as each Fund in which each Fund invested all of their investable assets prior to May 1, 2012.
(
17
)
For the period from May 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012 when the Fund was making investments directly in securities.
(
18
)
For the period from commencement of operations on July 29, 2011 to December 31, 2011.
(
19
)
Net investment loss per share
includes
a special dividend allocated from the Portfolio which amounted to $0.023 and $0.021 per share for Class A and Class C shares, respectively.
Excluding the special dividend, the ratio of net investment loss to average daily net assets would have been (0.
80
)% and (
1.55
)% for Class A and Class C shares, respectively.
(
20
)
For the Portfolios year ended December 31, 2011.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
68
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
More Information
About the Funds: More information is available in the Statement of Additional Information. The Statement of Additional Information is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. Additional information about each Funds and Portfolios investments is available in the annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected each Funds performance during the past fiscal year. You may obtain free copies of the Statement of Additional Information and the shareholder reports on Eaton Vances website at www.eatonvance.com or by contacting the principal underwriter:
Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc.
Two International Place
Boston, MA 02110
1-800-262-1122
website: www.eatonvance.com
You will find and may copy information about each Fund (including the Statement of Additional Information and shareholder reports): at the SECs public reference room in Washington, DC (call 1-202-551-8090 for information on the operation of the public reference room); on the EDGAR Database on the SECs website (www.sec.gov); or, upon payment of copying fees, by writing to the SECs Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549-1520, or by electronic mail at publicinfo@sec.gov.
Shareholder Inquiries: You can obtain more information from Eaton Vance Shareholder Services or the Fund transfer agent, BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. If you own shares and would like to add to, redeem from or change your account, please write or call below:
Regular Mailing Address:
|
|
Overnight Mailing Address:
|
|
Phone Number:
|
The Investment Company Act No. of each Fund
|
|
480 5.1.16 |
© 2016 Eaton Vance Management |
Parametric Absolute Return Fund
Investor Class Shares - EOAAX
Institutional Class Shares - EOAIX
A diversified fund seeking total return
Parametric Commodity Strategy Fund
Investor Class Shares - EAPCX
Institutional Class Shares - EIPCX
A diversified fund seeking total return
Prospectus Dated
May 1,
2016
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have not approved or disapproved these securities or determined whether this Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
This Prospectus contains important information about the Funds and the services
available to shareholders. Please save it for reference.
Table of Contents
Fund Summaries |
3 |
Parametric Absolute Return Fund |
3 |
Parametric Commodity Strategy Fund |
8 |
Important Information Regarding Fund Shares |
12 |
Investment Objectives & Principal Policies and Risks |
13 |
Management and Organization |
20 |
Valuing Shares |
21 |
Purchasing Shares |
22 |
Sales Charges |
25 |
Redeeming Shares |
26 |
Shareholder Account Features |
27 |
Additional Tax Information |
28 |
Financial Highlights |
30 |
Parametric Absolute Return Fund |
30 |
Parametric Commodity Strategy Fund |
32 |
Parametric Funds
2
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Fund Summaries
Parametric Absolute Return Fund
On May 31, 2016, the Fund will discontinue all sales of its shares, except shares purchased by: (1) existing shareholders (including shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends and distributions); (2) employer sponsored retirement plans; or (3) fee-based programs (a) sponsored by financial intermediaries and (b) that have selected the Fund prior to the close of business on May 31, 2016. Effective June 22, 2016, the Fund will no longer be available for purchase or exchange. It is expected that on or about June 29, 2016, the Fund will liquidate.
Investment Objective
The Funds investment objective is total return.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
Investor Class |
Institutional Class |
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) |
None |
None |
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lower of net asset value at time of purchase or redemption) |
None |
None |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
Investor Class |
Institutional Class |
Management Fees |
1.10% |
1.10% |
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees |
0.25% |
None |
Other Expenses |
0.69 % |
0.69 % |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
2.04% |
1.79% |
Expense Reimbursement (1) |
(0.59) % |
(0.59) % |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement |
1.45% |
1.20% |
(1)
The investment adviser and administrator and sub-adviser have agreed to reimburse the Funds expenses to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 1.45% for Investor Class shares and 1.20% for Institutional Class shares. This expense reimbursement will continue through April 30,
2017
. Any amendment to or
termination of this reimbursement would require approval of the Board of Trustees. The expense reimbursement relates to ordinary operating expenses only and does not include expenses such as: brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses of unaffiliated funds, interest expense, taxes or litigation expenses. Amounts reimbursed may be recouped by the investment adviser and administrator and sub-adviser during the same fiscal year to the extent actual expenses are less than the contractual expense cap during such year.
Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
|
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years |
Investor Class shares |
$148 |
$583 |
$1,044 |
$2,322 |
Institutional Class shares |
$122 |
$506 |
$915 |
$2,057 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over the portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was
39
% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund pursues its investment objective principally by writing a series of call and put option spread combinations on the S&P 500 Composite Stock Price Index (S&P 500 Index), a broad-based U.S. stock market index, and/or another proxy for the S&P 500 Index (such as the SPDR Trust Series I units (SPDRs)). The Funds option strategy employs a systematic, rules-based program that seeks to take advantage of the general imbalance of natural buyers of stock index options over natural sellers, which is reflected in the customary excess of option price-implied volatilities over observed market volatilities. The Fund seeks to mitigate risk by selling option spreads, rather than stand-alone options, by staggering roll dates across the option position
Parametric Funds
3
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
portfolio, and by utilizing exchange-traded options guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation, a market clearinghouse.
The Fund will generally write call spreads and put spreads that are out of the money. That is, the exercise price of the call options sold generally will be above the current level of the index when written and the exercise price of the call options bought will be above the exercise price of the call options sold. The exercise price of put options sold generally will be below the current level of the index when written and the exercise price of the put options bought will be below the exercise price of put options sold.
The option program is intended to be substantially non-directional and to provide returns that are substantially uncorrelated to the returns of the S&P 500 Index. In implementing its strategy, the Fund generally intends to enter into written call and put option spread positions that primarily have a maturity of approximately four weeks, and to stagger the timing of its spread originations and expirations through each four-week period. For each option spread combination, the Fund intends to sell call spreads and put spreads on the S&P 500 Index with substantially equivalent notional values and identical expiration dates. The Fund will determine the number and composition of the call and put option spreads in each combination based largely on the market exposures and maximum net loss potential of such positions. Under normal circumstances, the Fund intends to limit its maximum option loss potential realizable for each call and put spread combination over its roll cycle to not more than 10% of the associated net asset value of the Fund, based on observable market inputs at the time the option spread combination is entered into and determined without consideration of net premiums received.
The Funds option strategy will be implemented as an overlay to a portfolio of short-term, high-grade income securities. A significant portion of this portfolio will be subject to the option strategy overlay. Short-term instruments are generally those with effective maturities of three years or less. High-grade instruments are rated A or higher by a rating agency or deemed to be of comparable quality by the investment adviser. The Fund expects to maintain a dollar-weighted average effective maturity of one year or less.
The Funds income securities investments are expected to consist primarily of U.S. dollar-denominated instruments of domestic and foreign issuers, including U.S. Government securities, commercial paper and other short-term, high-grade obligations issued by banks and corporations. Investments also may include other short-term, high-grade obligations including certificates of deposit, bankers acceptances and other short-term securities issued by domestic or foreign banks or their subsidiaries or branches, as well as high-grade mortgage-backed securities, commercial mortgage-backed securities and asset-backed securities. The Fund may invest in repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements and in variable or floating-rate securities, some of which provide for periodic recovery of principal on demand investments, and may purchase securities on a when-issued basis and for future delivery by means of forward commitments.
The Fund employs an absolute return investment approach. This means that the Fund benchmarks itself to an index of cash instruments, rather than a stock or bond market index, and seeks to achieve returns that exceed its benchmark and are largely independent of broad movements in stocks and bonds. The Funds benchmark is the BofA Merrill Lynch 3-Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index.
Principal Risks
Option Strategy Risk. The Funds option strategy seeks to take advantage of, and its effectiveness is dependent on, a general excess of option price-implied volatilities for the S&P 500 over realized index volatilities. This market observation is often attributed to an excess of natural buyers over natural sellers of S&P 500 index options. There can be no assurance that this imbalance will apply in the future over specific periods or generally. It is possible that the imbalance could decrease or be eliminated by actions of investors, including the Fund, that employ strategies seeking to take advantage of the imbalance, which could have an adverse effect on the Funds ability to achieve its investment objective.
The success of put and call spread transactions on the S&P 500 Index and/or a proxy for the S&P 500 Index will be determined by the performance of the S&P 500 Index. If the S&P 500 Index appreciates or depreciates sufficiently over the period to offset the premium received, a loss will result. The risk of selling put options in a spread transaction is mitigated by the purchase of offsetting options at a lower exercise price, thereby capping the maximum loss potential.
Derivatives Risk.
The use of derivatives can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the asset, index, rate or instrument underlying a derivative, due to failure of a counterparty or due to tax or regulatory constraints. Derivatives may create economic leverage in the Fund, which magnifies the Funds exposure to the underlying investment. Derivatives risk may be more significant when derivatives are used to enhance return or as a substitute for a cash investment position, rather than solely to hedge the risk of a position held by the Fund.
The use of derivatives involves the exercise of specialized skill and judgment, and a transaction may be unsuccessful in whole or in part because of market behavior or unexpected events. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index
.
Derivative instruments traded in over-the-counter markets may be difficult to value, may be illiquid, and may be subject to wide swings in valuation caused by changes in the value of the underlying instrument. If a derivatives counterparty is unable to honor its commitments, the value of Fund shares may decline and the Fund could experience delays in
Parametric Funds
4
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
the return of collateral or other assets held by the counterparty. The loss on derivative transactions may substantially exceed the initial investment
, particularly when there is no stated limit on the Funds use of derivatives.
Absolute Return Strategy Risk. The Fund employs an absolute return investment approach, benchmarking itself to an index of cash instruments and seeking to achieve returns that are largely independent of broad movements in stocks and bonds. Unlike equity funds, the Fund should not be expected to benefit from general equity market returns. Different from fixed income funds, the Fund may not generate current income and should not be expected to experience price appreciation as interest rates decline.
Debt Market Risk.
Economic and other events (whether real or perceived) can reduce the demand for investments held by the Fund, which may reduce their market prices and cause the value of Fund shares to fall. The frequency and magnitude of such changes cannot be predicted. Certain securities and other investments held by the Fund can experience downturns in trading activity and, at such times, the supply of such instruments in the market may exceed the demand. At other times, the demand for such instruments may exceed the supply in the market. An imbalance in supply and demand in the market may result in valuation uncertainties and greater price volatility, less liquidity, wider trading spreads and a lack of price transparency in the market. No active trading market may exist for certain investments, which may impair the ability of the Fund to sell or to realize the full value of such investments in the event of the need to liquidate such assets. Adverse market conditions may impair the liquidity of some actively traded investments. Fixed
-
income markets have recently experienced a period of relatively high volatility. As a result of the Federal Reserves action to end its quantitative easing stimulus program as well as the possibility that it may unwind the program and
its recent decision
to raise
the target fed funds rate
, fixed
-
income markets could experience continuing high volatility, which could negatively impact the Funds performance.
Interest Rate Risk. In general, the value of income securities will fluctuate based on changes in interest rates. The value of these securities is likely to increase when interest rates fall and decline when interest rates rise. Generally, securities with longer durations are more sensitive to changes in interest rates than shorter duration securities. In a rising interest rate environment, the duration of income securities that have the ability to be prepaid or called by the issuer may be extended. In a declining interest rate environment, the proceeds from prepaid or maturing instruments may have to be reinvested at a lower interest rate.
Credit Risk. Investments in debt obligations are subject to the risk of non-payment of scheduled principal and interest. Changes in economic conditions or other circumstances may reduce the capacity of the party obligated to make principal and interest payments on such instruments and may lead to defaults. Such non-payments and defaults may reduce the value of Fund shares and income distributions. The value of a debt obligation also may decline because of concerns about the issuers ability to make principal and interest payments. In addition, the credit ratings of fixed-income securities may be lowered if the financial condition of the party obligated to make payments with respect to such instruments changes. Credit ratings assigned by rating agencies are based on a number of factors and do not necessarily reflect the issuers current financial condition or the volatility or liquidity of the security. In the event of bankruptcy of the issuer of fixed-income securities, the Fund could experience delays or limitations with respect to its ability to realize the benefits of any collateral securing the instrument. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Funds operating expenses and adversely affect net asset value.
Risk of U.S. Government-Sponsored Agencies. Although certain U.S. Government-sponsored agencies (such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation and the Federal National Mortgage Association) may be chartered or sponsored by acts of Congress, their securities are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
Foreign Investment Risk. Because the Fund may invest a portion of its assets in foreign instruments, the value of Fund shares can be adversely affected by political and economic developments abroad, including the imposition of economic and other sanctions by the United States or another country. Foreign markets may be smaller, less liquid and more volatile than the major markets in the United States, and as a result, Fund share values may be more volatile. Trading in foreign markets typically involves higher expense than trading in the United States. The Fund may have difficulties enforcing its legal or contractual rights in a foreign country.
Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Risk. Mortgage- and asset-backed securities are subject to credit, interest rate, prepayment and extension risk. Movements in interest rates (both increases and decreases) may quickly and significantly reduce the value of certain types of mortgage- and asset-backed securities. Mortgage- and asset-backed securities can also be subject to the risk of default on the underlying mortgages or other assets. Certain mortgage-backed securities issued by non-government entities may offer higher yields than those issued by government entities, but also may be subject to greater volatility than government issues.
Risks of Repurchase Agreements and Reverse Repurchase Agreements. In the event of the insolvency of the counterparty to a repurchase agreement or reverse repurchase agreement, recovery of the repurchase price owed to the Fund or, in the case of a reverse repurchase agreement, the securities sold by the Fund, may be delayed. In a repurchase agreement, such an insolvency may result in a loss to the extent that the value of the purchased securities decreases during the delay. In a reverse repurchase agreement, the counterpartys insolvency may result in a loss equal to the amount by which the value of the securities sold by the Fund exceeds the repurchase price payable by the Fund; if the value of the purchased securities increases during such a delay, that loss may also be increased. When the Fund 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 Funds assets. As a result, such transactions may increase fluctuations in the net asset value of the
Parametric Funds
5
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Funds shares. Because reverse repurchase agreements may be considered to be the practical equivalent of the Fund borrowing funds (and the counterparty making a loan), they constitute a form of leverage. If the Fund 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 Funds yield.
Risk of Leveraged Transactions. Certain Fund transactions may give rise to leverage. Such transactions may include, among others, reverse repurchase agreements, the use of when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment transactions and certain derivative transactions. The Fund is required to segregate liquid assets or otherwise cover the Funds obligation created by a transaction that may give rise to leverage. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet segregation requirements. Leverage may cause the Funds share price to be more volatile than if it had not been leveraged, as certain types of leverage may exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Funds portfolio securities. The loss on leveraged investments may substantially exceed the initial investment.
Risks Associated with Active Management. The success of the Funds investment program depends on portfolio managements successful application of analytical skills and investment judgment. Active management involves subjective decisions.
General Fund Investing Risks. The Fund is not a complete investment program and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. It is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund is designed to be a long-term investment vehicle and is not suited for short-term trading. Investors in the Fund should have a long-term investment perspective and be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, entity or person.
Performance
The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Funds performance from year to year and how the Funds average annual returns over time compare with those of a broad-based securities market index. The returns in the bar chart are for Investor Class shares. Past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. The Funds performance reflects the effects of expense reductions. Absent these reductions, performance would have been lower. Updated Fund performance information can be obtained by visiting www.eatonvance.com.
During the period from December 31, 2010 to December 31,
2015
, the highest quarterly total return for Investor Class was 3.46% for the quarter ended June 30, 2012, and the lowest quarterly return was
-
3.79% for the quarter ended December 31, 2014.
Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2015 |
One Year |
Life of Fund |
Investor Class Return Before Taxes |
6.49% |
2.05% |
Investor Class Return After Taxes on Distributions |
6.49% |
1.60% |
Investor Class Return After Taxes on Distributions and the Sale of Investor Class Shares |
3.67% |
1.60% |
Institutional Class Return Before Taxes |
6.65% |
2.29% |
BofA Merrill Lynch 3-Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
0.05% |
0.08% |
Investor Class and Institutional Class commenced operations on September 30, 2010. BofA Merrill Lynch ® indices not for redistribution or other uses; provided as is, without warranties, and with no liability. Eaton Vance has prepared this report, BofAML does not endorse it, or guarantee, review, or endorse Eaton Vances products. Investors cannot invest directly in an Index.
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. After-tax returns for other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Investor Class shares. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the Sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
Parametric Funds
6
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Management
Investment Adviser. Eaton Vance Management (Eaton Vance).
Investment Sub-Adviser. Parametric Risk Advisors LLC (PRA).
Portfolio Managers
Thomas H. Luster, Vice President of Eaton Vance, has managed the Fund since its inception in October 2010.
Maria C. Cappellano, Vice President of Eaton Vance, has managed the Fund since its inception in October 2010.
Kenneth Everding, Managing Director of PRA, has managed the Fund since its inception in October 2010.
Jonathan Orseck, Managing Director of PRA, has managed the Fund since its inception in October 2010.
For important information about purchase and sale of shares, taxes and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to Important Information Regarding Fund Shares on page 12 of this Prospectus.
Parametric Funds
7
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Parametric Commodity Strategy Fund
Investment Objective
The Funds investment objective is to seek total return.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
Investor Class |
Institutional Class |
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) |
None |
None |
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lower of net asset value at time of purchase or redemption) |
None |
None |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
Investor Class |
Institutional Class |
Management Fees of the Fund and Subsidiary |
0.60% |
0.60% |
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees |
0.25% |
None |
Other Expenses (of the Fund and Subsidiary) |
|
|
Other Expenses of the Fund |
0.26% |
0.26% |
Other Expenses of the Subsidiary |
0.13 % |
0.13 % |
Total Other Expenses |
0.39 % |
0.39 % |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
1.24% |
0.99% |
Expense Reimbursement (1) |
(0.29) % |
(0.29) % |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement |
0.95% |
0.70% |
(1)
The investment adviser and administrator and sub-adviser have agreed to reimburse the Funds expenses to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 0.95% for Investor Class shares and 0.70% for Institutional Class shares. This expense reimbursement will continue through April 30,
2017
. Any amendment to or
termination of this reimbursement would require approval of the Board of Trustees. The expense reimbursement relates to ordinary operating expenses only and does not include expenses such as: brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses of unaffiliated funds, interest expense, taxes or litigation expenses. Amounts reimbursed may be recouped by the investment adviser and administrator and sub-adviser during the same fiscal year to the extent actual expenses are less than the contractual expense cap during such year.
Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
|
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years |
Investor Class shares |
$97 |
$365 |
$653 |
$1,474 |
Institutional Class shares |
$72 |
$286 |
$519 |
$1,187 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over the portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was
573
% (excluding the Fund's investment in exchange-traded notes, which are used as temporary
cash
investments but offer commodity exposure, the portfolio turnover would
be
0%) of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund invests primarily in commodity-linked derivative instruments backed by a portfolio of fixed-income securities. The Funds portfolio of fixed-income securities is generally comprised of U.S. Treasury bills and cash. The average portfolio duration of the Funds fixed-income portfolio will vary and under normal market conditions is not expected to exceed one year. Commodity-linked derivative instruments include commodity index-linked swap agreements, commodity options and futures and options on futures, and commodity index-linked notes, that provide exposure to the investment returns of the commodities markets, without investing directly in physical commodities. The Fund seeks to gain exposure to the commodity markets, in whole or in part, through investments in PSC Commodity Subsidiary, Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Fund organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the Subsidiary) with the same investment objective and principal investment strategies as the Fund.
Parametric Funds
8
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
The commodity-linked derivative instruments in which the Fund invests are intended to provide returns based on the performance of a particular commodity or
particular basket of commodities. There is no stated limit on the Funds use of derivatives. The Fund attempts to provide a diversified exposure to a variety of commodities. In this pursuit, the Fund may maintain large over-weight or under-weight commodity positions versus the Bloomberg Commodity Index Total Return (the Index). Similarly, the Fund may hold underweight or overweight positions in particular sectors of the commodities markets.
The Fund seeks to employ a top-down, disciplined and rules-based investment process that emphasizes broad exposure among individual commodities and commodity sectors. This rules-based strategy utilizes targeted allocation and systematic rebalancing to attempt to exploit certain quantitative and behavioral characteristics of the commodity asset class to generate alpha (i.e. excess returns versus the index). Commodity exposures are selected based on factors such as volatility, liquidity, diversification, and perceived risk and potential benefit. Commodity target weights are created to attempt to reduce concentration risk relative to the Index. The frequency of rebalancing depends on the correlation and volatility of the individual commodity. Rules-based rebalancing bands are set around target weights to attempt to minimize trading cost.
Principal Risks
Risks of Commodity-Related Investments. The value of commodity investments will generally be affected by overall market movements and factors specific to a particular industry or commodity, which may include weather, embargoes, tariffs, and health, political, international and regulatory developments. Economic and other events (whether real or perceived) can reduce the demand for commodities, which may reduce market prices and cause the value of the Funds commodity investments to fall. The frequency and magnitude of such changes cannot be predicted. Exposure to commodities and commodity markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. No active trading market may exist for certain commodity investments, which may impair the ability of the Fund to sell or to realize the full value of such investments in the event of the need to liquidate such investments. In addition, adverse market conditions may impair the liquidity of actively traded commodity investments. Certain types of commodity instruments (such as total return swaps and commodity-linked notes) are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the instrument will not perform or will be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument. As noted under Principal Investment Strategies, the Fund expects to gain a significant portion of its commodity-related exposures by investing in the Subsidiary. See Subsidiary Risk and Tax Risk.
Subsidiary Risk. The Fund will be exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiarys investments. The Subsidiary invests in commodity-related investments, as well as securities and other instruments in which the Fund is permitted to invest. The Subsidiary is subject to the laws of the Cayman Islands and is not subject to U.S. laws, including securities laws and their protections and provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. Because the Subsidiary is not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, it may not be able to negotiate terms with its counterparties that are equivalent to those a registered fund may negotiate. As a result, the Subsidiary may have greater exposure to those counterparties than a registered fund. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Subsidiary to operate as described in the Fund's Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, and could adversely affect the Funds investment approach.
Tax Risk. In order for the Fund to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code (the Code), the Fund must derive at least 90 percent of its gross income each taxable year from certain qualifying sources of income. Commodity-related investments generally generate income that is not from a qualified source for purposes of meeting this 90 percent test. Numerous mutual funds have obtained private letter rulings from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that provide that income produced by certain types of commodity-linked notes or wholly-owned subsidiaries (like the Subsidiary) constitute qualifying income. The Fund has received an opinion of counsel that income from certain commodity-linked notes should be qualifying income and that income derived from the Subsidiary should also constitute qualifying income. The Fund has also applied to the IRS for a private letter ruling to this effect. Should the IRS take action that adversely affects the tax treatment of investing in commodity-linked notes or the Subsidiary, it could limit the Funds ability to pursue its investment objective as described, and the Fund may incur transaction and other costs to comply with any new or additional guidance from the IRS. The tax treatment of commodity-related investments and income from the Subsidiary may be adversely affected by future legislation, Treasury Regulations and/or guidance issued by the IRS that could affect the character, timing and/or amount of the Funds taxable income or any gains and distributions made by the Fund.
Derivatives Risk.
The use of derivatives can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the asset, index, rate or instrument underlying a derivative, due to failure of a counterparty or due to tax or regulatory constraints. Derivatives may create economic leverage in the Fund, which magnifies the Funds exposure to the underlying investment. Derivatives risk may be more significant when derivatives are used to enhance return or as a substitute for a cash investment position, rather than solely to hedge the risk of a position held by the Fund.
A decision as to whether, when and how to
use
derivatives involves the exercise of specialized skill and judgment, and a transaction may be unsuccessful in whole or in part because of market behavior or unexpected events. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index
.
Derivative instruments traded in over-the-counter markets may be difficult to value, may be illiquid, and may be subject to wide swings in valuation caused by changes in the value of the underlying instrument. If a derivatives counterparty is unable to honor its commitments, the value of Fund shares may decline and the Fund could experience delays in the return of collateral or other assets held by the counterparty. The loss on derivative transactions may substantially exceed the initial investment
, particularly when there is no stated limit on the Funds use of derivatives.
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Correlation Risk. Changes in the value of a hedging instrument may not match those of the investment being hedged. Commodity-linked structured notes may be structured in a way that results in the Funds performance significantly diverging from a particular index.
Market Risk.
Economic and other events (whether real or perceived) can reduce the demand for investments held by the Fund, which may reduce their market prices and cause the value of Fund shares to fall. The frequency and magnitude of such changes cannot be predicted. Certain securities and other investments held by the Fund can experience downturns in trading activity and, at such times, the supply of such instruments in the market may exceed the demand. At other times, the demand for such instruments may exceed the supply in the market. An imbalance in supply and demand in the market may result in valuation uncertainties and greater price volatility, less liquidity, wider trading spreads and a lack of price transparency in the market. No active trading market may exist for certain investments, which may impair the ability of the Fund to sell or to realize the full value of such investments in the event of the need to liquidate such assets. Adverse market conditions may impair the liquidity of some actively traded investments. Fixed
-
income markets have recently experienced a period of relatively high volatility. As a result of the Federal Reserves action to end its quantitative easing stimulus program as well as the possibility that it may unwind the program and
its recent decision
to raise
the target fed funds rate
, fixed
-
income markets could experience continuing high volatility, which could negatively impact the Funds performance.
Interest Rate Risk. In general, the value of income securities will fluctuate based on changes in interest rates. The value of these securities is likely to increase when interest rates fall and decline when interest rates rise. Generally, securities with longer durations are more sensitive to changes in interest rates than shorter duration securities. In a rising interest rate environment, the duration of income securities that have the ability to be prepaid or called by the issuer may be extended. In a declining interest rate environment, the proceeds from prepaid or maturing instruments may have to be reinvested at a lower interest rate.
Sector Risk. Because the Fund may have significant investments in a particular sector of the commodities markets (such as agricultural, energy and natural resources, livestock, precious metals, industrial metals and others), the value of Fund shares may be affected by events that adversely affect that sector and may fluctuate more than that of a fund that invests more broadly.
Risk of Leveraged Transactions. Certain Fund transactions may give rise to leverage. Such transactions may include, among others, certain derivative transactions. The Fund is required to segregate liquid assets or otherwise cover the Funds obligation created by a transaction that may give rise to leverage. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet segregation requirements. Leverage may cause the Funds share price to be more volatile than if it had not been leveraged, as certain types of leverage may exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Funds portfolio securities. The loss on leveraged investments may substantially exceed the initial investment.
Rules-Based Management Risks.
The sub-adviser uses proprietary investment techniques and analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, seeking to achieve its investment objective while minimizing exposure to
stock-specific
risk. The strategy seeks to take advantage of certain quantitative and behavioral market characteristics identified by the sub-adviser, utilizing a rules-based commodity weighting process and a disciplined rebalancing model. The Funds strategy has not been independently tested or validated, and there can be no assurance that it will achieve the desired results.
General Fund Investing Risks. The Fund is not a complete investment program and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. It is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund is designed to be a long-term investment vehicle and is not suited for short-term trading. Investors in the Fund should have a long-term investment perspective and be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, entity or person.
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Performance
The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Funds performance from year to year and how the Funds average annual returns over time compare with those of a broad-based securities market index. The returns in the bar chart are for Investor Class shares. Past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. The Funds performance reflects the effects of expense reductions. Absent these reductions, performance would have been lower. Updated Fund performance information can be obtained by visiting www.eatonvance.com.
During the period from December 31, 2011 to December 31,
2015
, the highest quarterly total return for Investor Class was 10.80% for the quarter ended September 30, 2012, and the lowest quarterly return was
-12.10
% for the quarter ended
September 30, 2015
.
Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2015 |
One Year |
Life of Fund |
Investor Class Return Before Taxes |
-22.36% |
-13.24% |
Investor Class Return After Taxes on Distributions |
-22.36% |
-13.33% |
Investor Class Return After Taxes on Distributions and the Sale of Investor Class Shares |
-12.66% |
-9.25% |
Institutional Class Return Before Taxes |
-22.22% |
-13.06% |
Bloomberg Commodity Index Total Return (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
-24.66% |
-14.70% |
Institutional Class commenced operations on May 25, 2011. The Investor Class performance shown above for the period prior to January 3, 2012 (commencement of operations) is the performance of Institutional Class shares at net asset value without adjustment for any differences in expenses of the two classes. If adjusted for such differences, returns would be different. Investors cannot invest directly in an Index.
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. After-tax returns for other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Investor Class shares. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the Sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
Management
Investment Adviser. Eaton Vance Management (Eaton Vance).
Investment Sub-Adviser. Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC (Parametric).
Portfolio Managers
Timothy W. Atwill, Head of Investment Strategy at Parametrics Seattle Investment Center, has managed the Fund since May 2014.
Thomas C. Seto, Head of Investment Management at Parametrics Seattle Investment Center, has managed the Fund since its inception in May 2011.
For important information about purchase and sale of shares, taxes and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to Important Information Regarding Fund Shares on page 12 of this Prospectus.
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Important Information Regarding Fund Shares
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase, redeem or exchange Fund shares on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. You may purchase, redeem or exchange Fund shares either through your financial intermediary or directly from
a
Fund either by writing to the Fund, P.O. Box 9653, Providence, RI 02940-9653, or by calling 1-800-260-0761. The minimum initial purchase or exchange into a Fund is $1,000 for Investor Class and $50,000 for Institutional Class (waived in certain circumstances). There is no minimum for subsequent investments.
Each Funds distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income and/or capital gains, unless you are exempt from taxation.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase
a Funds
shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (collectively, financial intermediaries),
the
Fund, its principal underwriter and its affiliates may pay the financial intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend a Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediarys website for more information.
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Investment Objective & Principal Policies and Risks
A statement of the investment objective and principal investment policies and risks of
each
Fund is set forth above in Fund Summaries. Set forth below is additional information about such policies and risks
, as well as
other types of investments and practices that the Fund may engage in from time to time
. References to the Fund below are to each Fund, as applicable
.
Option Strategy for Parametric Absolute Return Fund. The Fund seeks total return by writing a series of call and put option spread combinations on the S&P 500 Composite Stock Price Index (S&P 500 Index) and/or a proxy for the S&P 500 Index (such as SPDR Trust Series I units (SPDRs)). The Fund generally sells call spreads and put spreads that are out of the money. That is, the exercise price of the call options sold generally will be above the current level of the index when written and the exercise price of the call options bought will be above the exercise price of the call options sold. The exercise price of put options sold generally will be below the current level of the index when written and the exercise price of the put options bought will be below the exercise price of put options sold. The Fund seeks to take advantage of, and its effectiveness is dependent on, a general excess of option price-implied volatilities for S&P 500 Index options over realized index volatilities. This market observation is often attributed to an excess of natural buyers over natural sellers of S&P 500 Index options.
The call and put spreads employed by the Fund reference the performance of the S&P 500 Index, a broad-based U.S. stock market index. Net premiums earned and the structure of the Funds options positions will be determined by market volatility levels and other options valuation factors reflected in the market pricing of S&P 500 Index options at the time the positions are entered into. Returns realized by call and put spread positions over each roll cycle will be determined by the performance of the S&P 500 Index over such period. If the S&P 500 Index appreciates or depreciates sufficiently over the period to offset the net premium received, a net loss will result. The amount of potential loss in the event of a sharp market movement is subject to a cap defined by the difference in strike prices between written and purchased call and put options, and the notional value of the positions.
Amounts by which written call options and put options are out-of-the-money may differ over time, as may the width (i.e., the difference between exercise prices of the written and purchased option components of each spread) and notional value of the call option and put option spread positions. The Fund seeks to maintain over time a substantially consistent delta, or equity market exposure, in the call options and put options it writes. Call and put options will generally be written more out-of-the-money during periods in which option valuations reflect higher market volatility levels, and less out-of-the-money when implied volatilities are lower.
The maximum loss potential on written S&P 500 Index call and put spread combinations such as the Fund intends to employ is equal to the maximum net settlement proceeds payable on the written call or put spread (but never both), less the amount of net premium received, and is realized if the S&P 500 Index price level is at or above the exercise price of the purchased call option (loss on call spread) or at or below the exercise price of the purchased put option (loss on put spread) at expiration.
In its option program, the Fund generally intends to utilize FLexible EXchange® Options (FLEX Options), which are customized option contracts available through the Chicago Board Options Exchange that are guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC), a market clearinghouse. FLEX Options provide investors with the ability to customize exercise prices and expiration dates, while achieving price discovery in competitive, transparent auctions markets and avoiding the counterparty exposure of over-the-counter options positions.
Options on broad-based equity indices that trade on a national securities exchange registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or a domestic board of trade designated as a contract market by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission generally qualify for treatment as section 1256 contracts as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code). Under the Code, capital gains and losses on section 1256 contracts are generally recognized annually based on a marking-to-market of open positions at tax year-end, with gains or losses treated as 60% long-term and 40% short-term, regardless of holding period.
In addition to S&P 500 Index options, the Fund may utilize options based on SPDRs and/or another proxy for the S&P 500 Index. SPDRs represent share interests in an exchange-traded fund that seeks to replicate the performance of the S&P 500 Index. The value of SPDRs is subject to change as the values of the component securities fluctuate. SPDRs may not exactly match the performance of the S&P 500 Index due to cash balances, differences in securities weightings, expenses and other factors. SPDR options do not qualify as section 1256 contracts and disposition of any SPDR options will likely result in short-term or long-term capital gains or losses depending on the holding period. SPDRs reflect the underlying risks of the S&P 500 Index and SPDR options are subject to the risks of S&P 500 Index options.
An index call option is a contract that entitles the purchaser to receive from the seller a cash payment equal to the amount of any appreciation in the value of the reference index over a fixed price (the strike price of the call option) as of the valuation date of the option. Upon entering into the position, a premium is paid by the purchaser to the seller. When an index call option is exercised, the seller is required to deliver an amount of cash determined by the excess, if any, of the value of the index at contract termination over the strike price of the option. A call option on an individual security, such as a SPDR, is a contract that
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
entitles the purchaser to buy the security at a fixed price (the strike price of the call option) on or before the valuation date of the option in exchange for the payment of an up front premium by the purchaser to the seller. When an individual call option is exercised, the seller is required to deliver the underlying security. If the option seller does not own the underlying security it may be required to purchase the security to meet the delivery requirements of the contract.
An index put option is a contract that entitles the purchaser to receive from the seller a cash payment equal to the amount of any depreciation in the value of the reference index below a fixed price (the strike price of the call option) as of the valuation date of the option. Upon entering into the position, a premium is paid by the purchaser to the seller. When an index put option is exercised, the seller is required to deliver an amount of cash determined by the shortfall, if any, of the value of the index at contract termination below the strike price of the option. A put option on an individual security, such as a SPDR, is a contract that entitles the purchaser to sell the security at a fixed price (the strike price of the put option) on or before the valuation date of the option in exchange for the payment of an up front premium by the purchaser to the seller. When an individual put option is exercised, the seller is required to purchase the underlying security.
The net premium received by a seller of call and put spreads equals the total premiums received on the calls and puts written less the total premiums paid with respect to the calls and puts that are purchased. Because the exercise price of the purchased call and put positions will always be more out-of-the-money than the associated written puts and calls, the net premiums received by the Fund on sales of call and put spreads will be consistently positive.
Amounts payable at settlement by a seller of index call and put spreads will equal the total payments made with respect to written calls and puts less the total payments received with respect to purchased calls and puts. If written calls and puts expire worthless, the Fund will neither pay nor receive settlement proceeds. If written calls or puts expire in-the-money, the Fund will be required to pay net proceeds at settlement equal to the difference between the amounts payable on written calls and amounts receivable, if any, on the associated purchased calls and puts. If purchased calls or puts expire in-the-money, the net amount payable by the Fund will be capped at an amount defined by the difference in exercise price of the written and purchased options positions.
The Fund will sell only covered call and put options. A written call option is considered covered if the Fund maintains with its custodian assets determined to be liquid in an amount at least equal to the exercise price of the option (or, in the case of options on SPDRs, owns an equivalent number of SPDRs as those subject to the call). A written call option is also considered covered if the Fund holds a call on the associated index or instrument where the exercise price of the call held is (i) equal to or less than the exercise price of the call written, or (ii) greater than the exercise price of the call written, provided the difference is maintained by the Fund in segregated assets determined to be liquid (or, in the case of options on SPDRs, owns a number of SPDRs equivalent to the difference). In the case of call spread transactions, the Fund will generally cover the written call options by purchasing corresponding calls with a higher exercise price and maintaining with its custodian the difference in segregated liquid assets.
A written put option similarly is considered covered if the Fund maintains with its custodian assets determined to be liquid in an amount at least equal to the exercise price of the option. A written put option is also considered covered if the Fund holds a put on the associated index or instrument where the exercise price of the put held is (i) equal to or greater than the exercise price of the put written, or (ii) less than the exercise price of the put written, provided the difference is maintained by the Fund in segregated assets determined to be liquid. In the case of put spread transactions, the Fund will generally cover the written puts by purchasing corresponding puts with a lower exercise price and maintaining with its custodian the difference in segregated liquid assets.
Options positions are marked to market daily. The value of options is affected by changes in the value and dividend rates of the securities represented in the S&P 500 Index, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived volatility of the index and the remaining time to the options expiration, as well as trading conditions in the options market.
In certain market circumstances, for temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may forego implementing its option strategy.
U.S. Government Securities. U.S. Government securities include U.S. Treasury obligations, which differ in their interest rates, maturities and times of issuance, and obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities (agency obligations). Agency obligations may be guaranteed by the U.S. Government or they may be backed by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase the obligations, or the credit of the agency or instrumentality. U.S. Government securities also include any other security or agreement collateralized or otherwise secured by U.S. Government securities. As a result of their high credit quality and market liquidity, U.S. Government securities generally provide a lower current return than obligations of other issuers.
Maturity. Average effective maturity is a weighted average of all the maturities of the income securities investments in the portfolio, computed by weighing each effective maturity date (which takes into account all mortgage prepayments, puts, calls and adjustable coupons) by the market value of the security.
Credit Quality.
Rating agencies are private services that provide ratings of the credit quality of certain
loans and other
income securities. In evaluating creditworthiness, the investment adviser considers ratings assigned by rating agencies and generally performs additional credit and investment analysis. Credit ratings issued by rating agencies are based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, the issuers financial condition and the rating agencys credit analysis, if applicable, at the time of
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14
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
rating. The ratings assigned are not absolute standards of credit quality and do not evaluate market risks or necessarily reflect the issuers current financial condition. An issuers current financial condition may be better or worse than the current rating indicates. A credit rating may have a modifier (such as plus, minus or a numerical modifier) to denote its relative status within the rating. The presence of a modifier does not change the security credit rating (for example, BBB- and Baa3 are within the investment grade rating) for purposes of the Funds investment limitations. If a security is rated differently by two or more rating agencies, the highest rating will be used for any Fund rating restrictions.
Repurchase Agreements. A repurchase agreement is the purchase by the Fund of securities from a counterparty in exchange for cash that is coupled with an agreement to resell those securities to the counterparty at a specified date and price. Repurchase agreements that mature in more than seven days will be treated as illiquid. When a repurchase agreement is entered into, the Fund typically receives securities with a value that equals or exceeds the repurchase price, including any accrued interest earned on the agreement. The value of such securities will be marked to market daily, and cash or additional securities will be exchanged between the parties as needed. Except in the case of a repurchase agreement entered into to settle a short sale, the value of the securities delivered to the Fund will be at least equal to 90% of such repurchase price during the term of the repurchase agreement. The terms of a repurchase agreement entered into to settle a short sale may provide that the cash purchase price paid by the Fund is more than the value of purchased securities that effectively collateralize the repurchase price payable by the counterparty. Since in such a transaction the Fund normally will have used the purchased securities to settle the short sale, the Fund will segregate liquid assets equal to the marked to market value of the purchased securities that it is obligated to return to the counterparty under the repurchase agreement.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements. Under a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund 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 Fund agrees to repurchase the instrument at an agreed upon time (normally within seven days) and price, which reflects an interest payment. The Fund may enter into such agreements when it believes it is able to invest the cash acquired at a rate higher than the cost of the agreement, which would increase earned income. The Fund could also enter into reverse repurchase agreements as a means of raising cash to satisfy redemption requests without the necessity of selling portfolio assets.
Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS). MBS represent participation interests in pools of adjustable and fixed-rate mortgage loans. MBS may be issued by the U.S. Government (or one of its agencies or instrumentalities) or privately issued but collateralized by mortgages that are insured, guaranteed or otherwise backed by the U.S. Government, or its agencies or instrumentalities. Adjustable rate mortgages are mortgages whose interest rates are periodically reset when market rates change. Unlike conventional debt obligations, MBS provide monthly payments derived from the monthly interest and principal payments (including any prepayments) made by the individual borrowers on the pooled mortgage loans. MBS that include loans that have had a history of refinancing opportunities are referred to as seasoned MBS. MBS that are not seasoned MBS are referred to as generic MBS. Seasoned MBS tend to have a higher collateral to debt ratio than other MBS because a greater percentage of the underlying debt has been repaid and the collateral property may have appreciated in value. MBS may be premium bonds acquired at prices that exceed their par or principal value.
The mortgage loans underlying MBS are generally subject to a greater rate of principal prepayments in a declining interest rate environment and to a lesser rate of principal prepayments in an increasing interest rate environment, although investment in seasoned MBS can mitigate this risk. Under certain interest and prepayment rate scenarios, the Fund may fail to recover the full amount of its investment in MBS, notwithstanding any direct or indirect governmental or agency guarantee. Moreover, if the Fund invests in interest only stripped MBS, it may fail to recoup its initial investment if the underlying mortgages experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal. Because faster than expected prepayments must usually be invested in lower yielding securities, MBS are less effective than conventional bonds in locking in a specified interest rate. For premium bonds, prepayment risk may be enhanced. In a rising interest rate environment, a declining prepayment rate will extend the average life of many MBS. This possibility is often referred to as extension risk. Extending the average life of a mortgage-backed security increases the risk of depreciation due to future increases in market interest rates. MBS that are purchased at a premium generate current income that exceeds market rates for comparable investments, but tend to decrease in value as they mature. MBS include classes of collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), including fixed- or floating-rate tranches, and various other MBS. In choosing among CMO classes, the investment adviser will evaluate the total income potential of each class and other factors. CMOs are subject to the same types of risks affecting MBS as described above. Mortgage dollar rolls involve the Fund selling MBS for delivery in the current month with a simultaneous contract entered to repurchase substantially similar (same type, coupon and maturity) securities on a specified future date (a mortgage roll). During the roll period, the Fund
forgoes
principal and interest paid on the MBS.
Asset-Backed Securities. Asset-backed securities represent interests in a pool of assets, such as home equity loans, commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS), automobile receivables or credit card receivables. Unscheduled prepayments of asset-backed securities may result in a loss of income if the proceeds are invested in lower-yielding securities. In addition, issuers of asset-backed securities may have limited ability to enforce the security interest in the underlying assets, and credit enhancements (if any) may be inadequate in the event of default. Asset-backed securities may experience losses on the underlying assets as a result of certain rights provided to consumer debtors under federal and state law. The value of asset-backed securities may be affected by the factors described above and other factors, such as the availability of information concerning the pool and its
Parametric Funds
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
structure, the creditworthiness of the servicing agent for the pool, the originator of the underlying assets or the entities providing credit enhancements and the ability of the servicer to service the underlying collateral. The value of asset-backed securities representing interests in a pool of utilities receivables may be adversely affected by changes in government regulations. Under certain market conditions, asset-backed securities may be less liquid and may be difficult to value.
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities. CMBS include securities that reflect an interest in, and are secured by, mortgage loans on commercial real property. CMBS are subject to the risks described under Asset-Backed Securities above. CMBS also are subject to many of the risks of investing in the real estate securing the underlying mortgage loans. These risks reflect the effects of local and other economic conditions on real estate markets, the ability of tenants to make loan payments, and the ability of a property to attract and retain tenants. CMBS may be less liquid and exhibit a greater price volatility than other types of mortgage- or asset-backed securities. The Fund's direct and indirect investments in CMBS will not exceed 25% of its net assets. For the purposes of the Fund's industry concentration policy, CMBS will be categorized based on the underlying assets of the CMBS (retail, office, warehouse, multifamily, defeased collateral, etc.).
The commercial mortgage loans that underlie CMBS have certain distinct risk characteristics. Commercial mortgage loans generally lack standardized terms, which may complicate their structure, tend to have shorter maturities than residential mortgage loans and may not be fully amortizing. Commercial properties themselves tend to be unique and are more difficult to value than single-family residential properties. In addition, commercial properties, particularly industrial and warehouse properties, are subject to environmental risks and the burdens and costs of compliance with environmental laws and regulations.
Foreign Investments. Investments in foreign issuers could be affected by factors not present in the United States, including expropriation, armed conflict, confiscatory taxation, lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards, less publicly available financial and other information, and potential difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations. Because foreign issuers may not be subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standard practices and requirements and regulatory measures comparable to those in the United States, there may be less publicly available information about such foreign issuers. Settlements of securities transactions in foreign countries are subject to risk of loss, may be delayed and are generally less frequent than in the United States, which could affect the liquidity of the Funds assets.
Foreign issuers may become subject to sanctions imposed by the United States or another country, which could result in the immediate freeze of the foreign issuers assets or securities. The imposition of such sanctions could impair the market value of the securities of such foreign issuers and limit the Funds ability to buy, sell, receive or deliver the securities.
The foregoing risks of foreign investing can be more significant in emerging markets. Emerging markets may offer higher potential for gains and losses than investments in the developed markets of the world. Political and economic structures in emerging market countries generally lack the social, political and economic stability of developed countries, which may affect the value of the Funds investments in these countries and also the ability of the Fund to access markets in such countries. Governmental actions can have a significant effect on the economic conditions in emerging market countries, which also may adversely affect the value and liquidity of the Funds investments. The laws of emerging market countries relating to the limited liability of corporate shareholders, fiduciary duties of officers and directors, and bankruptcy of state enterprises are generally less
developed than or different from such laws in the United States. It may be more difficult to obtain a judgment in the courts of these countries than it is in the United States. Disruptions due to work stoppages and trading improprieties in foreign securities markets have caused such markets to close. If extended closings were to occur in stock markets where the Fund is heavily invested, the Funds ability to redeem Fund shares could become impaired. In such circumstances, the Fund may have to sell more liquid securities than it would otherwise choose to sell. Emerging market securities are also subject to speculative trading, which contributes to their volatility.
When-issued Securities. The Fund may purchase securities 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 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 by the Fund for the purpose of investment leverage.
Subsidiary Investments. The Commodity Strategy Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in the Subsidiary, which is permitted to invest in commodity-related investments as well as the securities and other instruments in which the Fund is permitted to invest. The Subsidiary is not subject to U.S. laws, including securities laws and their protections. The Subsidiary is subject to the laws of the Cayman Islands, which can be affected by developments in that country. The Subsidiary is operated in accordance with the 1940 Act investment restrictions that apply to the Fund, but is not subject to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. Because the Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act, it may not be able to negotiate terms with its
Parametric Funds
16
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
derivative counterparties that are equivalent to those a registered fund may negotiate. As a result, the Subsidiary may have greater exposure to those counterparties than a registered fund. For tax purposes, all income or net capital gain allocated to the Fund from the Subsidiary would be treated as ordinary income to the Fund.
Commodities-Related Investments. Commodity-related investments include, but are not limited to, commodities contracts, commodity futures or options thereon (investments in contracts for the future purchase or sale of commodities); commodity exchange-traded funds (exchange-traded funds that track the price of a single commodity, such as gold or oil, or a basket of commodities); commodity exchange traded notes (non-interest paying debt instruments whose price fluctuates (by contractual commitment) with an underlying commodities index); total return swaps based on a commodity index (permitting one party to receive/pay the total return on a commodity index against payment/receipt of an agreed upon spread/interest rate); commodity-linked notes (providing a return based on a formula referenced to a commodity index); sovereign issued oil warrants (a sovereign obligation the coupon on which is contingent on the price of oil); precious metals; and any other commodities-related investment permitted by law. Commodities-related investments may be used to gain exposure to a particular type of commodity, basket of commodities, commodity market or commodity index, or to hedge such exposures or a position in a commodity producing country. In order to comply with the Code, the Fund expects to utilize the Subsidiary to gain exposure to commodity-related investments, but also may do so to invest in securities and other instruments in which the Fund is permitted to invest. (see Subsidiary Investments). As described under Tax Risk in the Fund Summary, the Fund relies on an opinion of counsel with respect to the tax treatment of an investment in the Subsidiary and certain commodity-linked notes.
Income Instruments.
Income instruments include all types of fixed and floating-rate bonds and notes, such as convertible securities
and other hybrid securities (other than preferred stock);
corporate commercial paper; mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities; inflation-indexed bonds issued by both governments and corporations; structured notes, including
indexed securities; loans; loan participations and assignments; delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities;
and bank certificates of deposit, fixed time deposits, bank deposits (or investments structured to provide the same type of exposure) and bankers acceptances of foreign and domestic banks and other debt instruments. Income instruments are issued by: foreign governments or their subdivisions, agencies and government-sponsored enterprises; international agencies or supranational entities; the U.S. Government, its agencies or government-sponsored enterprises (or guaranteed thereby); central or quasi-sovereign banks and U.S. and foreign corporations. Income instruments include deep discount bonds, such as zero coupon bonds, deferred interest bonds, bonds or securities on which the interest is payable in-kind (PIK securities), which are debt obligations that are issued at a significant discount from face value, and securities purchased on a forward commitment or when-issued basis. While zero coupon bonds do not make periodic payments of interest, deferred interest bonds provide for a period of delay before the regular payment of interest begins. PIK securities provide that the issuer thereof may, at its option, pay interest in cash or in the form of additional securities.
Derivatives.
The Fund may enter into derivatives transactions with respect to any security or other instrument in which it is permitted to invest or any related security, instrument, index or economic indicator (reference instruments). Derivatives are financial instruments the value of which is derived from
an
underlying reference instrument. Derivatives transactions can involve substantial risk. Derivatives typically allow the Fund to increase or decrease the level of risk to which the Fund is exposed more quickly and efficiently than transactions in other types of instruments. The Fund incurs costs in connection with opening and closing derivatives positions. The Fund may engage in the derivative transactions set forth below, as well as in other derivative transactions with substantially similar characteristics and risks.
Certain derivative transactions may give rise to a form of leverage. The Fund is required to segregate or earmark liquid assets or otherwise cover the Funds obligation created by a transaction that may give rise to leverage. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet segregation requirements. Leverage may cause the Funds share price to be more volatile than if it had not been leveraged, as certain types of leverage may exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Funds portfolio securities. The loss on leverage transactions may substantially exceed the initial investment.
Commodity-Linked Notes. Leveraged or unleveraged commodity-linked notes are derivative debt instruments with principal and/or coupon payments linked to the performance of commodity indices. The Fund may also invest in commodity-linked notes with principal and/or coupon payments linked to the value of particular commodities or commodity futures contracts, or a subset of commodities and commodities futures contracts. These notes are sometimes referred to as structured notes because the terms of these notes may be structured by the issuer and the purchaser of the note. The value of these notes will rise or fall in response to changes in the underlying commodity, commodity futures contract, subset of commodities, subset of commodities futures contracts or commodity index.
These notes expose the Fund economically to movements in commodity prices. These notes also are subject to risks, such as counterparty, credit, market and interest rate risks. In addition, these notes are often leveraged, increasing the volatility of each notes market value relative to changes in the underlying commodity, commodity futures contract or commodity index. Therefore, at the maturity of the note, the Fund may receive more or less principal than it originally invested. The Fund might receive interest payments on the note that are more or less than the stated coupon interest payments.
Parametric Funds
17
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Options on Securities, Indices and Currencies. The Fund may engage in transactions in exchange-traded and over-the-counter (OTC) options. There are several risks associated with transactions in options , such as imperfect correlation, counterparty risk and an insufficient liquid secondary market for particular options. By buying a put option, the Fund acquires a right to sell the underlying instrument at the exercise price, thus limiting the Fund's risk of loss through a decline in the market value of the instrument until the put option expires. The Fund will pay a premium to the seller of the option for the right to receive payments of cash to the extent that the value of the applicable instrument declines below the exercise price as of the option valuation date. If the price of the instrument is above the exercise price of the option as of the option valuation date, the option expires worthless and the Fund will not be able to recover the option premium paid to the seller. The Fund may purchase uncovered put options. The Fund also has authority to write (i.e., sell) put options. The Fund will receive a premium for writing a put option, which increases the Fund's return. In writing a put option, the Fund has the obligation to buy the underlying instrument at an agreed upon price if the price of such instrument decreases below the exercise price. If the value of the instrument on the option expiration date is above the exercise price, the option will generally expire worthless and the Fund, as option seller, will have no obligation to the option holder.
A purchased call option gives the Fund the right to buy, and obligates the seller to sell, the underlying instrument at the exercise price at any time during the option period. The Fund also is authorized to write (i.e., sell) call options on instruments in which it may invest and to enter into closing purchase transactions with respect to such options. A covered call option is an option in which the Fund, in return for a premium, gives another party a right to buy specified instruments owned by the Fund at a specified future date and price set at the time of the contract. The Fund's ability to sell the instrument underlying a call option may be limited while the option is in effect unless the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction. Uncovered call options have speculative characteristics and are riskier than covered call options because there is no underlying instrument held by the Fund that can act as a partial hedge. As the writer of a covered call option or an index call option, the Fund forgoes, during the options life, the opportunity to profit from increases in the market value of the security or the index covering the call option above the sum of the option premium received and the exercise price of the call, but has retained the risk of loss, minus the option premium received, should the price of the underlying security or index decline.
OTC options involve risk that the issuer or counterparty will fail to perform its contractual obligations. Participants in these markets are typically not subject to the same credit evaluation and regulatory oversight as are members of exchange-based markets. By engaging in option transactions in these markets, the Fund may take a credit risk with regard to parties with which it trades and also may bear the risk of settlement default.
Futures Contracts. The Fund may engage in transactions in futures contracts and options on futures contracts. Futures are standardized, exchange-traded contracts that obligate a purchaser to take delivery, and a seller to make delivery, of a specific amount of an asset at a specified future date at a specified price. The Fund also is authorized to purchase or sell call and put options on futures contracts. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts and options are imperfect correlation, liquidity, unanticipated market movement and counterparty risk.
Interest Rate Swaps. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, e.g., an exchange of fixed rate payments for floating rate payments. Interest rate swaps involve counterparty risk and the risk of imperfect correlation.
Credit Default Swaps. Credit default swap agreements (CDS) enable the Fund to buy or sell credit protection on an individual issuer or basket of issuers (i.e., the reference instrument). The Fund may enter into CDS to gain or short exposure to a reference instrument. Long CDS positions are utilized to gain exposure to a reference instrument (similar to buying the instrument) and are akin to selling insurance on the instrument. Short CDS positions are utilized to short exposure to a reference instrument (similar to shorting the instrument) and are akin to buying insurance on the instrument. In response to market events, federal and certain state regulators have proposed regulation of the CDS market. These regulations may limit the Funds ability to use CDS and/or the benefits of CDS. CDS involve risks, including the risk that the counterparty may be unable to fulfill the transaction or that the Fund may be required to purchase securities or other instruments to meet delivery obligations. The Fund may have difficulty, be unable or may incur additional costs to acquire such securities or instruments.
Inflation Swaps. Inflation swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, e.g. , an exchange of fixed rate payments for floating rate payments or an exchange of floating rate payments based on two different reference indices. By design, one of the reference indices is an inflation index, such as the Consumer Price Index. Inflation swaps can be designated as zero coupon, where both sides of the swap compound interest over the life of the swap and then the accrued interest is paid out only at the swaps maturity.
Total Return Swaps. In a total return swap, the buyer receives a periodic return equal to the total return of a specified security, securities or index, for a specified period of time. In return, the buyer pays the counterparty a variable stream of payments, typically based upon short term interest rates, possibly plus or minus an agreed upon spread. These transactions involve risks, including counterparty risk.
Parametric Funds
18
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Counterparty Risk. A financial institution or other counterparty with whom the Fund or Subsidiary (collectively referred to as Fund) does business (such as trading or securities lending), or that underwrites, distributes or guarantees any investments or contracts that the Fund owns or is otherwise exposed to, may decline in financial condition and become unable to honor its commitments. This could cause the value of Fund shares to decline or could delay the return or delivery of collateral or other assets to the Fund. To limit the counterparty risk involved in swap agreements, the Fund will only enter into swap agreements with counterparties that meet certain standards of creditworthiness. Although there can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to do so, the Fund may be able to reduce or eliminate its exposure under a swap agreement either by assignment or other disposition, or by entering into an offsetting swap agreement with the same party or another creditworthy party. The Fund may have limited ability to eliminate its exposure under a credit default swap if the credit of the referenced entity or underlying asset has declined.
Forward Commitments. Fixed-income 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 such a transaction, the Fund is securing 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.
Pooled Investment Vehicles.
The Fund may invest in pooled investment vehicles
. Pooled investment vehicles are
open- and closed-end investment companies
unaffiliated with the investment adviser,
open-end investment companies affiliated with the investment adviser
and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The market for common shares of closed-end investment companies and ETFs, which are generally traded on an exchange, is affected by the demand for those securities, regardless of the value of the funds underlying portfolio assets. The Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees and expenses paid by unaffiliated and certain affiliated pooled investment vehicles in which it invests, except that management fees of affiliated funds may be waived. If such fees exceed 0.01%, the costs associated with such investments will be reflected in Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table(s) in Fund Summaries. Requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940
, as amended
(the 1940 Act
),
may limit the Funds ability to invest in other investment companies including ETFs, unless the investment company has received an exemptive order from the
SEC
on which the Fund may rely
.
Cash and Cash Equivalents. The Fund may invest in cash or cash equivalents, including high quality short-term instruments or an affiliated investment company that invests in such instruments.
Borrowing.
The Fund is permitted to borrow for temporary purposes (such as to satisfy redemption requests, to remain fully invested in anticipation of expected cash inflows and to settle transactions). Any borrowings by the Fund are subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act. Borrowings are also subject to the terms of any credit agreement between the Fund and lender(s). The Fund will be required to maintain a specified level of asset coverage with respect to all borrowings and may be required to sell some of its holdings to reduce debt and restore coverage at times when it may not be advantageous to do so. The rights of the lender to receive payments of interest and repayments of principal of any borrowings made by the Fund under a credit facility are senior to the rights of holders of shares
with respect to the payment of dividends or upon liquidation. In the event of a default under a credit arrangement, the lenders may have the right to cause a liquidation of the collateral (i.e., sell Fund assets) and, if any such default is not cured, the lenders may be able to control the liquidation as well. Fund borrowings may be equal to as much as 33
1
/
3
% of the value of the Funds total assets (including such borrowings) less the Funds liabilities (other than borrowings). The Fund will not purchase additional investment securities while outstanding borrowings exceed 5% of the value of its total assets.
Illiquid Securities. The Fund may not invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, which may be difficult to value properly and may involve greater risks than liquid securities. Illiquid securities include those legally restricted as to resale (such as those issued in private placements), and may include commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A thereunder. Certain Section 4(a)(2) and Rule 144A securities may be treated as liquid securities if the investment adviser determines that such treatment is warranted. Even if determined to be liquid, holdings of these securities may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers become uninterested in purchasing them.
Converting to Master-Feeder Structure
.
The Funds
may invest all of
their
investable assets in an open-end management investment company (
“
master fund
”
) with substantially the same investment objective, policies and restrictions as the Fund. Any such master fund would be advised by the Fund
’
s investment adviser (or an affiliate) and the Fund would not pay directly any advisory fee with respect to the assets so invested. The Fund may initiate investments in a master fund at any time without shareholder approval.
Parametric Funds
19
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
General. Unless otherwise stated, the Fund's investment objective and certain other policies may be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders will receive 60 days' advance written notice of any material change in the investment objective. During unusual market conditions, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash or cash equivalents temporarily, which may be inconsistent with its investment objective(s) and other policies. The Fund might not use all of the strategies and techniques or invest in all of the types of securities described in this Prospectus or the Statement of Additional Information. While at times the Fund may use alternative investment strategies in an effort to limit its losses, it may choose not to do so. In determining compliance with the requirement that the Commodity Strategy Fund invest primarily in commodity-linked derivative instruments backed by a portfolio of long and short positions in fixed income securities, the net notional value of long and short derivative positions is included.
The Funds annual operating expenses are expressed as a percentage of the Funds average daily net assets and may change as Fund assets increase and decrease over time. Purchase and redemption activities by Fund shareholders may impact the management of the Fund and its ability to achieve its investment objective. In addition, the redemption by one or more large shareholders or groups of shareholders of their holdings in the Fund could have an adverse impact on the remaining shareholders in the Fund. Mutual funds, investment advisers, other market participants and many securities markets are subject to rules and regulations and the jurisdiction of one or more regulators. Changes to applicable rules and regulations could have an adverse effect on securities markets and market participants, as well as on the Funds ability to execute its investment strategy. With the increased use of technologies by Fund service providers, such as the Internet , to conduct business, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks.
Management and Organization
Management. The investment adviser of each Fund is Eaton Vance Management (Eaton Vance), with offices at Two International Place, Boston, MA 02110. Eaton Vance has been managing assets since 1924 and managing mutual funds since 1931. Eaton Vance and its affiliates currently manage over $300 billion on behalf of mutual funds, institutional clients and individuals. Eaton Vance manages the investments of each Fund and provides administrative services and related office facilities.
Each Funds semiannual shareholder report covering the fiscal period ended June 30 provides information regarding the basis for the Trustees approval of each Funds investment advisory and administrative and sub-advisory agreements.
Parametric Absolute Return Fund. Under its investment advisory and administrative agreement with the Fund, Eaton Vance receives a monthly fee as follows:
Average Daily Net Assets |
Annual Fee Rate
|
up to $500 million |
1.10% |
$500 million but less than $1 billion |
1.05% |
$1 billion but less than $2.5 billion |
1.02% |
$2.5 billion but less than $5 billion |
0.99% |
$5 billion and over |
0.96% |
For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the effective annual rate of the advisory fee paid to Eaton Vance, based on average daily net assets of the Fund, was 1.10%.
Pursuant to an investment sub-advisory agreement, Eaton Vance has engaged PRA to serve as the Funds sub-adviser responsible for structuring and managing the option strategy. Eaton Vance pays PRA a portion of the advisory fee for sub-advisory services provided to the Fund. PRA is an affiliate of Parametric, a majority-owned subsidiary of Eaton Vance Corp. PRA (or its predecessor) has specialized in option strategies since it was formed in 2003. PRA is located at 518 Riverside Avenue, Westport, CT 06880.
Thomas H. Luster and Maria C. Cappellano are the portfolio managers responsible for the day-to-day management of the Funds income securities investments. Mr. Luster is a co-director of Eaton Vances diversified fixed income group and is a Vice President of Eaton Vance and has managed other Eaton Vance funds for over five years. Ms. Cappellano is a Vice President of Eaton Vance and has been a member of Eaton Vances diversified fixed income group for over five years. Jonathan Orseck and Kenneth Everding are the portfolio managers responsible for implementation of the Funds option strategy. Messrs. Orseck and Everding have each been Managing Directors of PRA (or its predecessor) for more than five years and manage other Eaton Vance investment portfolios.
Parametric Funds
20
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Parametric Commodity Strategy Fund. Under its investment advisory and administrative agreement with the Fund, Eaton Vance receives a monthly fee as follows:
Average Daily Net Assets |
Annual Fee Rate
|
up to $500 million |
0.600% |
$500 million but less than $1 billion |
0.575% |
$1 billion but less than $2.5 billion |
0.550% |
$2.5 billion but less than $5 billion |
0.530% |
$5 billion and over |
0.515% |
For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the effective annual rate of the advisory fee paid to Eaton Vance, based on average daily net assets of the Fund, was 0.60%.
Pursuant to a sub-advisory agreement, Eaton Vance has delegated the investment management of the Fund to Parametric, a majority-owned affiliate of Eaton Vance Corp., with offices at 1918 Eighth Avenue, Suite 3100, Seattle, WA 98101. Eaton Vance pays Parametric a portion of the advisory fee for sub-advisory services provided to the Fund.
The Fund is managed by a team of portfolio managers from Parametric, who are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Funds portfolio. The members of the team are Timothy
W.
Atwill
and
Thomas
C.
Seto
. Mr.
Seto
has
been portfolio managers of the Fund since May 25, 2011 (commencement of operations) and Mr. Atwill has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since May 1, 2014. Mr. Seto
has held the position of
Head of Investment Management at Parametrics Seattle Investment Center
since June 2014
and was previously Director of Portfolio Management at Parametric for more than five years.
He has
managed other Eaton Vance funds for more than five years. Mr. Atwill
has held the position of
Head of Investment Strategy at Parametrics Seattle Investment Center
since November 2014
and previously co-led the investment strategy team at Parametric since 2010.
The Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about each portfolio managers compensation, other accounts managed by each portfolio manager, and each portfolio managers ownership of Fund shares.
Eaton Vance provides sub-transfer agency and related services to Eaton Vance mutual funds pursuant to a Sub-Transfer Agency Support Services Agreement. For its services under the agreement, Eaton Vance receives an aggregate fee from such funds equal to the lesser of $2.5 million or its actual expenses incurred in performing such services.
Organization. Parametric Absolute Return Fund is a series of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust. Parametric Commodity Strategy Fund is a series of Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust. Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust and Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust are Massachusetts business trusts. Each Fund offers multiple classes of shares. Each Class represents a pro rata interest in a Fund but is subject to different expenses and rights. The Funds do not hold annual shareholder meetings but may hold special meetings for matters that require shareholder approval (such as electing or removing trustees, approving management or advisory contracts or changing investment policies that may only be changed with shareholder approval).
Because the Funds use this combined Prospectus, a Fund could be held liable for a misstatement or omission made about another Fund.
Valuing Shares
Each Fund values its shares once each day only when the New York Stock Exchange (the Exchange) is open for trading (typically Monday through Friday), as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. eastern time). The purchase price of Fund shares is their net asset value
(plus any applicable sales charge),
which is derived from the value of Fund holdings
, including the Funds interest in any Subsidiary (if applicable).
When purchasing or redeeming Fund shares through a financial intermediary, your financial intermediary must receive your order by the close of regular trading on the Exchange in order for the purchase price or the redemption price to be based on that days net asset value per share. It is the financial intermediarys responsibility to transmit orders promptly. Each Fund may accept purchase and redemption orders as of the time of their receipt by certain financial intermediaries (or their designated intermediaries).
The Trustees have adopted procedures for valuing investments and have delegated to the investment adviser
(s)
the daily valuation of such investments and the Subsidiary (as applicable) has also adopted such procedures. The investment adviser has delegated daily valuation of each Fund to the sub-adviser. Pursuant to the procedures, independent pricing services are used to value debt obligations at their market value. In determining market value, the pricing service considers various factors and market information. Exchange-listed securities and other instruments (including derivatives) normally are valued at
last sale or
closing
prices. Non-exchange traded derivatives are normally valued on the basis of quotes obtained from brokers and dealers or pricing services. Such values may be based on valuation models, information provided by market makers or estimates of market values obtained from yield or market data relating to investments or securities with similar characteristics. Shares of the Subsidiary will be valued at their net asset value. Exchange-traded options are valued on the valuation day at the mean of the bid and asked prices at valuation time as reported by the Options Price Reporting Authority for
Parametric Funds
21
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
U.S. listed options, or by the relevant Exchange or Board of Trade for non-U.S. listed options. Flexible exchange options traded at the Chicago Board Options Exchange and cleared by the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) are valued by a pricing vendor. When the Fund writes options, it records the premium received as an asset and the equivalent liability and thereafter adjusts the liability to the market value of the option determined in accordance with the preceding sentences. OTC options are valued at prices provided by a pricing vendor or if not priced by a pricing vendor at a price obtained from a broker (typically the counterparty to the
option
) on the valuation day. In certain situations, the investment
adviser(s) or sub-
adviser may use the fair value of a security if market prices are unavailable or deemed unreliable, or if events occur after the close of a securities market (usually a foreign market) and before portfolio assets are valued would materially affect net asset value. In addition, for foreign equity securities and futures contracts on foreign indices that meet certain criteria, the Trustees have approved the use of a fair value service that values such securities to reflect market trading that occurs after the close of the applicable foreign markets of comparable securities or other instruments that have a strong correlation to the fair valued securities. 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. Because foreign securities trade on days when Fund shares are not priced, the value of securities held by a Fund or Subsidiary (as applicable) can change on days when Fund shares cannot be redeemed
or purchased.
Eaton Vance has established a Valuation Committee that oversees the valuation of investments.
Purchasing Shares
You may purchase shares through your financial intermediary or by mailing an account application form to the transfer agent (see back cover for address). Purchase orders will be executed at the net asset value (plus any applicable sales charge) next determined after their receipt in proper form (meaning that they are complete and contain all necessary information) by a Funds transfer agent. A Funds transfer agent or your financial intermediary must receive your purchase in proper form no later than the close of regular trading on the Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. eastern time) for your purchase to be effected at that days net asset value. If you purchase shares through a financial intermediary, that intermediary may charge you a fee for executing the purchase for you.
Each Fund may suspend the sale of its shares at any time and any purchase order may be refused for any reason. The funds sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization (the Eaton Vance funds) do not accept investments from residents of the European Union or Switzerland. The funds also do not accept investments from other non-U.S. residents, provided that a fund may accept investments from certain non-U.S. investors at the discretion of the principal underwriter. The Funds do not issue share certificates.
As used throughout this Prospectus, the term employer sponsored retirement plan includes the following: an employer sponsored pension or profit sharing plan that qualifies under section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (such as a 401(k) plan, money purchase pension, profit sharing and defined benefit plan); ERISA covered 403(b) plan; TaftHartley multi-employer plan; and non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements that operate in a similar manner to a qualified retirement plan (including 457 plans and executive deferred compensation arrangements). Individual Retirement Accounts are not employer sponsored retirement plans for purposes of this definition.
Investor Class Shares
Your initial investment must be at least $1,000. After your initial investment, additional investments may be made in any amount at any time by sending a check payable to the order of the Fund or the transfer agent directly to the transfer agent (see back cover for address). Please include your name and account number and the name of the Fund and Class of shares with each investment. You also may make additional investments by accessing your account via the Eaton Vance website at www.eatonvance.com. Purchases made through the Internet from a pre-designated bank account will have a trade date that is the first business day after the purchase is requested (provided the request is submitted no later than the close of regular trading on the Exchange). For more information about purchasing shares through the Internet, please call 1-800-260-0761 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time).
You may
purchase additional shares by automatically investing a designated amount
from your bank account
on a periodic basis provided such investments equal a minimum of $200 per year.
You
must elect this privilege on your
account application or by providing written instructions. Please call 1-800-260-0761 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time) for further information. The minimum initial investment amount and Fund policy of redeeming accounts with low account balances are waived for bank automated investing accounts, certain group purchase plans (including employer sponsored retirement plans and proprietary fee-based programs sponsored by financial intermediaries) and for persons affiliated with Eaton Vance, its affiliates and certain Fund service providers (as described in the Statement of Additional Information).
Institutional Class Shares
Institutional Class shares are offered to clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Institutional Class shares through a no-load network or platform. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments, foundations and employer sponsored retirement plans. Institutional Class shares also are offered to investment and institutional clients of Eaton Vance and its affiliates and certain persons affiliated with Eaton Vance
.
Parametric Funds
22
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Your initial investment must be at least $50,000. Subsequent investments of any amount may be made at any time, including through automatic investment each month or quarter from your bank account. You may make automatic investments of $50 or more each month or each quarter from your bank account. You can establish bank automated investing on the account application or by providing written instructions. Please call 1-800-260-0761 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time) for further information.
The minimum initial investment is waived for persons affiliated with Eaton Vance, its affiliates and certain Fund service providers (as described in the Statement of Additional Information). The minimum initial investment also is waived for: (i) permitted exchanges; (ii) employer sponsored retirement plans; (iii) corporations, endowments and foundations with assets of at least $100 million; and (iv)
accounts of
clients of
financial
intermediaries who (a) charge
an ongoing fee for
advisory, investment, consulting or similar
services
, or (b) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer
Institutional Class shares through a no-load network or platform (in each case, as described above), provided the
total
value of such accounts invested in Institutional Class shares
of Eaton Vance funds
is at least $50,000 (or is anticipated by the principal underwriter to reach $50,000).
Institutional Class shares may be purchased through a financial intermediary or by requesting your bank to transmit immediately available funds (Federal Funds) by wire. To make an initial investment by wire, you must complete an account application and telephone Eaton Vance Shareholder Services at 1-800-260-0761 to be assigned an account number. You may request an account application by calling 1-800-260-0761 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time). Shareholder Services must be advised by telephone of each additional investment by wire.
Restrictions on Excessive Trading and Market Timing. The Funds are not intended for excessive trading or market timing. Market timers seek to profit by rapidly switching money into a fund when they expect the share price of the fund to rise and taking money out of the fund when they expect those prices to fall. By realizing profits through short-term trading, shareholders that engage in rapid purchases and sales (including exchanges, if permitted) of a funds shares may dilute the value of shares held by long-term shareholders. Volatility resulting from excessive purchases and sales of fund shares, especially involving large dollar amounts, may disrupt efficient portfolio management. In particular, excessive purchases and sales of a funds shares may cause a fund to have difficulty implementing its investment strategies, may force the fund to sell portfolio securities at inopportune times to raise cash or may cause increased expenses (such as increased brokerage costs, realization of taxable capital gains without attaining any investment advantage or increased administrative costs).
A fund that invests all or a portion of its assets in foreign securities may be susceptible to a time zone arbitrage strategy in which shareholders attempt to take advantage of fund share prices that may not reflect developments in a foreign securities market that occur after the close of such market but prior to the pricing of fund shares. In addition, a fund that invests in securities that are, among other things, thinly traded, traded infrequently or relatively illiquid (including restricted securities, certain derivative instruments and commodity-linked derivative instruments or other investments not priced by a pricing service) is susceptible to the risk that the current market price for such securities may not accurately reflect current market values. A shareholder may seek to engage in short-term trading to take advantage of these pricing differences (commonly referred to as price arbitrage). The investment adviser and sub-adviser are authorized to use the fair value of a security if prices are unavailable or are deemed unreliable (see Valuing Shares). The use of fair value pricing and the restrictions on excessive trading and market timing described below are intended to reduce a shareholders ability to engage in price or time zone arbitrage to the detriment of the Funds.
The Boards of the Eaton Vance funds have adopted policies to discourage short-term trading and market timing and to seek to minimize their potentially detrimental effects. Pursuant to these policies, an Eaton Vance fund shareholder who, through one or more accounts, completes two round-trips within 90 days generally will be deemed to be market timing or trading excessively in fund shares. Two round-trips within 90 days means either (1) a purchase of fund shares followed by a redemption of fund shares followed by a purchase followed by a redemption or (2) a redemption of fund shares followed by a purchase of fund shares followed by a redemption followed by a purchase, in either case with the final transaction in the sequence occurring within 90 days of the initial transaction in the sequence. Purchases and redemptions subject to the limitation include those made by exchanging to or from another fund. Under the policies, each Fund or its sub-transfer agent or principal underwriter will reject or cancel a purchase order, suspend or terminate an exchange privilege or terminate the ability of an investor to invest in the Eaton Vance funds if the Fund or the principal underwriter determines that a proposed transaction involves market timing or excessive trading that it believes is likely to be detrimental to the Fund. Each Fund and its principal underwriter use reasonable efforts to detect market timing and excessive trading activity, but they cannot ensure that they will be able to identify all cases of market timing and excessive trading. Each Fund or its principal underwriter may also reject or cancel any purchase order (including an exchange) from an investor or group of investors for any other reason. Decisions to reject or cancel purchase orders (including exchanges) in a Fund are inherently subjective and will be made in a manner believed to be in the best interest of a Funds shareholders. No Eaton Vance fund has any arrangement to permit market timing.
Parametric Funds
23
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
The following fund share transactions (to the extent permitted by a funds prospectus) generally are exempt from the market timing and excessive trading policy described above because they generally do not raise market timing or excessive trading concerns:
·
transactions made pursuant to a systematic purchase plan or as the result of automatic reinvestment of dividends or distributions, or initiated by a Fund (e.g., for failure to meet applicable account minimums);
·
transactions made by participants in employer sponsored retirement plans involving participant payroll or employer contributions or loan repayments, redemptions as part of plan terminations or at the direction of the plan, mandatory retirement distributions, or rollovers;
·
transactions made by model-based discretionary advisory accounts; or
·
transactions made by an Eaton Vance fund that is structured as a fund-of-funds, provided the transactions are in response to fund inflows and outflows or are part of a reallocation of fund assets in accordance with its investment policies.
It may be difficult for a Fund or the principal underwriter to identify market timing or excessive trading in omnibus accounts traded through financial intermediaries. The Funds and the principal underwriter have provided guidance to financial intermediaries (such as banks, broker-dealers, insurance companies and retirement administrators) concerning the application of the Eaton Vance funds market timing and excessive trading policies to Fund shares held in omnibus accounts maintained and administered by such intermediaries, including guidance concerning situations where market timing or excessive trading is considered to be detrimental to a Fund. Each Fund or its principal underwriter may rely on a financial intermediarys policy to restrict market timing and excessive trading if it believes that policy is likely to prevent market timing that is likely to be detrimental to the Fund. Such policy may be more or less restrictive than a Funds policy. Although each Fund or the principal underwriter reviews trading activity at the omnibus account level for activity that indicates potential market timing or excessive trading activity, the Funds and the principal underwriter typically will not request or receive individual account data unless suspicious trading activity is identified. Each Fund and the principal underwriter generally rely on financial intermediaries to monitor trading activity in omnibus accounts in good faith in accordance with their own or Fund policies. Each Fund and the principal underwriter cannot ensure that these financial intermediaries will in all cases apply the policies of the Fund or their own policies, as the case may be, to accounts under their control.
Choosing a Share Class. Each Fund offers different classes of shares. The different classes of shares represent investments in the same portfolio of securities, but the classes are subject to different expenses and will likely have different share prices due to differences in class expenses. A share class also may be subject to a sales charge. In choosing the class of shares that suits your investment needs, you should consider:
·
how long you expect to own your shares;
·
how much you intend to invest; and
·
the total operating expenses associated with owning each class.
Each investors considerations are different. You should speak with your financial intermediary to help you decide which class of shares is best for you. Set forth below is a brief description of each class of shares offered by the Funds.
Investor Class shares are offered at net asset value. Investor Class shares pay distribution and service fees equal to 0.25% annually of average daily net assets.
Institutional Class shares are offered to clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Institutional Class shares through a no-load network or platform. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments, foundations and employer sponsored retirement plans. Institutional Class shares are also offered to investment and institutional clients of Eaton Vance and its affiliates , and certain persons affiliated with Eaton Vance and certain Fund service providers. Institutional Class shares do not pay distribution or service fees.
Parametric Funds
24
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Payments to Financial Intermediaries. In addition to payments disclosed under “ Sales Charges ” below, the principal underwriter, out of its own resources, may make cash payments to certain financial intermediaries who provide marketing support, transaction processing and/or administrative services and, in some cases, include some or all Eaton Vance funds in preferred or specialized selling programs. Payments made by the principal underwriter to a financial intermediary may be significant and are typically in the form of fees based on Fund sales, assets, transactions processed and/or accounts attributable to that financial intermediary. Financial intermediaries also may receive amounts from the principal underwriter in connection with educational or due diligence meetings that include information concerning Eaton Vance funds. The principal underwriter may pay or allow other promotional incentives or payments to financial intermediaries to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations.
Certain financial intermediaries that maintain fund accounts for the benefit of their customers provide sub-accounting, recordkeeping and/or administrative services to the Eaton Vance funds and are compensated for such services by the funds. As used in this Prospectus, the term financial intermediary includes any broker, dealer, bank (including bank trust departments), registered investment adviser, financial planner, a retirement plan and/or its administrator, their designated intermediaries and any other firm having a selling, administration or similar agreement with the principal underwriter or its affiliates.
Sales Charges
Investor and Institutional Class shares are offered at net asset value per share.
Distribution and Service Fees.
Investor Class shares have in effect a plan under Rule 12b-1 that allows each Fund to pay distribution fees for the sale and distribution of shares and service fees for personal and/or shareholder account services (so-called 12b-1 fees). Investor Class shares pay distribution and service fees equal to 0.25% of average daily net assets annually. After the sale of shares, the principal underwriter receives the distribution and service fees for one year
.
Thereafter financial intermediaries generally receive
from the principal underwriter
0.25% annually of average daily net assets based on the value of shares sold by such financial intermediaries for shareholder servicing performed by such intermediaries. Distribution and service fees are subject to the limitations contained in the sales charge rule of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
More information about sales charges is available free of charge on the Eaton Vance website at www.eatonvance.com and in the Statement of Additional Information. Please consult the Eaton Vance website for any updates to sales charge information before making a purchase of Fund shares.
Parametric Funds
25
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
You can redeem shares in any of the following ways:
The Funds' transfer agent or your financial intermediary must receive your redemption in proper form (meaning that it is complete and contains all necessary information) no later than the close of regular trading on the Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. eastern time) for your redemption to be effected at that days net asset value. Your redemption proceeds normally will be paid in cash within seven days, reduced by the amount of any federal income and state tax required to be withheld. Payments will be sent by regular mail. However, if you have given complete written authorization in advance, you may request that the redemption proceeds be wired directly to your bank account. The bank designated may be any bank in the United States. The request may be made by calling 1-800-260-0761 or by sending a Medallion signature guaranteed letter of instruction to the transfer agent (see back cover for address). Certain redemption requests including those involving shares held by certain corporations, trusts or certain other entities and shares that are subject to certain fiduciary arrangements may require additional documentation and may be redeemed only by mail. You may be required to pay the costs of such transaction by a Fund or your bank. No costs are currently charged by a Fund. However, charges may apply for expedited mail delivery services. Each Fund may suspend or terminate the expedited payment procedure upon at least 30 days notice.
If you recently purchased shares, the proceeds of a redemption will not be sent until the purchase check (including a certified or cashiers check) has cleared. If the purchase check has not cleared, redemption proceeds may be delayed up to 15 days from the purchase date. If your account value falls below $750 (other than due to market decline), you may be asked either to add to your account or redeem it within 60 days. If you take no action, your account will be redeemed and the proceeds sent to you.
While redemption proceeds are normally paid in cash, redemptions may be paid by distributing marketable securities. If you receive securities, you could incur brokerage or other charges in converting the securities to cash.
Parametric Funds
26
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Shareholder Account Features
Distributions. You may have your Fund distributions paid in one of the following ways:
*
If any distribution check remains uncashed for six months,
Eaton Vance reserves the right to invest
the amount represented by the check
in Fund shares at the then-current net asset value of the Fund and all future distributions will be reinvested.
Information about the Funds. From time to time, you may receive the following:
·
Semiannual and annual reports containing a list of portfolio holdings as of the end of the second and fourth fiscal quarters, respectively, performance information and financial statements.
·
Periodic account statements, showing recent activity and total share balance.
·
Tax information needed to prepare your income tax returns.
·
Proxy materials, in the event a shareholder vote is required.
·
Special notices about significant events affecting your Fund.
Most fund information (including semiannual and annual reports, prospectuses and proxy statements) as well as your periodic account statements can be delivered electronically. For more information please go to www.eatonvance.com/edelivery.
The Eaton Vance funds have established policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio holdings and other information concerning Fund characteristics. A description of these policies and procedures is provided below and additionally in the Statement of Additional Information. Such policies and procedures regarding disclosure of portfolio holdings are designed to prevent the misuse of material, non-public information about the funds.
Each Fund will file with the
SEC
a list of its portfolio holdings as of the end of the first and third fiscal quarters on Form N-Q. Each Funds annual and semiannual reports (as filed on Form N-CSR) and each Form N-Q may be viewed on the SECs website (www.sec.gov). The most recent fiscal quarter-end holdings may also be viewed on the Eaton Vance website (www.eatonvance.com). Portfolio holdings information that is filed with the SEC is posted on the Eaton Vance website approximately 60 days after the end of the quarter to which it relates. Portfolio holdings information as of each month end is posted to the website approximately one month after such month end
.
Each Fund also posts information about certain portfolio characteristics (such as top ten holdings and asset allocation) at least quarterly on the Eaton Vance website approximately ten business days after the period and each Fund may also post performance attribution as of a month end or more frequently if deemed appropriate.
Withdrawal Plan. You may redeem shares on a regular periodic basis by establishing a systematic withdrawal plan.
Exchange Privilege. You may exchange your Fund shares for shares of the same Class of another Eaton Vance fund. For purposes of exchanges among Eaton Vance funds, Class A and Class I shares are deemed to be the same as Investor Class and Institutional Class shares, respectively, of other Eaton Vance funds. Exchanges are made at net asset value. If your shares are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge or CDSC, the CDSC will continue to apply to your new shares at the same CDSC rate. For purposes of the CDSC, your shares will continue to age from the date of your original purchase of Fund shares. Any class of shares of a fund may be exchanged for any other class of shares of that fund, provided that the shares being exchanged are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conditions for investing in the other class of shares described in the applicable prospectus are satisfied.
Before exchanging, you should read the prospectus of the new fund carefully. Exchanges are subject to the terms applicable to purchases of the new funds shares as set forth in its prospectus. If you wish to exchange shares, write to the transfer agent (see back cover for address), log on to your account at www.eatonvance.com or call 1-800-260-0761. Periodic automatic exchanges are also available. The exchange privilege may be changed or discontinued at any time. You will receive at least 60 days notice of any material change to the privilege. This privilege may not be used for market timing and may be terminated for market timing accounts or for any other reason. For additional information, see Restrictions on Excessive Trading and Market Timing under Purchasing Shares. Ordinarily exchanges between different funds are taxable transactions for federal tax
Parametric Funds
27
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
purposes, while permitted exchanges of one class for shares of another class of the same fund are not. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors regarding the applicability of federal, state, local and other taxes to transactions in Fund shares.
Telephone and Electronic Transactions.
You can redeem or
exchange shares by telephone as described in this Prospectus. In addition, certain transactions may be conducted through the Eaton Vance website. The transfer agent and the principal underwriter have procedures in place to authenticate telephone and electronic instructions (such as using security codes or verifying personal account information). As long as the transfer agent and principal underwriter follow reasonable procedures, they will not be responsible for unauthorized telephone or electronic transactions and you bear the risk of possible loss resulting from these transactions. You may decline the telephone redemption option on the account application. Telephone instructions are recorded.
Street Name Accounts. If your shares are held in a street name account at a financial intermediary, that intermediary (and not the Fund or its transfer agent) will perform all recordkeeping, transaction processing and distribution payments. Because the Fund does not maintain an account for you, you should contact your financial intermediary to make transactions in shares, make changes in your account, or obtain account information. You will not be able to utilize a number of shareholder features, such as telephone or internet transactions, directly with a Fund and certain features may be subject to different requirements. If you transfer shares in a street name account to an account with another financial intermediary or to an account directly with a Fund, you should obtain historical information about your shares prior to the transfer.
Procedures for Opening New Accounts. To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each new customer who opens a Fund account and to determine whether such persons name appears on government lists of known or suspected terrorists or terrorist organizations. When you open an account, the transfer agent or your financial intermediary will ask you for your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), residential or business street address (although post office boxes are still permitted for mailing) and social security number, taxpayer identification number, or other government-issued identifying number. You also may be asked to produce a copy of your drivers license, passport or other identifying documents in order to verify your identity. In addition, it may be necessary to verify your identity by cross-referencing your identification information with a consumer report or other electronic databases. Other information or documents may be required to open accounts for corporations and other entities. Federal law prohibits a Fund and other financial institutions from opening a new account unless they receive the minimum identifying information described above. If a person fails to provide the information requested, any application by that person to open a new account will be rejected. Moreover, if the transfer agent or the financial intermediary is unable to verify the identity of a person based on information provided by that person, it may take additional steps including, but not limited to, requesting additional information or documents from the person, closing the persons account or reporting the matter to the appropriate federal authorities. If your account is closed for this reason, your shares may be automatically redeemed at the net asset value next determined. If a Funds net asset value has decreased since your purchase, you will lose money as a result of this redemption. Each Fund has also designated an anti-money laundering compliance officer.
Account Questions. If you have any questions about your account or the services available, please call Eaton Vance Shareholder Services at 1-800-260-0761 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time), or write to the transfer agent (see back cover for address).
Additional Tax Information
Each Fund expects to pay any required distributions at least once annually and intends to distribute any net capital gains annually, if any. It may also be necessary, due to Federal tax requirements, for the Fund to make a special income and/or capital gains distribution at the end of the calendar year. Different classes may distribute different amounts. Distributions cannot be assured, and the amount of each distribution may vary. The Funds distributions in any year may differ from annual net investment income and net gains.
Distributions of investment income and net gains from investments held for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income. Distributions of any net gains from investments held for more than one year are taxable as long-term capital gains. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long a Fund owned the investments that generated the gains, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares in the Fund. A majority of a Funds distributions may be taxed as ordinary income. A Funds distributions are taxable whether they are paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares.
Investors who purchase shares at a time when a Funds net asset value reflects gains that are either unrealized or realized but
undistributed
will pay the full price for the shares and then may receive some portion of the purchase price back as a taxable distribution. Certain distributions paid in January may be taxable to shareholders as if received on December 31 of the prior year. A redemption of Fund shares, including an exchange for shares of another fund, is a taxable transaction.
The unearned income of certain U.S. individuals, estates and trusts is subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax. For individuals, the tax is on the lesser of the net investment income and the excess of modified adjusted gross income over $200,000 (or $250,000 if married filing jointly). Net investment income includes, among other things, interest, dividends, and gross income and capital gains derived from passive activities and trading in securities or commodities. Net investment income is reduced by deductions properly allocable to this income.
Parametric Funds
28
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
For positions in index options and other instruments that qualify as section 1256 contracts, Code Section 1256 generally requires any gain or loss arising from the lapse, closing out or exercise of such positions to be treated as 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. In addition, the Absolute Return Fund generally will be required to mark to market (i.e., treat as sold for fair market value) each outstanding index option position at the close of each taxable year (and on October 31 of each year for excise tax purposes). If a section 1256 contract held by the Absolute Return Fund at the end of a taxable year is sold or closed out in a subsequent year, the amount of any gain or loss realized on such sale will be adjusted to reflect the gain or loss previously taken into account under the mark to market rules. In addition to most exchange-traded index options, section 1256 contracts under the Code include certain other options contracts, certain regulated futures contracts, and certain other financial contracts.
Positions in index options that do not qualify as section 1256 contracts under the Code, such as options on SPDRs, generally will be treated as equity options governed by Code Section 1234. Pursuant to Code Section 1234, if a written option expires unexercised, the premium received is short-term capital gain to the Absolute Return Fund. If the Absolute Return Fund enters into a closing transaction with respect to a written option, the difference between the premium received and the amount paid to close out its position is short-term capital gain or loss. If an option written by the Absolute Return Fund that is not a section 1256 contract is cash settled, any resulting gain or loss will be short-term. For an option purchased by the Absolute Return Fund that is not a section 1256 contract, any gain or loss resulting from sale of the option will be a capital gain or loss, and will be short-term or long-term, depending upon the holding period for the option. If the option expires, the resulting loss is a capital loss and is short-term or long-term, depending upon the holding period for the option. If a put option written by the Absolute Return Fund is exercised and physically settled, the premium received is treated as a reduction in the amount paid to acquire the underlying securities, increasing the gain or decreasing the loss to be realized by the Absolute Return Fund upon sale of the securities. If a call option written by the Absolute Return Fund is exercised and physically settled, the premium received is included in the sale proceeds, increasing the gain or decreasing the loss realized by the Fund at the time of option exercise.
One of the requirements for favorable tax treatment as a regulated investment company under the Code is that a Fund derive at least 90% of its gross income from certain qualifying sources of income. The Commodity Strategy Fund has submitted a request to the Internal Revenue Service for a private letter ruling that income from certain commodity index-linked notes which create commodity exposure may be considered qualifying income under the Code. The Commodity Strategy Fund also has requested a ruling that income derived from the Funds investment in the Subsidiary will also constitute qualifying income to the Fund.
Investments in foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes or other foreign taxes with respect to income (possibly including, in some cases, capital gains), which may decrease the yield on those securities. These taxes may be reduced or eliminated under the terms of an applicable tax treaty. Shareholders generally will not be entitled to claim a credit or deduction with respect to such foreign taxes paid. In addition, investments in foreign securities or foreign currencies may increase or accelerate the Funds recognition of ordinary income and may affect the timing or amount of a Funds distributions.
A Fund may be required to withhold, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, 28% of the dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds payable to shareholders who fail to provide the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number or make required certifications, or who have been notified by the Internal Revenue Service that they are subject to backup withholding. Certain shareholders are exempt from backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against a shareholders U.S. federal income tax liability.
Certain foreign entities may be subject to a 30% withholding tax on dividend income paid and, after December 31,
2018
, on redemption proceeds paid under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). To avoid withholding, foreign financial institutions subject to FATCA must agree to disclose to the relevant revenue authorities certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners and other foreign entities must certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners to the Fund. For more detailed information regarding FATCA withholding and compliance, please refer to the Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholders should consult with their tax advisors concerning the applicability of federal, state, local and other taxes to an investment.
Parametric Funds
29
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights
The financial highlights are intended to help you understand a Funds financial performance for the period(s) indicated. Certain information in the tables reflects the financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the tables represent the rate an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in a Fund (assuming reinvestment of all distributions at net asset value). This information has been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm. The report of Deloitte & Touche LLP and each Funds financial statements are incorporated herein by reference and included in the Funds annual report, which is available upon request. Effective March 1, 2013, Class A was renamed Investor Class and Class I was renamed Institutional Class.
|
||||
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|||
|
2015 |
2014 |
||
|
Investor Class |
Institutional Class |
Investor Class |
Institutional Class |
Net asset value - Beginning of year |
$9.400 |
$9.470 |
$9.470 |
$9.520 |
Income (Loss) From Operations |
|
|
|
|
Net investment loss (1) |
$(0.065) |
$(0.056) |
$(0.076) |
$(0.057) |
Net realized and unrealized gain |
0.675 |
0.696 |
0.006 |
0.007 |
Total income (loss) from operations |
$0.610 |
$0.640 |
$(0.070) |
$(0.050) |
Net asset value - End of year |
$10.010 |
$10.110 |
$9.400 |
$9.470 |
Total Return (2) |
6.49% |
6.65% |
(0.84)% |
(0.42)% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of year (000s omitted) |
$10,912 |
$11,677 |
$8,229 |
$28,483 |
Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets): |
|
|
|
|
Expenses (4)(5) |
1.45% |
1.20% |
1.45% |
1.20% |
Net investment loss |
(0.66)% |
(0.57)% |
(0.79)% |
(0.59)% |
Portfolio Turnover |
39% |
39% |
28% |
28% |
(See footnotes on last page.)
Parametric Funds
30
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights (continued)
|
Parametric Absolute Return Fund |
|||||
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|||||
|
2013 |
2012 |
2011 |
|||
|
Investor Class |
Institutional Class |
Investor Class |
Institutional Class |
Investor Class |
Institutional Class |
Net asset value - Beginning of year |
$10.200 |
$10.230 |
$10.410 |
$10.440 |
$10.040 |
$10.050 |
Income (Loss) From Operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment loss (1) |
$(0.089) |
$(0.068) |
$(0.095) |
$(0.071) |
$(0.100) |
$(0.076) |
Net realized and unrealized gain |
(0.555) |
(0.556) |
0.871 |
0.877 |
0.488 |
0.484 |
Total income (loss) from operations |
$(0.644) |
$(0.624) |
$0.776 |
$0.806 |
$0.388 |
$0.408 |
Less Distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
From net investment income |
$ |
$ |
$(0.010) |
$(0.040) |
$ |
$ |
From net realized gain (loss) |
(0.086) |
(0.086) |
(0.976) |
(0.976) |
(0.018) |
(0.018) |
Total distributions |
$(0.086) |
$(0.086) |
$(0.986) |
$(1.016) |
$(0.018) |
$(0.018) |
Net asset value - End of year |
$9.470 |
$9.520 |
$10.200 |
$10.230 |
$10.410 |
$10.440 |
Total Return (2) |
(6.23)% (3) |
(6.11)% (3) |
7.56% |
7.84% |
3.87% |
4.06% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of year (000s omitted) |
$35,270 |
$34,813 |
$23,812 |
$33,412 |
$34,003 |
$38,998 |
Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets): |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenses (4)(5) |
1.45% |
1.20% |
1.54% |
1.29% |
1.75% |
1.50% |
Net investment loss |
(0.91)% |
(0.69)% |
(0.90)% |
(0.66)% |
(0.98)% |
(0.74)% |
Portfolio Turnover |
85% |
85% |
62% |
62% |
103% |
103% |
(See footnotes on last page.)
Parametric Funds
31
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights (continued)
|
Parametric Commodity Strategy Fund |
|||
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|||
|
2015 |
2014 |
||
|
Investor Class |
Institutional Class |
Investor Class |
Institutional Class |
Net asset value - Beginning of year |
$6.440 |
$6.480 |
$7.560 |
$7.590 |
Income (Loss) From Operations |
|
|
|
|
Net investment loss (1) |
$(0.042) |
$(0.030) |
$(0.067) |
$(0.048) |
Net realized and unrealized loss |
(1.398) |
(1.410) |
(1.053) |
(1.062) |
Total loss from operations |
$(1.440) |
$(1.440) |
$(1.120) |
$(1.110) |
Net asset value - End of year |
$5.000 |
$5.040 |
$6.440 |
$6.480 |
Total Return (2) |
(22.36)% |
(22.22)% |
(14.81)% |
(14.62)% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of year (000s omitted) |
$9,579 |
$97,359 |
$2,047 |
$88,761 |
Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets): |
|
|
|
|
Expenses (5) |
0.95% (13) |
0.70% (11) |
0.98% (13) |
0.73% (11) |
Net investment loss |
(0.74)% |
(0.51)% |
(0.88)% |
(0.63)% |
Portfolio Turnover (9) |
573% |
573% |
1,232% |
1,232% |
(See footnotes on last page.)
Parametric Funds
32
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights (continued)
|
Parametric Commodity Strategy Fund |
||||
|
Period Ended December 31, |
||||
|
2013 |
2012 |
2011 (7) |
||
|
Investor Class |
Institutional Class |
Investor Class (12) |
Institutional Class |
Institutional Class |
Net asset value - Beginning of period |
$8.460 |
$8.470 |
$8.800 |
$8.600 |
$10.000 |
Income (Loss) From Operations |
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment loss (1) |
$(0.068) |
$(0.049) |
$(0.076) |
$(0.055) |
$(0.038) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) |
(0.832) |
(0.831) |
0.052 |
0.252 |
(1.339) |
Total income (loss) from operations |
$(0.900) |
$(0.880) |
$(0.024) |
$0.197 |
$(1.377) |
Less Distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
From net investment income |
$ |
$ |
$(0.081) |
$(0.084) |
$(0.023) |
From net realized gain |
|
|
(0.003) |
(0.003) |
|
Tax return of capital |
|
|
(0.232) |
(0.240) |
|
Total distributions |
$ |
$ |
$(0.316) |
$(0.327) |
$(0.023) |
Net asset value - End of period |
$7.560 |
$7.590 |
$8.460 |
$8.470 |
$8.600 |
Total Return (2) |
(10.64)% |
(10.39)% |
(0.27)% (6) |
2.30% |
(13.77)% (6)(8) |
Ratios/Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of period (000s omitted) |
$2,280 |
$84,073 |
$683 |
$78,938 |
$29,701 |
Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets): |
|
|
|
|
|
Expenses (5) |
1.00% (13) |
0.75% (11) |
1.00% (10) (13) |
0.75% (11) |
0.75% (10) (11) |
Net investment loss |
(0.87)% |
(0.62)% |
(0.87)% (10) |
(0.63)% |
(0.67)% (10) |
Portfolio Turnover (9) |
2,797% |
2,797% |
3,455% (14) |
3,455% |
1,732% (6) |
(1
)
Computed using average shares outstanding.
(
2
)
Returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value with all distributions reinvested and do not reflect the effect of sales charges, if applicable.
(3)
During the year ended December 31, 2013, the Fund received a payment made by an affiliate for a trading error which amounted to $0.03 per share. Had the Fund not received this payment, total return would have been lower by 0.30%.
(4 )
The investment adviser and administrator and/or the sub-adviser reimbursed certain operating expenses (equal to 0.
59%, 0.
44%, 0.29%, 0.28
% and
0.05
% of average daily net assets for the years ended December 31,
2015,
2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011
, respectively). Absent these reimbursements, total return would be lower.
(
5
)
Excludes the effect of custody fee credits, if any, of less than 0.005%.
(6)
Not annualized.
(7)
For the period from the start of business, May 25, 2011, to December 31, 2011.
(8)
During the period ended December 31, 2011, the Fund received a payment made by an affiliate for a trading error which amounted to $0.024 per share. Had the Fund not received this payment, total return would have been lower by 0.20%.
(9)
Excluding the Funds investment in exchange-traded notes, which are used as temporary cash investments but offer commodity exposure, the portfolio turnover would be 0%.
(10)
Annualized.
(11)
The investment adviser and administrator and sub-adviser reimbursed certain operating expenses (equal to 0. 29%, 0. 26%, 0.39%, 0.43% and 1.90% of average daily net assets for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012 and the period ended December 31, 2011, respectively). Absent this reimbursement, total return would be lower.
(12)
For the period from the commencement of operations, January 3, 2012, to December 31, 2012.
(13)
The investment adviser and administrator and sub-adviser reimbursed certain operating expenses (equal to 0. 29%, 0. 26%, 0.39% and 0.43% of average daily net assets for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 and the period ended December 31, 2012, respectively). Absent this reimbursement, total return would be lower.
(14)
For the year ended December 31, 2012.
Parametric Funds
33
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
More Information
About the Funds: More information is available in the Statement of Additional Information. The Statement of Additional Information is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. Additional information about each Funds investments is available in the annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected each Funds performance during the past fiscal year. You may obtain free copies of the Statement of Additional Information and the shareholder reports on Eaton Vances website at www.eatonvance.com or by contacting the principal underwriter:
Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc.
Two International Place
Boston, MA 02110
1-800-260-0761
website: www.eatonvance.com
You will find and may copy information about each Fund (including the Statement of Additional Information and shareholder reports): at the SECs public reference room in Washington, DC (call 1-
202-551-8090
for information on the operation of the public reference room); on the EDGAR Database on the SECs website (www.sec.gov); or, upon payment of copying fees, by writing to the SECs Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549-
1520
, or by electronic mail at publicinfo@sec.gov.
Shareholder Inquiries: You can obtain more information from Eaton Vance Shareholder Services or the Fund transfer agent, BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. If you own shares and would like to add to, redeem from or change your account, please write or call below:
Regular Mailing Address:
|
|
Overnight Mailing Address:
|
|
Phone Number:
|
The Investment Company Act No. of Parametric Absolute Return Fund is 811-01545 and the Investment Company Act No. of Parametric Commodity Strategy Fund is 811-04015. |
|
5743 5.1. 16 |
© 2016 Eaton Vance Management |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
Class A Shares - EVIFX Class B Shares - EMIFX Class C Shares - ECIFX
Class I Shares - EIIFX
Class R Shares - ERIFX
Class R6 Shares - ESIFX
Prospectus Dated
May 1, 2016
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined whether this Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Information in this Prospectus
|
Page |
|
Page |
Fund Summary |
2 |
Investment Objective & Principal Policies and Risks |
7 |
Investment Objective |
2 |
Management and Organization |
14 |
Fees and Expenses of the Fund |
2 |
Valuing Shares |
16 |
Portfolio Turnover |
2 |
Purchasing Shares |
16 |
Principal Investment Strategies |
3 |
Sales Charges |
20 |
Principal Risks |
3 |
Redeeming Shares |
22 |
Performance |
5 |
Shareholder Account Features |
23 |
Management |
6 |
Additional Tax Information |
24 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares |
6 |
Financial Highlights |
26 |
Tax Information |
6 |
Further Information about the Portfolios |
28 |
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries |
6 |
|
|
This Prospectus contains important information about the Fund and the services
available to shareholders. Please save it for reference.
Fund Summary
Investment Objective
The Funds investment objective is to provide current income and long-term growth of capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge if you invest, or agree to invest over a 13-month period, at least $50,000 in Eaton Vance Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary and in Sales Charges beginning on page 20 of this Prospectus and page 21 of the Funds Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
Class A |
Class B |
Class C |
Class I |
Class R |
Class R6 |
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) |
5.75% |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lower of net asset value at purchase or redemption) |
None |
5.00% |
1.00% |
None |
None |
None |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
Class A |
Class B |
Class C |
Class I |
Class R |
Class R6 |
Management Fees |
0.04% |
0.04% |
0.04% |
0.04% |
0.04% |
0.04% |
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees |
0.25% |
1.00% |
1.00% |
None |
0.50% |
None |
Other Expenses |
0.14% |
0.14% |
0.14% |
0.14% |
0.14% |
0.10% |
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (1)(2) |
0.59 % |
0.59 % |
0.59 % |
0.59 % |
0.59 % |
0.59 % |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
1.02% |
1.77% |
1.77% |
0.77% |
1.27% |
0.73% |
Expense Reimbursement (3) |
(0.04) % |
(0.04) % |
(0.04) % |
(0.04) % |
(0.04) % |
(0.04) % |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement |
0.98% |
1.73% |
1.73% |
0.73% |
1.23% |
0.69% |
(1)
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses reflect a fee reduction agreement to Stock Portfolios investment advisory agreement effective January 1, 2016, and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and Expense Reimbursement have been restated to reflect the amounts as if Stock Portfolios revised investment advisory fee was in effect for the Funds fiscal year ended December 31, 2015.
(2)
Reflects the Funds allocable share of the advisory fees and other expenses of the Portfolios in which it invests.
(3)
The administrator has agreed to reimburse the Funds expenses to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 0.98% for Class A shares, 1.73% for Class B shares and Class C shares, 0.73% for Class I shares, 1.23% for Class R shares and 0.69% for Class R6 shares. This expense reimbursement will continue through April 30, 2017. Any amendment to or termination of this reimbursement would require approval of the Board of Trustees. The expense reimbursement relates to ordinary operating expenses only and does not include expenses such as: brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses of unaffiliated funds, interest expense, taxes or litigation expenses. Amounts reimbursed may be recouped by the administrator during the same fiscal year to the extent actual expenses are less than the contractual expense cap during such year.
Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
2
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over the portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 2% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by allocating assets between common stocks and fixed-income securities through its investment in two other registered investment companies managed by Eaton Vance Management or its affiliates (the Portfolios). Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests between 50% and 75% of its net assets in equity securities by investing in Stock Portfolio and between 25% and 50% of its net assets in fixed-income securities by investing in Core Bond Portfolio. Set forth below is an overview of the Funds investment practices, followed by a description of the characteristics and risks associated with the principal investments and strategies of the Fund as a result of its investment in the Portfolios.
The Funds equity securities are primarily common stocks issued by companies with a broad range of market capitalizations, including smaller companies. The Funds fixed-income securities may include corporate bonds, U.S. Government securities, money market instruments, mortgage-backed securities (including collateralized mortgage obligations), commercial mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities (including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations), convertible debt securities and other hybrid securities (which have characteristics of equity and debt securities), inflation-linked debt securities and municipal securities. A significant portion of the Funds fixed-income investments may be in securities issued by various U.S. Government-sponsored entities, such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and Federal Home Loan Banks. Fixed-income securities may be of any credit quality, but investment in securities rated below investment grade (i.e., rated below BBB by Standard & Poors Ratings Services (S&P) or Baa by Moodys Investors Service, Inc. (Moodys) or by Fitch Ratings (Fitch)) (so-called junk bonds) and credit derivatives where the credit rating of the reference instrument is below investment grade will be limited to not more than 15% of total fixed-income assets. For purposes of rating restrictions, if securities are rated differently by two or more rating agencies, the highest rating is used. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in foreign securities, some of which may be issued by companies domiciled in emerging market countries. As an alternative to holding foreign securities directly, the Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign companies that trade on U.S. exchanges or in the over-the-counter market (including depositary receipts that evidence ownership in underlying foreign stocks and Eurodollar and Yankee Dollar instruments). The Fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in publicly traded real estate investment trusts and may lend its securities.
The Fund may engage in derivative transactions to seek return, to hedge against fluctuations in securities prices, interest rates or currency exchange rates, or as a substitute for the purchase or sale of securities or currencies. Permitted derivatives include: the purchase or sale of credit derivatives, including credit default swaps, total return swaps and credit options; interest rate swaps; forward rate contracts; the purchase or sale of forwards or futures contracts; options on futures contracts; exchange-traded and over-the-counter options; swaptions; equity collars and equity swap agreements. There is no stated limit on the Funds use of derivatives other than as stated above. The Fund may also engage in covered short sales (on individual securities held or on an index or basket of securities whose constituents are held in whole or in part or for which liquid assets have been segregated).
To determine the exact percentage of the Funds assets that will be invested from time to time in each Portfolio, the portfolio managers of the Portfolios meet periodically and, taking market and other factors into consideration, agree upon an allocation.
Principal Risks
Equity Investing Risk. Fund performance is sensitive to stock market volatility. Stock prices may decline in response to adverse changes in the economy or the economic outlook; deterioration in investor sentiment; interest rate, currency, and commodity price fluctuations; adverse geopolitical, social or environmental developments; issuer- and sector-specific considerations; and other factors. Market conditions may affect certain types of stocks to a greater extent than other types of stocks. If the stock market declines, the value of Fund shares will also likely decline. Although stock prices can rebound, there is no assurance that values will return to previous levels.
Debt Market Risk. Economic and other events (whether real or perceived) can reduce the demand for investments held by the Fund, which may reduce their market prices and cause the value of Fund shares to fall. The frequency and magnitude of such changes cannot be predicted. Certain securities and other investments held by the Fund can experience downturns in trading activity and, at such times, the supply of such instruments in the market may exceed the demand. At other times, the demand for such instruments may exceed the supply in the market. An imbalance in supply and demand in the market may result in valuation uncertainties and greater price volatility, less liquidity, wider trading spreads and a lack of price transparency in the market. No active trading market may exist for certain investments, which may impair the ability of the Fund to sell or to realize the full value of such investments in the event of the need to liquidate such assets. Adverse market conditions may impair the
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
3
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
liquidity of some actively traded investments. Fixed-income markets have recently experienced a period of relatively high volatility. As a result of the Federal Reserves action to end its quantitative easing stimulus program as well as the possibility that it may unwind the program and its recent decision to raise the target fed funds rate, fixed-income markets could experience continuing high volatility, which could negatively impact the Funds performance.
Interest Rate Risk. In general, the value of income securities will fluctuate based on changes in interest rates. The value of these securities is likely to increase when interest rates fall and decline when interest rates rise. Generally, securities with longer durations are more sensitive to changes in interest rates than shorter duration securities. In a rising interest rate environment, the duration of income securities that have the ability to be prepaid or called by the issuer may be extended. In a declining interest rate environment, the proceeds from prepaid or maturing instruments may have to be reinvested at a lower interest rate.
Credit Risk. Investments in debt obligations are subject to the risk of non-payment of scheduled principal and interest. Changes in economic conditions or other circumstances may reduce the capacity of the party obligated to make principal and interest payments on such instruments and may lead to defaults. Such non-payments and defaults may reduce the value of Fund shares and income distributions. The value of a debt obligation also may decline because of concerns about the issuers ability to make principal and interest payments. In addition, the credit ratings of fixed-income securities may be lowered if the financial condition of the party obligated to make payments with respect to such instruments changes. Credit ratings assigned by rating agencies are based on a number of factors and do not necessarily reflect the issuers current financial condition or the volatility or liquidity of the security. In the event of bankruptcy of the issuer of fixed-income securities, the Fund could experience delays or limitations with respect to its ability to realize the benefits of any collateral securing the instrument. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Funds operating expenses and adversely affect net asset value.
Risk of Lower Rated Investments. Investments rated below investment grade and comparable unrated investments (junk) have speculative characteristics because of the credit risk associated with their issuers. Changes in economic conditions or other circumstances typically have a greater effect on the ability of issuers of lower rated investments to make principal and interest payments than they do on issuers of higher rated investments. An economic downturn generally leads to a higher non-payment rate, and a lower rated investment may lose significant value before a default occurs. Lower rated investments typically are subject to greater price volatility and illiquidity than higher rated investments.
Risk of U.S. Government-Sponsored Agencies. Although certain U.S. Government-sponsored agencies (such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation and the Federal National Mortgage Association) may be chartered or sponsored by acts of Congress, their securities are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
Foreign and Emerging Market Investment Risk. Because the Fund can invest a portion of its assets in foreign instruments, the value of shares may be adversely affected by changes in currency exchange rates and political, economic and market developments abroad, including the imposition of economic and other sanctions by the United States or another country. Investment markets in emerging market countries are typically smaller, less liquid and more volatile than developed markets, and emerging market securities often involve higher risk than developed market securities. Trading in foreign markets often involves higher expense than trading in the United States. The value of investments denominated in foreign currencies can be adversely affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Depositary receipts are subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign instruments.
Smaller Company Equity Risk. The stocks of smaller, less seasoned companies are generally subject to greater price fluctuations, limited liquidity, higher transaction costs and higher investment risk than the stocks of larger, more established companies. Smaller, less seasoned companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, may be dependent on a limited management group, and may lack substantial capital reserves or an established performance record. There may be generally less publicly available information about such companies than for larger, more established companies.
Real Estate Risks. Real estate investments are subject to special risks including changes in real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, occupancy rates, government regulations affecting zoning, land use, and rents, and the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Changes in underlying real estate values may have an exaggerated effect to the extent that investments concentrate in particular geographic regions or property types.
Derivatives Risk. The use of derivatives can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the asset, index, rate or instrument underlying a derivative, due to failure of a counterparty or due to tax or regulatory constraints. Derivatives may create economic leverage in the Fund, which magnifies the Funds exposure to the underlying investment. Derivatives risk may be more significant when derivatives are used to enhance return or as a substitute for a cash investment position, rather than solely to hedge the risk of a position held by the Fund. A decision as to whether, when and how to use derivatives involves the exercise of specialized skill and judgment, and a transaction may be unsuccessful in whole or in part because of market behavior or unexpected events. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. Derivative instruments traded in over-the-counter markets may be difficult to value, may be
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
4
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
illiquid, and may be subject to wide swings in valuation caused by changes in the value of the underlying instrument. If a derivatives counterparty is unable to honor its commitments, the value of Fund shares may decline and the Fund could experience delays in the return of collateral or other assets held by the counterparty. The loss on derivative transactions may substantially exceed the initial investment, particularly when there is no stated limit on the Funds use of derivatives.
Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves possible delay in recovery of the loaned securities or possible loss of rights in the collateral if the borrower fails financially.
Risks Associated with Active Management. The success of the Funds investment program depends on portfolio managements successful application of analytical skills and investment judgment. Active management involves subjective decisions.
General Fund Investing Risks. The Fund is not a complete investment program and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. It is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund is designed to be a long-term investment vehicle and is not suited for short-term trading. Investors in the Fund should have a long-term investment perspective and be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, entity or person.
Performance
The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Funds performance from year to year and how the Funds average annual returns over time compare with those of two broad-based securities market indices and with a blended index. The returns in the bar chart are for Class A shares and do not reflect a sales charge. If the sales charge was reflected, the returns would be lower. Past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. The Funds performance reflects the effects of expense reductions. Absent these reductions, performance would have been lower. Updated Fund performance information can be obtained by visiting www.eatonvance.com.
For the ten years ended December 31, 2015, the highest quarterly total return for Class A was 14.09% for the quarter ended September 30, 2009, and the lowest quarterly return was -16.14% for the quarter ended September 30, 2008.
*The blended index consists of 60% S&P 500 Index and 40% Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index.
These returns reflect the maximum sales charge for Class A (5.75%) and any applicable contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) for Class B and Class C. The Class I and Class R performance shown above for the period prior to September 28, 2012 and May 1, 2016 (commencement of operations), respectively, is the performance of Class A shares at net asset value without adjustment for any differences in the expenses of the two classes. The Class R6 performance shown above for the period prior to May 1, 2016 (commencement of operations) is the performance of Class I shares at net asset value without adjustment for any differences in the expenses of the two classes. If adjusted for such differences, returns would be different. Investors cannot invest directly in an Index.
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
5
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
non-taxable entities. After-tax returns for other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Class A shares. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the Sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
Management
Investment Adviser. Boston Management and Research (BMR).
Portfolio Managers
Charles B. Gaffney, Vice President of BMR, has managed Stock Portfolio and its predecessor fund since November 2007.
Thomas H. Luster, Vice President of BMR, has managed Core Bond Portfolio since February 2010.
Bernard Scozzafava, Vice President of BMR, has managed Core Bond Portfolio since February 2010.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase, redeem or exchange Fund shares on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. Class B shares are only available for purchase upon exchange from another Eaton Vance fund or through reinvestment of distributions. You may purchase, redeem or exchange Fund shares either through your financial intermediary or directly from the Fund either by writing to the Fund, P.O. Box 9653, Providence, RI 02940-9653, or by calling 1-800-262-1122. The minimum initial purchase or exchange into the Fund is $1,000 for Class A, Class B, Class C and Class R, $250,000 for Class I and $1,000,000 for Class R6 (waived in certain circumstances). There is no minimum for subsequent investments.
The Funds distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income and/or capital gains, unless you are exempt from taxation.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Funds shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (collectively, financial intermediaries), the Fund, its principal underwriter and its affiliates may pay the financial intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediarys website for more information.
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
6
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Investment Objectives & Principal Policies and Risks
A statement of the investment objective and principal investment policies and risks of the Fund is set forth above in Fund Summary. As noted in the Fund Summary, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in the Portfolios named therein. Set forth below is additional information about such policies and risks of the Fund described in Fund Summary above or, in the case of the Portfolios, in Further Information About the Portfolios. Information also is included about other types of investments and practices that the Fund may engage in from time to time.
Equity Securities. Equity securities include: common stocks; preferred stocks, including convertible and contingent convertible preferred stocks; equity interests in trusts, partnerships, joint ventures and other unincorporated entities or enterprises; depositary receipts, rights and warrants in underlying equity interests; and other securities that are treated as equity for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Foreign and Emerging Market Investments. Investments in foreign issuers could be affected by factors not present in the United States, including expropriation, armed conflict, confiscatory taxation, lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards, less publicly available financial and other information, and potential difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations. Because foreign issuers may not be subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standard practices and requirements and regulatory measures comparable to those in the United States, there may be less publicly available information about such foreign issuers. Settlements of securities transactions in foreign countries are subject to risk of loss, may be delayed and are generally less frequent than in the United States, which could affect the liquidity of the Funds assets.
Foreign issuers may become subject to sanctions imposed by the United States or another country, which could result in the immediate freeze of the foreign issuers assets or securities. The imposition of such sanctions could impair the market value of the securities of such foreign issuers and limit the Funds ability to buy, sell, receive or deliver the securities.
As an alternative to holding foreign-traded investments, the Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated investments of foreign companies that trade on U.S. exchanges or in the U.S. over-the-counter market (including depositary receipts, which evidence ownership in underlying foreign investments and are subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities).
The foregoing risks of foreign investing can be more significant in emerging markets. Emerging markets may offer higher potential for gains and losses than investments in the developed markets of the world. Political and economic structures in emerging market countries generally lack the social, political and economic stability of developed countries, which may affect the value of the Funds investments in these countries and also the ability of the Fund to access markets in such countries. Governmental actions can have a significant effect on the economic conditions in emerging market countries, which also may adversely affect the value and liquidity of the Funds investments. The laws of emerging market countries relating to the limited liability of corporate shareholders, fiduciary duties of officers and directors, and bankruptcy of state enterprises are generally less developed than or different from such laws in the United States. It may be more difficult to obtain a judgment in the courts of these countries than it is in the United States. Disruptions due to work stoppages and trading improprieties in foreign securities markets have caused such markets to close. If extended closings were to occur in stock markets where the Fund is heavily invested, the Funds ability to redeem Fund shares could become impaired. In such circumstances, the Fund may have to sell more liquid securities than it would otherwise choose to sell. Emerging market securities are also subject to speculative trading, which contributes to their volatility.
Foreign Currencies. The value of foreign assets and currencies as measured in U.S. dollars may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in foreign currency rates and exchange control regulations, application of foreign tax laws (including withholding tax), governmental administration of economic or monetary policies (in this country or abroad), and relations between nations and trading. Foreign currencies also are subject to settlement, custodial and other operational risks. Currency exchange rates can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or the failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the United States or abroad. Costs are incurred in connection with conversions between currencies. The Fund may engage in spot transactions and forward foreign currency exchange contracts, purchase and sell options on currencies and purchase and sell currency futures contracts and related options thereon (collectively, Currency Instruments) to seek to hedge against the decline in the value of currencies in which its portfolio holdings are denominated against the U.S. dollar. Use of Currency Instruments may involve substantial currency risk and may also involve counterparty, leverage or liquidity risk.
Derivatives. The Fund may enter into derivatives transactions with respect to any security or other instrument in which it is permitted to invest or any related security, instrument, index or economic indicator (reference instruments). Derivatives are financial instruments the value of which is derived from an underlying reference instrument. Derivatives transactions can involve substantial risk. Derivatives typically allow the Fund to increase or decrease the level of risk to which the Fund is exposed more quickly and efficiently than transactions in other types of instruments. The Fund incurs costs in connection with opening and
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closing derivatives positions. The Fund may engage in the derivative transactions set forth below, as well as in other derivative transactions with substantially similar characteristics and risks.
Certain derivative transactions may give rise to a form of leverage. The Fund is required to segregate or earmark liquid assets or otherwise cover the Funds obligation created by a transaction that may give rise to leverage. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet segregation requirements. Leverage may cause the Funds share price to be more volatile than if it had not been leveraged, as certain types of leverage may exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Funds portfolio securities. The loss on leverage transactions may substantially exceed the initial investment.
The use of derivatives can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the asset, index, rate or instrument underlying a derivative, due to failure of a counterparty or due to tax or regulatory constraints. Derivatives risk may be more significant when derivatives are used to enhance return or as a substitute for a cash investment position, rather than solely to hedge the risk of a position held by the Fund. A decision as to whether, when and how to use derivatives involves the exercise of specialized skill and judgment, and even a well-conceived transaction may be unsuccessful to some degree because of market behavior or unexpected events. Changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. Derivative instruments may be difficult to value, may be illiquid, and may be subject to wide swings in valuation caused by changes in the value of the underlying instrument. If a derivatives counterparty is unable to honor its commitments, the value of Fund shares may decline and the Fund could experience delays in the return of collateral or other assets held by the counterparty. The loss on derivative transactions may substantially exceed the initial investment.
Options on Securities, Indices and Currencies. The Fund may engage in transactions in exchange-traded and over-the-counter (OTC) options. There are several risks associated with transactions in options, such as imperfect correlation, counterparty risk and an insufficient liquid secondary market for particular options. By buying a put option, the Fund acquires a right to sell the underlying instrument at the exercise price, thus limiting the Fund's risk of loss through a decline in the market value of the instrument until the put option expires. The Fund will pay a premium to the seller of the option for the right to receive payments of cash to the extent that the value of the applicable instrument declines below the exercise price as of the option valuation date. If the price of the instrument is above the exercise price of the option as of the option valuation date, the option expires worthless and the Fund will not be able to recover the option premium paid to the seller. The Fund may purchase uncovered put options. The Fund also has authority to write (i.e., sell) put options. The Fund will receive a premium for writing a put option, which increases the Fund's return. In writing a put option, the Fund has the obligation to buy the underlying instrument at an agreed upon price if the price of such instrument decreases below the exercise price. If the value of the instrument on the option expiration date is above the exercise price, the option will generally expire worthless and the Fund, as option seller, will have no obligation to the option holder.
A purchased call option gives the Fund the right to buy, and obligates the seller to sell, the underlying instrument at the exercise price at any time during the option period. The Fund also is authorized to write (i.e., sell) call options on instruments in which it may invest and to enter into closing purchase transactions with respect to such options. A covered call option is an option in which the Fund, in return for a premium, gives another party a right to buy specified instruments owned by the Fund at a specified future date and price set at the time of the contract. The Fund's ability to sell the instrument underlying a call option may be limited while the option is in effect unless the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction. Uncovered call options have speculative characteristics and are riskier than covered call options because there is no underlying instrument held by the Fund that can act as a partial hedge. As the writer of a covered call option or an index call option, the Fund forgoes, during the options life, the opportunity to profit from increases in the market value of the security or the index covering the call option above the sum of the option premium received and the exercise price of the call, but has retained the risk of loss, minus the option premium received, should the price of the underlying security or index decline.
OTC options involve risk that the issuer or counterparty will fail to perform its contractual obligations. Participants in these markets are typically not subject to the same credit evaluation and regulatory oversight as are members of exchange-based markets. By engaging in option transactions in these markets, the Fund may take a credit risk with regard to parties with which it trades and also may bear the risk of settlement default.
The Fund may also enter into swaptions, which are options giving the option owner the right (but not the obligation) to enter into or cancel a swap agreement at a future date.
Under certain market conditions, the Fund may purchase put option spreads rather than standalone put options. By doing so, the Fund can lower the net cost of its market hedging activities, since the premiums received from selling put options will offset, in part, the premiums paid to purchase the put options. Although less expensive than buying a standalone put option, buying a put option spread will expose the Fund to incremental loss if the value of the applicable instrument at contract expiration is below the exercise price of the put option sold.
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Covered Calls and Equity Collars. While the Fund generally will write only covered call options, it may sell the instrument underlying a call option prior to entering into a closing purchase transaction on up to 5% of the Funds net assets, provided that such sale will not occur more than three days prior to the option buy back. In an equity collar, the Fund simultaneously writes a call option and purchases a put option on the same instrument.
Futures Contracts. The Fund may engage in transactions in futures contracts and options on futures contracts. Futures are standardized, exchange-traded contracts that obligate a purchaser to take delivery, and a seller to make delivery, of a specific amount of an asset at a specified future date at a specified price. The Fund also is authorized to purchase or sell call and put options on futures contracts. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts and options are imperfect correlation, liquidity, unanticipated market movement and counterparty risk.
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts. Certain forward foreign currency exchange contracts may be individually negotiated and privately traded so they are dependent upon the creditworthiness of the counterparty. Forward contracts are subject to the risk of political and economic factors applicable to the countries issuing the underlying currencies. Furthermore, unlike trading in most other types of instruments, there is no systematic reporting of last sale information with respect to the foreign currencies underlying forwards. As a result, available information may not be complete.
Credit Derivatives, Interest Rate Swaps and Forward Rate Agreements. Credit derivatives include credit default swaps, total return swaps, credit options, credit-linked notes and other instruments that have substantially similar characteristics and risks. In a credit default swap, the buyer of credit protection (or seller of credit risk) agrees to pay the counterparty a fixed, periodic premium for a specified term. In return, the counterparty agrees to pay a contingent payment to the buyer in the event of an agreed upon credit occurrence which is typically a default by the issuer of a debt obligation. In a total return swap, the buyer receives a periodic return equal to the total economic return of a specified security, securities or index, for a specified period of time. In return, the buyer pays the counterparty a variable stream of payments, typically based upon short-term interest rates, possibly plus or minus an agreed upon spread. Credit options are options whereby the purchaser has the right, but not the obligation, to enter into a transaction involving either an asset with inherent credit risk or a credit derivative, at terms specified at the inception of the option. Credit linked notes are obligations between two or more parties where the payment of principal and/or interest is based on the performance of some obligation, basket of obligations, index or economic indicator (a reference instrument). Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interests, e.g., an exchange of fixed rate payments for floating rate payments. Under forward rate agreements, the buyer locks in an interest rate at a future settlement date. If the interest rate on the settlement date exceeds the lock rate, the buyer pays the seller the difference between the two rates. If the lock rate exceeds the interest rate on the settlement date, the seller pays the buyer the difference between the two rates. The primary risks associated with the above obligations are imperfect correlation, unanticipated market movement, counterparty risk and liquidity risk.
Equity Swaps. Equity swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of their respective returns as calculated on a notional amount of an equity index (such as the S&P 500 Index), basket of equity securities, or individual equity security. The success of swap agreements is dependent on the investment advisers ability to predict correctly whether certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Other risks include liquidity and counterparty risk.
Short Sales. The Fund may engage in covered short sales (on individual securities held or on an index or basket of securities whose constituents are held in whole or in part or for which liquid assets have been segregated). A short sale on an individual security typically involves the sale of a security that is borrowed from a broker or other institution to complete the sale. Short sales expose the seller to the risk that it will be required to acquire securities to replace the borrowed securities (also known as covering the short position) at a time when the securities sold short have appreciated in value, thus resulting in a loss. When making a short sale, the Fund must segregate liquid assets with a broker or the custodian equal to (or otherwise cover) its obligations under the short sale. The seller of a short position generally realizes a profit on the transaction if the price it receives on the short sale exceeds the cost of closing out the position by purchasing securities in the market, but generally realizes a loss if the cost of closing out the short position exceeds the proceeds of the short sale.
Real Estate Risk. Real estate investments are subject to special risks including changes in real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, occupancy rates, government regulations affecting zoning, land use, and rents, and the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Companies in the real estate industry may also be subject to liabilities under environmental and hazardous waste laws, among others. Changes in underlying real estate values may have an exaggerated effect to the extent that investments concentrate in particular geographic regions or property types.
Fixed-Income Securities. Fixed-income securities include all types of fixed and floating-rate bonds and notes, such as convertible securities and other hybrid securities (other than preferred stock); corporate commercial paper; mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities; inflation-indexed bonds issued by both governments and corporations; structured notes, including indexed securities; loans; loan participations and assignments; delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities; and bank
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certificates of deposit, fixed time deposits, bank deposits (or investments structured to provide the same type of exposure) and bankers acceptances of foreign and domestic banks and other debt instruments. Fixed-income securities are issued by: foreign governments or their subdivisions, agencies and government-sponsored enterprises; international agencies or supranational entities; the U.S. Government, its agencies or government-sponsored enterprises (or guaranteed thereby); central or quasi-sovereign banks and U.S. and foreign corporations. Fixed-income securities include deep discount bonds, such as zero coupon bonds, deferred interest bonds, bonds or securities on which the interest is payable in-kind (PIK securities), which are debt obligations that are issued at a significant discount from face value, and securities purchased on a forward commitment or when-issued basis. While zero coupon bonds do not make periodic payments of interest, deferred interest bonds provide for a period of delay before the regular payment of interest begins. PIK securities provide that the issuer thereof may, at its option, pay interest in cash or in the form of additional securities.
Preferred Stock. Preferred stock is a class of equity security that pays a specified dividend that typically must be paid before any dividends can be paid to common stockholders and takes precedence over common stock in the event of the issuers liquidation. Although preferred stocks represent an ownership interest in an issuer, preferred stocks generally do not have voting rights or have limited voting rights and have economic characteristics similar to fixed-income securities. Preferred stocks generally are issued with a fixed par value and pay dividends based on a percentage of that par value at a fixed or variable rate. Additionally, preferred stocks often have a liquidation value that generally equals the original purchase price of the preferred stock at the date of issuance. Preferred stocks are subject to issuer-specific and market risks generally applicable to equity securities and credit and interest rate risks generally applicable to fixed-income securities.
Hybrid Securities. Hybrid securities generally possess characteristics common to both equity and debt securities. Preferred stocks, convertible securities, and certain debt obligations are types of hybrid securities. Hybrid securities generally have a preference over common stock and perpetual or near perpetual terms. Hybrid securities generally do not have voting rights or have limited voting rights. Because hybrid securities have both debt and equity characteristics, their values vary in response to many factors, including general market and economic conditions, issuer-specific events, changes in interest rates, credit spreads and the credit quality of the issuer, and, for convertible securities, factors affecting the securities into which they convert.
Convertible Securities. A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred security, or other security that entitles the holder to acquire common stock or other equity securities of the same or a different issuer. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued or the dividend paid on such security until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities have characteristics similar to nonconvertible income securities. The value of a convertible security tends to be influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline. The credit standing of the issuer and other issuer and market factors also may have an effect on the convertible securitys value. A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible securitys governing instrument.
Credit Quality. Rating agencies are private services that provide ratings of the credit quality of certain fixed income securities. In evaluating creditworthiness, the investment adviser considers ratings assigned by rating agencies and generally performs additional credit and investment analysis. Credit ratings issued by rating agencies are based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, the issuers financial condition and the rating agencys credit analysis, if applicable, at the time of rating. The ratings assigned are not absolute standards of credit quality and do not evaluate market risks or necessarily reflect the issuers current financial condition. An issuers current financial condition may be better or worse than the current rating indicates. A credit rating may have a modifier (such as plus, minus or a numerical modifier) to denote its relative status within the rating. The presence of a modifier does not change the security credit rating (for example, BBB- and Baa3 are within the investment grade rating) for purposes of the Funds investment limitations. If a security is rated differently by two or more rating agencies, the highest rating will be used for any Fund rating restrictions.
Lower Rated Securities. Investments in obligations rated below investment grade and comparable unrated securities (junk) have speculative characteristics because of the credit risk associated with their issuers. Changes in economic conditions or other circumstances typically have a greater effect on the ability of issuers of lower rated investments to make principal and interest payments than they do on issuers of higher rated investments. An economic downturn generally leads to a higher non-payment rate, and a lower rated investment may lose significant value before a default occurs. Lower rated investments generally are subject to greater price volatility and illiquidity than higher rated investments.
U.S. Treasury and Government Agency Securities. U.S. Treasury securities ( “ Treasury Securities ” ) include U.S. Treasury obligations that differ in their interest rates, maturities and times of issuance. U.S. Government Agency Securities ( “ Agency Securities ” ) include obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities and government-sponsored enterprises. Agency Securities may be guaranteed by the U.S. Government or they may be backed by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase the obligations, or the credit of the agency or instrumentality. While U.S. Government agencies may be chartered or sponsored by Acts of Congress, their securities are not issued and may not be guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury. To the extent that the Fund invests in securities
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of government-sponsored enterprises, the Fund will be subject to the risks unique to such entities. Government-sponsored enterprises, such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBs), the Private Export Funding Corporation (PEFCO), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Federal Farm Credit Banks (FFCB) and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), although chartered or sponsored by Congress, are not funded by congressional appropriations and the debt and mortgage-backed securities issued by them are neither guaranteed nor issued by the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government has provided financial support to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the past, but there can be no assurance that it will support these or other government-sponsored enterprises in the future. Treasury Securities and Agency Securities also include any security or agreement collateralized or otherwise secured by Treasury Securities or Agency Securities, respectively. As a result of their high credit quality and market liquidity, U.S. Government securities generally provide a lower current return than obligations of other issuers.
Asset-Backed Securities. Asset-backed securities represent interests in a pool of assets, such as home equity loans, commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS), automobile receivables or credit card receivables. Unscheduled prepayments of asset-backed securities may result in a loss of income if the proceeds are invested in lower-yielding securities. In addition, issuers of asset-backed securities may have limited ability to enforce the security interest in the underlying assets, and credit enhancements (if any) may be inadequate in the event of default. Asset-backed securities may experience losses on the underlying assets as a result of certain rights provided to consumer debtors under federal and state law. The value of asset-backed securities may be affected by the factors described above and other factors, such as the availability of information concerning the pool and its structure, the creditworthiness of the servicing agent for the pool, the originator of the underlying assets or the entities providing credit enhancements and the ability of the servicer to service the underlying collateral. The value of asset-backed securities representing interests in a pool of utilities receivables may be adversely affected by changes in government regulations. Under certain market conditions, asset-backed securities may be less liquid and may be difficult to value.
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities. CMBS include securities that reflect an interest in, and are secured by, mortgage loans on commercial real property. CMBS are subject to the risks described under Asset-Backed Securities above. CMBS also are subject to many of the risks of investing in the real estate securing the underlying mortgage loans. These risks reflect the effects of local and other economic conditions on real estate markets, the ability of tenants to make loan payments, and the ability of a property to attract and retain tenants. CMBS may be less liquid and exhibit a greater price volatility than other types of mortgage- or asset-backed securities.
The commercial mortgage loans that underlie CMBS have certain distinct risk characteristics. Commercial mortgage loans generally lack standardized terms, which may complicate their structure, tend to have shorter maturities than residential mortgage loans and may not be fully amortizing. Commercial properties themselves tend to be unique and are more difficult to value than single-family residential properties. In addition, commercial properties, particularly industrial and warehouse properties, are subject to environmental risks and the burdens and costs of compliance with environmental laws and regulations.
Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS). MBS represent participation interests in pools of adjustable and fixed-rate mortgage loans. MBS may be issued by the U.S. Government (or one of its agencies or instrumentalities) or privately issued but collateralized by mortgages that are insured, guaranteed or otherwise backed by the U.S. Government, or its agencies or instrumentalities. Adjustable rate mortgages are mortgages whose interest rates are periodically reset when market rates change. Unlike conventional debt obligations, MBS provide monthly payments derived from the monthly interest and principal payments (including any prepayments) made by the individual borrowers on the pooled mortgage loans. MBS that include loans that have had a history of refinancing opportunities are referred to as seasoned MBS. MBS that are not seasoned MBS are referred to as generic MBS. Seasoned MBS tend to have a higher collateral to debt ratio than other MBS because a greater percentage of the underlying debt has been repaid and the collateral property may have appreciated in value. MBS may be premium bonds acquired at prices that exceed their par or principal value.
The mortgage loans underlying MBS are generally subject to a greater rate of principal prepayments in a declining interest rate environment and to a lesser rate of principal prepayments in an increasing interest rate environment, although investment in seasoned MBS can mitigate this risk. Under certain interest and prepayment rate scenarios, the Fund may fail to recover the full amount of its investment in MBS, notwithstanding any direct or indirect governmental or agency guarantee. Moreover, if the Fund invests in interest only stripped MBS, it may fail to recoup its initial investment if the underlying mortgages experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal. Because faster than expected prepayments must usually be invested in lower yielding securities, MBS are less effective than conventional bonds in locking in a specified interest rate. For premium bonds, prepayment risk may be enhanced. In a rising interest rate environment, a declining prepayment rate will extend the average life of many MBS. This possibility is often referred to as extension risk. Extending the average life of a mortgage-backed security increases the risk of depreciation due to future increases in market interest rates. MBS that are purchased at a premium generate current income that exceeds market rates for comparable investments, but tend to decrease in value as they mature. MBS include classes of collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), including fixed- or floating-rate tranches, and various other MBS. In choosing among CMO classes, the investment adviser will evaluate the total income potential of each class and other factors.
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CMOs are subject to the same types of risks affecting MBS as described above. Mortgage dollar rolls involve the Fund selling MBS for delivery in the current month with a simultaneous contract entered to repurchase substantially similar (same type, coupon and maturity) securities on a specified future date (a mortgage roll). During the roll period, the Fund forgoes principal and interest paid on the MBS.
Eurodollar and Yankee Dollar Instruments. The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in Eurodollar and Yankee Dollar instruments. Eurodollar instruments are bonds that pay interest and principal in U.S. dollars held in banks outside the United States, primarily in Europe. Eurodollar instruments are usually issued on behalf of multinational companies and foreign governments by large underwriting groups composed of banks and issuing houses from many countries. Yankee Dollar instruments are U.S. dollar denominated bonds issued in the United States by foreign banks and corporations. These investments involve risks that are different from investments in securities issued by U.S. issuers, and may carry many of the same risks as investing in foreign securities.
Repurchase Agreements. A repurchase agreement is the purchase by the Fund of securities from a counterparty in exchange for cash that is coupled with an agreement to resell those securities to the counterparty at a specified date and price. Repurchase agreements that mature in more than seven days will be treated as illiquid. When a repurchase agreement is entered into, the Fund typically receives securities with a value that equals or exceeds the repurchase price, including any accrued interest earned on the agreement. The value of such securities will be marked to market daily, and cash or additional securities will be exchanged between the parties as needed. Except in the case of a repurchase agreement entered into to settle a short sale, the value of the securities delivered to the Fund will be at least equal to the repurchase price during the term of the repurchase agreement. The terms of a repurchase agreement entered into to settle a short sale may provide that the cash purchase price paid by the Fund is more than the value of purchased securities that effectively collateralize the repurchase price payable by the counterparty. Since in such a transaction the Fund normally will have used the purchased securities to settle the short sale, the Fund will segregate liquid assets equal to the marked to market value of the purchased securities that it is obligated to return to the counterparty under the repurchase agreement.
Inflation-Indexed Bonds. Inflation-indexed bonds (other than municipal inflation-indexed bonds and certain corporate inflation-indexed bonds) are fixed-income securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. If the index measuring inflation falls, the principal value of inflation-indexed bonds (other than municipal inflation-indexed bonds and certain corporate inflation-indexed bonds) will be adjusted downward, and consequently the interest payable on these securities (calculated with respect to a smaller principal amount) will be reduced. Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury in the case of U.S. Treasury inflation-indexed bonds. For bonds that do not provide a similar guarantee, the adjusted principal value of the bond repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal.
Municipal Obligations. Municipal obligations include bonds, notes, floating-rate notes and commercial paper issued by a municipality, a group of municipalities or participants in qualified issues of municipal debt for a wide variety of both public and private purposes. General obligation bonds issued by municipalities can be adversely affected by economic downturns and the resulting decline in tax revenues, pension funding risk, other post-employment benefit risk, budget imbalances, taxing ability risk, lack of political willpower and federal funding risk, among others. Revenue bonds are payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise tax or other specific revenue source such as payments from the user of the facility being financed and can be adversely affected by the negative economic viability of the facility or revenue source. Municipal obligations also include municipal leases and participations in municipal leases. An issuers obligation under such leases is often subject to the appropriation by a legislative body, on an annual or other basis, of funds for the payment of the obligations.
Certain municipal obligations may be purchased on a when-issued basis, which means that payment and delivery occur on a future settlement date. The price and yield of such securities are generally fixed on the date of commitment to purchase. The values of zero coupon bonds and principal only strips are subject to greater fluctuation in response to changes in market interest rates than bonds that pay interest currently. The Fund accrues income on these investments and is required to distribute that income each year. The Fund may be required to sell securities to obtain cash needed for income distributions.
Smaller Companies. Securities of smaller, less seasoned companies, which may include legally restricted securities, are generally subject to greater price fluctuations, limited liquidity, higher transaction costs and higher investment risk than the securities of larger, more established companies. Because of the absence of any public trading market for some of these investments (such as those which are legally restricted) it may take longer to liquidate these positions at fair value than would be the case for publicly traded securities.
Pooled Investment Vehicles. The Fund may invest in pooled investment vehicles. Pooled investment vehicles are open- and closed-end investment companies unaffiliated with the investment adviser, open-end investment companies affiliated with the investment adviser and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The market for common shares of closed-end investment companies and ETFs, which are generally traded on an exchange, is affected by the demand for those securities, regardless of the value of
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the funds underlying portfolio assets. The Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees and expenses paid by unaffiliated and certain affiliated pooled investment vehicles in which it invests, except that management fees of affiliated funds may be waived. If such fees exceed 0.01%, the costs associated with such investments will be reflected in Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table(s) in Fund Summary. Requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), may limit the Funds ability to invest in other investment companies including ETFs, unless the investment company has received an exemptive order from the SEC on which the Fund may rely.
Illiquid Securities. The Fund may not invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, which may be difficult to value properly and may involve greater risks than liquid securities. Illiquid securities include those legally restricted as to resale (such as those issued in private placements), and may include commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A thereunder. Certain Section 4(a)(2) and Rule 144A securities may be treated as liquid securities if the investment adviser determines that such treatment is warranted. Even if determined to be liquid, holdings of these securities may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers become uninterested in purchasing them.
Investing in the Portfolios. Because the advisory fee paid by each Portfolio differs, a Fund that invests in more than one Portfolio has the potential for a conflict of interest with the investment adviser in that assets could be allocated to a Portfolio for the reason that it has a higher advisory fee. However, in making allocation determinations, the portfolio manager must make determinations on the basis of the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders and under no circumstances are assets allocated to a Portfolio solely because it pays a higher advisory fee.
Securities Lending. The Fund 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. Loans will only be made to firms that have been approved by the investment adviser, and the investment adviser or the securities lending agent will periodically monitor the financial condition of such organizations while any loans are outstanding. In addition, loans will only be made when the investment adviser believes the expected returns, net of expenses, justify 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 Fund may lend up to one-third of the value of its total assets (including borrowings) or such other amount as is permitted under relevant law.
Borrowing. The Fund is permitted to borrow for temporary purposes (such as to satisfy redemption requests, to remain fully invested in anticipation of expected cash inflows and to settle transactions). Any borrowings by the Fund are subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act. Borrowings are also subject to the terms of any credit agreement between the Fund and lender(s). The Fund will be required to maintain a specified level of asset coverage with respect to all borrowings and may be required to sell some of its holdings to reduce debt and restore coverage at times when it may not be advantageous to do so. The rights of the lender to receive payments of interest and repayments of principal of any borrowings made by the Fund under a credit facility are senior to the rights of holders of shares with respect to the payment of dividends or upon liquidation. In the event of a default under a credit arrangement, the lenders may have the right to cause a liquidation of the collateral (i.e., sell Fund assets) and, if any such default is not cured, the lenders may be able to control the liquidation as well. Fund borrowings may be equal to as much as 33 1 / 3 % of the value of the Funds total assets (including such borrowings) less the Funds liabilities (other than borrowings). The Fund will not purchase additional investment securities while outstanding borrowings exceed 5% of the value of its total assets.
Cash and Cash Equivalents. The Fund may invest in cash or cash equivalents, including high quality short-term instruments or an affiliated investment company that invests in such instruments.
Portfolio Turnover. The annual portfolio turnover rate of the Fund may exceed 100%. A mutual fund with a high turnover rate (100% or more) may generate more capital gains and pay more commissions (which may reduce return) than a fund with a lower rate. Capital gains distributions will be made to shareholders if offsetting capital loss carry forwards do not exist.
Use of Fund-of-Funds Structure. As described above, the Fund invests in two Portfolios (Stock Portfolio and Core Bond Portfolio) in a so-called fund-of-funds structure. Use of this structure enables the Fund to pool its assets with other Portfolio investors. Resulting efficiencies in management and administration can lower Fund costs and enhance shareholder returns.
Stock Portfolio may issue and redeem its interests in exchange for securities, other instruments and/or cash, and seeks to transact on a basis that protects the Portfolio (and, indirectly, investors in the Portfolio) against the costs of accommodating investor inflows and outflows. The Portfolio does this by imposing a fee (Portfolio Transaction Fee) on inflows and outflows by Stock Portfolio investors, sized to cover the estimated cost to Stock Portfolio of, in connection with issuing interests, converting the cash and/or other instruments it receives to the desired composition and, in connection with redeeming its interests, converting Stock Portfolio holdings to the cash and or/other instruments to be distributed. Portfolio Transaction Fees apply to all investors in Stock Portfolio in the same manner to avoid discrimination among Stock Portfolio investors.
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
13
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
The amount of Portfolio Transaction Fees assessed by Stock Portfolio may vary over time, depending on estimated trading costs, processing costs and other considerations. Stock Portfolio generally imposes higher Portfolio Transaction Fees on cash transactions than in-kind contributions and withdrawals. As a result, different investors may pay different amounts of Portfolio Transaction Fees. In all cases, the Portfolio Transaction Fee is limited to amounts that have been authorized by the Board of Trustees and determined by Eaton Vance to be appropriate. The maximum Portfolio Transaction Fee imposed by Stock Portfolio is 2% of the amount of the contribution or withdrawal. Core Bore Portfolio generally issues and redeems its interests entirely for cash and currently does not impose Portfolio Transaction Fees, but could do so in the future.
Other investors in a Portfolio may have different expense structures and be offered and sold on different terms than the Fund. As a result, the Funds performance attributable to a Portfolio may differ from that of other investors in the same Portfolio, including other Eaton Vance-sponsored funds. Contribution and withdrawal activities by other Portfolio investors may impact the management of a Portfolio and its ability to achieve its investment objective. A large withdrawal by a Portfolio investor could have an adverse effect on other Portfolio investors.
As a Portfolio investor, the Fund may be asked to vote on certain Portfolio matters (such as changes in certain Portfolio investment restrictions). When necessary, the Fund will hold a meeting of its shareholders to consider Portfolio matters and then vote its interest in a Portfolio in proportion to the votes cast by its shareholders. The Fund can withdraw its Portfolio investments at any time without shareholder approval.
General. Unless otherwise stated, the Fund's investment objective and certain other policies may be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders will receive 60 days' advance written notice of any material change in the investment objective. During unusual market conditions, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash or cash equivalents temporarily, which may be inconsistent with its investment objective(s) and other policies. The Fund might not use all of the strategies and techniques or invest in all of the types of securities described in this Prospectus or the Statement of Additional Information. While at times the Fund may use alternative investment strategies in an effort to limit its losses, it may choose not to do so.
The Funds annual operating expenses are expressed as a percentage of the Funds average daily net assets and may change as Fund assets increase and decrease over time. Purchase and redemption activities by Fund shareholders may impact the management of the Fund and its ability to achieve its investment objective. In addition, the redemption by one or more large shareholders or groups of shareholders of their holdings in the Fund could have an adverse impact on the remaining shareholders in the Fund. Mutual funds, investment advisers, other market participants and many securities markets are subject to rules and regulations and the jurisdiction of one or more regulators. Changes to applicable rules and regulations could have an adverse effect on securities markets and market participants, as well as on the Funds ability to execute its investment strategy. With the increased use of technologies by Fund service providers, such as the Internet, to conduct business, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks.
Management and Organization
Management. Each Portfolios investment adviser is Boston Management and Research (BMR), an indirect subsidiary of Eaton Vance Corp. (EVC). Eaton Vance Management (Eaton Vance) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EVC. Eaton Vance and BMR have offices at Two International Place Boston, MA 02110. Eaton Vance has been managing assets since 1924 and managing mutual funds since 1931. Eaton Vance and its affiliates currently manage over $300 billion on behalf of mutual funds, institutional clients and individuals.
The Fund invests in Core Bond Portfolio and Stock Portfolio. The Fund is allocated its pro rata share of the advisory fees paid by the Portfolios in which it invests. For the year ended December 31, 2015, the Funds allocated portion of the advisory fees paid by the Portfolios amounted to 0.57% of the Funds average daily net assets. Additional information about each Portfolios advisory fees and portfolio managers is set forth below.
Under its investment advisory agreement with Core Bond Portfolio, BMR receives a monthly advisory fee as follows:
Average Daily Net Assets for the Month |
Annual Fee Rate
|
Up to $1 billion |
0.450% |
$1 billion up to $2 billion |
0.425% |
$2 billion up to $5 billion |
0.415% |
Over $5 billion |
0.405% |
*
Pursuant to a fee reduction agreement effective October 15, 2007.
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, the effective annual rate of investment advisory fee paid to BMR, based on average daily net assets of Core Bond Portfolio, was 0.45%.
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
14
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Thomas H. Luster and Bernard Scozzafava have served as portfolio managers of Core Bond Portfolio since February 2010. Mr. Luster is a co-director of Eaton Vances diversified fixed income group and is a Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR and has managed other Eaton Vance funds for over five years. Mr. Scozzafava has been a fixed-income analyst and portfolio manager at Eaton Vance for more than five years and is a Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR.
Under its investment advisory agreement with Stock Portfolio, BMR receives a monthly advisory fee as follows:
Average Daily Net Assets for the Month |
Annual Fee Rate
|
Up to $500 million |
0.600% |
$500 million but less than $1 billion |
0.575% |
$1 billion but less than $2.5 billion |
0.550% |
$2.5 billion but less than $5 billion |
0.530% |
$5 billion and over |
0.515% |
*
Pursuant to a fee reduction agreement effective January 1, 2016.
Prior to January 1, 2016, under its investment advisory agreement with Stock Portfolio, BMR received a monthly advisory fee as follows:
Average Daily Net Assets for the Month |
Annual Fee Rate
|
Up to $500 million |
0.650% |
$500 million but less than $1 billion |
0.625% |
$1 billion but less than $2.5 billion |
0.600% |
$2.5 billion and over |
0.575% |
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, the effective annual rate of investment advisory fee paid to BMR, based on average daily net assets of Stock Portfolio, was 0.65%.
Mr. Gaffney has served as the portfolio manager of Stock Portfolio and its predecessor fund since November 2007. He is a Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR and has managed other Eaton Vance portfolios for more than five years.
Eaton Vance serves as the administrator of the Fund, providing the Fund with administrative services and related office facilities. The Fund is authorized to pay Eaton Vance a fee of 0.04% of average daily net assets. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, the administration fee of the Fund was 0.04% of the Funds average daily net assets.
The Funds semiannual report covering the fiscal period ended June 30 provides information regarding the basis for the Trustees approval of the investment advisory agreement with regard to each Portfolio.
The Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about each portfolio managers compensation, other accounts managed by each portfolio manager, and each portfolio managers ownership of Fund shares with respect to which that portfolio manager has management responsibilities.
Eaton Vance provides sub-transfer agency and related services to Eaton Vance mutual funds pursuant to a Sub-Transfer Agency Support Services Agreement. For its services under the agreement, Eaton Vance receives an aggregate fee from such funds equal to the lesser of $2.5 million or its actual expenses incurred in performing such services.
Organization. The Fund is a series of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust, a Massachusetts business trust. The Fund offers multiple classes of shares. Each Class represents a pro rata interest in the Fund but is subject to different expenses and rights. The Fund does not hold annual shareholder meetings but may hold special meetings for matters that require shareholder approval (such as electing or removing trustees, approving management or advisory contracts or changing investment policies that may only be changed with shareholder approval).
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
15
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Valuing Shares
The Fund values its shares once each day only when the New York Stock Exchange (the Exchange) is open for trading (typically Monday through Friday), as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. eastern time). The purchase price of Fund shares is their net asset value (plus any applicable sales charge), which is derived from the value of Fund holdings, including the Fund's interest in the Portfolios. When purchasing or redeeming Fund shares through a financial intermediary, your financial intermediary must receive your order by the close of regular trading on the Exchange in order for the purchase price or the redemption price to be based on that days net asset value per share. It is the financial intermediarys responsibility to transmit orders promptly. The Fund may accept purchase and redemption orders as of the time of their receipt by certain financial intermediaries (or their designated intermediaries).
The Trustees have adopted procedures for valuing investments and have delegated to the investment adviser(s) the daily valuation of such investments. Pursuant to the procedures, exchange-listed securities and other instruments (including derivatives) normally are valued at last sale or closing prices. Non-exchange traded derivatives are normally valued on the basis of quotes obtained from brokers and dealers or pricing services. Such values may be based on valuation models, information provided by market makers or estimates of market values obtained from yield or market data relating to investments or securities with similar characteristics. Most debt securities are valued by an independent pricing service. In certain situations, the investment adviser(s) may use the fair value of a security if market prices are unavailable or deemed unreliable, or if events occur after the close of a securities market (usually a foreign market) and before portfolio assets are valued which would materially affect net asset value. In addition, for foreign equity securities and futures contracts on foreign indices that meet certain criteria, the Trustees have approved the use of a fair value service that values such securities to reflect market trading that occurs after the close of the applicable foreign markets of comparable securities or other instruments that have a strong correlation to the fair-valued securities. 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. Because foreign securities trade on days when Fund shares are not priced, the value of securities held by the Fund can change on days when Fund shares cannot be redeemed or purchased. Eaton Vance has established a Valuation Committee that oversees the valuation of investments.
Purchasing Shares
You may purchase shares through your financial intermediary or by mailing an account application form to the transfer agent (see back cover for address). Purchase orders will be executed at the net asset value (plus any applicable sales charge) next determined after their receipt in proper form (meaning that they are complete and contain all necessary information) by the Funds transfer agent. The Funds transfer agent or your financial intermediary must receive your purchase in proper form no later than the close of regular trading on the Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. eastern time) for your purchase to be effected at that days net asset value. If you purchase shares through a financial intermediary, that intermediary may charge you a fee for executing the purchase for you.
The Fund may suspend the sale of its shares at any time and any purchase order may be refused for any reason. The funds sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization (the Eaton Vance funds) do not accept investments from residents of the European Union or Switzerland. The funds also do not accept investments from other non-U.S. residents, provided that a fund may accept investments from certain non-U.S. investors at the discretion of the principal underwriter. The Fund does not issue share certificates.
As used throughout this Prospectus, the term employer sponsored retirement plan includes the following: an employer sponsored pension or profit sharing plan that qualifies under section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (such as a 401(k) plan, money purchase pension, profit sharing and defined benefit plan); ERISA covered 403(b) plan; TaftHartley multi-employer plan; and non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements that operate in a similar manner to a qualified retirement plan (including 457 plans and executive deferred compensation arrangements). Individual Retirement Accounts are not employer sponsored retirement plans for purposes of this definition.
Class A, Class B, Class C and Class R Shares
Your initial investment must be at least $1,000. Class B shares are only available for purchase upon exchange from another Eaton Vance fund or through reinvestment of distributions. After your initial investment, additional investments may be made in any amount at any time by sending a check payable to the order of the Fund or the transfer agent directly to the transfer agent (see back cover for address). Please include your name and account number and the name of the Fund and Class of shares with each investment. You also may make additional investments by accessing your account via the Eaton Vance website at www.eatonvance.com. Purchases made through the Internet from a pre-designated bank account will have a trade date that is the first business day after the purchase is requested (provided the request is submitted no later than the close of regular trading on the Exchange). For more information about purchasing shares through the Internet, please call 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time).
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
16
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
You may purchase additional shares by automatically investing a designated amount from your bank account on a periodic basis provided such investments equal a minimum of $200 per year. You must elect this privilege on your account application or by providing written instructions. Please call 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time) for further information. The minimum initial investment amount and Fund policy of redeeming accounts with low account balances are waived for bank automated investing accounts, certain group purchase plans (including employer sponsored retirement plans and proprietary fee-based programs sponsored by financial intermediaries) and for persons affiliated with Eaton Vance, its affiliates and certain Fund service providers (as described in the Statement of Additional Information).
Class I Shares
Class I shares are offered to clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class I shares through a no-load network or platform. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments, foundations and employer sponsored retirement plans. Class I shares also are offered to investment and institutional clients of Eaton Vance and its affiliates and certain persons affiliated with Eaton Vance. Your initial investment must be at least $250,000. Subsequent investments of any amount may be made at any time, including through automatic investment each month or quarter from your bank account. You may make automatic investments of $50 or more each month or each quarter from your bank account. You can establish bank automated investing on the account application or by providing written instructions. Please call 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time) for further information.
The minimum initial investment is waived for persons affiliated with Eaton Vance, its affiliates and certain Fund service providers (as described in the Statement of Additional Information). The minimum initial investment also is waived for: (i) permitted exchanges; (ii) employer sponsored retirement plans; (iii) corporations, endowments and foundations with assets of at least $100 million; and (iv) accounts of clients of financial intermediaries who (a) charge an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (b) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class I shares through a no-load network or platform (in each case, as described above), provided the total value of such accounts invested in Class I shares of Eaton Vance funds is at least $250,000 (or is anticipated by the principal underwriter to reach $250,000).
Class I shares may be purchased through a financial intermediary or by requesting your bank to transmit immediately available funds (Federal Funds) by wire. To make an initial investment by wire, you must complete an account application and telephone Eaton Vance Shareholder Services at 1-800-262-1122 to be assigned an account number. You may request an account application by calling 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time). Shareholder Services must be advised by telephone of each additional investment by wire.
Class R6 Shares
Class R6 shares are offered to employer sponsored retirement plans held in plan level or omnibus accounts; endowments; foundations; local, city, and state governmental institutions; corporations; charitable trusts; trust companies; bank trust departments; and insurance companies; clients of Eaton Vance Investment Counsel; and investment companies. In order to offer Class R6 shares to investors other than employer sponsored retirement plans, a financial intermediary must enter into a written agreement with the Funds principal underwriter to offer such shares.
There is no initial investment minimum for employer sponsored retirement plans and investment companies sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization. For all other eligible investors, the initial investment must be at least $1,000,000. Subsequent investments of any amount may be made at any time. Please call 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time) for further information.
Class R6 shares may be purchased through a financial intermediary or by requesting your bank to transmit immediately available funds (Federal Funds) by wire. To make an initial investment by wire, you must complete an account application and telephone Eaton Vance Shareholder Services at 1-800-262-1122 to be assigned an account number. You may request an account application by calling 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time). Shareholder Services must be advised by telephone of each additional investment by wire.
Restrictions on Excessive Trading and Market Timing. The Fund is not intended for excessive trading or market timing. Market timers seek to profit by rapidly switching money into a fund when they expect the share price of the fund to rise and taking money out of the fund when they expect those prices to fall. By realizing profits through short-term trading, shareholders that engage in rapid purchases and sales (including exchanges, if permitted) of a funds shares may dilute the value of shares held by long-term shareholders. Volatility resulting from excessive purchases and sales of fund shares, especially involving large dollar amounts, may disrupt efficient portfolio management. In particular, excessive purchases and sales of a funds shares may cause a fund to have difficulty implementing its investment strategies, may force the fund to sell portfolio securities at inopportune times to raise cash or may cause increased expenses (such as increased brokerage costs, realization of taxable capital gains without attaining any investment advantage or increased administrative costs).
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
17
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
A fund that invests all or a portion of its assets in foreign securities may be susceptible to a time zone arbitrage strategy in which shareholders attempt to take advantage of fund share prices that may not reflect developments in a foreign securities market that occur after the close of such market but prior to the pricing of fund shares. In addition, a fund that invests in securities that are, among other things, thinly traded, traded infrequently or relatively illiquid (including restricted securities and securities of certain small- and mid-cap companies) is susceptible to the risk that the current market price for such securities may not accurately reflect current market values. A shareholder may seek to engage in short-term trading to take advantage of these pricing differences (commonly referred to as price arbitrage). The investment adviser is authorized to use the fair value of a security if prices are unavailable or are deemed unreliable (see Valuing Shares). The use of fair value pricing and the restrictions on excessive trading and market timing described below are intended to reduce a shareholders ability to engage in price or time zone arbitrage to the detriment of the Fund.
The Boards of the Eaton Vance funds have adopted policies to discourage short-term trading and market timing and to seek to minimize their potentially detrimental effects. Pursuant to these policies, an Eaton Vance fund shareholder who, through one or more accounts, completes two round-trips within 90 days generally will be deemed to be market timing or trading excessively in fund shares. Two round-trips within 90 days means either (1) a purchase of fund shares followed by a redemption of fund shares followed by a purchase followed by a redemption or (2) a redemption of fund shares followed by a purchase of fund shares followed by a redemption followed by a purchase, in either case with the final transaction in the sequence occurring within 90 days of the initial transaction in the sequence. Purchases and redemptions subject to the limitation include those made by exchanging to or from another fund. Under the policies, the Fund or its sub-transfer agent or principal underwriter will reject or cancel a purchase order, suspend or terminate an exchange privilege or terminate the ability of an investor to invest in the Eaton Vance funds if the Fund or the principal underwriter determines that a proposed transaction involves market timing or excessive trading that it believes is likely to be detrimental to the Fund. The Fund and its principal underwriter use reasonable efforts to detect market timing and excessive trading activity, but they cannot ensure that they will be able to identify all cases of market timing and excessive trading. The Fund or its principal underwriter may also reject or cancel any purchase order (including an exchange) from an investor or group of investors for any other reason. Decisions to reject or cancel purchase orders (including exchanges) in the Fund are inherently subjective and will be made in a manner believed to be in the best interest of a Funds shareholders. No Eaton Vance fund has any arrangement to permit market timing.
The following fund share transactions (to the extent permitted by a funds prospectus) generally are exempt from the market timing and excessive trading policy described above because they generally do not raise market timing or excessive trading concerns:
·
transactions made pursuant to a systematic purchase plan or as the result of automatic reinvestment of dividends or distributions, or initiated by the Fund (e.g., for failure to meet applicable account minimums);
·
transactions made by participants in employer sponsored retirement plans involving participant payroll or employer contributions or loan repayments, redemptions as part of plan terminations or at the direction of the plan, mandatory retirement distributions, or rollovers;
·
transactions made by model-based discretionary advisory accounts; or
·
transactions made by an Eaton Vance fund that is structured as a fund-of-funds, provided the transactions are in response to fund inflows and outflows or are part of a reallocation of fund assets in accordance with its investment policies.
It may be difficult for the Fund or the principal underwriter to identify market timing or excessive trading in omnibus accounts traded through financial intermediaries. The Fund and the principal underwriter have provided guidance to financial intermediaries (such as banks, broker-dealers, insurance companies and retirement administrators) concerning the application of the Eaton Vance funds market timing and excessive trading policies to Fund shares held in omnibus accounts maintained and administered by such intermediaries, including guidance concerning situations where market timing or excessive trading is considered to be detrimental to the Fund. The Fund or its principal underwriter may rely on a financial intermediarys policy to restrict market timing and excessive trading if it believes that policy is likely to prevent market timing that is likely to be detrimental to the Fund. Such policy may be more or less restrictive than the Funds policy. Although the Fund or the principal underwriter reviews trading activity at the omnibus account level for activity that indicates potential market timing or excessive trading activity, the Fund and the principal underwriter typically will not request or receive individual account data unless suspicious trading activity is identified. The Fund and the principal underwriter generally rely on financial intermediaries to monitor trading activity in omnibus accounts in good faith in accordance with their own or Fund policies. The Fund and the principal underwriter cannot ensure that these financial intermediaries will in all cases apply the policies of the Fund or their own policies, as the case may be, to accounts under their control.
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
18
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Choosing a Share Class. The Fund offers different classes of shares. The different classes of shares represent investments in the same portfolio of securities, but the classes are subject to different expenses and will likely have different share prices due to differences in class expenses. A share class also may be subject to a sales charge. In choosing the class of shares that suits your investment needs, you should consider:
·
how long you expect to own your shares;
·
how much you intend to invest; and
·
the total operating expenses associated with owning each class.
Each investors considerations are different. You should speak with your financial intermediary to help you decide which class of shares is best for you. Set forth below is a brief description of each class of shares offered by the Fund.
Class A shares are offered at net asset value plus a front-end sales charge of up to 5.75%. This charge is deducted from the amount you invest. The Class A sales charge is reduced for purchases of $50,000 or more. The sales charge applicable to your purchase may be reduced under the right of accumulation or a statement of intention, which are described in Reducing or Eliminating Class A Sales Charges under Sales Charges below. Some investors may be eligible to purchase Class A shares at net asset value under certain circumstances, which are also described below. Class A shares pay distribution and service fees equal to 0.25% annually of average daily net assets.
Class B shares are offered at net asset value with no front-end sales charge, but are only available for purchase upon exchange from another Eaton Vance fund or through reinvestment of distributions. If you sell your Class B shares within six years of purchase, you generally will be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge or CDSC. The amount of the CDSC applicable to a redemption of Class B shares decreases over six years, as described in the CDSC schedule in Contingent Deferred Sales Charge under Sales Charges below. The CDSC is deducted from your redemption proceeds. Under certain circumstances, the Class B CDSC may be waived (such as in the case of the death of the shareholder). See CDSC Waivers under Sales Charges below. Class B shares pay distribution and service fees equal to 1.00% annually of average daily net assets. Class B shares automatically convert to Class A shares eight years after purchase.
Class C shares are offered at net asset value with no front-end sales charge. If you sell your Class C shares within one year of purchase, you generally will be subject to a CDSC. The CDSC is deducted from your redemption proceeds. Under certain circumstances, the CDSC for Class C may be waived (such as certain redemptions from employer sponsored retirement plans). See CDSC Waivers under Sales Charges below. Class C shares pay distribution and service fees equal to 1.00% annually of average daily net assets. Orders for Class C shares of one or more Eaton Vance funds will be refused when the total value of the purchase (including the aggregate market value of all Eaton Vance fund shares held within the purchasing shareholders account(s)) is $1 million or more. Investors considering cumulative purchases of $1 million or more should consider whether another Class of shares would be more appropriate and consult their financial intermediary.
Class I shares are offered to clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class I shares through a no-load network or platform. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments, foundations and employer sponsored retirement plans. Class I shares are also offered to investment and institutional clients of Eaton Vance and its affiliates, and certain persons affiliated with Eaton Vance and certain Fund service providers. Class I shares do not pay distribution or service fees.
Class R shares are offered at net asset value with no front-end sales charge to employer sponsored retirement plans and Individual Retirement Account rollover clients of financial intermediaries who charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services. Class R shares pay distribution and service fees equal to 0.50% annually of average daily net assets.
Class R6 shares are offered at net asset value to employer sponsored retirement plans and certain other investors as described under Class R6 Shares above. Class R6 shares are not subject to distribution fees, service fees or sub-accounting/recordkeeping or similar fees paid to financial intermediaries.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries. In addition to payments disclosed under “ Sales Charges ” below, the principal underwriter, out of its own resources, may make cash payments to certain financial intermediaries who provide marketing support, transaction processing and/or administrative services and, in some cases, include some or all Eaton Vance funds in preferred or specialized selling programs. Payments made by the principal underwriter to a financial intermediary may be significant and are typically in the form of fees based on Fund sales, assets, transactions processed and/or accounts attributable to that financial intermediary. Financial intermediaries also may receive amounts from the principal underwriter in connection with educational or due diligence meetings that include information concerning Eaton Vance funds. The principal underwriter may pay or allow other promotional incentives or payments to financial intermediaries to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations.
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
19
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Certain financial intermediaries that maintain fund accounts for the benefit of their customers provide sub-accounting, recordkeeping and/or administrative services to the Eaton Vance funds and are compensated for such services by the funds, provided that no such compensation is paid with respect to Class R6 shares. As used in this Prospectus, the term financial intermediary includes any broker, dealer, bank (including bank trust departments), registered investment adviser, financial planner, a retirement plan and/or its administrator, their designated intermediaries and any other firm having a selling, administration or similar agreement with the principal underwriter or its affiliates.
Sales Charges
Class A Front-End Sales Charge. Class A shares are offered at net asset value per share plus a sales charge that is determined by the amount of your investment. The current sales charge schedule is:
Amount of Purchase |
Sales Charge
*
|
Sales Charge
*
|
Dealer Commission
|
Less than $50,000 |
5.75% |
6.10% |
5.00% |
$50,000 but less than $100,000 |
4.75% |
4.99% |
4.00% |
$100,000 but less than $250,000 |
3.75% |
3.90% |
3.00% |
$250,000 but less than $500,000 |
3.00% |
3.09% |
2.50% |
$500,000 but less than $1,000,000 |
2.00% |
2.04% |
1.75% |
$1,000,000 but less than $3,000,000 |
0.00** |
0.00** |
TIERED** |
$3,000,000 or more |
0.00** |
0.00** |
TIERED** |
*
Because the offering price per share is rounded to two decimal places, the actual sales charge you pay on a purchase of Class A shares may be more or less than your total purchase amount multiplied by the applicable sales charge percentage.
**
No sales charge is payable at the time of purchase on investments of $1 million or more. The principal underwriter will pay a commission to financial intermediaries on sales of $1 million or more as follows: 1.00% on amounts of $1 million or more but less than $3 million; plus 0.75% on amounts of $3 million or more. A CDSC of 1.00% will be imposed on such investments (as described below) in the event of redemptions within 18 months of purchase.
The principal underwriter may also pay commissions of up to 1.00% on sales of Class A shares made at net asset value to certain employer sponsored retirement plans.
Reducing or Eliminating Class A Sales Charges. Front-end sales charges on purchases of Class A shares may be reduced under the right of accumulation or under a statement of intention. To receive a reduced sales charge, you must inform your financial intermediary or the Fund at the time you purchase shares that you qualify for such a reduction. If you do not let your financial intermediary or the Fund know you are eligible for a reduced sales charge at the time of purchase, you will not receive the discount to which you may otherwise be entitled.
Right of Accumulation. Under the right of accumulation, the sales charge you pay is reduced if the current market value of your holdings in the Fund or any other Eaton Vance fund (based on the current maximum public offering price) plus your new purchase total $50,000 or more. Shares owned by you, your spouse and children under age twenty-one may be combined for purposes of the right of accumulation, including shares held for the benefit of any of you in omnibus or street name accounts. In addition, shares held in a trust or fiduciary account of which any of the foregoing persons is the sole beneficiary (including employer sponsored retirement plans and Individual Retirement Accounts) may be combined for purposes of the right of accumulation. Shares purchased and/or owned in a SEP, SARSEP and SIMPLE IRA plan may be combined for purposes of the right of accumulation for the plan and its participants. You may be required to provide documentation to establish your ownership of shares included under the right of accumulation (such as account statements for you, your spouse and children or marriage certificates, birth certificates and/or trust or other fiduciary-related documents).
Statement of Intention. Under a statement of intention, purchases of $50,000 or more made over a 13-month period are eligible for reduced sales charges. Shares eligible under the right of accumulation (other than those included in employer sponsored retirement plans) may be included to satisfy the amount to be purchased under a statement of intention. Under a statement of intention, the principal underwriter may hold 5% of the dollar amount to be purchased in escrow in the form of shares registered in your name until you satisfy the statement or the 13-month period expires. A statement of intention does not obligate you to purchase (or the Fund to sell) the full amount indicated in the statement.
Class A shares are offered at net asset value (without a sales charge) to accounts of clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class A shares through a no-load network or platform, or self-directed brokerage accounts that may or may not charge transaction fees to customers. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments, foundations
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
20
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
and employer sponsored retirement plans. Class A shares also are offered at net asset value to investment and institutional clients of Eaton Vance and its affiliates; certain persons affiliated with Eaton Vance; and to certain fund service providers as described in the Statement of Additional Information. Class A shares may also be purchased at net asset value pursuant to the reinvestment privilege and exchange privilege and when distributions are reinvested. Shares held in commission-based broker-dealer accounts may not qualify for purchases of Class A shares at net asset value. See “ Shareholder Account Features ” for details.
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge. Class A, Class B and Class C shares are subject to a CDSC on certain redemptions. The CDSC generally is paid to the principal underwriter. Class A shares purchased at net asset value in amounts of $1 million or more are subject to a 1.00% CDSC if redeemed within 18 months of purchase. Class C shares are subject to a 1.00% CDSC if redeemed within one year of purchase. Class B shares are subject to the following CDSC schedule:
Year of Redemption After Purchase |
CDSC |
|
CDSCs are based on the lower of the net asset value at the time of purchase or at the time of redemption. Shares acquired through the reinvestment of distributions are exempt from the CDSC. Redemptions are made first from shares that are not subject to a CDSC. |
First or Second |
5% |
|
|
Third |
4% |
|
|
Fourth |
3% |
|
|
Fifth |
2% |
|
|
Sixth |
1% |
|
|
Seventh or following |
0% |
|
The sales commission payable to financial intermediaries in connection with sales of Class B and Class C shares is described under Distribution and Service Fees below.
CDSC Waivers. CDSCs are waived for certain redemptions pursuant to a Withdrawal Plan (see Shareholder Account Features) and in connection with certain redemptions from employer sponsored retirement plans. The CDSC is also waived following the death of a beneficial owner of shares (a death certificate and other applicable documents may be required).
Conversion Feature. After eight years, Class B shares automatically convert to Class A shares. Class B shares acquired through the reinvestment of distributions convert in proportion to shares not so acquired.
Distribution and Service Fees. Class A, Class B, Class C and Class R shares have in effect plans under Rule 12b-1 that allow the Fund to pay distribution fees for the sale and distribution of shares and service fees for personal and/or shareholder account services (so-called “ 12b-1 fees). Class B and Class C shares pay distribution fees to the principal underwriter of 0.75% of average daily net assets annually. Class R shares pay distribution fees of 0.25% annually of average daily net assets. Although there is no intention to do so, Class R could pay distribution fees of up to 0.50% annually upon Trustee approval. Because these fees are paid from Fund assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase your cost over time and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. The principal underwriter compensates financial intermediaries on sales of Class B and Class C shares (except exchange transactions and reinvestments) in an amount equal to 4% and 1%, respectively, of the purchase price of the shares. After the first year, financial intermediaries also receive 0.75% of the value of Class C shares in annual distribution fees. Class B, Class C and Class R shares also pay service fees to the principal underwriter equal to 0.25% of average daily net assets annually. Class A shares pay distribution and service fees equal to 0.25% of average daily net assets annually. After the sale of shares, the principal underwriter receives the Class A distribution and service fees and the Class B and Class C service fees for one year. Thereafter financial intermediaries generally receive from the principal underwriter 0.25% annually of average daily net assets based on the value of shares sold by such financial intermediaries for shareholder servicing performed by such intermediaries. After the sale of Class R shares, the principal underwriter generally pays service fees to financial intermediaries based on the value of shares sold by such intermediaries. Distribution and service fees are subject to the limitations contained in the sales charge rule of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
More information about sales charges is available free of charge on the Eaton Vance website at www.eatonvance.com and in the Statement of Additional Information. Please consult the Eaton Vance website for any updates to sales charge information before making a purchase of Fund shares.
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
21
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
You can redeem shares in any of the following ways:
The Fund's transfer agent or your financial intermediary must receive your redemption in proper form (meaning that it is complete and contains all necessary information) no later than the close of regular trading on the Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. eastern time) for your redemption to be effected at that days net asset value. Your redemption proceeds normally will be paid in cash within seven days, reduced by the amount of any applicable CDSC and any federal income and state tax required to be withheld. Payments will be sent by regular mail. However, if you have given complete written authorization in advance, you may request that the redemption proceeds be wired directly to your bank account. The bank designated may be any bank in the United States. The request may be made by calling 1-800-262-1122 or by sending a Medallion signature guaranteed letter of instruction to the transfer agent (see back cover for address). Certain redemption requests including those involving shares held by certain corporations, trusts or certain other entities and shares that are subject to certain fiduciary arrangements may require additional documentation and may be redeemed only by mail. You may be required to pay the costs of such transaction by the Fund or your bank. No costs are currently charged by the Fund. However, charges may apply for expedited mail delivery services. The Fund may suspend or terminate the expedited payment procedure upon at least 30 days notice.
If you recently purchased shares, the proceeds of a redemption will not be sent until the purchase check (including a certified or cashiers check) has cleared. If the purchase check has not cleared, redemption proceeds may be delayed up to 15 days from the purchase date. If your account value falls below $750 (other than due to market decline), you may be asked either to add to your account or redeem it within 60 days. If you take no action, your account will be redeemed and the proceeds sent to you.
While redemption proceeds are normally paid in cash, redemptions may be paid by distributing marketable securities. If you receive securities, you could incur brokerage or other charges in converting the securities to cash.
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
22
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Shareholder Account Features
Distributions. You may have your Fund distributions paid in one of the following ways:
*
If any distribution check remains uncashed for six months, Eaton Vance reserves the right to invest the amount represented by the check in Fund shares at the then-current net asset value of the Fund and all future distributions will be reinvested.
Information about the Fund. From time to time, you may receive the following:
·
Semiannual and annual reports containing a list of portfolio holdings as of the end of the second and fourth fiscal quarters, respectively, performance information and financial statements.
·
Periodic account statements, showing recent activity and total share balance.
·
Tax information needed to prepare your income tax returns.
·
Proxy materials, in the event a shareholder vote is required.
·
Special notices about significant events affecting your Fund.
Most fund information (including semiannual and annual reports, prospectuses and proxy statements) as well as your periodic account statements can be delivered electronically. For more information please go to www.eatonvance.com/edelivery.
The Eaton Vance funds have established policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio holdings and other information concerning Fund characteristics. A description of these policies and procedures is provided below and additionally in the Statement of Additional Information. Such policies and procedures regarding disclosure of portfolio holdings are designed to prevent the misuse of material, non-public information about the funds.
The Fund will file with the SEC a list of its portfolio holdings as of the end of the first and third fiscal quarters on Form N-Q. The Funds annual and semiannual reports (as filed on Form N-CSR) and each Form N-Q may be viewed on the SECs website (www.sec.gov). The most recent fiscal quarter-end holdings may also be viewed on the Eaton Vance website (www.eatonvance.com). Portfolio holdings information that is filed with the SEC is posted on the Eaton Vance website approximately 60 days after the end of the quarter to which it relates. Portfolio holdings information as of each month end is posted to the website approximately one month after such month end. The Fund also posts information about certain portfolio characteristics (such as top ten holdings and asset allocation) at least quarterly on the Eaton Vance website approximately ten business days after the period and the Fund may also post performance attribution as of a month end or more frequently if deemed appropriate.
Withdrawal Plan. You may redeem shares on a regular periodic basis by establishing a systematic withdrawal plan. Withdrawals will not be subject to any applicable CDSC if they are, in the aggregate, less than or equal to 12% annually of the greater of either the initial account balance or the current account balance. Because purchases of Class A shares are generally subject to an initial sales charge, Class A shareholders should not make withdrawals from their accounts while also making purchases.
Exchange Privilege. You may exchange your Fund shares for shares of the same Class of another Eaton Vance fund. For purposes of exchanges among Eaton Vance funds, Class A and Class I shares are deemed to be the same as Investor Class and Institutional Class shares, respectively, of other Eaton Vance funds. Exchanges are made at net asset value. If your shares are subject to a CDSC, the CDSC will continue to apply to your new shares at the same CDSC rate. For purposes of the CDSC, your shares will continue to age from the date of your original purchase of Fund shares. Any class of shares of a fund may be exchanged for any other class of shares of that fund, provided that the shares being exchanged are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conditions for investing in the other class of shares described in the applicable prospectus are satisfied.
Before exchanging, you should read the prospectus of the new fund carefully. Exchanges are subject to the terms applicable to purchases of the new funds shares as set forth in its prospectus. If you wish to exchange shares, write to the transfer agent (see
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
23
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
back cover for address), log on to your account at www.eatonvance.com or call 1-800-262-1122. Periodic automatic exchanges are also available. The exchange privilege may be changed or discontinued at any time. You will receive at least 60 days notice of any material change to the privilege. This privilege may not be used for market timing and may be terminated for market timing accounts or for any other reason. For additional information, see Restrictions on Excessive Trading and Market Timing under Purchasing Shares. Ordinarily exchanges between different funds are taxable transactions for federal tax purposes, while permitted exchanges of one class for shares of another class of the same fund are not. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors regarding the applicability of federal, state, local and other taxes to transactions in Fund shares.
Reinvestment Privilege. If you redeem shares, you may reinvest at net asset value all or any portion of the redemption proceeds in the same class of shares of the Fund you redeemed from, provided that the reinvestment occurs within 60 days of the redemption, and the privilege has not been used more than once in the prior 12 months. Under these circumstances your account will be credited with any CDSC paid in connection with the redemption. Any CDSC period applicable to the shares you acquire upon reinvestment will run from the date of your original share purchase. Reinvestment requests must be in writing. At the time of a reinvestment, you or your financial intermediary must notify the Fund or the transfer agent that you are reinvesting redemption proceeds in accordance with this privilege. If you reinvest, your purchase will be at the next determined net asset value following receipt of your request.
Telephone and Electronic Transactions. You can redeem or exchange shares by telephone as described in this Prospectus. In addition, certain transactions may be conducted through the Eaton Vance website. The transfer agent and the principal underwriter have procedures in place to authenticate telephone and electronic instructions (such as using security codes or verifying personal account information). As long as the transfer agent and principal underwriter follow reasonable procedures, they will not be responsible for unauthorized telephone or electronic transactions and you bear the risk of possible loss resulting from these transactions. You may decline the telephone redemption option on the account application. Telephone instructions are recorded.
Street Name Accounts. If your shares are held in a street name account at a financial intermediary, that intermediary (and not the Fund or its transfer agent) will perform all recordkeeping, transaction processing and distribution payments. Because the Fund does not maintain an account for you, you should contact your financial intermediary to make transactions in shares, make changes in your account, or obtain account information. You will not be able to utilize a number of shareholder features, such as telephone or internet transactions, directly with the Fund and certain features may be subject to different requirements. If you transfer shares in a street name account to an account with another financial intermediary or to an account directly with the Fund, you should obtain historical information about your shares prior to the transfer.
Procedures for Opening New Accounts. To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each new customer who opens a Fund account and to determine whether such persons name appears on government lists of known or suspected terrorists or terrorist organizations. When you open an account, the transfer agent or your financial intermediary will ask you for your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), residential or business street address (although post office boxes are still permitted for mailing) and social security number, taxpayer identification number, or other government-issued identifying number. You also may be asked to produce a copy of your drivers license, passport or other identifying documents in order to verify your identity. In addition, it may be necessary to verify your identity by cross-referencing your identification information with a consumer report or other electronic databases. Other information or documents may be required to open accounts for corporations and other entities. Federal law prohibits the Fund and other financial institutions from opening a new account unless they receive the minimum identifying information described above. If a person fails to provide the information requested, any application by that person to open a new account will be rejected. Moreover, if the transfer agent or the financial intermediary is unable to verify the identity of a person based on information provided by that person, it may take additional steps including, but not limited to, requesting additional information or documents from the person, closing the persons account or reporting the matter to the appropriate federal authorities. If your account is closed for this reason, your shares may be automatically redeemed at the net asset value next determined. If the Funds net asset value has decreased since your purchase, you will lose money as a result of this redemption. The Fund has also designated an anti-money laundering compliance officer.
Account Questions. If you have any questions about your account or the services available, please call Eaton Vance Shareholder Services at 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time), or write to the transfer agent (see back cover for address).
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
24
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Additional Tax Information
The Fund expects to pay any required distributions quarterly. Distributions may not be paid if Fund (and Class) expenses exceed Fund income for the period. Different Classes of the Fund will generally distribute different amounts. The Fund intends to distribute any net realized capital gains, if any, annually. It may also be necessary, due to federal tax requirements, for the Fund to make a special income and/or capital gains distribution at the end of the calendar year. The Fund expects to send shareholders a statement each February showing the tax status of all distributions.
A portion of any distribution of the Funds investment income may, and any distribution by the Fund of net realized short-term capital gains generally will be taxed as ordinary income. Distributions of any net gains from investments held for more than one year will be taxed as long-term capital gains. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the Portfolio or Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares in the Fund. Distributions of investment income reported by the Fund as derived from qualified dividend income (as further described in the Statement of Additional Information) will be taxable to shareholders at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain provided holding period and other requirements are met at both the shareholder and the Portfolio or Fund level. Over time, distributions by the Fund can generally be expected to include ordinary income, qualified dividend income and capital gain distributions taxable as long-term capital gains. A portion of the Funds income distributions may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporations. The Funds distributions will be taxable as described above whether they are paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares. A return of capital generally will not be taxable to shareholders but will reduce the cost basis of a shareholders shares and result in a higher reported capital gain or a lower reported capital loss when those shares are redeemed.
Investors who purchase shares at a time when the Funds net asset value reflects gains that are either unrealized or realized but not distributed will pay the full price for the shares and then may receive some portion of the purchase price back as a taxable distribution. Certain distributions paid in January may be taxable to shareholders as if received on December 31 of the prior year. A redemption of Fund shares, including an exchange for shares of another fund, is a taxable transaction.
Each Portfolio is treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes. Each investor in the Portfolio, including the Fund, is allocated its proportionate share of Portfolio income, gains, losses, expenses and other tax items. The Internal Revenue Code provides that a Portfolios distributions of appreciated property generally do not result in recognition by that Portfolio of capital gains on the distributed property. If appreciated securities held by a Portfolio are sold, the resulting capital gains will be allocated among investors in that Portfolio in proportion to their allocable share of the appreciation. Portfolio gains accumulated prior to the Funds investment in that Portfolio will not be allocated to the Fund or its shareholders.
The unearned income of certain U.S. individuals, estates and trusts is subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax. For individuals, the tax is on the lesser of the net investment income and the excess of modified adjusted gross income over $200,000 (or $250,000 if married filing jointly). Net investment income includes, among other things, interest, dividends, and gross income and capital gains derived from passive activities and trading in securities or commodities. Net investment income is reduced by deductions properly allocable to this income.
Each Portfolios investments in foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes or other foreign taxes with respect to income (possibly including, in some cases, capital gains) which may decrease the Funds yield on such securities. These taxes may be reduced or eliminated under the terms of an applicable tax treaty. Shareholders generally will not be entitled to claim a credit or deduction with respect to foreign taxes paid by the Portfolio. In addition, investments in foreign securities or foreign currencies may increase or accelerate the Funds recognition of ordinary income and may affect the timing or amount of the Funds distributions.
The Fund may be required to withhold, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, 28% of the dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds payable to shareholders who fail to provide the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number or make required certifications, or who have been notified by the Internal Revenue Service that they are subject to backup withholding. Certain shareholders are exempt from backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against a shareholders U.S. federal income tax liability.
Certain foreign entities may be subject to a 30% withholding tax on dividend income paid and after December 31, 2018 on redemption proceeds paid under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). To avoid withholding, foreign financial institutions subject to FATCA must agree to disclose to the relevant revenue authorities certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners and other foreign entities must certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners to the Fund. For more detailed information regarding FATCA withholding and compliance, please refer to the Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholders should consult with their tax advisors concerning the applicability of federal, state, local and other taxes to an investment.
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
25
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights
The financial highlights are intended to help you understand the Funds financial performance for the period(s) indicated. Certain information in the table reflects the financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all distributions at net asset value). This information has been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm. The report of Deloitte & Touche LLP and the Funds financial statements are incorporated herein by reference and included in the Funds annual report, which is available upon request.
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|||||||
|
2015 |
2014 |
||||||
|
Class A |
Class B |
Class C |
Class I |
Class A |
Class B |
Class C |
Class I |
Net asset value - Beginning of year |
$8.460 |
$8.470 |
$8.500 |
$8.460 |
$8.460 |
$8.470 |
$8.500 |
$8.460 |
Income (Loss) From Operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment income (1) |
$0.088 |
$0.025 |
$0.026 |
$0.109 |
$0.090 |
$0.024 |
$0.024 |
$0.115 |
Net realized and unrealized gain |
0.139 |
0.139 |
0.138 |
0.138 |
0.703 |
0.702 |
0.705 |
0.700 |
Total income from operations |
$0.227 |
$0.164 |
$0.164 |
$0.247 |
$0.793 |
$0.726 |
$0.729 |
$0.815 |
Less Distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From net investment income |
$(0.116) |
$(0.053) |
$(0.063) |
$(0.136) |
$(0.110) |
$(0.043) |
$(0.046) |
$(0.132) |
From net realized gain |
(0.381) |
(0.381) |
(0.381) |
(0.381) |
(0.683) |
(0.683) |
(0.683) |
(0.683) |
Total distributions |
$(0.497) |
$(0.434) |
$(0.444) |
$(0.517) |
$(0.793) |
$(0.726) |
$(0.729) |
$(0.815) |
Net asset value - End of year |
$8.190 |
$8.200 |
$8.220 |
$8.190 |
$8.460 |
$8.470 |
$8.500 |
$8.460 |
Total Return (2) |
2.65% |
1.88% |
1.86% |
2.88% |
9.62% |
8.78% |
8.78% |
9.89% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of year (000s omitted) |
$293,994 |
$7,992 |
$137,051 |
$78,055 |
$197,190 |
$10,022 |
$60,351 |
$24,397 |
Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets): (3) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenses (4) |
1.05% (6) |
1.80% (6) |
1.80% (6) |
0.80% (6) |
1.14% |
1.89% |
1.88% |
0.89% |
Net investment income |
1.05% |
0.29% |
0.30% |
1.29% |
1.02% |
0.27% |
0.28% |
1.31% |
Portfolio Turnover of the Fund (5) |
2% |
2% |
2% |
2% |
17% |
17% |
17% |
17% |
(See footnotes on last page.)
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
26
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights (continued)
|
Period Ended December 31, |
|||||||
|
2013 |
2012 |
||||||
|
Class A |
Class B |
Class C |
Class I |
Class A |
Class B |
Class C |
Class I (7) |
Net asset value - Beginning of period |
$7.570 |
$7.570 |
$7.600 |
$7.560 |
$6.910 |
$6.910 |
$6.940 |
$7.610 |
Income (Loss) From Operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment income (1) |
$0.077 |
$0.015 |
$0.015 |
$0.099 |
$0.096 |
$0.041 |
$0.041 |
$0.032 |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) |
1.491 |
1.501 |
1.502 |
1.500 |
0.694 |
0.692 |
0.693 |
(0.049) |
Total income (loss) from operations |
$1.568 |
$1.516 |
$1.517 |
$1.599 |
$0.790 |
$0.733 |
$0.734 |
$(0.017) |
Less Distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From net investment income |
$(0.101) |
$(0.039) |
$(0.040) |
$(0.122) |
$(0.130) |
$(0.073) |
$(0.074) |
$(0.033) |
From net realized gain |
(0.577) |
(0.577) |
(0.577) |
(0.577) |
|
|
|
|
Total distributions |
$(0.678) |
$(0.616) |
$(0.617) |
$(0.699) |
$(0.130) |
$(0.073) |
$(0.074) |
$(0.033) |
Net asset value - End of period |
$8.460 |
$8.470 |
$8.500 |
$8.460 |
$7.570 |
$7.570 |
$7.600 |
$7.560 |
Total Return (2) |
20.96% |
20.19% |
20.14% |
21.42% |
11.50% |
10.65% |
10.61% |
(0.22)% (8) |
Ratios/Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of period (000s omitted) |
$171,322 |
$11,770 |
$39,432 |
$6,198 |
$159,831 |
$10,966 |
$25,783 |
$5 |
Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets): (3) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenses (4) |
1.14% |
1.89% |
1.89% |
0.89% |
1.16% |
1.91% |
1.91% |
0.90% (9) |
Net investment income |
0.93% |
0.18% |
0.18% |
1.19% |
1.31% |
0.55% |
0.55% |
1.65% (9) |
Portfolio Turnover of the Fund (5) |
9% |
9% |
9% |
9% |
2% |
2% |
2% |
2% (10) |
(See footnotes on next page.)
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
27
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights (continued)
|
Year Ended December 31, |
||
|
2011 |
||
|
Class A |
Class B |
Class C |
Net asset value - Beginning of year |
$6.940 |
$6.940 |
$6.970 |
Income (Loss) From Operations |
|
|
|
Net investment income (1) |
$0.107 |
$0.055 |
$0.055 |
Net realized and unrealized loss |
(0.016) |
(0.018) |
(0.018) |
Total income from operations |
$0.091 |
$0.037 |
$0.037 |
Less Distributions |
|
|
|
From net investment income |
$(0.121) |
$(0.067) |
$(0.067) |
Total distributions |
$(0.121) |
$(0.067) |
$(0.067) |
Net asset value - End of year |
$6.910 |
$6.910 |
$6.940 |
Total Return (2) |
1.31% |
0.53% |
0.54% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
Net assets, end of year (000s omitted) |
$154,498 |
$12,903 |
$28,474 |
Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets): (3) |
|
|
|
Expenses (4) |
1.14% |
1.89% |
1.89% |
Net investment income |
1.54% |
0.78% |
0.79% |
Portfolio Turnover of the Fund (5) |
3% |
3% |
3% |
(1)
Computed using average shares outstanding.
(2)
Returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value with all distributions reinvested and do not reflect the effect of sales charges, if applicable.
(3)
Includes the Funds share of the Portfolios allocated expenses.
(4)
Excludes the effect of custody fee credits, if any, of less than 0.005%.
(5)
Percentage is based on the Funds contributions to and withdrawals from the Portfolios and excludes the investment activity of the Portfolios.
(6)
The administrator of the Fund reimbursed certain operating expenses (equal to less than 0.005% of average daily net assets for the year ended December 31, 2015). Absent this reimbursement, total return would be lower.
(7)
For the period from commencement of operations on September 28, 2012 to December 31, 2012.
(8)
Not annualized.
(9)
Annualized.
(10)
For the Funds year ended December 31, 2012.
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
28
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Further Information about the Portfolios
Balanced Fund normally invests in the following Portfolios. As such, shareholders will be subject to the investment strategies of the Portfolios. The investment objective(s) and principal strategies of each Portfolio are described below. The Portfolios may employ other types of strategies and invest in other types of securities that are not described below.
Core Bond Portfolio. The Portfolios investment objectives are to seek current income and total return. The Portfolio seeks to achieve its investment objectives by investing primarily in fixed-income securities, which may include corporate bonds, U.S. Government securities, money market instruments, mortgage-backed securities (including collateralized mortgage obligations and so-called seasoned mortgage-backed securities), commercial mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities (including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations) and convertible debt securities and other hybrid securities (which have characteristics of equity and debt securities). The Portfolio may invest significantly in securities issued by various U.S. Government sponsored entities, such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and Federal Home Loan Banks. Under normal market conditions, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in investment grade securities which are rated at least BBB by S&P or Baa by Moodys or Fitch or in unrated securities determined by the investment adviser to be of comparable quality (the 80% Policy). The Portfolio limits investment in securities rated below investment grade (i.e., rated below BBB by S&P or Baa by Moodys or Fitch) and credit derivatives where the credit rating of the reference instrument is below investment grade to not more than 15% of its total assets, and may invest in securities in any rating category, including those in default. For purposes of rating restrictions, if securities are rated differently by two or more rating agencies, the highest rating is used. The Portfolio may invest up to 10% of its net assets in inflation-linked debt securities. The Portfolio may also invest up to 10% of its net assets in municipal securities directly or through investments in other investment companies. The securities held by the Portfolio are expected to have an average effective maturity between five and ten years. The Portfolio may invest up to 25% of its total assets in foreign securities, some of which may be issued by issuers domiciled in emerging market countries. As an alternative to holding foreign securities directly, the Portfolio may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign companies that trade on U.S. exchanges in the over-the-counter market (including depositary receipts which evidence ownership in underlying foreign securities). The Portfolio may invest a portion of its assets in Eurodollar and Yankee Dollar Instruments. The Portfolio may lend its securities and may purchase securities on a when-issued basis and for future delivery by means of forward commitments. The Portfolio may, at times, engage in derivative transactions (such as options, swaptions, interest rate swaps, forward rate contracts, futures contracts, and options thereon forward foreign currency exchange contracts and credit derivatives) to seek to hedge against fluctuations in securities prices, interest rates or currency exchange rates, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for purchasing or selling securities or currencies. Permitted credit derivatives include credit default swaps, total return swaps and credit options. There is no stated limit on the Portfolios use of derivatives other than as stated above.
Stock Portfolio. The Portfolios investment objective is to achieve long-term capital appreciation by investing in a diversified portfolio of equity securities. Under normal market conditions, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its net assets in a diversified portfolio of common stocks (the 80% Policy). The Portfolio may invest in companies with a broad range of market capitalizations, including smaller companies. The Portfolio generally intends to maintain investments in all or substantially all of the market sectors represented in the S&P 500 Index. Particular stocks owned will not mirror the S&P 500 Index. The Portfolio may invest up to 25% of its assets in foreign securities issued by companies domiciled in developed or emerging market countries. As an alternative to holding foreign stocks directly, the Portfolio may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign companies that trade on U.S. exchanges or in the over-the-counter market (including depositary receipts which evidence ownership in underlying foreign stocks). The Portfolio may invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), a type of pooled investment vehicle, in order to equitize cash positions or seek exposure to certain markets or market sectors. The Portfolio may also invest in publicly traded real estate investment trusts and may lend its securities. The Portfolio may engage in derivative transactions to seek return, to hedge against fluctuations in securities prices or as a substitute for the purchase or sale of securities. The Portfolio expects to use derivatives principally when seeking to gain exposure to equity securities by writing put options or to generate income by writing covered call options or put options. The Portfolio may also enter into a combination of option transactions on individual securities. Permitted derivatives include: the purchase or sale of forward or futures contracts; options on futures contracts; exchange-traded and over-the-counter options; equity collars and equity swap agreements. There is no stated limit on the Portfolios use of derivatives.
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
29
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
More Information
About the Fund: More information is available in the Statement of Additional Information. The Statement of Additional Information is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. Additional information about the Fund's and each Portfolios investments is available in the annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Funds performance during the past fiscal year. You may obtain free copies of the Statement of Additional Information and the shareholder reports on Eaton Vances website at www.eatonvance.com or by contacting the principal underwriter:
Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc.
Two International Place
Boston, MA 02110
1-800-262-1122
website: www.eatonvance.com
You will find and may copy information about the Fund (including the Statement of Additional Information and shareholder reports): at the SECs public reference room in Washington, DC (call 1-202-551-8090 for information on the operation of the public reference room); on the EDGAR Database on the SECs website (www.sec.gov); or, upon payment of copying fees, by writing to the SECs Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549-1520, or by electronic mail at publicinfo@sec.gov.
Shareholder Inquiries: You can obtain more information from Eaton Vance Shareholder Services or the Fund transfer agent, BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. If you own shares and would like to add to, redeem from or change your account, please write or call below:
Regular Mailing Address:
|
|
Overnight Mailing Address:
|
|
Phone Number:
|
The Fund's Investment Company Act No. is 811-04015. |
|
21196 5.1.16 |
© 2016 Eaton Vance Management |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
Class A Shares - EACSX
Class C Shares - ECCSX
Class I Shares - EICSX
A non-diversified fund seeking total return
Prospectus Dated
May 1, 2016
The Securities and Exchange Commission ( “ SEC ” ) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have not approved or disapproved these securities or determined whether this Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Information in this Prospectus
|
Page |
|
Page |
Fund Summary |
2 |
Investment Objective & Principal Policies and Risks |
8 |
Investment Objective |
2 |
Management and Organization |
16 |
Fees and Expenses of the Fund |
2 |
Valuing Shares |
17 |
Portfolio Turnover |
2 |
Purchasing Shares |
18 |
Principal Investment Strategies |
3 |
Sales Charges |
21 |
Principal Risks |
3 |
Redeeming Shares |
23 |
Performance |
6 |
Shareholder Account Features |
24 |
Management |
7 |
Additional Tax Information |
26 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares |
7 |
Financial Highlights |
27 |
Tax Information |
7 |
Further Information about the Portfolio |
29 |
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries |
7 |
|
|
This Prospectus contains important information about the Fund and the services
available to shareholders. Please save it for reference.
Fund Summary
Investment Objective
The Funds investment objective is total return.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge if you invest, or agree to invest over a 13-month period, at least $50,000 in Eaton Vance funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary and in Sales Charges beginning on page 21 of this Prospectus and page
22
of the Funds Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) |
4.75% |
None |
None |
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lower of net asset value at purchase or redemption) |
None |
1.00% |
None |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Management Fees of the Fund and Subsidiary |
0.85% |
0.85% |
0.85% |
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees |
0.25% |
1.00% |
None |
Other Expenses (of the Fund and Subsidiary) |
|
|
|
Other Expenses of the Fund |
0.24% |
0.24% |
0.22% |
Other Expenses of the Subsidiary |
0.04 % |
0.04 % |
0.04 % |
Total Other Expenses |
0.28% |
0.28% |
0.26% |
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses |
0.47% |
0.47% |
0.47% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
1.85% |
2.60% |
1.58% |
Expense Reimbursement and Advisory Fee Reduction (1) |
(0.50) % |
(0.50) % |
(0.48) % |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement |
1.35% |
2.10% |
1.10% |
(1
)
Pursuant to the Funds investment advisory agreement, the Funds investment advisory fee is reduced by the Funds allocable portion of the advisory fees of the Global Macro Absolute Return Advantage Portfolio in which
it
invests a portion of its assets. The investment adviser and administrator have agreed to reimburse the Funds expenses to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 1.35% for Class A shares, 2.10% for Class C shares and 1.10% for Class I shares. This expense reimbursement will continue through April 30, 2017. Any amendment to or termination of this reimbursement would require approval of the Board of Trustees. The expense reimbursement relates to ordinary operating expenses only and does not include expenses such as: brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses of unaffiliated funds, interest expense, taxes or litigation expenses. Amounts reimbursed may be recouped by the investment adviser and administrator during the same fiscal year to the extent actual expenses are less than the contractual expense cap during such year.
Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over the portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was
50
% of the average value of its portfolio.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
2
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund seeks its investment objective by (i) gaining exposure through commodity-linked derivatives to a broad-based basket of commodities that are represented in the Bloomberg Commodity Index Total Return (the Index) and (ii) generating excess returns over the Index by allocating a target of approximately 50% (within a range of 40% to 60%) of the Funds total net assets to Global Macro Absolute Return Advantage Portfolio (the Portfolio), which invests in securities, derivatives and other instruments to establish long and short investment exposures around the world, with the balance invested in U.S. Treasury bills and other U.S. Treasury securities with maturities of one year or less. The Funds long and short exposures may consist of sovereign assets, including currencies, interest rates and debt instruments issued or guaranteed by sovereign entities. The Fund may also be exposed to other foreign and domestic debt instruments, including corporate debt and equity securities. The Fund may be exposed to instruments of any credit rating, including those rated below investment grade (rated below BBB by either Standard & Poors Ratings Services or Fitch Ratings, or below Baa by Moodys Investors Service, Inc.) or in unrated instruments considered to be of comparable quality by the investment adviser (often referred to as junk instruments). The Fund may have significant exposures in a geographic region or country and typically a portion will be invested in emerging market countries. Emerging market countries include so-called frontier market countries, which generally are considered by the portfolio managers to be less developed countries that (i) are not included in the JPMorgan Government Bond Index: Emerging Market (JPM GBI-EM) Global Diversified (the JPM GBI-EM), or (ii) represent 2% or less of the JPM GBI-EM. The Fund is non-diversified, which means it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer than a diversified fund.
Commodity-linked derivative instruments include commodity index-linked swap agreements and notes, commodity linked swaps, commodity options and futures and options on futures that provide exposure to the investment returns of commodity markets, without investing directly in physical commodities. Commodity index-linked notes may be leveraged or unleveraged. The Fund seeks to gain exposure to commodity markets, in whole or in part, through investments in Eaton Vance CSF Commodity Subsidiary, Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Fund organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the Subsidiary) with the same investment objective and principal investment strategies as the Fund. The Portfolio also operates a subsidiary primarily to gain exposure to commodities.
The Fund may invest in and be exposed to a wide variety of derivative instruments, including (but not limited to): forward foreign currency exchange contracts; futures on securities, indices, currencies, commodities, swaps and other investments; options; and interest rate swaps, cross-currency swaps, total return swaps and credit default swaps, which may create economic leverage in the Fund. The Fund may engage in derivative transactions to seek to enhance total return, hedge against fluctuations in securities prices, interest rates or currency exchange rates, change the effective duration of its portfolio, manage certain investment risks and/or as a substitute for the purchase or sale of securities, currencies or commodities. The Funds exposure to derivatives is frequently extensive and there is no stated limit on their use. The Fund may engage in repurchase agreements, reverse repurchase agreements, forward commitments, short sales and securities lending.
In managing the Fund, the investment adviser seeks broad-based exposure to commodities and to generate excess returns over its Index, while maintaining moderate return volatility relative to the Index. The investment adviser utilizes macroeconomic and political analysis to identify investment opportunities throughout the world, including both developed and emerging markets. The investment adviser seeks to identify countries and currencies it believes have potential to outperform investments in other countries and currencies, and to anticipate changes in global economies, markets, political conditions and other factors for this purpose.
As described above, the Fund invests a portion of its net assets in the Portfolio, a registered investment company managed by an affiliate of the Funds investment adviser. The Fund currently intends to obtain a majority of its commodity exposures through the Subsidiary.
Principal Risks
Risks of Commodity-Related Investments. The value of commodity investments will generally be affected by overall market movements and factors specific to a particular industry or commodity, which may include weather, embargoes, tariffs, and health, political, international and regulatory developments. Economic and other events (whether real or perceived) can reduce the demand for commodities, which may reduce market prices and cause the value of the Funds commodity investments to fall. The frequency and magnitude of such changes cannot be predicted. Exposure to commodities and commodity markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. No active trading market may exist for certain commodity investments, which may impair the ability of the Fund to sell or to realize the full value of such investments in the event of the need to liquidate such investments. In addition, adverse market conditions may impair the liquidity of actively traded commodity investments. Certain types of commodity instruments (such as total return swaps and commodity-linked notes) are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the instrument will not perform or will be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument. As noted under Principal Investment Strategies, the Fund expects to gain a significant portion of its commodity-related exposures by investing in the Subsidiary. See Subsidiary Risk and Tax Risk.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
3
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Subsidiary Risk. The Fund will be exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiarys investments. The Subsidiary invests in commodity-related investments, as well as securities and other instruments in which the Fund is permitted to invest. The Subsidiary is subject to the laws of the Cayman Islands and is not subject to U.S. laws, including securities laws and their protections and provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. Because the Subsidiary is not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, it may not be able to negotiate terms with its counterparties that are equivalent to those a registered fund may negotiate. As a result, the Subsidiary may have greater exposure to those counterparties than a registered fund. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Subsidiary to operate as described in the Fund's Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, and could adversely affect the Funds investment approach.
Tax Risk. In order for the Fund to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code (the Code), the Fund must derive at least 90 percent of its gross income each taxable year from certain qualifying sources of income. Commodity-related investments generally generate income that is not from a qualified source for purposes of meeting this 90 percent test. Numerous mutual funds have obtained private letter rulings from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that provide that income produced by certain types of commodity-linked notes or wholly-owned subsidiaries (like the Subsidiary) constitute qualifying income. The Fund received a private letter ruling from the IRS that income from certain commodity-linked notes and income derived from the Subsidiary constitute qualifying income. Should the IRS take action that adversely affects the tax treatment of investing in commodity-linked notes or the Subsidiary, it could limit the Funds ability to pursue its investment objective as described, and the Fund may incur transaction and other costs to comply with any new or additional guidance from the IRS. The tax treatment of commodity-related investments and income from the Subsidiary may be adversely affected by future legislation, Treasury Regulations and/or guidance issued by the IRS that could affect the character, timing and/or amount of the Funds taxable income or any gains and distributions made by the Fund.
Derivatives Risk. The use of derivatives can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the asset, index, rate or instrument underlying a derivative, due to failure of a counterparty or due to tax or regulatory constraints. Derivatives may create economic leverage in the Fund, which magnifies the Funds exposure to the underlying investment. Derivatives risk may be more significant when derivatives are used to enhance return or as a substitute for a cash investment position, rather than solely to hedge the risk of a position held by the Fund. A decision as to whether, when and how to use derivatives involves the exercise of specialized skill and judgment, and a transaction may be unsuccessful in whole or in part because of market behavior or unexpected events. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. Derivative instruments traded in over-the-counter markets may be difficult to value, may be illiquid, and may be subject to wide swings in valuation caused by changes in the value of the underlying instrument. If a derivatives counterparty is unable to honor its commitments, the value of Fund shares may decline and the Fund could experience delays in the return of collateral or other assets held by the counterparty. The loss on derivative transactions may substantially exceed the initial investment , particularly when there is no stated limit on the Funds use of derivatives .
Risk of Leveraged Transactions.
Certain Fund transactions may give rise to leverage. Such transactions may include, among others
, use of when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment transactions, short sales and certain derivative transactions. The Fund is required to segregate liquid assets or otherwise cover the Funds obligation created by a transaction that may give rise to leverage. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet segregation requirements. Leverage may cause the Funds share price to be more volatile than if it had not been leveraged, as certain types of leverage may exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Funds portfolio securities. The loss on leveraged investments may substantially exceed the initial investment.
Currency Risk. In general, fluctuations in foreign currency values will result in fluctuations in the U.S. dollar value of Fund securities denominated in that foreign currency. If the U.S. dollar rises in value relative to a foreign currency, a security denominated in that foreign currency will be worth less in U.S. dollars. If the U.S. dollar decreases in value relative to a foreign currency, a security denominated in that foreign currency will be worth more in U.S. dollars. The value of foreign currencies as measured in U.S. dollars may be unpredictably affected by changes in foreign currency rates and exchange control regulations, application of foreign tax laws (including withholding tax), governmental administration of economic or monetary policies (in the U.S. or abroad), intervention (or the failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks, and relations between nations. A devaluation of a currency by a countrys government or banking authority will have a significant impact on the value of any investments denominated in that currency. Currency markets generally are not as regulated as securities markets and currency transactions are subject to settlement, custodial and other operational risks. Exposure to foreign currencies through derivative instruments will be subject to derivative risks described herein.
Tracking Error Risk. Tracking error risk refers to the risk that the Funds performance may not match or correlate to that of the index it attempts to track, either on a daily or aggregate basis. Factors such as Fund expenses, imperfect correlation between the Funds investments and the index, rounding of share prices, changes to the composition of the index, regulatory policies, high portfolio turnover rate and the use of leverage all contribute to tracking error. Tracking error risk may cause the Funds performance to be less than expected.
Correlation Risk. Changes in the value of a hedging instrument may not match those of the investment being hedged. Commodity-linked structured notes may be structured in a way that results in the Fund ’ s performance significantly diverging from the index.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
4
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Fixed-Income Securities Risk.
If the Fund invests in fixed-income securities, the
performance
may be sensitive to increases in prevailing and expected interest rates and the creditworthiness of issuers. An imbalance in supply and demand in the market may result in valuation uncertainties and greater price volatility, less liquidity, widening credit spreads and a lack of price transparency in the market. Fixed-income securities rated below investment grade and comparable unrated securities have speculative characteristics because of the credit risk associated with their issuers. Changes in economic conditions or other circumstances typically have a greater effect on the ability of issuers of lower rated investments to make principal and interest payments than they do on issuers of higher rated investments. An economic downturn generally leads to a higher non-payment rate, and a lower rated investment may lose significant value before a default occurs. Lower rated investments generally are subject to greater price volatility and illiquidity than higher rated investments.
Risk of Lower Rated Investments.
Investments rated below investment grade and comparable unrated investments (junk
) have speculative characteristics because of the credit risk associated with their issuers. Changes in economic conditions or other circumstances typically have a greater effect on the ability of issuers of lower rated investments to make principal and interest payments than they do on issuers of higher rated investments. An economic downturn generally leads to a higher non-payment rate, and a lower rated investment may lose significant value before a default occurs. Lower rated investments typically are subject to greater price volatility and illiquidity than higher rated investments.
Interest Rate Risk. In general, the value of income securities will fluctuate based on changes in interest rates. The value of these securities is likely to increase when interest rates fall and decline when interest rates rise. Generally, securities with longer durations are more sensitive to changes in interest rates than shorter duration securities. In a rising interest rate environment, the duration of income securities that have the ability to be prepaid or called by the issuer may be extended. In a declining interest rate environment, the proceeds from prepaid or maturing instruments may have to be reinvested at a lower interest rate.
Credit Risk. Investments in debt obligations are subject to the risk of non-payment of scheduled principal and interest. Changes in economic conditions or other circumstances may reduce the capacity of the party obligated to make principal and interest payments on such instruments and may lead to defaults. Such non-payments and defaults may reduce the value of Fund shares and income distributions. The value of a debt obligation also may decline because of concerns about the issuers ability to make principal and interest payments. In addition, the credit ratings of fixed-income securities may be lowered if the financial condition of the party obligated to make payments with respect to such instruments changes. Credit ratings assigned by rating agencies are based on a number of factors and do not necessarily reflect the issuers current financial condition or the volatility or liquidity of the security. In the event of bankruptcy of the issuer of fixed-income securities, the Fund could experience delays or limitations with respect to its ability to realize the benefits of any collateral securing the instrument. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Funds operating expenses and adversely affect net asset value.
Short Sale Risk. Short sale risks include, among others, the potential loss of more money than the actual cost of the investment, and the risk that the third party to the short sale may fail to honor its contract terms, causing a loss to the Fund.
Foreign and Emerging Market Investment Risk. Because the Fund can invest a portion of its assets in foreign instruments, the value of shares may be adversely affected by changes in currency exchange rates and political, economic and market developments abroad, including the imposition of economic and other sanctions by the United States or another country. Investment markets in emerging market countries are typically smaller, less liquid and more volatile than developed markets, and emerging market securities often involve higher risk than developed market securities. Trading in foreign markets often involves higher expense than trading in the United States. The foregoing risks may be greater in frontier markets. The value of investments denominated in foreign currencies can be adversely affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates.
Economic data as reported by sovereign governments and foreign issuers may be delayed, inaccurate or fraudulent. In the event of a default by a sovereign entity, there are typically no assets to be seized or cash flows to be attached. Furthermore, the willingness or ability of a sovereign entity to renegotiate defaulted debt may be limited. Therefore, losses on sovereign defaults may far exceed the losses from the default of a similarly rated U.S. debt issuer.
Sector and Geographic Risk. Because the Fund may have significant investments in a particular sector of the commodities markets (such as agricultural, energy and natural resources, livestock, precious metals, industrial metals and others) or in a particular geographic region or country, the value of Fund shares may be affected by events that adversely affect that sector, region or country and may fluctuate more than that of a fund that invests more broadly.
Risks of Repurchase Agreements and Reverse Repurchase Agreements. In the event of the insolvency of the counterparty to a repurchase agreement or reverse repurchase agreement, recovery of the repurchase price owed to the Fund or, in the case of a reverse repurchase agreement, the securities sold by the Fund, may be delayed. In a repurchase agreement, such an insolvency may result in a loss to the extent that the value of the purchased securities decreases during the delay or that value has otherwise not been maintained at an amount equal to the repurchase price. In a reverse repurchase agreement, the counterpartys insolvency may result in a loss equal to the amount by which the value of the securities sold by the Fund exceeds the repurchase price payable by the Fund; if the value of the purchased securities increases during such a delay, that loss may also be increased. When the Fund 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 Funds assets. As a result, such transactions may increase fluctuations in the net asset value of the Funds shares. Because
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
5
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
reverse repurchase agreements may be considered to be the practical equivalent of the Fund borrowing funds (and the counterparty making a loan), they constitute a form of leverage. If the Fund 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 Funds yield.
Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves possible delay in recovery of the loaned securities or possible loss of rights in the collateral if the borrower fails financially.
Issuer Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified, which means it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer than funds that are diversified. Non-diversified funds face the risk of focusing investments in a small number of issuers, making them more susceptible to risks affecting such issuers than a more diversified fund might be.
Equity Investing Risk. Fund performance is sensitive to stock market volatility. Stock prices may decline in response to adverse changes in the economy or the economic outlook; deterioration in investor sentiment; interest rate, currency, and commodity price fluctuations; adverse geopolitical, social or environmental developments; issuer- and sector-specific considerations; and other factors. Market conditions may affect certain types of stocks to a greater extent than other types of stocks. If the stock market declines, the value of Fund shares will also likely decline. Although stock prices can rebound, there is no assurance that values will return to previous levels.
Market Risk. Economic and other events (whether real or perceived) can reduce the demand for investments held by the Fund, which may reduce their market prices and cause the value of Fund shares to fall. The frequency and magnitude of such changes cannot be predicted. Certain securities and other investments held by the Fund can experience downturns in trading activity and, at such times, the supply of such instruments in the market may exceed the demand. At other times, the demand for such instruments may exceed the supply in the market. An imbalance in supply and demand in the market may result in valuation uncertainties and greater price volatility, less liquidity, wider trading spreads and a lack of price transparency in the market. No active trading market may exist for certain investments, which may impair the ability of the Fund to sell or to realize the full value of such investments in the event of the need to liquidate such assets. Adverse market conditions may impair the liquidity of some actively traded investments. Fixed-income markets have recently experienced a period of relatively high volatility. As a result of the Federal Reserves action to end its quantitative easing stimulus program as well as the possibility that it may unwind the program and its recent decision to raise the target fed funds rate, fixed-income markets could experience continuing high volatility, which could negatively impact the Funds performance.
Risks Associated with Active Management. The success of the Funds investment program depends on portfolio managements successful application of analytical skills and investment judgment. Active management involves subjective decisions.
General Fund Investing Risks. The Fund is not a complete investment program and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. It is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund is designed to be a long-term investment vehicle and is not suited for short-term trading. Investors in the Fund should have a long-term investment perspective and be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, entity or person.
Performance
The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Funds performance from year to year and how the Funds average annual total returns over time compare with those of a broad-based securities market index. The returns in the bar chart are for Class A shares and do not reflect a sales charge. If the sales charge was reflected, the returns would be lower. The Funds performance reflects the effects of expense reductions. Absent these reductions, performance would have been lower. Past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Updated Fund performance information can be obtained by visiting www.eatonvance.com.
During the period from December 31, 2010 through December 31,
2015
, the highest quarterly total return for Class A was 9.74% for the quarter ended September 30, 2012, and the lowest quarterly return was -
14.31
% for the quarter ended September 30,
2015
.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
6
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Average Annual Total Return as of December 31,
|
One Year |
Five Year |
Life of Fund |
Class A Return Before Taxes |
-28.39% |
-14.85% |
-10.35% |
Class A Return After Taxes on Distributions |
-29.01% |
-15.21% |
-11.06% |
Class A Return After Taxes on Distributions and the Sale of Class A Shares |
-15.95% |
-10.32% |
-7.27% |
Class C Return Before Taxes |
-26.28% |
-14.67% |
-10.30% |
Class I Return Before Taxes |
-24.79% |
-13.82% |
-9.41% |
Bloomberg Commodity Index Total Return (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
-24.66% |
-13.46% |
-8.95% |
These returns reflect the maximum sales charge for Class A (4.75%) and any applicable contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) for Class C. Class A, Class C and Class I shares commenced operations on April 8, 2010. Investors cannot invest directly in an Index.
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. After-tax returns for other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Class A shares. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the Sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
Management
Investment Adviser. Eaton Vance Management (Eaton Vance) serves as investment adviser to the Fund. Boston Management and Research (BMR) serves as investment adviser to the Portfolio.
Portfolio Managers
John R. Baur , Vice President of Eaton Vance, has managed the Fund since November 2015 and the Portfolio since August 2010 .
Michael A. Cirami , Vice President of Eaton Vance, has managed the Fund since November 2015 and the Portfolio since August 2010 .
Eric A. Stein , Vice President of Eaton Vance, has managed the Fund since November 2015 and the Portfolio since August 2010 .
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase, redeem or exchange Fund shares on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. You may purchase, redeem or exchange Fund shares either through your financial intermediary or directly from the Fund either by writing to the Fund, P.O. Box 9653, Providence, RI 02940-9653, or by calling 1-800-262-1122. The minimum initial purchase or exchange into the Fund is $1,000 for each Class (with the exception of Class I) and $250,000 for Class I (waived in certain circumstances). There is no minimum for subsequent investments.
The Funds distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income and/or capital gains, unless you are exempt from taxation.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Funds shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (collectively, financial intermediaries), the Fund, its principal underwriter and its affiliates may pay the financial intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediarys website for more information.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Investment Objective & Principal Policies and Risks
A statement of the investment objective and principal investment policies and risks of the Fund is set forth above in Fund Summary. As noted in Fund Summary, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing a portion of its assets in the Portfolio and by investing directly in securities and other instruments. Set forth below is additional information about such policies and risks, as well as other types of investments and practices that the Fund may engage in from time to time or, in the case of the Portfolio, in Further Information about the Portfolio. References to the Fund below are to the Fund and the Portfolio, as applicable.
Commodities-Related Investments. Commodity-related investments include, but are not limited to, commodities contracts, commodity futures or options thereon (investments in contracts for the future purchase or sale of commodities); commodity exchange-traded funds (exchange-traded funds that track the price of a single commodity, such as gold or oil, or a basket of commodities); commodity exchange traded notes (non-interest paying debt instruments whose price fluctuates (by contractual commitment) with an underlying commodities index); total return swaps based on a commodity index (permitting one party to receive/pay the total return on a commodity index against payment/receipt of an agreed upon spread/interest rate); commodity-linked notes (providing a return based on a formula referenced to a commodity index); sovereign issued oil warrants (a sovereign obligation the coupon on which is contingent on the price of oil); precious metals; and any other commodities-related investment permitted by law. Commodities-related investments may be used to gain exposure to a particular type of commodity, basket of commodities, commodity market or commodity index, or to hedge such exposures or a position in a commodity producing country. In order to comply with the Code, the Fund expects to utilize the Subsidiary to gain exposure to commodity-related investments, but also may do so to invest in securities and other instruments in which the Fund is permitted to invest. (see Subsidiary Investments). As described under Tax Risk in the Fund Summary, the Fund relies on a private letter ruling issued by the Internal Revenue Service with respect to the tax treatment of an investment in the Subsidiary and certain commodity-linked notes.
Subsidiary Investments. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in the Subsidiary, which is permitted to invest in commodity-related investments as well as the securities and other instruments in which the Fund is permitted to invest. The Subsidiary is not subject to U.S. laws, including securities laws and their protections. The Subsidiary is subject to the laws of the Cayman Islands, which can be affected by developments in that country. The Subsidiary is operated in accordance with the 1940 Act investment restrictions that apply to the Fund, but is not subject to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. Because the Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act, it may not be able to negotiate terms with its derivative counterparties that are equivalent to those a registered fund may negotiate. As a result, the Subsidiary may have greater exposure to those counterparties than a registered fund. For tax purposes, all income or net capital gain allocated to the Fund from the Subsidiary would be treated as ordinary income to the Fund.
Derivatives. The Fund may enter into derivatives transactions with respect to any security or other instrument in which it is permitted to invest or any related security, instrument, index or economic indicator (reference instruments). Derivatives are financial instruments the value of which is derived from an underlying reference instrument. Derivatives transactions can involve substantial risk. Derivatives typically allow the Fund to increase or decrease the level of risk to which the Fund is exposed more quickly and efficiently than transactions in other types of instruments. The Fund incurs costs in connection with opening and closing derivatives positions. The Fund may engage in the derivative transactions set forth below, as well as in other derivative transactions with substantially similar characteristics and risks.
Certain derivative transactions may give rise to a form of leverage. The Fund is required to segregate or earmark liquid assets or otherwise cover the Funds obligation created by a transaction that may give rise to leverage. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet segregation requirements. Leverage may cause the Funds share price to be more volatile than if it had not been leveraged, as certain types of leverage may exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Funds portfolio securities. The loss on leverage transactions may substantially exceed the initial investment.
Commodity-Linked Notes. Leveraged or unleveraged commodity-linked notes are derivative debt instruments with principal and/or coupon payments linked to the performance of commodity indices. The Fund may also invest in commodity-linked notes with principal and/or coupon payments linked to the value of particular commodities or commodity futures contracts, or a subset of commodities and commodities futures contracts. These notes are sometimes referred to as structured notes because the terms of these notes may be structured by the issuer and the purchaser of the note. The value of these notes will rise or fall in response to changes in the underlying commodity, commodity futures contract, subset of commodities, subset of commodities futures contracts or commodity index.
These notes expose the Fund economically to movements in commodity prices. These notes also are subject to risks, such as counterparty, credit, market and interest rate risks. In addition, these notes are often leveraged, increasing the volatility of each notes market value relative to changes in the underlying commodity, commodity futures contract or commodity index. Therefore, at the maturity of the note, the Fund may receive more or less principal than it originally invested. The Fund might receive interest payments on the note that are more or less than the stated coupon interest payments.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Options on Securities, Indices and Currencies. The Fund may engage in transactions in exchange-traded and over-the-counter (OTC) options. There are several risks associated with transactions in options, such as imperfect correlation, counterparty risk and an insufficient liquid secondary market for particular options. By buying a put option, the Fund acquires a right to sell the underlying instrument at the exercise price, thus limiting the Fund's risk of loss through a decline in the market value of the instrument until the put option expires. The Fund will pay a premium to the seller of the option for the right to receive payments of cash to the extent that the value of the applicable instrument declines below the exercise price as of the option valuation date. If the price of the instrument is above the exercise price of the option as of the option valuation date, the option expires worthless and the Fund will not be able to recover the option premium paid to the seller. The Fund may purchase uncovered put options. The Fund also has authority to write (i.e., sell) put options. The Fund will receive a premium for writing a put option, which increases the Fund's return. In writing a put option, the Fund has the obligation to buy the underlying instrument at an agreed upon price if the price of such instrument decreases below the exercise price. If the value of the instrument on the option expiration date is above the exercise price, the option will generally expire worthless and the Fund, as option seller, will have no obligation to the option holder.
A purchased call option gives the Fund the right to buy, and obligates the seller to sell, the underlying instrument at the exercise price at any time during the option period. The Fund also is authorized to write (i.e., sell) call options on instruments in which it may invest and to enter into closing purchase transactions with respect to such options. A covered call option is an option in which the Fund, in return for a premium, gives another party a right to buy specified instruments owned by the Fund at a specified future date and price set at the time of the contract. The Fund's ability to sell the instrument underlying a call option may be limited while the option is in effect unless the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction. Uncovered call options have speculative characteristics and are riskier than covered call options because there is no underlying instrument held by the Fund that can act as a partial hedge. As the writer of a covered call option or an index call option, the Fund forgoes, during the options life, the opportunity to profit from increases in the market value of the security or the index covering the call option above the sum of the option premium received and the exercise price of the call, but has retained the risk of loss, minus the option premium received, should the price of the underlying security or index decline.
OTC options involve risk that the issuer or counterparty will fail to perform its contractual obligations. Participants in these markets are typically not subject to the same credit evaluation and regulatory oversight as are members of exchange-based markets. By engaging in option transactions in these markets, the Fund may take a credit risk with regard to parties with which it trades and also may bear the risk of settlement default.
Futures Contracts. The Fund may engage in transactions in futures contracts and options on futures contracts. Futures are standardized, exchange-traded contracts that obligate a purchaser to take delivery, and a seller to make delivery, of a specific amount of an asset at a specified future date at a specified price. The Fund also is authorized to purchase or sell call and put options on futures contracts. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts and options are imperfect correlation, liquidity, unanticipated market movement and counterparty risk.
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts. Certain forward foreign currency exchange contracts may be individually negotiated and privately traded so they are dependent upon the creditworthiness of the counterparty. Forward contracts are subject to the risk of political and economic factors applicable to the countries issuing the underlying currencies. Furthermore, unlike trading in most other types of instruments, there is no systematic reporting of last sale information with respect to the foreign currencies underlying forwards. As a result, available information may not be complete.
Interest Rate Swaps. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, e.g., an exchange of fixed rate payments for floating rate payments and the notional amount upon which the floating rate is accrued is denominated in another currency. The notional amounts are typically determined based on the spot exchange rate at the inception of the trade. Interest rate swaps involve counterparty risk and the risk of imperfect correlation.
Forward Rate Agreements. Under forward rate agreements, the buyer locks in an interest rate at a future settlement date. If the interest rate on the settlement date exceeds the lock rate, the buyer pays the seller the difference between the two rates. If the lock rate exceeds the interest rate on the settlement date, the seller pays the buyer the difference between the two rates. These transactions involve risks, including counterparty risk.
Credit Default Swaps. Credit default swap agreements (CDS) enable the Fund to buy or sell credit protection on an individual issuer or basket of issuers (i.e., the reference instrument). The Fund may enter into CDS to gain or short exposure to a reference instrument. Long CDS positions are utilized to gain exposure to a reference instrument (similar to buying the instrument) and are akin to selling insurance on the instrument. Short CDS positions are utilized to short exposure to a reference instrument (similar to shorting the instrument) and are akin to buying insurance on the instrument. In response to market events, federal and certain state regulators have proposed regulation of the CDS market. These regulations may limit the Funds ability to use CDS and/or the benefits of CDS. CDS involve risks, including the risk that the counterparty may be unable to fulfill the transaction or that the Fund may be required to purchase securities or other instruments to meet delivery obligations. The Fund may have difficulty, be unable or may incur additional costs to acquire such securities or instruments.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Inflation Swaps. Inflation swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, e.g. , an exchange of fixed rate payments for floating rate payments or an exchange of floating rate payments based on two different reference indices. By design, one of the reference indices is an inflation index, such as the Consumer Price Index. Inflation swaps can be designated as zero coupon, where both sides of the swap compound interest over the life of the swap and then the accrued interest is paid out only at the swaps maturity.
Total Return Swaps. In a total return swap, the buyer receives a periodic return equal to the total return of a specified security, securities or index, for a specified period of time. In return, the buyer pays the counterparty a variable stream of payments, typically based upon short term interest rates, possibly plus or minus an agreed upon spread. These transactions involve risks, including counterparty risk.
Counterparty Risk. A financial institution or other counterparty with whom the Fund or Subsidiary (collectively referred to as Fund) does business (such as trading or securities lending), or that underwrites, distributes or guarantees any investments or contracts that the Fund owns or is otherwise exposed to, may decline in financial condition and become unable to honor its commitments. This could cause the value of Fund shares to decline or could delay the return or delivery of collateral or other assets to the Fund. To limit the counterparty risk involved in swap agreements, the Fund will only enter into swap agreements with counterparties that meet certain standards of creditworthiness. Although there can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to do so, the Fund may be able to reduce or eliminate its exposure under a swap agreement either by assignment or other disposition, or by entering into an offsetting swap agreement with the same party or another creditworthy party. The Fund may have limited ability to eliminate its exposure under a credit default swap if the credit of the referenced entity or underlying asset has declined.
Credit Linked Notes, Credit Options and Similar Investments. Credit linked notes are obligations between two or more parties where the payment of principal and/or interest is based on the performance of some obligation, basket of obligations, index or economic indicator (a reference instrument). In addition to the credit risk associated with the reference instrument and interest rate risk, the buyer and seller of a credit linked note or similar structured investment are subject to counterparty risk. Credit options are options whereby the purchaser has the right, but not the obligation, to enter into a transaction involving either an asset with inherent credit risk or a credit derivative, at terms specified at the initiation of the option. These transactions involve risks, including counterparty risk.
Event-Linked Instruments. The Fund may obtain event-linked exposure by investing in event-linked bonds or event-linked swaps or by implementing event-linked strategies. Event-linked exposure results in gains or losses that typically are contingent, or formulaically related to defined trigger events. Examples of trigger events include hurricanes, earthquakes, weather-related phenomena, or statistics relating to such events. Some event-linked bonds are commonly referred to as catastrophe bonds. If a trigger event occurs, the Fund may lose a portion of its entire principal invested in the bond or notional amount on a swap. Event-linked exposure often provides for an extension of maturity to process and audit loss claims where a trigger event has, or possibly has, occurred. An extension of maturity may increase volatility. Event-linked exposure may also expose the Fund to certain unanticipated risks, including credit risk, counterparty risk, adverse regulatory or jurisdictional interpretations, and adverse tax consequences. Event-linked exposures may also be subject to liquidity risk.
Income Instruments.
Income instruments include all types of fixed and floating-rate bonds and notes, such as convertible securities
and other hybrid securities (other than preferred stock);
corporate commercial paper; mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities; inflation-indexed bonds issued by both governments and corporations; structured notes, including
indexed
securities; loans; loan participations and assignments; delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities;
and bank certificates of deposit, fixed time deposits, bank deposits (or investments structured to provide the same type of exposure) and bankers acceptances of foreign and domestic banks and other debt instruments. Income instruments are issued by: foreign governments or their subdivisions, agencies and government-sponsored enterprises; international agencies or supranational entities; the U.S. Government, its agencies or government-sponsored enterprises (or guaranteed thereby); central or quasi-sovereign banks and U.S. and foreign corporations. Income instruments include deep discount bonds, such as zero coupon bonds, deferred interest bonds, bonds or securities on which the interest is payable in-kind (PIK securities), which are debt obligations that are issued at a significant discount from face value, and securities purchased on a forward commitment or when-issued basis. While zero coupon bonds do not make periodic payments of interest, deferred interest bonds provide for a period of delay before the regular payment of interest begins. PIK securities provide that the issuer thereof may, at its option, pay interest in cash or in the form of additional securities.
Credit Quality. Rating agencies are private services that provide ratings of the credit quality of certain loans and other income securities. In evaluating creditworthiness, the investment adviser considers ratings assigned by rating agencies and generally performs additional credit and investment analysis. Credit ratings issued by rating agencies are based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, the issuers financial condition and the rating agencys credit analysis, if applicable, at the time of rating. The ratings assigned are not absolute standards of credit quality and do not evaluate market risks or necessarily reflect the issuers current financial condition. An issuers current financial condition may be better or worse than the current rating indicates. A credit rating may have a modifier (such as plus, minus or a numerical modifier) to denote its relative status within the rating. The presence of a modifier does not change the security credit rating (for example, BBB- and Baa3 are within the investment grade rating) for purposes of the Funds investment limitations. If a security is rated differently by two or more rating agencies, the highest rating will be used for any Fund rating restrictions.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Municipal Obligations. Municipal obligations include bonds, notes, floating-rate notes and commercial paper issued by municipalities and agencies and authorities established by those municipalities. Municipal debt may be used for a wide variety of public and private purposes, and the interest thereon may or may not be subject to U.S. federal income tax. Municipal obligations also include municipal leases and participations in municipal leases. An issuers obligation under such leases is often subject to the appropriation by a legislative body, on an annual or other basis, of funds for the payment of the obligations. Certain municipal obligations may be purchased on a when-issued basis, which means that payment and delivery occur on a future settlement date. The price and yield of such securities are generally fixed on the date of commitment to purchase.
Loans. Loans may be primary, direct investments or investments in loan assignments or participation interests. A loan assignment represents a portion of a loan previously attributable to a different lender. The purchaser of an assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations under the loan agreement so it has the same rights and obligations as the assigning investor. However, assignments through private negotiations may cause the purchaser of an assignment to have different and more limited rights than those held by the assigning investor. In connection with purchasing a participation interest, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement. In the event the borrower defaults, the Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the loan (if any) in which it has purchased the participation interest. As a result, the Fund may assume the credit risk of both the borrower and the financial institution issuing the participation interest.
Loan investments may be made at par or at a discount or premium to par and the interest payable on a loan may be at a fixed, adjustable or floating rate. Loans may be secured by specific collateral or other assets of the borrower, guaranteed by a third party or unsecured. A lenders repayment and other rights primarily are determined by governing loan, assignment or participation documents, which (among other things) typically establish the priority of payment on the loan relative to other indebtedness and obligations of the borrower. In the event of bankruptcy, applicable law may impact a lenders ability to enforce its rights under such documents. Investing in loans involves the risk of default by the borrower or other party obligated to repay the loan. In the event of insolvency of the borrower or other obligated party, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of such entity unless it has rights that are senior to that of other creditors or secured by specific collateral or assets of the borrower. Fixed rate loans are also subject to the risk that their value will decline in a rising interest rate environment. This risk is mitigated for floating-rate loans, where the interest rate payable on the loan resets periodically by reference to a base lending rate.
Although the overall size and number of participants in the market for many loans has grown over the past decade, such loans continue to trade in an unregulated inter-dealer or inter-bank secondary market and the amount of available public information about loans may be less extensive than that available for registered or exchange listed securities. With limited exceptions, the investment adviser will take steps intended to insure that it does not receive material nonpublic information about the issuers of Senior Loans that also issue publicly traded securities. Therefore, the investment adviser may have less information than other investors about certain of the Senior Loans in which it seeks to invest. Purchases and sales of loans are generally subject to contractual restrictions that must be satisfied before a loan can be bought or sold. These restrictions may impede the Funds ability to buy or sell loans, may negatively impact the transaction price and/or may result in delayed settlement of loan transactions. In light of the foregoing, if loans are a significant portion of Fund assets, the Fund may hold cash, sell investments or temporarily borrow to meet its cash needs, including satisfying redemption requests.
U.S. federal securities laws afford certain protections against fraud and misrepresentation in connection with the offering or sale of a security, as well as against manipulation of trading markets for securities. The typical practice of a lender in relying exclusively or primarily on reports from the borrower may involve the risk of fraud, misrepresentation, or market manipulation by the borrower. It is unclear whether U.S. federal securities law protections are available to an investment in a loan. In certain circumstances, loans may not be deemed to be securities, and in the event of fraud or misrepresentation by a borrower, lenders may not have the protection of the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws. However, contractual provisions in the loan documents may offer some protections, and lenders may also avail themselves of common-law fraud protections under applicable state law.
Convertible Securities. A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred security, or other security that entitles the holder to acquire common stock or other equity securities of the same or a different issuer. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on debt or the dividend paid on preferred securities until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities have characteristics similar to nonconvertible income securities. The value of a convertible security tends to be influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline. The credit standing of the issuer and other issuer and market factors also may have an effect on the convertible securitys value. A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible securitys governing instrument.
Hybrid Securities. Hybrid securities generally possess characteristics common to both equity and debt securities. Preferred stocks, convertible securities, and certain debt obligations are types of hybrid securities. Hybrid securities generally have a preference over common stock and perpetual or near perpetual terms. Hybrid securities generally do not have voting rights or have limited voting rights. Because hybrid securities have both debt and equity characteristics, their values vary in response to many factors, including general market and economic conditions, issuer-specific events, changes in interest rates, credit spreads and the credit quality of the issuer, and, for convertible securities, factors affecting the securities into which they convert.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Equity Securities.
Equity securities include: common stocks; preferred stocks, including convertible and
contingent
convertible preferred stocks; equity interests in trusts, partnerships, joint ventures and other unincorporated entities or enterprises; depositary receipts, rights and warrants in underlying equity interests; and other securities that are treated as equity for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Build America Bonds.
Build America Bonds are taxable municipal obligations issued pursuant to the American Recovery and Reimbursement Act of 2009 (the Act) or other legislation providing for the issuance of taxable municipal debt on which the issuer receives federal support. The Act
authorized
state and local governments to issue taxable bonds on which, assuming certain specified conditions
were
satisfied, issuers
could
either (i) receive reimbursement from the U.S. Treasury with respect to its interest payments on the bonds (direct pay Build America Bonds) or (ii) provide tax credits to investors in the bonds (tax credit Build America Bonds). Unlike most other municipal obligations, interest received on Build America Bonds is subject to federal income tax and may be subject to state income tax. Under the terms of the Act, issuers of direct pay Build America Bonds are entitled to receive reimbursement from the U.S. Treasury currently equal to 35% (or 45% in the case of Recovery Zone Economic Development Bonds) of the interest paid. Holders of tax credit Build America Bonds can receive a federal tax credit currently equal to 35% of the coupon interest received. The Fund may invest in principal only strips of tax credit Build America Bonds, which entitle the holder to receive par value of such bonds if held to maturity. The Fund does not expect to receive (or, if received, pass through to shareholders) tax credits as a result of its investments. The federal interest subsidy or tax credit continues for the life of the bonds.
Build America Bonds are an alternative form of financing to state and local governments whose primary means for accessing the capital markets has been through issuance of tax-free municipal bonds. Build America Bonds can appeal to a broader array of investors than the high income U.S. taxpayers that have traditionally provided the market for municipal bonds. Build America Bonds may provide a lower net cost of funds to issuers. Pursuant to the Act, the issuance of Build America Bonds ceased on December 31, 2010. As a result, the availability of such bonds is limited and the market for the bonds and/or their liquidity may be affected.
Forward Commitments. Fixed-income 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 such a transaction, the Fund is securing 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.
Inflation-Indexed Bonds. Inflation-indexed bonds (other than municipal inflation-indexed bonds and certain corporate inflation-indexed bonds) are fixed-income securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. If the index measuring inflation falls, the principal value of inflation-indexed bonds (other than municipal inflation-indexed bonds and certain corporate inflation-indexed bonds) will be adjusted downward, and consequently the interest payable on these securities (calculated with respect to a smaller principal amount) will be reduced. Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury in the case of U.S. Treasury inflation-indexed bonds. For bonds that do not provide a similar guarantee, the adjusted principal value of the bond repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal.
Foreign and Emerging Market Investments. Investments in foreign issuers could be affected by factors not present in the United States, including expropriation, armed conflict, confiscatory taxation, lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards, less publicly available financial and other information, and potential difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations. Because foreign issuers may not be subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standard practices and requirements and regulatory measures comparable to those in the United States, there may be less publicly available information about such foreign issuers. Settlements of securities transactions in foreign countries are subject to risk of loss, may be delayed and are generally less frequent than in the United States, which could affect the liquidity of the Funds assets.
Foreign issuers may become subject to sanctions imposed by the United States or another country, which could result in the immediate freeze of the foreign issuers assets or securities. The imposition of such sanctions could impair the market value of the securities of such foreign issuers and limit the Funds ability to buy, sell, receive or deliver the securities.
The Fund may invest in securities and other instruments (including loans) issued, guaranteed, or backed by sovereign entities. Economic data as reported by foreign governments and other issuers may be delayed, inaccurate or fraudulent. In the event of a default by a sovereign entity, there are typically no assets to be seized or cash flows to be attached. Furthermore, the willingness or ability of a foreign government to renegotiate defaulted debt may be limited. Therefore, losses on sovereign defaults may far exceed the losses from the default of a similarly rated U.S. corporate debt issuer.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
The foregoing risks of foreign investing can be more significant in emerging markets. Emerging markets may offer higher potential for gains and losses than investments in the developed markets of the world. Political and economic structures in emerging market countries generally lack the social, political and economic stability of developed countries, which may affect the value of the Funds investments in these countries and also the ability of the Fund to access markets in such countries. Governmental actions can have a significant effect on the economic conditions in emerging market countries, which also may adversely affect the value and liquidity of the Funds investments. The laws of emerging market countries relating to the limited liability of corporate shareholders, fiduciary duties of officers and directors, and bankruptcy of state enterprises are generally less developed than or different from such laws in the United States. It may be more difficult to obtain a judgment in the courts of these countries than it is in the United States. Disruptions due to work stoppages and trading improprieties in foreign securities markets have caused such markets to close. If extended closings were to occur in stock markets where the Fund is heavily invested, the Funds ability to redeem Fund shares could become impaired. In such circumstances, the Fund may have to sell more liquid securities than it would otherwise choose to sell. Emerging market securities are also subject to speculative trading, which contributes to their volatility.
Foreign Currencies. The value of foreign assets and currencies as measured in U.S. dollars may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in foreign currency rates and exchange control regulations, application of foreign tax laws (including withholding tax), governmental administration of economic or monetary policies (in this country or abroad), and relations between nations and trading. Foreign currencies also are subject to settlement, custodial and other operational risks. Currency exchange rates can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or the failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the United States or abroad. Costs are incurred in connection with conversions between currencies. The Fund may engage in spot transactions and forward foreign currency exchange contracts, purchase and sell options on currencies and purchase and sell currency futures contracts and related options thereon (collectively, Currency Instruments) to seek to hedge against the decline in the value of currencies in which its portfolio holdings are denominated against the U.S. dollar or to seek to enhance returns. Use of Currency Instruments may involve substantial currency risk and may also involve counterparty, leverage or liquidity risk.
Short Sales. The Fund may engage in covered short sales (on individual securities held or on an index or basket of securities whose constituents are held in whole or in part or for which liquid assets have been segregated). A short sale on an individual security typically involves the sale of a security that is borrowed from a broker or other institution to complete the sale. Short sales expose the seller to the risk that it will be required to acquire securities to replace the borrowed securities (also known as covering the short position) at a time when the securities sold short have appreciated in value, thus resulting in a loss. When making a short sale, the Fund must segregate liquid assets with a broker or the custodian equal to (or otherwise cover) its obligations under the short sale. The seller of a short position generally realizes a profit on the transaction if the price it receives on the short sale exceeds the cost of closing out the position by purchasing securities in the market, but generally realizes a loss if the cost of closing out the short position exceeds the proceeds of the short sale.
Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS). MBS represent participation interests in pools of adjustable and fixed-rate mortgage loans. MBS may be issued by the U.S. Government (or one of its agencies or instrumentalities) or privately issued but collateralized by mortgages that are insured, guaranteed or otherwise backed by the U.S. Government, or its agencies or instrumentalities. Adjustable rate mortgages are mortgages whose interest rates are periodically reset when market rates change. Unlike conventional debt obligations, MBS provide monthly payments derived from the monthly interest and principal payments (including any prepayments) made by the individual borrowers on the pooled mortgage loans. MBS that include loans that have had a history of refinancing opportunities are referred to as seasoned MBS. MBS that are not seasoned MBS are referred to as generic MBS. Seasoned MBS tend to have a higher collateral to debt ratio than other MBS because a greater percentage of the underlying debt has been repaid and the collateral property may have appreciated in value. MBS may be premium bonds acquired at prices that exceed their par or principal value.
The mortgage loans underlying MBS are generally subject to a greater rate of principal prepayments in a declining interest rate environment and to a lesser rate of principal prepayments in an increasing interest rate environment, although investment in seasoned MBS can mitigate this risk. Under certain interest and prepayment rate scenarios, the Fund may fail to recover the full amount of its investment in MBS, notwithstanding any direct or indirect governmental or agency guarantee. Moreover, if the Fund invests in interest only stripped MBS, it may fail to recoup its initial investment if the underlying mortgages experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal. Because faster than expected prepayments must usually be invested in lower yielding securities, MBS are less effective than conventional bonds in locking in a specified interest rate. For premium bonds, prepayment risk may be enhanced. In a rising interest rate environment, a declining prepayment rate will extend the average life of many MBS. This possibility is often referred to as extension risk. Extending the average life of a mortgage-backed security increases the risk of depreciation due to future increases in market interest rates. MBS that are purchased at a premium generate current income that exceeds market rates for comparable investments, but tend to decrease in value as they mature. MBS include classes of collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), including fixed- or floating-rate tranches, and various other MBS. In choosing among CMO classes, the investment adviser will evaluate the total income potential of each class and other factors. CMOs are subject to the same types of risks affecting MBS as described above. Mortgage dollar rolls involve the Fund selling MBS for delivery in the current month with a simultaneous contract entered to repurchase substantially similar (same type, coupon and maturity) securities on a specified future date (a mortgage roll). During the roll period, the Fund forgoes principal and interest paid on the MBS.
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Repurchase Agreements. A repurchase agreement is the purchase by the Fund of securities from a counterparty in exchange for cash that is coupled with an agreement to resell those securities to the counterparty at a specified date and price. Repurchase agreements that mature in more than seven days will be treated as illiquid. When a repurchase agreement is entered into, the Fund typically receives securities with a value that equals or exceeds the repurchase price, including any accrued interest earned on the agreement. The value of such securities will be marked to market daily, and cash or additional securities will be exchanged between the parties as needed. Except in the case of a repurchase agreement entered into to settle a short sale, the value of the securities delivered to the Fund will be at least equal to the repurchase price during the term of the repurchase agreement. The terms of a repurchase agreement entered into to settle a short sale may provide that the cash purchase price paid by the Fund is more than the value of purchased securities that effectively collateralize the repurchase price payable by the counterparty. Since in such a transaction the Fund normally will have used the purchased securities to settle the short sale, the Fund will segregate liquid assets equal to the marked to market value of the purchased securities that it is obligated to return to the counterparty under the repurchase agreement.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements. Under a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund 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 Fund agrees to repurchase the instrument at an agreed upon time (normally within seven days) and price, which reflects an interest payment. The Fund may enter into such agreements when it believes it is able to invest the cash acquired at a rate higher than the cost of the agreement, which would increase earned income. The Fund could also enter into reverse repurchase agreements as a means of raising cash to satisfy redemption requests without the necessity of selling portfolio assets.
Asset-Backed Securities. Asset-backed securities represent interests in a pool of assets, such as home equity loans, commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS), automobile receivables or credit card receivables. Unscheduled prepayments of asset-backed securities may result in a loss of income if the proceeds are invested in lower-yielding securities. In addition, issuers of asset-backed securities may have limited ability to enforce the security interest in the underlying assets, and credit enhancements (if any) may be inadequate in the event of default. Asset-backed securities may experience losses on the underlying assets as a result of certain rights provided to consumer debtors under federal and state law. The value of asset-backed securities may be affected by the factors described above and other factors, such as the availability of information concerning the pool and its structure, the creditworthiness of the servicing agent for the pool, the originator of the underlying assets or the entities providing credit enhancements and the ability of the servicer to service the underlying collateral. The value of asset-backed securities representing interests in a pool of utilities receivables may be adversely affected by changes in government regulations. Under certain market conditions, asset-backed securities may be less liquid and may be difficult to value.
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities. CMBS include securities that reflect an interest in, and are secured by, mortgage loans on commercial real property. CMBS are subject to the risks described under Asset-Backed Securities above. CMBS also are subject to many of the risks of investing in the real estate securing the underlying mortgage loans. These risks reflect the effects of local and other economic conditions on real estate markets, the ability of tenants to make loan payments, and the ability of a property to attract and retain tenants. CMBS may be less liquid and exhibit a greater price volatility than other types of mortgage- or asset-backed securities. The Fund's direct and indirect investments in CMBS will not exceed 25% of its net assets. For the purposes of the Fund's industry concentration policy, CMBS will be categorized based on the underlying assets of the CMBS (retail, office, warehouse, multifamily, defeased collateral, etc.).
The commercial mortgage loans that underlie CMBS have certain distinct risk characteristics. Commercial mortgage loans generally lack standardized terms, which may complicate their structure, tend to have shorter maturities than residential mortgage loans and may not be fully amortizing. Commercial properties themselves tend to be unique and are more difficult to value than single-family residential properties. In addition, commercial properties, particularly industrial and warehouse properties, are subject to environmental risks and the burdens and costs of compliance with environmental laws and regulations.
Securities Lending. The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to broker-dealers and other institutional borrowers. During the existence of a loan, the Fund will continue to receive the equivalent of the interest paid by the issuer on the securities loaned, or all or a portion of the interest on investment of the collateral, if any. The Fund may pay lending fees to such 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. Loans only will be made to firms that have been approved by the investment adviser, and the investment adviser or the securities lending agent will periodically monitor the financial condition of such firms while such loans are outstanding. Securities loans only will be made when the investment adviser believes that the expected returns, net of expenses, justifies the attendant risks. The Fund may engage in securities lending for total return as well as for income, and expects to invest the collateral received from loans in securities in which the Fund may invest. To the extent that the portfolio securities acquired with such collateral have decreased in value, it may result in the Fund realizing a loss at a time when it would not otherwise do so. This risk is substantially the same as that incurred through investment leverage. The Fund also may incur losses if the returns on securities that it acquires with cash collateral are less than the applicable rebate rates paid to borrowers and related administrative costs. Upon return of the loaned securities, the Fund would be required to return the related collateral to the borrower and may be required to liquidate portfolio securities in order to do so. The Fund may lend up to one-third of the value of its total assets or such other amount as may be permitted by law.
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Pooled Investment Vehicles.
The Fund may invest in pooled investment vehicles. Pooled investment vehicles are open- and closed-end investment companies unaffiliated with the investment adviser
,
open-end investment companies affiliated with the investment adviser and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The market for common shares of closed-end investment companies and ETFs, which are generally traded on an exchange, is affected by the demand for those securities, regardless of the value of the funds underlying portfolio assets. The Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees and expenses paid by unaffiliated and certain affiliated pooled investment vehicles in which it invests, except that management fees of affiliated funds may be waived. If such fees exceed 0.01%, the costs associated with such investments will be reflected in Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table(s) in Fund Summary. Requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), may limit the Funds ability to invest in other investment companies including ETFs, unless the investment company has received an exemptive order from the SEC on which the Fund may rely.
Borrowing. The Fund is permitted to borrow for temporary purposes (such as to satisfy redemption requests, to remain fully invested in anticipation of expected cash inflows and to settle transactions). Any borrowings by the Fund are subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act. Borrowings are also subject to the terms of any credit agreement between the Fund and lender(s). The Fund will be required to maintain a specified level of asset coverage with respect to all borrowings and may be required to sell some of its holdings to reduce debt and restore coverage at times when it may not be advantageous to do so. The rights of the lender to receive payments of interest and repayments of principal of any borrowings made by the Fund under a credit facility are senior to the rights of holders of shares with respect to the payment of dividends or upon liquidation. In the event of a default under a credit arrangement, the lenders may have the right to cause a liquidation of the collateral (i.e., sell Fund assets) and, if any such default is not cured, the lenders may be able to control the liquidation as well. Fund borrowings may be equal to as much as 33 1 / 3 % of the value of the Funds total assets (including such borrowings) less the Funds liabilities (other than borrowings). The Fund will not purchase additional investment securities while outstanding borrowings exceed 5% of the value of its total assets.
Illiquid Securities. The Fund may not invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, which may be difficult to value properly and may involve greater risks than liquid securities. Illiquid securities include those legally restricted as to resale (such as those issued in private placements), and may include commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A thereunder. Certain Section 4(a)(2) and Rule 144A securities may be treated as liquid securities if the investment adviser determines that such treatment is warranted. Even if determined to be liquid, holdings of these securities may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers become uninterested in purchasing them.
Cash and Cash Equivalents. The Fund may invest in cash or cash equivalents, including high quality short-term instruments or an affiliated investment company that invests in such instruments.
Portfolio Turnover. The annual portfolio turnover rate of the Fund may exceed 100%. A mutual fund with a high turnover rate (100% or more) may generate more capital gains and pay more commissions (which may reduce return) than a fund with a lower rate. Capital gains distributions (which reduce the after-tax returns of shareholders holding Fund shares in taxable accounts) will be made to shareholders if offsetting capital loss carry forwards do not exist.
Investing in a Portfolio. Contribution and withdrawal activities by other Portfolio investors may impact the management of the Portfolio and its ability to achieve its investment objective. A large withdrawal by the Portfolio investor could have an adverse effect on other Portfolio investors. The Funds Adviser or its affiliate also serves as investment adviser to the Portfolio. Therefore, conflicts may arise as the Adviser fulfills its fiduciary responsibilities to the Fund and the corresponding Portfolio.
As a Portfolio investor, the Fund may be asked to vote on certain Portfolio matters (such as changes in certain Portfolio investment restrictions). When necessary, the Fund will hold a meeting of its shareholders to consider Portfolio matters and then vote its interest in the Portfolio in proportion to the votes cast by its shareholders. The Fund can withdraw its Portfolio investment at any time without shareholder approval.
Issuer Diversification. A non-diversified fund can invest more of its assets in a smaller number of issuers than diversified funds. Concentrating investments could result in greater potential losses than for funds investing in a broader variety of issuers. However, the Fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. This requires the Fund to limit its investments so that, at the end of each fiscal quarter, at least 50% of the Funds total assets are invested in (i) cash and cash items, U.S. Government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies, and (ii) single issuers that are less than 5% of the total assets of the Fund and not more than 10% of the outstanding voting shares of the issuer. In addition, at the end of each fiscal quarter, no single issuer (excluding cash and cash items, U.S. Government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies) can exceed 25% of the Funds total assets.
Converting to Master-Feeder Structure. The Fund may invest all of its investable assets in an open-end management investment company ( “ master fund ” ) with substantially the same investment objective, policies and restrictions as the Fund. Any such master fund would be advised by the Fund ’ s investment adviser (or an affiliate) and the Fund would not pay directly any advisory fee with respect to the assets so invested. The Fund may initiate investments in a master fund at any time without shareholder approval.
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
General. Unless otherwise stated, the Fund's investment objective and certain other policies may be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders will receive 60 days' advance written notice of any material change in the investment objective. During unusual market conditions, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash or cash equivalents temporarily, which may be inconsistent with its investment objective(s) and other policies. The Fund might not use all of the strategies and techniques or invest in all of the types of securities described in this Prospectus or the Statement of Additional Information. While at times the Fund may use alternative investment strategies in an effort to limit its losses, it may choose not to do so.
The Funds annual operating expenses are expressed as a percentage of the Funds average daily net assets and may change as Fund assets increase and decrease over time. Purchase and redemption activities by Fund shareholders may impact the management of the Fund and its ability to achieve its investment objective. In addition, the redemption by one or more large shareholders or groups of shareholders of their holdings in the Fund could have an adverse impact on the remaining shareholders in the Fund. Mutual funds, investment advisers, other market participants and many securities markets are subject to rules and regulations and the jurisdiction of one or more regulators. Changes to applicable rules and regulations could have an adverse effect on securities markets and market participants, as well as on the Funds ability to execute its investment strategy. With the increased use of technologies by Fund service providers, such as the Internet, to conduct business, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks.
Management and Organization
Management. The investment adviser of the Fund is Eaton Vance Management (Eaton Vance) and the investment adviser of the Portfolio is Boston Management and Research (BMR), an indirect subsidiary of Eaton Vance Corp. (EVC). Eaton Vance is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EVC. Eaton Vance and BMR have offices at Two International Place , Boston, MA 02110. Eaton Vance has been managing assets since 1924 and managing mutual funds since 1931. Eaton Vance and its affiliates currently manage over $300 billion on behalf of mutual funds, institutional clients and individuals.
The Funds semiannual report covering the fiscal period ended June 30 provides information regarding the basis for the Trustees approval of the Funds investment advisory agreement.
The investment adviser manages the investments of the Fund and the Subsidiary and provides administrative services and related offices facilities to the Fund. Under its investment advisory and administrative agreement and the Subsidiarys investment advisory agreement, Eaton Vance receives an aggregate annual fee for its services as follows:
In order to manage a potential conflict of interest, the advisory fee payable by the Fund shall be reduced by the Funds allocable share of any fee paid pursuant to an investment advisory agreement by any investment company advised by Eaton Vance or its affiliates in which the Fund invests its assets.
For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the investment adviser and administration fee amounted to 1.
04
% of the Funds consolidated average daily net assets.
The Fund is managed by John R. Baur, Michael A. Cirami and Eric A. Stein (each of whom has managed the Fund since November 6, 2015). Messrs. Baur, Cirami and Stein co-manage other Eaton Vance funds and portfolios and are Vice Presidents of Eaton Vance. Messrs. Baur, Cirami and Stein have been employees of Eaton Vance for more than five years.
The Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about each portfolio managers compensation, other accounts managed by each portfolio manager, and each portfolio managers ownership of Fund shares.
Eaton Vance provides sub-transfer agency and related services to Eaton Vance mutual funds pursuant to a Sub-Transfer Agency Support Services Agreement. For its services under the agreement, Eaton Vance receives an aggregate fee from such funds equal to the lesser of $2.5 million or its actual expenses incurred in performing such services.
Organization. The Fund is a series of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust, a Massachusetts business trust. The Fund offers multiple classes of shares. Each Class represents a pro rata interest in the Fund but is subject to different expenses and rights. The Fund does not hold annual shareholder meetings but may hold special meetings for matters that require shareholder approval (such as electing or removing trustees, approving management or advisory contracts or changing investment policies that may only be changed with shareholder approval).
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Valuing Shares
The Fund values its shares once each day only when the New York Stock Exchange (the Exchange) is open for trading (typically Monday through Friday), as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. eastern time). The purchase price of Fund shares is their net asset value (plus any applicable sales charge), which is derived from the value of Fund holdings, including the Funds interest in the Subsidiary and the Portfolio. When purchasing or redeeming Fund shares through a financial intermediary, your financial intermediary must receive your order by the close of regular trading on the Exchange in order for the purchase price or the redemption price to be based on that days net asset value per share. It is the financial intermediarys responsibility to transmit orders promptly. The Fund may accept purchase and redemption orders as of the time of their receipt by certain financial intermediaries (or their designated intermediaries).
The Trustees have adopted procedures for valuing investments and have delegated to the investment adviser(s) the daily valuation of such investments and the Subsidiary has also adopted such procedures. Pursuant to the procedures, independent pricing services are used to value debt obligations at their market value. In determining market value, the pricing service considers various factors and market information. Exchange-listed securities and other instruments (including derivatives) normally are valued at last sale or closing prices. Non-exchange traded derivatives are normally valued on the basis of quotes obtained from brokers and dealers or pricing services. Such values may be based on valuation models, information provided by market makers or estimates of market values obtained from yield or market data relating to investments or securities with similar characteristics. Shares of the Subsidiary will be valued at their net asset value. In certain situations, the investment adviser(s) may use the fair value of a security if market prices are unavailable or deemed unreliable, or if events occur after the close of a securities market (usually a foreign market) and before portfolio assets are valued which would materially affect net asset value. In addition, for foreign equity securities and futures contracts on foreign indices that meet certain criteria, the Trustees have approved the use of a fair value service that values such securities to reflect market trading that occurs after the close of the applicable foreign markets of comparable securities or other instruments that have a strong correlation to the fair valued securities. 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. Because foreign securities trade on days when Fund shares are not priced, the value of securities held can change on days when Fund shares cannot be redeemed or purchased. Eaton Vance has established a Valuation Committee that oversees the valuation of investments.
Purchasing Shares
You may purchase shares through your financial intermediary or by mailing an account application form to the transfer agent (see back cover for address). Purchase orders will be executed at the net asset value (plus any applicable sales charge) next determined after their receipt in proper form (meaning that they are complete and contain all necessary information) by the Funds transfer agent. The Funds transfer agent or your financial intermediary must receive your purchase in proper form no later than the close of regular trading on the Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. eastern time) for your purchase to be effected at that days net asset value. If you purchase shares through a financial intermediary, that intermediary may charge you a fee for executing the purchase for you.
The Fund may suspend the sale of its shares at any time and any purchase order may be refused for any reason. The funds sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization (the Eaton Vance funds) do not accept investments from residents of the European Union or Switzerland. The funds also do not accept investments from other non-U.S. residents, provided that a fund may accept investments from certain non-U.S. investors at the discretion of the principal underwriter. The Fund does not issue share certificates.
As used throughout this Prospectus, the term employer sponsored retirement plan includes the following: an employer sponsored pension or profit sharing plan that qualifies under section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (such as a 401(k) plan, money purchase pension, profit sharing and defined benefit plan); ERISA covered 403(b) plan; TaftHartley multi-employer plan; and non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements that operate in a similar manner to a qualified retirement plan (including 457 plans and executive deferred compensation arrangements). Individual Retirement Accounts are not employer sponsored retirement plans for purposes of this definition.
Class A and Class C Shares
Your initial investment must be at least $1,000. After your initial investment, additional investments may be made in any amount at any time by sending a check payable to the order of the Fund or the transfer agent directly to the transfer agent (see back cover for address). Please include your name and account number and the name of the Fund and Class of shares with each investment. You also may make additional investments by accessing your account via the Eaton Vance website at www.eatonvance.com. Purchases made through the Internet from a pre-designated bank account will have a trade date that is the first business day after the purchase is requested (provided the request is submitted no later than the close of regular trading on the Exchange). For more information about purchasing shares through the Internet, please call 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time).
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
You may purchase additional shares by automatically investing a designated amount from your bank account on a periodic basis provided such investments equal a minimum of $200 per year. You must elect this privilege on your account application or by providing written instructions. Please call 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time) for further information. The minimum initial investment amount and Fund policy of redeeming accounts with low account balances are waived for bank automated investing accounts, certain group purchase plans (including employer sponsored retirement plans and proprietary fee-based programs sponsored by financial intermediaries) and for persons affiliated with Eaton Vance, its affiliates and certain Fund service providers (as described in the Statement of Additional Information).
Class I Shares
Class I shares are offered to clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class I shares through a no-load network or platform. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments, foundations and employer sponsored retirement plans. Class I shares also are offered to investment and institutional clients of Eaton Vance and its affiliates and certain persons affiliated with Eaton Vance. Your initial investment must be at least $250,000. Subsequent investments of any amount may be made at any time, including through automatic investment each month or quarter from your bank account. You may make automatic investments of $50 or more each month or each quarter from your bank account. You can establish bank automated investing on the account application or by providing written instructions. Please call 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time) for further information.
The minimum initial investment is waived for persons affiliated with Eaton Vance, its affiliates and certain Fund service providers (as described in the Statement of Additional Information). The minimum initial investment also is waived for: (i) permitted exchanges; (ii) employer sponsored retirement plans; (iii) corporations, endowments and foundations with assets of at least $100 million; and (iv) accounts of clients of financial intermediaries who (a) charge an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (b) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class I shares through a no-load network or platform (in each case, as described above), provided the total value of such accounts invested in Class I shares of Eaton Vance funds is at least $250,000 (or is anticipated by the principal underwriter to reach $250,000).
Class I shares may be purchased through a financial intermediary or by requesting your bank to transmit immediately available funds (Federal Funds) by wire. To make an initial investment by wire, you must complete an account application and telephone Eaton Vance Shareholder Services at 1-800-262-1122 to be assigned an account number. You may request an account application by calling 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time). Shareholder Services must be advised by telephone of each additional investment by wire.
Restrictions on Excessive Trading and Market Timing. The Fund is not intended for excessive trading or market timing. Market timers seek to profit by rapidly switching money into a fund when they expect the share price of the fund to rise and taking money out of the fund when they expect those prices to fall. By realizing profits through short-term trading, shareholders that engage in rapid purchases and sales (including exchanges, if permitted) of a funds shares may dilute the value of shares held by long-term shareholders. Volatility resulting from excessive purchases and sales of fund shares, especially involving large dollar amounts, may disrupt efficient portfolio management. In particular, excessive purchases and sales of a funds shares may cause a fund to have difficulty implementing its investment strategies, may force the fund to sell portfolio securities at inopportune times to raise cash or may cause increased expenses (such as increased brokerage costs, realization of taxable capital gains without attaining any investment advantage or increased administrative costs).
A fund that invests all or a portion of its assets in foreign securities may be susceptible to a time zone arbitrage strategy in which shareholders attempt to take advantage of fund share prices that may not reflect developments in a foreign securities market that occur after the close of such market but prior to the pricing of fund shares. In addition, a fund that invests in securities that are, among other things, thinly traded, traded infrequently or relatively illiquid (including restricted securities, certain commodity-linked derivative instruments, emerging market securities and other securities not priced by a pricing service) is susceptible to the risk that the current market price for such securities may not accurately reflect current market values. A shareholder may seek to engage in short-term trading to take advantage of these pricing differences (commonly referred to as price arbitrage). The investment adviser is authorized to use the fair value of a security if prices are unavailable or are deemed unreliable (see Valuing Shares). The use of fair value pricing and the restrictions on excessive trading and market timing described below are intended to reduce a shareholders ability to engage in price or time zone arbitrage to the detriment of the Fund.
The Boards of the Eaton Vance funds have adopted policies to discourage short-term trading and market timing and to seek to minimize their potentially detrimental effects. Pursuant to these policies, an Eaton Vance fund shareholder who, through one or more accounts, completes two round-trips within 90 days generally will be deemed to be market timing or trading excessively in fund shares. Two round-trips within 90 days means either (1) a purchase of fund shares followed by a redemption of fund shares followed by a purchase followed by a redemption or (2) a redemption of fund shares followed by a purchase of fund shares followed by a redemption followed by a purchase, in either case with the final transaction in the sequence occurring within 90 days of the initial transaction in the sequence. Purchases and redemptions subject to the limitation include those made by exchanging to or from another fund. Under the policies, the Fund or its sub-transfer agent or principal underwriter will reject or cancel a purchase order, suspend or terminate an exchange privilege or terminate the ability of an investor to invest in the Eaton Vance funds if the Fund or the principal underwriter determines that a proposed transaction involves market timing or
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
excessive trading that it believes is likely to be detrimental to the Fund. The Fund and its principal underwriter use reasonable efforts to detect market timing and excessive trading activity, but they cannot ensure that they will be able to identify all cases of market timing and excessive trading. The Fund or its principal underwriter may also reject or cancel any purchase order (including an exchange) from an investor or group of investors for any other reason. Decisions to reject or cancel purchase orders (including exchanges) in the Fund are inherently subjective and will be made in a manner believed to be in the best interest of a Funds shareholders. No Eaton Vance fund has any arrangement to permit market timing.
The following fund share transactions (to the extent permitted by a funds prospectus) generally are exempt from the market timing and excessive trading policy described above because they generally do not raise market timing or excessive trading concerns:
·
transactions made pursuant to a systematic purchase plan or as the result of automatic reinvestment of dividends or distributions, or initiated by the Fund (e.g., for failure to meet applicable account minimums);
·
transactions made by participants in employer sponsored retirement plans involving participant payroll or employer contributions or loan repayments, redemptions as part of plan terminations or at the direction of the plan, mandatory retirement distributions, or rollovers;
·
transactions made by model-based discretionary advisory accounts; or
·
transactions made by an Eaton Vance fund that is structured as a fund-of-funds, provided the transactions are in response to fund inflows and outflows or are part of a reallocation of fund assets in accordance with its investment policies.
It may be difficult for the Fund or the principal underwriter to identify market timing or excessive trading in omnibus accounts traded through financial intermediaries. The Fund and the principal underwriter have provided guidance to financial intermediaries (such as banks, broker-dealers, insurance companies and retirement administrators) concerning the application of the Eaton Vance funds market timing and excessive trading policies to Fund shares held in omnibus accounts maintained and administered by such intermediaries, including guidance concerning situations where market timing or excessive trading is considered to be detrimental to the Fund. The Fund or its principal underwriter may rely on a financial intermediarys policy to restrict market timing and excessive trading if it believes that policy is likely to prevent market timing that is likely to be detrimental to the Fund. Such policy may be more or less restrictive than the Funds policy. Although the Fund or the principal underwriter reviews trading activity at the omnibus account level for activity that indicates potential market timing or excessive trading activity, the Fund and the principal underwriter typically will not request or receive individual account data unless suspicious trading activity is identified. The Fund and the principal underwriter generally rely on financial intermediaries to monitor trading activity in omnibus accounts in good faith in accordance with their own or Fund policies. The Fund and the principal underwriter cannot ensure that these financial intermediaries will in all cases apply the policies of the Fund or their own policies, as the case may be, to accounts under their control.
Choosing a Share Class. The Fund offers different classes of shares. The different classes of shares represent investments in the same portfolio of securities, but the classes are subject to different expenses and will likely have different share prices due to differences in class expenses. A share class also may be subject to a sales charge. In choosing the class of shares that suits your investment needs, you should consider:
·
how long you expect to own your shares;
·
how much you intend to invest; and
·
the total operating expenses associated with owning each class.
Each investors considerations are different. You should speak with your financial intermediary to help you decide which class of shares is best for you. Set forth below is a brief description of each class of shares offered by the Fund.
Class A shares are offered at net asset value plus a front-end sales charge of up to 4.75%. This charge is deducted from the amount you invest. The Class A sales charge is reduced for purchases of $50,000 or more. The sales charge applicable to your purchase may be reduced under the right of accumulation or a statement of intention, which are described in Reducing or Eliminating Class A Sales Charges under Sales Charges below. Some investors may be eligible to purchase Class A shares at net asset value under certain circumstances, which are also described below. Class A shares pay distribution and service fees equal to 0.25% annually of average daily net assets.
Class C shares are offered at net asset value with no front-end sales charge. If you sell your Class C shares within one year of purchase, you generally will be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge or CDSC. The CDSC is deducted from your redemption proceeds. Under certain circumstances, the CDSC for Class C may be waived (such as certain redemptions from employer sponsored retirement plans). See CDSC Waivers under Sales Charges below. Class C shares pay distribution and service fees equal to 1.00% annually of average daily net assets. Orders for Class C shares of one or more Eaton Vance funds will be refused when the total value of the purchase (including the aggregate market value of all Eaton Vance fund shares held within the purchasing shareholders account(s)) is $1 million or more. Investors considering cumulative purchases of $1 million or more should consider whether another Class of shares would be more appropriate and consult their financial intermediary.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
19
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Class I shares are offered to clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class I shares through a no-load network or platform. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments, foundations and employer sponsored retirement plans. Class I shares are also offered to investment and institutional clients of Eaton Vance and its affiliates, and certain persons affiliated with Eaton Vance and certain Fund service providers. Class I shares do not pay distribution or service fees.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries. In addition to payments disclosed under “ Sales Charges ” below, the principal underwriter, out of its own resources, may make cash payments to certain financial intermediaries who provide marketing support, transaction processing and/or administrative services and, in some cases, include some or all Eaton Vance funds in preferred or specialized selling programs. Payments made by the principal underwriter to a financial intermediary may be significant and are typically in the form of fees based on Fund sales, assets, transactions processed and/or accounts attributable to that financial intermediary. Financial intermediaries also may receive amounts from the principal underwriter in connection with educational or due diligence meetings that include information concerning Eaton Vance funds. The principal underwriter may pay or allow other promotional incentives or payments to financial intermediaries to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations.
Certain financial intermediaries that maintain fund accounts for the benefit of their customers provide sub-accounting, recordkeeping and/or administrative services to the Eaton Vance funds and are compensated for such services by the funds. As used in this Prospectus, the term financial intermediary includes any broker, dealer, bank (including bank trust departments), registered investment adviser, financial planner, a retirement plan and/or its administrator, their designated intermediaries and any other firm having a selling, administration or similar agreement with the principal underwriter or its affiliates.
Sales Charges
Class A Front-End Sales Charge. Class A shares are offered at net asset value per share plus a sales charge that is determined by the amount of your investment. The current sales charge schedule is:
Amount of Purchase |
Sales Charge
*
|
Sales Charge
*
|
Dealer Commission
|
Less than $50,000 |
4.75% |
4.99% |
4.00% |
$50,000 but less than $100,000 |
4.50% |
4.71% |
3.75% |
$100,000 but less than $250,000 |
3.75% |
3.90% |
3.00% |
$250,000 but less than $500,000 |
3.00% |
3.09% |
2.50% |
$500,000 but less than $1,000,000 |
2.00% |
2.04% |
1.75% |
$1,000,000 but less than $5,000,000 |
0.00** |
0.00** |
TIERED** |
$5,000,000 or more |
0.00** |
0.00** |
TIERED** |
*
Because the offering price per share is rounded to two decimal places, the actual sales charge you pay on a purchase of Class A shares may be more or less than your total purchase amount multiplied by the applicable sales charge percentage.
**
No sales charge is payable at the time of purchase on investments of $1 million or more. The principal underwriter will pay a commission to financial intermediaries on sales of $1 million or more as follows: 0.75% on amounts of $1 million or more but less than $5 million; plus 0.50% on amounts of $5 million or more. A CDSC of 1.00% will be imposed on such investments (as described below) in the event of redemptions within 18 months of purchase.
The principal underwriter may also pay commissions of up to 1.00% on sales of Class A shares made at net asset value to certain employer sponsored retirement plans.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
20
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Reducing or Eliminating Class A Sales Charges. Front-end sales charges on purchases of Class A shares may be reduced under the right of accumulation or under a statement of intention. To receive a reduced sales charge, you must inform your financial intermediary or the Fund at the time you purchase shares that you qualify for such a reduction. If you do not let your financial intermediary or the Fund know you are eligible for a reduced sales charge at the time of purchase, you will not receive the discount to which you may otherwise be entitled.
Right of Accumulation. Under the right of accumulation, the sales charge you pay is reduced if the current market value of your holdings in the Fund or any other Eaton Vance fund (based on the current maximum public offering price) plus your new purchase total $50,000 or more. Shares owned by you, your spouse and children under age twenty-one may be combined for purposes of the right of accumulation, including shares held for the benefit of any of you in omnibus or street name accounts. In addition, shares held in a trust or fiduciary account of which any of the foregoing persons is the sole beneficiary (including employer sponsored retirement plans and Individual Retirement Accounts) may be combined for purposes of the right of accumulation. Shares purchased and/or owned in a SEP, SARSEP and SIMPLE IRA plan may be combined for purposes of the right of accumulation for the plan and its participants. You may be required to provide documentation to establish your ownership of shares included under the right of accumulation (such as account statements for you, your spouse and children or marriage certificates, birth certificates and/or trust or other fiduciary-related documents).
Statement of Intention. Under a statement of intention, purchases of $50,000 or more made over a 13-month period are eligible for reduced sales charges. Shares eligible under the right of accumulation (other than those included in employer sponsored retirement plans) may be included to satisfy the amount to be purchased under a statement of intention. Under a statement of intention, the principal underwriter may hold 5% of the dollar amount to be purchased in escrow in the form of shares registered in your name until you satisfy the statement or the 13-month period expires. A statement of intention does not obligate you to purchase (or the Fund to sell) the full amount indicated in the statement.
Class A shares are offered at net asset value (without a sales charge) to accounts of clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class A shares through a no-load network or platform, or self-directed brokerage accounts that may or may not charge transaction fees to customers. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments, foundations and employer sponsored retirement plans. Class A shares also are offered at net asset value to investment and institutional clients of Eaton Vance and its affiliates; certain persons affiliated with Eaton Vance; and to certain fund service providers as described in the Statement of Additional Information. Class A shares may also be purchased at net asset value pursuant to the reinvestment privilege and exchange privilege and when distributions are reinvested. Shares held in commission-based broker-dealer accounts may not qualify for purchases of Class A shares at net asset value. See Shareholder Account Features for details.
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge. Class A and Class C shares are subject to a CDSC on certain redemptions. The CDSC generally is paid to the principal underwriter. Class A shares purchased at net asset value in amounts of $1 million or more are subject to a 1.00% CDSC if redeemed within 18 months of purchase. Class C shares are subject to a 1.00% CDSC if redeemed within one year of purchase. CDSCs are based on the lower of the net asset value at the time of purchase or at the time of redemption. Shares acquired through the reinvestment of distributions are exempt from the CDSC. Redemptions are made first from shares that are not subject to a CDSC.
The sales commission payable to financial intermediaries in connection with sales of Class C shares is described under Distribution and Service Fees below.
CDSC Waivers. CDSCs are waived for certain redemptions pursuant to a Withdrawal Plan (see Shareholder Account Features) and in connection with certain redemptions from employer sponsored retirement plans. The CDSC is also waived following the death of a beneficial owner of shares (a death certificate and other applicable documents may be required).
Distribution and Service Fees. Class A and Class C shares have in effect plans under Rule 12b-1 that allow the Fund to pay distribution fees for the sale and distribution of shares and service fees for personal and/or shareholder account services (so-called “ 12b-1 fees ” ). Class C shares pay distribution fees to the principal underwriter of 0.75% of average daily net assets annually. Because these fees are paid from Fund assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase your cost over time and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. The principal underwriter compensates financial intermediaries on sales of Class C shares (except exchange transactions and reinvestments) in an amount equal to 1% of the purchase price of the shares. After the first year, financial intermediaries also receive 0.75% of the value of Class C shares in annual distribution fees. Class C shares also pay service fees to the principal underwriter equal to 0.25% of average daily net assets annually. Class A shares pay distribution and service fees equal to 0.25% of average daily net assets annually. After the sale of shares, the principal underwriter receives the Class A distribution and service fees and the Class C service fees for one year. Thereafter financial intermediaries generally receive from the principal underwriter 0.25% annually of average daily net assets based on the value of shares sold by such financial intermediaries for shareholder servicing performed by such intermediaries. Distribution and service fees are subject to the limitations contained in the sales charge rule of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
More information about sales charges is available free of charge on the Eaton Vance website at www.eatonvance.com and in the Statement of Additional Information. Please consult the Eaton Vance website for any updates to sales charge information before making a purchase of Fund shares.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
21
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
You can redeem shares in any of the following ways:
By Mail |
Send your request to the transfer agent (see back cover for address). The request must be signed exactly as your account is registered (for instance, a joint account must be signed by all registered owners to be accepted) and a Medallion signature guarantee may be required. Circumstances that may require a Medallion signature guarantee include, but are not limited to, requests to distribute redemption proceeds to a party other than the registered account owner(s); requests to mail redemption proceeds to an address other than the address of record; requests to distribute proceeds to a bank account not on file; or transaction requests from an account beneficiary when an account owner is deceased. You can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee at banks, savings and loan institutions, credit unions, securities dealers, securities exchanges, clearing agencies and registered securities associations that participate in The Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program, Inc. (STAMP, Inc.). Only Medallion signature guarantees issued in accordance with STAMP, Inc. will be accepted. You may be asked to provide additional documents if your shares are registered in the name of a corporation, partnership or fiduciary. |
By Telephone |
Certain shareholders can redeem by calling 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time). Proceeds of a telephone redemption are generally limited to $100,000 per account (which may include shares of one or more Eaton Vance funds) and can be sent only to the account address or to a bank pursuant to prior instructions. |
By Internet |
Certain shareholders can redeem by logging on to the Eaton Vance website at www.eatonvance.com. Proceeds of internet redemptions are generally limited to $100,000 per account (which may include shares of one or more Eaton Vance funds) and can be sent only to the account address or to a bank pursuant to prior instructions. |
For Additional Information |
Please call 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time). |
Through a Financial Intermediary |
Your financial intermediary is responsible for transmitting the order promptly. A financial intermediary may charge a fee for this service. |
The Fund's transfer agent or your financial intermediary must receive your redemption in proper form (meaning that it is complete and contains all necessary information) no later than the close of regular trading on the Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. eastern time) for your redemption to be effected at that days net asset value. Your redemption proceeds normally will be paid in cash within seven days, reduced by the amount of any applicable CDSC and any federal income and state tax required to be withheld. Payments will be sent by regular mail. However, if you have given complete written authorization in advance, you may request that the redemption proceeds be wired directly to your bank account. The bank designated may be any bank in the United States. The request may be made by calling 1-800-262-1122 or by sending a Medallion signature guaranteed letter of instruction to the transfer agent (see back cover for address). Certain redemption requests including those involving shares held by certain corporations, trusts or certain other entities and shares that are subject to certain fiduciary arrangements may require additional documentation and may be redeemed only by mail. You may be required to pay the costs of such transaction by the Fund or your bank. No costs are currently charged by the Fund. However, charges may apply for expedited mail delivery services. The Fund may suspend or terminate the expedited payment procedure upon at least 30 days notice.
If you recently purchased shares, the proceeds of a redemption will not be sent until the purchase check (including a certified or cashiers check) has cleared. If the purchase check has not cleared, redemption proceeds may be delayed up to 15 days from the purchase date. If your account value falls below $750 (other than due to market decline), you may be asked either to add to your account or redeem it within 60 days. If you take no action, your account will be redeemed and the proceeds sent to you.
While redemption proceeds are normally paid in cash, redemptions may be paid by distributing marketable securities. If you receive securities, you could incur brokerage or other charges in converting the securities to cash.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
22
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Shareholder Account Features
Distributions. You may have your Fund distributions paid in one of the following ways:
Full Reinvest Option |
Distributions are reinvested in additional shares. This option will be assigned if you do not specify an option. |
Partial Reinvest Option |
Dividends are paid in cash* and capital gains are reinvested in additional shares. |
Cash Option |
Distributions are paid in cash.* |
Exchange Option |
Distributions are reinvested in additional shares of any class of another Eaton Vance fund chosen by you, subject to the terms of that funds prospectus. Before selecting this option, you must obtain a prospectus of the other fund and consider its objectives, risks, and charges and expenses carefully. |
*
If any distribution check remains uncashed for six months, Eaton Vance reserves the right to invest the amount represented by the check in Fund shares at the then-current net asset value of the Fund and all future distributions will be reinvested.
Information about the Fund. From time to time, you may receive the following:
·
Semiannual and annual reports containing a list of portfolio holdings as of the end of the second and fourth fiscal quarters, respectively, performance information and financial statements.
·
Periodic account statements, showing recent activity and total share balance.
·
Tax information needed to prepare your income tax returns.
·
Proxy materials, in the event a shareholder vote is required.
·
Special notices about significant events affecting your Fund.
Most fund information (including semiannual and annual reports, prospectuses and proxy statements) as well as your periodic account statements can be delivered electronically. For more information please go to www.eatonvance.com/edelivery.
The Eaton Vance funds have established policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio holdings and other information concerning Fund characteristics. A description of these policies and procedures is provided below and additionally in the Statement of Additional Information. Such policies and procedures regarding disclosure of portfolio holdings are designed to prevent the misuse of material, non-public information about the funds.
The Fund will file with the SEC a list of its portfolio holdings as of the end of the first and third fiscal quarters on Form N-Q. The Funds annual and semiannual reports (as filed on Form N-CSR) and each Form N-Q may be viewed on the SECs website (www.sec.gov). The most recent fiscal quarter-end holdings may also be viewed on the Eaton Vance website (www.eatonvance.com). Portfolio holdings information that is filed with the SEC is posted on the Eaton Vance website approximately 60 days after the end of the quarter to which it relates. Portfolio holdings information as of each calendar
month
end is posted to the website approximately one month after such
month
end. The Fund also posts information about certain portfolio characteristics (such as top ten holdings and asset allocation) at least quarterly on the Eaton Vance website approximately ten business days after the period and the Fund may also post performance attribution as of a month end or more frequently if deemed appropriate.
Withdrawal Plan. You may redeem shares on a regular periodic basis by establishing a systematic withdrawal plan. Withdrawals will not be subject to any applicable CDSC if they are, in the aggregate, less than or equal to 12% annually of the greater of either the initial account balance or the current account balance. Because purchases of Class A shares are generally subject to an initial sales charge, Class A shareholders should not make withdrawals from their accounts while also making purchases.
Exchange Privilege. You may exchange your Fund shares for shares of the same Class of another Eaton Vance fund. For purposes of exchanges among Eaton Vance funds, Class A and Class I shares are deemed to be the same as Investor Class and Institutional Class shares, respectively, of other Eaton Vance funds. Exchanges are made at net asset value. If your shares are subject to a CDSC, the CDSC will continue to apply to your new shares at the same CDSC rate. For purposes of the CDSC, your shares will continue to age from the date of your original purchase of Fund shares. Any class of shares of a fund may be exchanged for any other class of shares of that fund, provided that the shares being exchanged are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conditions for investing in the other class of shares described in the applicable prospectus are satisfied.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
23
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Before exchanging, you should read the prospectus of the new fund carefully. Exchanges are subject to the terms applicable to purchases of the new funds shares as set forth in its prospectus. If you wish to exchange shares, write to the transfer agent (see back cover for address), log on to your account at www.eatonvance.com or call 1-800-262-1122. Periodic automatic exchanges are also available. The exchange privilege may be changed or discontinued at any time. You will receive at least 60 days notice of any material change to the privilege. This privilege may not be used for market timing and may be terminated for market timing accounts or for any other reason. For additional information, see Restrictions on Excessive Trading and Market Timing under Purchasing Shares. Ordinarily exchanges between different funds are taxable transactions for federal tax purposes, while permitted exchanges of one class for shares of another class of the same fund are not. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors regarding the applicability of federal, state, local and other taxes to transactions in Fund shares.
Reinvestment Privilege. If you redeem shares, you may reinvest at net asset value all or any portion of the redemption proceeds in the same class of shares of the Fund you redeemed from, provided that the reinvestment occurs within 60 days of the redemption, and the privilege has not been used more than once in the prior 12 months. Under these circumstances your account will be credited with any CDSC paid in connection with the redemption. Any CDSC period applicable to the shares you acquire upon reinvestment will run from the date of your original share purchase. Reinvestment requests must be in writing. At the time of a reinvestment, you or your financial intermediary must notify the Fund or the transfer agent that you are reinvesting redemption proceeds in accordance with this privilege. If you reinvest, your purchase will be at the next determined net asset value following receipt of your request.
Telephone and Electronic Transactions. You can redeem or exchange shares by telephone as described in this Prospectus. In addition, certain transactions may be conducted through the Eaton Vance website. The transfer agent and the principal underwriter have procedures in place to authenticate telephone and electronic instructions (such as using security codes or verifying personal account information). As long as the transfer agent and principal underwriter follow reasonable procedures, they will not be responsible for unauthorized telephone or electronic transactions and you bear the risk of possible loss resulting from these transactions. You may decline the telephone redemption option on the account application. Telephone instructions are recorded.
Street Name Accounts. If your shares are held in a street name account at a financial intermediary, that intermediary (and not the Fund or its transfer agent) will perform all recordkeeping, transaction processing and distribution payments. Because the Fund does not maintain an account for you, you should contact your financial intermediary to make transactions in shares, make changes in your account, or obtain account information. You will not be able to utilize a number of shareholder features, such as telephone or internet transactions, directly with the Fund and certain features may be subject to different requirements. If you transfer shares in a street name account to an account with another financial intermediary or to an account directly with the Fund, you should obtain historical information about your shares prior to the transfer.
Procedures for Opening New Accounts. To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each new customer who opens a Fund account and to determine whether such persons name appears on government lists of known or suspected terrorists or terrorist organizations. When you open an account, the transfer agent or your financial intermediary will ask you for your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), residential or business street address (although post office boxes are still permitted for mailing) and social security number, taxpayer identification number, or other government-issued identifying number. You also may be asked to produce a copy of your drivers license, passport or other identifying documents in order to verify your identity. In addition, it may be necessary to verify your identity by cross-referencing your identification information with a consumer report or other electronic databases. Other information or documents may be required to open accounts for corporations and other entities. Federal law prohibits the Fund and other financial institutions from opening a new account unless they receive the minimum identifying information described above. If a person fails to provide the information requested, any application by that person to open a new account will be rejected. Moreover, if the transfer agent or the financial intermediary is unable to verify the identity of a person based on information provided by that person, it may take additional steps including, but not limited to, requesting additional information or documents from the person, closing the persons account or reporting the matter to the appropriate federal authorities. If your account is closed for this reason, your shares may be automatically redeemed at the net asset value next determined. If the Funds net asset value has decreased since your purchase, you will lose money as a result of this redemption. The Fund has also designated an anti-money laundering compliance officer.
Account Questions. If you have any questions about your account or the services available, please call Eaton Vance Shareholder Services at 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time), or write to the transfer agent (see back cover for address).
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
24
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Additional Tax Information
The Fund expects to pay any required distributions at least once annually and intends to distribute any net realized capital gains annually. It may also be necessary, due to Federal tax requirements, for the Fund to make a special income and/or capital gains distribution at the end of the calendar year. Different classes may distribute different amounts. Distributions of investment income and net gains from investments held for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income. Distributions of any net gains from investments held for more than one year are taxable as long-term capital gains. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the Fund or the Portfolio owned the investments that generated the gains, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares in the Fund. A majority of the Funds distributions may be taxed as ordinary income. Distributions of investment income reported by the Fund as derived from qualified dividend income (as further described in the Statement of Additional Information) will be taxable to shareholders at the rates applicable to long-term capital gains provided holding period and other requirements are met at both the shareholder and the Portfolio or Fund level. Over time, distributions by the Fund can generally be expected to include ordinary income, qualified dividend income and capital gain distributions taxable as long-term capital gains. The Funds distributions are taxable whether they are paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares. A portion of the Funds distributions may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporations.
Investors who purchase shares at a time when the Funds net asset value reflects gains that are either unrealized or realized but not distributed will pay the full price for the shares and then may receive some portion of the purchase price back as a taxable distribution. Certain distributions paid in January may be taxable to shareholders as if received on December 31 of the prior year. A redemption of Fund shares, including an exchange for shares of another fund, is a taxable transaction.
The unearned income of certain U.S. individuals, estates and trusts is subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax. For individuals, the tax is on the lesser of the net investment income and the excess of modified adjusted gross income over $200,000 (or $250,000 if married filing jointly). Net investment income includes, among other things, interest, dividends, and gross income and capital gains derived from passive activities and trading in securities or commodities. Net investment income is reduced by deductions properly allocable to this income.
Investments in foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes or other foreign taxes with respect to income (possibly including, in some cases, capital gains), which may decrease the yield on those securities. These taxes may be reduced or eliminated under the terms of an applicable tax treaty. Shareholders generally will not be entitled to claim a credit or deduction with respect to such foreign taxes paid. In addition, investments in foreign securities or foreign currencies may increase or accelerate the Funds recognition of ordinary income and may affect the timing or amount of the Funds distributions.
One of the requirements for favorable tax treatment as a regulated investment company under the Code is that the Fund derive at least 90% of its gross income from certain qualifying sources of income. The Fund has received from the Internal Revenue Service a private letter ruling that confirms that income from certain commodity index-linked notes, which create commodity exposure will be considered qualifying income under the Code. The Fund also received a ruling that income derived from the Funds investment in the Subsidiary will also constitute qualifying income to the Fund.
The Fund may be required to withhold, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, 28% of the dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds payable to shareholders who fail to provide the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number or make required certifications, or who have been notified by the Internal Revenue Service that they are subject to backup withholding. Certain shareholders are exempt from backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against a shareholders U.S. federal income tax liability.
Certain foreign entities may be subject to a 30% withholding tax on dividend income paid and, after December 31, 2018, on redemption proceeds paid under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). To avoid withholding, foreign financial institutions subject to FATCA must agree to disclose to the relevant revenue authorities certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners and other foreign entities must certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners to the Fund. For more detailed information regarding FATCA withholding and compliance, please refer to the Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholders should consult with their tax advisors concerning the applicability of federal, state, local and other taxes to an investment.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
25
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights
The financial highlights are intended to help you understand the Funds financial performance for the period(s) indicated. Certain information in the table reflects the financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all distributions at net asset value). This information has been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm. The report of Deloitte & Touche LLP and the Funds financial statements are incorporated herein by reference and included in the Funds annual report, which is available upon request.
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|||||
|
2015 |
2014 |
||||
|
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Net asset value - Beginning of year |
$6.640 |
$6.460 |
$6.650 |
$8.080 |
$7.850 |
$8.120 |
Income (Loss) From Operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment loss (1) |
$(0.025) |
$(0.071) |
$(0.041) |
$(0.079) |
$(0.137) |
$(0.062) |
Net realized and unrealized loss |
(1.592) |
(1.538) |
(1.565) |
(1.305) |
(1.253) |
(1.310) |
Total loss from operations |
$(1.617) |
$(1.609) |
$(1.606) |
$(1.384) |
$(1.390) |
$(1.372) |
Less Distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
From net investment income |
$(0.133) |
$(0.131) |
$(0.134) |
$(0.056) |
$ |
$(0.098) |
Total distributions |
$(0.133) |
$(0.131) |
$(0.134) |
$(0.056) |
$ |
$(0.098) |
Net asset value - End of year |
$4.890 |
$4.720 |
$4.910 |
$6.640 |
$6.460 |
$6.650 |
Total Return (2) |
(24.83)% |
(25.56)% |
(24.79)% |
(17.16)% |
(17.71)% |
(16.95)% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of year (000s omitted) |
$7,165 |
$3,026 |
$49,072 |
$13,203 |
$6,077 |
$315,158 |
Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets): |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenses (3)(4) |
1.49% |
2.24% |
1.24% |
1.50% |
2.25% |
1.25% |
Net investment loss |
(0.42)% |
(1.22)% |
(0.65)% |
(0.96)% |
(1.74)% |
(0.76)% |
Portfolio Turnover |
50% (5) |
50% (5) |
50% (5) |
111% |
111% |
111% |
(See footnotes on last page.)
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
26
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights (continued)
|
Year Ended December 31, |
||||||||
|
2013 |
2012 |
2011 |
||||||
|
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
Net asset value - Beginning of year |
$9.180 |
$8.990 |
$9.190 |
$9.280 |
$9.150 |
$9.300 |
$11.140 |
$11.070 |
$11.140 |
Income (Loss) From Operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment income loss (1) |
$(0.054) |
$(0.113) |
$(0.035) |
$0.035 |
$(0.035) |
$0.059 |
$(0.029) |
$(0.108) |
$(0.005) |
Net realized and unrealized loss |
(1.010) |
(0.991) |
(0.999) |
(0.120) |
(0.115) |
(0.128) |
(1.511) |
(1.492) |
(1.515) |
Total loss from operations |
$(1.064) |
$(1.104) |
$(1.034) |
$(0.085) |
$(0.150) |
$(0.069) |
$(1.540) |
$(1.600) |
$(1.520) |
Less Distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From net investment income |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$(0.012) |
$(0.007) |
$(0.007) |
$(0.007) |
From net realized gain |
(0.036) |
(0.036) |
(0.036) |
(0.015) |
(0.010) |
(0.029) |
(0.313) |
(0.313) |
(0.313) |
Total distributions |
$(0.036) |
$(0.036) |
$(0.036) |
$(0.015) |
$(0.010) |
$(0.041) |
$(0.320) |
$(0.320) |
$(0.320) |
Net asset value - End of year |
$8.080 |
$7.850 |
$8.120 |
$9.180 |
$8.990 |
$9.190 |
$9.280 |
$9.150 |
$9.300 |
Total Return (2) |
(11.60)% |
(12.29)% |
(11.26)% |
(0.92)% |
(1.64)% |
(0.74)% |
(13.83)% |
(14.46)% |
(13.65)% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of year (000s omitted) |
$43,845 |
$11,911 |
$574,341 |
$40,990 |
$18,731 |
$289,409 |
$59,349 |
$26,740 |
$180,294 |
Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets): |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenses (3) |
1.48% |
2.23% |
1.23% |
1.50% (4) |
2.25% (4) |
1.25% (4) |
1.50% (4) |
2.25% (4) |
1.25% (4) |
Net investment income (loss) |
(0.63)% |
(1.34)% |
(0.41)% |
0.37% |
(0.38)% |
0.63% |
(0.27)% |
(1.01)% |
(0.05)% |
Portfolio Turnover |
264% |
264% |
264% |
355% |
355% |
355% |
146% |
146% |
146% |
(1)
Computed using average shares outstanding.
(2)
Returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value with all distributions reinvested and do not reflect the effect of sales charges, if applicable.
(3)
Excludes the effect of custody fee credits, if any, of less than 0.005%.
(4)
The investment adviser and administrator and sub-adviser reimbursed operating expenses (equal to 0.
14% for Class A and Class C, 0.12% for Class I, 0.
01%, 0.09
% and 0.
02
% of average daily net assets for the years ended December 31,
2015,
2014, 2012 and 2011
, respectively).
Absent this reimbursement, total return would be lower.
(5)
Percentage includes both purchases and sales of securities held directly by the Fund and the Funds contributions to and withdrawals from the Portfolio.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
27
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Further Information about the Portfolio
The Fund normally invests in the Portfolio. As such, shareholders will be subject to the investment strategies of the Portfolio. The investment objective(s) and principal strategies of the Portfolio are described below. The Portfolio may employ other types of strategies and invest in other types of securities that are not described below. Over time, the Fund may alter its allocation of assets in the Portfolio. The degree to which the Fund may be subject to the risks of the Portfolio will depend on the extent to which the Fund has invested in the Portfolio.
Global Macro Absolute Return Advantage Portfolio. The Portfolios investment objective is total return. The Portfolio seeks its investment objective by investing in securities, derivatives and other instruments to establish long and short investment exposures around the world. The Portfolio normally invests in multiple countries and frequently has significant exposure to foreign currencies and investments. The Portfolios long and short investments primarily are sovereign exposures, including currencies, interest rates and debt instruments issued or guaranteed by sovereign entities. The Portfolio may also invest in other foreign and domestic debt instruments, including corporate debt, and equity securities, and commodities-related investments. The Portfolio may invest in instruments of any credit rating, including those rated below investment grade (rated below BBB by either Standard & Poors Ratings Services or Fitch Ratings, or below Baa by Moodys Investors Service, Inc.) or in unrated instruments considered to be of comparable quality by the investment adviser (often referred to as junk instruments). The Portfolio may have significant investment in a geographic region or country and typically a portion will be invested in emerging market countries. Emerging market countries include so-called frontier market countries, which generally are considered by the portfolio managers to be less developed countries that (i) are not included in the JPM GBI-EM or (ii) represent 2% or less of the JPM GBI-EM. The Portfolio is non-diversified, which means it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer than a diversified fund.
The Portfolio may gain exposure to commodities by investing up to 25% of its total assets in Eaton Vance GMAP Commodity Subsidiary, Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Portfolio organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands, which invests primarily in commodities-related investments, as well as securities and other instruments in which the Portfolio is permitted to invest.
The Portfolios objective and policies may be changed by the Trustees without shareholder approval. Shareholders will be provided at least 60 days prior notice of any material change in the Portfolios investment objective.
Under its investment advisory agreement with the Portfolio, BMR receives a monthly advisory fee as follows:
Average Daily Net
|
Annual Fee Rate
|
Up to $500 million |
1.000% |
$500 million but less than $1 billion |
0.950% |
$1 billion but less than $2.5 billion |
0.925% |
$2.5 billion but less than $5 billion |
0.900% |
$5 billion and over |
0.880% |
For the fiscal year ended October 31,
2015
, the effective annual rate of investment advisory fees paid to BMR by the Portfolio was 0.
95
% of its average daily net assets. The portfolio managers of the Portfolio are John R. Baur, Michael A. Cirami and Eric A. Stein (since inception). Additional information about Messrs. Baur, Cirami and Stein appears in Management and Organization above.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
28
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
More Information
About the Fund: More information is available in the Statement of Additional Information. The Statement of Additional Information is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. Additional information about the Funds and Portfolios investments is available in the annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Funds performance during the past fiscal year. You may obtain free copies of the Statement of Additional Information and the shareholder reports on Eaton Vances website at www.eatonvance.com or by contacting the principal underwriter:
Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc.
Two International Place
Boston, MA 02110
1-800-262-1122
website: www.eatonvance.com
You will find and may copy information about the Fund (including the Statement of Additional Information and shareholder reports): at the SECs public reference room in Washington, DC (call 1-202-551-8090 for information on the operation of the public reference room); on the EDGAR Database on the SECs website (www.sec.gov); or, upon payment of copying fees, by writing to the SECs Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549-1520, or by electronic mail at publicinfo@sec.gov.
Shareholder Inquiries: You can obtain more information from Eaton Vance Shareholder Services or the Fund transfer agent, BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. If you own shares and would like to add to, redeem from or change your account, please write or call below:
Regular Mailing Address:
|
|
Overnight Mailing Address:
|
|
Phone Number:
|
The Funds Investment Company Act No. is 811-01545. |
|
4424 5.1.16 |
© 2016 Eaton Vance Management |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
Class A Shares - EAGIX
Class I Shares - EIGIX
A diversified fund seeking current income and total return
Prospectus Dated
May 1,
2016
The Securities and Exchange Commission ( “ SEC ” ) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined whether this Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Information in this Prospectus
|
Page |
|
Page |
Fund Summary |
2 |
Investment Objectives & Principal Policies and Risks |
7 |
Investment Objectives |
2 |
Management and Organization |
13 |
Fees and Expenses of the Fund |
2 |
Valuing Shares |
13 |
Portfolio Turnover |
2 |
Purchasing Shares |
14 |
Principal Investment Strategies |
2 |
Sales Charges |
17 |
Principal Risks |
3 |
Redeeming Shares |
19 |
Performance |
5 |
Shareholder Account Features |
20 |
Management |
6 |
Additional Tax Information |
21 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares |
6 |
Financial Highlights |
23 |
Tax Information |
6 |
|
|
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries |
6 |
|
|
This Prospectus contains important information about the Fund and the services
available to shareholders. Please save it for reference.
Fund Summary
Investment Objectives
The Funds investment objectives are to seek current income and total return.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge if you invest, or agree to invest over a 13-month period, at least $50,000 in Eaton Vance funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary and in Sales Charges beginning on page 17 of this Prospectus and page
21
of the Funds Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
Class A |
Class I |
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) |
4.75% |
None |
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lower of net asset value at time of purchase or redemption) |
None |
None |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) (1) |
Class A |
Class I |
Management Fees |
0.45% |
0.45% |
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees |
0.25% |
None |
Other Expenses |
0.26 % |
0.26 % |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
0.96% |
0.71% |
Expense Reimbursement (2) |
(0.21) % |
(0.21) % |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement |
0.75% |
0.50% |
(1)
Expenses in the table above and the Example below reflect the expenses of the Fund
and the Core Bond Portfolio
(the Portfolio), the Funds master Portfolio.
(2)
The administrator has agreed to reimburse the Funds expenses to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 0.75% for Class A shares and 0.50% for Class I shares. This expense reimbursement will continue through April 30,
2017
. Any amendment to or
termination of this reimbursement would require approval of the Board of Trustees. The expense reimbursement relates to ordinary operating expenses only and does not include expenses such as: brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses of unaffiliated funds, interest expense, taxes or litigation expenses. Amounts reimbursed may be recouped by the administrator during the same fiscal year to the extent actual expenses are less than the contractual expense cap during such year.
Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
|
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years |
Class A shares |
$548 |
$746 |
$961 |
$1,579 |
Class I shares |
$51 |
$206 |
$374 |
$863 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over the portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was
159
% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objectives by investing primarily in fixed-income securities, which may include
corporate bonds, U.S. Government securities, money market instruments, mortgage-backed securities (including collateralized mortgage obligations and so-called seasoned mortgage-backed securities), commercial mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities (including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations) and convertible debt securities
and other hybrid securities.
The Fund may invest significantly in securities issued by various U.S. Government-sponsored entities, such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and Federal Home Loan Banks. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in investment grade securities that are rated at least BBB by Standard & Poors Ratings Services (S&P) or Baa by Moodys Investors Service, Inc. (Moodys) or by Fitch Ratings (Fitch) or in unrated securities determined by the
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
2
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
investment adviser to be of comparable quality (the 80% Policy). The Fund limits investment in securities rated below investment grade (i.e., rated below BBB by S&P or Baa by Moodys or Fitch) and credit derivatives where the credit rating of the reference instrument is below investment grade to not more than 15% of its total assets, and may invest in securities in any rating category, including those in default. For purposes of rating restrictions, if securities are rated differently by two or more rating agencies, the highest rating is used. The Fund is expected to have an average effective maturity between five and ten years.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in foreign securities, some of which may be issued by
companies
domiciled in emerging market countries. As an alternative to holding foreign securities directly, the Fund may invest in
U.S.
dollar-denominated securities of foreign companies that trade on U.S. exchanges or in the over-the-counter market (including depositary receipts that evidence ownership in underlying foreign securities). The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in Eurodollar and Yankee Dollar Instruments. The Fund may, at times, engage in derivative transactions (such as options, swaptions, interest rate swaps, forward rate contracts, futures contracts and options thereon, forward foreign currency exchange contracts and credit derivatives) to seek to hedge against fluctuations in securities prices, interest rates or currency exchange rates, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for purchasing or selling securities or currencies. Permitted credit derivatives include credit default swaps, total return swaps and credit options. There is no stated limit on the Funds use of derivatives. The Fund may lend its securities and may purchase securities on a when-issued basis and for future delivery by means of forward commitments. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in inflation-linked debt securities. The Fund may also invest up to 10% of its net assets in municipal securities directly or through investments in other investment companies.
Investment decisions for the Fund are made primarily on the basis of fundamental and quantitative research conducted by the investment advisers research staff. Management of the Fund involves consideration of numerous factors (such as quality of business franchises, financial strength, management capability and integrity, growth potential, valuation and earnings and cash flow capabilities). The portfolio managers may sell a security when the investment advisers price objective is reached, the fundamentals of the company change or to pursue more attractive investment options. The portfolio managers intend to focus on risk management and also seek to preserve capital to the extent consistent with the Funds investment objectives. The Fund intends to seek to manage investment risk by maintaining broad issuer and industry diversification among its holdings, and by utilizing fundamental analysis of risk/return characteristics in securities selection.
The Fund currently invests its assets in the Portfolio, a separate registered investment company with the same investment objectives as the Fund.
Principal Risks
Debt Market Risk.
Economic and other events (whether real or perceived) can reduce the demand for investments held by the Fund, which may reduce their market prices and cause the value of Fund shares to fall. The frequency and magnitude of such changes cannot be predicted. Certain securities and other investments held by the Fund can experience downturns in trading activity and, at such times, the supply of such instruments in the market may exceed the demand. At other times, the demand for such instruments may exceed the supply in the market. An imbalance in supply and demand in the market may result in valuation uncertainties and greater price volatility, less liquidity, wider trading spreads and a lack of price transparency in the market. No active trading market may exist for certain investments, which may impair the ability of the Fund to sell or to realize the full value of such investments in the event of the need to liquidate such assets. Adverse market conditions may impair the liquidity of some actively traded investments. Fixed
-
income markets have recently experienced a period of relatively high volatility. As a result of the Federal Reserves action to end its quantitative easing stimulus program as well as the possibility that it may unwind the program and
its recent decision
to raise
the target fed funds rate
, fixed
-
income markets could experience continuing high volatility, which could negatively impact the Funds performance.
Interest Rate Risk. In general, the value of income securities will fluctuate based on changes in interest rates. The value of these securities is likely to increase when interest rates fall and decline when interest rates rise. Generally, securities with longer durations are more sensitive to changes in interest rates than shorter duration securities. In a rising interest rate environment, the duration of income securities that have the ability to be prepaid or called by the issuer may be extended. In a declining interest rate environment, the proceeds from prepaid or maturing instruments may have to be reinvested at a lower interest rate.
Credit Risk. Investments in debt obligations are subject to the risk of non-payment of scheduled principal and interest. Changes in economic conditions or other circumstances may reduce the capacity of the party obligated to make principal and interest payments on such instruments and may lead to defaults. Such non-payments and defaults may reduce the value of Fund shares and income distributions. The value of a debt obligation also may decline because of concerns about the issuers ability to make principal and interest payments. In addition, the credit ratings of fixed-income securities may be lowered if the financial condition of the party obligated to make payments with respect to such instruments changes. Credit ratings assigned by rating agencies are based on a number of factors and do not necessarily reflect the issuers current financial condition or the volatility or liquidity of the security. In the event of bankruptcy of the issuer of fixed-income securities, the Fund could experience delays or limitations with respect to its ability to realize the benefits of any collateral securing the instrument. In order to enforce its rights
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
3
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Funds operating expenses and adversely affect net asset value.
Risk of U.S. Government-Sponsored Agencies. Although certain U.S. Government-sponsored agencies (such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation and the Federal National Mortgage Association) may be chartered or sponsored by acts of Congress, their securities are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
Foreign and Emerging Market Investment Risk.
Because the Fund may invest a portion of its assets in foreign instruments, the value of shares may be adversely affected by changes in currency exchange rates and political, economic and market developments abroad, including the imposition of economic and other sanctions by the United States or another country. Investment markets in emerging market countries are typically smaller, less liquid and more volatile than developed markets, and emerging market
securities
often involve higher risk than developed market
securities
. Trading in foreign markets often involves higher expense than trading in the United States. The value of investments denominated in foreign currencies can be adversely affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Depositary receipts are subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign
instruments.
Risk of Lower Rated Investments. Investments rated below investment grade and comparable unrated securities (junk bonds) have speculative characteristics because of the credit risk associated with their issuers. Changes in economic conditions or other circumstances typically have a greater effect on the ability of issuers of lower rated investments to make principal and interest payments than they do on issuers of higher rated investments. An economic downturn generally leads to a higher non-payment rate, and a lower rated investment may lose significant value before a default occurs. Lower rated investments typically are subject to greater price volatility and illiquidity than higher rated investments.
Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Risk. Mortgage- and asset-backed securities are subject to credit, interest rate, prepayment and extension risk. Movements in interest rates (both increases and decreases) may quickly and significantly reduce the value of certain types of mortgage- and asset-backed securities. Mortgage- and asset-backed securities can also be subject to the risk of default on the underlying mortgages or other assets. Certain mortgage-backed securities issued by non-government entities may offer higher yields than those issued by government entities, but also may be subject to greater volatility than government issues.
Derivatives Risk.
The use of derivatives can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the asset, index, rate or instrument underlying a derivative, due to failure of a counterparty or due to tax or regulatory constraints. Derivatives may create economic leverage in the Fund, which magnifies the Funds exposure to the underlying investment. Derivatives risk may be more significant when derivatives are used to enhance return or as a substitute for a cash investment position, rather than solely to hedge the risk of a position held by the Fund
.
A decision as to whether, when and how to use derivatives involves the exercise of specialized skill and judgment, and a transaction may be unsuccessful in whole or in part because of market behavior or unexpected events. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index
.
Derivative instruments traded in over-the-counter markets may be difficult to value, may be illiquid, and may be subject to wide swings in valuation caused by changes in the value of the underlying instrument. If a derivatives counterparty is unable to honor its commitments, the value of Fund shares may decline and the Fund could experience delays in the return of collateral or other assets held by the counterparty. The loss on derivative transactions may substantially exceed the initial investment,
particularly when there is no stated limit on the Funds use of derivatives.
Risk of Leveraged Transactions. Certain Fund transactions may give rise to leverage. Such transactions may include, among others, loans of portfolio securities and the use of when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment transactions and certain derivative transactions. The Fund is required to segregate liquid assets or otherwise cover the Funds obligation created by a transaction that may give rise to leverage. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet segregation requirements. Leverage may cause the Funds share price to be more volatile than if it had not been leveraged, as certain types of leverage may exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Funds portfolio securities. The loss on leveraged investments may substantially exceed the initial investment.
Inflation-Linked Security Risk. Inflation-linked debt securities are subject to the effects of changes in market interest rates caused by factors other than inflation (real interest rates). In general, the price of an inflation-linked security tends to decrease when real interest rates increase and increase when real interest rates decrease. Interest payments on inflation-linked securities may vary widely and will fluctuate as the principal and interest are adjusted for inflation. Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-linked debt security will be considered taxable ordinary income, even though the Fund will not receive the principal until maturity. There can be no assurance that the inflation index used will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. The Funds investments in inflation-linked securities may lose value in the event that the actual rate of inflation is different than the rate of the inflation index.
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
4
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Risks of
Convertible
Securities
and Other Hybrid Securities.
Convertible
securities
and other hybrid securities generally possess characteristics common to both equity and debt securities. In addition to
risks associated with income securities,
convertible securities and other hybrid
securities may
be subject to issuer-specific and market risks generally applicable to equity securities. Also, convertible securities may be impacted by factors affecting the securities
into which they convert
.
Municipal
Obligation
Risk.
The amount of public information available about municipal
obligations
is generally less than for corporate equities or bonds, meaning that the investment performance of municipal
obligations
may be more dependent on the analytical abilities of the investment adviser than stock or corporate bond investments. The secondary market for municipal
obligations
also tends to be less well-developed and less liquid than many other securities markets, which may limit an owners ability to sell its municipal
obligations
at attractive prices. The spread between the price at which an obligation can be purchased and the price at which it can be sold may widen during periods of market distress. Less liquid obligations can become more difficult to value and be subject to erratic price movements. The increased presence of non-traditional participants or the absence of traditional participants in the municipal markets may lead to greater volatility in the markets.
Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves possible delay in recovery of the loaned securities or possible loss of rights in the collateral if the borrower fails financially.
Risks Associated with Active Management. The success of the Funds investment program depends on portfolio managements successful application of analytical skills and investment judgment. Active management involves subjective decisions.
General Fund Investing Risks. The Fund is not a complete investment program and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives. It is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund is designed to be a long-term investment vehicle and is not suited for short-term trading. Investors in the Fund should have a long-term investment perspective and be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, entity or person.
Performance
The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Funds performance from year to year and how the Funds average annual returns over time compare with those of a broad-based securities market index. The returns in the bar chart are for Class A shares and do not reflect a sales charge. If the sales charge was reflected, the returns would be lower. Past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results.
The performance of each Class for the period prior March 21, 2007 is that of Core Bond Portfolio, the registered investment company in which the Fund invests. The performance of the Portfolio is not adjusted for Fund expenses. If such an adjustment was made, the performance may have been different. The Funds performance after March 21, 2007 reflects the effects of expense reductions. Absent these reductions, performance would have been lower. Updated Fund performance information can be obtained by visiting www.eatonvance.com.
For the ten years ended December 31,
2015
, the highest quarterly total return for Class A was 5.35% for the quarter ended December 31, 2008, and the lowest quarterly return was
-
2.02% for the quarter ended June 30, 2013. For the 30 days ended December 31,
2015
, the SEC yield for Class A and Class I shares was 1.
74
% and 2.
06
%, respectively. For current yield information call 1-800-262-1122.
These returns reflect the maximum sales charge for Class A (4.75%). The Class A performance shown above for the period prior to January 5, 2009 (commencement of operations) is the performance of Class I shares, adjusted for the sales charge that applies to Class A shares (but not adjusted for any other differences in the expenses of the two classes). Performance prior to March 21, 2007 (commencement of operations) is the performance of the Portfolio. If adjusted for such differences, returns would be different. Investors cannot invest directly in an Index.
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. After-tax returns for other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Class A shares. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
Management
Investment Adviser. Boston Management and Research (BMR).
Portfolio Managers
Thomas H. Luster, Vice President of BMR, has managed the Portfolio since February 2010.
Bernard Scozzafava, Vice President of BMR, has managed the Portfolio since February 2010.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase, redeem or exchange Fund shares on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. You may purchase, redeem or exchange Fund shares either through your financial intermediary or directly from the Fund either by writing to the Fund, P.O. Box 9653, Providence, RI 02940-9653, or by calling 1-800-262-1122. The minimum initial purchase or exchange into the Fund is $1,000 for Class A and $250,000 for Class I (waived in certain circumstances). There is no minimum for subsequent investments.
The Funds distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income and/or capital gains, unless you are exempt from taxation.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase
the Funds
shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (collectively, financial intermediaries), the Fund, its principal underwriter and its affiliates may pay the financial intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediarys website for more information.
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Investment Objectives & Principal Policies and Risks
A statement of the investment objectives and principal investment policies and risks of the Fund is set forth above in Fund Summary. As noted in Fund Summary, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objectives by investing in the Portfolio named therein, which has
substantially
the same investment objectives and policies as the Fund. Set forth below is additional information about such policies and risks
, as well as
other types of investments and practices that the Fund may engage in from time to time
. References to the Fund below are to the Fund and Portfolio, as applicable
.
Fixed-Income Securities.
Fixed-income securities include all types of fixed and floating-rate bonds and notes, such as convertible securities
and other hybrid securities (other than preferred stock);
corporate commercial paper; mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities; inflation-indexed bonds issued by both governments and corporations; structured notes, including
indexed securities; loans; loan participations and assignments; delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities;
and bank certificates of deposit, fixed time deposits, bank deposits (or investments structured to provide the same type of exposure) and bankers acceptances of foreign and domestic banks and other debt instruments. Fixed-income securities are issued by: foreign governments or their subdivisions, agencies and government-sponsored enterprises; international agencies or supranational entities; the U.S. Government, its agencies or government-sponsored enterprises (or guaranteed thereby); central or quasi-sovereign banks and U.S. and foreign corporations. Fixed-income securities include deep discount bonds, such as zero coupon bonds, deferred interest bonds, bonds or securities on which the interest is payable in-kind (PIK securities), which are debt obligations that are issued at a significant discount from face value, and securities purchased on a forward commitment or when-issued basis. While zero coupon bonds do not make periodic payments of interest, deferred interest bonds provide for a period of delay before the regular payment of interest begins. PIK securities provide that the issuer thereof may, at its option, pay interest in cash or in the form of additional securities.
Credit Quality. Rating agencies are private services that provide ratings of the credit quality of certain loans and other income securities. In evaluating creditworthiness, the investment adviser considers ratings assigned by rating agencies and generally performs additional credit and investment analysis. Credit ratings issued by rating agencies are based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, the issuers financial condition and the rating agencys credit analysis, if applicable, at the time of rating. The ratings assigned are not absolute standards of credit quality and do not evaluate market risks or necessarily reflect the issuers current financial condition. An issuers current financial condition may be better or worse than the current rating indicates. A credit rating may have a modifier (such as plus, minus or a numerical modifier) to denote its relative status within the rating. The presence of a modifier does not change the security credit rating (for example, BBB- and Baa3 are within the investment grade rating) for purposes of the Fund ’ s investment limitations. If a security is rated differently by two or more rating agencies, the highest rating will be used for any Fund rating restrictions.
U.S. Treasury and Government Agency Securities. U.S. Treasury Securities include U.S. Treasury obligations that differ in their interest rates, maturities and times of issuance. U.S. Government Agency Securities (Agency Securities) include obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities and government-sponsored enterprises. Agency Securities may be guaranteed by the U.S. Government or they may be backed by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase the obligations, or the credit of the agency or instrumentality. While U.S. Government agencies may be chartered or sponsored by Acts of Congress, their securities are not issued and may not be guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury. To the extent that the Fund invests in securities of government-sponsored enterprises, the Fund will be subject to the risks unique to such entities. Government-sponsored enterprises, such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBs), the Private Export Funding Corporation (PEFCO), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Federal Farm Credit Banks (FFCB) and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), although chartered or sponsored by Congress, are not funded by congressional appropriations and the debt and mortgage-backed securities issued by them are neither guaranteed nor issued by the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government has provided financial support to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the past, but there can be no assurance that it will support these or other government-sponsored enterprises in the future. Treasury Securities and Agency Securities also include any security or agreement collateralized or otherwise secured by Treasury Securities or Agency Securities, respectively. As a result of their high credit quality and market liquidity, U.S. Government securities generally provide a lower current return than obligations of other issuers.
Asset-Backed Securities. Asset-backed securities represent interests in a pool of assets, such as home equity loans, commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS), automobile receivables or credit card receivables. Unscheduled prepayments of asset-backed securities may result in a loss of income if the proceeds are invested in lower-yielding securities. In addition, issuers of asset-backed securities may have limited ability to enforce the security interest in the underlying assets, and credit enhancements (if any) may be inadequate in the event of default. Asset-backed securities may experience losses on the underlying assets as a result of certain rights provided to consumer debtors under federal and state law. The value of asset-backed securities may be affected by the factors described above and other factors, such as the availability of information concerning the pool and its structure, the creditworthiness of the servicing agent for the pool, the originator of the underlying assets or the entities providing credit enhancements and the ability of the servicer to service the underlying collateral. The value of asset-backed securities
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
representing interests in a pool of utilities receivables may be adversely affected by changes in government regulations. Under certain market conditions, asset-backed securities may be less liquid and may be difficult to value.
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities. CMBS include securities that reflect an interest in, and are secured by, mortgage loans on commercial real property. CMBS are subject to the risks described under Asset-Backed Securities above. CMBS also are subject to many of the risks of investing in the real estate securing the underlying mortgage loans. These risks reflect the effects of local and other economic conditions on real estate markets, the ability of tenants to make loan payments, and the ability of a property to attract and retain tenants. CMBS may be less liquid and exhibit a greater price volatility than other types of mortgage- or asset-backed securities.
The commercial mortgage loans that underlie CMBS have certain distinct risk characteristics. Commercial mortgage loans generally lack standardized terms, which may complicate their structure, tend to have shorter maturities than residential mortgage loans and may not be fully amortizing. Commercial properties themselves tend to be unique and are more difficult to value than single-family residential properties. In addition, commercial properties, particularly industrial and warehouse properties, are subject to environmental risks and the burdens and costs of compliance with environmental laws and regulations.
Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS). MBS represent participation interests in pools of adjustable and fixed-rate mortgage loans. MBS may be issued by the U.S. Government (or one of its agencies or instrumentalities) or privately issued but collateralized by mortgages that are insured, guaranteed or otherwise backed by the U.S. Government, or its agencies or instrumentalities. Adjustable rate mortgages are mortgages whose interest rates are periodically reset when market rates change. Unlike conventional debt obligations, MBS provide monthly payments derived from the monthly interest and principal payments (including any prepayments) made by the individual borrowers on the pooled mortgage loans. MBS that include loans that have had a history of refinancing opportunities are referred to as seasoned MBS. MBS that are not seasoned MBS are referred to as generic MBS. Seasoned MBS tend to have a higher collateral to debt ratio than other MBS because a greater percentage of the underlying debt has been repaid and the collateral property may have appreciated in value. MBS may be premium bonds acquired at prices that exceed their par or principal value.
The mortgage loans underlying MBS are generally subject to a greater rate of principal prepayments in a declining interest rate environment and to a lesser rate of principal prepayments in an increasing interest rate environment, although investment in seasoned MBS can mitigate this risk. Under certain interest and prepayment rate scenarios, the Fund may fail to recover the full amount of its investment in MBS, notwithstanding any direct or indirect governmental or agency guarantee. Moreover, if the Fund invests in interest only stripped MBS, it may fail to recoup its initial investment if the underlying mortgages experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal. Because faster than expected prepayments must usually be invested in lower yielding securities, MBS are less effective than conventional bonds in locking in a specified interest rate. For premium bonds, prepayment risk may be enhanced. In a rising interest rate environment, a declining prepayment rate will extend the average life of many MBS. This possibility is often referred to as extension risk. Extending the average life of a mortgage-backed security increases the risk of depreciation due to future increases in market interest rates. MBS that are purchased at a premium generate current income that exceeds market rates for comparable investments, but tend to decrease in value as they mature. MBS include classes of collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), including fixed- or floating-rate tranches, and various other MBS. In choosing among CMO classes, the investment adviser will evaluate the total income potential of each class and other factors. CMOs are subject to the same types of risks affecting MBS as described above. Mortgage dollar rolls involve the Fund selling MBS for delivery in the current month with a simultaneous contract entered to repurchase substantially similar (same type, coupon and maturity) securities on a specified future date (a mortgage roll). During the roll period, the Fund
forgoes
principal and interest paid on the MBS.
Foreign and Emerging Market Investments. Investments in foreign issuers could be affected by factors not present in the United States, including expropriation, armed conflict, confiscatory taxation, lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards, less publicly available financial and other information, and potential difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations. Because foreign issuers may not be subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standard practices and requirements and regulatory measures comparable to those in the United States, there may be less publicly available information about such foreign issuers. Settlements of securities transactions in foreign countries are subject to risk of loss, may be delayed and are generally less frequent than in the United States, which could affect the liquidity of the Funds assets.
Foreign issuers may become subject to sanctions imposed by the United States or another country, which could result in the immediate freeze of the foreign issuers assets or securities. The imposition of such sanctions could impair the market value of the securities of such foreign issuers and limit the Funds ability to buy, sell, receive or deliver the securities.
As an alternative to holding foreign-traded investments, the Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated investments of foreign companies that trade on U.S. exchanges or in the U.S. over-the-counter market (including depositary receipts, which evidence ownership in underlying foreign investments and are subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities). Unless otherwise stated in Fund Summary, such investments are not subject to any stated limitation on investing in foreign securities.
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The foregoing risks of foreign investing can be more significant in emerging markets. Emerging markets may offer higher potential for gains and losses than investments in the developed markets of the world. Political and economic structures in emerging market countries generally lack the social, political and economic stability of developed countries, which may affect the value of the Funds investments in these countries and also the ability of the Fund to access markets in such countries. Governmental actions can have a significant effect on the economic conditions in emerging market countries, which also may adversely affect the value and liquidity of the Funds investments. The laws of emerging market countries relating to the limited liability of corporate shareholders, fiduciary duties of officers and directors, and bankruptcy of state enterprises are generally less
developed than or different from such laws in the United States. It may be more difficult to obtain a judgment in the courts of these countries than it is in the United States. Disruptions due to work stoppages and trading improprieties in foreign securities markets have caused such markets to close. If extended closings were to occur in stock markets where the Fund is heavily invested, the Funds ability to redeem Fund shares could become impaired. In such circumstances, the Fund may have to sell more liquid securities than it would otherwise choose to sell. Emerging market securities are also subject to speculative trading, which contributes to their volatility.
Derivatives.
The Fund may enter into derivatives transactions with respect to any security or other instrument in which it is permitted to invest or any related security, instrument, index or economic indicator (reference instruments). Derivatives are financial instruments the value of which is derived from
an
underlying reference instrument. Derivatives typically allow the Fund to increase or decrease the level of risk to which the Fund is exposed more quickly and efficiently than transactions in other types of instruments. The Fund incurs costs in connection with opening and closing derivatives positions. The Fund may engage in the derivative transactions set forth below, as well as in other derivative transactions with substantially similar characteristics and risks.
Options on Securities, Indices and Currencies. The Fund may engage in transactions in exchange-traded and over-the-counter (OTC) options. There are several risks associated with transactions in options , such as imperfect correlation, counterparty risk and an insufficient liquid secondary market for particular options. By buying a put option, the Fund acquires a right to sell the underlying instrument at the exercise price, thus limiting the Fund's risk of loss through a decline in the market value of the instrument until the put option expires. The Fund will pay a premium to the seller of the option for the right to receive payments of cash to the extent that the value of the applicable instrument declines below the exercise price as of the option valuation date. If the price of the instrument is above the exercise price of the option as of the option valuation date, the option expires worthless and the Fund will not be able to recover the option premium paid to the seller. The Fund may purchase uncovered put options. The Fund also has authority to write (i.e., sell) put options. The Fund will receive a premium for writing a put option, which increases the Fund's return. In writing a put option, the Fund has the obligation to buy the underlying instrument at an agreed upon price if the price of such instrument decreases below the exercise price. If the value of the instrument on the option expiration date is above the exercise price, the option will generally expire worthless and the Fund, as option seller, will have no obligation to the option holder.
A purchased call option gives the Fund the right to buy, and obligates the seller to sell, the underlying instrument at the exercise price at any time during the option period. The Fund also is authorized to write (i.e., sell) call options on instruments in which it may invest and to enter into closing purchase transactions with respect to such options. A covered call option is an option in which the Fund, in return for a premium, gives another party a right to buy specified instruments owned by the Fund at a specified future date and price set at the time of the contract. The Fund's ability to sell the instrument underlying a call option may be limited while the option is in effect unless the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction. Uncovered call options have speculative characteristics and are riskier than covered call options because there is no underlying instrument held by the Fund that can act as a partial hedge. As the writer of a covered call option or an index call option, the Fund forgoes, during the options life, the opportunity to profit from increases in the market value of the security or the index covering the call option above the sum of the option premium received and the exercise price of the call, but has retained the risk of loss, minus the option premium received, should the price of the underlying security or index decline.
OTC options involve risk that the issuer or counterparty will fail to perform its contractual obligations. Participants in these markets are typically not subject to the same credit evaluation and regulatory oversight as are members of exchange-based markets. By engaging in option transactions in these markets, the Fund may take a credit risk with regard to parties with which it trades and also may bear the risk of settlement default.
The Fund may also enter into swaptions, which are options giving the option owner the right (but not the obligation) to enter into or cancel a swap agreement at a future date.
Futures Contracts. The Fund may engage in transactions in futures contracts and options on futures contracts. Futures are standardized, exchange-traded contracts that obligate a purchaser to take delivery, and a seller to make delivery, of a specific amount of an asset at a specified future date at a specified price. The Fund also is authorized to purchase or sell call and
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
put options on futures contracts. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts and options are imperfect correlation, liquidity, unanticipated market movement and counterparty risk.
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts. Certain forward foreign currency exchange contracts may be individually negotiated and privately traded so they are dependent upon the creditworthiness of the counterparty. Forward contracts are subject to the risk of political and economic factors applicable to the countries issuing the underlying currencies. Furthermore, unlike trading in most other types of instruments, there is no systematic reporting of last sale information with respect to the foreign currencies underlying forwards. As a result, available information may not be complete.
Credit Default Swaps. Credit default swap agreements (CDS) enable the Fund to buy or sell credit protection on an individual issuer or basket of issuers (i.e., the reference instrument). The Fund may enter into CDS to gain or short exposure to a reference instrument. Long CDS positions are utilized to gain exposure to a reference instrument (similar to buying the instrument) and are akin to selling insurance on the instrument. Short CDS positions are utilized to short exposure to a reference instrument (similar to shorting the instrument) and are akin to buying insurance on the instrument. In response to market events, federal and certain state regulators have proposed regulation of the CDS market. These regulations may limit the Funds ability to use CDS and/or the benefits of CDS. CDS involve risks, including the risk that the counterparty may be unable to fulfill the transaction or that the Fund may be required to purchase securities or other instruments to meet delivery obligations. The Fund may have difficulty, be unable or may incur additional costs to acquire such securities or instruments.
Total Return Swaps. In a total return swap, the buyer receives a periodic return equal to the total return of a specified security, securities or index, for a specified period of time. In return, the buyer pays the counterparty a variable stream of payments, typically based upon short term interest rates, possibly plus or minus an agreed upon spread. These transactions involve risks, including counterparty risk.
Interest Rate Swaps. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, e.g., an exchange of fixed rate payments for floating rate payments. Interest rate swaps involve counterparty risk and the risk of imperfect correlation.
Forward Rate Agreements. Under forward rate agreements, the buyer locks in an interest rate at a future settlement date. If the interest rate on the settlement date exceeds the lock rate, the buyer pays the seller the difference between the two rates. If the lock rate exceeds the interest rate on the settlement date, the seller pays the buyer the difference between the two rates. These transactions involve risks, including counterparty risk.
Credit Linked Notes, Credit Options and Similar Investments. Credit linked notes are obligations between two or more parties where the payment of principal and/or interest is based on the performance of some obligation, basket of obligations, index or economic indicator (a reference instrument). In addition to the credit risk associated with the reference instrument and interest rate risk, the buyer and seller of a credit linked note or similar structured investment are subject to counterparty risk. Credit options are options whereby the purchaser has the right, but not the obligation, to enter into a transaction involving either an asset with inherent credit risk or a credit derivative, at terms specified at the initiation of the option. These transactions involve risks, including counterparty risk.
Short Sales. The Fund may engage in covered short sales (on individual securities held or on an index or basket of securities whose constituents are held in whole or in part or for which liquid assets have been segregated). A short sale on an individual security typically involves the sale of a security that is borrowed from a broker or other institution to complete the sale. Short sales expose the seller to the risk that it will be required to acquire securities to replace the borrowed securities (also known as covering the short position) at a time when the securities sold short have appreciated in value, thus resulting in a loss. When making a short sale, the Fund must segregate liquid assets with a broker or the custodian equal to (or otherwise cover) its obligations under the short sale. The seller of a short position generally realizes a profit on the transaction if the price it receives on the short sale exceeds the cost of closing out the position by purchasing securities in the market, but generally realizes a loss if the cost of closing out the short position exceeds the proceeds of the short sale.
Convertible Securities.
A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred security, or other security that entitles the holder to acquire common stock or other equity securities of the same or a different issuer. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on debt or the dividend paid on preferred securities until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities have characteristics similar to nonconvertible income securities. The value of a convertible security
tends to be
influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline. The credit standing of the issuer and other issuer and market factors also may have an effect on the convertible securitys value. A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible securitys governing instrument.
Lower Rated Securities.
Investments in obligations rated below investment grade and comparable unrated securities (junk
) have speculative characteristics because of the credit risk associated with their issuers. Changes in economic conditions or other circumstances typically have a greater effect on the ability of issuers of lower rated investments to make principal and interest
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
payments than they do on issuers of higher rated investments. An economic downturn generally leads to a higher non-payment rate, and a lower rated investment may lose significant value before a default occurs. Lower rated investments generally are subject to greater price volatility and illiquidity than higher rated investments.
Repurchase Agreements. A repurchase agreement is the purchase by the Fund of securities from a counterparty in exchange for cash that is coupled with an agreement to resell those securities to the counterparty at a specified date and price. Repurchase agreements that mature in more than seven days will be treated as illiquid. When a repurchase agreement is entered into, the Fund typically receives securities with a value that equals or exceeds the repurchase price, including any accrued interest earned on the agreement. The value of such securities will be marked to market daily, and cash or additional securities will be exchanged between the parties as needed. Except in the case of a repurchase agreement entered into to settle a short sale, the value of the securities delivered to the Fund will be at least equal to the repurchase price during the term of the repurchase agreement. The terms of a repurchase agreement entered into to settle a short sale may provide that the cash purchase price paid by the Fund is more than the value of purchased securities that effectively collateralize the repurchase price payable by the counterparty. Since in such a transaction the Fund normally will have used the purchased securities to settle the short sale, the Fund will segregate liquid assets equal to the marked to market value of the purchased securities that it is obligated to return to the counterparty under the repurchase agreement.
Inflation-Indexed Bonds. Inflation-indexed bonds (other than municipal inflation-indexed bonds and certain corporate inflation-indexed bonds) are fixed-income securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. If the index measuring inflation falls, the principal value of inflation-indexed bonds (other than municipal inflation-indexed bonds and certain corporate inflation-indexed bonds) will be adjusted downward, and consequently the interest payable on these securities (calculated with respect to a smaller principal amount) will be reduced. Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury in the case of U.S. Treasury inflation-indexed bonds. For bonds that do not provide a similar guarantee, the adjusted principal value of the bond repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal.
Municipal Obligations. Municipal obligations include bonds, notes, floating-rate notes and commercial paper issued by municipalities and agencies and authorities established by those municipalities. Municipal debt may be used for a wide variety of public and private purposes, and the interest thereon may or may not be subject to U.S. federal income tax. Municipal obligations also include municipal leases and participations in municipal leases. An issuers obligation under such leases is often subject to the appropriation by a legislative body, on an annual or other basis, of funds for the payment of the obligations. Certain municipal obligations may be purchased on a when-issued basis, which means that payment and delivery occur on a future settlement date. The price and yield of such securities are generally fixed on the date of commitment to purchase.
Eurodollar and Yankee Dollar Instruments. The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in Eurodollar and Yankee Dollar instruments. Eurodollar instruments are bonds that pay interest and principal in U.S. dollars held in banks outside the United States, primarily in Europe. Eurodollar instruments are usually issued on behalf of multinational companies and foreign governments by large underwriting groups composed of banks and issuing houses from many countries. Yankee Dollar instruments are U.S. dollar denominated bonds issued in the United States by foreign banks and corporations. These investments involve risks that are different from investments in securities issued by U.S. issuers, and may carry many of the same risks as investing in foreign securities.
Securities Lending. The Fund 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. Loans will only be made to firms that have been approved by the investment adviser , and the investment adviser or the securities lending agent will periodically monitor the financial condition of such organizations while any loans are outstanding. In addition, loans will only be made when the investment adviser believes the expected returns, net of expenses, justify 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 Fund may lend up to one-third of the value of its total assets (including borrowings) or such other amount as is permitted under relevant law.
Pooled Investment Vehicles.
The Fund may invest in pooled investment vehicles
. Pooled investment vehicles are
open- and closed-end investment companies
unaffiliated with the investment adviser,
open-end investment companies affiliated with the investment adviser
and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The market for common shares of closed-end investment companies and ETFs, which are generally traded on an exchange, is affected by the demand for those securities, regardless of the value of the funds underlying portfolio assets. The Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees and expenses paid by unaffiliated and certain affiliated pooled investment vehicles in which it invests, except that management fees of affiliated funds may be waived. If such fees exceed 0.01%, the costs associated with such investments will be reflected in Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table(s) in Fund Summary. Requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940
, as amended
(the 1940 Act
),
may limit the Funds ability to invest in other investment
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
companies including ETFs, unless the investment company has received an exemptive order from the
SEC
on which the Fund may rely
.
Illiquid Securities. The Fund may not invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, which may be difficult to value properly and may involve greater risks than liquid securities. Illiquid securities include those legally restricted as to resale (such as those issued in private placements), and may include commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A thereunder. Certain Section 4(a)(2) and Rule 144A securities may be treated as liquid securities if the investment adviser determines that such treatment is warranted. Even if determined to be liquid, holdings of these securities may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers become uninterested in purchasing them.
Borrowing.
The Fund is permitted to borrow for temporary purposes (such as to satisfy redemption requests, to remain fully invested in anticipation of expected cash inflows and to settle transactions). Any borrowings by the Fund are subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act. Borrowings are also subject to the terms of any credit agreement between the Fund and lender(s). The Fund will be required to maintain a specified level of asset coverage with respect to all borrowings and may be required to sell some of its holdings to reduce debt and restore coverage at times when it may not be advantageous to do so. The rights of the lender to receive payments of interest and repayments of principal of any borrowings made by the Fund under a credit facility are senior to the rights of holders of shares
with respect to the payment of dividends or upon liquidation. In the event of a default under a credit arrangement, the lenders may have the right to cause a liquidation of the collateral (i.e., sell Fund assets) and, if any such default is not cured, the lenders may be able to control the liquidation as well. Fund borrowings may be equal to as much as 33
1
/
3
% of the value of the Funds total assets (including such borrowings) less the Funds liabilities (other than borrowings). The Fund will not purchase additional investment securities while outstanding borrowings exceed 5% of the value of its total assets.
Cash and Cash Equivalents. The Fund may invest in cash or cash equivalents, including high quality short-term instruments or an affiliated investment company that invests in such instruments.
Portfolio Turnover. The annual portfolio turnover rate of the Fund may exceed 100%. A mutual fund with a high turnover rate (100% or more) may generate more capital gains and pay more commissions (which may reduce return) than a fund with a lower rate. Capital gains distributions (which reduce the after-tax returns of shareholders holding Fund shares in taxable accounts) will be made to shareholders if offsetting capital loss carry forwards do not exist.
Use of Master-Feeder Structure.
The Fund
invests
substantially all of its assets in an affiliated investment fund having substantially the same investment objective and policies and
operates
in a master-feeder structure. Use of this structure enables the Fund to pool its assets with other investors in the Portfolio. Resulting efficiencies in management and administration can lower Fund costs and enhance shareholder returns.
The ability of the Fund to meet its investment objective is directly related to the ability of the Portfolio to meet its objective. Other investors in the Portfolio may have different expense structures and be offered and sold on different terms than the Fund. As a result, the Funds performance may differ from that of other investors in the Portfolio, including other Eaton Vance-sponsored funds. Contribution and withdrawal activities by other Portfolio investors may impact the management of the Portfolio and its ability to achieve its investment objective. A large withdrawal by
a
Portfolio investor could have an adverse effect on other Portfolio investors.
As a Portfolio investor, the Fund may be asked to vote on certain Portfolio matters (such as changes in certain Portfolio investment restrictions). When necessary, the Fund will hold a meeting of its shareholders to consider Portfolio matters and then vote its interest in the Portfolio in proportion to the votes cast by its shareholders.
The Fund can withdraw its Portfolio investment at any time without shareholder approval.
General.
The Fund's 80% Policy will not be changed unless shareholders are given at least 60 days
’
advance written notice of the change. Unless
otherwise stated, the Fund's investment objectives and certain other policies may be changed without shareholder approval. Any proposed material change in the investment objective will be submitted to shareholders for their approval. During unusual market conditions, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash or cash equivalents temporarily, which may be inconsistent with its investment objective(s) and other policies. The Fund might not use all of the strategies and techniques or invest in all of the types of securities described in this Prospectus or the Statement of Additional Information. While at times the Fund may use alternative investment strategies in an effort to limit its losses, it may choose not to do so.
The Funds annual operating expenses are expressed as a percentage of the Funds average daily net assets and may change as Fund assets increase and decrease over time. Purchase and redemption activities by Fund shareholders may impact the management of the Fund and its ability to achieve its investment objectives. In addition, the redemption by one or more large shareholders or groups of shareholders of their holdings in the Fund could have an adverse impact on the remaining shareholders in the Fund. Mutual funds, investment advisers, other market participants and many securities markets are subject
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
to rules and regulations and the jurisdiction of one or more regulators. Changes to applicable rules and regulations could have an adverse effect on securities markets and market participants, as well as on the Funds ability to execute its investment strategy. With the increased use of technologies by Fund service providers, such as the Internet , to conduct business, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks.
Management and Organization
Management. The Portfolio ’ s investment adviser is Boston Management and Research ( “ BMR ” ), an indirect subsidiary of Eaton Vance Corp. ( “ EVC ” ). Eaton Vance Management ( “ Eaton Vance ” ) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EVC. Eaton Vance and BMR have offices at Two International Place, Boston, MA 02110. Eaton Vance has been managing assets since 1924 and managing mutual funds since 1931. Eaton Vance and its affiliates currently manage over $300 billion on behalf of mutual funds, institutional clients and individuals.
The investment adviser manages the investments of the Portfolio. Under its investment advisory agreement with the Portfolio, BMR receives a monthly advisory fee equal to 0.625% annually of the Portfolios average daily net assets up to and including $130 million, and equal to 0.50% annually of the average daily net assets over $130 million. BMR has contractually agreed to reduce its advisory fee to 0.45% annually on average daily net assets of less than $1 billion and to further reduce its advisory fee on average daily net assets of $1 billion or more. This contractual reduction, which cannot be terminated or modified without Trustee and shareholder approval, was effective October 15, 2007. The investment advisory fee on net assets of $1 billion or more is reduced as follows:
Average Daily Net Assets for the Month |
Annual Fee Rate
|
$1 billion up to $2 billion |
0.425% |
$2 billion up to $5 billion |
0.415% |
Over $5 billion |
0.405% |
For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the effective annual rate of investment advisory fee, based on average daily net assets of the Portfolio, was 0.45%.
The Funds semiannual shareholder report covering the fiscal period ended June 30 provides information regarding the basis for the Trustees approval of the Portfolios investment advisory agreement.
Thomas H. Luster and Bernard Scozzafava are the portfolio managers of the Portfolio (since February 2010). Mr. Luster is a co-director of Eaton Vances diversified fixed income group and is a Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR and has managed other Eaton Vance funds for over five years. Mr. Scozzafava has been a fixed-income analyst at Eaton Vance for more than five years and is a Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR.
The Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about each portfolio managers compensation, other accounts managed by each portfolio manager, and each portfolio managers ownership of Fund shares.
Eaton Vance serves as the administrator of the Fund, providing the Fund with administrative services and related office facilities. Eaton Vance does not currently receive a fee for serving as administrator.
Eaton Vance provides sub-transfer agency and related services to Eaton Vance mutual funds pursuant to a Sub-Transfer Agency Support Services Agreement. For its services under the agreement, Eaton Vance receives an aggregate fee from such funds equal to the lesser of $2.5 million or its actual expenses incurred in performing such services.
Organization. The Fund is a series of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust, a Massachusetts business trust. The Fund offers multiple classes of shares. Each Class represents a pro rata interest in the Fund but is subject to different expenses and rights. The Fund does not hold annual shareholder meetings but may hold special meetings for matters that require shareholder approval (such as electing or removing trustees, approving management or advisory contracts or changing investment policies that may only be changed with shareholder approval).
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
13
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Valuing Shares
The Fund values its shares once each day only when the New York Stock Exchange (the Exchange) is open for trading (typically Monday through Friday), as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. eastern time). The purchase price of Fund shares is their net asset value (plus any applicable sales charge), which is derived from the value of Fund holdings, including the Funds interest in the Portfolio. When purchasing or redeeming Fund shares through a financial intermediary, your financial intermediary must receive your order by the close of regular trading on the Exchange in order for the purchase price or the redemption price to be based on that days net asset value per share. It is the financial intermediarys responsibility to transmit orders promptly. The Fund may accept purchase and redemption orders as of the time of their receipt by certain financial intermediaries (or their designated intermediaries).
The Trustees have adopted procedures for valuing investments and have delegated to the investment adviser
(s)
the daily valuation of such investments.
Pursuant to the procedures,
independent pricing services
are used
to value debt obligations at their market value. In determining market value, the pricing service considers various factors and market information. Exchange-listed securities and other instruments (including derivatives) normally are valued at
last sale or
closing
prices. Non-exchange traded derivatives are normally valued on the basis of quotes obtained from brokers and dealers or pricing services. Such values may be based on valuation models, information provided by market makers or estimates of market values obtained from yield or market data relating to investments or securities with similar characteristics. In certain situations, the investment adviser
(s)
may use the fair value of a security if market prices are unavailable or deemed unreliable, or if events occur after the close of a securities market (usually a foreign market) and before portfolio assets are valued which 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. Because foreign securities trade on days when Fund shares are not priced, the value of securities held by the
Portfolio can change on days when Fund shares cannot be redeemed
or purchased
. Eaton Vance has established a Valuation Committee that oversees the valuation of investments.
Purchasing Shares
You may purchase shares through your financial intermediary or by mailing an account application form to the transfer agent (see back cover for address). Purchase orders will be executed at the net asset value (plus any applicable sales charge) next determined after their receipt in proper form (meaning that they are complete and contain all necessary information) by the Funds transfer agent. The Funds transfer agent or your financial intermediary must receive your purchase in proper form no later than the close of regular trading on the Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. eastern time) for your purchase to be effected at that days net asset value. If you purchase shares through a financial intermediary, that intermediary may charge you a fee for executing the purchase for you.
The Fund may suspend the sale of its shares at any time and any purchase order may be refused for any reason. The funds sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization (the Eaton Vance funds) do not accept investments from residents of the European Union or Switzerland. The funds also do not accept investments from other non-U.S. residents, provided that a fund may accept investments from certain non-U.S. investors at the discretion of the principal underwriter. The Fund does not issue share certificates.
As used throughout this Prospectus, the term employer sponsored retirement plan includes the following: an employer sponsored pension or profit sharing plan that qualifies under section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (such as a 401(k) plan, money purchase pension, profit sharing and defined benefit plan); ERISA covered 403(b) plan; TaftHartley multi-employer plan; and non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements that operate in a similar manner to a qualified retirement plan (including 457 plans and executive deferred compensation arrangements). Individual Retirement Accounts are not employer sponsored retirement plans for purposes of this definition.
Class A Shares
Your initial investment must be at least $1,000. After your initial investment, additional investments may be made in any amount at any time by sending a check payable to the order of the Fund or the transfer agent directly to the transfer agent (see back cover for address). Please include your name and account number and the name of the Fund and Class of shares with each investment. You also may make additional investments by accessing your account via the Eaton Vance website at www.eatonvance.com. Purchases made through the Internet from a pre-designated bank account will have a trade date that is the first business day after the purchase is requested (provided the request is submitted no later than the close of regular trading on the Exchange). For more information about purchasing shares through the Internet, please call 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time).
You may
purchase additional shares by automatically investing a designated amount
from your bank account
on a periodic basis provided such investments equal a minimum of $200 per year.
You
must elect this privilege on your
account application or by providing written instructions. Please call 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
14
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
(eastern time) for further information. The minimum initial investment amount and Fund policy of redeeming accounts with low account balances are waived for bank automated investing accounts, certain group purchase plans (including employer sponsored retirement plans and proprietary fee-based programs sponsored by financial intermediaries) and for persons affiliated with Eaton Vance, its affiliates and certain Fund service providers (as described in the Statement of Additional Information).
Class I Shares
Class I shares are offered to clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class I shares through a no-load network or platform. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments, foundations and employer sponsored retirement plans. Class I shares also are offered to investment and institutional clients of Eaton Vance and its affiliates and certain persons affiliated with Eaton Vance
.
Your initial investment must be at least $250,000. Subsequent investments of any amount may be made at any time, including through automatic investment each month or quarter from your bank account. You may make automatic investments of $50 or more each month or each quarter from your bank account. You can establish bank automated investing on the account application or by providing written instructions. Please call 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time) for further information.
The minimum initial investment is waived for persons affiliated with Eaton Vance, its affiliates and certain Fund service providers (as described in the Statement of Additional Information). The minimum initial investment also is waived for: (i) permitted exchanges; (ii) employer sponsored retirement plans; (iii) corporations, endowments and foundations with assets of at least $100 million; and (iv)
accounts of
clients of
financial
intermediaries who (a) charge
an ongoing fee for
advisory, investment, consulting or similar
services
, or (b) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer
Class I shares through a no-load network or platform (in each case, as described above), provided the
total
value of such accounts invested in Class I shares
of Eaton Vance funds
is at least $250,000 (or is anticipated by the principal underwriter to reach $250,000).
Class I shares may be purchased through a financial intermediary or by requesting your bank to transmit immediately available funds (Federal Funds) by wire. To make an initial investment by wire, you must complete an account application and telephone Eaton Vance Shareholder Services at 1-800-262-1122 to be assigned an account number. You may request an account application by calling 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time). Shareholder Services must be advised by telephone of each additional investment by wire.
Restrictions on Excessive Trading and Market Timing. The Fund is not intended for excessive trading or market timing. Market timers seek to profit by rapidly switching money into a fund when they expect the share price of the fund to rise and taking money out of the fund when they expect those prices to fall. By realizing profits through short-term trading, shareholders that engage in rapid purchases and sales (including exchanges, if permitted) of a funds shares may dilute the value of shares held by long-term shareholders. Volatility resulting from excessive purchases and sales of fund shares, especially involving large dollar amounts, may disrupt efficient portfolio management. In particular, excessive purchases and sales of a funds shares may cause a fund to have difficulty implementing its investment strategies, may force the fund to sell portfolio securities at inopportune times to raise cash or may cause increased expenses (such as increased brokerage costs, realization of taxable capital gains without attaining any investment advantage or increased administrative costs).
A fund that invests all or a portion of its assets in foreign securities may be susceptible to a time zone arbitrage strategy in which shareholders attempt to take advantage of fund share prices that may not reflect developments in a foreign securities market that occur after the close of such market but prior to the pricing of fund shares. In addition, a fund that invests in securities that are, among other things, thinly traded, traded infrequently or relatively illiquid (including restricted securities and certain derivative instruments) is susceptible to the risk that the current market price for such securities may not accurately reflect current market values. A shareholder may seek to engage in short-term trading to take advantage of these pricing differences (commonly referred to as price arbitrage). The investment adviser is authorized to use the fair value of a security if prices are unavailable or are deemed unreliable (see Valuing Shares). The use of fair value pricing and the restrictions on excessive trading and market timing described below are intended to reduce a shareholders ability to engage in price or time zone arbitrage to the detriment of the Fund.
The Boards of the Eaton Vance funds have adopted policies to discourage short-term trading and market timing and to seek to minimize their potentially detrimental effects. Pursuant to these policies, an Eaton Vance fund shareholder who, through one or more accounts, completes two round-trips within 90 days generally will be deemed to be market timing or trading excessively in fund shares. Two round-trips within 90 days means either (1) a purchase of fund shares followed by a redemption of fund shares followed by a purchase followed by a redemption or (2) a redemption of fund shares followed by a purchase of fund shares followed by a redemption followed by a purchase, in either case with the final transaction in the sequence occurring within 90 days of the initial transaction in the sequence. Purchases and redemptions subject to the limitation include those made by exchanging to or from another fund. Under the policies, the Fund or its sub-transfer agent or principal underwriter will reject or cancel a purchase order, suspend or terminate an exchange privilege or terminate the ability of an investor to invest in
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
15
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
the Eaton Vance funds if the Fund or the principal underwriter determines that a proposed transaction involves market timing or excessive trading that it believes is likely to be detrimental to the Fund. The Fund and its principal underwriter use reasonable efforts to detect market timing and excessive trading activity, but they cannot ensure that they will be able to identify all cases of market timing and excessive trading. The Fund or its principal underwriter may also reject or cancel any purchase order (including an exchange) from an investor or group of investors for any other reason. Decisions to reject or cancel purchase orders (including exchanges) in the Fund are inherently subjective and will be made in a manner believed to be in the best interest of a Funds shareholders. No Eaton Vance fund has any arrangement to permit market timing.
The following fund share transactions (to the extent permitted by a funds prospectus) generally are exempt from the market timing and excessive trading policy described above because they generally do not raise market timing or excessive trading concerns:
·
transactions made pursuant to a systematic purchase plan or as the result of automatic reinvestment of dividends or distributions, or initiated by the Fund (e.g., for failure to meet applicable account minimums);
·
transactions made by participants in employer sponsored retirement plans involving participant payroll or employer contributions or loan repayments, redemptions as part of plan terminations or at the direction of the plan, mandatory retirement distributions, or rollovers;
·
transactions made by model-based discretionary advisory accounts; or
·
transactions made by an Eaton Vance fund that is structured as a fund-of-funds, provided the transactions are in response to fund inflows and outflows or are part of a reallocation of fund assets in accordance with its investment policies.
It may be difficult for the Fund or the principal underwriter to identify market timing or excessive trading in omnibus accounts traded through financial intermediaries. The Fund and the principal underwriter have provided guidance to financial intermediaries (such as banks, broker-dealers, insurance companies and retirement administrators) concerning the application of the Eaton Vance funds market timing and excessive trading policies to Fund shares held in omnibus accounts maintained and administered by such intermediaries, including guidance concerning situations where market timing or excessive trading is considered to be detrimental to the Fund. The Fund or its principal underwriter may rely on a financial intermediarys policy to restrict market timing and excessive trading if it believes that policy is likely to prevent market timing that is likely to be detrimental to the Fund. Such policy may be more or less restrictive than the Funds policy. Although the Fund or the principal underwriter reviews trading activity at the omnibus account level for activity that indicates potential market timing or excessive trading activity, the Fund and the principal underwriter typically will not request or receive individual account data unless suspicious trading activity is identified. The Fund and the principal underwriter generally rely on financial intermediaries to monitor trading activity in omnibus accounts in good faith in accordance with their own or Fund policies. The Fund and the principal underwriter cannot ensure that these financial intermediaries will in all cases apply the policies of the Fund or their own policies, as the case may be, to accounts under their control.
Choosing a Share Class. The Fund offers different classes of shares. The different classes of shares represent investments in the same portfolio of securities, but the classes are subject to different expenses and will likely have different share prices due to differences in class expenses. A share class also may be subject to a sales charge. In choosing the class of shares that suits your investment needs, you should consider:
·
how long you expect to own your shares;
·
how much you intend to invest; and
·
the total operating expenses associated with owning each class.
Each investors considerations are different. You should speak with your financial intermediary to help you decide which class of shares is best for you. Set forth below is a brief description of each class of shares offered by the Fund.
Class A shares are offered at net asset value plus a front-end sales charge of up to 4.75%. This charge is deducted from the amount you invest. The Class A sales charge is reduced for purchases of $50,000 or more. The sales charge applicable to your purchase may be reduced under the right of accumulation or a statement of intention, which are described in Reducing or Eliminating Class A Sales Charges under Sales Charges below. Some investors may be eligible to purchase Class A shares at net asset value under certain circumstances, which are also described below. Class A shares pay distribution and service fees equal to 0.25% annually of average daily net assets.
Class I shares are offered to clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class I shares through a no-load network or platform. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments, foundations and employer sponsored retirement plans. Class I shares are also offered to investment and institutional clients
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
of Eaton Vance and its affiliates , and certain persons affiliated with Eaton Vance and certain Fund service providers. Class I shares do not pay distribution or service fees.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries. In addition to payments disclosed under “ Sales Charges ” below, the principal underwriter, out of its own resources, may make cash payments to certain financial intermediaries who provide marketing support, transaction processing and/or administrative services and, in some cases, include some or all Eaton Vance funds in preferred or specialized selling programs. Payments made by the principal underwriter to a financial intermediary may be significant and are typically in the form of fees based on Fund sales, assets, transactions processed and/or accounts attributable to that financial intermediary. Financial intermediaries also may receive amounts from the principal underwriter in connection with educational or due diligence meetings that include information concerning Eaton Vance funds. The principal underwriter may pay or allow other promotional incentives or payments to financial intermediaries to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations.
Certain financial intermediaries that maintain fund accounts for the benefit of their customers provide sub-accounting, recordkeeping and/or administrative services to the Eaton Vance funds and are compensated for such services by the funds. As used in this Prospectus, the term financial intermediary includes any broker, dealer, bank (including bank trust departments), registered investment adviser, financial planner, a retirement plan and/or its administrator, their designated intermediaries and any other firm having a selling, administration or similar agreement with the principal underwriter or its affiliates.
Sales Charges
Class A Front-End Sales Charge. Class A shares are offered at net asset value per share plus a sales charge that is determined by the amount of your investment. The current sales charge schedule is:
Amount of Purchase |
Sales Charge
*
|
Sales Charge
*
|
Dealer Commission
|
Less than $50,000 |
4.75% |
4.99% |
4.00% |
$50,000 but less than $100,000 |
4.50% |
4.71% |
3.75% |
$100,000 but less than $250,000 |
3.75% |
3.90% |
3.00% |
$250,000 but less than $500,000 |
3.00% |
3.09% |
2.50% |
$500,000 but less than $1,000,000 |
2.00% |
2.04% |
1.75% |
$1,000,000 but less than $5,000,000 |
0.00** |
0.00** |
TIERED** |
$5,000,000 or more |
0.00** |
0.00** |
TIERED** |
*
Because the offering price per share is rounded to two decimal places, the actual sales charge you pay on a purchase of Class A shares may be more or less than your total purchase amount multiplied by the applicable sales charge percentage.
**
No sales charge is payable at the time of purchase on investments of $1 million or more. The principal underwriter will pay a commission to financial intermediaries on sales of $1 million or more as follows: 0.75% on amounts of $1 million or more but less than $5 million; plus 0.50% on amounts of $5 million or more.
A contingent deferred sales charge
of 1.00% will be imposed on such investments (as described below) in the event of redemptions within 18 months of purchase.
The principal underwriter may also pay commissions of up to 1.00% on sales of Class A shares made at net asset value to certain employer sponsored retirement plans.
Reducing or Eliminating Class A Sales Charges. Front-end sales charges on purchases of Class A shares may be reduced under the right of accumulation or under a statement of intention. To receive a reduced sales charge, you must inform your financial intermediary or the Fund at the time you purchase shares that you qualify for such a reduction. If you do not let your financial intermediary or the Fund know you are eligible for a reduced sales charge at the time of purchase, you will not receive the discount to which you may otherwise be entitled.
Right of Accumulation.
Under the right of accumulation, the sales charge you pay is reduced if the current market value of your holdings in the Fund or any other Eaton Vance fund (based on the current maximum public offering price) plus your new purchase total $50,000 or more.
Shares owned by you, your spouse and children under age twenty-one may be combined for purposes of the right of accumulation, including shares held for the benefit of any of you in omnibus or street name accounts. In addition, shares held in a trust or fiduciary account of which any of the foregoing persons is the sole beneficiary (including employer sponsored retirement plans and Individual Retirement Accounts) may be combined for purposes of the right of accumulation. Shares purchased and/or owned in a SEP, SARSEP and SIMPLE IRA plan
may be combined for purposes of the right of accumulation for the plan and its participants. You may be required to provide documentation to establish your ownership of shares included under the right of accumulation (such as account statements for you, your spouse and children or marriage certificates, birth certificates and/or trust or other fiduciary-related documents).
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Statement of Intention. Under a statement of intention, purchases of $50,000 or more made over a 13-month period are eligible for reduced sales charges. Shares eligible under the right of accumulation (other than those included in employer sponsored retirement plans) may be included to satisfy the amount to be purchased under a statement of intention. Under a statement of intention, the principal underwriter may hold 5% of the dollar amount to be purchased in escrow in the form of shares registered in your name until you satisfy the statement or the 13-month period expires. A statement of intention does not obligate you to purchase (or the Fund to sell) the full amount indicated in the statement.
Class A shares are offered at net asset value (without a sales charge) to
accounts of
clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class A shares through a no-load network or platform, or self-directed brokerage accounts that may or may not charge transaction fees to customers. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments, foundations and employer sponsored retirement plans. Class A shares also are offered at net asset value to investment and institutional clients of Eaton Vance and its affiliates; certain persons affiliated with Eaton Vance; and to certain fund service providers as described in the Statement of Additional Information. Class A shares may also be purchased at net asset value pursuant to the reinvestment privilege and exchange privilege and when distributions are reinvested.
Shares held in commission-based broker-dealer accounts may not qualify for purchases of Class A shares at net asset value.
See Shareholder Account Features for details.
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge.
Class A shares purchased at net asset value in amounts of $1 million or more are subject to a 1.00% contingent deferred sales charge
or
CDSC
if redeemed within 18 months of purchase. The CDSC is generally paid to the principal underwriter. The CDSC is based on the lower of the net asset value at the time of purchase or the time of redemption. Shares acquired through the reinvestment of distributions are exempt from the CDSC. Redemptions are made first from shares that are not subject to a CDSC.
CDSC Waivers.
CDSCs are waived for certain redemptions pursuant to a Withdrawal Plan (see Shareholder Account Features
) and in connection with certain redemptions from employer sponsored retirement plans.
The CDSC is also waived following the death of a beneficial owner of shares (a death certificate and other applicable documents may be required).
Distribution and Service Fees.
Class A shares have in effect a plan under Rule 12b-1 that allows the Fund to pay distribution fees for the sale and distribution of shares and service fees for personal and/or shareholder account services (so-called 12b-1 fees). Class A shares pay distribution and service fees equal to 0.25% of average daily net assets annually. After the sale of shares, the principal underwriter receives the distribution and service fees for one year
.
Thereafter financial intermediaries generally receive
from the principal underwriter
0.25% annually of average daily net assets based on the value of shares sold by such financial intermediaries for shareholder servicing performed by such intermediaries. Distribution and service fees are subject to the limitations contained in the sales charge rule of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
More information about sales charges is available free of charge on the Eaton Vance website at www.eatonvance.com and in the Statement of Additional Information. Please consult the Eaton Vance website for any updates to sales charge information before making a purchase of Fund shares.
You can redeem shares in any of the following ways:
By Mail |
Send your request to the transfer agent (see back cover for address). The request must be signed exactly as your account is registered (for instance, a joint account must be signed by all registered owners to be accepted) and a Medallion signature guarantee may be required. Circumstances that may require a Medallion signature guarantee include, but are not limited to, requests to distribute redemption proceeds to a party other than the registered account owner(s); requests to mail redemption proceeds to an address other than the address of record; requests to distribute proceeds to a bank account not on file; or transaction requests from an account beneficiary when an account owner is deceased. You can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee at banks, savings and loan institutions, credit unions, securities dealers, securities exchanges, clearing agencies and registered securities associations that participate in The Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program, Inc. (STAMP, Inc.). Only Medallion signature guarantees issued in accordance with STAMP, Inc. will be accepted. You may be asked to provide additional documents if your shares are registered in the name of a corporation, partnership or fiduciary. |
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
By Telephone |
Certain shareholders can redeem by calling 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time). Proceeds of a telephone redemption are generally limited to $100,000 per account (which may include shares of one or more Eaton Vance funds) and can be sent only to the account address or to a bank pursuant to prior instructions. |
By Internet |
Certain shareholders can redeem by logging on to the Eaton Vance website at www.eatonvance.com. Proceeds of internet redemptions are generally limited to $100,000 per account (which may include shares of one or more Eaton Vance funds) and can be sent only to the account address or to a bank pursuant to prior instructions. |
For Additional Information |
Please call 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time). |
Through a Financial Intermediary |
Your financial intermediary is responsible for transmitting the order promptly. A financial intermediary may charge a fee for this service. |
The Fund's transfer agent or your financial intermediary must receive your redemption in proper form (meaning that it is complete and contains all necessary information) no later than the close of regular trading on the Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. eastern time) for your redemption to be effected at that days net asset value. Your redemption proceeds normally will be paid in cash within seven days, reduced by the amount of any applicable CDSC and any federal income and state tax required to be withheld. Payments will be sent by regular mail. However, if you have given complete written authorization in advance, you may request that the redemption proceeds be wired directly to your bank account. The bank designated may be any bank in the United States. The request may be made by calling 1-800-262-1122 or by sending a Medallion signature guaranteed letter of instruction to the transfer agent (see back cover for address). Certain redemption requests including those involving shares held by certain corporations, trusts or certain other entities and shares that are subject to certain fiduciary arrangements may require additional documentation and may be redeemed only by mail. You may be required to pay the costs of such transaction by the Fund or your bank. No costs are currently charged by the Fund. However, charges may apply for expedited mail delivery services. The Fund may suspend or terminate the expedited payment procedure upon at least 30 days notice.
If you recently purchased shares, the proceeds of a redemption will not be sent until the purchase check (including a certified or cashiers check) has cleared. If the purchase check has not cleared, redemption proceeds may be delayed up to 15 days from the purchase date. If your account value falls below $750 (other than due to market decline), you may be asked either to add to your account or redeem it within 60 days. If you take no action, your account will be redeemed and the proceeds sent to you.
While redemption proceeds are normally paid in cash, redemptions may be paid by distributing marketable securities. If you receive securities, you could incur brokerage or other charges in converting the securities to cash.
Shareholder Account Features
Distributions. You may have your Fund distributions paid in one of the following ways:
Full Reinvest Option |
Distributions are reinvested in additional shares. This option will be assigned if you do not specify an option. |
Partial Reinvest Option |
Dividends are paid in cash* and capital gains are reinvested in additional shares. |
Cash Option |
Distributions are paid in cash.* |
Exchange Option |
Distributions are reinvested in additional shares of any class of another Eaton Vance fund chosen by you, subject to the terms of that funds prospectus. Before selecting this option, you must obtain a prospectus of the other fund and consider its objectives, risks, and charges and expenses carefully. |
*
If any distribution check remains uncashed for six months,
Eaton Vance reserves the right to invest
the amount represented by the check
in Fund shares at the then-current net asset value of the Fund and all future distributions will be reinvested.
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Information about the Fund. From time to time, you may receive the following:
·
Semiannual and annual reports containing a list of portfolio holdings as of the end of the second and fourth fiscal quarters, respectively, performance information and financial statements.
·
Periodic account statements, showing recent activity and total share balance.
·
Tax information needed to prepare your income tax returns.
·
Proxy materials, in the event a shareholder vote is required.
·
Special notices about significant events affecting your Fund.
Most fund information (including semiannual and annual reports, prospectuses and proxy statements) as well as your periodic account statements can be delivered electronically. For more information please go to www.eatonvance.com/edelivery.
The Eaton Vance funds have established policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio holdings and other information concerning Fund characteristics. A description of these policies and procedures is provided below and additionally in the Statement of Additional Information. Such policies and procedures regarding disclosure of portfolio holdings are designed to prevent the misuse of material, non-public information about the funds.
The Fund will file with the
SEC
a list of its portfolio holdings as of the end of the first and third fiscal quarters on Form N-Q. The Funds annual and semiannual reports (as filed on Form N-CSR) and each Form N-Q may be viewed on the SECs website (www.sec.gov). The most recent fiscal quarter-end holdings may also be viewed on the Eaton Vance website (www.eatonvance.com). Portfolio holdings information that is filed with the SEC is posted on the Eaton Vance website approximately 60 days after the end of the quarter to which it relates. Portfolio holdings information as of each month end is posted to the website approximately one month after such month end. The Fund also posts information about certain portfolio characteristics (such as top ten holdings and asset allocation) at least quarterly on the Eaton Vance website approximately ten business days after the period and the Fund may also post performance attribution as of a month end or more frequently if deemed appropriate.
Withdrawal Plan. You may redeem shares on a regular periodic basis by establishing a systematic withdrawal plan. Withdrawals will not be subject to any applicable CDSC if they are, in the aggregate, less than or equal to 12% annually of the greater of either the initial account balance or the current account balance. Because purchases of Class A shares are generally subject to an initial sales charge, Class A shareholders should not make withdrawals from their accounts while also making purchases.
Exchange Privilege. You may exchange your Fund shares for shares of the same Class of another Eaton Vance fund. For purposes of exchanges among Eaton Vance funds, Class A and Class I shares are deemed to be the same as Investor Class and Institutional Class shares, respectively, of other Eaton Vance funds. Exchanges are made at net asset value. If your shares are subject to a CDSC, the CDSC will continue to apply to your new shares at the same CDSC rate. For purposes of the CDSC, your shares will continue to age from the date of your original purchase of Fund shares. Any class of shares of a fund may be exchanged for any other class of shares of that fund, provided that the shares being exchanged are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conditions for investing in the other class of shares described in the applicable prospectus are satisfied.
Before exchanging, you should read the prospectus of the new fund carefully. Exchanges are subject to the terms applicable to purchases of the new funds shares as set forth in its prospectus. If you wish to exchange shares, write to the transfer agent (see back cover for address), log on to your account at www.eatonvance.com or call 1-800-262-1122. Periodic automatic exchanges are also available. The exchange privilege may be changed or discontinued at any time. You will receive at least 60 days notice of any material change to the privilege. This privilege may not be used for market timing and may be terminated for market timing accounts or for any other reason. For additional information, see Restrictions on Excessive Trading and Market Timing under Purchasing Shares. Ordinarily exchanges between different funds are taxable transactions for federal tax purposes, while permitted exchanges of one class for shares of another class of the same fund are not. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors regarding the applicability of federal, state, local and other taxes to transactions in Fund shares.
Reinvestment Privilege. If you redeem shares, you may reinvest at net asset value all or any portion of the redemption proceeds in the same class of shares of the Fund you redeemed from, provided that the reinvestment occurs within 60 days of the redemption, and the privilege has not been used more than once in the prior 12 months. Under these circumstances your account will be credited with any CDSC paid in connection with the redemption. Any CDSC period applicable to the shares you acquire upon reinvestment will run from the date of your original share purchase. Reinvestment requests must be in writing. At the time of a reinvestment, you or your financial intermediary must notify the Fund or the transfer agent that you are reinvesting redemption proceeds in accordance with this privilege. If you reinvest, your purchase will be at the next determined net asset value following receipt of your request.
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
20
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Telephone and Electronic Transactions.
You can redeem or
exchange shares by telephone as described in this Prospectus. In addition, certain transactions may be conducted through the Eaton Vance website. The transfer agent and the principal underwriter have procedures in place to authenticate telephone and electronic instructions (such as using security codes or verifying personal account information). As long as the transfer agent and principal underwriter follow reasonable procedures, they will not be responsible for unauthorized telephone or electronic transactions and you bear the risk of possible loss resulting from these transactions. You may decline the telephone redemption option on the account application. Telephone instructions are recorded.
Street Name Accounts. If your shares are held in a street name account at a financial intermediary, that intermediary (and not the Fund or its transfer agent) will perform all recordkeeping, transaction processing and distribution payments. Because the Fund does not maintain an account for you, you should contact your financial intermediary to make transactions in shares, make changes in your account, or obtain account information. You will not be able to utilize a number of shareholder features, such as telephone or internet transactions, directly with the Fund and certain features may be subject to different requirements. If you transfer shares in a street name account to an account with another financial intermediary or to an account directly with the Fund, you should obtain historical information about your shares prior to the transfer.
Procedures for Opening New Accounts. To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each new customer who opens a Fund account and to determine whether such persons name appears on government lists of known or suspected terrorists or terrorist organizations. When you open an account, the transfer agent or your financial intermediary will ask you for your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), residential or business street address (although post office boxes are still permitted for mailing) and social security number, taxpayer identification number, or other government-issued identifying number. You also may be asked to produce a copy of your drivers license, passport or other identifying documents in order to verify your identity. In addition, it may be necessary to verify your identity by cross-referencing your identification information with a consumer report or other electronic databases. Other information or documents may be required to open accounts for corporations and other entities. Federal law prohibits the Fund and other financial institutions from opening a new account unless they receive the minimum identifying information described above. If a person fails to provide the information requested, any application by that person to open a new account will be rejected. Moreover, if the transfer agent or the financial intermediary is unable to verify the identity of a person based on information provided by that person, it may take additional steps including, but not limited to, requesting additional information or documents from the person, closing the persons account or reporting the matter to the appropriate federal authorities. If your account is closed for this reason, your shares may be automatically redeemed at the net asset value next determined. If the Funds net asset value has decreased since your purchase, you will lose money as a result of this redemption. The Fund has also designated an anti-money laundering compliance officer.
Account Questions. If you have any questions about your account or the services available, please call Eaton Vance Shareholder Services at 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time), or write to the transfer agent (see back cover for address).
Additional Tax Information
The Fund declares
distributions
daily and ordinarily pays distributions monthly.
It may also be necessary, due to Federal tax requirements, for the Fund to make a special income and/or capital gains distribution at the end of the calendar year.
Different Classes may distribute different amounts. Your account will be credited with
distributions
beginning on the business day after the day when the funds used to purchase your Fund shares are collected by the transfer agent. Distributions may not be paid if Fund expenses exceed Fund income for the period. The Fund makes distributions of net realized capital gains, if any, at least annually.
A portion of any distribution of the Funds investment income may be taxed as ordinary income. Any distribution by the Fund of net realized short-term capital gains generally will be taxed as ordinary income. Distributions of any net long-term capital gains (net gains from investments held for more than one year) will be taxed as long-term capital gains. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the Portfolio owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares in the Fund. Distributions of investment income reported by the Fund as derived from qualified dividend income (as further described in the Statement of Additional Information) will be taxable to shareholders at the rates applicable to long-term capital gains provided holding period and other requirements are met at both the shareholder and the Portfolio or Fund level. Over time, distributions by the Fund can generally be expected to include ordinary income, qualified dividend income and capital gain distributions taxable as long-term capital gains. The Funds distributions will be taxable as described above whether they are paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares. A portion of the Funds income distributions may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporations.
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
21
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Investors who purchase shares at a time when the Funds net asset value reflects gains that are either unrealized or realized but
undistributed
will pay the full price for the shares and then may receive some portion of the purchase price back as a taxable distribution. Certain distributions paid in January may be taxable to shareholders as if received on December 31 of the prior year. A redemption of Fund shares, including an exchange for shares of another fund, is a taxable transaction.
The Portfolio is treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes. Each investor in the Portfolio, including the Fund, is allocated its proportionate share of Portfolio income, gains, losses, expenses and other tax items.
The unearned income of certain U.S. individuals, estates and trusts is subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax. For individuals, the tax is on the lesser of the net investment income and the excess of modified adjusted gross income over $200,000 (or $250,000 if married filing jointly). Net investment income includes, among other things, interest, dividends, and gross income and capital gains derived from passive activities and trading in securities or commodities. Net investment income is reduced by deductions properly allocable to this income.
The Portfolios investments in foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes or other foreign taxes with respect to income (possibly including, in some cases, capital gains), which may decrease the Funds yield on such securities. These taxes may be reduced or eliminated under the terms of an applicable tax treaty. Shareholders generally will not be entitled to claim a credit or deduction with respect to foreign taxes paid by the Portfolio. In addition, investments in foreign securities or foreign currencies may increase or accelerate the Funds recognition of ordinary income and may affect the timing or amount of the Funds distributions.
A Fund may be required to withhold, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, 28% of the dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds payable to shareholders who fail to provide the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number or make required certifications, or who have been notified by the Internal Revenue Service that they are subject to backup withholding. Certain shareholders are exempt from backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against a shareholders U.S. federal income tax liability.
Certain foreign entities may be subject to a 30% withholding tax on dividend income paid and, after December 31,
2018
, on redemption proceeds paid under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). To avoid withholding, foreign financial institutions subject to FATCA must agree to disclose to the relevant revenue authorities certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners and other foreign entities must certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners to the Fund. For more detailed information regarding FATCA withholding and compliance, please refer to the Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholders should consult with their tax advisors concerning the applicability of U.S. federal, state, local and other taxes to an investment.
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
22
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights
The financial highlights are intended to help you understand the Funds financial performance for the period(s) indicated. Certain information in the table reflects the financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all distributions at net asset value). This information has been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm. The report of Deloitte & Touche LLP and the Funds financial statements are incorporated herein by reference and included in the Funds annual report, which is available upon request.
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|||||
|
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
|||
|
Class A |
Class I |
Class A |
Class I |
Class A |
Class I |
Net asset value - Beginning of year |
$9.980 |
$9.960 |
$9.800 |
$9.780 |
$10.360 |
$10.350 |
Income (Loss) From Operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment income (1) |
$0.173 |
$0.199 |
$0.226 |
$0.249 |
$0.220 |
$0.248 |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) |
(0.201) |
(0.193) |
0.260 |
0.261 |
(0.341) |
(0.354) |
Total income (loss) from operations |
$(0.028) |
$0.006 |
$0.486 |
$0.510 |
$(0.121) |
$(0.106) |
Less Distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
From net investment income |
$(0.258) |
$(0.282) |
$(0.306) |
$(0.330) |
$(0.326) |
$(0.351) |
From net realized gain |
(0.004) |
(0.004) |
|
|
(0.113) |
(0.113) |
Total distributions |
$(0.262) |
$(0.286) |
$(0.306) |
$(0.330) |
$(0.439) |
$(0.464) |
Net asset value - End of year |
$9.690 |
$9.680 |
$9.980 |
$9.960 |
$9.800 |
$9.780 |
Total Return (2) |
(0.31)% |
0.04% |
5.00% |
5.27% |
(1.18)% |
(1.04)% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of year (000s omitted) |
$34,501 |
$55,607 |
$25,821 |
$40,753 |
$36,947 |
$46,336 |
Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets): (3) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenses (4) |
0.75% (5) |
0.50% (6) |
0.75% (5) |
0.50% (6) |
0.75% (5) |
0.50% (6) |
Net investment income |
1.75% |
2.01% |
2.27% |
2.50% |
2.19% |
2.47% |
Portfolio Turnover of the Portfolio |
159% |
159% |
134% |
134% |
107% |
107% |
(See footnotes on
next
page.)
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
23
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights (continued)
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|||
|
2012 |
2011 |
||
|
Class A |
Class I |
Class A |
Class I |
Net asset value - Beginning of year |
$10.470 |
$10.460 |
$10.310 |
$10.290 |
Income (Loss) From Operations |
|
|
|
|
Net investment income (1) |
$0.284 |
$0.309 |
$0.315 |
$0.341 |
Net realized and unrealized gain |
0.217 |
0.218 |
0.376 |
0.386 |
Total income from operations |
$0.501 |
$0.527 |
$0.691 |
$0.727 |
Less Distributions |
|
|
|
|
From net investment income |
$(0.382) |
$(0.408) |
$(0.377) |
$(0.403) |
From net realized gain |
(0.229) |
(0.229) |
(0.154) |
(0.154) |
Total distributions |
$(0.611) |
$(0.637) |
$(0.531) |
$(0.557) |
Net asset value - End of year |
$10.360 |
$10.350 |
$10.470 |
$10.460 |
Total Return (2) |
4.86% |
5.12% |
6.84% |
7.22% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of year (000s omitted) |
$16,550 |
$20,292 |
$17,882 |
$25,753 |
Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets): (3) |
|
|
|
|
Expenses (4) |
0.75% (5) |
0.50% (6) |
0.93% (5) |
0.69% (6) |
Net investment income |
2.69% |
2.93% |
3.01% |
3.27% |
Portfolio Turnover of the Portfolio |
113% |
113% |
100% |
100% |
(1)
Computed using average shares outstanding.
(2)
Returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value with all distributions reinvested and do not reflect the effect of sales charges, if applicable.
(3)
Includes the Funds share of the Portfolios allocated expenses.
(4)
Excludes the effect of custody fee credits, if any, of less than 0.005%.
(5)
The investment adviser of the Portfolio and/or the administrator reimbursed certain operating expenses (equal to
0.21%,
0.24%, 0.28%, 0.33% and 0.21%
of average daily net assets for the years ended December 31,
2015,
2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011,
respectively). Absent these reimbursements, total return would be lower.
(6)
The investment adviser of the Portfolio and/or the administrator reimbursed certain operating expenses (equal to
0.21%,
0.24%, 0.28%, 0.34% and 0.21%
of average daily net assets for the years ended December 31,
2015,
2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011,
respectively). Absent these reimbursements, total return would be lower.
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
24
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
More Information
About the Fund: More information is available in the Statement of Additional Information. The Statement of Additional Information is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. Additional information about the Portfolios investments is available in the annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Funds performance during the past fiscal year. You may obtain free copies of the Statement of Additional Information and the shareholder reports on Eaton Vances website at www.eatonvance.com or by contacting the principal underwriter:
Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc.
Two International Place
Boston, MA 02110
1-800-262-1122
website: www.eatonvance.com
You will find and may copy information about the Fund (including the Statement of Additional Information and shareholder reports): at the SECs public reference room in Washington, DC (call 1-
202-551-8090
for information on the operation of the public reference room); on the EDGAR Database on the SECs website (www.sec.gov); or, upon payment of copying fees, by writing to the SECs Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549-
1520
, or by electronic mail at publicinfo@sec.gov.
Shareholder Inquiries: You can obtain more information from Eaton Vance Shareholder Services or the Fund transfer agent, BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. If you own shares and would like to add to, redeem from or change your account, please write or call below:
Regular Mailing Address:
|
|
Overnight Mailing Address:
|
|
Phone Number:
|
The Fund's Investment Company Act No. is 811-01545. |
|
2638 5.1. 16 |
© 2016 Eaton Vance Management |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
Class A Shares - ETGIX
Class B Shares - EMGIX
Class C Shares - ECGIX
Class I Shares - EGIIX
A diversified fund investing in companies in India
Prospectus Dated
May 1, 201
6
The Securities and Exchange Commission ( “ SEC ” ) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined whether this Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Information in this Prospectus
|
Page |
|
Page |
Fund Summary |
2 |
Investment Objective & Principal Policies and Risks |
6 |
Investment Objective |
2 |
Management and Organization |
10 |
Fees and Expenses of the Fund |
2 |
Valuing Shares |
11 |
Portfolio Turnover |
2 |
Purchasing Shares |
11 |
Principal Investment Strategies |
2 |
Sales Charges |
15 |
Principal Risks |
3 |
Redeeming Shares |
17 |
Performance |
4 |
Shareholder Account Features |
18 |
Management |
5 |
Additional Tax Information |
19 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares |
5 |
Financial Highlights |
21 |
Tax Information |
5 |
|
|
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries |
5 |
|
|
This Prospectus contains important information about the Fund and the services
available to shareholders. Please save it for reference.
Fund Summary
Investment Objective
The Funds investment objective is to seek long-term capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge if you invest, or agree to invest over a 13-month period, at least $50,000 in Eaton Vance funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary and in Sales Charges beginning on page 15 of this Prospectus and page 21 of the Funds Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
Class A |
Class B |
Class C |
Class I |
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) |
5.75% |
None |
None |
None |
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lower of net asset value at purchase or redemption) |
None |
5.00% |
1.00% |
None |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) (1) |
Class A |
Class B |
Class C |
Class I |
Management Fees |
1.25% |
1.25% |
1.25% |
1.25% |
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees |
0.30% |
1.00% |
1.00% |
None |
Other Expenses |
0.35 % |
0.35 % |
0.35 % |
0.35 % |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
1.90% |
2.60% |
2.60% |
1.60% |
Expense Reimbursement (2) |
(0.02) % |
(0.02) % |
(0.02) % |
(0.02) % |
Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
1.88% |
2.58% |
2.58% |
1.58% |
(1)
Expenses in the table above and the Example below reflect the expenses of the Fund and the Greater India Portfolio (the Portfolio), the Funds master Portfolio.
(2)
The investment adviser and sub-adviser have agreed to reimburse the Funds expenses to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 1.88% for Class A shares, 2.58% for Class B and Class C shares and 1.58% for Class I shares. This expense reimbursement will continue through April 30, 201
7
. Any amendment to or
termination of this reimbursement would require approval of the Board of Trustees. The expense reimbursement relates to ordinary operating expenses only and does not include expenses such as: brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses of unaffiliated funds, interest expense, taxes or litigation expenses. Amounts reimbursed may be recouped by the investment adviser and sub-adviser during the same fiscal year to the extent actual expenses are less than the contractual expense cap during such year.
Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over the portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was
30
% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of companies in India and surrounding countries of the Indian subcontinent (Greater India investments) (the 80% Policy). A company will be considered to be in India or another country if it is domiciled in or derives more than 50% of its revenue or profits from that country. Greater India investments are typically listed on stock exchanges in countries of the
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
2
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Indian subcontinent, but also include securities traded in markets outside these countries, including securities trading in the form of depositary receipts. The Fund normally invests at least 50% of its total assets in equity securities of Indian companies, and no more than 5% of its total assets in companies located in countries other than India, Pakistan or Sri Lanka.
The Fund invests in securities issued by companies with a broad range of market capitalizations, including smaller companies. The Fund may make direct investments in companies in private placement transactions. More than 25% of the Funds total assets may be denominated in any single currency. At times, the Fund may attempt to hedge foreign currency fluctuations by entering into forward foreign currency exchange contracts and options. The Fund may also lend its securities.
In selecting securities for the Fund, the investment sub-adviser considers companies that it believes have all or most of the following characteristics:
proven
management;
companies benefiting from secular
growth
trends; the ability to generate consistent returns on capital across a market cycle
; a consistent or progressive dividend policy; and
companies that are
undervalued
. Stocks will generally be sold when they have achieved their perceived
long-term
value or
to pursue more attractive investment options
.
The Fund currently invests its assets in the Portfolio, a separate registered investment company with the same investment objective and policies as the Fund.
Principal Risks
Equity Investing Risk. Fund performance is sensitive to stock market volatility. Stock prices may decline in response to adverse changes in the economy or the economic outlook; deterioration in investor sentiment; interest rate, currency, and commodity price fluctuations; adverse geopolitical, social or environmental developments; issuer- and sector-specific considerations; and other factors. Market conditions may affect certain types of stocks to a greater extent than other types of stocks. If the stock market declines, the value of Fund shares will also likely decline. Although stock prices can rebound, there is no assurance that values will return to previous levels.
Foreign and Emerging Market Investment Risk.
Because the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in foreign instruments, the value of shares may be adversely affected by changes in currency exchange rates and political, economic and market developments abroad, including the imposition of economic and other sanctions by the United States or another country. Investment markets in emerging market countries are typically smaller, less liquid and more volatile than developed markets, and emerging market
securities
often involve higher risk than developed market
securities
. Trading in foreign markets often involves higher expense than trading in the United States. The value of investments denominated in foreign currencies can be adversely affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Depositary receipts are subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign
instruments.
Risks of Investing in India. Countries in the India region are typically considered emerging market countries. The securities markets in the India region are substantially smaller, less liquid and more volatile than the major securities markets in the United States, and are undergoing a period of growth and change, which may result in trading or price volatility and difficulties in the settlement and recording of transactions, and in interpreting and applying relevant laws and regulations. The securities markets in these countries are comparatively underdeveloped and may be concentrated in certain sectors. In addition, governmental actions can have a significant effect on the economic conditions in the India region, which could adversely affect the value and liquidity of investments.
Small er Company Equity Risk. The stocks of small er and emerging companies are generally subject to greater price fluctuations, limited liquidity, higher transaction costs and higher investment risk than the stocks of larger, more established companies. Small er and emerging companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, may be dependent on a limited management group, and may lack substantial capital reserves or an established performance record. There may be generally less publicly available information about such companies than for larger, more established companies. Stocks of these companies frequently have lower trading volumes making them more volatile and potentially more difficult to value.
Restricted Securities Risk. Unless registered for sale to the public under applicable federal securities law, restricted securities can be sold only in private transactions pursuant to an exemption from registration. The sale price realized from a private transaction could be less than the Funds purchase price for the restricted security. It may be difficult to identify a qualified purchaser for a restricted security held by the Fund and such security could be deemed illiquid. Restricted securities may also be difficult to value.
Geographic Risk. Because the Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in a particular geographic region or country, the value of Fund shares may be affected by events that adversely affect that region or country and may fluctuate more than that of a fund that has less exposure to such region or country.
Derivatives Risk. The use of derivatives can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the asset, index, rate or instrument underlying a derivative, due to failure of a counterparty or due to tax or regulatory constraints. Derivatives may create economic leverage in the Fund, which magnifies the Funds exposure to the underlying investment. Derivatives risk may be more significant when derivatives are used to enhance return or as a substitute for a cash investment position, rather than solely to hedge the risk of a position held by the Fund. A decision as to whether, when and how to use
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
3
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
derivatives involves the exercise of specialized skill and judgment, and a transaction may be unsuccessful in whole or in part because of market behavior or unexpected events. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index
.
Derivative instruments traded in over-the-counter markets may be difficult to value, may be illiquid, and may be subject to wide swings in valuation caused by changes in the value of the underlying instrument. If a derivatives counterparty is unable to honor its commitments, the value of Fund shares may decline and the Fund could experience delays in the return of collateral or other assets held by the counterparty. The loss on derivative transactions may substantially exceed the initial investment
,
particularly when there is no stated limit on the Funds use of derivatives.
Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves possible delay in recovery of the loaned securities or possible loss of rights in the collateral if the borrower fails financially.
Risks Associated with Active Management. The success of the Funds investment program depends on portfolio managements successful application of analytical skills and investment judgment. Active management involves subjective decisions.
General Fund Investing Risks. The Fund is not a complete investment program and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. It is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund is designed to be a long-term investment vehicle and is not suited for short-term trading. Investors in the Fund should have a long-term investment perspective and be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, entity or person.
Performance
The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Funds performance from year to year and how the Funds average annual returns over time compare with those of a broad-based securities market index. The returns in the bar chart are for Class A shares and do not reflect a sales charge. If the sales charge was reflected, the returns would be lower. Past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. The Funds performance reflects the effects of expense reductions. Absent these reductions, performance would have been lower. Updated Fund performance information can be obtained by visiting www.eatonvance.com.
For the ten years ended December 31, 201
5
, the highest quarterly total return for Class A was 61.09% for the quarter ended June 30, 2009, and the lowest quarterly return was -28.06% for the quarter ended December 31, 2008.
These returns reflect the maximum sales charge for Class A (5.75%) and any applicable contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) for Class B and Class C. The Class C performance shown above for the period prior to July 7, 2006 (commencement of operations) is the performance of Class B shares, adjusted for the sales charge that applies to Class C shares (but not adjusted for any other differences in the expenses of the two classes) and the Class I performance shown above for the period prior to October 1, 2009 (commencement of operations) is the performance of Class A shares at net asset value without adjustment for any differences in the expenses of the two classes. If adjusted for such differences, returns would be different. Investors cannot invest directly in an Index.
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. After-tax returns for other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Class A shares. Return After Taxes on Distributions may be the same as Return Before Taxes for a period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the Sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
4
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Management
Investment Adviser. Boston Management and Research (BMR).
Investment Sub-Adviser. LGM Investments Limited (LGM Ltd.).
Portfolio Manager. The Portfolio is managed by Rishikesh Patel, Portfolio Manager at LGM Ltd., who has managed the Portfolio since December 2014.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase, redeem or exchange Fund shares on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. Class B shares are only available for purchase upon exchange from another Eaton Vance fund or through reinvestment of distributions. You may purchase, redeem or exchange Fund shares either through your financial intermediary or directly from the Fund either by writing to the Fund, P.O. Box 9653, Providence, RI 02940-9653, or by calling 1-800-262-1122. The minimum initial purchase or exchange into the Fund is $1,000 for each Class (with the exception of Class I) and $250,000 for Class I (waived in certain circumstances). There is no minimum for subsequent investments.
The Funds distributions are expected to be taxed as ordinary income and/or capital gains, unless you are exempt from taxation.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase
the Funds
shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (collectively, financial intermediaries), the Fund, its principal underwriter and its affiliates may pay the financial intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediarys website for more information.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
5
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Investment Objective & Principal Policies and Risks
A statement of the investment objective and principal investment policies and risks of the Fund is set forth above in Fund Summary. As noted in the Fund Summary, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in the Portfolio named therein, which has the same investment objective and policies as the Fund. Set forth below is additional information about such policies and risks
, as well as
other types of investments and practices that the Fund may engage in from time to time
. References to the Fund below are to the Fund and Portfolio, as applicable
.
Foreign and Emerging Market Investments. Investments in foreign issuers could be affected by factors not present in the United States, including expropriation, armed conflict, confiscatory taxation, lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards, less publicly available financial and other information, and potential difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations. Because foreign issuers may not be subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standard practices and requirements and regulatory measures comparable to those in the United States, there may be less publicly available information about such foreign issuers. Settlements of securities transactions in foreign countries are subject to risk of loss, may be delayed and are generally less frequent than in the United States, which could affect the liquidity of the Funds assets.
Foreign issuers may become subject to sanctions imposed by the United States or another country, which could result in the immediate freeze of the foreign issuers assets or securities. The imposition of such sanctions could impair the market value of the securities of such foreign issuers and limit the Funds ability to buy, sell, receive or deliver the securities.
As an alternative to holding foreign-traded investments, the Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated investments of foreign companies that trade on U.S. exchanges or in the U.S. over-the-counter market (including depositary receipts, which evidence ownership in underlying foreign investments and are subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities).
The foregoing risks of foreign investing can be more significant in emerging markets. Emerging markets may offer higher potential for gains and losses than investments in the developed markets of the world. Political and economic structures in emerging market countries generally lack the social, political and economic stability of developed countries, which may affect the value of the Funds investments in these countries and also the ability of the Fund to access markets in such countries. Governmental actions can have a significant effect on the economic conditions in emerging market countries, which also may adversely affect the value and liquidity of the Funds investments. The laws of emerging market countries relating to the limited liability of corporate shareholders, fiduciary duties of officers and directors, and bankruptcy of state enterprises are generally less
developed than or different from such laws in the United States. It may be more difficult to obtain a judgment in the courts of these countries than it is in the United States. Disruptions due to work stoppages and trading improprieties in foreign securities markets have caused such markets to close. If extended closings were to occur in stock markets where the Fund is heavily invested, the Funds ability to redeem Fund shares could become impaired. In such circumstances, the Fund may have to sell more liquid securities than it would otherwise choose to sell. Emerging market securities are also subject to speculative trading, which contributes to their volatility.
Greater India Investments. The securities markets in the India region are substantially smaller, less liquid and more volatile than the major securities markets in the United States and the securities industries in these countries are comparatively underdeveloped. Financial intermediaries may not perform as well as their counterparts in the United States and other more developed securities markets. In some cases, physical delivery of securities in small lots has been required in India and a shortage of vault capacity and trained personnel has existed among qualified custodial Indian banks. The Fund may be unable to sell securities where the registration process is incomplete and may experience delays in receipt of dividends. If trading volume is limited by operational difficulties, the ability of the Fund to invest its assets may be impaired. In recent years, exchange-listed companies in the technology sector and related sectors (such as software) have grown so as to represent a significant portion of the total capitalization of the Indian market. The value of these companies will generally fluctuate in response to technological and regulatory developments. In addition, governmental actions can have a significant effect on the economic conditions in the India region, which could adversely affect the value and liquidity of investments. Although the governments of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have recently begun to institute economic reform policies, there can be no assurance that they will continue to pursue such policies or, if they do, that such policies will succeed.
The Indian government has exercised, and continues to exercise, significant influence over many aspects of the Indian economy. Foreign investment in the securities of issuers in greater India countries is usually restricted or controlled to some degree. In addition, the availability of financial instruments with exposure to Indian financial markets may be substantially limited by the restrictions on foreign investors. Only certain registered foreign institutional investors (FIIs) and non-Indian mutual funds that comply with certain statutory conditions were permitted to make direct portfolio investments in exchange-traded Indian securities. FIIs are required to register with and be approved by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), and must continue to satisfy certain requirements imposed by SEBI. SEBI issued new Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI) Regulations (FPI Regulations) in 2014, replacing the former regulations regarding FII investment. The investment sub-adviser is a registered FII and the inclusion of the Portfolio in the investment sub-advisers registration was approved by SEBI. Both the sub-adviser and the Portfolio are now deemed to be FPIs. FPI Regulations provide that each foreign institutional investor or sub-account that
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
6
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
holds a valid certificate of registration shall be deemed to be an FPI
for a
period of
three years
for which fees have been paid under the former regulatory scheme. For renewal of their licenses under FPI Regulations, the FPI and sub-account will be required to obtain approval from a designated depository participant authorized by SEBI to grant such licenses. There can be no guarantee that the investment sub-adviser and Portfolio will obtain registration as an FPI following expiration of FII registration, or that such registration will not be suspended or rescinded. FPIs are required to observe certain investment restrictions, including an account ownership ceiling of 10% of the total issued share capital of any one company, which may limit the Fund's ability to invest in issuers or to fully pursue its investment objective. Income, gains and initial capital with respect to such investments are freely repatriable, subject to payment of applicable Indian taxes. In general, transactions conducted through a recognized Indian stock exchange are subject to securities transactional taxes and short-term capital gain taxes at the rate of 15% plus surcharges. Transactions that are not conducted through a recognized Indian stock exchange and transactions involving the sale of publicly traded debt securities are subject to long-term capital gain taxes at the rate of 10% plus surcharges and short-term capital gain taxes at the rate of 30% plus surcharges. India imposes a tax on interest on securities at a rate of 20% plus surcharges. This tax is imposed on the investor. India imposes a tax on dividends paid by an Indian company at a rate of 12.5% plus surcharges. This tax is imposed on the company that pays the dividends. Foreign ownership of shares of certain Indian companies may be subject to limitations. When foreign ownership of such an Indian companys shares approaches the limitation, foreign investors may be willing to pay a premium to the local share price to acquire shares from other foreign investors. Such trading may lead to increased price volatility.
In Pakistan, the Fund may invest in the shares of issuers listed on any of the stock exchanges in the country provided that the purchase price as certified by a local stock exchange broker is paid in foreign exchange transferred into Pakistan through a commercial bank and, in the case of an off-exchange sale of listed shares, that the sale price is not less than the price quoted on any of the local stock exchanges on the date of the sale. In addition, the issuers shares held by the Fund must be registered with the State Bank of Pakistan for purposes of repatriation of income, gains and initial capital. The Fund may also invest in the shares of unlisted and closely-held manufacturing companies provided that the sale price is certified by a Pakistani chartered accountant to be not less than the break-up value of the shares, and is paid in foreign exchange transferred into Pakistan through a commercial bank. If local procedures are complied with, income, gains and initial capital are freely repatriable after payment of any applicable Pakistani withholding taxes. Pakistan currently imposes a tax on cash dividends at rates of up to 10% and on interest income at a rate of 40%. There is currently no withholding tax on capital gains on transactions in listed shares. In Sri Lanka, the Fund may invest in the shares of exchange-listed issuers, subject to certain limitations for specific sectors of the economy. Sri Lanka imposes a tax of 10% on dividends and 15% on interest, but does not impose a tax on capital gains on transactions in listed shares.
There can be no assurance that these investment control regimes will not change in a way that makes it more difficult or impossible for the Fund to implement its investment objective or repatriate its income, gains and initial capital from these countries. There can be no assurance that restrictions on repatriation of the Fund's income, gains or initial capital will not occur. Similar risks and considerations will be applicable to the extent the Fund invests in other countries.
Foreign Currencies. The value of foreign assets and currencies as measured in U.S. dollars may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in foreign currency rates and exchange control regulations, application of foreign tax laws (including withholding tax), governmental administration of economic or monetary policies (in this country or abroad), and relations between nations and trading. Foreign currencies also are subject to settlement, custodial and other operational risks. Currency exchange rates can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or the failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the United States or abroad. Costs are incurred in connection with conversions between currencies. The Fund may engage in spot transactions and forward foreign currency exchange contracts, purchase and sell options on currencies and purchase and sell currency futures contracts and related options thereon (collectively, Currency Instruments) to seek to hedge against the decline in the value of currencies in which its portfolio holdings are denominated against the U.S. dollar or to seek to enhance returns. Use of Currency Instruments may involve substantial currency risk and may also involve counterparty, leverage or liquidity risk.
Smaller Companies. Securities of smaller, less seasoned companies, which may include legally restricted securities, are generally subject to greater price fluctuations, limited liquidity, higher transaction costs and higher investment risk than the securities of larger, more established companies. Because of the absence of any public trading market for some of these investments (such as those which are legally restricted) it may take longer to liquidate these positions at fair value than would be the case for publicly traded securities.
Derivatives.
The Fund may enter into derivatives transactions with respect to any security or other instrument in which it is permitted to invest or any related security, instrument, index or economic indicator (reference instruments). The Fund may engage in derivative transactions to mitigate the adverse effects of foreign currency fluctuations and to manage cash flows. Derivatives are financial instruments the value of which is derived from
an
underlying reference instrument. Derivatives transactions can involve substantial risk. Derivatives typically allow the Fund to increase or decrease the level of risk to which the Fund is exposed more quickly and efficiently than transactions in other types of instruments. The Fund incurs costs in connection with opening and closing derivatives positions. The Fund may engage in the derivative transactions set forth below, as well as in other derivative transactions with substantially similar characteristics and risks.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
7
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Certain derivative transactions may give rise to a form of leverage. The Fund is required to segregate or earmark liquid assets or otherwise cover the Funds obligation created by a transaction that may give rise to leverage. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet segregation requirements. Leverage may cause the Funds share price to be more volatile than if it had not been leveraged, as certain types of leverage may exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Funds portfolio securities. The loss on leverage transactions may substantially exceed the initial investment.
Futures Contracts. The Fund may engage in transactions in futures contracts and options on futures contracts. Futures are standardized, exchange-traded contracts that obligate a purchaser to take delivery, and a seller to make delivery, of a specific amount of an asset at a specified future date at a specified price. The Fund also is authorized to purchase or sell call and put options on futures contracts. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts and options are imperfect correlation, liquidity, unanticipated market movement and counterparty risk.
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts. Certain forward foreign currency exchange contracts may be individually negotiated and privately traded so they are dependent upon the creditworthiness of the counterparty. Forward contracts are subject to the risk of political and economic factors applicable to the countries issuing the underlying currencies. Furthermore, unlike trading in most other types of instruments, there is no systematic reporting of last sale information with respect to the foreign currencies underlying forwards. As a result, available information may not be complete.
Options on Securities, Indices and Currencies. The Fund may engage in transactions in exchange-traded and over-the-counter (OTC) options. There are several risks associated with transactions in options , such as imperfect correlation, counterparty risk and an insufficient liquid secondary market for particular options. By buying a put option, the Fund acquires a right to sell the underlying instrument at the exercise price, thus limiting the Fund's risk of loss through a decline in the market value of the instrument until the put option expires. The Fund will pay a premium to the seller of the option for the right to receive payments of cash to the extent that the value of the applicable instrument declines below the exercise price as of the option valuation date. If the price of the instrument is above the exercise price of the option as of the option valuation date, the option expires worthless and the Fund will not be able to recover the option premium paid to the seller. The Fund may purchase uncovered put options. The Fund also has authority to write (i.e., sell) put options. The Fund will receive a premium for writing a put option, which increases the Fund's return. In writing a put option, the Fund has the obligation to buy the underlying instrument at an agreed upon price if the price of such instrument decreases below the exercise price. If the value of the instrument on the option expiration date is above the exercise price, the option will generally expire worthless and the Fund, as option seller, will have no obligation to the option holder.
A purchased call option gives the Fund the right to buy, and obligates the seller to sell, the underlying instrument at the exercise price at any time during the option period. The Fund also is authorized to write (i.e., sell) call options on instruments in which it may invest and to enter into closing purchase transactions with respect to such options. A covered call option is an option in which the Fund, in return for a premium, gives another party a right to buy specified instruments owned by the Fund at a specified future date and price set at the time of the contract. The Fund's ability to sell the instrument underlying a call option may be limited while the option is in effect unless the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction. Uncovered call options have speculative characteristics and are riskier than covered call options because there is no underlying instrument held by the Fund that can act as a partial hedge. As the writer of a covered call option or an index call option, the Fund forgoes, during the options life, the opportunity to profit from increases in the market value of the security or the index covering the call option above the sum of the option premium received and the exercise price of the call, but has retained the risk of loss, minus the option premium received, should the price of the underlying security or index decline.
OTC options involve risk that the issuer or counterparty will fail to perform its contractual obligations. Participants in these markets are typically not subject to the same credit evaluation and regulatory oversight as are members of exchange-based markets. By engaging in option transactions in these markets, the Fund may take a credit risk with regard to parties with which it trades and also may bear the risk of settlement default.
Illiquid Securities. The Fund may not invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, which may be difficult to value properly and may involve greater risks than liquid securities. Illiquid securities include those legally restricted as to resale (such as those issued in private placements), and may include commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A thereunder. Certain Section 4(a)(2) and Rule 144A securities may be treated as liquid securities if the investment adviser determines that such treatment is warranted. Even if determined to be liquid, holdings of these securities may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers become uninterested in purchasing them.
Securities Lending. The Fund 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. Loans will only be made to firms that have been approved by the investment adviser , and the investment adviser or the securities lending agent will periodically monitor the financial condition of such organizations while any loans are outstanding. In addition, loans will only be made when the investment adviser believes the expected returns, net of expenses, justify the attendant risk. Securities loans currently are required to be secured continuously by
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
8
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
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 Fund may lend up to one-third of the value of its total assets (including borrowings) or such other amount as is permitted under relevant law.
Borrowing.
The Fund is permitted to borrow for temporary purposes (such as to satisfy redemption requests, to remain fully invested in anticipation of expected cash inflows and to settle transactions). Any borrowings by the Fund are subject to the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940
, as amended (the 1940 Act).
Borrowings are also subject to the terms of any credit agreement between the Fund and lender(s). The Fund will be required to maintain a specified level of asset coverage with respect to all borrowings and may be required to sell some of its holdings to reduce debt and restore coverage at times when it may not be advantageous to do so. The rights of the lender to receive payments of interest and repayments of principal of any borrowings made by the Fund under a credit facility are senior to the rights of holders of shares
with respect to the payment of dividends or upon liquidation. In the event of a default under a credit arrangement, the lenders may have the right to cause a liquidation of the collateral (i.e., sell Fund assets) and, if any such default is not cured, the lenders may be able to control the liquidation as well. Fund borrowings may be equal to as much as 33
1
/
3
% of the value of the Funds total assets (including such borrowings) less the Funds liabilities (other than borrowings). The Fund will not purchase additional investment securities while outstanding borrowings exceed 5% of the value of its total assets.
Cash and Cash Equivalents. The Fund may invest in cash or cash equivalents, including high quality short-term instruments or an affiliated investment company that invests in such instruments.
Portfolio Turnover. The annual portfolio turnover rate of the Fund may exceed 100%. A mutual fund with a high turnover rate (100% or more) may generate more capital gains and pay more commissions (which may reduce return) than a fund with a lower rate. Capital gains distributions will be made to shareholders if offsetting capital loss carry forwards do not exist.
Use of Master-Feeder Structure
.
The Fund
invests
substantially all of its assets in an affiliated investment fund having substantially the same investment objective and policies and operate
s
in a
“
master-feeder
”
structure. Use of this structure enables the Fund to pool its assets with other investors in the Portfolio. Resulting efficiencies in management and administration can lower Fund costs and enhance shareholder returns.
The ability of the Fund to meet its investment objective is directly related to the ability of the Portfolio to meet its objective. Other investors in the Portfolio may have different expense structures and be offered and sold on different terms than the Fund. As a result, the Funds performance may differ from that of other investors in the Portfolio, including other Eaton Vance-sponsored funds. Contribution and withdrawal activities by other Portfolio investors may impact the management of the Portfolio and its ability to achieve its investment objective. A large withdrawal by
a
Portfolio investor could have an adverse effect on other Portfolio investors.
As a Portfolio investor, the Fund may be asked to vote on certain Portfolio matters (such as changes in certain Portfolio investment restrictions). When necessary, the Fund will hold a meeting of its shareholders to consider Portfolio matters and then vote its interest in the Portfolio in proportion to the votes cast by its shareholders.
The Fund can withdraw its Portfolio investment at any time without shareholder approval.
General.
The Fund's 80% Policy will not be changed unless shareholders are given at least 60 days
’
advance written notice of the change. Unless
otherwise stated, the Fund's investment objective and certain other policies may be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders will receive 60 days'
advance
written notice of any material change in the Fund's investment objective. During unusual market conditions, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash or cash equivalents temporarily, which may be inconsistent with its investment objective(s) and other policies. The Fund might not use all of the strategies and techniques or invest in all of the types of securities described in this Prospectus or the Statement of Additional Information. While at times the Fund may use alternative investment strategies in an effort to limit its losses, it may choose not to do so.
The Funds annual operating expenses are expressed as a percentage of the Funds average daily net assets and may change as Fund assets increase and decrease over time. Purchase and redemption activities by Fund shareholders may impact the management of the Fund and its ability to achieve its investment objective. In addition, the redemption by one or more large shareholders or groups of shareholders of their holdings in the Fund could have an adverse impact on the remaining shareholders in the Fund. Mutual funds, investment advisers, other market participants and many securities markets are subject to rules and regulations and the jurisdiction of one or more regulators. Changes to applicable rules and regulations could have an adverse effect on securities markets and market participants, as well as on the Funds ability to execute its investment strategy. With the increased use of technologies by Fund service providers, such as the Internet , to conduct business, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
9
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Management and Organization
Management. The Portfolio ’ s investment adviser is Boston Management and Research ( “ BMR ” ), an indirect subsidiary of Eaton Vance Corp. ( “ EVC ” ). Eaton Vance Management ( “ Eaton Vance ” ) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EVC. Eaton Vance and BMR have offices at Two International Place, Boston, MA 02110. Eaton Vance has been managing assets since 1924 and managing mutual funds since 1931. Eaton Vance and its affiliates currently manage over $300 billion on behalf of mutual funds, institutional clients and individuals.
Under its investment advisory agreement with the Portfolio, BMR receives a monthly investment advisory fee equal to 1.10% annually of the average daily net assets of the Portfolio up to $500 million. The investment advisory fee on net assets of $500 million or more is reduced as follows:
Average Daily Net Assets for the Month |
Annual Fee Rate
|
$500 million but less than $1 billion |
1.01% |
$1 billion but less than $1.5 billion |
0.93% |
$1.5 billion but less than $2 billion |
0.85% |
$2 billion but less than $3 billion |
0.76% |
$3 billion and over |
0.68% |
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 201
5
, the effective annual rate of investment advisory fee, based on average daily net assets of the Portfolio, was 1.10%.
Pursuant to an investment sub-advisory agreement, BMR has delegated the investment management of the Portfolio to LGM Investments Limited (LGM Ltd.), a registered investment adviser. LGM Ltd. is located at 95 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 1FD, England. LGM Ltd. replaced BMO Global Asset Management (Asia) Limited (BMO GAM (Asia)) as the sub-adviser of the Portfolio effective December 15, 2014 pursuant to the Boards approval of a new sub-advisory agreement. LGM Ltd. and BMO GAM (Asia) are wholly-owned affiliates of Bank of Montreal and no material changes are expected to the nature or level of sub-advisory services provided to the Portfolio as a result of the new sub-advisory agreement with LGM Ltd. BMR pays LGM Ltd. a portion of the advisory fee for sub-advisory services provided to the Portfolio. LGM Ltd. and its affiliates (together LGM Investments) act as investment adviser to various individual and institutional clients and currently manage approximately $3.
2
billion in assets. Like BMO GAM (Asia), LGM Ltd. is domiciled outside of the United States. Because of this, it would be difficult for the Portfolio to bring a claim or enforce a judgment against them.
Effective April 28, 2011, BMR and LGM Ltd. (BMO GAM (Asia) prior to December 15, 2014) have contractually agreed to reimburse Fund expenses to the extent they exceed 1.88% for Class A shares, 2.58% for Class B and Class C shares and 1.58% for Class I shares. This reimbursement continues in effect through April 30, 201
7
. Thereafter, the expense reimbursement may be changed with Trustee approval.
Rishikesh Patel acts as portfolio manager of the Portfolio (since December 2014). Mr. Patel has been employed by LGM Ltd. or its affiliates since 2006 and serves as a portfolio manager and analyst.
The Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about the portfolio managers compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager, and the portfolio managers ownership of Fund shares with respect to which the portfolio manager has management responsibilities.
The Funds semi-annual report covering the fiscal period ended June 30 provides information regarding the basis for the Trustees approval of the investment advisory and, if applicable, sub-advisory agreements.
Eaton Vance serves as the administrator of the Fund, providing the Fund with administrative services and related office facilities. In return, the Fund is authorized to pay Eaton Vance a monthly administrative fee equal to 0.15% annually of average daily net assets.
Eaton Vance provides sub-transfer agency and related services to Eaton Vance mutual funds pursuant to a Sub-Transfer Agency Support Services Agreement. For its services under the agreement, Eaton Vance receives an aggregate fee from such funds equal to the lesser of $2.5 million or its actual expenses incurred in performing such services.
Organization. The Fund is a series of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust, a Massachusetts business trust. The Fund offers multiple classes of shares. Each Class represents a pro rata interest in the Fund but is subject to different expenses and rights. The Fund does not hold annual shareholder meetings but may hold special meetings for matters that require shareholder approval (such as electing or removing trustees, approving management or advisory contracts or changing investment policies that may only be changed with shareholder approval).
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
10
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Valuing Shares
The Fund values its shares once each day only when the New York Stock Exchange (the Exchange) is open for trading (typically Monday through Friday), as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. eastern time). The purchase price of Fund shares is their net asset value (plus any applicable sales charge), which is derived from the value of Fund holdings, including the Funds interest in the Portfolio. When purchasing or redeeming Fund shares through a financial intermediary, your financial intermediary must receive your order by the close of regular trading on the Exchange in order for the purchase price or the redemption price to be based on that days net asset value per share. It is the financial intermediarys responsibility to transmit orders promptly. The Fund may accept purchase and redemption orders as of the time of their receipt by certain financial intermediaries (or their designated intermediaries).
The Trustees have adopted procedures for valuing investments and have delegated to the investment adviser
(s)
the daily valuation of such investments. The investment adviser has delegated daily valuation of the
Portfolio
to the sub-adviser. Pursuant to the procedures, exchange-listed securities
and other instruments (including derivatives)
normally are valued at last sale or closing prices. In certain situations, the investment adviser
(s)
or sub-adviser may use the fair value of a security if market prices are unavailable or are deemed unreliable, or if events occur after the close of a securities market (usually a foreign market) and before portfolio assets are valued which would materially affect net asset value. In addition, for foreign equity securities and futures contracts on foreign indices that meet certain criteria, the Trustees have approved the use of a fair value service that values such securities to reflect market trading that occurs after the close of the applicable foreign markets of comparable securities or other instruments that have a strong correlation to the fair-valued securities. 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. Because foreign securities trade on days when Fund shares are not priced, the value of securities held by the Portfolio can change on days when Fund shares cannot be redeemed
or purchased.
Eaton Vance has established a Valuation Committee that oversees the valuation of investments.
Purchasing Shares
You may purchase shares through your financial intermediary or by mailing an account application form to the transfer agent (see back cover for address). Purchase orders will be executed at the net asset value (plus any applicable sales charge) next determined after their receipt in proper form (meaning that they are complete and contain all necessary information) by the Funds transfer agent. The Funds transfer agent or your financial intermediary must receive your purchase in proper form no later than the close of regular trading on the Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. eastern time) for your purchase to be effected at that days net asset value. If you purchase shares through a financial intermediary, that intermediary may charge you a fee for executing the purchase for you.
The Fund may suspend the sale of its shares at any time and any purchase order may be refused for any reason. The funds sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization (the Eaton Vance funds) do not accept investments from residents of the European Union or Switzerland. The funds also do not accept investments from other non-U.S. residents, provided that a fund may accept investments from certain non-U.S. investors at the discretion of the principal underwriter. The Fund does not issue share certificates.
As used throughout this Prospectus, the term employer sponsored retirement plan includes the following: an employer sponsored pension or profit sharing plan that qualifies under section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (such as a 401(k) plan, money purchase pension, profit sharing and defined benefit plan); ERISA covered 403(b) plan; TaftHartley multi-employer plan; and non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements that operate in a similar manner to a qualified retirement plan (including 457 plans and executive deferred compensation arrangements). Individual Retirement Accounts are not employer sponsored retirement plans for purposes of this definition.
Class A, Class B and Class C Shares
Your initial investment must be at least $1,000. Class B shares are only available for purchase upon exchange from another Eaton Vance fund or through reinvestment of distributions. After your initial investment, additional investments may be made in any amount at any time by sending a check payable to the order of the Fund or the transfer agent directly to the transfer agent (see back cover for address). Please include your name and account number and the name of the Fund and Class of shares with each investment. You also may make additional investments by accessing your account via the Eaton Vance website at www.eatonvance.com. Purchases made through the Internet from a pre-designated bank account will have a trade date that is the first business day after the purchase is requested (provided the request is submitted no later than the close of regular trading on the Exchange). For more information about purchasing shares through the Internet, please call 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time).
You may
purchase additional shares by automatically investing a designated amount
from your bank account
on a periodic basis provided such investments equal a minimum of $200 per year.
You
must elect this privilege on your
account application or by providing written instructions. Please call 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time) for further information. The minimum initial investment amount and Fund policy of redeeming accounts with low account balances are waived for bank automated investing
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
11
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
accounts, certain group purchase plans (including employer sponsored retirement plans and proprietary fee-based programs sponsored by financial intermediaries) and for persons affiliated with Eaton Vance, its affiliates and certain Fund service providers (as described in the Statement of Additional Information).
Class I Shares
Class I shares are offered to clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class I shares through a no-load network or platform. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments, foundations and employer sponsored retirement plans. Class I shares also are offered to investment and institutional clients of Eaton Vance and its affiliates and certain persons affiliated with Eaton Vance
.
Your initial investment must be at least $250,000. Subsequent investments of any amount may be made at any time, including through automatic investment each month or quarter from your bank account. You may make automatic investments of $50 or more each month or each quarter from your bank account. You can establish bank automated investing on the account application or by providing written instructions. Please call 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time) for further information.
The minimum initial investment is waived for persons affiliated with Eaton Vance, its affiliates and certain Fund service providers (as described in the Statement of Additional Information). The minimum initial investment also is waived for: (i) permitted exchanges; (ii) employer sponsored retirement plans; (iii) corporations, endowments and foundations with assets of at least $100 million; and (iv)
accounts of
clients of
financial
intermediaries who (a) charge
an ongoing fee for
advisory, investment, consulting or similar
services
, or (b) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer
Class I shares through a no-load network or platform (in each case, as described above), provided the
total
value of such accounts invested in Class I shares
of Eaton Vance funds
is at least $250,000 (or is anticipated by the principal underwriter to reach $250,000).
Class I shares may be purchased through a financial intermediary or by requesting your bank to transmit immediately available funds (Federal Funds) by wire. To make an initial investment by wire, you must complete an account application and telephone Eaton Vance Shareholder Services at 1-800-262-1122 to be assigned an account number. You may request an account application by calling 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time). Shareholder Services must be advised by telephone of each additional investment by wire.
Restrictions on Excessive Trading and Market Timing. The Fund is not intended for excessive trading or market timing. Market timers seek to profit by rapidly switching money into a fund when they expect the share price of the fund to rise and taking money out of the fund when they expect those prices to fall. By realizing profits through short-term trading, shareholders that engage in rapid purchases and sales (including exchanges, if permitted) of a funds shares may dilute the value of shares held by long-term shareholders. Volatility resulting from excessive purchases and sales of fund shares, especially involving large dollar amounts, may disrupt efficient portfolio management. In particular, excessive purchases and sales of a funds shares may cause a fund to have difficulty implementing its investment strategies, may force the fund to sell portfolio securities at inopportune times to raise cash or may cause increased expenses (such as increased brokerage costs, realization of taxable capital gains without attaining any investment advantage or increased administrative costs).
A fund that invests all or a portion of its assets in foreign securities may be susceptible to a time zone arbitrage strategy in which shareholders attempt to take advantage of fund share prices that may not reflect developments in a foreign securities market that occur after the close of such market but prior to the pricing of fund shares. In addition, a fund that invests in securities that are, among other things, thinly traded, traded infrequently or relatively illiquid (including restricted securities, certain emerging market securities and securities of certain small- and mid-cap companies) is susceptible to the risk that the current market price for such securities may not accurately reflect current market values. A shareholder may seek to engage in short-term trading to take advantage of these pricing differences (commonly referred to as price arbitrage). The investment adviser and sub-adviser are authorized to use the fair value of a security if prices are unavailable or are deemed unreliable (see Valuing Shares). The use of fair value pricing and the restrictions on excessive trading and market timing described below are intended to reduce a shareholders ability to engage in price or time zone arbitrage to the detriment of the Fund.
The Boards of the Eaton Vance funds have adopted policies to discourage short-term trading and market timing and to seek to minimize their potentially detrimental effects. Pursuant to these policies, an Eaton Vance fund shareholder who, through one or more accounts, completes two round-trips within 90 days generally will be deemed to be market timing or trading excessively in fund shares. Two round-trips within 90 days means either (1) a purchase of fund shares followed by a redemption of fund shares followed by a purchase followed by a redemption or (2) a redemption of fund shares followed by a purchase of fund shares followed by a redemption followed by a purchase, in either case with the final transaction in the sequence occurring within 90 days of the initial transaction in the sequence. Purchases and redemptions subject to the limitation include those made by exchanging to or from another fund. Under the policies, the Fund or its sub-transfer agent or principal underwriter will reject or cancel a purchase order, suspend or terminate an exchange privilege or terminate the ability of an investor to invest in the Eaton Vance funds if the Fund or the principal underwriter determines that a proposed transaction involves market timing or excessive trading that it believes is likely to be detrimental to the Fund. The Fund and its principal underwriter use reasonable efforts to detect market timing and excessive trading activity, but they cannot ensure that they will be able to identify all cases of
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
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Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
market timing and excessive trading. The Fund or its principal underwriter may also reject or cancel any purchase order (including an exchange) from an investor or group of investors for any other reason. Decisions to reject or cancel purchase orders (including exchanges) in the Fund are inherently subjective and will be made in a manner believed to be in the best interest of a Funds shareholders. No Eaton Vance fund has any arrangement to permit market timing.
The following fund share transactions (to the extent permitted by a funds prospectus) generally are exempt from the market timing and excessive trading policy described above because they generally do not raise market timing or excessive trading concerns:
·
transactions made pursuant to a systematic purchase plan or as the result of automatic reinvestment of dividends or distributions, or initiated by the Fund (e.g., for failure to meet applicable account minimums);
·
transactions made by participants in employer sponsored retirement plans involving participant payroll or employer contributions or loan repayments, redemptions as part of plan terminations or at the direction of the plan, mandatory retirement distributions, or rollovers;
·
transactions made by model-based discretionary advisory accounts; or
·
transactions made by an Eaton Vance fund that is structured as a fund-of-funds, provided the transactions are in response to fund inflows and outflows or are part of a reallocation of fund assets in accordance with its investment policies.
It may be difficult for the Fund or the principal underwriter to identify market timing or excessive trading in omnibus accounts traded through financial intermediaries. The Fund and the principal underwriter have provided guidance to financial intermediaries (such as banks, broker-dealers, insurance companies and retirement administrators) concerning the application of the Eaton Vance funds market timing and excessive trading policies to Fund shares held in omnibus accounts maintained and administered by such intermediaries, including guidance concerning situations where market timing or excessive trading is considered to be detrimental to the Fund. The Fund or its principal underwriter may rely on a financial intermediarys policy to restrict market timing and excessive trading if it believes that policy is likely to prevent market timing that is likely to be detrimental to the Fund. Such policy may be more or less restrictive than the Funds policy. Although the Fund or the principal underwriter reviews trading activity at the omnibus account level for activity that indicates potential market timing or excessive trading activity, the Fund and the principal underwriter typically will not request or receive individual account data unless suspicious trading activity is identified. The Fund and the principal underwriter generally rely on financial intermediaries to monitor trading activity in omnibus accounts in good faith in accordance with their own or Fund policies. The Fund and the principal underwriter cannot ensure that these financial intermediaries will in all cases apply the policies of the Fund or their own policies, as the case may be, to accounts under their control.
Choosing a Share Class. The Fund offers different classes of shares. The different classes of shares represent investments in the same portfolio of securities, but the classes are subject to different expenses and will likely have different share prices due to differences in class expenses. A share class also may be subject to a sales charge. In choosing the class of shares that suits your investment needs, you should consider:
·
how long you expect to own your shares;
·
how much you intend to invest; and
·
the total operating expenses associated with owning each class.
Each investors considerations are different. You should speak with your financial intermediary to help you decide which class of shares is best for you. Set forth below is a brief description of each class of shares offered by the Fund.
Class A shares are offered at net asset value plus a front-end sales charge of up to 5.75%. This charge is deducted from the amount you invest. The Class A sales charge is reduced for purchases of $50,000 or more. The sales charge applicable to your purchase may be reduced under the right of accumulation or a statement of intention, which are described in Reducing or Eliminating Class A Sales Charges under Sales Charges below. Some investors may be eligible to purchase Class A shares at net asset value under certain circumstances, which are also described below. Class A shares pay distribution and service fees equal to 0.30% annually of average daily net assets.
Class B shares are offered at net asset value with no front-end sales charge, but are only available for purchase upon exchange from another Eaton Vance fund or through reinvestment of distributions. If you sell your Class B shares within six years of purchase, you generally will be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge or CDSC. The amount of the CDSC applicable to a redemption of Class B shares decreases over six years, as described in the CDSC schedule in Contingent Deferred Sales Charge under Sales Charges below. The CDSC is deducted from your redemption proceeds. Under certain circumstances, the Class B CDSC may be waived (such as in the case of the death of the shareholder). See CDSC Waivers under Sales Charges below. Class B shares pay distribution and service fees equal to 1.00% annually of average daily net assets. Class B shares automatically convert to Class A shares eight years after purchase.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
13
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Class C shares are offered at net asset value with no front-end sales charge. If you sell your Class C shares within one year of purchase, you generally will be subject to a CDSC. The CDSC is deducted from your redemption proceeds. Under certain circumstances, the CDSC for Class C may be waived (such as certain redemptions from employer sponsored retirement plans). See CDSC Waivers under Sales Charges below. Class C shares pay distribution and service fees equal to 1.00% annually of average daily net assets. Orders for Class C shares of one or more Eaton Vance funds will be refused when the total value of the purchase (including the aggregate market value of all Eaton Vance fund shares held within the purchasing shareholders account(s)) is $1 million or more. Investors considering cumulative purchases of $1 million or more should consider whether another Class of shares would be more appropriate and consult their financial intermediary.
Class I shares are offered to clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class I shares through a no-load network or platform. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments, foundations and employer sponsored retirement plans. Class I shares are also offered to investment and institutional clients of Eaton Vance and its affiliates , and certain persons affiliated with Eaton Vance and certain Fund service providers. Class I shares do not pay distribution or service fees.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries. In addition to payments disclosed under Sales Charges below, the principal underwriter, out of its own resources, may make cash payments to certain financial intermediaries who provide marketing support, transaction processing and/or administrative services and, in some cases, include some or all Eaton Vance funds in preferred or specialized selling programs. Payments made by the principal underwriter to a financial intermediary may be significant and are typically in the form of fees based on Fund sales, assets, transactions processed and/or accounts attributable to that financial intermediary. Financial intermediaries also may receive amounts from the principal underwriter in connection with educational or due diligence meetings that include information concerning Eaton Vance funds. The principal underwriter may pay or allow other promotional incentives or payments to financial intermediaries to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations.
Certain financial intermediaries that maintain fund accounts for the benefit of their customers provide sub-accounting, recordkeeping and/or administrative services to the Eaton Vance funds and are compensated for such services by the funds. As used in this Prospectus, the term financial intermediary includes any broker, dealer, bank (including bank trust departments), registered investment adviser, financial planner, a retirement plan and/or its administrator, their designated intermediaries and any other firm having a selling, administration or similar agreement with the principal underwriter or its affiliates.
Sales Charges
Class A Front-End Sales Charge. Class A shares are offered at net asset value per share plus a sales charge that is determined by the amount of your investment. The current sales charge schedule is:
Amount of Purchase |
Sales Charge
*
|
Sales Charge
*
|
Dealer Commission
|
Less than $50,000 |
5.75% |
6.10% |
5.00% |
$50,000 but less than $100,000 |
4.75% |
4.99% |
4.00% |
$100,000 but less than $250,000 |
3.75% |
3.90% |
3.00% |
$250,000 but less than $500,000 |
3.00% |
3.09% |
2.50% |
$500,000 but less than $1,000,000 |
2.00% |
2.04% |
1.75% |
$1,000,000 but less than $3,000,000 |
0.00** |
0.00** |
TIERED** |
$3,000,000 or more |
0.00** |
0.00** |
TIERED** |
*
Because the offering price per share is rounded to two decimal places, the actual sales charge you pay on a purchase of Class A shares may be more or less than your total purchase amount multiplied by the applicable sales charge percentage.
**
No sales charge is payable at the time of purchase on investments of $1 million or more. The principal underwriter will pay a commission to financial intermediaries on sales of $1 million or more as follows: 1.00% on amounts of $1 million or more but less than $3 million; plus 0.75% on amounts of $3 million or more. A CDSC of 1.00% will be imposed on such investments (as described below) in the event of redemptions within 18 months of purchase.
The principal underwriter may also pay commissions of up to 1.00% on sales of Class A shares made at net asset value to certain employer sponsored retirement plans.
Reducing or Eliminating Class A Sales Charges. Front-end sales charges on purchases of Class A shares may be reduced under the right of accumulation or under a statement of intention. To receive a reduced sales charge, you must inform your financial intermediary or the Fund at the time you purchase shares that you qualify for such a reduction. If you do not let your financial intermediary or the Fund know you are eligible for a reduced sales charge at the time of purchase, you will not receive the discount to which you may otherwise be entitled.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
14
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Right of Accumulation.
Under the right of accumulation, the sales charge you pay is reduced if the current market value of your holdings in the Fund or any other Eaton Vance fund (based on the current maximum public offering price) plus your new purchase total $50,000 or more.
Shares owned by you, your spouse and children under age twenty-one may be combined for purposes of the right of accumulation, including shares held for the benefit of any of you in omnibus or street name accounts. In addition, shares held in a trust or fiduciary account of which any of the foregoing persons is the sole beneficiary (including employer sponsored retirement plans and Individual Retirement Accounts) may be combined for purposes of the right of accumulation. Shares purchased and/or owned in a SEP, SARSEP and SIMPLE IRA plan
may be combined for purposes of the right of accumulation for the plan and its participants. You may be required to provide documentation to establish your ownership of shares included under the right of accumulation (such as account statements for you, your spouse and children or marriage certificates, birth certificates and/or trust or other fiduciary-related documents).
Statement of Intention. Under a statement of intention, purchases of $50,000 or more made over a 13-month period are eligible for reduced sales charges. Shares eligible under the right of accumulation (other than those included in employer sponsored retirement plans) may be included to satisfy the amount to be purchased under a statement of intention. Under a statement of intention, the principal underwriter may hold 5% of the dollar amount to be purchased in escrow in the form of shares registered in your name until you satisfy the statement or the 13-month period expires. A statement of intention does not obligate you to purchase (or the Fund to sell) the full amount indicated in the statement.
Class A shares are offered at net asset value (without a sales charge) to
accounts of
clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class A shares through a no-load network or platform, or self-directed brokerage accounts that may or may not charge transaction fees to customers. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments, foundations and employer sponsored retirement plans. Class A shares also are offered at net asset value to investment and institutional clients of Eaton Vance and its affiliates; certain persons affiliated with Eaton Vance; and to certain fund service providers as described in the Statement of Additional Information. Class A shares may also be purchased at net asset value pursuant to the reinvestment privilege and exchange privilege and when distributions are reinvested.
Shares held in commission-based broker-dealer accounts may not qualify for purchases of Class A shares at net asset value.
See Shareholder Account Features for details.
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge. Class A, Class B and Class C shares are subject to a CDSC on certain redemptions. The CDSC generally is paid to the principal underwriter. Class A shares purchased at net asset value in amounts of $1 million or more are subject to a 1.00% CDSC if redeemed within 18 months of purchase. Class C shares are subject to a 1.00% CDSC if redeemed within one year of purchase. Class B shares are subject to the following CDSC schedule:
Year of Redemption After Purchase |
CDSC |
|
CDSCs are based on the lower of the net asset value at the time of purchase or at the time of redemption. Shares acquired through the reinvestment of distributions are exempt from the CDSC. Redemptions are made first from shares that are not subject to a CDSC. |
First or Second |
5% |
|
|
Third |
4% |
|
|
Fourth |
3% |
|
|
Fifth |
2% |
|
|
Sixth |
1% |
|
|
Seventh or following |
0% |
|
The sales commission payable to financial intermediaries in connection with sales of Class B and Class C shares is described under Distribution and Service Fees below.
CDSC Waivers.
CDSCs are waived for certain redemptions pursuant to a Withdrawal Plan (see Shareholder Account Features) and
in connection with certain redemptions from employer sponsored retirement plans. The CDSC is also waived following the death of a beneficial owner of shares (a death certificate and other applicable documents may be required).
Conversion Feature. After eight years, Class B shares automatically convert to Class A shares. Class B shares acquired through the reinvestment of distributions convert in proportion to shares not so acquired.
Distribution and Service Fees. Class A, Class B and Class C shares have in effect plans under Rule 12b-1 that allow the Fund to pay distribution fees for the sale and distribution of shares and service fees for personal and/or shareholder account services (so-called “ 12b-1 fees ” ). Class B and Class C shares pay distribution fees to the principal underwriter of 0.75% of average daily net assets annually. Because these fees are paid from Fund assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase your cost over time and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. The principal underwriter compensates financial intermediaries on sales of Class B and Class C shares (except exchange transactions and reinvestments) in an amount equal to 4% and 1%, respectively, of the purchase price of the shares. After the first year, financial intermediaries also receive 0.75% of the value of Class C shares in annual distribution fees. Class B and Class C shares also pay service fees to the principal underwriter equal to 0.25% of average daily net assets annually. Class A shares pay distribution and service fees equal to 0.30% of average daily
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
15
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
net assets annually. After the sale of shares, the principal underwriter receives the Class A distribution and service fees and the Class B and Class C service fees for one year
.
Thereafter financial intermediaries generally receive
from the principal underwriter
0.25% annually of average daily net assets based on the value of shares sold by such financial intermediaries for shareholder servicing performed by such intermediaries. Distribution and service fees are subject to the limitations contained in the sales charge rule of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
More information about sales charges is available free of charge on the Eaton Vance website at www.eatonvance.com and in the Statement of Additional Information. Please consult the Eaton Vance website for any updates to sales charge information before making a purchase of Fund shares.
You can redeem shares in any of the following ways:
By Mail |
Send your request to the transfer agent (see back cover for address). The request must be signed exactly as your account is registered (for instance, a joint account must be signed by all registered owners to be accepted) and a Medallion signature guarantee may be required. Circumstances that may require a Medallion signature guarantee include, but are not limited to, requests to distribute redemption proceeds to a party other than the registered account owner(s); requests to mail redemption proceeds to an address other than the address of record; requests to distribute proceeds to a bank account not on file; or transaction requests from an account beneficiary when an account owner is deceased. You can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee at banks, savings and loan institutions, credit unions, securities dealers, securities exchanges, clearing agencies and registered securities associations that participate in The Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program, Inc. (STAMP, Inc.). Only Medallion signature guarantees issued in accordance with STAMP, Inc. will be accepted. You may be asked to provide additional documents if your shares are registered in the name of a corporation, partnership or fiduciary. |
By Telephone |
Certain shareholders can redeem by calling 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time). Proceeds of a telephone redemption are generally limited to $100,000 per account (which may include shares of one or more Eaton Vance funds) and can be sent only to the account address or to a bank pursuant to prior instructions. |
By Internet |
Certain shareholders can redeem by logging on to the Eaton Vance website at www.eatonvance.com. Proceeds of internet redemptions are generally limited to $100,000 per account (which may include shares of one or more Eaton Vance funds) and can be sent only to the account address or to a bank pursuant to prior instructions. |
For Additional Information |
Please call 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time). |
Through a Financial Intermediary |
Your financial intermediary is responsible for transmitting the order promptly. A financial intermediary may charge a fee for this service. |
The Fund's transfer agent or your financial intermediary must receive your redemption in proper form (meaning that it is complete and contains all necessary information) no later than the close of regular trading on the Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. eastern time) for your redemption to be effected at that days net asset value. Your redemption proceeds normally will be paid in cash within seven days, reduced by the amount of any applicable CDSC and any federal income and state tax required to be withheld. Payments will be sent by regular mail. However, if you have given complete written authorization in advance, you may request that the redemption proceeds be wired directly to your bank account. The bank designated may be any bank in the United States. The request may be made by calling 1-800-262-1122 or by sending a Medallion signature guaranteed letter of instruction to the transfer agent (see back cover for address). Certain redemption requests including those involving shares held by certain corporations, trusts or certain other entities and shares that are subject to certain fiduciary arrangements may require additional documentation and may be redeemed only by mail. You may be required to pay the costs of such transaction by the Fund or your bank. No costs are currently charged by the Fund. However, charges may apply for expedited mail delivery services. The Fund may suspend or terminate the expedited payment procedure upon at least 30 days notice.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
16
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
If you recently purchased shares, the proceeds of a redemption will not be sent until the purchase check (including a certified or cashiers check) has cleared. If the purchase check has not cleared, redemption proceeds may be delayed up to 15 days from the purchase date. If your account value falls below $750 (other than due to market decline), you may be asked either to add to your account or redeem it within 60 days. If you take no action, your account will be redeemed and the proceeds sent to you.
While redemption proceeds are normally paid in cash, redemptions may be paid by distributing marketable securities. If you receive securities, you could incur brokerage or other charges in converting the securities to cash.
Shareholder Account Features
Distributions. You may have your Fund distributions paid in one of the following ways:
Full Reinvest Option |
Distributions are reinvested in additional shares. This option will be assigned if you do not specify an option. |
Partial Reinvest Option |
Dividends are paid in cash* and capital gains are reinvested in additional shares. |
Cash Option |
Distributions are paid in cash.* |
Exchange Option |
Distributions are reinvested in additional shares of any class of another Eaton Vance fund chosen by you, subject to the terms of that funds prospectus. Before selecting this option, you must obtain a prospectus of the other fund and consider its objectives, risks, and charges and expenses carefully. |
*
If any distribution check remains uncashed for six months,
Eaton Vance reserves the right to invest
the amount represented by the check
in Fund shares at the then-current net asset value of the Fund and all future distributions will be reinvested.
Information about the Fund. From time to time, you may receive the following:
·
Semiannual and annual reports containing a list of portfolio holdings as of the end of the second and fourth fiscal quarters, respectively, performance information and financial statements.
·
Periodic account statements, showing recent activity and total share balance.
·
Tax information needed to prepare your income tax returns.
·
Proxy materials, in the event a shareholder vote is required.
·
Special notices about significant events affecting your Fund.
Most fund information (including semiannual and annual reports, prospectuses and proxy statements) as well as your periodic account statements can be delivered electronically. For more information please go to www.eatonvance.com/edelivery.
The Eaton Vance funds have established policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio holdings and other information concerning Fund characteristics. A description of these policies and procedures is provided below and additionally in the Statement of Additional Information. Such policies and procedures regarding disclosure of portfolio holdings are designed to prevent the misuse of material, non-public information about the funds.
The Fund will file with the
SEC
a list of its portfolio holdings as of the end of the first and third fiscal quarters on Form N-Q. The Funds annual and semiannual reports (as filed on Form N-CSR) and each Form N-Q may be viewed on the SECs website (www.sec.gov). The most recent fiscal quarter-end holdings may also be viewed on the Eaton Vance website (www.eatonvance.com). Portfolio holdings information that is filed with the SEC is posted on the Eaton Vance website approximately 60 days after the end of the quarter to which it relates. Portfolio holdings information as of each month end is posted to the website approximately one month after such month end. The Fund also posts information about certain portfolio characteristics (such as top ten holdings and asset allocation) at least quarterly on the Eaton Vance website approximately ten business days after the period and the Fund may also post performance attribution as of a month end or more frequently if deemed appropriate.
Withdrawal Plan. You may redeem shares on a regular periodic basis by establishing a systematic withdrawal plan. Withdrawals will not be subject to any applicable CDSC if they are, in the aggregate, less than or equal to 12% annually of the greater of either the initial account balance or the current account balance. Because purchases of Class A shares are generally subject to an initial sales charge, Class A shareholders should not make withdrawals from their accounts while also making purchases.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
17
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Exchange Privilege. You may exchange your Fund shares for shares of the same Class of another Eaton Vance fund. For purposes of exchanges among Eaton Vance funds, Class A and Class I shares are deemed to be the same as Investor Class and Institutional Class shares, respectively, of other Eaton Vance funds. Exchanges are made at net asset value. If your shares are subject to a CDSC, the CDSC will continue to apply to your new shares at the same CDSC rate. For purposes of the CDSC, your shares will continue to age from the date of your original purchase of Fund shares. Any class of shares of a fund may be exchanged for any other class of shares of that fund, provided that the shares being exchanged are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conditions for investing in the other class of shares described in the applicable prospectus are satisfied.
Before exchanging, you should read the prospectus of the new fund carefully. Exchanges are subject to the terms applicable to purchases of the new funds shares as set forth in its prospectus. If you wish to exchange shares, write to the transfer agent (see back cover for address), log on to your account at www.eatonvance.com or call 1-800-262-1122. Periodic automatic exchanges are also available. The exchange privilege may be changed or discontinued at any time. You will receive at least 60 days notice of any material change to the privilege. This privilege may not be used for market timing and may be terminated for market timing accounts or for any other reason. For additional information, see Restrictions on Excessive Trading and Market Timing under Purchasing Shares. Ordinarily exchanges between different funds are taxable transactions for federal tax purposes, while permitted exchanges of one class for shares of another class of the same fund are not. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors regarding the applicability of federal, state, local and other taxes to transactions in Fund shares.
Reinvestment Privilege. If you redeem shares, you may reinvest at net asset value all or any portion of the redemption proceeds in the same class of shares of the Fund you redeemed from, provided that the reinvestment occurs within 60 days of the redemption, and the privilege has not been used more than once in the prior 12 months. Under these circumstances your account will be credited with any CDSC paid in connection with the redemption. Any CDSC period applicable to the shares you acquire upon reinvestment will run from the date of your original share purchase. Reinvestment requests must be in writing. At the time of a reinvestment, you or your financial intermediary must notify the Fund or the transfer agent that you are reinvesting redemption proceeds in accordance with this privilege. If you reinvest, your purchase will be at the next determined net asset value following receipt of your request.
Telephone and Electronic Transactions.
You can redeem or
exchange shares by telephone as described in this Prospectus. In addition, certain transactions may be conducted through the Eaton Vance website. The transfer agent and the principal underwriter have procedures in place to authenticate telephone and electronic instructions (such as using security codes or verifying personal account information). As long as the transfer agent and principal underwriter follow reasonable procedures, they will not be responsible for unauthorized telephone or electronic transactions and you bear the risk of possible loss resulting from these transactions. You may decline the telephone redemption option on the account application. Telephone instructions are recorded.
Street Name Accounts. If your shares are held in a street name account at a financial intermediary, that intermediary (and not the Fund or its transfer agent) will perform all recordkeeping, transaction processing and distribution payments. Because the Fund does not maintain an account for you, you should contact your financial intermediary to make transactions in shares, make changes in your account, or obtain account information. You will not be able to utilize a number of shareholder features, such as telephone or internet transactions, directly with the Fund and certain features may be subject to different requirements. If you transfer shares in a street name account to an account with another financial intermediary or to an account directly with the Fund, you should obtain historical information about your shares prior to the transfer.
Procedures for Opening New Accounts. To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each new customer who opens a Fund account and to determine whether such persons name appears on government lists of known or suspected terrorists or terrorist organizations. When you open an account, the transfer agent or your financial intermediary will ask you for your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), residential or business street address (although post office boxes are still permitted for mailing) and social security number, taxpayer identification number, or other government-issued identifying number. You also may be asked to produce a copy of your drivers license, passport or other identifying documents in order to verify your identity. In addition, it may be necessary to verify your identity by cross-referencing your identification information with a consumer report or other electronic databases. Other information or documents may be required to open accounts for corporations and other entities. Federal law prohibits the Fund and other financial institutions from opening a new account unless they receive the minimum identifying information described above. If a person fails to provide the information requested, any application by that person to open a new account will be rejected. Moreover, if the transfer agent or the financial intermediary is unable to verify the identity of a person based on information provided by that person, it may take additional steps including, but not limited to, requesting additional information or documents from the person, closing the persons account or reporting the matter to the appropriate federal authorities. If your account is closed for this reason, your shares may be automatically redeemed at the net asset value next determined. If the Funds net asset value has decreased since your purchase, you will lose money as a result of this redemption. The Fund has also designated an anti-money laundering compliance officer.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
18
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Account Questions. If you have any questions about your account or the services available, please call Eaton Vance Shareholder Services at 1-800-262-1122 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time), or write to the transfer agent (see back cover for address).
Additional Tax Information
The Fund expects to pay any required distributions
annually and intends to distribute any net realized capital gains annually.
It may also be necessary, due to Federal tax requirements, for the Fund to make a special income and/or capital gains distribution at the end of the calendar year.
Distributions of investment income and net short-term capital gains generally will be taxable as ordinary income. Distributions of any net gains from investments held for more than one year will be taxable as long-term capital gains. The Fund expects its distributions will consist primarily of capital gains. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the Portfolio owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares in the Fund. Distributions of investment income reported by the Fund as derived from qualified dividend income are taxed in the hands of individual shareholders at the rates applicable to long-term capital gains, provided holding period and other requirements are met at both the shareholder and Fund level. The Funds distributions will generally not qualify for the dividends-received deduction for corporations. The Funds distributions will be taxable whether they are paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares.
Investors who purchase shares at a time when the Funds net asset value reflects gains that are either unrealized or realized but
undistributed
will pay the full price for the shares and then may receive some portion of the purchase price back as a taxable distribution. Certain distributions paid in January may be taxable to shareholders as if received on December 31 of the prior year. A redemption of Fund shares, including an exchange for shares of another fund, is a taxable transaction.
The Portfolio is treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes. Each investor in the Portfolio, including the Fund, is allocated its proportionate share of Portfolio income, gains, losses, expenses and other tax items.
The unearned income of certain U.S. individuals, estates and trusts is subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax. For individuals, the tax is on the lesser of the net investment income and the excess of modified adjusted gross income over $200,000 (or $250,000 if married filing jointly). Net investment income includes, among other things, interest, dividends, and gross income and capital gains derived from passive activities and trading in securities or commodities. Net investment income is reduced by deductions properly allocable to this income.
Investments in foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes or other foreign taxes with respect to income (possibly including, in some cases, capital gains) which may decrease the Funds yield on those securities. These taxes may be reduced or eliminated under the terms of an applicable tax treaty. Under certain circumstances, shareholders may be entitled to claim a credit or deduction with respect to foreign taxes. In addition, investments in foreign securities or foreign currencies may increase or accelerate the Funds recognition of ordinary income and may affect the timing or amount of the Funds distributions.
As described elsewhere in this Prospectus under Investment Objectives & Principal Policies and Risks, the Portfolio is subject to certain Indian income taxes in connection with transactions in Indian securities. The Indian tax authority has been periodically conducting reviews of tax returns filed by investors in India, including those filed by the Portfolio and other mutual funds.
The Fund may be required to withhold, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, 28% of the dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds payable to shareholders who fail to provide the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number or make required certifications, or who have been notified by the Internal Revenue Service that they are subject to backup withholding. Certain shareholders are exempt from backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against a shareholders U.S. federal income tax liability.
Certain foreign entities may be subject to a 30% withholding tax on dividend income paid and, after December 31, 201
8
, on redemption proceeds paid under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). To avoid withholding, foreign financial institutions subject to FATCA must agree to disclose to the relevant revenue authorities certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners and other foreign entities must certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners to the Fund. For more detailed information regarding FATCA withholding and compliance, please refer to the Statement of Additional Information.
The Fund may elect to allow Fund shareholders to include in gross income their pro rata share of qualified foreign income taxes paid by the Fund (even though such amounts are not received by the shareholders) and could allow Fund shareholders, provided certain requirements are met, to use their pro rata portion of such foreign income taxes as a foreign tax credit against their federal income taxes or, alternatively, for shareholders who itemize their tax deductions, to deduct their portion of the Funds foreign taxes paid in computing their taxable federal income. The Fund may qualify for and make this election in some, but not necessarily all of its taxable years.
Shareholders should consult with their advis
o
rs concerning the applicability of federal, state, local and other taxes to an investment.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
19
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights
The financial highlights are intended to help you understand the Funds financial performance for the period(s) indicated. Certain information in the tables reflects the financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the tables represent the rate an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all distributions at net asset value). This information has been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm. The report of Deloitte & Touche LLP and the Funds financial statements are incorporated herein by reference and included in the Funds annual report, which is available upon request.
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|||||||
|
2015 |
2014 |
||||||
|
Class A |
Class B |
Class C |
Class I |
Class A |
Class B |
Class C |
Class I |
Net asset value - Beginning of year |
$27.310 |
$24.190 |
$24.120 |
$27.710 |
$19.980 |
$17.680 |
$17.720 |
$20.260 |
Income (Loss) From Operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment loss (1) |
$(0.245) |
$(0.401) |
$(0.383) |
$(0.166) |
$(0.116) |
$(0.261) |
$(0.256) |
$(0.044) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) |
(1.090) |
(0.938) |
(0.954) |
(1.108) |
7.956 |
7.024 |
7.029 |
8.078 |
Total income (loss) from operations |
$(1.335) |
$(1.339) |
$(1.337) |
$(1.274) |
$7.840 |
$6.763 |
$6.773 |
$8.034 |
Less Distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From net investment income |
$(0.205) |
$(0.201) |
$(0.203) |
$(0.206) |
$(0.510) |
$(0.253) |
$(0.373) |
$(0.584) |
Total distributions |
$(0.205) |
$(0.201) |
$(0.203) |
$(0.206) |
$(0.510) |
$(0.253) |
$(0.373) |
$(0.584) |
Net asset value - End of year |
$25.770 |
$22.650 |
$22.580 |
$26.230 |
$27.310 |
$24.190 |
$24.120 |
$27.710 |
Total Return (2) |
(4.96)% |
(5.62)% |
(5.63)% |
(4.70)% |
39.28% |
38.27% |
38.25% |
39.74% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of year (000s omitted) |
$172,386 |
$6,970 |
$28,276 |
$29,959 |
$195,146 |
$16,502 |
$31,918 |
$35,388 |
Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets): (3) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenses (4) (5) |
1.88% |
2.58% |
2.58% |
1.58% |
1.88% |
2.58% |
2.58% |
1.58% |
Net investment loss |
(0.88)% |
(1.62)% |
(1.56)% |
(0.59)% |
(0.48)% |
(1.27)% |
(1.19)% |
(0.18)% |
Portfolio Turnover of the Portfolio |
30% |
30% |
30% |
30% |
22% |
22% |
22% |
22% |
(See footnotes on last page.)
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
20
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
Financial Highlights (continued)
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|||||||||||
|
2013 |
2012 |
2011 |
|||||||||
|
Class A |
Class B |
Class C |
Class I |
Class A |
Class B |
Class C |
Class I |
Class A |
Class B |
Class C |
Class I |
Net asset value - Beginning of year |
$22.210 |
$19.790 |
$19.840 |
$22.460 |
$17.240 |
$15.470 |
$15.500 |
$17.380 |
$28.220 |
$25.500 |
$25.550 |
$28.360 |
Income (Loss) From Operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment income (loss) (1) |
$0.002 |
$(0.123) |
$(0.122) |
$0.057 |
$(0.064) |
$(0.184) |
$(0.182) |
$(0.015) |
$(0.120) |
$(0.250) |
$(0.249) |
$(0.018) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) |
(2.232) |
(1.987) |
(1.998) |
(2.257) |
5.034 |
4.504 |
4.522 |
5.095 |
(10.823) |
(9.743) |
(9.764) |
(10.925) |
Total income (loss) from operations |
$(2.230) |
$(2.110) |
$(2.120) |
$(2.200) |
$4.970 |
$4.320 |
$4.340 |
$5.080 |
$(10.943) |
$(9.993) |
$(10.013) |
$(10.943) |
Less Distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From net investment income |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ (0.037) |
$ (0.037) |
$ (0.037) |
$ (0.037) |
Total distributions |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ (0.037) |
$ (0.037) |
$ (0.037) |
$ (0.037) |
Net asset value - End of year |
$19.980 |
$17.680 |
$17.720 |
$20.260 |
$22.210 |
$19.790 |
$19.840 |
$22.460 |
$17.240 |
$15.470 |
$15.500 |
$17.380 |
Total Return (2) |
(10.04)% |
(10.66)% |
(10.69)% |
(9.83)% |
28.83% |
27.92% |
28.00% |
29.29% |
(38.80)% |
(39.21)% |
(39.23)% |
(38.62)% |
Ratios/Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets, end of year (000s omitted) |
$154,207 |
$31,336 |
$24,749 |
$18,909 |
$233,906 |
$57,303 |
$40,193 |
$28,616 |
$227,581 |
$64,624 |
$42,307 |
$23,520 |
Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets): (3) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenses (4) (5) |
1.88% |
2.58% |
2.58% |
1.58% |
1.88% |
2.58% |
2.58% |
1.58% |
1.93% |
2.61% |
2.61% |
1.61% |
Net investment income (loss) |
0.01% |
(0.68)% |
(0.68)% |
0.28% |
(0.32)% |
(1.03)% |
(1.01)% |
(0.07)% |
(0.51)% |
(1.18)% |
(1.17)% |
(0.08)% |
Portfolio Turnover of the Portfolio |
42% |
42% |
42% |
42% |
65% |
65% |
65% |
65% |
49% |
49% |
49% |
49% |
(1)
Computed using average shares outstanding.
(2)
Returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value with all distributions reinvested and do not reflect the effect of sales charges, if any.
(3)
Includes the Funds share of the Portfolios allocated expenses.
(4)
Excludes the effect of custody fee credits, if any, of less than 0.005%.
(5)
The investment adviser and/or sub-adviser to the Portfolio and manager and/or administrator
reimbursed
certain operating expenses (equal to 0.
02%, 0.
04%, 0.14%, 0.16% and 0.08% of average daily net assets for the years ended December 31,
2015,
2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively). Absent this
reimbursement
, total return would be lower.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
21
Prospectus dated May 1, 2016
More Information
About the Fund: More information is available in the Statement of Additional Information. The Statement of Additional Information is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. Additional information about the Portfolios investments is available in the annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Funds performance during the past fiscal year. You may obtain free copies of the Statement of Additional Information and the shareholder reports on Eaton Vances website at www.eatonvance.com or by contacting the principal underwriter:
Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc.
Two International Place
Boston, MA 02110
1-800-262-1122
website: www.eatonvance.com
You will find and may copy information about the Fund (including the Statement of Additional Information and shareholder reports): at the SECs public reference room in Washington, DC (call 1-
202-551-8090
for information on the operation of the public reference room); on the EDGAR Database on the SECs website (www.sec.gov); or, upon payment of copying fees, by writing to the SECs Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549-
1
5
2
0
, or by electronic mail at publicinfo@sec.gov.
Shareholder Inquiries: You can obtain more information from Eaton Vance Shareholder Services or the Fund transfer agent, BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. If you own shares and would like to add to, redeem from or change your account, please write or call below:
Regular Mailing Address:
|
|
Overnight Mailing Address:
|
|
Phone Number:
|
The Fund's Investment Company Act No. is 811-01545. |
|
3170 5.1.16 |
© 2016 Eaton Vance Management |
STATEMENT OF
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Dividend Builder Fund
Class A Shares - EVTMX Class C Shares - ECTMX Class I Shares - EIUTX
Eaton Vance Global Small-Cap Fund
Class A Shares - EAVSX Class C Shares - ECVSX Class I Shares - EIVSX
Eaton Vance Growth Fund
Class A Shares - EALCX Class C Shares - ECLCX Class I Shares - ELCIX Class R Shares - ELCRX
Eaton Vance Large-Cap Value Fund
Class A Shares - EHSTX Class C Shares - ECSTX Class I Shares - EILVX
Class R Shares - ERSTX Class R6 Shares - ERLVX
Eaton Vance Real Estate Fund
Class A Shares - EAREX Class I Shares - EIREX
Eaton Vance Small-Cap Fund
Class A Shares - ETEGX
Class B Shares - EBSMX
Class C Shares - ECSMX
Class I Shares - EISGX
Class R Shares - ERSGX
Eaton Vance Special Equities Fund
Class A Shares - EVSEX Class C Shares - ECSEX Class I Shares - EISEX
Two International Place
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
1-800-262-1122
This Statement of Additional Information (
“
SAI
”
) provides general information about the Funds and their
corresponding
Portfolios, if applicable. The Funds (except Eaton Vance Real Estate Fund) and Portfolios are diversified, open-end management investment companies. Eaton Vance Real Estate Fund is a non-diversified
,
open-end management investment company. Each Fund is a series of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust. Capitalized terms used in this SAI and not otherwise defined have the meanings given to them in the Prospectus.
This SAI contains additional information about:
|
Page |
|
|
Page |
Strategies and Risks |
2 |
|
Sales Charges |
25 |
Investment Restrictions |
5 |
|
Performance |
27 |
Management and Organization |
7 |
|
Taxes |
29 |
Investment Advisory and Administrative Services |
17 |
|
Portfolio Securities Transactions |
37 |
Other Service Providers |
22 |
|
Financial Statements |
39 |
Calculation of Net Asset Value |
23 |
|
Additional Information About Investment Strategies |
40 |
Purchasing and Redeeming Shares |
24 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Appendix A: Class A Fees, Performance and Ownership |
71 |
|
Appendix E: Class R Fees, Performance and Ownership |
84 |
Appendix B: Class B Fees, Performance and Ownership |
75 |
|
Appendix F: Class R6 Performance and Ownership |
86 |
Appendix C: Class C Fees, Performance and Ownership |
77 |
|
Appendix G: Eaton Vance Funds Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures |
87 |
Appendix D: Class I Performance and Ownership |
81 |
|
Appendix H: Adviser Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures |
89 |
Although each Fund offers only its shares of beneficial interest, it is possible that a Fund (or Class) might become liable for a misstatement or omission in this SAI regarding another Fund (or Class) because the Funds use this combined SAI.
This SAI is NOT a prospectus and is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only if preceded or accompanied by the Fund Prospectus dated May 1, 2016, as supplemented from time to time, which is incorporated herein by reference. This SAI should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus, which may be obtained by calling 1-800-262-1122.
© 2016 Eaton Vance Management
Definitions
The following terms that may be used in this SAI have the meaning set forth below:
“ 1940 Act ” means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended;
“ 1933 Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended;
“ Board ” means Board of Trustees or Board of Directors, as applicable;
CEA means Commodity Exchange Act;
CFTC means the Commodity Futures Trading Commission;
Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;
Eaton Vance family of funds means all registered investment companies advised, administered and/or distributed by Eaton Vance or its affiliates;
Eaton Vance funds means the mutual funds sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization;
Exchange means the New York Stock Exchange;
FINRA means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority;
Fund means the Fund or Funds listed on the cover of this SAI unless stated otherwise;
investment adviser means the investment adviser identified in the prospectus and, with respect to the implementation of the Funds investment strategies (including as described under Taxes) and portfolio securities transactions, any sub-adviser identified in the prospectus;
IRS means the Internal Revenue Service;
Portfolio means a registered investment company (other than the Fund) sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization in which one or more Funds and other investors may invest substantially all or any portion of their assets as described in the prospectus, if applicable;
Subsidiary
means a wholly-owned subsidiary that certain funds may have established to pursue their investment objective. No Fund described in this SAI has established a subsidiary;
SEC means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; and
Trust means Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust, of which the Fund is a series.
STRATEGIES AND RISKS
The Fund prospectus identifies the types of investments in which the Fund will principally invest in seeking its investment objective(s) and the principal risks associated therewith. The categories checked in the table below are all of the investments the Fund is permitted to make, including its principal investments and the investment practices the Fund (either directly or through one or more Portfolios as may be described in the prospectus) is permitted to engage in. To the extent that an investment type or practice listed below is not identified in the Fund prospectus as a principal investment strategy, the Fund generally expects to invest less than 5% of its total assets in such investment type. If a particular investment type or practice that is checked and listed below but not referred to in the prospectus becomes a more significant part of the Funds strategy, the prospectus may be amended to disclose that investment
type or practice.
If applicable, Fund as used herein and under Additional Information About Investment Strategies refers to each Fund and Portfolio listed in the table below. Information about the various investment types and practices and the associated risks checked below is included in alphabetical order in this SAI under Additional Information about Investment Strategies.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
2
SAI dated May 1, 2016
As used in the table below and throughout this SAI:
DBP refers to Dividend Builder Portfolio, the master fund of Eaton Vance Dividend Builder Fund;
GSCF refers to Eaton Vance Global Small-Cap Fund (formerly Eaton Vance Small-Cap Value Fund);
GP refers to Growth Portfolio, the master fund of Eaton Vance Growth Fund;
LCVP refers to Large-Cap Value Portfolio, the master fund of Eaton Vance Large-Cap Value Fund;
REF refers to Eaton Vance Real Estate Fund;
SCF refers to Eaton Vance Small-Cap Fund; and
SEF refers to Eaton Vance Special Equities Fund.
Investment Type |
Permitted for or Relevant to: |
||||||
|
DBP |
GSCF |
GP |
LCVP |
REF |
SCF |
SEF |
Asset-Backed Securities ( “ ABS ” ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Auction Rate Securities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Build America Bonds |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Call and Put Features on Securities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash Equivalents |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations ( “ CMOs ” ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities ( “ CMBS ” ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Commodity-Related Investments |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common Stocks |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Contingent Convertible
|
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Convertible Securities |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Credit Linked Securities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Derivative Instruments and Related Risks |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Derivative-Linked and Commodity-Linked Hybrid Securities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Direct Investments |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Emerging Market Investments |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
|
√ |
√ |
Equity Investments |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Equity Linked Securities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exchange-Traded Funds ( “ ETFs ” ) |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Exchange-Traded Notes ( “ ETNs ” ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fixed-Income Securities |
√ |
√ (1) |
√ (1) |
√ |
|
√ (1) |
√ (1) |
Foreign Currency Transactions |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Foreign Investments |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Forward Rate Agreements |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Futures Contracts |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
High Yield Securities |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
|
√ |
√ |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
3
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Investment Type |
Permitted for or Relevant to: |
||||||
|
DBP |
GSCF |
GP |
LCVP |
REF |
SCF |
SEF |
Hybrid Securities |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Illiquid Securities |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Indexed Securities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Inflation-Indexed (or Inflation-Linked) Bonds |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Junior Loans |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liquidity or Protective Put Agreements |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loans |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Master Limited Partnerships ( “ MLPs ” ) |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Mortgage-Backed Securities ( “ MBS ” ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mortgage Dollar Rolls |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Municipal Lease Obligations ( “ MLOs ” ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Municipal Obligations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Option Contracts |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Pooled Investment Vehicles |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Preferred Stock |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Real Estate Investments |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Repurchase Agreements |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Residual Interest Bonds |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Restricted Securities |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Reverse Repurchase Agreements |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rights and Warrants |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Royalty Bonds |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Senior Loans |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Short Sales |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities ( “ SMBS ” ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Structured Notes |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Swap Agreements |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Swaptions |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Trust Certificates |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U.S. Government Securities |
√ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unlisted Securities |
|
√ |
|
|
|
√ |
√ |
Variable Rate Instruments |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
When-Issued Securities, Delayed Delivery and Forward Commitments |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Zero Coupon Bonds |
√ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
4
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Other Disclosures Regarding Investment Practices |
Permitted for or Relevant to: |
||||||
|
DBP |
GSCF |
GP |
LCVP |
REF |
SCF |
SEF |
Asset Coverage |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Average Effective Maturity |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Borrowing for Investment Purposes |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Borrowing for Temporary Purposes |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Cyber Security Risk |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Diversified Status |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
|
√ |
√ |
Dividend Capture Trading |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Duration |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
√ |
|
√ |
√ |
|
|
|
Investments in the Subsidiary |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loan Facility |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operational Risk |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Option Strategy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Participation in the ReFlow Liquidity Program (2) |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Portfolio Turnover |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Securities Lending |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
|
|
Short-Term Trading |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Significant Exposure to Health Sciences Companies |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Significant Exposure to Smaller Companies |
|
√ |
|
|
√ |
√ |
√ |
Significant Exposure to Utility and Financial Service Companies |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tax-Managed Investing |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1)
GSCF, GP, SCF and SEF each cannot invest more than 5% of net assets in securities rated below investment grade.
(2)
A Fund investing in a Portfolio may participate in the ReFlow Liquidity Program.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The following investment restrictions of each Fund are designated as fundamental policies and as such cannot be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of a Funds outstanding voting securities, which as used in this SAI means the lesser of: (a) 67% of the shares of a Fund 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 the outstanding shares of a Fund. Accordingly, each Fund may not:
(1)
Borrow money or issue senior securities, except as permitted by the 1940 Act.
In addition, all Funds, except Real Estate Fund, may not:
(2)
With respect to 75% of its total assets, invest more than 5% of its total assets taken at market value in the securities of any one issuer, or in more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer, except obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities and except securities of other investment companies.
In addition, all Funds, except Real Estate Fund, may not:
(3)
Make loans to any person except by (a) the acquisition of debt securities and making portfolio investments, (b) entering into repurchase agreements or (c) lending portfolio securities.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
5
SAI dated May 1, 2016
In addition, Dividend Builder Fund, Large-Cap Value Fund, Small-Cap Fund and Special Equities Fund may not:
(4)
Purchase securities on margin (but the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of securities
);
(5)
Invest in real estate (although it may purchase and sell securities which are secured by real estate and securities of companies which invest or deal in real estate); or
(6)
Invest in commodities (in the case of Small-Cap Fund) or physical commodities (in the case of Dividend Builder Fund, Large-Cap Value Fund and Special Equities Fund) or commodity contracts for the purchase and sale of physical commodities.
In addition, Large-Cap Value Fund, Small-Cap Fund and Special Equities Fund may not:
(7)
Underwrite securities of other issuers.
In addition, Dividend Builder Fund, Large-Cap Value Fund and Special Equities Fund may not:
(8)
Concentrate 25% or more of its assets in any one industry (provided that there is no limitation with respect to obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities).
In addition, Dividend Builder Fund may not:
(9)
Underwrite or participate in the marketing of securities of others, except insofar as it may technically be deemed to be an underwriter in selling a portfolio security under circumstances which may require the registration of the same under the 1933 Act.
In addition, Small-Cap Fund may not:
(10)
Invest 25% or more of its assets in any particular industry, but, if deemed appropriate for the Funds objective, up to (but less than) 25% of the value of its assets may be invested in securities of companies in any one industry (although more than 25% may be invested in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities).
In addition, Global Small-Cap Fund and Growth Fund may not:
(11)
Purchase any securities or evidences of interest therein on margin, that is to say in a transaction in which it has borrowed all or a portion of the purchase price and pledged the purchased securities or evidences of interest therein as collateral for the amount so borrowed
; or
(12)
Concentrate its investments in any particular industry, but, if deemed appropriate for the Funds objective, up to (but less than) 25% of the value of its assets may be invested in any one industry.
In addition, Global Small-Cap Fund, Growth Fund and Real Estate Fund may not:
(
13
)
Engage in the underwriting of securities; or
(
14
)
Buy or sell real estate (although it may purchase and sell securities which are secured by real estate and securities of companies which invest or deal in real estate), commodities or commodity contracts for the purchase or sale of physical commodities.
In addition, Real Estate Fund may not:
(15)
Make loans to other persons, except by (a) the acquisition of debt securities and making portfolio investments, (b) entering into repurchase agreements, (c) lending portfolio securities and (d) lending cash consistent with applicable law; or
(16)
Purchase securities on margin (but the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of securities). The deposit or payment by the Fund of initial, maintenance or variation margin in connection with all types of options and futures contract transactions is not considered the purchase of a security on margin.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
6
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Real Estate Fund also may not concentrate its investments in the securities of any one industry, except the real estate industry and except securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities, if as a result 25% or more of the Funds total assets would be invested in securities of such industry. This investment policy may not be changed without shareholder approval.
For purposes of determining industry classifications, the investment adviser considers an issuer to be in a particular industry if a third party has designated the issuer to be in that industry, unless the investment adviser is aware of circumstances that make the third partys classification inappropriate. In such a case, the investment adviser will assign an industry classification to the issuer.
Each Funds borrowing policy is consistent with Section 18(f) of the 1940 Act, which states that it shall be unlawful for any registered open-end company to issue any class of senior security or to sell any senior security of which it is the issuer, except that any such registered company shall be permitted to borrow from any bank; provided, that immediately after any such borrowing there is an asset coverage of at least 300% for all borrowings of such registered company; and provided further, that in the event that such asset coverage shall at any time fall below 300% such registered company shall, within three days thereafter (not including Sundays and holidays) or such longer period as the SEC may prescribe by rules and regulations, reduce the amount of its borrowings to an extent that the asset coverage of such borrowings shall be at least 300%.
Notwithstanding its investment policies and restrictions, each Fund may in compliance with the requirements of the 1940 Act invest (i) all of its investable assets in an open-end management investment company with substantially the same investment objective(s), policies and restrictions as the Fund; or (ii) in more than one open-end management investment company sponsored by Eaton Vance or its affiliates, provided any such company has the same investment objective(s), policies and restrictions as those of the Fund.
Each Portfolio has adopted substantially the same fundamental investment restrictions as the foregoing investment restrictions adopted by each Fund; such restrictions cannot be changed without the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Portfolio.
In addition, to the extent a registered open-end investment company acquires securities of a Portfolio in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(G) under the 1940 Act, such Portfolio shall not acquire any securities of a registered open-end investment company in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(G) under the 1940 Act.
In addition, each Portfolio may not:
(1)
Make loans to other persons, except by (a) the acquisition of debt securities and making portfolio investments, (b) entering into repurchase agreements or (c) lending portfolio securities.
The following nonfundamental investment policies have been adopted by each Fund and Portfolio. A nonfundamental investment policy may be changed by the Board with respect to a Fund without approval by the Funds shareholders or, with respect to a Portfolio, without approval of its corresponding Fund or its other investors. Each Fund and Portfolio will not:
·
make short sales of securities or maintain a short position, unless at all times when a short position is open (i) it owns an equal amount of such securities or securities convertible into or exchangeable, without payment of any further consideration, for securities of the same issue as, and equal in amount to, the securities sold short or (ii) it holds in a segregated account cash or other liquid securities (to the extent required under the 1940 Act) in an amount equal to the current market value of the securities sold short, and unless not more than 25% of its net assets (taken at current value) is held as collateral for such sales at any one time; or
·
invest more than 15% of net assets in investments which are not readily marketable, including restricted securities and repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days. Restricted securities for the purposes of this limitation do not include securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act and commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of said Act that the members of the Board, or their delegate, determines to be liquid. Any such determination by a delegate will be made pursuant to procedures adopted by the Board. When investing in Rule 144A securities, the level of portfolio illiquidity may be increased to the extent that eligible buyers become uninterested in purchasing such securities.
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 acquisition by a Fund or Portfolio of such
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
7
SAI dated May 1, 2016
security or asset. Accordingly, unless otherwise noted, 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 investment adviser if the security is not rated by a rating agency), will not compel a Fund or Portfolio to dispose of such security or other asset. However, a Fund and Portfolio must always be in compliance with the borrowing policy and limitation on investing in illiquid securities set forth above. If a sale of securities is required to comply with the 15% limit on illiquid securities, such sales will be made in an orderly manner with consideration of the best interests of shareholders.
MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION
Fund Management.
The Trustees of the Trust are responsible for the overall management and supervision of the affairs of the Trust. The Trustees of each Portfolio are responsible for the overall management and supervision of each Portfolio. The Board members and officers of the Trust and each Portfolio 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. Board members and officers of the Trust and each Portfolio hold indefinite terms of office. The noninterested Trustees consist of those Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust and each Portfolio, as that term is defined under the 1940 Act. The business address of each Board member and officer is Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. As used in this SAI, EVC refers to Eaton Vance Corp., EV refers to Eaton Vance, Inc., Eaton Vance refers to Eaton Vance Management, EVMI refers to Eaton Vance Management (International) Limited and EVD refers to Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. (see Principal Underwriter under Other Service Providers
).
EVC and EV are the corporate parent and trustee, respectively, of Eaton Vance and BMR. EVMI is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of EVC. Each officer affiliated with Eaton Vance may hold a position with other Eaton Vance affiliates that is comparable to his or her position with Eaton Vance listed below.
Name and Year of Birth |
|
Trust/Portfolio
|
|
Term of Office and
|
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
|
|
Number of Portfolios
|
|
Other Directorships Held
|
Interested Trustee |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THOMAS E. FAUST JR.
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2007 |
|
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of EVC, Director and President of EV, Chief Executive Officer and President of Eaton Vance and BMR, and Director of EVD and EVMI. Trustee and/or officer of
|
|
|
|
Director of EVC and Hexavest Inc. (investment management firm). |
Noninterested Trustees |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SCOTT E. ESTON
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2011 |
|
Private investor. Formerly held various positions at Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo and Co., L.L.C. (investment management firm) (1997-2009), including Chief Operating Officer (2002-2009), Chief Financial Officer (1997-2009) and Chairman of the Executive Committee (2002-2008); President and Principal Executive Officer, GMO Trust (open-end registered investment company) (2006-2009). Former Partner, Coopers and Lybrand L.L.P. (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) (an independent registered public accounting firm) (1987-1997). |
|
|
|
None |
CYNTHIA E. FROST
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2014 |
|
Private investor. Formerly, Chief Investment Officer of Brown University (university endowment) (2000-2012); Portfolio Strategist for Duke Management Company (university endowment manager) (1995-2000); Managing Director, Cambridge Associates (investment consulting company) (1989-1995); Consultant, Bain and Company (management consulting firm) (1987-1989); Senior Equity Analyst, BA Investment Management Company (1983-1985). |
|
|
|
None |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
8
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Name and Year of Birth |
|
Trust/Portfolio
|
|
Term of Office and
|
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
|
|
Number of Portfolios
|
|
Other Directorships Held
|
GEORGE J. GORMAN
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2014 |
|
Principal at George J. Gorman LLC (consulting firm). Formerly, Senior Partner at Ernst & Young LLP (public accounting firm) (1974-2009). |
|
|
|
Formerly, Trustee of the Bank of America Money Market Funds Series Trust (2011-2014) and of the Ashmore Funds (2010-2014). |
VALERIE A. MOSLEY
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2014 |
|
Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of Valmo Ventures (a consulting and investment firm). Former Partner and Senior Vice President, Portfolio Manager and Investment Strategist at Wellington Management Company, LLP (investment management firm) (1992-2012). Former Chief Investment Officer, PG Corbin Asset Management (1990-1992). Formerly worked in institutional corporate bond sales at Kidder Peabody (1986-1990). |
|
|
|
Director of Dynex Capital, Inc. (mortgage REIT) (since 2013). |
WILLIAM H. PARK
|
|
Vice-Chairperson of the Board and Trustee |
|
Vice-Chairperson of the Board since 2016 and Trustee
|
|
Private investor. Formerly, Consultant (management and transactional) (2012-2014). Formerly, Chief Financial Officer, Aveon Group, L.P. (investment management firm) (2010-2011). Formerly, Vice Chairman, Commercial Industrial Finance Corp. (specialty finance company) (2006-2010). Formerly, President and Chief Executive Officer, Prizm Capital Management, LLC (investment management firm) (2002-2005). Formerly, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, United Asset Management Corporation (investment management firm) (1982-2001). Formerly, Senior Manager, Price Waterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) (an independent registered public accounting firm) (1972-1981). |
|
|
|
None |
HELEN FRAME PETERS
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2008 |
|
Professor of Finance, Carroll School of Management, Boston College. Formerly, Dean, Carroll School of Management, Boston College (2000-2002). Formerly, Chief Investment Officer, Fixed Income, Scudder Kemper Investments (investment management firm) (1998-1999). Formerly, Chief Investment Officer, Equity and Fixed Income, Colonial Management Associates (investment management firm) (1991-1998). |
|
|
|
Formerly, Director of BJs Wholesale Club, Inc. (wholesale club retailer) (2004-2011). Formerly, Trustee of SPDR Index Shares Funds and SPDR Series Trust (exchange traded funds) (2000-2009). Formerly, Director of Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (a bank for banks) (2007-2009). |
SUSAN J. SUTHERLAND
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2015 |
|
Private investor. Formerly, Associate, Counsel and Partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (law firm) (1982-2013). |
|
|
|
Formerly, Director of Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd. (global provider of customized insurance and reinsurance products) (2013-2015). |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
9
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Name and Year of Birth |
|
Trust/Portfolio
|
|
Term of Office and
|
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
|
|
Number of Portfolios
|
|
Other Directorships Held
|
HARRIETT TEE TAGGART
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2011 |
|
Managing Director, Taggart Associates (a professional practice firm). Formerly, Partner and Senior Vice President, Wellington Management Company, LLP (investment management firm) (1983-2006). |
|
|
|
Director of Albemarle Corporation (chemicals manufacturer) (since 2007) and The Hanover Group (specialty property and casualty insurance company) (since 2009). Formerly, Director of Lubrizol Corporation (specialty chemicals) (2007-2011). |
RALPH F. VERNI
|
|
Chairperson of the Board and Trustee |
|
Chairperson of the Board since 2007 and Trustee
|
|
Consultant and private investor. Formerly, Chief Investment Officer (1982-1992), Chief Financial Officer (1988-1990) and Director (1982-1992), New England Life. Formerly, Chairperson, New England Mutual Funds (1982-1992). Formerly, President and Chief Executive Officer, State Street Management & Research (1992-2000). Formerly, Chairperson, State Street Research Mutual Funds (1992-2000). Formerly, Director, W.P. Carey, LLC (1998-2004) and First Pioneer Farm Credit Corp. (financial services cooperative) (2002-2006). |
|
|
|
None |
(1)
Includes both master and feeder funds in a master-feeder structure.
(2)
During their respective tenures, the Trustees (except for Mmes. Frost and Sutherland and Mr. Gorman) also served as Board members of one or more of the following funds (which operated in the years noted): eUnits TM 2 Year U.S. Market Participation Trust: Upside to Cap / Buffered Downside (launched in 2012 and terminated in 2014); eUnits TM 2 Year U.S. Market Participation Trust II: Upside to Cap / Buffered Downside (launched in 2012 and terminated in 2014); and Eaton Vance National Municipal Income Trust (launched in 1998 and terminated in 2009). However, Ms. Mosley did not serve as a Board member of eUnits TM 2 Year U.S. Market Participation Trust: Upside to Cap / Buffered Downside (launched in 2012 and terminated in 2014).
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
10
SAI dated May 1, 2016
The Board has general oversight responsibility with respect to the business and affairs of the Trust and each Fund. The Board has engaged an investment adviser and (if applicable) a sub-adviser (collectively the adviser) to manage each Fund and an administrator to administer each Fund and is responsible for overseeing such adviser and administrator and other service providers to the Trust and the Fund. The Board is currently composed of ten Trustees, including nine Trustees who are not interested persons of a Fund, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (each a noninterested Trustee). In addition to six regularly scheduled meetings per year, the Board holds special meetings or informal conference calls to discuss specific matters that may require action prior to the next regular meeting. As discussed below, the Board has established five committees to assist the Board in performing its oversight responsibilities.
The Board has appointed a noninterested Trustee to serve in the role of Chairperson. The Chairpersons primary role is to participate in the preparation of the agenda for meetings of the Board and the identification of information to be presented to the Board with respect to matters to be acted upon by the Board. The Chairperson also presides at all meetings of the Board and acts as a liaison with service providers, officers, attorneys, and other Board members generally between meetings. The Chairperson may perform such other functions as may be requested by the Board from time to time. In addition, the Board has appointed a noninterested Trustee to serve in the role of Vice-Chairperson. The Vice-Chairperson has the power and authority to perform any or all of the duties and responsibilities of the Chairperson in the absence of the Chairperson and/or as requested by the Chairperson. Except for any duties specified herein or pursuant to the Trusts Declaration of Trust or By-laws, the designation of Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson does not impose on such noninterested Trustee any duties, obligations or liability that is greater than the duties, obligations or liability imposed on such person as a member of the Board, generally. Each Portfolio has the same leadership structure as the Trust.
Each Fund and the Trust are subject to a number of risks, including, among others, investment, compliance, operational, and valuation risks. Risk oversight is part of the Boards general oversight of each Fund and the Trust and is addressed as part of various activities of the Board and its Committees. As part of its oversight of each Fund and the Trust, the Board directly, or through a Committee, relies on and reviews reports from, among others, Fund management, the adviser, the administrator, the principal underwriter, the Chief Compliance Officer (the CCO), and other Fund service providers responsible for day-to-day oversight of Fund investments, operations and compliance to assist the Board in identifying and understanding the nature and extent of risks and determining whether, and to what extent, such risks can or should be mitigated. The Board also interacts with the CCO and with senior personnel of the adviser, administrator, principal underwriter and other Fund service providers and provides input on risk management issues during meetings of the Board and its Committees. Each of the adviser, administrator, principal underwriter and the other Fund service providers has its own, independent interest and responsibilities in risk management, and its policies and methods for carrying out risk management functions will depend, in part, on its individual priorities, resources and controls. It is not possible to identify all of the risks that may affect a Fund or to develop processes and controls to eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. Moreover, it is necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve each Funds goals.
The Board, with the assistance of management and with input from the Board's various committees, reviews investment policies and risks in connection with its review of Fund performance. The Board has appointed a Fund CCO who oversees the implementation and testing of the Fund compliance program and reports to the Board regarding compliance matters for the Funds and their principal service providers. In addition, as part of the Boards periodic review of the advisory, subadvisory (if applicable), distribution and other service provider agreements, the Board may consider risk management aspects of their operations and the functions for which they are responsible. With respect to valuation, the Board approves and periodically reviews valuation policies and procedures applicable to valuing each Funds shares. The administrator, the investment adviser and the sub-adviser (if applicable) are responsible for the implementation and day-to-day administration of these valuation policies and procedures and provides reports to the Audit Committee of the Board and the Board regarding these and related matters. In addition, the Audit Committee of the Board or the Board receives reports periodically from the independent public accounting firm for the Funds regarding tests performed by such firm on the valuation of all securities, as well as with respect to other risks associated with mutual funds. Reports received from service providers, legal counsel and the independent public accounting firm assist the Board in performing its oversight function. Each Portfolio has the same risk oversight approach as the Funds and the Trust.
The Trusts Declaration of Trust does not set forth any specific qualifications to serve as a Trustee. The Charter of the Governance Committee also does not set forth any specific qualifications, but does set forth certain factors that the Committee may take into account in considering noninterested Trustee candidates. In general, no one factor is decisive in the selection of an individual to join the Board. Among the factors the Board considers when concluding that an individual should serve on the Board are the following: (i) knowledge in matters relating to the mutual fund industry; (ii) experience as a director or senior officer of public companies; (iii) educational background; (iv) reputation for high ethical standards and professional integrity; (v) specific financial, technical or other expertise, and the extent to which such expertise would complement the Board members
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
11
SAI dated May 1, 2016
existing mix of skills, core competencies and qualifications; (vi) perceived ability to contribute to the ongoing functions of the Board, including the ability and commitment to attend meetings regularly and work collaboratively with other members of the Board; (vii) the ability to qualify as a noninterested Trustee for purposes of the 1940 Act and any other actual or potential conflicts of interest involving the individual and the Fund; and (viii) such other factors as the Board determines to be relevant in light of the existing composition of the Board.
Among the attributes or skills common to all Board members are their ability to review critically, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, to interact effectively with the other members of the Board, management, sub-advisers, other service providers, counsel and independent registered public accounting firms, and to exercise effective and independent business judgment in the performance of their duties as members of the Board. Each Board members ability to perform his or her duties effectively has been attained through the Board members business, consulting, public service and/or academic positions and through experience from service as a member of the Boards of the Eaton Vance family of funds (Eaton Vance Fund Boards) (and/or in other capacities, including for any predecessor funds), public companies, or non-profit entities or other organizations as set forth below. Each Board members ability to perform his or her duties effectively also has been enhanced by his or her educational background, professional training, and/or other life experiences.
In respect of each current member of the Board, the individuals substantial professional accomplishments and experience, including in fields related to the operations of registered investment companies, were a significant factor in the determination that the individual should serve as a member of the Board. The following is a summary of each Board members particular professional experience and additional considerations that contributed to the Boards conclusion that he or she should serve as a member of the Board:
Scott E. Eston. Mr. Eston has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2011 and is the Chairperson of the Contract Review Committee. He currently serves on the board and on the investment committee of Michigan State University Foundation, and on the investment advisory sub-committee of Michigan State University. From 1997 through 2009, Mr. Eston served in several capacities at Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo and Co. (GMO), including as Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and also as the President and Principal Executive officer of GMO Trust, an affiliated open-end registered investment company. From 1978 through 1997, Mr. Eston was employed at Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P. (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) (since 1987 as a Partner).
Thomas E. Faust Jr. Mr. Faust has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2007. He is currently Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of EVC, Director and President of EV, Chief Executive Officer and President of Eaton Vance and BMR, and Director of EVD and EVMI. Mr. Faust has served as a Director of Hexavest Inc. since 2012. Mr. Faust previously served as an equity analyst, portfolio manager, Director of Equity Research and Management and Chief Investment Officer of Eaton Vance (1985-2007). He holds B.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Mr. Faust has been a Chartered Financial Analyst since 1988.
Cynthia E. Frost . Ms. Frost has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since May 29, 2014. From 2000 through 2012, Ms. Frost was the Chief Investment Officer of Brown University, where she oversaw the evaluation, selection and monitoring of the third party investment managers who managed the universitys endowment. From 1995-2000, Ms. Frost was a Portfolio Strategist for Duke Management Company, which oversaw Duke Universitys endowment. Ms. Frost also served in various investment and consulting roles at Cambridge Associates (1989-1995), Bain and Company (1987-1989) and BA Investment Management Company (1983-1985). She serves as a member of an advisory board of Creciente Partners Investment Management, LLC, a manager of a multi-manager hedge fund, and has additional experience as a member of the investment committee of several non-profit organizations.
George J. Gorman . Mr. Gorman has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since May 29, 2014 and is the Chairperson of the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee. From 1974 through 2009, Mr. Gorman served in various capacities at Ernst & Young LLP, including as a Senior Partner in the Asset Management Group (from 1988) specializing in managing engagement teams responsible for auditing mutual funds registered with the SEC, hedge funds and private equity funds. Mr. Gorman also has experience serving as an independent trustee of other mutual fund complexes, including the Bank of America Money Market Funds Series Trust (2011-2014) and the Ashmore Funds (2010-2014).
Valerie A. Mosley. Ms. Mosley has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since January 1, 2014. She currently owns and manages a consulting and investment firm, Valmo Ventures and is a Director of Progress Investment Management Company, a manager of emerging managers. From 1992 through 2012, Ms. Mosley served in several capacities at Wellington Management Company, LLP, an investment management firm, including as a Partner, Senior Vice President, Portfolio Manager and Investment Strategist. Ms. Mosley also served as Chief Investment Officer at PG Corbin Asset Management from 1990-
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
12
SAI dated May 1, 2016
1992 and worked in institutional corporate bond sales at Kidder Peabody from 1986-1990. Ms. Mosley is a Director of Dynex Capital, Inc., a mortgage REIT, where she serves on the boards audit and investment committees. She also serves as a trustee or board member of several major non-profit organizations and endowments, including Mass Ventures, a quasi-public early-stage investment corporation active in Massachusetts, and New Profit, a non-profit venture philanthropy fund. She is a member of the Risk Audit Committee of the United Auto Workers Retiree Medical Benefits Trust and a member of the Investment Advisory Committee of New York State Common Retirement Fund.
William H. Park. Mr. Park has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2003, is the Independent Vice-Chairperson of the Board and is the Chairperson of the Audit Committee. Mr. Park was formerly a consultant (2012-2014) and formerly the Chief Financial Officer of Aveon Group, L.P. from 2010-2011. Mr. Park also served as Vice Chairman of Commercial Industrial Finance Corp. from 2006-2010, as President and Chief Executive Officer of Prizm Capital Management, LLC from 2002-2005, as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of United Asset Management Corporation from 1982-2001 and as Senior Manager of Price Waterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) from 1972-1981.
Helen Frame Peters. Ms. Peters has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2008 and is the Chairperson of the Portfolio Management Committee. Ms. Peters is currently a Professor of Finance at Carroll School of Management, Boston College and was formerly Dean of Carroll School of Management from 2000-2002. Ms. Peters was previously a Director of BJs Wholesale Club, Inc. from 2004-2011. In addition, Ms. Peters was the Chief Investment Officer, Fixed Income at Scudder Kemper Investments from 1998-1999 and Chief Investment Officer, Equity and Fixed Income at Colonial Management Associates from 1991-1998. Ms. Peters also served as a Trustee of SPDR Index Shares Funds and SPDR Series Trust from 2000-2009 and as a Director of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston from 2007-2009.
Susan J. Sutherland. Ms. Sutherland has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since May 1, 2015. Ms. Sutherland also serves as a director of Hagerty Holding Corp., a leading provider of specialized automobile and marine insurance. Ms. Sutherland was a Director of Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd., a global provider of customized reinsurance and insurance products, from 2013 until its sale in 2015. From 1982 through 2013, Ms. Sutherland was an associate, counsel and then a partner in the Financial Institutions Group of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where she primarily represented U.S. and international insurance and reinsurance companies, investment banks and private equity firms in insurance-related corporate transactions. In addition, Ms. Sutherland is qualified as a Governance Fellow of the National Association of Corporate Directors and has also served as a board member of prominent non-profit organizations.
Harriett Tee Taggart. Ms. Taggart has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2011 and is the Chairperson of the Governance Committee. Ms. Taggart currently manages a professional practice, Taggart Associates. Since 2007, Ms. Taggart has been a Director of Albemarle Corporation, a specialty chemical company where she serves as a member of the Executive Compensation Committee. Since 2009 she has served as a Director of the Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. where she serves as member of the Nomination and Governance Committee. Ms. Taggart is also a trustee or member of several major non-profit boards, advisory committees and endowment investment companies. From 1983 through 2006, Ms. Taggart served in several capacities at Wellington Management Company, LLP, an investment management firm, including as a Partner, Senior Vice President and chemical industry sector portfolio manager. Ms. Taggart also served as a Director of the Lubrizol Corporation, a specialty chemicals manufacturer from 2007-2011.
Ralph F. Verni. Mr. Verni has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2005 and is the Independent Chairperson of the Board. Mr. Verni was formerly the Chief Investment Officer (from 1982-1992), Chief Financial Officer (from 1988-1990) and Director (from 1982-1992) of New England Life. Mr. Verni was also the Chairperson of the New England Mutual Funds from 1982-1992; President and Chief Executive Officer of State Street Management & Research from 1992-2000; Chairperson of the State Street Research Mutual Funds from 1992-2000; Director of W.P. Carey, LLC from 1998-2004; and Director of First Pioneer Farm Credit Corp. from 2002-2006. Mr. Verni has been a Chartered Financial Analyst since 1977.
The Board of the Trust and each Portfolio have several standing Committees, including the Governance Committee, the Audit Committee, the Portfolio Management Committee, the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee and the Contract Review Committee. Each of the Committees are comprised of only noninterested Trustees.
Mmes. Taggart (Chairperson), Frost, Mosley, Peters and Sutherland, and Messrs. Eston, Gorman, Park and Verni are members of the Governance Committee. The purpose of the Governance Committee is to consider, evaluate and make recommendations to the Board with respect to the structure, membership and operation of the Board and the Committees thereof, including the nomination and selection of noninterested Trustees and a Chairperson of the Board and the compensation of such persons. During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the Governance Committee convened
five
times.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
13
SAI dated May 1, 2016
The Governance Committee will, when a vacancy exists, consider a nominee for Trustee recommended by a shareholder, provided that such recommendation is submitted in writing to the Funds Secretary at the principal executive office of the Fund. Such recommendations must be accompanied by biographical and occupational data on the candidate (including whether the candidate would be an interested person of the Fund), a written consent by the candidate to be named as a nominee and to serve as Trustee if elected, record and ownership information for the recommending shareholder with respect to the Fund, and a description of any arrangements or understandings regarding recommendation of the candidate for consideration.
Messrs. Park (Chairperson), Eston and Verni, and Ms. Frost are members of the Audit Committee. The Board has designated Mr. Park, a noninterested Trustee, as audit committee financial expert. The Audit Committees purposes are to (i) oversee each Fund's and each Portfolio's accounting and financial reporting processes, its internal control over financial reporting, and, as appropriate, the internal control over financial reporting of certain service providers; (ii) oversee or, as appropriate, assist Board oversight of the quality and integrity of each Fund's and each Portfolio's financial statements and the independent audit thereof; (iii) oversee, or, as appropriate, assist Board oversight of, each Fund's and each Portfolio's compliance with legal and regulatory requirements that relate to each Fund's and each Portfolio's accounting and financial reporting, internal control over financial reporting and independent audits; (iv) approve prior to appointment the engagement and, when appropriate, replacement of the independent registered public accounting firm, and, if applicable, nominate the independent registered public accounting firm to be proposed for shareholder ratification in any proxy statement of a Fund; (v) evaluate the qualifications, independence and performance of the independent registered public accounting firm and the audit partner in charge of leading the audit; and (vi) prepare, as necessary, audit committee reports consistent with the requirements of applicable SEC and stock exchange rules for inclusion in the proxy statement of a Fund. During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the Audit Committee convened
sixteen
times.
Messrs. Eston (Chairperson), Gorman, Park and Verni, and Mmes. Mosley, Peters, Sutherland and Taggart are members of the Contract Review Committee. The purposes of the Contract Review Committee are to consider, evaluate and make recommendations to the Board concerning the following matters: (i) contractual arrangements with each service provider to the Funds and the Portfolios, including advisory, sub-advisory, transfer agency, custodial and fund accounting, distribution services and administrative services; (ii) any and all other matters in which any service provider (including Eaton Vance or any affiliated entity thereof) has an actual or potential conflict of interest with the interests of the Funds, the Portfolios or investors therein; and (iii) any other matter appropriate for review by the noninterested Trustees, unless the matter is within the responsibilities of the other Committees of the Board. During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the Contract Review Committee convened eight times.
Mmes. Peters (Chairperson), Frost, Mosley and Taggart are members of the Portfolio Management Committee. The purposes of the Portfolio Management Committee are to: (i) assist the Board in its oversight of the portfolio management process employed by the Funds and the Portfolios and their investment adviser and sub-adviser(s), if applicable, relative to the Funds and the Portfolios stated objective(s), strategies and restrictions; (ii) assist the Board in its oversight of the trading policies and procedures and risk management techniques applicable to the Funds and the Portfolios; and (iii) assist the Board in its monitoring of the performance results of all funds and portfolios, giving special attention to the performance of certain funds and portfolios that it or the Board identifies from time to time. During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the Portfolio Management Committee convened
nine
times.
Messrs. Gorman (Chairperson) and Eston, and Ms. Sutherland are members of the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee. The purposes of the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee are to: (i) assist the Board in its oversight role with respect to compliance issues and certain other regulatory matters affecting the Funds and the Portfolios; (ii) serve as a liaison between the Board and the Funds and the Portfolios CCO; and (iii) serve as a qualified legal compliance committee within the rules promulgated by the SEC. During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee convened
twelve
times.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
14
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Share Ownership.
The following table shows the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee in each Fund and in the Eaton Vance family of funds overseen by the Trustee as of December 31,
2015
. Interests in a Portfolio cannot be purchased by a Trustee.
|
Dollar Range of Equity Securities Beneficially Owned by |
|||||||||
Fund Name |
Scott E.
|
Thomas E.
|
Cynthia E.
|
George J.
|
Valerie A.
|
William H.
|
Helen Frame
|
Susan J.
|
Harriett Tee
|
Ralph F.
|
Dividend Builder Fund |
|
$10,001 -
|
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
|
None |
None |
Global Small-Cap Fund |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
Growth Fund |
None |
|
None |
|
|
|
None |
None |
None |
None |
Large-Cap Value Fund |
None |
None |
None |
|
|
Over
|
None |
None |
None |
None |
Real Estate Fund |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
Small-Cap Fund |
None |
None |
|
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
Special Equities Fund |
None |
$10,001 -
|
|
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities Beneficially Owned in Funds Overseen by Trustee in the Eaton Vance Family of Funds |
Over
|
Over
|
Over
|
Over
|
|
Over
|
Over
|
|
Over
|
Over
|
(1)
Interested Trustee.
(2)
Noninterested Trustee.
(3)
Ms. Sutherland began serving as a Trustee effective May 1, 2015.
(4 )
Includes shares which may be deemed to be beneficially owned through the Trustee Deferred Compensation Plan.
As of December 31,
2015
, 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,
2014
and December 31,
2015
, 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 Fund; (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 Fund; (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.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
15
SAI dated May 1, 2016
During the calendar years ended December 31,
2014
and December 31,
2015
, 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 a Portfolio or any of their immediate family members served as an officer.
Noninterested Trustees 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 Deferred Compensation Plan). Under the Deferred Compensation Plan, an eligible Board member may elect to have his or her deferred fees invested in the shares of one or more funds in the Eaton Vance family of funds, and the amount paid to the Board members under the Deferred Compensation Plan will be determined based upon the performance of such investments. Deferral of Board members fees in accordance with the Deferred Compensation Plan will have a negligible effect on the assets, liabilities, and net income of a participating fund or portfolio, and do not require that a participating Board member be retained. There is no retirement plan for Board members.
The fees and expenses of the Trustees of the Trust and each Portfolio are paid by the Funds (and other series of the Trust) and the Portfolios, respectively. (A Board member who is a member of the Eaton Vance organization receives no compensation from the Trust or a Portfolio.) During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the Trustees of the Trust and each Portfolio earned the following compensation in their capacities as Board members from the Trust and each Portfolio. For the year ended December 31,
2015
, the Board members earned the following compensation in their capacities as members of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards
(1)
:
Source of Compensation |
Cynthia E.
|
George J.
|
Valerie A.
|
William H.
|
Helen Frame
|
Susan J.
|
Harriett Tee
|
Ralph F.
|
|
Trust (2) |
|
|
|
$
3,
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dividend Builder Portfolio |
|
|
|
|
$
5,
|
$
5,
|
$5,393
(
4
|
$
5,
|
$
7,
|
Growth Portfolio |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
1,
|
Large-Cap Value Portfolio |
$
7,
|
|
|
|
$
7,
|
$
7,
|
$
6,
|
$
7,
|
|
Trust and Fund Complex (1) |
$
|
$
|
$
|
$
|
$
|
$
|
$
|
$
|
$
|
(1)
As of May 1, 2016, the Eaton Vance fund complex consists of
179
registered investment companies or series thereof. Ms. Sutherland began serving as a Trustee effective May 1, 2015, and thus the compensation figures listed for
the
Trust,
each
Portfolio and the Trust and Fund Complex are estimated based on amounts she would have received if she had been a Trustee for the
full
fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
and for the full calendar year ended December 31,
2015. Ronald A. Pearlman
resigned as a Trustee effective
July 1, 2015
. For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, Mr.
Pearlman
received Trustee fees of $
3,014 from the Trust, $
4,
319
from Dividend Builder Portfolio, $
913
from Growth Portfolio
and $5,534
from Large-Cap Value Portfolio
.
For the calendar year ended December 31,
2015
, he received $
235
,000 from the Trust and Fund Complex.
(
2
)
The
Trust consisted of 16 Funds as of December 31,
2015
.
(3)
Includes deferred compensation as follows: Dividend Builder Portfolio - $
3,496
; Growth Portfolio - $
825
; and Large-Cap Value Portfolio - $
4,383
.
(4)
Includes deferred compensation as follows: Dividend Builder Portfolio - $
5,393
; Growth Portfolio - $
1,281
; and Large-Cap Value Portfolio - $6,
752
.
(5)
Includes
$180,000
of deferred compensation.
(
6
)
Includes $
277,490
of deferred compensation.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
16
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Fund Organization.
Each Fund
is a series of
the
Trust, which was organized under Massachusetts law on March 27, 1989 as a trust with transferable shares, commonly referred to as a
“
Massachusetts business trust and is operated as an open-end management investment company. Effective October 31, 2014, Eaton Vance Large-Cap Growth Fund changed its name to Eaton Vance Growth Fund. Effective July 6, 2015, Eaton Vance Small-Cap Value Fund changed its name to Eaton Vance Global Small-Cap Fund. The Trust may issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest (no par value per share) in one or more series (such as a Fund). The Trustees of the Trust have divided the shares of a Fund into multiple classes. Each class represents an interest in a Fund, but is subject to different expenses, right and privileges. The Trustees have the authority under the Declaration of Trust to create additional classes of shares with differing rights and privileges. When issued and outstanding, shares are fully paid and nonassessable by the Trust. Shareholders
of the Trust
are entitled to one vote for each full share held. Fractional shares may be voted proportionately. Shares of
all Funds in the
Trust will be voted together
with respect to the election or removal of Trustees and on other matters affecting all Funds similarly. On matters affecting only a particular Fund, all shareholders of the affected Fund will vote together as a single class,
except that only shareholders of a particular class may vote on matters affecting only that class. Shares have no preemptive or conversion rights and are freely transferable. In the event of the liquidation of a Fund, shareholders of each class are entitled to share pro rata in the net assets attributable to that class available for distribution to shareholders.
As permitted by Massachusetts law, there will normally be no meetings of shareholders for the purpose of electing Trustees unless and until such time as less than a majority of the Trustees of the Trust holding office have been elected by shareholders. In such an event the Trustees then in office will call a shareholders meeting for the election of Trustees. Except for the foregoing circumstances and unless removed by action of the shareholders in accordance with the Trusts By-laws, the Trustees shall continue to hold office and may appoint successor Trustees. The Trusts By-laws provide that any Trustee may be removed with or without cause, by (i) the affirmative vote of holders of two-thirds of the shares or, (ii) the affirmative vote of, or written instrument, signed by at least two-thirds of the remaining Trustees, provided however, that the removal of any noninterested Trustee shall additionally require the affirmative vote of, or a written instrument executed by, at least two-thirds of the remaining noninterested Trustees. No person shall serve as a Trustee if shareholders holding two-thirds of the outstanding shares have removed him or her from that office either by a written declaration filed with the Trusts custodian or by votes cast at a meeting called for that purpose. The By-laws further provide that under certain circumstances the shareholders may call a meeting to remove a Trustee and that the Trust is required to provide assistance in communication with shareholders about such a meeting.
The Trusts Declaration of Trust may be amended by the Trustees when authorized by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust, the financial interests of which are affected by the amendment. The Trustees may also amend the Declaration of Trust without the vote or consent of shareholders to change the name of the Trust or any series, if they deem it necessary to conform it to applicable federal or state laws or regulations, or to make such other changes (such as reclassifying series or classes of shares or restructuring the Trust) provided such changes do not have a materially adverse effect on the financial interests of shareholders. The Trusts By-laws provide that the Trust will indemnify its Trustees and officers against liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with any litigation or proceeding in which they may be involved because of their offices with the Trust. However, no indemnification will be provided to any Trustee or officer for any liability to the Trust or shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
The Trusts Declaration of Trust provides that any legal proceeding brought by or on behalf of a shareholder seeking to enforce any provision of, or based upon any matter arising out of, related to or in connection with, the Declaration of Trust, the Trust, any Fund or Class or the shares of any Fund must be brought exclusively in the United States District Court for Massachusetts or, if such court does not have jurisdiction for the matter, then in the Superior Court of Suffolk County for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. If a shareholder brings a claim in another venue and the venue is subsequently changed through legal process to the foregoing Federal or state court, then the shareholder will be required to reimburse the Trust and other persons for the expenses incurred in effecting the change in venue.
The Trusts Declaration of Trust also provides that, except to the extent explicitly permitted by Federal law, a shareholder may not bring or maintain a court action on behalf of the Trust or any Fund or class of shares (commonly referred to as a derivative claim) without first making demand on the Trustees requesting the Trustees to bring the action. Within 90 days of receipt of the demand, the Trustees will consider the merits of the claim and determine whether commencing or maintaining an action would be in the best interests of the Trust or the affected Fund or Class. Any decision by the Trustees to bring, maintain or settle, or to not bring, maintain or settle the action, will be final and binding upon shareholders and therefore no action may be brought or maintained after a decision is made to reject a demand. In addition, the Trusts Declaration of Trust provides that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, each shareholder acknowledges and agrees that any alleged injury to the Trusts property, any
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
17
SAI dated May 1, 2016
diminution in the value of a shareholders shares and any other claim arising out of or relating to an allegation regarding the actions, inaction or omissions of or by the Trustees, the officers of the Trust or the investment adviser of a Fund is a legal claim belonging only to the Trust and not to the shareholders individually and, therefore, that any such claim is subject to the demand requirement for derivative claims referenced above.
The Trust or any series or class thereof may be terminated by: (1) the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than two-thirds of the shares outstanding and entitled to vote at any meeting of shareholders of the Trust or the appropriate series or class thereof, or by an instrument or instruments in writing without a meeting, consented to by the holders of two-thirds of the shares of the Trust or a series or class thereof, provided, however, that, if such termination is recommended by the Trustees, the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust or a series or class thereof entitled to vote thereon shall be sufficient authorization; or (2) by the approval of a majority of the Trustees then in office, to be followed by a written notice to shareholders.
Under Massachusetts law, if certain conditions prevail, shareholders of a Massachusetts business trust (such as the Trust) could be deemed to have personal liability for the obligations of the Trust. Numerous investment companies registered under the 1940 Act have been formed as Massachusetts business trusts, and management is not aware of an instance where such liability has been imposed. The Trusts Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of liability on the part of Fund shareholders and the Trusts By-laws provide that the Trust shall assume the defense on behalf of any Fund shareholders. The Declaration of Trust also contains provisions limiting the liability of a series or class to that series or class. Moreover, the Trusts By-laws also provide for indemnification out of Fund property of any shareholder held personally liable solely by reason of being or having been a shareholder for all loss or expense arising from such liability. The assets of each Fund are readily marketable and will ordinarily substantially exceed its liabilities. In light of the nature of each Funds business and the nature of its assets, management believes that the possibility of the Funds liability exceeding its assets, and therefore the shareholders risk of personal liability, is remote.
Portfolio Organization. Each Portfolio was organized as a trust with transferable interests, commonly referred to as a “ Massachusetts business trust ” on December 14, 2009 and intends to be treated as a partnership for federal tax purposes. Prior to that date, each Portfolio was organized as a New York trust , on May 1, 1992 for DBP and LCVP and on June 18, 2002 for GP. Effective October 31, 2014, Large-Cap Growth Portfolio changed its name to Growth Portfolio. In accordance with the Declaration of Trust of each Portfolio, there will normally be no meetings of the investors for the purpose of electing Trustees unless and until such time as less than a majority of the Trustees of the Portfolio holding office have been elected by investors. In such an event the Trustees of the Portfolio then in office will call an investors meeting for the election of Trustees. Except for the foregoing circumstances and unless removed by action of the investors in accordance with the Portfolios Declaration of Trust, the Trustees shall continue to hold office and may appoint successor Trustees.
Each Portfolios
Declaration of Trust
provides that any Trustee may be removed, with or without cause, by (i) the affirmative vote of investors holding two-thirds of the outstanding interests or, (ii) the affirmative vote of, or a written instrument executed by, at least two-thirds of the remaining Trustees, provided however, that the removal of any noninterested Trustee shall additionally require the affirmative vote of, or a written instrument executed by, at least two-thirds of the remaining noninterested Trustees. The Portfolios By-laws provide that the Portfolio will indemnify its Trustees and officers against liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with any litigation or proceeding in which they may be involved because of their offices with the Portfolio. However, no indemnification will be provided to any Trustee or officer for any liability to the Portfolio or interestholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
Each Portfolios Declaration of Trust provides that any legal proceeding brought by or on behalf of an investor seeking to enforce any provision of, or based upon any matter arising out of, related to or in connection with, the Declaration of Trust, the Portfolio or the interests of the Portfolio must be brought exclusively in the United States District Court for Massachusetts or, if such court does not have jurisdiction for the matter, then in the Superior Court of Suffolk County for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. If an investor brings a claim in another venue and the venue is subsequently changed through legal process to the foregoing Federal or state court, then the investor will be required to reimburse the Portfolio and other persons for the expenses incurred in effecting the change in venue.
Each Portfolios Declaration of Trust also provides that, except to the extent explicitly permitted by Federal law, an investor may not bring or maintain a court action on behalf of a Portfolio (commonly referred to as a derivative claim) without first making demand on the Trustees requesting the Trustees to bring the action. Within 90 days of receipt of the demand, the Trustees will consider the merits of the claim and determine whether commencing or maintaining an action would be in the best interests of a Portfolio. Any decision by the Trustees to bring, maintain or settle, or to not bring, maintain or settle the action, will be final and binding upon investors and therefore no action may be brought or maintained after a decision is made to reject a demand. In
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
18
SAI dated May 1, 2016
addition, each Portfolios Declaration of Trust provides that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, each investor acknowledges and agrees that any alleged injury to a Portfolios property, any diminution in the value of an investors interests and any other claim arising out of or relating to an allegation regarding the actions, inaction or omissions of or by the Trustees, the officers of the Portfolio or the investment adviser of a Portfolio is a legal claim belonging only to a Portfolio and not to the investors individually and, therefore, that any such claim is subject to the demand requirement for derivative claims referenced above.
Under Massachusetts law, if certain conditions prevail, shareholders of a Massachusetts business trust (such as a Portfolio) could be deemed to have personal liability for the obligations of a Portfolio. Numerous investment companies registered under the 1940 Act have been formed as Massachusetts business trusts, and management is not aware of an instance where such liability has been imposed. Each Portfolios Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of liability on the part of Portfolio interestholders and the By-laws provide that the Portfolio shall assume the defense on behalf of any Portfolio interestholders. Moreover, the By-laws also provide for indemnification out of Portfolio property of any interestholder held personally liable solely by reason of being or having been an interestholder for all loss or expense arising from such liability. The assets of each Portfolio are readily marketable and will ordinarily substantially exceed its liabilities. In light of the nature of each Portfolios business and the nature of its assets, management believes that the possibility of the Portfolios liability exceeding its assets, and therefore the interestholders risk of personal liability, is remote.
Dividend Builder Fund, Growth Fund and Large-Cap Value Fund may be required to vote on matters pertaining to a Portfolio. When required by law to do so, a Fund will hold a meeting of Fund shareholders and will vote its interest in the Portfolio for or against such matters proportionately to the instructions to vote for or against such matters received from Fund shareholders. Dividend Builder Fund, Growth Fund or Large-Cap Value Fund shall vote shares for which it receives no voting instructions in the same proportion as the shares for which it receives voting instructions. Other investors in a Portfolio may alone or collectively acquire sufficient voting interests in the Portfolio to control matters relating to the operation of the Portfolio, which may require the Fund to withdraw its investment in the Portfolio or take other appropriate action. Any such withdrawal could result in a distribution in kind of portfolio securities (as opposed to a cash distribution from the Portfolio). If securities are distributed, Dividend Builder Fund, Growth Fund or Large-Cap Value Fund could incur brokerage, tax or other charges in converting the securities to cash. In addition, the distribution in kind may result in a less diversified portfolio of investments or adversely affect the liquidity of Dividend Builder Fund, Growth Fund or Large-Cap Value Fund. Notwithstanding the above, there are other means for meeting shareholder redemption requests, such as borrowing.
Proxy Voting Policy.
The Board adopted a proxy voting policy and procedures (the Fund Policy), pursuant to which the Board has delegated proxy voting responsibility to the investment adviser and
sub-adviser and
adopted the proxy voting policies and procedures of the investment adviser
and sub-adviser
(the Adviser Policies). An independent proxy voting service has been retained to assist in the voting of Fund proxies through the provision of vote analysis, implementation and recordkeeping and disclosure services. The members of the Board will review each Funds and Portfolios proxy voting records from time to time and will annually consider approving the Adviser Policies for the upcoming year. For a copy of the Fund Policy and Adviser Policies, see Appendix
G
and Appendix
H
, respectively. Pursuant to certain provisions of the 1940 Act and certain exemptive orders relating to funds investing in other funds, a Fund or Portfolio may be required or may elect to vote its interest in another fund in the same proportion as the holders of all other shares of that fund. Information on how each Fund and Portfolio voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-262-1122, and (2) on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
Investment Advisory Services.
The investment adviser manages the investments and affairs of each Portfolio, Global Small-Cap Fund, Real Estate Fund, Small-Cap Fund and Special Equities Fund and provides related office facilities and personnel subject to the supervision of the
Trust's
and
Portfolios Board of Trustees. The investment adviser, and, in the case of Global Small-Cap Fund, the sub-adviser, furnish investment restrictions, advice and supervision, furnish an investment program and determine what securities will be purchased, held or sold by each Portfolio, Global Small-Cap Fund, Real Estate Fund, Small-Cap Fund and Special Equities Fund and what portion, if any, of the Portfolio's, Global Small-Cap Fund's, Real Estate Fund's and Special Equity Funds assets will be held uninvested. Each Investment Advisory Agreement
and Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement
requires the investment adviser
or sub-adviser, if applicable,
to pay the salaries and fees of all officers and Trustees who are members of
that
investment adviser's organization and all personnel of
that
investment adviser performing services relating to research and investment activities.
At December 31,
2015
, Global Small-Cap Fund had net assets of $
24,448,754. For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, the Fund paid advisory fees of $285,458, $311,589 and $351,512, respectively.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
19
SAI dated May 1, 2016
At December 31, 2015, Real Estate Fund had net assets of $38,923,827.
For the fiscal years ended December 31,
2015,
2014
and
2013
, the Fund paid advisory fees of $
211,577, $199,668
and $
212,508
, respectively.
At December 31,
2015
, Small-Cap Fund had net assets of $
89,962,564
. For the fiscal years ended December 31,
2015,
2014 and 2013, the Fund paid advisory fees of $
822,368, $
1,481,672 and $1,500,885, respectively.
At December 31,
2015
, Special Equities Fund had net assets of $
42,942,216
. For the fiscal years ended December 31,
2015,
2014 and 2013, the Fund paid advisory fees of $
313,178, $
375,462 and $353,155, respectively.
The following table sets forth the net assets of the foregoing Portfolios at December 31,
2015
and the advisory fees for the three fiscal years ended December 31,
2015
.
|
|
Advisory Fee for Fiscal Years Ended |
||
Portfolio
|
Net Assets at 12/31/
|
12/31/
|
12/31/
|
12/31/
|
Dividend Builder |
|
$6,
|
$6,
|
$
|
Growth |
|
$
1,
|
$
1,
|
$
1,
|
Large-Cap Value |
|
|
|
|
Each Investment Advisory Agreement with the investment adviser
or sub-adviser, if applicable,
continues in effect 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, in the case of Global Small-Cap Fund, Real Estate Fund, Small-Cap Fund, Special Equities Fund, or a Portfolio, in the case of a Portfolio 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, in the case of Global Small-Cap Fund, Real Estate Fund, Small-Cap Fund, Special Equities Fund, or a Portfolio, in the case of a Portfolio or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Global Small-Cap Fund, Real Estate Fund, Small-Cap Fund, Special Equities Fund or a Portfolio, as the case may be. Each Agreement may be terminated at any time without penalty on sixty (60) days written notice by the Board of either party, or by vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Global Small-Cap Fund, Real Estate Fund, Small-Cap Fund, Special Equities Fund or a Portfolio, as the case may be, and each Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment. Each Agreement provides that the investment adviser may render services to others. Each Agreement also provides that the investment adviser shall not be liable for any loss incurred in connection with the performance of its duties, or action taken or omitted under the Agreement, in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations and duties thereunder, or for any losses sustained in the acquisition, holding or disposition of any security or other investment. Each Agreement is not intended to, and does not, confer upon any person not a party to it any right, benefit or remedy of any nature.
Information About BMR and Eaton Vance. BMR and Eaton Vance are business trusts organized under the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. EV serves as trustee of BMR and Eaton Vance. EV and Eaton Vance are wholly-owned subsidiaries of EVC, a Maryland corporation and publicly-held holding company. BMR is an indirect subsidiary of EVC. EVC through its subsidiaries and affiliates engages primarily in investment management, administration and marketing activities. The Directors of EVC are Thomas E. Faust Jr., Ann E. Berman, Leo I. Higdon, Jr., Brian D. Langstraat, Dorothy E. Puhy, Winthrop H. Smith, Jr. and Richard A. Spillane, Jr. All shares of the outstanding Voting Common Stock of EVC are deposited in a Voting Trust, the Voting Trustees of which are Mr. Faust, Jeffrey P. Beale, Craig R. Brandon, Daniel C. Cataldo, Michael A. Cirami, Cynthia J. Clemson, James H. Evans, Maureen A. Gemma, Laurie G. Hylton, Mr. Langstraat, Frederick S. Marius, David C. McCabe, Scott H. Page, Edward J. Perkin, Lewis R. Piantedosi, Charles B. Reed, Craig P. Russ, John L. Shea, Eric A. Stein, Payson F. Swaffield, Michael W. Weilheimer, R. Kelly Williams and Matthew J. Witkos (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 who may also be officers, or officers and Directors of EVC and EV. As indicated under Management and Organization, all of the officers of the Trust (as well as Mr. Faust who is also a Trustee) hold positions in the Eaton Vance organization.
Code of Ethics. The investment adviser, sub-adviser, principal underwriter, and each Fund and Portfolio have adopted Codes of Ethics governing personal securities transactions pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. Under the Codes, employees of the investment adviser, sub- adviser and the principal underwriter may purchase and sell securities (including securities held or eligible for purchase by a Fund or Portfolio) subject to the provisions of the Codes and certain employees are also subject to pre-clearance, reporting requirements and/or other procedures.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
20
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Information About EVMI. EVMI provides investment advice to institutional clients and pooled investment vehicles. EVMI was originally organized in 2001. As of December 31, 2015, EVMIs assets under management totaled $6.4 billion.
Portfolio Managers. The portfolio managers (each referred to as a portfolio manager) of Global Small-Cap Fund, Real Estate Fund, Small-Cap Fund, Special Equities Fund and each Portfolio are listed below. The following table shows, as of the Funds and the Portfolios most recent fiscal year end, the number of accounts each portfolio manager managed in each of the listed categories and the total assets (in millions of dollars) in the accounts managed within each category. The table also shows the number of accounts with respect to which the advisory fee is based on the performance of the account, if any, and the total assets (in millions of dollars) in those accounts.
|
Number of
|
Total Assets of
|
Number of Accounts
|
Total Assets of Accounts
|
Yana S. Barton (1) |
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
|
$
|
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
15 |
$
|
0 |
$0 |
Other Accounts |
12 |
$
|
0 |
$0 |
J. Scott Craig |
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
1 |
$
|
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Accounts |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
John D. Crowley (1) |
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
6 |
$6,
|
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
2 |
$
|
0 |
$0 |
Other Accounts |
|
$ 2,691. 0 (4) |
0 |
$0 |
Aidan M. Farrell |
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
3 |
$60.8 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Accounts |
1 |
$1.0 |
0 |
$0 |
Charles B. Gaffney |
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
3 |
$1,451.1 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Accounts |
|
$
|
0 |
$0 |
Michael D. McLean
|
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
3 |
$
|
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
2 |
$
|
0 |
$0 |
Other Accounts |
|
$
|
0 |
$0 |
J. Griffith Noble
|
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
3 |
$
|
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
2 |
$
|
0 |
$0 |
Other Accounts |
|
$
|
0 |
$0 |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
21
SAI dated May 1, 2016
|
Number of
|
Total Assets of
|
Number of Accounts
|
Total Assets of Accounts
|
Patrick J. OBrien |
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
|
$
|
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Accounts |
|
$
|
0 |
$0 |
Edward J. Perkin (1) |
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
6 |
$6,
|
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
2 |
$
|
0 |
$0 |
Other Accounts |
|
$2,
|
0 |
$0 |
Lewis R. Piantedosi (1 )(2 ) |
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
|
$12,
|
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
|
$
|
0 |
$0 |
Other Accounts |
12 |
$
|
0 |
$0 |
Nancy B. Tooke |
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
3 |
$
|
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
2 |
$
|
0 |
$0 |
Other Accounts |
|
$
|
0 |
$0 |
(1)
This
portfolio manager
provides advisory services for certain
of
the Other Accounts on a nondiscretionary or model basis.
(2
)
This portfolio manager serves as portfolio manager of one or more registered investment companies that invests or may invest in one or more underlying registered investment companies in the Eaton Vance family of funds or other pooled investment vehicles sponsored by Eaton Vance. The underlying investment companies may be managed by this portfolio manager or another portfolio managers.
(
3
)
Certain of these Other Pooled Investment Vehicles invest a substantial portion of their assets either in a registered investment company or in a separate pooled investment vehicle managed by this portfolio manager or another Eaton Vance portfolio manager.
(
4
)
For Other Accounts that are part of a wrap account program, the number of accounts
is
the number of sponsors for which the portfolio manager provides
advisory
services rather than the number of individual customer accounts within each wrap account program.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
22
SAI dated May 1, 2016
The following table shows the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned in a Fund by its portfolio manager(s) as of the Funds most recent fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
and in the Eaton Vance family of funds as of December 31,
2015
. Interests in a Portfolio cannot be purchased by a portfolio manager.
Fund Name and
|
Dollar Range of Equity Securities
|
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity
|
Dividend Builder Fund |
|
|
Charles B. Gaffney |
$100,001 - $500,000 |
$500,001 - $1,000,000 |
Global Small-Cap Fund |
|
|
Aidan M. Farrell
|
None |
None |
Patrick J. O ’ Brien |
$
|
$
|
Growth Fund |
|
|
Yana S. Barton |
$100,001 - $500,000 |
$500,001 - $1,000,000 |
Lewis R. Piantedosi |
Over $1,000,000 |
Over $1,000,000 |
Large-Cap Value Fund |
|
|
John D. Crowley |
$100,001 - $500,000 |
$500,001 - $1,000,000 |
Edward J. Perkin |
$100,001 - $500,000 |
$
|
Real Estate Fund |
|
|
J. Scott Craig |
$100,001 - $500,000 |
$
|
Small-Cap Fund |
|
|
Michael D. McLean |
|
$100,001 - $500,000 |
J. Griffith Noble |
None |
$100,001 - $500,000 |
Nancy B. Tooke |
$100,001 - $500,000 |
Over $1,000,000 |
Special Equities Fund |
|
|
Michael D. McLean |
|
$100,001 - $500,000 |
J. Griffith Noble |
|
$100,001 - $500,000 |
|
|
|
It is possible that conflicts of interest may arise in connection with a portfolio managers management of a Portfolios, Global Small-Cap Funds, Real Estate Funds, Small-Cap Funds or Special Equities Funds investments on the one hand and the investments of other accounts for which the portfolio manager is responsible on the other. For example, a portfolio manager may have conflicts of interest in allocating management time, resources and investment opportunities among a Portfolio, Global Small-Cap Fund, Real Estate Fund, Small-Cap Fund or Special Equities Fund and other accounts he or she advises. In addition, due to differences in the investment strategies or restrictions between a Portfolio, Global Small-Cap Fund, Real Estate Fund, Small-Cap Fund or Special Equities Fund and the other accounts, a portfolio manager may take action with respect to another account that differs from the action taken with respect to the Portfolio, Global Small-Cap Fund, Real Estate Fund, Small-Cap Fund or Special Equities Fund. In some cases, another account managed by a portfolio manager may compensate the investment adviser based on the performance of the securities held by that account. The existence of such a performance based fee may create additional conflicts of interest for the portfolio manager in the allocation of management time, resources and investment opportunities. Whenever conflicts of interest arise, the portfolio manager will endeavor to exercise his or her discretion in a manner that he or she believes is equitable to all interested persons. The investment adviser
and sub-adviser have
adopted several policies and procedures designed to address these potential conflicts including a code of ethics and policies which govern the investment advisers
and sub-advisers
trading practices, including among other things the aggregation and allocation of trades among clients, brokerage allocation, cross trades and best execution.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
23
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Compensation Structure for Eaton Vance, BMR and EVMI.
Compensation of the investment adviser's and sub-adviser's (collectively as used herein, the investment adviser) portfolio managers and other investment professionals has three primary components: (1) a base salary, (2) an annual cash bonus, and (3) annual stock-based compensation consisting of options to purchase shares of EVCs nonvoting common stock and restricted shares of EVCs nonvoting common stock. The investment
advisers investment professionals also receive certain retirement, insurance and other benefits that are broadly available to the investment
advisers employees. Compensation of the investment
advisers investment professionals is reviewed primarily on an annual basis. Cash bonuses, stock-based compensation awards, and adjustments in base salary are typically paid or put into effect at or shortly after the October 31st fiscal year end of EVC.
Method to Determine Compensation.
The investment
adviser compensates its portfolio managers based primarily on the scale and complexity of their portfolio responsibilities and the total return performance of managed funds and accounts versus the benchmark(s) stated in the prospectus, as well as an appropriate peer group (as described below). In addition to rankings within peer groups of funds on the basis of absolute performance, consideration may also be given to relative risk-adjusted performance. Risk-adjusted performance measures include, but are not limited to, the Sharpe ratio (Sharpe ratio uses standard deviation and excess return to determine reward per unit of risk). Performance is normally based on periods ending on the September 30th preceding fiscal year end. Fund performance is normally evaluated primarily versus peer groups of funds as determined by Lipper Inc. and/or Morningstar, Inc. When a funds peer group as determined by Lipper or Morningstar is deemed by the investment
advisers management not to provide a fair comparison, performance may instead be evaluated primarily against a custom peer group or market index. In evaluating the performance of a fund and its manager, primary emphasis is normally placed on three-year performance, with secondary consideration of performance over longer and shorter periods. A portion of the compensation payable to equity portfolio managers and investment professionals will be determined based on the ability of one or more accounts managed by such manager to achieve a specified target average annual gross return over a three year period in excess of the account benchmark. The cash bonus to be payable at the end of the three year term will be established at the inception of the term and will be adjusted positively or negatively to the extent that the average annual gross return varies from the specified target return. For funds that are tax-managed or otherwise have an objective of after-tax returns, performance is measured net of taxes. For other funds, performance is evaluated on a pre-tax basis. For funds with an investment objective other than total return (such as current income), consideration will also be given to the funds success in achieving its objective. For managers responsible for multiple funds and accounts, investment performance is evaluated on an aggregate basis, based on averages or weighted averages among managed funds and accounts. Funds and accounts that have performance-based advisory fees are not accorded disproportionate weightings in measuring aggregate portfolio manager performance.
The compensation of portfolio managers with other job responsibilities (such as heading an investment group or providing analytical support to other portfolios) will include consideration of the scope of such responsibilities and the managers performance in meeting them.
The investment
adviser seeks to compensate portfolio managers commensurate with their responsibilities and performance, and competitive with other firms within the investment management industry. The investment adviser
participates in investment-industry compensation surveys and utilizes survey data as a factor in determining salary, bonus and stock-based compensation levels for portfolio managers and other investment professionals. Salaries, bonuses and stock-based compensation are also influenced by the operating performance of the investment adviser
and its parent company. The overall annual cash bonus pool is generally based on a substantially fixed percentage of pre-bonus adjusted operating income. While the salaries of the investment
advisers portfolio managers are comparatively fixed, cash bonuses and stock-based compensation may fluctuate significantly from year to year, based on changes in manager performance and other factors as described herein. For a high performing portfolio manager, cash bonuses and stock-based compensation may represent a substantial portion of total compensation.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission Registration.
Effective December 31, 2012, the CFTC adopted certain regulatory changes that subject registered investment companies and advisers to regulation by the CFTC if a fund invests more than a prescribed level of its assets in certain CFTC-regulated instruments (including futures, certain options and swaps agreements) or markets itself as providing investment exposure to such instruments. Each Fund has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term commodity pool operator under the Commodity Exchange Act. Accordingly neither the Funds nor the investment
adviser or sub-
adviser with respect to the operation of the Funds is subject to CFTC regulation. Because of their management of other strategies, Eaton Vance
and
BMR
are registered with the CFTC as commodity pool operators. Eaton Vance and BMR are also registered as commodity trading advisors. The CFTC has neither reviewed nor approved each Funds investment strategies or this SAI.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
24
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Administrative Services.
As indicated in the Prospectus, Eaton Vance serves as administrator of each Fund. Real Estate Fund, Global Small-Cap Fund and Small-Cap Fund are each authorized to pay Eaton Vance an annual fee in the amount of 0.15% of average daily net assets
for providing administrative services to the Fund.
Prior to August 10, 2014, Growth Fund was authorized to pay Eaton Vance an annual fee in the amount of 0.15%.
Eaton Vance does not currently receive a fee for serving as administrator of the other Funds. Under each Agreement, Eaton Vance has been engaged to administer each Funds affairs, subject to the supervision of the Board, and shall furnish office space and all necessary office facilities, equipment and personnel for administering the affairs of each Fund.
The following table sets forth the net assets of Global Small-Cap Fund, Growth Fund, Real Estate Fund and Small-Cap Fund at December 31,
2015
and the administration fees paid during the three fiscal years ended December 31,
2015
.
|
|
Administration Fee Paid for Fiscal Years Ended |
||
Fund |
Net Assets at 12/31/
|
12/31/
|
12/31/
|
12/31/
|
Global Small-Cap Fund (1) |
|
|
|
|
Growth Fund (2) |
|
|
|
|
Real Estate Fund (3) |
|
|
|
|
Small-Cap Fund |
|
|
|
|
(1)
For the fiscal years ended December 31,
2015,
2014 and 2013, BMR and Eaton Vance were allocated $
118,228, $
133,052 and $193,772, respectively, of the Funds operating expenses.
(2)
For the fiscal years ended December 31,
2015,
2014
and
2013
, Eaton Vance was allocated $
213,929, $
183,352
and
$145,581
, respectively, of the Funds operating expenses.
(3)
For the fiscal years ended December 31,
2015,
2014
and
2013
, Eaton Vance was allocated $
97,049, $
91,132
and
$89,288
, respectively, of the Funds operating expenses.
Sub-Transfer Agency Support Services.
Eaton Vance provides sub-transfer agency and related services to Eaton Vance mutual funds pursuant to a Sub-Transfer Agency Support Services Agreement. Under the agreement, Eaton Vance provides: (1) specified sub-transfer agency services; (2) compliance monitoring services; and (3) intermediary oversight services. For the services it provides, Eaton Vance receives an aggregate annual fee equal to the lesser of $2.5 million or the actual expenses incurred by Eaton Vance in the performance of such services. Each Fund pays a pro rata share of such fee. For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, Eaton Vance earned the following pursuant to the agreement:
Dividend Builder
|
Global Small-Cap
|
Growth
|
Large-Cap Value
|
Real Estate
|
Small-Cap
|
Special Equities
|
$
|
$4,
|
$
|
$
|
$1,
|
$
|
$
|
Expenses. Each Fund and Portfolio are responsible for all expenses not expressly stated to be payable by another party (such as expenses required to be paid pursuant to an agreement with the investment adviser, the sub-adviser, the principal underwriter or the administrator). In the case of expenses incurred by the Trust, each Fund is responsible for its pro rata share of those expenses. Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Multiple Class Plan for Eaton Vance Funds, Fund expenses are allocated to each class on a pro rata basis, except that distribution and service fees are allocated exclusively to the class that incurs them, and sub-accounting, recordkeeping and other similar fees are not allocated to (or incurred by) Class R6 shares.
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS
Principal Underwriter. Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. (EVD), Two International Place, Boston, MA 02110 is the principal underwriter of each Fund. The principal underwriter acts as principal in selling shares under a Distribution Agreement with the Trust. The expenses of printing copies of prospectuses used to offer shares and other selling literature and of advertising are borne by the principal underwriter. The fees and expenses of qualifying and registering and maintaining qualifications and registrations of a Fund and its shares under federal and state securities laws are borne by the Fund. The Distribution Agreement is renewable annually by the members of the Board (including a majority of the noninterested Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Distribution Agreement or any applicable Distribution Plan), may be terminated on sixty days notice either by such Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding Fund shares or on six months notice by the principal underwriter and is automatically terminated upon assignment. The principal underwriter distributes shares on a best efforts basis under which it is required to take and pay for only such shares as may be sold. EVD is a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of EVC. Mr. Faust is a Director of EVD. EVD also serves as placement agent for the Portfolios.
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
Custodian. State Street Bank and Trust Company (State Street), State Street Financial Center, One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111, serves as custodian to each Fund and each Portfolio. State Street has custody of all cash and securities representing a Funds interest in each Portfolio, has custody of each Portfolios, Global Small-Cap Fund's, Real Estate Fund's, Small-Cap Fund's and Special Equities Fund's assets, maintains the general ledger of each Portfolio and each Fund and computes the daily net asset value of interests in each Portfolio and the net asset value of shares of each Fund. In such capacity it attends to details in connection with the sale, exchange, substitution, transfer or other dealings with Global Small-Cap Fund's, Real Estate Fund's, Small-Cap Fund's, Special Equities Fund's and each Portfolios investments, receives and disburses all funds and performs various other ministerial duties upon receipt of proper instructions from the Trust and each Portfolio. State Street also provides services in connection with the preparation of shareholder reports and the electronic filing of such reports with the SEC. EVC and its affiliates and their officers and employees from time to time have transactions with various banks, including State Street. It is Eaton Vances 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 each Fund or each Portfolio and such banks.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
Deloitte & Touche LLP, 200 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116,
independent registered public accounting firm, audits each Fund's and Portfolio's financial statements and provides other audit, tax and related services.
Transfer Agent. BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc., P.O. Box 9653, Providence, RI 02940-9653, serves as transfer and dividend disbursing agent for each Fund.
CALCULATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
The net asset value of the Fund is determined by State Street (as agent and custodian) by subtracting the liabilities of the Fund from the value of its total assets. The Fund is closed for business and will not issue a net asset value on the following business holidays and any other business day that the Exchange is closed: New Years Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The Funds net asset value per share is readily accessible on the Eaton Vance website (www.eatonvance.com).
Each Portfolio investor may add to or reduce its investment in the Portfolio on each day the Exchange is open for trading (Portfolio Business Day) as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange (the Portfolio Valuation Time). The value of each investors interest in the Portfolio will be determined by multiplying the net asset value of the Portfolio by the percentage, determined on the prior Portfolio Business Day, which represented that investors share of the aggregate interests in the Portfolio on such prior day. Any additions or withdrawals for the current Portfolio Business Day will then be recorded. Each investors percentage of the aggregate interest in the Portfolio will then be recomputed as a percentage equal to a fraction (i) the numerator of which is the value of such investors investment in the Portfolio as of the Portfolio Valuation Time on the prior Portfolio Business Day plus or minus, as the case may be, the amount of any additions to or withdrawals from the investors investment in the Portfolio on the current Portfolio Business Day and (ii) the denominator of which is the aggregate net asset value of the Portfolio as of the Portfolio Valuation Time on the prior Portfolio Business Day plus or minus, as the case may be, the amount of the net additions to or withdrawals from the aggregate investment in the Portfolio on the current Portfolio Business Day by all investors in the Portfolio. The percentage so determined will then be applied to determine the value of the investors interest in the Portfolio for the current Portfolio Business Day.
The Board has approved procedures pursuant to which investments are valued for purposes of determining the Funds net asset value. Listed below is a summary of the methods generally used to value investments (some or all of which may be held by the Fund) under the procedures.
·
Equity securities (including common stock, exchange - traded funds, closed end funds, preferred equity securities, exchange-traded notes and other instruments that trade on recognized stock exchanges) are valued at the last sale, official close or if there are no reported sales at the mean between the bid and asked price on the primary exchange on which they are traded.
·
Most debt obligations are valued on the basis of market valuations furnished by a pricing service or at the mean of the bid and asked prices provided by recognized broker/dealers of such securities. The pricing service may use a pricing matrix to determine valuation.
·
Short-term obligations and money market securities maturing in sixty days or less typically are valued at amortized cost which approximates value.
·
Foreign securities and currencies are valued in U.S. dollars based on foreign currency exchange quotations supplied by a pricing service.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
·
Senior and Junior Loans are valued on the basis of prices furnished by a pricing service. The pricing service uses transactions and market quotations from brokers in determining values.
·
Futures contracts are valued at the settlement or closing price on the primary exchange or board of trade on which they are traded.
·
Exchange-traded options are valued at the mean of the bid and asked prices. Over-the-counter options are valued based on quotations obtained from a pricing service or from a broker (typically the counterparty to the option).
·
Non-exchange traded derivatives (including swap agreements (other than those which have been centrally cleared), forward contracts and equity participation notes) are generally valued on the basis of valuations provided by a pricing service or using quotes provided by a broker/dealer (typically the counterparty). Swap agreements that have been cleared by a central counterparty (CCP) are valued at the daily settlement price provided by the CCP.
·
Precious metals are valued are valued at the New York Composite mean quotation.
·
Liabilities with a payment or maturity date of 364 days or less are stated at their principal value and longer dated liabilities generally will be carried at their fair value.
·
Valuations of foreign equity securities and exchange-traded futures contracts on non-North American equity indices may be adjusted from prices in effect at the close of trading on foreign exchanges to more accurately reflect their fair value as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange. Such fair valuations may be based on information provided by a pricing service.
Investments which are unable to be valued in accordance with the foregoing methodologies are valued at fair value using methods determined in good faith by or at the direction of the members of the Board. Such methods may include consideration of relevant factors, including but not limited to (i) the type of security, the existence of any contractual restrictions on the securitys disposition, (ii) the price and extent of public trading in similar securities of the issuer or of comparable companies or entities, (iii) quotations or relevant information obtained from broker-dealers or other market participants, (iv) information obtained from the issuer, analysts, and/or the appropriate stock exchange (for exchange-traded securities), (v) an analysis of the companys or entitys financial condition, (vi) an evaluation of the forces that influence the issuer and the market(s) in which the security is purchased and sold (vii) an analysis of the terms of any transaction involving the issuer of such securities; and (viii) any other factors deemed relevant by the investment adviser. The portfolio managers of one Eaton Vance fund that invests in Senior and Junior Loans may not possess the same information about a Senior or Junior Loan as the portfolio managers of another Eaton Vance fund. As such, at times the fair value of a Loan determined by certain Eaton Vance portfolio managers may vary from the fair value of the same Loan determined by other portfolio managers.
PURCHASING AND REDEEMING SHARES
Additional Information About Purchases. Fund shares are offered for sale only in states where they are registered. Fund shares are continuously offered through financial intermediaries which have entered into agreements with the principal underwriter. Fund shares are sold at the public offering price, which is the net asset value plus the initial sales charge, if any. The Fund receives the net asset value. The principal underwriter receives the sales charge, all or a portion of which may be reallowed to the financial intermediaries responsible for selling Fund shares. The sales charge table in the Prospectus is applicable to purchases of a Fund alone or in combination with purchases of certain other funds offered by the principal underwriter, made at a single time by (i) an individual, or an individual, his or her spouse and their children under the age of twenty-one, purchasing shares for his or their own account, and (ii) a trustee or other fiduciary purchasing shares for a single trust estate or a single fiduciary account. The table is also presently applicable to (1) purchases of Class A shares pursuant to a written Statement of Intention; or (2) purchases of Class A shares pursuant to the Right of Accumulation and declared as such at the time of purchase. See Sales Charges.
In connection with employer sponsored retirement plans, a Fund may accept initial investments of less than the minimum investment amount on the part of an individual participant. In the event a shareholder who is a participant of such a plan terminates participation in the plan, his or her shares will be transferred to a regular individual account. However, such account will be subject to the right of redemption by a Fund as described below.
Class I Share Purchases. Class I shares are available for purchase by clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class I shares through a no-load network or platform. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments, foundations and employer sponsored retirement plans. Class I shares also are offered to investment and institutional clients of Eaton Vance and its affiliates; certain persons affiliated with Eaton Vance; current and retired members
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
27
SAI dated May 1, 2016
of Eaton Vance Fund Boards; employees of Eaton Vance and its affiliates and such persons spouses, parents, siblings and lineal descendants and their beneficial accounts.
Class R Share Purchases. Class R shares are available for purchase by clients of financial intermediaries who charge an advisory, management or consulting or similar fee for their services; accounts affiliated with those financial intermediaries; and in connection with certain employer sponsored retirement plans and Individual Retirement Account rollover accounts.
Waiver of Investment Minimums. For classes other than Class R6, in addition to waivers described in the Prospectus, minimum investment amounts are waived for current and retired members of Eaton Vance Fund Boards, clients (including custodial, agency, advisory and trust accounts), current and retired officers and employees of Eaton Vance, its affiliates and other investment advisers and sub-advisers to the Eaton Vance family of funds, and for such persons spouses, parents, siblings and lineal descendants and their beneficial accounts. The minimum initial investment amount is also waived for officers and employees of a Funds custodian and transfer agent and in connection with the merger (or similar transaction) of an investment company (or series or class thereof) or personal holding company with a Fund (or class thereof). Investments in a Fund by ReFlow in connection with the Reflow liquidity program are also not subject to the minimum investment amount.
Suspension of Sales. The Trust may, in its absolute discretion, suspend, discontinue or limit the offering of one or more of its classes of shares at any time. In determining whether any such action should be taken, the Trusts management intends to consider all relevant factors, including (without limitation) the size of a Fund or class, the investment climate and market conditions and the volume of sales and redemptions of shares. The Class A, Class B, Class C and Class R Distribution Plans may continue in effect and payments may be made under the Plans following any such suspension, discontinuance or limitation of the offering of shares; however, there is no contractual obligation to continue any Plan for any particular period of time. Suspension of the offering of shares would not, of course, affect a shareholders ability to redeem shares.
Additional Information About Redemptions. The right to redeem shares of a Fund can be suspended and the payment of the redemption price deferred when the Exchange is closed (other than for customary weekend and holiday closings), during periods when trading on the Exchange is restricted as determined by the SEC, or during any emergency as determined by the SEC which makes it impracticable for Global Small-Cap Fund, Real Estate Fund, Small-Cap Fund, Special Equities Fund or a Portfolio to dispose of its securities or value its assets, or during any other period permitted by order of the SEC for the protection of investors.
Due to the high cost of maintaining small accounts, the Trust reserves the right to redeem accounts with balances of less than $750. Prior to such a redemption, shareholders will be given 60 days written notice to make an additional purchase. However, no such redemption would be required by the Trust if the cause of the low account balance was a reduction in the net asset value of shares. No CDSC or redemption fees, if applicable, will be imposed with respect to such involuntary redemptions.
While normally payments will be made in cash for redeemed shares, the Trust, subject to compliance with applicable regulations, has reserved the right to pay the redemption price of shares of a Fund, either totally or partially, by a distribution in kind of readily marketable securities. The securities so distributed would be valued pursuant to the valuation procedures described in this SAI. If a shareholder received a distribution in kind, the shareholder could incur brokerage or other charges in converting the securities to cash.
Systematic Withdrawal Plan. The transfer agent will send to the shareholder regular monthly or quarterly payments of any permitted amount designated by the shareholder based upon the value of the shares held. The checks will be drawn from share redemptions and hence, may require the recognition of taxable gain or loss. Income dividends and capital gains distributions in connection with withdrawal plan accounts will be credited at net asset value as of the record date for each distribution. Continued withdrawals in excess of current income will eventually use up principal, particularly in a period of declining market prices. A shareholder may not have a withdrawal plan in effect at the same time he or she has authorized Bank Automated Investing or is otherwise making regular purchases of Fund shares. The shareholder, the transfer agent or the principal underwriter may terminate the withdrawal plan at any time without penalty.
Other Information. A Fund ’ s net asset value per share is normally rounded to two decimal places. In certain situations (such as a merger, share split or a purchase or sale of shares that represents a significant portion of a share class), the administrator may determine to extend the calculation of the net asset value per share to additional decimal places to ensure that neither the value of the Fund nor a shareholders shares is diluted materially as the result of a purchase or sale or other transaction.
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
SALES CHARGES
Dealer Commissions. The principal underwriter may, from time to time, at its own expense, provide additional incentives to financial intermediaries which employ registered representatives who sell Fund shares and/or shares of other funds distributed by the principal underwriter. In some instances, such additional incentives may be offered only to certain financial intermediaries whose representatives sell or are expected to sell significant amounts of shares. In addition, the principal underwriter may from time to time increase or decrease the sales commissions payable to financial intermediaries. The principal underwriter may allow, upon notice to all financial intermediaries with whom it has agreements, discounts up to the full sales charge during the periods specified in the notice. During periods when the discount includes the full sales charge, such financial intermediaries may be deemed to be underwriters as that term is defined in the 1933 Act.
Purchases at Net Asset Value. Class A shares may be sold at net asset value (without a sales charge) to clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class A shares through a no-load network or platform; current and retired members of Eaton Vance Fund Boards; to clients (including custodial, agency, advisory and trust accounts) and current and former officers and employees of Eaton Vance, its affiliates and other investment advisers and sub-advisers of Eaton Vance sponsored funds; and to such persons spouses, parents, siblings and lineal descendants and their beneficial accounts. Such shares may also be issued at net asset value (1) in connection with the merger (or similar transaction) of an investment company (or series or class thereof) or personal holding company with a Fund (or class thereof), (2) to HSAs (Health Savings Accounts) and to employer sponsored retirement plans and trusts used to fund those plans, (3) to officers and employees of a Funds custodian and transfer agent and (4) in connection with the ReFlow liquidity program. Class A shares may also be sold at net asset value to registered representatives and employees of financial intermediaries. Sales charges generally are waived because either (i) there is no sales effort involved in the sale of shares or (ii) the investor is paying a fee (other than the sales charge) to the financial intermediary involved in the sale. Any new or revised sales charge or CDSC waiver will be prospective only.
CDSC Waiver.
CDSCs
will be waived in connection with minimum required distributions from employer sponsored retirement plans and individual retirement accounts by applying the rate required to be withdrawn under the applicable rules and regulations of the IRS to the balance of
shares in your account.
Statement of Intention. If it is anticipated that $50,000 or more of Class A shares and shares of other funds exchangeable for Class A shares of another Eaton Vance fund will be purchased within a 13-month period, the Statement of Intention section of the account application should be completed so that shares may be obtained at the same reduced sales charge as though the total quantity were invested in one lump sum. Shares eligible for the right of accumulation (see below) as of the date of the statement and purchased during the 13-month period will be included toward the completion of the statement. If you make a statement of intention, the transfer agent is authorized to hold in escrow sufficient shares (5% of the dollar amount specified in the statement) which can be redeemed to make up any difference in sales charge on the amount intended to be invested and the amount actually invested. A statement of intention does not obligate the shareholder to purchase or the Fund to sell the full amount indicated in the statement.
If the amount actually purchased during the 13-month period is less than that indicated in the statement, the shareholder will be requested to pay the difference between the sales charge applicable to the shares purchased and the sales charge paid under the statement of intention. If the payment is not received in 20 days, the appropriate number of escrowed shares will be redeemed in order to realize such difference. Shareholders will not receive a lower sales charge if total purchases during the 13-month period are large enough to qualify for a lower sales charge than that applicable to the amount specified in the statement. If the sales charge rate changes during the 13-month period, all shares purchased or charges assessed after the date of such change will be subject to the then applicable sales charge.
Right of Accumulation. Under the right of accumulation, the applicable sales charge level is calculated by aggregating the dollar amount of the current purchase and the value (calculated at the maximum current offering price) of shares owned by the shareholder. The sales charge on the shares being purchased will then be applied at the rate applicable to the aggregate. Share purchases eligible for the right of accumulation are described under Sales Charges in the Prospectus. For any such discount to be made available at the time of purchase a purchaser or his or her financial intermediary must provide the principal underwriter (in the case of a purchase made through a financial intermediary) or the transfer agent (in the case of an investment made by mail) with sufficient information to permit verification that the purchase order qualifies for the accumulation privilege. Confirmation of the order is subject to such verification. The right of accumulation privilege may be amended or terminated at any time as to purchases occurring thereafter.
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
Conversion Feature. Class B shares held for eight years will automatically convert to Class A shares. For purposes of this conversion, all distributions paid on Class B shares which the shareholder elects to reinvest in Class B shares will be considered to be held in a separate sub-account. Upon the conversion of Class B shares not acquired through the reinvestment of distributions, a pro rata portion of the Class B shares held in the sub-account will also convert to Class A shares. This portion will be determined by the ratio that the Class B shares being converted bears to the total of Class B shares (excluding shares acquired through reinvestment) in the account. This conversion feature is subject to the continuing availability of a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service or an opinion of counsel that the conversion is not taxable for federal income tax purposes.
Distribution Plans
The Trust has in effect a compensation-type Distribution Plan for Class A shares (the Class A Plan) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Class A Plan is designed to (i) finance activities which are primarily intended to result in the distribution and sales of Class A shares and to make payments in connection with the distribution of such shares and (ii) pay service fees for personal services and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts to the principal underwriter, financial intermediaries and other persons. The distribution and service fees payable under the Class A Plan shall not exceed 0.25% of the average daily net assets attributable to Class A shares for any fiscal year. Class A distribution and service fees are paid monthly in arrears. For the distribution and service fees paid by Class A shares, see Appendix A.
The Trust also has in effect a compensation-type Distribution Plan for each Fund's Class B and Class C shares (the Class B and Class C Plans) adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. Pursuant to the Class B and Class C Plans, Class B and Class C pay the principal underwriter a distribution fee, accrued daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate not exceeding 0.75% of its average daily net assets to finance the distribution of its shares. Such fees compensate the principal underwriter for the sales commissions paid by it to financial intermediaries on the sale of shares, for other distribution expenses (such as personnel, overhead, travel, printing and postage) and for interest expense. The principal underwriter is entitled to receive all distribution fees and CDSCs paid or payable with respect to Class B and Class C shares, provided that no such payments will be made that would cause each Fund's Class C shares and Class B shares of Small-Cap Fund to exceed the maximum sales charge permitted by FINRA's NASD Conduct Rule 2830(d
).
The Class B and Class C Plans also authorize the payment of service fees to the principal underwriter, financial intermediaries and other persons in amounts not exceeding an annual rate of 0.25% of its average daily net assets for personal services, and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts. For Class B, this fee is paid monthly in arrears based on the value of shares sold by such persons. For Class C, financial intermediaries currently receive (a) a service fee (except on exchange transactions and reinvestments) at the time of sale equal to 0.25% of the purchase price of Class C shares sold by such intermediaries, and (b) monthly service fees approximately equivalent to 1/12 of 0.25% of the value of Class C shares sold by such intermediaries. During the first year after a purchase of Class C shares, the principal underwriter will retain the service fee as reimbursement for the service fee payment made to financial intermediaries at the time of sale. For the service fees paid, see Appendix B and Appendix C.
The Trust also has in effect a compensation-type Distribution Plan
pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act for the Growth Fund's, Large-Cap Value Fund's and Small-Cap Funds Class R shares
(the Class R Plan).
The Class R Plan provides for the payment of a monthly distribution fee to the principal underwriter of up to an annual rate of 0.50% of average daily net assets attributable to Class R shares. The Trustees of the Trust have currently limited Class R distribution payments to 0.25% of average daily net assets attributable to Class R shares. The Class R Plan also provides that Class R shares will pay a service fee to the principal underwriter in an amount equal on an annual basis of up to 0.25% of that portion of average daily net assets attributable to Class R shares for personal services and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts. Service fees are paid monthly in arrears. For the distribution and service fees paid by Class R shares, see Appendix E.
The Board believes that each Plan will be a significant factor in the expected growth of each Funds assets, and will result in increased investment flexibility and advantages which have benefitted and will continue to benefit the Fund and its shareholders. The Eaton Vance organization may profit by reason of the operation of a Plan through an increase in Fund assets and if at any point in time the aggregate amounts received by the principal underwriter pursuant to a Plan exceeds the total expenses incurred in distributing Fund shares. For sales commissions and CDSCs, if applicable, see Appendix A, Appendix B and Appendix C.
A Plan continues in effect from year to year so long as such continuance is approved at least annually by the vote of both a majority of (i) the noninterested Trustees of the Trust who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plan or any agreements related to the Plan (the Plan Trustees) and (ii) all of the Trustees then in office. A Plan may be terminated at any time by vote of a majority of the Plan Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the applicable Class. Quarterly Board member review of a written report of the amount expended under the Plan and the purposes for which such expenditures were made is required. A Plan may not be amended to increase materially the payments described
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
therein without approval of the shareholders of the affected Class and the Board. So long as a Plan is in effect, the selection and nomination of the noninterested Trustees shall be committed to the discretion of such Trustees. The Trustees, including the Plan Trustees, initially approved the current Plan(s) on April 22, 2013 for each Fund. Any Board member who is an interested person of the Trust has an indirect financial interest in a Plan because his or her employer (or affiliates thereof) receives distribution and/or service fees under the Plan or agreements related thereto.
PERFORMANCE
Performance Calculations. Average annual total return before deduction of taxes (pre-tax return) is determined by multiplying a hypothetical initial purchase order of $1,000 by the average annual compound rate of return (including capital appreciation/depreciation, and distributions paid and reinvested) for the stated period and annualizing the result. The calculation assumes (i) that all distributions are reinvested at net asset value on the reinvestment dates during the period, (ii) the deduction of the maximum of any initial sales charge from the initial $1,000 purchase, (iii) a complete redemption of the investment at the end of the period, and (iv) the deduction of any applicable CDSC at the end of the period.
Average annual total return after the deduction of taxes on distributions is calculated in the same manner as pre-tax return except the calculation assumes that any federal income taxes due on distributions are deducted from the distributions before they are reinvested. Average annual total return after the deduction of taxes on distributions and taxes on redemption also is calculated in the same manner as pre-tax return except the calculation assumes that (i) any federal income taxes due on distributions are deducted from the distributions before they are reinvested and (ii) any federal income taxes due upon redemption are deducted at the end of the period. After-tax returns are based on the highest federal income tax rates in effect for individual taxpayers as of the time of each assumed distribution and redemption (taking into account their tax character), and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. In calculating after-tax returns, the net value of any federal income tax credits available to shareholders is applied to reduce federal income taxes payable on distributions at or near year-end and, to the extent the net value of such credits exceeds such distributions, is then assumed to be reinvested in additional Fund shares at net asset value on the last day of the fiscal year in which the credit was generated or, in the case of certain tax credits, on the date on which the year-end distribution is paid. For pre-tax and after-tax total return information, see Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix C, Appendix D, Appendix E and Appendix F.
In addition to the foregoing total return figures, each Fund may provide pre-tax and after-tax annual and cumulative total return, as well as the ending redeemable cash value of a hypothetical investment. If shares are subject to a sales charge, total return figures may be calculated based on reduced sales charges or at net asset value. These returns would be lower if the full sales charge was imposed. After-tax returns may also be calculated using different tax rate assumptions and taking into account state and local income taxes as well as federal taxes. A Funds performance may differ from that of other investors in a Portfolio, including other investment companies.
Yield is computed pursuant to a standardized formula by dividing the net investment income per share earned during a recent thirty-day period by the maximum offering price (including the maximum of any initial sales charge) per share on the last day of the period and annualizing the resulting figure. Yield figures do not reflect the deduction of any applicable CDSC, but assume the maximum of any initial sales charge. Actual yield may be affected by variations in sales charges on investments.
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings and Related Information. The Board has adopted policies and procedures (the Policies) with respect to the disclosure of information about portfolio holdings of each Fund. See the Funds' Prospectus for information on disclosure made in filings with the SEC and/or posted on the Eaton Vance website (www.eatonvance.com) and disclosure of certain portfolio characteristics. Pursuant to the Policies, information about portfolio holdings of a Fund may also be disclosed as follows:
·
Confidential disclosure for a legitimate Fund purpose: Portfolio holdings may be disclosed, from time to time as necessary, for a legitimate business purpose of a Fund, believed to be in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders, provided there is a duty or an agreement that the information be kept confidential. Any such confidentiality agreement includes provisions intended to impose a duty not to trade on the non-public information. The Policies permit disclosure of portfolio holdings information to the following: 1) affiliated and unaffiliated service providers that have a legal or contractual duty to keep such information confidential, such as employees of the investment adviser (including portfolio managers and, in the case of a Portfolio, the portfolio manager of any account that invests in the Portfolio), the administrator, custodian, transfer agent, principal underwriter, etc. described herein and in the Prospectus; 2) other persons who owe a fiduciary or other duty of trust or confidence to the Fund (such as Fund legal counsel and independent registered public accounting firm); or 3) persons to whom the disclosure is made in advancement of a legitimate business purpose of a Fund and who have expressly agreed in writing to maintain the disclosed information in confidence and to use it only in connection with the legitimate business purpose underlying the
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arrangement. To the extent applicable to an Eaton Vance fund, such persons may include securities lending agents which may receive information from time to time regarding selected holdings which may be loaned by a Fund, in the event a Fund is rated, credit rating agencies (Moodys Investor Services, Inc. and Standard & Poors Ratings Group), analytical service providers engaged by the investment adviser (Advent, Bloomberg L.P., Evare, Factset, McMunn Associates, Inc., MSCI/Barra and The Yield Book, Inc.), proxy evaluation vendors (Institutional Shareholder Servicing Inc.), pricing services (TRPS Mark-to-Market Pricing Service, WM Company Reuters Information Services and Non-Deliverable Forward Rates Service, Markit Pricing Direct, FT Interactive Data Corp., Standard & Poors Securities Evaluation Service, Inc., SuperDerivatives and Stat Pro.), which receive information as needed to price a particular holding, translation services, third-party reconciliation services, lenders under Fund credit facilities (Citibank, N.A. and its affiliates), consultants and other product evaluators (Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC) and, for purposes of facilitating portfolio transactions, financial intermediaries and other intermediaries (national and regional municipal bond dealers and mortgage-backed securities dealers). These entities receive portfolio information on an as needed basis in order to perform the service for which they are being engaged. If required in order to perform their duties, this information will be provided in real time or as soon as practical thereafter. Additional categories of disclosure involving a legitimate business purpose may be added to this list upon the authorization of a Funds Board. In addition to the foregoing, disclosure of portfolio holdings may be made to a Funds investment adviser as a seed investor in a fund, in order for the adviser or its parent to satisfy certain reporting obligations and reduce its exposure to market risk factors associated with any such seed investment. Also, in connection with a redemption in kind, the redeeming shareholder may be required to agree to keep the information about the securities to be so distributed confidential, except to the extent necessary to dispose of the securities.
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Historical portfolio holdings information: From time to time, each Fund may be requested to provide historic portfolio holdings information or certain characteristics of portfolio holdings that have not been made public previously. In such case, the requested information may be provided if: the information is requested for due diligence or another legitimate purpose; the requested portfolio holdings or portfolio characteristics are for a period that is no more recent than the date of the portfolio holdings or portfolio characteristics posted to the Eaton Vance website; and the dissemination of the requested information is reviewed and approved in accordance with the Policies.
The Funds, the investment adviser, sub-adviser and principal underwriter will not receive any monetary or other consideration in connection with the disclosure of information concerning a Funds portfolio holdings.
The Policies may not be waived, or exception made, without the consent of the CCO of the Funds. The CCO may not waive or make exception to the Policies unless such waiver or exception is consistent with the intent of the Policies, which is to ensure that disclosure of portfolio information is in the best interest of Fund shareholders. In determining whether to permit a waiver of or exception to the Policies, the CCO will consider whether the proposed disclosure serves a legitimate purpose of a Fund, whether it could provide the recipient with an advantage over Fund shareholders or whether the proposed disclosure gives rise to a conflict of interest between a Funds shareholders and its investment adviser, sub-adviser, principal underwriter or other affiliated person. The CCO will report all waivers of or exceptions to the Policies to the Board at their next meeting. The Board may impose additional restrictions on the disclosure of portfolio holdings information at any time.
The Policies are designed to provide useful information concerning a Fund to existing and prospective Fund shareholders while at the same time inhibiting the improper use of portfolio holdings information in trading Fund shares and/or portfolio securities held by Global Small-Cap Fund, Real Estate Fund, Small-Cap Fund, Special Equities Fund or a Portfolio. However, there can be no assurance that the provision of any portfolio holdings information is not susceptible to inappropriate uses (such as the development of market timing models), particularly in the hands of highly sophisticated investors, or that it will not in fact be used in such ways beyond the control of the Funds.
TAXES
The following is a summary of some of the tax consequences affecting the Fund and its shareholders. The summary does not address all of the special tax rules applicable to certain classes of investors, such as individual retirement accounts and employer sponsored retirement plans, tax-exempt entities, foreign investors, insurance companies and financial institutions. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors with respect to special tax rules that may apply in their particular situations, as well as the federal, state, local, and, where applicable, foreign tax consequences of investing in the Fund.
Taxation of the Fund. The Fund, as a series of the Trust, is treated as a separate entity for federal income tax purposes. The Fund has elected to be treated and intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company (RIC) under Subchapter M of the Code. Accordingly, the Fund intends to satisfy certain requirements relating to sources of its income and diversification of its assets and to distribute substantially all of its net investment income (including tax-exempt income, if any) and net short-term
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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 tax. Based on advice of counsel, the Fund will not recognize gain or loss on its distribution of appreciated securities in shareholder-initiated redemptions of its shares. If the Fund qualifies for treatment as a RIC and satisfies the above-mentioned distribution requirements, it will not be subject to federal income tax on income paid to its shareholders in the form of dividends or capital gain distributions. The Fund qualified as a RIC for its most recent fiscal year.
The Fund also seeks to avoid payment of federal excise tax. However, if the Fund fails to distribute in a calendar year substantially all of its ordinary income for such year and substantially all of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 (or later if the Fund is permitted to so elect and so elects), plus any retained amount from the prior year, the Fund will be subject to a 4% excise tax on the undistributed amounts. In order to avoid incurring a federal excise tax obligation, the Code requires that the Fund distributes (or be deemed to have distributed) by December 31 of each calendar year (i) at least 98% of its ordinary income (excluding tax-exempt income, if any) for such year, (ii) at least 98.2% of its capital gain net income (which is the excess of its realized capital gains over its realized capital losses), 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, and (iii) 100% of any income and capital gains from the prior year (as previously computed) that was not paid out during such year and on which the Fund paid no federal income tax. If the Fund fails to meet these requirements it will be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax on the undistributed amounts. Under current law, provided that the Fund qualifies as a RIC (and, where applicable, the Portfolio is treated as a partnership for Massachusetts and federal tax purposes), the Fund should not be liable for any income, corporate excise or franchise tax in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
If the Fund does not qualify as a RIC for any taxable year, the Funds taxable income will be subject to corporate income taxes, and all distributions from earnings and profits, including distributions of tax-exempt income and net capital gain (if any), will be taxable to the shareholder as dividend income. However, such distributions may be eligible (i) to be treated as qualified dividend income in the case of shareholders taxed as individuals and (ii) for the dividends-received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. In addition, in order to re-qualify for taxation as a RIC, the Fund may be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions.
In certain situations, the Fund may, for a taxable year, elect to defer all or a portion of its net capital losses (or if there is no net capital loss, then any net long-term or short-term capital loss) realized after October and its late-year ordinary losses (defined as the sum of the excess of post-October foreign currency and passive foreign investment company (PFIC) losses over post-October foreign currency and PFIC gains plus the excess of post-December ordinary losses over post-December ordinary income) realized after December until the next taxable year in computing its investment company taxable income and net capital gain, which will defer the recognition of such realized losses. Such deferrals and other rules regarding gains and losses realized after October (or December) may affect the tax character of shareholder distributions.
The Code contains a provision codifying the judicial economic substance doctrine, which has traditionally been used by courts to deny tax benefits for transactions that lack economic substance; a strict liability penalty is imposed for an understatement of tax liability due to a transactions lack of economic substance.
Taxation of the Portfolio. If the Fund invests its assets in the Portfolio, the Portfolio normally must satisfy the applicable source of income and asset diversification requirements in order for the Fund to also satisfy these requirements. For federal income tax purposes, the Portfolio intends to be treated as a partnership that is not a publicly traded partnership and, as a result, will not be subject to federal income tax. The Fund, as an investor in the Portfolio, will be required to take into account in determining its federal income tax liability its share of such Portfolios income, gains, losses, deductions and credits, without regard to whether it has received any distributions from such Portfolio. The Portfolio will allocate at least annually among its investors, including the Fund, the Portfolios net investment income, net realized capital gains and losses, and any other items of income, gain, loss, deduction or credit. For purposes of applying the requirements of the Code regarding qualification as a RIC, the Fund (i) will be deemed to own its proportionate share of each of the assets of the Portfolio and (ii) will be entitled to the gross income of the Portfolio attributable to such share. Under current law, provided that the Portfolio is treated as a partnership for Massachusetts and federal tax purposes, the Portfolio should not be liable for any income, corporate excise or franchise tax in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Taxation of the Subsidiary
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See the definition of Subsidiary under Definitions at the front of this SAI for information about whether any Fund and/or Portfolio (if applicable) described herein has established a Subsidiary.
The Subsidiary is classified as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As described in the prospectus, the Fund has either applied for or received from the IRS a private letter ruling or has received advice from counsel relating to the treatment of the income allocated to the Fund from the Subsidiary for purposes of the Funds status as a RIC under the Code.
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Foreign corporations, such as the Subsidiary, will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation unless they are deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business. It is expected that the Subsidiary will conduct it activities in a manner so as to meet the requirements of a safe harbor under Section 864(b)(2) of the Code under which the Subsidiary may engage in trading in stocks or securities or certain commodities without being deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business. However, if certain of the Subsidiary's activities were determined not to be of the type described in the safe harbor (which is not expected), then the activities of the Subsidiary may constitute a U.S. trade or business, and would be taxed as such.
The Subsidiary is treated as a controlled foreign corporation (CFC) for tax purposes and the Fund is treated as a U.S. shareholder of the Subsidiary. As a result, the Fund is required to include in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes all of the Subsidiary's subpart F income, whether or not such income is distributed by the Subsidiary. It is expected that all of the Subsidiary's income will be subpart F income. The Funds recognition of the Subsidiary's subpart F income will increase the Funds tax basis in the Subsidiary. Distributions by the Subsidiary to the Fund will be tax-free, to the extent of its previously undistributed subpart F income, and will correspondingly reduce the Fund's tax basis in the Subsidiary. Subpart F income is generally treated as ordinary income, regardless of the character of the Subsidiary's underlying income. If a net loss is realized by the Subsidiary, such loss is not generally available to offset the income earned by the Fund.
Tax Consequences of Certain Investments. The following summary of the tax consequences of certain types of investments applies to the Fund and the Portfolio, as appropriate. References in the following summary to the Fund are to any Fund or Portfolio that can engage in the particular practice as described in the prospectus or SAI.
Securities Acquired at Market Discount or with Original Issue Discount. Investment in securities acquired at a market discount, or in zero coupon, deferred interest, payment-in-kind and certain other securities with original issue discount, generally may cause the Fund to realize income prior to the receipt of cash payments with respect to these securities. Such income will be accrued daily by the Fund and, in order to avoid a tax payable by the Fund, the Fund may be required to liquidate securities that it might otherwise have continued to hold in order to generate cash so that the Fund may make required distributions to its shareholders. The Fund may elect to accrue market discount income on a daily basis.
Lower Rated or Defaulted Securities. Investments in securities that are at risk of, or are in, default present special tax issues for the Fund. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless securities and how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income.
Municipal Obligations. Any recognized gain or income attributable to market discount on long-term tax-exempt municipal obligations (i.e., obligations with a term of more than one year) purchased after April 30, 1993 (except to the extent of a portion of the discount attributable to original issue discount), 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.
From time to time proposals have been introduced before Congress for the purpose of restricting or eliminating the federal income tax exemption for interest on certain types of municipal obligations, and it can be expected that similar proposals may be introduced in the future. As a result of any such future legislation, the availability of municipal obligations for investment by the Fund and the value of the securities held by it may be affected. It is possible that events occurring after the date of issuance of municipal obligations, or after the Funds acquisition of such an obligation, may result in a determination that the interest paid on that obligation is taxable, even retroactively.
If the Fund seeks income exempt from state and/or local taxes, information about such taxes is contained in an appendix to this SAI (see the Table of Contents).
Tax Credit Bonds. If the Fund holds, directly or indirectly, one or more tax credit bonds (including Build America Bonds, clean renewable energy bonds and other qualified tax credit bonds) on one or more applicable dates during a taxable year and the Fund satisfies the minimum distribution requirement, the Fund may elect to permit its shareholders to claim a tax credit on their income tax returns equal to each shareholders proportionate share of tax credits from the applicable bonds that otherwise would be allowed to the Fund. In such a case, shareholders must include in gross income (as interest) their proportionate share of the income attributable to their proportionate share of those offsetting tax credits. A shareholders ability to claim a tax credit associated with one or more tax credit bonds may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code. Even if the Fund is eligible to pass through tax credits to shareholders, the Fund may choose not to do so.
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Derivatives. The Funds investments in options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts (to the extent permitted) and certain other transactions may 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 Fund, defer Fund losses, cause adjustments in the holding periods of Fund securities, 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 Fund distributions.
Investments in so-called section 1256 contracts, such as regulated futures contracts, most foreign currency forward contracts traded in the interbank market and options on most stock indices, are subject to special tax rules. All section 1256 contracts held by the Fund at the end of its taxable year are required to be marked to their market value, and any unrealized gain or loss on those positions will be included in the Funds income as if each position had been sold for its fair market value at the end of the taxable year. The resulting gain or loss will be combined with any gain or loss realized by the Fund from positions in section 1256 contracts closed during the taxable year. Provided such positions were held as capital assets and were not part of a hedging transaction nor part of a straddle, 60% of the resulting net gain or loss will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and 40% of such net gain or loss will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss, regardless of the period of time the positions were actually held by the Fund. Unless an election is made, net 1256 gain or loss on forward currency contracts will be treated as ordinary income or loss.
Fund positions in index options that do not qualify as section 1256 contracts under the Code generally will be treated as equity options governed by Code Section 1234. Pursuant to Code Section 1234, if a written option expires unexercised, the premium received is short-term capital gain to the Fund. If the Fund enters into a closing transaction with respect to a written option, the difference between the premium received and the amount paid to close out its position is short-term capital gain or loss. If an option written by the Fund that is not a section 1256 contract is cash settled, any resulting gain or loss will be short-term capital gain. For an option purchased by the Fund that is not a section 1256 contract, any gain or loss resulting from sale of the option will be a capital gain or loss, and will be short-term or long-term, depending upon the holding period for the option. If the option expires, the resulting loss is a capital loss and is short-term or long-term, depending upon the holding period for the option. If a put option written by the Fund is exercised and physically settled, the premium received is treated as a reduction in the amount paid to acquire the underlying securities, increasing the gain or decreasing the loss to be realized by the Fund upon sale of the securities. If a call option written by the Fund is exercised and physically settled, the premium received is included in the sale proceeds, increasing the gain or decreasing the loss realized by the Fund at the time of option exercise.
As a result of entering into swap contracts, the Fund may make or receive periodic net payments. The Fund may also make or receive a payment when a swap is terminated prior to maturity through an assignment of the swap or other closing transaction. Periodic net payments will generally constitute ordinary income or deductions, while termination of a swap will generally result in capital gain or loss (which will be a long-term capital gain or loss if the Fund has been a party to a swap for more than one year). With respect to certain types of swaps, the Fund may be required to currently recognize income or loss with respect to future payments on such swaps or may elect under certain circumstances to mark such swaps to market annually for tax purposes as ordinary income or loss.
Short Sales. In general, gain or loss on a short sale is recognized when the Fund closes the sale by delivering the borrowed property to the lender, not when the borrowed property is sold. Gain or loss from a short sale is generally considered to be capital gain or loss to the extent that the property used to close the short sale constitutes a capital asset in the Funds hands. Except with respect to certain situations where the property used to close a short sale has a long-term holding period on the date of the short sale, special rules generally treat the gains on short sales as short-term capital gains. These rules may also terminate the running of the holding period of substantially identical property held by the Fund. Moreover, a loss on a short sale will be treated as a long-term capital loss if, on the date of the short sale, substantially identical property has been held by the Fund for more than one year. In general, the Fund will not be permitted to deduct payments made to reimburse the lender of securities for dividends paid on borrowed stock if the short sale is closed on or before the 45th day after the short sale is entered.
Constructive Sales. The Fund may recognize gain (but not loss) from a constructive sale of certain appreciated financial positions if the Fund enters into a short sale, offsetting notional principal contract, or forward contract transaction with respect to the appreciated position or substantially identical property. Appreciated financial positions subject to this constructive sale treatment include interests (including options and forward contracts and short sales) in stock and certain other instruments. Constructive sale treatment does not apply if the transaction is closed out not later than thirty days after the end of the taxable year in which the transaction was initiated, and the underlying appreciated securities position is held unhedged for at least the next sixty days after the hedging transaction is closed.
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Gain or loss on a short sale will generally not be realized until such time as the short sale is closed. However, as described above in the discussion of constructive sales, if the Fund holds a short sale position with respect to securities that have appreciated in value, and it then acquires property that is the same as or substantially identical to the property sold short, the Fund generally will recognize gain on the date it acquires such property as if the short sale were closed on such date with such property. Similarly, if the Fund holds an appreciated financial position with respect to securities and then enters into a short sale with respect to the same or substantially identical property, the Fund generally will recognize gain as if the appreciated financial position were sold at its fair market value on the date it enters into the short sale. The subsequent holding period for any appreciated financial position that is subject to these constructive sale rules will be determined as if such position were acquired on the date of the constructive sale.
Foreign Investments and Currencies. The Funds investments in foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes or other foreign taxes with respect to income (possibly including, in some cases, capital gains), which would decrease the Funds income on such securities. These taxes may be reduced or eliminated under the terms of an applicable U.S. income tax treaty. If more than 50% of Fund assets at year end consists of the debt and equity securities of foreign corporations, the Fund may elect to permit shareholders to claim a credit or deduction on their income tax returns for their pro rata portion of qualified taxes paid by the Fund to foreign countries. If the election is made, shareholders will include in gross income from foreign sources their pro rata share of such taxes. A shareholders ability to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by the Fund may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code (including a holding period requirement applied at both the Fund and shareholder level), as a result of which a shareholder may not get a full credit or deduction for the amount of such taxes. In particular, the Fund must own the dividend-paying stock for more than 15 days during the 31-day period beginning 15 days prior to the ex-dividend date. Likewise, shareholders must hold their Fund shares (without protection from risk or loss) on the ex-dividend date and for at least 15 additional days during the 31-day period beginning 15 days prior to the ex-dividend date to be eligible to claim the foreign tax with respect to a given dividend. Shareholders who do not itemize deductions on their federal income tax returns may claim a credit (but no deduction) for such taxes. Individual shareholders subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT) may not deduct such taxes for AMT purposes.
Transactions in foreign currencies, foreign currency-denominated debt securities and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts, forward contracts and similar instruments (to the extent permitted) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency. Under Section 988 of the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time the Fund accrues income or receivables or expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund actually collects such income or pays such liabilities are generally treated as ordinary income or ordinary loss.
Investments in PFICs could subject the Fund to U.S. federal income tax or other charges on certain distributions from such companies and on disposition of investments in such companies; however, the tax effects of such investments may be mitigated by making an election to mark such investments to market annually or treat the PFIC as a qualified electing fund. If the Fund were to invest in a PFIC and elect to treat the PFIC as a qualified electing fund under the Code, the Fund might be required to include in income each year a portion of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the qualified electing fund, even if not distributed to the Fund, and such amounts would be subject to the distribution requirements described above. In order to make this election, the Fund would be required to obtain certain annual information from the PFICs in which it invests, which may be difficult or impossible to obtain. Alternatively, if the Fund were to make a mark-to-market election with respect to a PFIC, the Fund would be treated as if it had sold and repurchased the PFIC stock at the end of each year. In such case, the Fund would report any such gains as ordinary income and would deduct any such losses as ordinary losses to the extent of previously recognized gains. This election must be made separately for each PFIC, and once made, would be effective for all subsequent taxable years unless revoked with the consent of the IRS. The Fund may be required to recognize income in excess of the distributions it receives from PFICs and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock in any particular year. As a result, the Fund may have to distribute this phantom income and gain to satisfy the distribution requirement and to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax.
U.S. Government Securities. Distributions paid by the Fund that are derived from interest on obligations of the U.S. Government and certain of its agencies and instrumentalities (but generally not distributions of capital gains realized upon the disposition of such obligations) may be exempt from state and local income taxes. The Fund generally intends to advise shareholders of the extent, if any, to which its distributions consist of such interest. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisers regarding the possible exclusion of such portion of their dividends for state and local income tax purposes.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Any investment by the Fund in equity securities of a REIT qualifying as such under Subchapter M of the Code may result in the Funds receipt of cash in excess of the REITs earnings; if the Fund distributes these amounts, these distributions could constitute a return of capital to Fund shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
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Investments in REIT equity securities also may require the Fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received. To generate sufficient cash to make the requisite distributions, the Fund may be required to sell securities in its portfolio (including when it is not advantageous to do so) that it otherwise would have continued to hold. Dividends received by the Fund from a REIT will not qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction and generally will not constitute qualified dividend income.
Inflation-Indexed Bonds. Periodic adjustments for inflation to the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond may give rise to original issue discount, which will be includable in the Funds gross income (see Securities Acquired at Market Discount or with Original Issue Discount above). Also, if the principal value of an inflation-indexed bond is adjusted downward due to inflation, amounts previously distributed in the taxable year may be characterized in some circumstances as a return of capital (see Taxation of Fund Shareholders below).
Taxation of Fund Shareholders. Subject to the discussion of distributions of tax-exempt income below, Fund distributions of investment income and net gains from investments held for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income. Fund distributions of any net gains from investments held for more than one year are taxable as long-term capital gains. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated the gains, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares in the Fund. Dividends and distributions on the Funds shares are generally subject to federal income tax as described herein to the extent they are made out of the Funds earnings and profits, even though such dividends and distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholders investment. Such distributions are likely to occur in respect of shares purchased at a time when the Funds 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 Funds net asset value also reflects unrealized losses.
Distributions paid by the Fund during any period may be more or less than the amount of net investment income and capital gains actually earned during the period. If the Fund makes a distribution to a shareholder in excess of the Funds current and accumulated earnings and profits in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital. A return of capital is not taxable, but it reduces a shareholders tax basis in its shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its shares. A shareholders tax basis cannot go below zero and any return of capital distributions in excess of a shareholders tax basis will be treated as capital gain.
Ordinarily, shareholders are required to take taxable distributions by the Fund into account in the year in which the distributions are made. However, for federal income tax purposes, dividends that are declared by the Fund in October, November or December as of a record date in such month and actually paid in January of the following year will be treated as if they were paid on December 31 of the year declared. Therefore, such dividends will generally be taxable to a shareholder in the year declared rather than in the year paid.
The amount of distributions payable by the Fund may vary depending on general economic and market conditions, the composition of investments, current management strategy and Fund operating expenses. The Fund will inform shareholders of the tax character of distributions annually to facilitate shareholder tax reporting.
The Fund may elect to retain its net capital gain, in which case the Fund will be taxed thereon (except to the extent of any available capital loss carryovers) at the 35% corporate tax rate. In such a case, it is expected that the Fund also will elect to have shareholders of record on the last day of its taxable year treated as if each received a distribution of its pro rata share of such gain, with the result that each shareholder will be required to report its pro rata share of such gain on its tax return as long-term capital gain, will receive a refundable tax credit for its pro rata share of tax paid by the Fund on the gain, and will increase the tax basis for its shares by an amount equal to the deemed distribution less the tax credit.
Any Fund distribution, other than dividends that are declared by the Fund on a daily basis, will have the effect of reducing the per share net asset value of Fund shares by the amount of the distribution. If a shareholder buys shares when the Fund has unrealized or realized but not yet distributed ordinary income or capital gains, the shareholder will pay full price for the shares and then may receive a portion back as a taxable distribution even though such distribution may economically represent a return of the shareholders investment.
Tax-Exempt Income. Distributions by the Fund of net tax-exempt interest income that are properly reported as exempt-interest dividends may be treated by shareholders as interest excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes under Section 103(a) of the Code. In order for the Fund to be entitled to pay the tax-exempt interest income as exempt-interest dividends to its shareholders, the Fund must satisfy certain requirements, including the requirement that, at the close of each quarter of its taxable year, at least 50% of the value of its total assets consists of obligations the interest on which is exempt from regular federal income tax under Code Section 103(a). Interest on certain municipal obligations may be taxable for purposes of
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the federal AMT and for state and local purposes. In addition, corporate shareholders must include the full amount of exempt-interest dividends in computing the preference items for the purposes of the AMT. Fund shareholders are required to report tax-exempt interest on their federal income tax returns.
Tax-exempt distributions received from the Fund are taken into account in determining, and may increase, the portion of social security and certain railroad retirement benefits that may be subject to federal income tax. Interest on indebtedness incurred by a shareholder to purchase or carry Fund shares that distributes exempt-interest dividends will not be deductible for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If a shareholder receives exempt interest dividends with respect to any Fund share and if the share is held by the shareholder for six months or less, then any loss on the sale or exchange of the share may, to the extent of the exempt-interest dividends, be disallowed. Furthermore, a portion of any exempt-interest dividend paid by the Fund that represents income derived from certain revenue or private activity bonds held by the Fund may not retain its tax-exempt status in the hands of a shareholder who is a substantial user of a facility financed by such bonds, or a related person thereof. In addition, the receipt of dividends and distributions from the Fund may affect a foreign corporate shareholders federal branch profits tax liability and the federal excess net passive income tax liability of a shareholder of a Subchapter S corporation. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors as to whether they are (i) substantial users with respect to a facility or related to such users within the meaning of the Code or (ii) subject to a federal alternative minimum tax, the federal branch profits tax, or the federal excess net passive income tax.
Qualified Dividend Income. Qualified dividend income received by an individual is taxed at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain (currently at a maximum rate of 20% plus a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax). In order for a dividend received by Fund shareholders to be qualified dividend income, the Fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the dividend-paying stock in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Funds shares. A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (at either the Fund or shareholder level) (1) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning at the date which is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, in the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date), (2) to the extent that the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, (3) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment interest, or (4) if the dividend is received from a foreign corporation that is (a) not eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the U.S. (with the exception of dividends paid on stock of such a foreign corporation readily tradable on an established securities market in the U.S.) or (b) treated as a passive foreign investment company. Payments in lieu of dividends, such as payments pursuant to securities lending arrangements, also do not qualify to be treated as qualified dividend income. In general, distributions of investment income reported by the Fund as derived from qualified dividend income will be treated as qualified dividend income by a shareholder taxed as an individual provided the shareholder meets the holding period and other requirements described above with respect to the Funds shares. In any event, if the aggregate qualified dividends received by the Fund during any taxable year are 95% or more of its gross income, then 100% of the Funds dividends (other than properly reported capital gain dividends) will be eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income. For this purpose, the only gain with respect to the sale of stocks and securities included in the term gross income is the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss.
Dividends Received Deduction for Corporations. A portion of distributions made by the Fund which are derived from dividends from U.S. corporations may qualify for the dividends-received deduction (DRD) for corporations. The DRD is reduced to the extent the Fund shares with respect to which the dividends are received are treated as debt-financed under the Code and is eliminated if the shares are deemed to have been held for less than a minimum period, generally more than 45 days during the 91-day period beginning 45 days before the ex-dividend date or if the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property. Receipt of certain distributions qualifying for the DRD may result in reduction of the tax basis of the corporate shareholders shares. Distributions eligible for the DRD may give rise to or increase the alternative minimum tax for certain corporations. Payments in lieu of dividends, such as payments pursuant to securities lending arrangements, also do not qualify for the DRD.
Recognition of Unrelated Business Taxable Income by Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Under current law, tax-exempt investors generally will not recognize unrelated business taxable income (UBTI) from distributions from the Fund. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a tax-exempt shareholder could recognize UBTI if shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of a tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code section 514(b). In addition, certain types of income received by the Fund from REITs, real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs), taxable mortgage pools or other investments may cause the Fund to designate some or all of its distributions as excess inclusion income. To Fund shareholders such excess inclusion income may: (1) constitute taxable income as UBTI for those shareholders who would otherwise be tax-exempt such as individual retirement accounts, employer sponsored retirement plans and certain charitable entities; (2) not be offset by
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38
SAI dated May 1, 2016
otherwise allowable deductions for tax purposes; (3) not be eligible for reduced U.S. withholding for non-U.S. shareholders even from tax treaty countries; and (4) cause the Fund to be subject to tax if certain disqualified organizations as defined by the Code are Fund shareholders.
Sale
or Exchange of Fund Shares.
Generally, upon
the
sale or
(if permitted)
exchange of Fund shares, a shareholder will realize a taxable gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized and the
shareholders
basis in the shares. Such gain or loss will be treated as capital gain or loss if the shares are capital assets in the shareholders hands, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for more than one year, and short-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for one year or less.
Any loss realized upon the sale or
other disposition
of Fund shares with a tax holding period of six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any
Fund
distributions treated as long-term capital gain with respect to such shares. In addition, all or a portion of a loss realized on a
sale
or other disposition of Fund shares may be disallowed under wash sale rules to the extent the shareholder acquired other shares of the same Fund (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 shareholders tax basis in some or all of the other shares acquired.
See the prospectus for information regarding any permitted exchange of Fund shares.
Sales charges paid upon a purchase of shares subject to a front-end sales charge cannot be taken into account for purposes of determining gain or loss on a redemption or exchange 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 Fund shares (or shares of another fund) on or before January 31 of the following calendar year pursuant to the reinvestment or exchange privilege. Any disregarded amounts will result in an adjustment to the shareholders tax basis in some or all of any other shares acquired.
Applicability of Medicare Contribution Tax. The Code imposes a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on unearned income of certain U.S. individuals, estates and trusts. For individuals, the tax is on the lesser of the net investment income and the excess of modified adjusted gross income over $200,000 (or $250,000 if married filing jointly). Net investment income includes, among other things, interest, dividends, and gross income and capital gains derived from passive activities and trading in securities or commodities. Net investment income is reduced by deductions properly allocable to this income.
Back-Up Withholding for U.S. Shareholders. Amounts paid by the Fund to individuals and certain other shareholders who have not provided the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) and certain certifications required by the IRS as well as shareholders with respect to whom the Fund has received certain information from the IRS or a broker, may be subject to backup withholding of federal income tax arising from the Funds taxable dividends and other distributions as well as the proceeds of redemption transactions (including repurchases and exchanges), at a rate of 28%. An individuals TIN is generally his or her social security number. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against a shareholders U.S. federal income tax liability.
Taxation of Foreign Shareholders. In general, dividends (other than capital gain dividends and exempt-interest dividends) paid to a shareholder that is not a U.S. person within the meaning of the Code (a foreign person or foreign shareholder) are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate). The withholding tax does not apply to regular dividends paid to a foreign person who provides an IRS Form W-8ECI, certifying that the dividends are effectively connected with the foreign persons conduct of a trade or business within the United States. Instead, the effectively connected dividends will be subject to regular U.S. income tax as if the foreign person were a U.S. shareholder. A non-U.S. corporation receiving effectively connected dividends may also be subject to additional branch profits tax imposed at a rate of 30% (or lower treaty rate). A foreign person who fails to provide an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E, or other applicable form may be subject to backup withholding at the appropriate rate. A foreign shareholder would generally be exempt from U.S. federal income tax, including withholding tax, on gains realized on the sale of shares of the Fund, net capital gain dividends, exempt interest dividends, and amounts retained by the Fund that are reported as undistributed capital gains.
Properly reported dividends are generally exempt from U.S. federal withholding tax where they (i) are paid in respect of the Funds qualified net interest income (generally, the Funds U.S. source interest income, other than certain contingent interest and interest from obligations of a corporation or partnership in which the Fund is at least a 10% shareholder, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income) or (ii) are paid in respect of the Funds qualified short-term capital gains (generally, the excess of the Funds net short-term capital gain over the Funds long-term capital loss for such taxable year). However, depending on its circumstances, the Fund may report all, some or none of its potentially eligible dividends as such qualified net interest income or as qualified short-term capital gains and/or treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible for this exemption from withholding. In order to qualify for this exemption from withholding, a non-U.S. shareholder would need to
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
comply with applicable certification requirements relating to its non-U.S. status (including, in general, furnishing an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E, or substitute Form). In the case of shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary could withhold even if the Fund designates the payment as qualified net interest income or qualified short-term capital gain. Non-U.S. shareholders should contact their intermediaries with respect to the application of these rules to their accounts.
Distributions that the Fund reports as short-term capital gain dividends or long-term capital gain dividends will not be treated as such to a recipient foreign shareholder if the distribution is attributable to gain from the sale or exchange of U.S. real property or an interest in a U.S. real property holding corporation and the Funds direct or indirect interests in U.S. real property exceeded certain levels. Instead, if the foreign shareholder has not owned more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Fund at any time during the one year period ending on the date of distribution, such distributions will be subject to 30% withholding by the Fund and will be treated as ordinary dividends to the foreign shareholder; if the foreign shareholder owned more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Fund at any time during the one year period ending on the date of the distribution, such distribution will be treated as real property gain subject to 35% withholding tax and could subject the foreign shareholder to U.S. filing requirements. The rules described in this paragraph, other than the withholding rules, will apply notwithstanding the Funds participation or a foreign shareholders participation in a wash sale transaction or the payment of a substitute dividend.
Additionally, if the Funds direct or indirect interests in U.S. real property were to exceed certain levels, a foreign shareholder realizing gains upon redemption from the Fund could be subject to the 35% withholding tax and U.S. filing requirements unless the foreign person had not held more than 5% of the Funds outstanding shares throughout either such persons holding period for the redeemed shares or, if shorter, the previous five years,
50% or more of the value of the Funds shares were held by U.S. entities.
The same rules apply with respect to distributions to a foreign shareholder from the Fund and redemptions of a foreign shareholders interest in the Fund attributable to a REITs distribution to the Fund of gain from the sale or exchange of U.S. real property or an interest in a U.S. real property holding corporation, if the Funds direct or indirect interests in U.S. real property were to exceed certain levels.
Provided that 50% or more of the value of the Funds stock is held by U.S. shareholders, distributions of U.S. real property interests (including securities in a U.S. real property holding corporation, unless such corporation is regularly traded on an established securities market and the Fund has held 5% or less of the outstanding shares of the corporation during the five-year period ending on the date of distribution
),
in redemption of a foreign shareholders shares of the Fund will cause the Fund to recognize gain. If the Fund is required to recognize gain, the amount of gain recognized will be equal to the fair market value of such interests over the Funds adjusted basis to the extent of the greatest foreign ownership percentage of the Fund during the five-year period ending on the date of redemption.
In the case of foreign non-corporate shareholders, the Fund may be required to backup withhold U.S. federal income tax on distributions that are otherwise exempt from withholding tax unless such shareholders furnish the Fund with proper notification of their foreign status.
Shares of the Fund held by a non-U.S. shareholder at death will be considered situated within the United States and subject to the U.S. estate tax.
Compliance with the HIRE Act.
A 30% withholding tax is imposed on U.S.-source dividends, interest and other income items, including those paid by the Fund and, after December 31, 2018, will be imposed on proceeds from the sale of property producing U.S.-source dividends, including
shares
in the Fund,
paid
to (i) foreign financial institutions including non-U.S. investment funds unless they agree to collect and disclose to the IRS information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. account holders and (ii) certain other foreign entities, unless they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners. To avoid withholding, foreign financial institutions will need to either enter into agreements with the IRS that state that they will provide the IRS information, including the names, addresses and taxpayer identification numbers of direct and indirect U.S. account holders, comply with due diligence procedures with respect to the identification of U.S. accounts, report to the IRS certain information with respect to U.S. accounts maintained, agree to withhold tax on certain payments made to non-compliant foreign financial institutions or to account holders who fail to provide the required information, and determine certain other information as to their account holders or, in the event that an applicable intergovernmental agreement and implementing legislation are adopted, agree to provide certain information to other revenue authorities for transmittal to the IRS. Other foreign entities will need to either provide the name, address, and taxpayer identification number of each substantial U.S. owner or certifications of no substantial U.S. ownership unless certain exceptions apply or agree to provide certain information to other revenue authorities for transmittal to the IRS. Non-U.S. shareholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the possible implications of these requirements on their investment in the Fund.
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
Requirements of Form 8886. Under Treasury Regulations, if a shareholder realizes a loss on disposition of the Funds shares of at least $2 million in any single taxable year or $4 million in any combination of taxable years for an individual shareholder or at least $10 million in any single taxable year or $20 million in any combination of taxable years for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayers treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances. Under certain circumstances, certain tax-exempt entities and their managers may be subject to excise tax if they are parties to certain reportable transactions.
Other Taxes. Dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds may also be subject to additional state, local and foreign taxes depending on each shareholders particular situation.
Changes in Taxation. The taxation of the Fund, the Portfolio, the Subsidiary and shareholders may be adversely affected by future legislation, Treasury Regulations, IRS revenue procedures and/or guidance issued by the IRS.
PORTFOLIO SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS
Decisions concerning the execution of portfolio security transactions, including the selection of the market and the broker-dealer firm, are made by the investment adviser. Each Portfolio,
Global Small-Cap Fund,
Real Estate Fund, Small-Cap
Fund and Special Equities Fund are responsible for the expenses associated with its portfolio transactions. The investment adviser is also responsible for the execution of transactions for all other accounts managed by it. The investment adviser places the portfolio security transactions for execution with one or more broker-dealer firms. The investment adviser uses its best efforts to obtain execution of portfolio security transactions at prices which in the investment advisers judgment are advantageous to the client and at a reasonably competitive spread or (when a disclosed commission is being charged) at reasonably competitive commission rates. In seeking such execution, the investment 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 broker-dealer firms services, responsiveness of the firm to the investment 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 broker-dealer 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 amount of the spread or commission, if any. In addition, the investment adviser may consider the receipt of Research Services (as defined below), provided it does not compromise the investment advisers obligation to seek best overall execution for a Portfolio, Global Small-Cap Fund, Real Estate Fund, Small-Cap Fund and Special Equities Fund and is otherwise in compliance with applicable law. The investment adviser may engage in portfolio brokerage transactions with a broker-dealer firm that sells shares of Eaton Vance funds, provided such transactions are not directed to that firm as compensation for the promotion or sale of such shares.
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 including transactions in fixed-income securities which are generally purchased and sold on a net basis (i.e., without commission) through broker-dealers and banks acting for their own account rather than as brokers. Such firms attempt to profit from such transactions by buying at the bid price and selling at the higher asked price of the market for such obligations, and the difference between the bid and asked price is customarily referred to as the spread. Fixed-income transactions may also be transactions directly with the issuer of the obligations. In an underwritten offering the price paid often includes a disclosed fixed commission or discount retained by the underwriter or dealer. Although spreads or commissions paid on portfolio security transactions will, in the judgment of the investment adviser, be reasonable in relation to the value of the services provided, commissions exceeding those which another firm might charge may be paid to broker-dealers who were selected to execute transactions on behalf of the investment advisers clients in part for providing brokerage and research services to the investment adviser as permitted by applicable law.
Pursuant to the safe harbor provided in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Section 28(e)) and to the extent permitted by other applicable law, a broker or dealer who executes a portfolio transaction on behalf of the investment adviser client 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 investment 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
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
41
SAI dated May 1, 2016
basis of either that particular transaction or on the basis of the overall responsibility which the investment adviser and its affiliates have for accounts over which they exercise investment discretion. Research Services as used herein includes any and all brokerage and research services to the extent permitted by Section 28(e) and other applicable law. Generally, Research Services may include, but are not limited to, such matters as research, analytical and quotation services, data, information and other services products and materials which assist the investment adviser in the performance of its investment responsibilities. More specifically, Research Services may include general economic, political, business and market information, industry and company reviews, evaluations of securities and portfolio strategies and transactions, technical analysis of various aspects of the securities markets, recommendations as to the purchase and sale of securities and other portfolio transactions, certain financial, industry and trade publications, certain news and information services, and certain research oriented computer software, data bases and services. Any particular Research Service obtained through a broker-dealer may be used by the investment adviser in connection with client accounts other than those accounts which pay commissions to such broker-dealer, to the extent permitted by applicable law. Any such Research Service may be broadly useful and of value to the investment 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 clients 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 investment adviser evaluates the nature and quality of the various Research Services obtained through broker-dealer firms and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, may attempt to allocate sufficient portfolio security transactions to such firms to ensure the continued receipt of Research Services which the investment adviser believes are useful or of value to it in rendering investment advisory services to its clients. The investment adviser may also receive brokerage and Research Services from underwriters and dealers in fixed-price offerings, when permitted under applicable law.
Research Services provided by (and produced by) broker-dealers that execute portfolio transactions or from affiliates of executing broker-dealers are referred to as Proprietary Research. Except for trades executed in jurisdictions where such consideration is not permissible, the investment adviser may and does consider the receipt of Proprietary Research Services as a factor in selecting broker dealers to execute client portfolio transactions, provided it does not compromise the investment advisers obligation to seek best overall execution. In jurisdictions where permissible, the investment adviser also may consider the receipt of Research Services under so called client commission arrangements or commission sharing arrangements (both referred to as CCAs) as a factor in selecting broker dealers to execute transactions, provided it does not compromise the investment advisers obligation to seek best overall execution. Under a CCA arrangement, the investment adviser may cause client accounts to effect transactions through a broker-dealer and request that the broker-dealer allocate a portion of the commissions paid on those transactions to a pool of commission credits that are paid to other firms that provide Research Services to the investment adviser. Under a CCA, the broker-dealer that provides the Research Services need not execute the trade. Participating in CCAs may enable the investment adviser to consolidate payments for research using accumulated client commission credits from transactions executed through a particular broker-dealer to periodically pay for Research Services obtained from and provided by other firms, including other broker-dealers that supply Research Services. The investment adviser believes that CCAs offer the potential to optimize the execution of trades and the acquisition of a variety of high quality Research Services that the investment adviser might not be provided access to absent CCAs. The investment adviser will only enter into and utilize CCAs to the extent permitted by Section 28(e) and other applicable law.
Fund trades may implicate laws of the United Kingdom, including rules of the UK Financial Conduct Authority, which govern client trading commissions and Research Services (UK Law). Broadly speaking, under UK Law the investment adviser may not accept any good or service when executing an order unless that good or service either is directly related to the execution of trades on behalf of its clients/customers or amounts to the provision of substantive research (as defined under UK Law). These requirements may also apply with respect to orders in connection with which the investment adviser receives goods and services under a CCA or other bundled brokerage arrangement.
The investment companies sponsored by the investment adviser or its affiliates also may allocate
brokerage commissions
to acquire information relating to the performance, fees and expenses of such companies and other investment companies, which information is used by the members of the Board of such companies to fulfill their responsibility to oversee the quality of the services provided to various entities, including the investment adviser, to such companies. Such companies may also pay cash for such information.
Securities considered as investments for a Portfolio, Global Small-Cap Fund, Real Estate Fund, Small-Cap Fund or Special Equities Fund may also be appropriate for other investment accounts managed by the investment adviser or its affiliates. Whenever decisions are made to buy or sell securities by a Portfolio, Global Small-Cap Fund, Real Estate Fund, Small-Cap Fund or Special Equities Fund and one or more of such other accounts simultaneously, the investment adviser will allocate the security transactions (including new issues) in a manner which it believes to be equitable under the circumstances. As a result of such allocations, there may be instances where a Portfolio, Global Small-Cap Fund, Real Estate Fund, Small-Cap Fund or Special
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
42
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Equities Fund 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 investment 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 a Portfolio, Global Small-Cap Fund, Real Estate Fund, Small-Cap Fund or Special Equities Fund from time to time, it is the opinion of the members of the Board that the benefits from the investment adviser organization outweigh any disadvantage that may arise from exposure to simultaneous transactions.
The following table shows brokerage commissions paid during the periods indicated in the table, as well as the amount of Portfolio, Global Small-Cap Fund, Real Estate Fund, Small-Cap Fund and Special Equities Fund security transactions for the most recent fiscal year (if any) that were directed to firms that provided some Research Services to the investment adviser or its affiliates (see above), and the commissions paid in connection therewith.
|
Brokerage Commissions Paid for the Fiscal Year Ended |
Amount of Transactions
|
Commissions Paid on Transactions
|
||
Fund/Portfolio |
|
|
|
|
|
Dividend Builder Portfolio |
$
|
$
|
$
|
$1,
|
$
|
Global Small-Cap Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
Growth Portfolio |
|
|
|
|
|
Large-Cap Value Portfolio |
|
|
|
|
|
Real Estate Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
Small-Cap Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
Special Equities Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
(1)
Higher brokerage commissions paid for the period were due to an increase in portfolio transactions in connection with the change in the Funds investment strategy. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, the portfolio turnover rate was 150% of the average value of its portfolio compared to 37% of the average value of its portfolio for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014.
(2)
Higher brokerage commissions paid for the period were due to an increase in portfolio transactions.
(3)
Higher brokerage commissions paid for the period were due to an increase in portfolio transactions. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, the portfolio turnover rate was 72% of the average value of its portfolio compared to 31% of the average value of its portfolio for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014.
(4 )
Brokerage commissions paid for the period were lower due to less trading activity and lower portfolio turnover.
(
5
)
Brokerage commissions paid for the period were lower due to a decrease in the number of shares and notional amount traded.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
43
SAI dated May 1, 2016
During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, each Portfolio, Global Small-Cap Fund, Real Estate Fund, Small-Cap Fund and Special Equities Fund held securities of its or its corresponding Funds regular brokers or dealers, as that term is defined in Rule 10b-1 of the 1940 Act, the value of such securities was:
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial statements of, and the report of the independent registered public accounting firm for each Fund appear in its annual report to shareholders and are incorporated by reference into this SAI. A copy of each annual report accompanies this SAI.
Householding. Consistent with applicable law, duplicate mailings of shareholder reports and certain other Fund information to shareholders residing at the same address may be eliminated.
Registrant incorporates by reference the audited financial information and the reports of the independent registered public accounting firm for the Funds and the Portfolios listed below for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, as previously filed electronically with the SEC:
Eaton Vance Dividend Builder Fund
Dividend Builder Portfolio
Eaton Vance Global Small-Cap Fund
Eaton Vance Growth Fund
Growth Portfolio
Eaton Vance Large-Cap Value Fund
Large-Cap Value Portfolio
Eaton Vance Real Estate Fund
Eaton Vance Small-Cap Fund
Eaton Vance Special Equities Fund
(Accession No. 0001193125-16-480335)
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Borrowing for Temporary Purposes |
The Fund may borrow for temporary purposes (such as to satisfy redemption requests, to remain fully invested in advance of the settlement of share purchases, and to settle transactions). The Funds ability to borrow is subject to its terms and conditions of its credit arrangements, which in some cases may limit the Funds ability to borrow under the arrangement. The Fund will be required to maintain a specified level of asset coverage with respect to all borrowings and may be required to sell some of its holdings to reduce debt and restore coverage at times when it may not be advantageous to do so. The rights of the lender to receive payments of interest and repayments of principal of any borrowings made by the Fund under a credit arrangement are senior to the rights of holders of shares, with respect to the payment of dividends or upon liquidation. In the event of a default under a credit arrangement, the lenders may have the right to cause a liquidation of the collateral (i.e., sell Fund assets) and, if any such default is not cured, the lenders may be able to control the liquidation as well. Credit arrangements are subject to annual renewal, which cannot be assured. If the Fund does not have the ability to borrow for temporary purposes, it may be required to sell securities at inopportune times to meet short-term liquidity needs. Because the Fund is a party to a joint credit arrangement, it may be unable to borrow some or all of its requested amounts at any particular time. Borrowings involve additional expense to the Fund. |
Build America Bonds |
Build America Bonds are taxable municipal obligations issued pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Act) or other legislation providing for the issuance of taxable municipal debt on which the issuer receives federal support. Enacted in February 2009, the Act authorizes state and local governments to issue taxable bonds on which, assuming certain specified conditions are satisfied, issuers may either (i) receive reimbursement from the U.S. Treasury with respect to its interest payments on the bonds (direct pay Build America Bonds); or (ii) provide tax credits to investors in the bonds (tax credit Build America Bonds). Unlike most other municipal obligations, interest received on Build America Bonds is subject to federal income tax and may be subject to state income tax. Under the terms of the Act, issuers of direct pay Build America Bonds are entitled to receive reimbursement from the U.S. Treasury currently equal to 35% (or 45% in the case of Recovery Zone Economic Development Bonds) of the interest paid. Holders of tax credit Build America Bonds can receive a federal tax credit currently equal to 35% of the coupon interest received. The Fund may invest in principal only strips of tax credit Build America Bonds, which entitle the holder to receive par value of such bonds if held to maturity. The Fund does not expect to receive (or pass through to shareholders) tax credits as a result of its investments. The federal interest subsidy or tax credit continues for the life of the bonds. Build America Bonds are an alternative form of financing to state and local governments whose primary means for accessing the capital markets has been through issuance of tax-free municipal bonds. Build America Bonds can appeal to a broader array of investors than the high income U.S. taxpayers that have traditionally provided the market for municipal bonds. Build America Bonds may provide a lower net cost of funds to issuers. Pursuant to the terms of the Act, the issuance of Build America Bonds ceased on December 31, 2010. As a result, the availability of such bonds is limited and the market for the bonds and/or their liquidity may be affected. |
Call and Put Features on Securities |
Issuers of securities may reserve the right to call (redeem) the securities. If an issuer redeems a security with a call right during a time of declining interest rates, the holder of the security may not be able to reinvest the proceeds in securities providing the same investment return as provided by the securities redeemed. Some securities may have put or demand features that allow early redemption by the holder. Longer term fixed-rate securities may give the holder a right to request redemption at certain times (often annually after the lapse of an intermediate term). This put or demand feature enhances a securitys liquidity by shortening its effective maturity and enables the security to trade at a price equal to or very close to par. If a demand feature terminates prior to being exercised, the holder of the security would be subject to the longer maturity of the security, which could experience substantially more volatility. Securities with a put or demand feature are more defensive than conventional long term securities (protecting to some degree against a rise in interest rates) while providing greater opportunity than comparable intermediate term securities, because they can be retained if interest rates decline. |
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Cash Equivalents |
Cash equivalents include short term, high quality, U.S. dollar denominated instruments such as commercial paper, certificates of deposit and bankers acceptances issued by U.S. or foreign banks, and Treasury bills and other obligations with a maturity of one year or less, including those issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies and instrumentalities. See U.S. Government Securities below. Certificates of deposit are certificates issued against funds deposited in a commercial bank, are for a definite period of time, earn a specified rate of return, and are normally negotiable. Bankers acceptances are short-term credit instruments used to finance the import, export, transfer or storage of goods. They are termed accepted when a bank guarantees their payment at maturity. |
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The obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks may be general obligations of the parent bank in addition to the issuing branch, or may be limited by the terms of a specific obligation and by governmental regulation. Payment of interest and principal upon these obligations may also be affected by governmental action in the country of domicile of the branch (generally referred to as sovereign risk). In addition, evidence of ownership of portfolio securities may be held outside of the U.S. and generally will be subject to the risks associated with the holding of such property overseas. Various provisions of U.S. law governing the establishment and operation of domestic branches do not apply to foreign branches of domestic banks. The obligations of U.S. branches of foreign banks may be general obligations of the parent bank in addition to the issuing branch, or may be limited by the terms of a specific obligation and by federal and state regulation as well as by governmental action in the country in which the foreign bank has its head office. |
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Cash equivalents are often acquired directly from the issuers thereof or otherwise are normally traded on a net basis (without commission) through broker-dealers and banks acting for their own account. Such firms attempt to profit from such transactions by buying at the bid price and selling at the higher asked price of the market, and the difference is customarily referred to as the spread. Cash equivalents may be adversely affected by market and economic events, such as a sharp rise in prevailing short-term interest rates; adverse developments in the banking industry, which issues or guarantees many money market securities; adverse economic, political or other developments affecting domestic issuers of money market securities; changes in the credit quality of issuers; and default by a counterparty. These securities may be subject to federal income, state income and/or other taxes. Instead of investing in cash equivalents directly, the Fund may invest in an affiliated money market fund (such as Eaton Vance Cash Reserves Fund, LLC, which is managed by Eaton Vance) or unaffiliated money market fund. |
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (CMOs) |
CMOs are backed by a pool of mortgages or mortgage loans. The key feature of the CMO structure is the prioritization of the cash flows from the pool of mortgages among the several classes, or tranches, of the CMO, thereby creating a series of obligations with varying rates and maturities. Senior CMO classes will typically have priority over residual CMOs as to the receipt of principal and or interest payments on the underlying mortgages. CMOs also issue sequential and parallel pay classes, including planned amortization and target amortization classes, and fixed and floating rate CMO tranches. CMOs issued by U.S. government agencies are backed by agency mortgages, while privately issued CMOs may be backed by either government agency mortgages or private mortgages. Payments of principal and interest are passed through to each CMO tranche at varying schedules resulting in bonds with different coupons, effective maturities and sensitivities to interest rates. Parallel pay CMOs are structured to provide payments of principal on each payment date to more than one class, concurrently on a proportionate or disproportionate basis. Sequential pay CMOs generally pay principal to only one class at a time while paying interest to several classes. CMOs generally are secured by an assignment to a trustee under the indenture pursuant to which the bonds are issued as collateral consisting of a pool of mortgages. Payments with respect to the underlying mortgages generally are made to the trustee under the indenture. CMOs are designed to be retired as the underlying mortgages are repaid. In the event of sufficient early prepayments on such mortgages, the class or series of CMO first to mature generally will be retired prior to maturity. Therefore, although in most cases the issuer of CMOs will not supply additional collateral in the event of such prepayments, there will be sufficient collateral to secure CMOs that remain outstanding. Floating rate CMO tranches carry interest rates that are tied in a fixed relationship to an index subject to an upper limit, or cap, and sometimes to a lower limit, or floor. CMOs may be less liquid and may exhibit greater price volatility than other types of mortgage- or asset-backed securities. |
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Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (CMBS) |
CMBS include securities that reflect an interest in, and are secured by, mortgage loans on commercial real property, such as hotels, office buildings, retail stores, hospitals and other commercial buildings. CMBS may have a lower repayment uncertainty than other mortgage-related securities because commercial mortgage loans generally prohibit or impose penalties on prepayment of principal. The risks of investing in CMBS reflect the risks of investing in the real estate securing the underlying mortgage loans, including the effects of local and other economic conditions on real estate markets, the ability of tenants to make loan payment, and the ability of a property to attract and retain tenants. CMBS may be less liquid and may exhibit greater price volatility than other types of mortgage- or asset-backed securities. |
Commodity-Related Investments |
The value of commodities investments will generally be affected by overall market movements and factors specific to a particular industry or commodity, which may include weather, embargoes, tariffs, and health, political, international and regulatory developments. Economic and other events (whether real or perceived) can reduce the demand for commodities, which may reduce market prices and cause the value of Fund shares to fall. The frequency and magnitude of such changes cannot be predicted. Exposure to commodities and commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. No active trading market may exist for certain commodities investments, which may impair the ability of the Fund to sell or to realize the full value of such investments in the event of the need to liquidate such investments. In addition, adverse market conditions may impair the liquidity of actively traded commodities investments. Certain types of commodities instruments (such as total return swaps and commodity-linked notes) are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the instrument will not perform or will be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument. To the extent commodity-related investments are held through the Subsidiary, the Subsidiary is not subject to U.S. laws (including securities laws) and their protections. The Subsidiary is subject to the laws of the Cayman Islands, a foreign jurisdiction, and can be affected by developments in that jurisdiction. |
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Certain commodities are subject to limited pricing flexibility because of supply and demand factors. Others are subject to broad price fluctuations as a result of the volatility of the prices for certain raw materials and the instability of supplies of other materials. These additional variables may create additional investment risks and result in greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The commodities that underlie commodity futures contracts and commodity swaps may be subject to additional economic and non-economic variables, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs, and international economic, political and regulatory developments. Unlike the financial futures markets, in the commodity futures markets there are costs of physical storage associated with purchasing the underlying commodity. The price of the commodity futures contract will reflect the storage costs of purchasing the physical commodity, including the time value of money invested in the physical commodity. To the extent that the storage costs for an underlying commodity change while the Fund is invested in futures contracts on that commodity, the value of the futures contract may change proportionately. |
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In the commodity futures markets, producers of the underlying commodity may decide to hedge the price risk of selling the commodity by selling futures contracts today to lock in the price of the commodity at delivery tomorrow. In order to induce speculators to purchase the other side of the same futures contract, the commodity producer generally must sell the futures contract at a lower price than the expected future spot price. Conversely, if most hedgers in the futures market are purchasing futures contracts to hedge against a rise in prices, then speculators will only sell the other side of the futures contract at a higher futures price than the expected future spot price of the commodity. The changing nature of the hedgers and speculators in the commodity markets will influence whether futures prices are above or below the expected future spot price, which can have significant implications for the Fund. If the nature of hedgers and speculators in futures markets has shifted when it is time for the Fund to reinvest the proceeds of a maturing contract in a new futures contract, the Fund might reinvest at higher or lower futures prices, or choose to pursue other investments. |
Common Stocks |
Common stock represents an equity ownership interest in the issuing corporation. Holders of common stock generally have voting rights in the issuer and are entitled to receive common stock dividends when, as and if declared by the corporations board of directors. Common stock normally occupies the most subordinated position in an issuers capital structure. Returns on common stock investments consist of any dividends received plus the amount of appreciation or depreciation in the value of the stock. |
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Although common stocks have historically generated higher average returns than fixed-income securities over the long term and particularly during periods of high or rising concerns about inflation, common stocks also have experienced significantly more volatility in returns and may not maintain their real value during inflationary periods. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of a particular common stock. Also, the prices of common stocks are sensitive to general movements in the stock market and a drop in the stock market may depress the price of common stocks. Common stock prices fluctuate for many reasons, including changes in investors perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant stock market, or when political or economic events affecting the issuer occur. In addition, common stock prices may be sensitive to rising interest rates as the costs of capital rise and borrowing costs increase. |
Contingent Convertible Securities |
Contingent convertible securities (sometimes referred to as CoCos) are convertible securities with loss absorption characteristics. These securities provide for mandatory conversion into common stock of the issuer under certain circumstances. The mandatory conversion may be automatically triggered, for instance, if a company fails to meet the capital minimum with respect to the security, the companys regulator makes a determination that the security should convert or the company receives specified levels of extraordinary public support. Since the common stock of the issuer may not pay a dividend, investors in these instruments could experience a reduced income rate, potentially to zero; and conversion would deepen the subordination of the investor, hence worsening standing in a bankruptcy. In addition, some such instruments have a set stock conversion rate that would cause an automatic write-down of capital if the price of the stock is below the conversion price on the conversion date. Under similar circumstances, the liquidation value of certain types of contingent convertible securities may be adjusted downward to below the original par value. The write down of the par value would occur automatically and would not entitle the holders to seek bankruptcy of the company. In certain circumstances, contingent convertible securities may write down to zero and investors could lose the entire value of the investment, even as the issuer remains in business. CoCos may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a predetermined price. See also Hybrid Securities. |
Convertible Securities |
A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred security, or other security that entitles the holder to acquire common stock or other equity securities of the same or a different issuer. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued or the dividend paid on such security until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities have characteristics similar to nonconvertible income securities in that they ordinarily provide a stable stream of income with generally higher yields than those of common stocks of the same or similar issuers, but lower yields than comparable nonconvertible securities. The value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline. The credit standing of the issuer and other factors also may have an effect on the convertible securitys investment value. A convertible security ranks senior to common stock in a corporations capital structure but is usually subordinated to comparable nonconvertible securities. Convertible securities may be purchased for their appreciation potential when they yield more than the underlying securities at the time of purchase or when they are considered to present less risk of principal loss than the underlying securities. Generally speaking, the interest or dividend yield of a convertible security is somewhat less than that of a non-convertible security of similar quality issued by the same company. A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible securitys governing instrument. |
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Convertible securities are issued and traded in a number of securities markets. Even in cases where a substantial portion of the convertible securities held by the Fund are denominated in U.S. dollars, the underlying equity securities may be quoted in the currency of the country where the issuer is domiciled. As a result, fluctuations in the exchange rate between the currency in which the debt security is denominated and the currency in which the share price is quoted will affect the value of the convertible security. With respect to convertible securities denominated in a currency different from that of the underlying equity securities, the conversion price may be based on a fixed exchange rate established at the time the securities are issued, which may increase the effects of currency risk. |
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Holders of convertible securities generally have a claim on the assets of the issuer prior to the common stockholders but may be subordinated to other debt securities of the same issuer. Certain convertible debt securities may provide a put option to the holder, which entitles the holder to cause the securities to be redeemed by the issuer at a premium over the stated principal amount of the debt securities under certain circumstances. Certain convertible securities may include loss absorption characteristics that make the securities more equity-like. This is particularly true of convertible securities issued by companies in the financial services sector. See Contingent Convertible Securities. |
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Synthetic convertible securities may include either cash-settled convertibles or manufactured convertibles. Cash-settled convertibles are instruments that are created by the issuer and have the economic characteristics of traditional convertible securities but may not actually permit conversion into the underlying equity securities in all circumstances. As an example, a private company may issue a cash-settled convertible that is convertible into common stock only if the company successfully completes a public offering of its common stock prior to maturity and otherwise pays a cash amount to reflect any equity appreciation. Manufactured convertibles are created by the investment adviser or another party by combining separate securities that possess one of the two principal characteristics of a convertible security, i.e. , fixed-income (fixed-income component) or a right to acquire equity securities (convertibility component). The fixed-income component is achieved by investing in nonconvertible fixed-income securities, such as nonconvertible bonds, preferred securities and money market instruments. The convertibility component is achieved by investing in call options, warrants, or other securities with equity conversion features (equity features) granting the holder the right to purchase a specified quantity of the underlying stocks within a specified period of time at a specified price or, in the case of a stock index option, the right to receive a cash payment based on the value of the underlying stock index. A manufactured convertible differs from traditional convertible securities in several respects. Unlike a traditional convertible security, which is a single security that has a unitary market value, a manufactured convertible is comprised of two or more separate securities, each with its own market value. Therefore, the total market value of such a manufactured convertible is the sum of the values of its fixed-income component and its convertibility component. More flexibility is possible in the creation of a manufactured convertible than in the purchase of a traditional convertible security. Because many corporations have not issued convertible securities, the investment adviser may combine a fixed-income instrument and an equity feature with respect to the stock of the issuer of the fixed-income instrument to create a synthetic convertible security otherwise unavailable in the market. The investment adviser may also combine a fixed-income instrument of an issuer with an equity feature with respect to the stock of a different issuer when the investment adviser believes such a manufactured convertible would better promote the Funds objective than alternative investments. For example, the investment adviser may combine an equity feature with respect to an issuers stock with a fixed-income security of a different issuer in the same industry to diversify the Funds credit exposure, or with a U.S. Treasury instrument to create a manufactured convertible with a higher credit profile than a traditional convertible security issued by that issuer. A manufactured convertible also is a more flexible investment in that its two components may be purchased separately and, upon purchasing the separate securities, combined to create a manufactured convertible. For example, the Fund may purchase a warrant for eventual inclusion in a manufactured convertible while postponing the purchase of a suitable bond to pair with the warrant pending development of more favorable market conditions. The value of a manufactured convertible may respond to certain market fluctuations differently from a traditional convertible security with similar characteristics. For example, in the event the Fund created a manufactured convertible by combining a short-term U.S. Treasury instrument and a call option on a stock, the manufactured convertible would be expected to outperform a traditional convertible of similar maturity that is convertible into that stock during periods when Treasury instruments outperform corporate fixed-income securities and underperform during periods when corporate fixed-income securities outperform Treasury instruments. |
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Credit Linked Securities |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Credit linked securities are issued by a limited purpose trust or other vehicle that, in turn, invests in a derivative instrument or basket of derivative instruments, such as credit default swaps, interest rate swaps, and other securities in order to provide exposure to certain fixed-income markets. Credit linked securities may be used as a cash management tool in order to gain exposure to a certain market and to remain fully invested when more traditional income producing securities are not available. Like an investment in a bond, investments in credit linked securities represent the right to receive periodic income payments (in the form of distributions) and payment of principal at the end of the term of the security. However, these payments are conditioned on the issuers receipt of payments from, and the issuers potential obligations to, the counterparties to the derivative instruments and other securities in which the issuer invests. An issuer may sell one or more credit default swaps, under which the issuer would receive a stream of payments over the term of the swap agreements provided that no event of default has occurred with respect to the referenced debt obligation upon which the swap is based. If a default occurs, the stream of payments may stop and the issuer would be obligated to pay the counterparty the par (or other agreed upon value) of the referenced debt obligation. This, in turn, would reduce the amount of income and principal that the holder of the credit linked security would receive. Credit linked securities generally will be exempt from registration under the 1933 Act. Accordingly, there may be no established trading market for the securities and they may constitute illiquid investments. |
Cyber Security Risk |
With the increased use of technologies by Fund service providers, such as the Internet to conduct business, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through hacking or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber security failures or breaches by the Funds investment adviser or administrator
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Derivative Instruments and Related Risks |
Generally, derivatives can be characterized as financial instruments whose performance is derived at least in part from the performance of an underlying reference instrument. Derivative instruments may be acquired in the United States or abroad and include the various types of exchange-traded and over-the-counter (OTC) instruments described herein and other instruments with substantially similar characteristics and risks. Derivative instruments may be based on securities, indices, currencies, commodities, economic indicators and events (referred to as reference instruments). Fund obligations created pursuant to derivative instruments may be subject to the requirements described under Asset Coverage herein. |
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Derivative instruments are subject to a number of risks, including adverse or unexpected movements in the price of the reference instrument, and counterparty, liquidity, tax, correlation and leverage risks. Use of derivative instruments may cause the realization of higher amounts of short-term capital gains (generally taxed at ordinary income tax rates) than if such instruments had not been used. Success in using derivative instruments to hedge portfolio assets depends on the degree of price correlation between the derivative instruments and the hedged asset. Imperfect correlation may be caused by several factors, including temporary price disparities among the trading markets for the derivative instrument, the reference instrument and the Funds assets. To the extent that a derivative instrument is intended to hedge against an event that does not occur, the Fund may realize losses. |
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Hybrid instruments can be used as an efficient means of pursuing a variety of investment goals, including currency hedging, duration management, and increased total return and creating exposure to a particular market or segment of that market. The value of a hybrid instrument or its interest rate may be a multiple of a benchmark and, as a result, may be leveraged and move (up or down) more steeply and rapidly than the benchmark. These benchmarks may be sensitive to economic and political events, such as commodity shortages and currency devaluations, which cannot be readily foreseen by the purchaser of a hybrid instrument. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a hybrid instrument could be zero. The purchase of hybrid instruments also exposes the Fund to the credit risk of the issuer of the hybrids. These risks may cause significant fluctuations in the net asset value of the Fund. |
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Certain hybrid instruments may provide exposure to the commodities markets. These are derivative securities with one or more commodity-linked components that have payment features similar to commodity futures contracts, commodity options, or similar instruments. Commodity-linked hybrid instruments may be either equity or debt securities, leveraged or unleveraged, and are considered hybrid instruments because they have both security and commodity-like characteristics. A portion of the value of these instruments may be derived from the value of a commodity, futures contract, index or other economic variable. The Fund will invest only in commodity-linked hybrid instruments that qualify under applicable rules of the CFTC for an exemption from the provisions of the CEA. Certain issuers of structured products such as hybrid instruments may be deemed to be investment companies as defined in the 1940 Act. As a result, the Funds investments in these products may be subject to limits applicable to investments in investment companies and may be subject to restrictions contained in the 1940 Act. |
Direct Investments |
Direct investments include (i) the private purchase from an enterprise of an equity interest in the enterprise in the form of shares of common stock or equity interests in trusts, partnerships, joint ventures or similar enterprises, and (ii) the purchase of such an equity interest in an enterprise from a principal investor in the enterprise. At the time of making a direct investment, the Fund will enter into a shareholder or similar agreement with the enterprise and one or more other holders of equity interests in the enterprise. These agreements may, in appropriate circumstances, provide the ability to appoint a representative to the board of directors or similar body of the enterprise and for eventual disposition of the investment in the enterprise. Such a representative would be expected to monitor the investment and protect the Funds rights in the investment and would not be appointed for the purpose of exercising management or control of the enterprise. |
Diversified Status |
With respect to 75% of its total assets, an investment company that is registered with the SEC as a diversified fund: (1) may not invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of any one issuer (except obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities and securities of other investment companies); and (2) may not own more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer. |
Dividend Capture Trading |
In a typical dividend capture trade, the Fund would buy a stock prior to its ex-dividend date and sell the stock at a point either on or after the ex-dividend date. The use of a dividend capture trading strategy exposes the Fund to higher portfolio turnover, increased trading costs and potential for capital loss or gain, particularly in the event of significant short-term price movements of stocks subject to dividend capture trading. |
Duration |
Duration measures the time-weighted expected cash flows of a fixed-income security, which can determine its sensitivity to changes in the general level of interest rates. Securities with longer durations generally tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with shorter durations. A mutual fund with a longer dollar-weighted average duration generally can be expected to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than a fund with a shorter dollar-weighted average duration. Duration differs from maturity in that it considers a securitys coupon payments in addition to the amount of time until the security matures. Various techniques may be used to shorten or lengthen Fund duration. As the value of a security changes over time, so will its duration. The duration of a Fund that invests in multiple Portfolios is the sum of its allocable share of the duration of each of the Portfolios in which it invests, which is determined by multiplying the Portfolios duration by the Funds percentage ownership of that Portfolio. |
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
Emerging Market Investments |
The risks described under Foreign Investments herein generally are heightened in connection with investments in emerging markets. Also, investments in securities of issuers domiciled in countries with emerging capital markets may involve certain additional risks that do not generally apply to investments in securities of issuers in more developed capital markets, such as (i) low or non-existent trading volume, resulting in a lack of liquidity and increased volatility in prices for such securities, as compared to securities of comparable issuers in more developed capital markets; (ii) uncertain national policies and social, political and economic instability, increasing the potential for expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxation, high rates of inflation or unfavorable diplomatic developments; (iii) possible fluctuations in exchange rates, differing legal systems and the existence or possible imposition of exchange controls, custodial restrictions or other foreign or U.S. governmental laws or restrictions applicable to such investments; (iv) national policies that may limit investment opportunities, such as restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests; and (v) the lack or relatively early development of legal structures governing private and foreign investments and private property. Trading practices in emerging markets also may be less developed, resulting in inefficiencies relative to trading in more developed markets, which may result in increased transaction costs. |
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Repatriation of investment income, capital and proceeds of sales by foreign investors may require governmental registration and/or approval in emerging market countries. There can be no assurance that repatriation of income, gain or initial capital from these countries will occur. In addition to withholding taxes on investment income, some countries with emerging markets may impose differential capital gains taxes on foreign investors. |
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Political and economic structures in emerging market countries may undergo significant evolution and rapid development, and these countries may lack the social, political and economic stability characteristic of more developed countries. In such a dynamic environment, there can be no assurance that any or all of these capital markets will continue to present viable investment opportunities. In the past, governments of such nations have expropriated substantial amounts of private property, and most claims of the property owners have never been fully settled. There is no assurance that such expropriations will not reoccur. In such an event, it is possible that the entire value of an investment in the affected market could be lost. In addition, unanticipated political or social developments may affect the value of investments in these countries and the availability of additional investments. The small size and inexperience of the securities markets in certain of these countries and the limited volume of trading in securities in these countries may make investments in the countries illiquid and more volatile than investments in developed markets. |
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Also, there may be less publicly available information about issuers in emerging markets than would be available about issuers in more developed capital markets, and such issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements comparable to those to which U.S. companies are subject. In certain countries with emerging capital markets, reporting standards vary widely. As a result, traditional investment measurements used in the United States, such as price/earnings ratios, may not be applicable. Certain emerging market securities may be held by a limited number of persons. This may adversely affect the timing and pricing of the acquisition or disposal of securities. The prices at which investments may be acquired may be affected by trading by persons with material non-public information and by securities transactions by brokers in anticipation of transactions in particular securities. |
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Practices in relation to settlement of securities transactions in emerging markets involve higher risks than those in developed markets, in part because brokers and counterparties in such markets may be less well capitalized, and custody and registration of assets in some countries may be unreliable. The possibility of fraud, negligence, undue influence being exerted by the issuer or refusal to recognize ownership exists in some emerging markets. As an alternative to investing directly in emerging markets, exposure may be obtained through derivative investments. |
Equity Investments |
Equity investments include common stocks; preferred stocks; depositary receipts; equity interests in trusts, partnerships, joint ventures and other unincorporated entities or enterprises; convertible and contingent convertible preferred stocks; rights and warrants and other securities that are treated as equity for U.S. federal income tax purposes (see Preferred Stock and Hybrid Securities). |
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Equity-Linked Securities |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Equity-linked securities are privately issued securities whose investment results are designed to correspond generally to the performance of a specified stock index or basket of securities, or sometimes a single stock. These securities are used for many of the same purposes as derivative instruments and share many of the same risks. Equity-linked securities may be considered illiquid and thus subject to the Funds restrictions on investments in illiquid securities. |
Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) |
ETFs are pooled investment vehicles that are designed to provide investment results corresponding to an index. These indexes may be either broad-based, sector or international. ETFs usually are units of beneficial interest in an investment trust or represent undivided ownership interests in a portfolio of securities (or commodities), in each case with respect to a portfolio of all or substantially all of the component securities of, and in substantially the same weighting as, the relevant benchmark index. ETFs are designed to provide investment results that generally correspond to the price and yield performance of the component securities (or commodities) of the benchmark index. ETFs are listed on an exchange and trade in the secondary market on a per-share basis. The values of ETFs are subject to change as the values of their respective component securities (or commodities) fluctuate according to market volatility. Investments in ETFs may not exactly match the performance of a direct investment in the respective indices to which they are intended to correspond due to the temporary unavailability of certain index securities in the secondary market or other extraordinary circumstances, such as discrepancies with respect to the weighting of securities. Typically, the ETF bears its own operational expenses, which are deducted from its assets. To the extent that the Fund invests in ETFs, the Fund must bear these expenses in addition to the expenses of its own operation. |
Exchange-Traded Notes (ETNs) |
ETNs are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities whose returns are linked to the performance of a particular market benchmark or strategy minus applicable fees. ETNs are traded on an exchange during normal trading hours. However, investors can also hold the ETN until maturity. At maturity, the issuer pays to the investor a cash amount equal to the principal amount, subject to the days market benchmark or strategy factor. |
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ETNs do not make periodic coupon payments or provide principal protection. ETNs are subject to credit risk and the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuers credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged. The value of an ETN may also be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying assets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuers credit rating, and economic, legal, political, or geographic events that affect the referenced underlying asset. When the Fund invests in ETNs it will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. The Funds decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. In addition, although an ETN may be listed on an exchange, the issuer may not be required to maintain the listing and there can be no assurance that a secondary market will exist for an ETN. |
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ETNs are subject to tax risk. No assurance can be given that the IRS will accept, or a court will uphold, how the Fund characterizes and treats ETNs for tax purposes. Further, the IRS and Congress are considering proposals that would change the timing and character of income and gains from ETNs. |
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An ETN that is tied to a specific market benchmark or strategy may not be able to replicate and maintain exactly the composition and relative weighting of securities, commodities or other components in the applicable market benchmark or strategy. Some ETNs that use leverage can, at times, be relatively illiquid and, thus, they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs are subject to the same risk as other instruments that use leverage in any form. |
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The market value of ETN shares may differ from that of their market benchmark or strategy. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETN shares at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the securities, commodities or other components underlying the market benchmark or strategy that the ETN seeks to track. As a result, there may be times when an ETN share trades at a premium or discount to its market benchmark or strategy. |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
56
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
57
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Other potential foreign market risks include exchange controls, difficulties in valuing securities, defaults on foreign government securities, and difficulties of enforcing favorable legal judgments in foreign courts. Moreover, individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, reinvestment of capital, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, and balance of payments position. Certain economies may rely heavily on particular industries or foreign capital and are more vulnerable to diplomatic developments, the imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, changes in international trading patterns, trade barriers, and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. Foreign securities markets, while growing in volume and sophistication, are generally not as developed as those in the United States. Foreign countries may not have the infrastructure or resources to respond to natural and other disasters that interfere with economic activities, which may adversely affect issuers located in such countries. |
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Settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets differ significantly from those in the United States. Payment for securities before delivery may be required and in some countries delayed settlements are customary, which increases the Funds risk of loss. The Fund generally holds its foreign securities and related cash in foreign banks and securities depositories. Some foreign banks and securities depositories may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In addition, there may be limited or no regulatory oversight over their operations. Also, the laws of certain countries may put limits on the Funds ability to recover its assets if a foreign bank, depository or issuer of a security or any of their agents goes bankrupt. Certain countries may require withholding on dividends paid on portfolio securities and on realized capital gains. |
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In addition, it is often more expensive to buy, sell and hold securities in certain foreign markets than in the United States. Foreign brokerage commissions are generally higher than commissions on securities traded in the United States and may be non-negotiable. The fees paid to foreign banks and securities depositories generally are higher than those charged by U.S. banks and depositories. The increased expense of investing in foreign markets reduces the amount earned on investments and typically results in a higher operating expense ratio for the Fund as compared to investment companies that invest only in the United States. |
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Depositary receipts (including American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) and Global Depositary Receipts GDRs)) are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer and are alternatives to directly purchasing 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 the political and economic risks of the underlying issuers country, as well as in the case of depositary receipts traded on foreign markets, exchange risk. Depositary receipts may be sponsored or unsponsored. Unsponsored depositary receipts are established without the participation of the issuer. As a result, available information concerning the issuer of an unsponsored depository receipt may not be as current as for sponsored depositary receipts, and the prices of unsponsored depositary receipts may be more volatile than if such instruments were sponsored by the issuer. Unsponsored depositary receipts may involve higher expenses, may not pass through voting or other shareholder rights and they may be less liquid. |
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Unless otherwise provided in the Prospectus, in determining the domicile of an issuer, the investment adviser may consider the domicile determination of the Funds benchmark index or a leading provider of global indexes and may take into account such factors as where the companys securities are listed, and where the company is legally organized, maintains principal corporate offices and/or conducts its principal operations. |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
58
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. A forward foreign currency exchange contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts may be bought or sold to protect against an adverse change in the relationship between currencies or to increase exposure to a particular foreign currency. Cross-hedging may be done by using forward contracts in one currency (or basket of currencies) to hedge against fluctuations in the value of instruments denominated in a different currency (or the basket of currencies and the underlying currency). Use of a different foreign currency (for hedging or non-hedging purposes) magnifies exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are individually negotiated and privately traded so they are dependent upon the creditworthiness of the counterparty. The precise matching of the forward contract amounts and the value of the instruments denominated in the corresponding currencies will not generally be possible. In addition, it may not be possible to hedge against long-term currency changes. |
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When a currency is difficult to hedge or to hedge against the U.S. dollar, the Fund may enter into a forward contract to sell a currency whose changes in value are generally considered to be linked to such currency. Currency transactions can result in losses if the currency being hedged fluctuates in value to a degree or in a direction that is not anticipated. In addition, there is the risk that the perceived linkage between various currencies may not be present or may not be present during the particular time the hedge is in place. If the Fund purchases a bond denominated in a foreign currency with a higher interest rate than is available on U.S. bonds of a similar maturity, the additional yield on the foreign bond could be substantially reduced or lost if the Fund were to enter into a direct hedge by selling the foreign currency and purchasing the U.S. dollar. |
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Some of the forward foreign currency exchange contracts may be classified as non-deliverable forwards (NDFs). NDFs are cash-settled, forward contracts that may be thinly traded. NDFs are commonly quoted for time periods of one month up to two years, and are normally quoted and settled in U.S. dollars, but may be settled in other currencies. They are often used to gain exposure to or hedge exposure to foreign currencies that are not internationally traded. NDFs may also be used to gain or hedge exposure to gold. |
Forward Rate Agreements |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Under a forward rate agreement, the buyer locks in an interest rate at a future settlement date. If the interest rate on the settlement date exceeds the lock rate, the buyer pays the seller the difference between the two rates. If the lock rate exceeds the interest rate on the settlement date, the seller pays the buyer the difference between the two rates. Any such gain received by the Fund would be taxable. These instruments are traded in the OTC market. |
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See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Futures contracts are standardized contracts that obligate a purchaser to take delivery, and a seller to make delivery, of a specific amount of the underlying reference instrument at a specified future date at a specified price. These contracts are traded on exchanges, so that, in most cases, either party can close out its position on the exchange for cash, without delivering the underlying asset. Upon purchasing or selling a futures contract, a purchaser or seller is required to deposit collateral (initial margin). Each day thereafter until the futures position is closed, the purchaser or seller will pay additional margin (variation margin) representing any loss experienced as a result of the futures position the prior day or be entitled to a payment representing any profit experienced as a result of the futures position the prior day. A public market exists in futures contracts covering a number of indexes as well as financial instruments and foreign currencies. It is expected that other futures contracts will be developed and traded in the future. In computing daily net asset value, the Fund will mark to market its open futures positions. The Fund is also required to deposit and maintain margin with respect to put and call options on futures contracts written by it. Futures contracts are traded on exchanges or boards of trade that are licensed by the CFTC and must be executed through a futures commission merchant or brokerage firm that is a member of the relevant exchange or board. |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
59
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Although some futures contracts call for making or taking delivery of the underlying reference instrument, generally these obligations are closed out prior to delivery by offsetting purchases or sales of matching futures contracts (same exchange, underlying security or index, and delivery month). Closing a futures contract sale is effected by purchasing a futures contract for the same aggregate amount of the specific type of financial instrument or commodity with the same delivery date. If an offsetting purchase price is less than the original sale price, the Fund realizes a capital gain, or if it is more, the Fund realizes a capital loss. Conversely, if an offsetting sale price is more than the original purchase price, the Fund realizes a capital gain, or if it is less, the Fund realizes a capital loss. |
Health Sciences Companies |
To the extent described in the Prospectus, the Fund may concentrate its investments in health sciences companies. |
High Yield Securities |
High yield securities (commonly referred to as junk) are considered to be of below investment grade quality and generally provide greater income potential and/or increased opportunity for capital appreciation than investments in higher quality securities but they also typically entail greater potential price volatility and principal and income risk. High yield securities are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the entitys continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments. Also, their yields and market values may fluctuate more than higher rated securities. Fluctuations in value do not affect the cash income from the securities, but are reflected in the Funds net asset value. The greater risks and fluctuations in yield and value occur, in part, because investors generally perceive issuers of lower rated and unrated securities to be less creditworthy. The secondary market on which high yield securities are traded may be less liquid than the market for higher grade securities. |
Hybrid Securities |
Hybrid securities generally possess characteristics common to both equity and debt securities. These securities may at times behave more like equity than debt, or vice versa. Preferred stocks, convertible securities and certain debt obligations are types of hybrid securities. Hybrid securities generally have a preference over common stock and perpetual or near perpetual terms. Hybrid securities generally do not have voting rights or have limited voting rights. Because hybrid securities have both debt and equity characteristics, their values vary in response to many factors, including general market and economic conditions, issuer-specific events, changes in interest rates, credit spreads and the credit quality of the issuer, and, for convertible securities, factors affecting the securities into which they convert. Hybrid securities may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a predetermined price. Hybrid securities may pay a fixed or variable rate of interest or dividends. The prices and yields of nonconvertible hybrid securities generally move with changes in interest rates and the issuers credit quality, similar to the factors affecting debt securities. If the issuer of a hybrid security experiences financial difficulties, the value of such security may be adversely affected similar to the issuers outstanding common stock or subordinated debt instruments. See also Preferred Stock, Convertible Securities and Contingent Convertible Securities. |
Illiquid Securities |
Illiquid securities include securities legally restricted as to resale, and may include commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the 1933 Act and securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A thereunder. Section 4(a)(2) and Rule 144A securities may, however, be treated as liquid by the investment 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. Even if determined to be liquid, Rule 144A securities may increase the level of portfolio illiquidity if eligible buyers become uninterested in purchasing such securities. |
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It may be difficult to sell illiquid securities at a price representing fair value until such time as the securities may be sold publicly. It also may be more difficult to determine the fair value of such securities for purposes of computing the Funds net asset value. Where registration is required, a considerable period of time may elapse between a decision to sell the securities and the time when the Fund would be permitted to sell. Thus, the Fund may not be able to obtain as favorable a price as that prevailing at the time of the decision to sell. The Fund may incur additional expense when disposing of illiquid securities, including all or a portion of the cost to register the securities. The Fund also may acquire securities through private placements under which it may agree to contractual restrictions on the resale of such securities that are in addition to applicable legal restrictions. Such restrictions might prevent the sale of such securities at a time when such sale would otherwise be desirable. |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
60
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
61
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
62
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Loans |
Loans may be primary, direct investments or investments in loan assignments or participation interests. A loan assignment represents a portion or the entirety of a loan and a portion of the entirety of a position previously attributable to a different lender. The purchaser of an assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations under the loan agreement and has the same rights and obligations as the assigning investor. However, assignments through private negotiations may cause the purchaser of an assignment to have different and more limited rights than those held by the assigning investor. Loan participation interests are interests issued by a lender or other entity and represent a fractional interest in a loan. The Fund typically will have a contractual relationship only with the financial institution that issued the participation interest. As a result, the Fund may have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled only from the financial institution and only upon receipt by such entity of such payments from the borrower. In connection with purchasing a participation interest, the Fund 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 investors through set-off against the borrower and the Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the loan in which it has purchased the participation interest. As a result, the Fund may assume the credit risk of both the borrower and the financial institution issuing the participation interest. In the event of the insolvency of the entity issuing a participation interest, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of such entity. |
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Loans may be originated by a lending agent, such as a financial institution or other entity, on behalf of a group or syndicate of loan investors (the Loan Investors). In such a case, the agent administers the terms of the loan agreement and is responsible for the collection of principal, and interest payments from the borrower and the apportionment of these payments to the Loan Investors. Failure by the agent to fulfill its obligations may delay or adversely affect receipt of payment by the Fund. Furthermore, unless under the terms of a loan agreement or participation (as applicable) the Fund has direct recourse against the borrower, the Fund must rely on the Agent and the other Loan Investors to pursue appropriate remedies against the borrower. |
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Loan investments may be made at par or at a discount or premium to par. The interest payable on a loan may be fixed or floating rate, and paid in cash or in-kind. In connection with transactions in loans, the Fund may be subject to facility or other fees. Loans may be secured by specific collateral or other assets of the borrower, guaranteed by a third party, unsecured or subordinated. During the term of a loan, the value of any collateral securing the loan may decline in value, causing the loan to be under collateralized. 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 borrowers obligations under the loan. In addition, if a loan is foreclosed, the Fund could become part owner of the collateral and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of such collateral. |
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A lenders repayment and other rights primarily are determined by governing loan, assignment or participation documents, which (among other things) typically establish the priority of payment on the loan relative to other indebtedness and obligations of the borrower. In the event of bankruptcy, applicable law may impact a lenders ability to enforce its rights under such documents. Investing in loans involves the risk of default by the borrower or other party obligated to repay the loan. In the event of insolvency of the borrower or other obligated party, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of such entity unless it has rights that are senior to that of other creditors or secured by specific collateral or assets of the borrower. Fixed-rate loans are also subject to the risk that their value will decline in a rising interest rate environment. This risk is mitigated for floating-rate loans, where the interest rate payable on the loan resets periodically by reference to a base lending rate. The base lending rate usually is the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), the Federal Reserve federal funds rate, the prime rate or other base lending rates used by commercial lenders. LIBOR usually is an average of the interest rates quoted by several designated banks as the rates at which they pay interest to major depositors in the London interbank market on U.S. dollar-denominated deposits. |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
63
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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The Fund will take whatever action it considers appropriate in the event of anticipated financial difficulties, default or bankruptcy of the borrower or other entity obligated to repay a loan. Such action may include: (i) retaining the services of various persons or firms (including affiliates of the investment adviser) to evaluate or protect any collateral or other assets securing the loan or acquired as a result of any such event; (ii) managing (or engaging other persons to manage) or otherwise dealing with any collateral or other assets so acquired; and (iii) taking such other actions (including, but not limited to, payment of operating or similar expenses relating to the collateral) as the investment adviser may deem appropriate to reduce the likelihood or severity of loss on the Funds investment and/or maximize the return on such investment. The Fund will incur additional expenditures in taking protective action with respect to loans in (or anticipated to be in) default and assets securing such loans. In certain circumstances, the Fund may receive equity or equity-like securities from a borrower to settle the loan or may acquire an equity interest in the borrower. Representatives of the Fund also may join creditor or similar committees relating to loans. |
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Lenders can be sued by other creditors and the debtor and its shareholders. Losses could be greater than the original loan amount and occur years after the loans recovery. If a borrower becomes involved in bankruptcy proceedings, a court may invalidate the Funds security interest in any loan collateral or subordinate the Funds rights under the loan agreement to the interests of the borrowers unsecured creditors or cause interest previously paid to be refunded to the borrower. 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 Funds security interest in loan collateral. If any of these events occur, the Funds performance could be negatively affected. |
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Interests in loans generally are not listed on any national securities exchange or automated quotation system and no active market may exist for many loans, making them illiquid. As described below, a secondary market exists for many Senior Loans, but it may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods. |
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From time to time the investment adviser and its affiliates may borrow money from various banks in connection with their business activities. Such banks may also sell interests in loans to or acquire them from the Fund or may be intermediate participants with respect to loans in which the Fund owns interests. Such banks may also act as agents for loans held by the Fund. |
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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 loans for investment may be adversely affected. Further, such legislation or regulation could depress the market value of loans. |
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For additional disclosures relating to Junior and Senior Loans, see Junior Loans and Senior Loans herein. |
Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) |
MLPs are publicly-traded limited partnership interests or units. An MLP that invests in a particular industry (e.g., oil and gas) will be harmed by detrimental economic events within that industry. As partnerships, MLPs may be subject to less regulation (and less protection for investors) under state laws than corporations. In addition, MLPs may be subject to state taxation in certain jurisdictions, which may reduce the amount of income paid by an MLP to its investors. |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
64
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS) |
MBS are pass through securities, meaning that a pro rata share of regular interest and principal payments, as well as unscheduled early prepayments, on the underlying mortgage pool is passed through monthly to the holder. MBS may include conventional mortgage pass through securities, participation interests in pools of adjustable and fixed rate mortgage loans, stripped mortgage-backed securities (described herein), floating rate mortgage-backed securities and certain classes of multiple class CMOs. MBS pay principal to the holder over their term, which differs from other forms of debt securities that normally provide for principal payment at maturity or specified call dates. MBS are subject to the general risks associated with investing in real estate securities; that is, they may lose value if the value of the underlying real estate to which a pool of mortgages relates declines. In addition, investments in MBS involve certain specific risks, including the failure of a party to meet its commitments under the related operative documents, adverse interest rate changes and the effects of prepayments on mortgage cash flows. Certain MBS may be purchased on a when-issued basis subject to certain limitations and requirements. |
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There are currently four types of MBS: (1) those issued by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities, such as the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA), the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC); (2) those issued by private issuers that represent an interest in or are collateralized by pass through securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities; (3) those issued by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities without a government guarantee, such as credit risk transfer bonds; and (4) those issued by private issuers that represent an interest in or are collateralized by whole mortgage loans or pass through securities without a government guarantee but that usually have some form of private credit enhancement. Privately issued MBS are structured similar to GNMA, FNMA and FHLMC MBS, and are issued by originators or and investors in mortgage loans, including depositary institutions mortgage banks and special purpose subsidiaries of the foregoing. |
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GNMA Certificates and FNMA Mortgage-Backed Certificates are MBS representing part ownership of a pool of mortgage loans. GNMA loans (issued by lenders such as mortgage bankers, commercial banks and savings and loan associations) are either insured by the Federal Housing Administration or guaranteed by the Veterans Administration. A pool of such mortgages is assembled and, after being approved by GNMA, is offered to investors through securities dealers. Once such pool is approved by GNMA, the timely payment of interest and principal on the Certificates issued representing such pool is guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. GNMA is a wholly owned U.S. Government corporation within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. FNMA, a federally chartered corporation owned entirely by private stockholders, purchases both conventional and federally insured or guaranteed residential mortgages from various entities, including savings and loan associations, savings banks, commercial banks, credit unions and mortgage bankers, and packages pools of such mortgages in the form of pass-through securities generally called FNMA Mortgage-Backed Certificates, which are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by FNMA but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government; however, they are supported by the right of FNMA to borrow from the U.S. Treasury Department. |
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FHLMC, a corporate instrumentality of the U.S. Government created by Congress for the purposes of increasing the availability of mortgage credit for residential housing, issues participation certificates (PCs) representing undivided interest in FHLMCS mortgage portfolio. While FHLMC guarantees the timely payment of interest and ultimate collection of the principal of its PCs, its PCs are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. FHLMC PCs differ from GNMA Certificates in that the mortgages underlying the PCs are monthly conventional mortgages rather than mortgages insured or guaranteed by a federal agency or instrumentality. However, in several other respects, such as the monthly pass-through of interest and principal (including unscheduled prepayments) and the unpredictability of future unscheduled prepayments on the underlying mortgage pools, FHLMC PCs are similar to GNMA Certificates. |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
65
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
66
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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MLOs and participations therein represent a type of financing that may not have the depth of marketability associated with more conventional securities and, as such, they may be less liquid than conventional securities. Certain MLOs may be deemed illiquid for the purpose of the Funds limitation on investments in illiquid securities, unless determined by the investment adviser, pursuant to guidelines adopted by the Board, to be liquid securities. The investment adviser will consider an MLO to be liquid if it is rated investment grade (being an MLO rated BBB or Baa or higher) by a nationally recognized statistical ratings organization or is insured by an insurer rated investment grade. If an MLO or participation does not meet the foregoing criteria, then the investment adviser will consider the MLO to be illiquid unless it conducts an analysis of relevant factors and concludes that the MLO is liquid. In conducting such an analysis, the investment adviser will consider the factors it believes are relevant to the marketability of the obligation, to the extent that information regarding such factor is available to the investment adviser and pertinent to the liquidity determination, which may include: (1) the willingness of dealers to bid for the obligation; (2) the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the obligation and the number of other potential buyers; (3) the frequency of trades and quotes for the obligation; (4) the nature of the marketplace trades, including the time needed to dispose of the obligation, the method of soliciting offers, and the mechanics of transfer; (5) the willingness of the governmental issuer to continue to appropriate funds for the payment of the obligation; (6) how likely or remote an event of non-appropriation may be, which depends in varying degrees on a variety of factors, including those relating to the general creditworthiness of the governmental issuer, its dependence on its continuing access to the credit markets, and the importance to the issuer of the equipment, property or facility covered by the lease or contract; (7) an assessment of the likelihood that the lease may or may not be cancelled; and (8) other factors and information unique to the obligation in determining its liquidity. |
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The ability of issuers of MLOs to make timely lease payments may be adversely impacted in general economic downturns and as relative governmental cost burdens are allocated and reallocated among federal, state and local governmental units. Such non-payment would result in a reduction of income from and value of the obligation. Issuers of MLOs might seek protection under the bankruptcy laws. In the event of bankruptcy of such an issuer, holders of MLOs could experience delays and limitations with respect to the collection of principal and interest on such MLOs and may not, in all circumstances, be able to collect all principal and interest to which it is entitled. To enforce its rights in the event of a default in lease payments, the Fund might take possession of and manage the assets securing the issuers obligations on such securities or otherwise incur costs to protect its rights, which may increase the Funds operating expenses and adversely affect the net asset value of the Fund. When the lease contains a non-appropriation clause, however, the failure to pay would not be a default and the Fund would not have the right to take possession of the assets. Any income derived from the Funds ownership or operation of such assets may not be tax-exempt. |
Municipal Obligations |
Municipal obligations include debt obligations issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public facilities, refunding of outstanding obligations and obtaining funds for general operating expenses and loans to other public institutions and facilities. Certain types of bonds are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to finance various privately owned or operated facilities, including certain facilities for the local furnishing of electric energy or gas, sewage facilities, solid waste disposal facilities and other specialized facilities. Municipal obligations include bonds as well as tax-exempt commercial paper, project notes and municipal notes such as tax, revenue and bond anticipation notes of short maturity, generally less than three years. While most municipal bonds pay a fixed rate of interest semiannually in cash, there are exceptions. Some bonds pay no periodic cash interest, but rather make a single payment at maturity representing both principal and interest. Some bonds may pay interest at a variable or floating rate. Bonds may be issued or subsequently offered with interest coupons materially greater or less than those then prevailing, with price adjustments reflecting such deviation. Municipal obligations also include trust certificates representing interests in municipal securities held by a trustee. The trust certificates may evidence ownership of future interest payments, principal payments or both on the underlying securities. |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
67
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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In general, there are three categories of municipal obligations, the interest on which is exempt from federal income tax and is not a tax preference item for purposes of the alternative minimum tax (AMT): (i) certain public purpose obligations (whenever issued), which include obligations issued directly by state and local governments or their agencies to fulfill essential governmental functions; (ii) certain obligations issued before August 8, 1986 for the benefit of non-governmental persons or entities; and (iii) certain private activity bonds issued after August 7, 1986, which include qualified Section 501(c)(3) bonds or refundings of certain obligations included in the second category. Opinions relating to the validity of municipal bonds, exclusion of municipal bond interest from an investors gross income for federal income tax purposes and, where applicable, state and local income tax, are rendered by bond counsel to the issuing authorities at the time of issuance. |
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Interest on certain private activity bonds issued after August 7, 1986 is exempt from regular federal income tax, but such interest (including a distribution by the Fund derived from such interest) is treated as a tax preference item that could subject the recipient to or increase the recipients liability for the AMT. For corporate shareholders, the Funds distributions derived from interest on all municipal obligations (whenever issued) are included in adjusted current earnings for purposes of the AMT as applied to corporations (to the extent not already included in alternative minimum taxable income as income attributable to private activity bonds). |
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The two principal classifications of municipal bonds are general obligation and revenue bonds. Issuers of general obligation bonds include states, counties, cities, towns and regional districts. The proceeds of these obligations are used to fund a wide range of public projects, including the construction or improvement of schools, highways and roads, water and sewer systems and a variety of other public purposes. The basic security of general obligation bonds is the issuers pledge of its faith, credit, and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest. The taxes that can be levied for the payment of debt service may be limited or unlimited as to rate and amount. |
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Typically, the only security for a limited obligation or revenue bond is the net revenue derived from a particular facility or class of facilities financed thereby or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special tax or other special revenues. Revenue bonds have been issued to fund a wide variety of revenue-producing public capital projects including: electric, gas, water and sewer systems; highways, bridges and tunnels; port and airport facilities; colleges and universities; hospitals; and convention, recreational, tribal gaming and housing facilities. Although the security behind these bonds varies widely, many lower rated bonds provide additional security in the form of a debt service reserve fund that may also be used to make principal and interest payments on the issuer's obligations. In addition, some revenue obligations (as well as general obligations) are insured by a bond insurance company or backed by a letter of credit issued by a banking institution. Revenue bonds also include, for example, pollution control, health care and housing bonds, which, although nominally issued by municipal authorities, are generally not secured by the taxing power of the municipality but by the revenues of the authority derived from payments by the private entity that owns or operates the facility financed with the proceeds of the bonds. Obligations of housing finance authorities have a wide range of security features, including reserve funds and insured or subsidized mortgages, as well as the net revenues from housing or other public projects. Many of these bonds do not generally constitute the pledge of the credit of the issuer of such bonds. The credit quality of such revenue bonds is usually directly related to the credit standing of the user of the facility being financed or of an institution which provides a guarantee, letter of credit or other credit enhancement for the bond issue. The Fund may on occasion acquire revenue bonds that carry warrants or similar rights covering equity securities. Such warrants or rights may be held indefinitely, but if exercised, the Fund anticipates that it would, under normal circumstances, dispose of any equity securities so acquired within a reasonable period of time. Investing in revenue bonds may involve (without limitation) the following risks. |
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Hospital bond ratings are often based on feasibility studies that contain projections of expenses, revenues and occupancy levels. A hospitals income available to service its debt may be influenced by demand for hospital services, management capabilities, the service area economy, efforts by insurers and government agencies to limit rates and expenses, competition, availability and expense of malpractice insurance, and Medicaid and Medicare funding. |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
68
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Education-related bonds are comprised of two types: (i) those issued to finance projects for public and private colleges and universities, charter schools and private schools, and (ii) those representing pooled interests in student loans. Bonds issued to supply educational institutions with funding are subject to many risks, including the risks of unanticipated revenue decline, primarily the result of decreasing student enrollment, decreasing state and federal funding, or changes in general economic conditions. Additionally, higher than anticipated costs associated with salaries, utilities, insurance or other general expenses could impair the ability of a borrower to make annual debt service payments. Student loan revenue bonds are generally offered by state (or sub-state) authorities or commissions and are backed by pools of student loans. Underlying student loans may be guaranteed by state guarantee agencies and may be subject to reimbursement by the United States Department of Education through its guaranteed student loan program. Others may be private, uninsured loans made to parents or students that may be supported by reserves or other forms of credit enhancement. Cash flows supporting student loan revenue bonds are impacted by numerous factors, including the rate of student loan defaults, seasoning of the loan portfolio, and student repayment deferral periods of forbearance. Other risks associated with student loan revenue bonds include potential changes in federal legislation regarding student loan revenue bonds, state guarantee agency reimbursement and continued federal interest and other program subsidies currently in effect. |
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Transportation debt may be issued to finance the construction of airports, toll roads, highways, or other transit facilities. Airport bonds are dependent on the economic conditions of the airports service area and may be affected by the business strategies and fortunes of specific airlines. They may also be subject to competition from other airports and modes of transportation. Air traffic generally follows broader economic trends and is also affected by the price and availability of fuel. Toll road bonds are also affected by the cost and availability of fuel as well as toll levels, the presence of competing roads and the general economic health of an area. Fuel costs, transportation taxes and fees, and availability of fuel also affect other transportation-related securities, as do the presence of alternate forms of transportation, such as public transportation. |
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Industrial development bonds are normally secured only by the revenues from the project and not by state or local government tax payments, they are subject to a wide variety of risks, many of which relate to the nature of the specific project. Generally, IDBs are sensitive to the risk of a slowdown in the economy. Electric utilities face problems in financing large construction programs in an inflationary period, cost increases and delay occasioned by safety and environmental considerations (particularly with respect to nuclear facilities), difficulty in obtaining fuel at reasonable prices, and in achieving timely and adequate rate relief from regulatory commissions, effects of energy conservation and limitations on the capacity of the capital market to absorb utility debt. Water and sewer revenue bonds are generally secured by the fees charged to each user of the service. The issuers of water and sewer revenue bonds generally enjoy a monopoly status and latitude in their ability to raise rates. However, lack of water supply due to insufficient rain, run-off, or snow pack can be a concern and has led to past defaults. Further, public resistance to rate increases, declining numbers of customers in a particular locale, costly environmental litigation, and federal environmental mandates are challenges faced by issuers of water and sewer bonds. |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
69
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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The obligations of any person or entity to pay the principal of and interest on a municipal obligation are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the Federal Bankruptcy Act, and laws, if any, that may be enacted by Congress or state legislatures extending the time for payment of principal or interest, or both, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations. Certain bond structures may be subject to the risk that a taxing authority may issue an adverse ruling regarding tax-exempt status. There is also the possibility that as a result of adverse economic conditions (including unforeseen financial events, natural disasters and other conditions that may affect an issuers ability to pay its obligations), litigation or other conditions, the power or ability of any person or entity to pay when due principal of and interest on a municipal obligation may be materially affected or interest and principal previously paid may be required to be refunded. There have been instances of defaults and bankruptcies involving municipal obligations that were not foreseen by the financial and investment communities. The Fund will take whatever action it considers appropriate in the event of anticipated financial difficulties, default or bankruptcy of either the issuer of any municipal obligation or of the underlying source of funds for debt service. Such action may include: (i) retaining the services of various persons or firms (including affiliates of the investment adviser) to evaluate or protect any real estate, facilities or other assets securing any such obligation or acquired by the Fund as a result of any such event; (ii) managing (or engaging other persons to manage) or otherwise dealing with any real estate, facilities or other assets so acquired; and (iii) taking such other actions as the adviser (including, but not limited to, payment of operating or similar expenses of the underlying project) may deem appropriate to reduce the likelihood or severity of loss on the funds investment. The Fund will incur additional expenditures in taking protective action with respect to portfolio obligations in (or anticipated to be in) default and assets securing such obligations. |
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Historically, municipal bankruptcies have been rare and certain provisions of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code governing such bankruptcy are unclear. Further, the application of state law to municipal obligation issuers could produce varying results among the states or among municipal obligation issuers within a state. These uncertainties could have a significant impact on the prices of the municipal obligations in which the Fund invests. There could be economic, business or political developments or court decisions that adversely affect all municipal obligations in the same sector. Developments such as changes in healthcare regulations, environmental considerations related to construction, construction cost increases and labor problems, failure of healthcare facilities to maintain adequate occupancy levels, and inflation can affect municipal obligations in the same sector. As the similarity in issuers of municipal obligations held by the Fund increases, the potential for fluctuations in the Funds share price also may increase. |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
70
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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The secondary market for some municipal obligations issued within a state (including issues that are privately placed with the Fund) is less liquid than that for taxable debt obligations or other more widely traded municipal obligations. No established resale market exists for certain of the municipal obligations in which the Fund may invest. The market for obligations rated below investment grade is also likely to be less liquid than the market for higher rated obligations. As a result, the Fund may be unable to dispose of these municipal obligations at times when it would otherwise wish to do so at the prices at which they are valued. Municipal obligations that are rated below investment grade but that, subsequent to the assignment of such rating, are backed by escrow accounts containing U.S. Government obligations may be determined by the investment adviser to be of investment grade quality for purposes of the Funds investment policies. In the case of a defaulted obligation, the Fund may incur additional expense seeking recovery of its investment. Defaulted obligations are denoted in the Portfolio of Investments in the Financial Statements included in the Funds reports to shareholders. The yields on municipal obligations depend on a variety of factors, including purposes of the issue and source of funds for repayment, general money market conditions, general conditions of the municipal bond market, size of a particular offering, maturity of the obligation and rating of the issue. The ratings of Moodys, S&P and Fitch represent their opinions as to the quality of the municipal obligations which they undertake to rate, and in the case of insurers, other factors including the claims-paying ability of such insurer. It should be emphasized, however, that ratings are based on judgment and are not absolute standards of quality. Consequently, municipal obligations with the same maturity, coupon and rating may have different yields while obligations of the same maturity and coupon with different ratings may have the same yield. In addition, the market price of such obligations will normally fluctuate with changes in interest rates, and therefore the net asset value of the Fund will be affected by such changes. |
Operational Risk |
The Funds service providers, including the investment adviser, may experience disruptions or operating errors that could negatively impact the Fund. While service providers are expected to have appropriate operational risk management policies and procedures, their methods of operational risk management may differ from the Fund's in the setting of priorities, the personnel and resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. It also is not possible for Fund service providers to identify all of the operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. |
Option Contracts |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. An option contract is a contract that gives the holder of the option, in return for a premium, the right to buy from (in the case of a call) or sell to (in the case of a put) the writer of the option the reference instrument underlying the option (or the cash value of the index) at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option. The writer of an option on a security has the obligation upon exercise of the option to deliver the reference instrument (or the cash) upon payment of the exercise price or to pay the exercise price upon delivery of the reference instrument (or the cash). Upon exercise of an index option, the writer of an option on an index is obligated to pay the difference between the cash value of the index and the exercise price multiplied by the specified multiplier for the index option. Options may be covered, meaning that the party required to deliver the reference instrument if the option is exercised owns that instrument (or has set aside sufficient assets to meet its obligation to deliver the instrument). Options may be listed on an exchange or traded in the OTC market. In general, exchange-traded options have standardized exercise prices and expiration dates and may require the parties to post margin against their obligations, and the performance of the parties' obligations in connection with such options is guaranteed by the exchange or a related clearing corporation. OTC options have more flexible terms negotiated between the buyer and the seller, but generally do not require the parties to post margin and are subject to counterparty risk. OTC options also involve greater liquidity risk. The staff of the SEC takes the position that certain purchased OTC options, and assets used as cover for written OTC options, are illiquid. Derivatives on economic indicators generally are offered in an auction format and are booked and settled as OTC options. Options on futures contracts are discussed herein under Futures Contracts. |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
71
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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If a written option expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a capital gain equal to the premium received at the time the option was written. If a purchased option expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a capital loss equal to the premium paid. Prior to the earlier of exercise or expiration, an exchange traded option may be closed out by an offsetting purchase or sale of an option of the same series (type, exchange, reference instrument, exercise price, and expiration). A capital gain will be realized from a closing purchase transaction if the cost of the closing option is less than the premium received from writing the option, or, if it is more, a capital loss will be realized. If the premium received from a closing sale transaction is more than the premium paid to purchase the option, the Fund will realize a capital gain or, if it is less, the Fund will realize a capital loss. The principal factors affecting the market value of a put or a call option include supply and demand, the current market price of the reference instrument in relation to the exercise price of the option, the volatility of the reference instrument, and the time remaining until the expiration date. There can be no assurance that a closing purchase or sale transaction can be consummated when desired. |
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Straddles are a combination of a call and a put written on the same reference instrument. A straddle is deemed to be covered when sufficient assets are deposited to meet the Funds immediate obligations. The same liquid assets may be used to cover both the call and put options where the exercise price of the call and put are the same, or the exercise price of the call is higher than that of the put. The Fund may also buy and write call options on the same reference instrument to cover its obligations. Because such combined options positions involve multiple trades, they result in higher transaction costs and may be more difficult to open or close. In an equity collar, the Fund simultaneously writes a call option and purchases a put option on the same instrument. |
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To the extent that the Fund writes a call option on an instrument it holds and intends to use such instrument as the sole means of covering its obligation under the call option, the Fund has, in return for the premium on the option, given up the opportunity to profit from a price increase in the instrument above the exercise price during the option period, but, as long as its obligation under such call option continues, has retained the risk of loss should the value of the reference instrument decline. If the Fund were unable to close out such a call option, it would not be able to sell the instrument unless the option expired without exercise. Uncovered calls have speculative characteristics and are riskier than covered calls because there is no instrument or cover held by the Fund that can act as a partial hedge. |
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The writer of an option has no control over the time when it may be required to fulfill its obligation under the option. Once an option writer has received an exercise notice, it cannot effect a closing purchase transaction in order to terminate its obligation under the option and must deliver the underlying reference instrument at the exercise price. If a put or call option purchased by the Fund is not sold when it has remaining value, and if the market price of the underlying security remains equal to or greater than the exercise price (in the case of a put), or remains less than or equal to the exercise price (in the case of a call), the Fund will lose the premium it paid for the option. Furthermore, if trading restrictions or suspensions are imposed on options markets, the Fund may be unable to close out a position. |
Option Strategy |
The Fund implements the Option Strategy or Enhancement Strategy, as further described under Investment Objective & Principal Policies and Risks in the Prospectus, whereby it writes a series of call and put option spread combinations on the S&P 500 Composite Stock Price Index (S&P 500 Index) and/or a proxy for the S&P 500 Index (such as SPDR Trust Series I units (SPDRs)). |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
72
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Participation in the ReFlow Liquidity Program |
The Fund may participate in the ReFlow liquidity program, which is designed to provide an alternative liquidity source for mutual funds experiencing net redemptions of their shares. Pursuant to the program, ReFlow Fund, LLC (ReFlow) provides participating mutual funds with a source of cash to meet net shareholder redemptions by standing ready each business day to purchase fund shares up to the value of the net shares redeemed by other shareholders that are to settle the next business day. Following purchases of fund shares, ReFlow then generally redeems those shares when the fund experiences net sales, at the end of a maximum holding period determined by ReFlow (currently 28 days) or at other times at ReFlows discretion. While ReFlow holds fund shares, it will have the same rights and privileges with respect to those shares as any other shareholder. For use of the ReFlow service, a fund pays a fee to ReFlow each time it purchases fund shares, calculated by applying to the purchase amount a fee rate determined through an automated daily auction among participating mutual funds. Such fee is allocated among a funds share classes based on relative net assets. ReFlows purchases of fund shares through the liquidity program are made on an investment-blind basis without regard to the funds investment objective, policies or anticipated performance. In accordance with federal securities laws, ReFlow is prohibited from acquiring more than 3% of the outstanding voting securities of a fund. ReFlow will purchase Class I or Institutional Class shares (or, if applicable Class A or Investor Class shares) at net asset value and will not be subject to any sales charge (in the case of Class A shares), investment minimum or redemption fee applicable to such shares. ReFlow will periodically redeem its entire share position in the Fund and request that such redemption be met in kind in accordance with the Funds redemption-in-kind policies described under Redeeming Shares in the Prospectus. Investments in a fund by ReFlow in connection with the ReFlow liquidity program are not subject to the two round-trips within 90 days limitation described in Restrictions on Excessive Trading and Market Timing under Purchasing Shares in the Prospectus. The investment adviser believes that the program assists in stabilizing the Funds net assets to the benefit of the Fund and its shareholders. To the extent the Funds net assets do not decline, the investment adviser may also benefit. |
Pooled Investment Vehicles |
The Fund may invest in pooled investment vehicles including other open-end or closed-end investment companies affiliated or unaffiliated with the investment adviser, exchange-traded funds (described herein) and other collective investment pools in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act. Closed-end investment company securities are usually traded on an exchange. The demand for a closed-end funds securities is independent of the demand for the underlying portfolio assets, and accordingly, such securities can trade at a discount from, or a premium over, their net asset value. The Fund generally will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees paid by a pooled investment vehicle in which it invests in addition to the investment advisory fee paid by the Fund. |
Portfolio Turnover |
A change in the securities held by the Fund is known as portfolio turnover and generally involves expense to the Fund, including brokerage commissions or dealer markups and other transaction costs on both the sale of securities and the reinvestment of the proceeds in other securities. If sales of portfolio securities cause the Fund to realize net short-term capital gains, such gains will be taxable as ordinary income to taxable shareholders. The Fund ’ s portfolio turnover rate for a fiscal year is the ratio of the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities to the monthly average of the value of portfolio securities − excluding securities whose maturities at acquisition were one year or less. The Fund's portfolio turnover rate is not a limiting factor when the investment adviser considers a change in the Fund's portfolio holdings. The portfolio turnover rate(s) of the Fund for recent fiscal periods is included in the Financial Highlights in the Prospectus. |
Preferred Stock |
Preferred stock represents an equity interest in a corporation, company or trust that has a higher claim on the assets and earnings than common stock. Preferred stock usually has limited voting rights. Preferred stock involves credit risk, which is the risk that a preferred stock will decline in price, or fail to pay dividends when expected, because the issuer experiences a decline in its financial status. A companys preferred stock generally pays dividends after the company makes the required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt instruments but before dividend payments are made to common stockholders. However, preferred stock may not pay scheduled dividends or dividends payments may be in arrears. The value of preferred stock may react more strongly than bonds and other debt instruments to actual or perceived changes in the companys financial condition or prospects. Certain preferred stocks may be convertible to common stock. See Convertible Securities and Contingent Convertible Securities. Preferred stock may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a predetermined price. Because they may make regular income payments, preferred stocks may be considered fixed-income securities for purposes of a Funds investment restrictions. |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
73
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Real Estate Investments |
Real estate investments, including real estate investment trusts (REITs) are sensitive to factors, such as changes in: real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, occupancy rates, government regulations affecting zoning, land use, and rents, and the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Companies in the real estate industry may also be subject to liabilities under environmental and hazardous waste laws, among others. Changes in underlying real estate values may have a magnified effect to the extent that investments concentrate in particular geographic regions or property types. Investments in REITs may also be adversely affected by rising interest rates. By investing in REITs, the Fund indirectly will bear REIT expenses in addition to its own expenses. Private REITs are unlisted, which may make them difficult to value and less liquid. Moreover, private REITs are generally exempt from 1933 Act registration and, as such, the amount of public information available with respect to private REITs may be less extensive than that available for publicly traded REITs. |
Repurchase Agreements |
Repurchase agreements involve the purchase of a security coupled with an agreement to resell at a specified date and price. In the event of the bankruptcy of the counterparty to a repurchase agreement, recovery of cash may be delayed. To the extent that, in the meantime, the value of the purchased securities may have decreased, a loss could result. Repurchase agreements that mature in more than seven days will be treated as illiquid. Unless the Prospectus states otherwise, the terms of a repurchase agreement 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. |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
74
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Residual Interest Bonds |
The Fund may invest in residual interest bonds in a trust that holds municipal securities. The interest rate payable on a residual interest bond bears an inverse relationship to the interest rate on another security issued by the trust. Because changes in the interest rate on the other security inversely affect the interest paid on the residual interest bond, the value and income of a residual interest bond is generally more volatile than that of a fixed rate bond. Residual interest bonds have interest rate adjustment formulas that generally reduce or, in the extreme, eliminate the interest paid to the Fund when short-term interest rates rise, and increase the interest paid to the Fund when short-term interest rates fall. Residual interest bonds have varying degrees of liquidity, and the market for these securities is relatively volatile. These securities tend to underperform the market for fixed rate bonds in a rising long-term interest rate environment, but tend to outperform the market for fixed rate bonds when long-term interest rates decline. Although volatile, residual interest bonds typically offer the potential for yields exceeding the yields available on fixed rate bonds with comparable credit quality and maturity. These securities usually permit the investor to convert the floating rate to a fixed rate (normally adjusted downward), and this optional conversion feature may provide a partial hedge against rising rates if exercised at an opportune time. While residual interest bonds expose the Fund to leverage risk because they provide two or more dollars of bond market exposure for every dollar invested, they are not subject to the Funds restrictions on borrowings. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may enter into a so-called shortfall and forbearance agreement relating to a residual interest bond held by the Fund. Such agreements commit the Fund to reimburse the difference between the liquidation value of the underlying security (which is the basis of the residual interest bond) and the principal amount due to the holders of the floating rate security issued in conjunction with the residual interest bond upon the termination of the trust issuing the residual interest bond. Absent a shortfall and forbearance agreement, the Fund would not be required to make such a reimbursement. If the Fund chooses not to enter into such an agreement, the residual interest bond could be terminated and the Fund could incur a loss. The Funds investments in residual interest bonds and similar securities described in the Prospectus and this SAI will not be considered borrowing for purposes of the Funds restrictions on borrowing described herein and in the Prospectus. On December 10, 2013, five U.S. federal agencies published final rules implementing section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Volcker Rule). The Volcker Rule prohibits banking entities from engaging in proprietary trading of certain instruments and limits such entities investments in, and relationships with, covered funds, as defined in the rules. The compliance date for the Volcker Rule with respect to covered funds in place prior to December 31, 2013 is July 21, 2016. The Volcker Rule precludes banking entities and their affiliates from (i) sponsoring residual interest bond programs as presently structured and (ii) continuing relationships with or services for existing residual interest bond programs. Certain existing residual interest bonds were restructured in order to comply with the Volker Rule prior to July 2015 while other existing residual interest bonds must do so by July 2016. The effects of the Volcker Rule may make it more difficult for the Fund to maintain current or desired levels of income. |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
75
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Restricted Securities |
Restricted securities cannot be sold to the public without registration under the 1933 Act. Unless registered for sale, restricted securities can be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or pursuant to an exemption from registration. Restricted securities may be considered illiquid and subject to the Funds limitation on illiquid securities. Restricted securities may involve a high degree of business and financial risk which may result in substantial losses. The securities may be less liquid than publicly traded securities. Although these securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales could be less than those originally paid by the Fund. The Fund may invest in restricted securities, including securities initially offered and sold without registration pursuant to Rule 144A (Rule 144A Securities) and securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers initially offered and sold outside the United States without registration with the SEC pursuant to Regulation S (Regulation S Securities) under the 1933 Act. Rule 144A Securities and Regulation S Securities generally may be traded freely among certain qualified institutional investors, such as the Fund, and non-U.S. persons, but resale to a broader base of investors in the United States may be permitted only in much more limited circumstances. The Fund also may purchase restricted securities that are not eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A or Regulation S. The Fund may acquire such securities through private placement transactions, directly from the issuer or from security holders, generally at higher yields or on terms more favorable to investors than comparable publicly traded securities. However, the restrictions on resale of such securities may make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of them at the time considered most advantageous and/or may involve expenses that would not be incurred in the sale of securities that were freely marketable. Risks associated with restricted securities include the potential obligation to pay all or part of the registration expenses in order to sell certain restricted securities. A considerable period of time may elapse between the time of the decision to sell a security and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell it under an effective registration statement and/or after an applicable waiting period. If adverse conditions were to develop during this period, the Fund might obtain a price that is less favorable than the price that was prevailing at the time it decided to sell. See also Illiquid Securities. |
Reverse Repurchase Agreements |
Under a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund 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 Fund agrees to repurchase the instrument at an agreed upon time (normally within seven days) and price, which reflects an interest payment. The Fund may enter into a reverse repurchase agreement for various purposes, including, but not limited to, when it is able to invest the cash acquired at a rate higher than the cost of the agreement or as a means of raising cash to satisfy redemption requests without the necessity of selling portfolio assets. In 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 Funds assets. As a result, such transactions may increase fluctuations in the value of the Fund. Because reverse repurchase agreements may be considered to be the practical equivalent of borrowing funds, they constitute a form of leverage. Such agreements will be treated as subject to investment restrictions regarding borrowings. If the Fund 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 Funds yield. |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
76
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Rights and Warrants |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe for shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life, usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. Warrants are securities that are typically issued together with a debt security or preferred stock and that give the holder the right to buy a proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price. Warrants are freely transferable and are often traded on major exchanges. Unlike rights, warrants normally have a life that is measured in years and entitle the holder to buy common stock of a company at a price that is usually higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued. Corporations often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive. Warrants and rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. If the market price of the underlying stock does not exceed the exercise price during the life of the warrant or right, the warrant or right will expire worthless. (Canadian special warrants issued in private placements prior to a public offering are not considered warrants.) |
Royalty Bonds |
To the extent described in the Prospectus, the Fund may invest in royalty bonds. |
Securities Lending |
The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to major banks, broker-dealers and other financial institutions in compliance with the 1940 Act. No lending may be made with any companies affiliated with the investment adviser. These loans earn income and are collateralized by cash, securities or letters of credit. The Fund may realize a loss if it is not able to invest cash collateral at rates higher than the costs to enter into the loan. The Fund invests cash collateral in an unaffiliated money market fund that operates in compliance with the requirements of Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act and maintains a stable $1.00 net asset value per share. When the loan is closed, the lender is obligated to return the collateral to the borrower. The lender could suffer a loss if the value of the collateral is below the market value of the borrowed securities or if the borrower defaults on the loan. The lender may pay reasonable finders, lending agent, administrative and custodial fees in connection with its loans. The investment adviser may instruct the securities lending agent to terminate loans and recall securities with voting rights so that the securities may be voted in accordance with the Funds proxy voting policy and procedures if deemed appropriate to do so. See Taxes for information on the tax treatment of payments in lieu of dividends received pursuant to securities lending arrangements. |
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Senior Loans are loans that are senior in repayment priority to other debt of the borrower. Senior Loans generally pay interest that floats, adjusts or varies periodically based on benchmark indicators, specified adjustment schedules or prevailing interest rates. Senior Loans are often secured by specific assets or collateral, although they may not be secured by collateral. 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), generally referred to as a syndicate. The Agent typically administers and enforces the Senior Loan on behalf of the Loan Investors in the syndicate. In addition, an institution, typically but not always the Agent, holds any collateral on behalf of the Loan Investors. 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, or novations of, a Senior Loan. Senior Loans primarily include senior floating rate loans and secondarily senior floating rate debt obligations (including those issued by an asset-backed pool), and interests therein. |
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Loan Collateral. Borrowers generally will, for the term of the Senior Loan, pledge collateral to secure their obligation. In addition Senior Loans may be guaranteed by or secured by assets of the borrowers owners or affiliates. During the term of the Senior Loan, the value of collateral securing the Loan may decline in value, causing the Loan to be under-collateralized. 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 borrowers obligations under a Senior Loan. In addition, if a Senior Loan is foreclosed, the Fund could become part owner of the collateral and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of such collateral. |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
77
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Fees. The Fund may receive a facility fee when it buys a Senior Loan, and pay a facility fee when it sells a Senior Loan. On an ongoing basis, the Fund 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 Fund may receive a prepayment penalty fee upon the prepayment of a Senior Loan by a borrower or an amendment fee. |
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Loan Administration. In a typical Senior Loan, the Agent administers the terms of the loan agreement and is responsible for the collection of principal, and interest payments from the borrower and the apportionment of these payments to the Loan Investors. Failure by the Agent to fulfill its obligations may delay or adversely affect receipt of payment by the Fund. Furthermore, unless under the terms of a loan agreement or participation (as applicable) the Fund has direct recourse against the borrower, the Fund must rely on the Agent and the other Loan Investors to use appropriate 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 typical practice of an Agent or a Loan Investor in relying exclusively or primarily on reports from the borrower may involve the risk of fraud by the borrower. It is unclear whether an investment in a Senior Loan offers the securities law protections against fraud and misrepresentation. |
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A financial institutions appointment as Agent may usually be terminated in the event that it fails to observe the requisite standard of care or becomes insolvent. 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 Fund were determined to be subject to the claims of the Agents general creditors, the Fund 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 other Interposed Persons, similar risks may arise. |
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Additional Information. The Fund may purchase and retain in its portfolio a Senior Loan where the borrower has 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. While such investments may provide opportunities for enhanced income as well as capital appreciation, they generally involve greater risk and may be considered speculative. The Fund may from time to time participate in ad-hoc committees formed by creditors to negotiate with the management of financially troubled borrowers. The Fund may incur legal fees as a result of such participation. In addition, such participation may restrict the Funds ability to trade in or acquire additional positions in a particular security when it might otherwise desire to do so. Participation by the Fund also may expose the Fund to potential liabilities under bankruptcy or other laws governing the rights of creditors and debtors. The Fund will participate in such committees only when the investment adviser believes that such participation is necessary or desirable to enforce the Funds rights as a creditor or to protect the value of a Senior Loan held by the Fund. |
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In some instances, other accounts managed by the investment adviser may hold other securities issued by borrowers the Senior Loans of which may be held by the Fund. These other securities may include, for example, debt securities that are subordinate to the Senior Loans held by the Fund, convertible debt or common or preferred equity securities. In certain circumstances, such as if the credit quality of the borrower deteriorates, the interests of holders of these other securities may conflict with the interests of the holders of the borrowers Senior Loans. In such cases, the investment adviser may owe conflicting fiduciary duties to the Fund and other client accounts. The investment adviser will endeavor to carry out its obligations to all of its clients to the fullest extent possible, recognizing that in some cases, certain clients may achieve a lower economic return, as a result of these conflicting client interests, than if the investment advisers client accounts collectively held only a single category of the issuers securities. |
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The Fund 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 Fund 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 investment adviser, may enhance the value of a Senior Loan or would otherwise be consistent with the Funds investment policies. |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
78
SAI dated May 1, 2016
|
For Eaton Vance Floating Rate Portfolio, Senior Debt Portfolio and Eaton Vance VT Floating-Rate Income Fund only: The Fund will acquire participations only if the Loan Investor selling the participation, and any other persons interpositioned between the Fund and the Loan Investor (an Interposed Person), at the time of investment, has outstanding debt or deposit obligations rated investment grade (BBB or A-3 or higher by S&P or Baa or P- 3 or higher by Moodys or comparably rated by another nationally recognized statistical ratings organization) or determined by the investment adviser to be of comparable quality. |
|
For additional disclosure relating to investing in loans (including Senior Loans), see Loans above. |
Short Sales |
Short sales are transactions in which a party sells a security it does not own in anticipation of a decline in the market value of that security. To complete such a transaction, the party must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. When the party is required to return the borrowed security, it typically will purchase the security in the open market. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the party sold the security. Until the security is replaced, the party is required to repay the lender any dividends or interest, which accrues during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, it also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The net proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements, until the short position is closed out. Transaction costs are incurred in effecting short sales. A short seller will incur a loss as a result of a short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which it replaces the borrowed security. A gain will be realized if the price of the security declines in price between those dates. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount of the premium, dividends or interest the short seller may be required to pay, if any, in connection with a short sale. Short sales may be against the box or uncovered. In a short sale against the box, at the time of the sale, the short seller owns or has the immediate and unconditional right to acquire the identical security at no additional cost. In an uncovered short sale, the short seller does not own the underlying security and, as such, losses from uncovered short sales may be significant. The Fund may sell short securities representing an index or basket of securities whose constituents the Fund holds in whole or in part. A short sale of an index or basket of securities will be a covered short sale if the underlying index or basket of securities is the same or substantially identical to securities held by the Fund. Use of short sales is limited by the Funds non-fundamental restriction relating thereto. |
Short-Term Trading |
Fixed-income 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, such a security may be sold and another purchased at approximately the same time to take advantage of what is believed 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. |
Smaller Companies |
The investment risk associated with smaller companies is higher than that normally associated with larger, more established companies due to the greater business risks associated with small size, the relative age of the company, limited product lines, distribution channels and financial and managerial resources. Further, there is typically less publicly available information concerning smaller companies than for larger companies. The securities of small companies are often traded only over-the-counter and may not be traded in the volumes typical of trading on a national securities exchange. As a result, stocks of smaller companies are often more volatile than those of larger companies, which are often traded on a national securities exchange. |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
79
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities (SMBS) |
SMBS are multiclass mortgage securities. SMBS commonly involve two classes of securities that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distributions on a pool of mortgage assets. A common type of SMBS will have one class receiving most of the interest from the mortgages, while the other class will receive most of the principal. In the most extreme case, the interest only class receives all of the interest while the principal only class receives the entire principal. The yield to maturity on an interest only class is extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including pre-payments) on the related underlying mortgage assets, and a rapid rate of principal payments may have a material adverse effect on the yield to maturity from these securities. If the underlying mortgages experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the initial investment in these securities may not be recouped. Although the market for such securities is increasingly liquid, certain SMBS may not be readily marketable and will be considered illiquid. The market value of the class consisting entirely of principal payments generally is unusually volatile in response to changes in interest rates. The yields on a class of SMBS that receives all or most of the interest from mortgages are generally higher than prevailing market yields on other MBS because their cash flow patterns are more volatile and there is a greater risk that the initial investment will not be fully recouped. |
Structured Notes |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Structured notes are derivative debt instruments, the interest rate or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator (for example, a currency, security, commodity or index thereof). The terms of the instrument may be structured by the purchaser and the borrower issuing the note. Indexed securities may include structured notes as well as securities other than debt securities, the interest rate or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator. Indexed securities may include a multiplier that multiplies the indexed element by a specified factor and, therefore, the value of such securities may be very volatile. The terms of structured notes and indexed securities may provide that in certain circumstances no principal is due at maturity, which may result in a loss of invested capital. Structured notes and indexed securities may be positively or negatively indexed, so that appreciation of the unrelated indicator may produce an increase or a decrease in the interest rate or the value of the structured note or indexed security at maturity may be calculated as a specified multiple of the change in the value of the unrelated indicator. Structured notes and indexed securities may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types of investments because the investor bears the risk of the unrelated indicator. Structured notes or indexed securities also may be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities and instruments or more traditional debt securities. |
Swap Agreements |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a few weeks to more than one year. In a standard swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on a particular predetermined reference instrument or instruments, which can be adjusted for an interest rate factor. The gross returns to be exchanged or swapped between the parties are generally 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). Other types of swap agreements may calculate the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a net basis. Consequently, a partys current obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the net amount). |
|
Whether the use of swap agreements will be successful will depend on the investment adviser's ability to predict correctly whether certain types of reference instruments are likely to produce greater returns than other instruments. Swap agreements may be subject to contractual restrictions on transferability and termination and they may have terms of greater than seven days. The Funds obligations under a swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owed to the Fund under the swap). Developments in the swaps market, including government regulation, could adversely affect the Funds ability to terminate existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements, as well as to participate in swap agreements in the future. If there is a default by the counterparty to a swap, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the swap agreement, but any recovery may be delayed depending on the circumstances of the default. |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
80
SAI dated May 1, 2016
|
The swaps market was largely unregulated prior to the enactment of federal legislation known as the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Dodd-Frank Act), which was enacted in 2010 in response to turmoil in the financial markets and other market events. Among other things, the Dodd-Frank Act sets forth a new regulatory framework for certain OTC derivatives, such as swaps, in which the Fund may invest. The Dodd-Frank Act requires many swap transactions to be executed on registered exchanges or through swap execution facilities, cleared through a regulated clearinghouse, and publicly reported. In addition, many market participants are now regulated as swap dealers or major swap participants, and are, or will be, subject to certain minimum capital and margin requirements and business conduct standards. The statutory requirements of the Dodd-Frank Act are being implemented primarily through rules and regulations adopted by the SEC and/or the CFTC. There is a prescribed phase-in period during which most of the mandated rulemaking and regulations are being implemented, and temporary exemptions from certain rules and regulations have been granted so that current trading practices will not be unduly disrupted during the transition period. |
|
Currently, central clearing is only required for certain market participants trading certain instruments, although central clearing for additional instruments is expected to be implemented by the CFTC until the majority of the swaps market is ultimately subject to central clearing. In addition, uncleared OTC swaps will be subject to regulatory collateral requirements that could adversely affect the Funds ability to enter into swaps in the OTC market. These developments could cause the Fund to terminate new or existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such instruments at an inopportune time. Until the mandated rulemaking and regulations are implemented completely, it will not be possible to determine the complete impact of the Dodd-Frank Act and related regulations on the Fund, and the establishment of a centralized exchange or market for swap transactions may not result in swaps being easier to value or trade. However, it is expected that swap dealers, major market participants, and swap counterparties will experience other new and/or additional regulations, requirements, compliance burdens, and associated costs. The legislation and rules to be promulgated may exert a negative effect on the Funds ability to meet its investment objective, either through limits or requirements imposed on the Fund or its counterparties. The swap market could be disrupted or limited as a result of the legislation, and the new requirements may increase the cost of the Funds investments and of doing business, which could adversely affect the ability of the Fund to buy or sell OTC derivatives. |
|
Swap agreements include (but are not limited to): |
|
Currency Swaps. Currency swaps involve the exchange of the rights of the parties to make or receive payments in specified currencies. Because currency swaps usually involve the delivery of the entire principal value of one designated currency in exchange for the other designated currency, the entire principal value of a currency swap is subject to the risk that the other party to the swap will default on its contractual delivery obligations. If the investment adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of market value and currency exchange rates, performance may be adversely affected. |
|
Equity Swaps. An equity swap is an agreement in which at least one partys payments are based on the rate of return of an equity security or equity index, such as the S&P 500. The other partys payments can be based on a fixed rate, a non-equity variable rate, or even a different equity index. The Fund may enter into equity index swaps on a net basis pursuant to which the future cash flows from two reference instruments are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two. |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
81
SAI dated May 1, 2016
|
Credit Default Swaps. Under a credit default swap agreement, the protection buyer in a credit default contract is generally obligated to pay the protection seller an upfront or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract, provided that no credit event, such as a default, on a reference instrument has occurred. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally must pay the buyer the par value (full notional value) of the reference instrument in exchange for an equal face amount of the reference instrument described in the swap, or the seller may be required to deliver the related net cash amount, if the swap is cash settled. If the Fund is a buyer and no credit event occurs, the Fund may recover nothing if the swap is held through its termination date. As a seller, the Fund generally receives an upfront payment or a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the swap provided that there is no credit event. As the seller, the Fund would effectively add leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. The determination of a credit event under the swap agreement will depend on the terms of the agreement and may rely on the decision of persons that are not a party to the agreement. The Funds obligations under a credit default swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owed to the Fund). |
|
Inflation Swaps. Inflation swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, e.g., an exchange of fixed rate payments for floating rate payments or an exchange of floating rate payments based on two different reference indices. By design, one of the reference indices is an inflation index, such as the Consumer Price Index. Inflation swaps can be designated as zero coupon, where both sides of the swap compound interest over the life of the swap and then the accrued interest is paid out only at the swaps maturity. |
|
Total Return Swaps. Total return swap agreements are contracts in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to another party based on the change in market value of the assets underlying the contract, which may include a specified security, basket of securities or securities indices during the specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or the total return from other underlying assets. Total return swap agreements may be used to obtain exposure to a security or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security or investing directly in such market. Total return swap agreements may effectively add leverage to the Funds portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. Generally, the Fund will enter into total return swaps on a net basis (i.e., the two payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments). The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Funds obligations over its entitlements with respect to each total return swap will be accrued on a daily basis. If the total return swap transaction is entered into on other than a net basis, the full amount of the Funds obligations will be accrued on a daily basis, and the full amount of the Funds obligations will be segregated by the Fund in an amount equal to or greater than the market value of the liabilities under the total return swap or the amount it would have cost the Fund initially to make an equivalent direct investment, plus or minus any amount the Fund is obligated to pay or is to receive under the total return swap agreement. |
|
Interest Rate Swaps, Caps and Floors. Interest rate swaps are OTC contracts in which each party agrees to make a periodic interest payment based on an index or the value of an asset in return for a periodic payment from the other party based on a different index or asset. The purchase of an interest rate floor entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index falls below a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate floor. The purchase of an interest rate cap entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index rises above a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate cap. The Fund usually will enter into interest rate swap transactions on a net basis (i.e., the two payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments). The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Funds obligations over its entitlements with respect to each interest rate swap will be accrued on a daily basis. If the interest rate swap transaction is entered into on other than a net basis, the full amount of the Funds obligations will be accrued on a daily basis. Certain federal income tax requirements may limit the Funds ability to engage in certain interest rate transactions. |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
82
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Swaptions |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. A swaption is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation) in return for payment of a premium, to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement, at some designated future time on specified terms. The Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions. Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, the Fund will generally incur a greater degree of risk when it writes a swaption than it will incur when it purchases a swaption. When the Fund purchases a swaption, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when the Fund writes a swaption, upon exercise of the option the Fund will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement. |
Tax-Managed Investing |
Taxes are a major influence on the net returns that investors receive on their taxable investments. There are four components of the returns of a mutual fund that invests in equities that are treated differently for federal income tax purposes: price appreciation, distributions of qualified dividend income, distributions of other investment income, and distributions of realized short-term and long-term capital gains. Distributions of income other than qualified dividend income and distributions of net realized short-term gains (on stocks held for one year or less) are taxed as ordinary income. Distributions of qualified dividend income and net realized long-term gains (on stocks held for more than one year) are currently taxed at rates up to 20%. The Funds investment program and the tax treatment of Fund distributions may be affected by IRS interpretations of the Code and future changes in tax laws and regulations. Returns derived from price appreciation are untaxed until the shareholder disposes of his or her shares. Upon disposition, a capital gain (short-term, if the shareholder has held his or her shares for one year or less, otherwise long-term) equal to the difference between the net proceeds of the disposition and the shareholders adjusted tax basis is realized. |
Trust Certificates |
Trust certificates are investments in a limited purpose trust or other vehicle formed under state law. Trust certificates in turn invest in instruments, such as credit default swaps, interest rate swaps, preferred securities and other securities, in order to customize the risk/return profile of a particular security. Like an investment in a bond, investments in trust certificates represent the right to receive periodic income payments (in the form of distributions) and payment of principal at the end of the term of the certificate. However, these payments are conditioned on the trusts receipt of payments from, and the trusts potential obligations to, the counterparties to the derivative instruments and other securities in which the trust invests. Investments in these instruments are indirectly subject to the risks associated with derivative instruments, including, among others, credit risk, default or similar event risk, counterparty risk, interest rate risk, leverage risk and management risk. It is expected that the trusts that issue credit-linked trust certificates will constitute private investment companies, exempt from registration under the 1940 Act. Although the trusts are typically private investment companies, they are generally not actively managed. It is also expected that the certificates will be exempt from registration under the 1933 Act. Accordingly, there may be no established trading market for the certificates and they may constitute illiquid investments. |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
83
SAI dated May 1, 2016
U.S. Government Securities |
U.S. Government securities include: (1) U.S. Treasury obligations, which differ in their interest rates, maturities and times of issuance, including: 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, which 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. U.S. Government securities also include 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: Farmers Home Administration, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Federal Housing Administration, Federal Land Banks, Federal Financing Bank, Central Bank for Cooperatives, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, Farm Credit Bank System, Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, Federal National Mortgage Association, General Services Administration, Government National Mortgage Association, Student Loan Marketing Association, United States Postal Service, Maritime Administration, Small Business Administration, Tennessee Valley Authority, Washington D.C. Armory Board and any other enterprise established or sponsored by the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government generally is not obligated to provide support to its instrumentalities. The principal of and/or interest on certain U.S. Government securities 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 denominated in foreign currencies may be affected favorably by changes in the exchange rate between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. |
Unlisted Securities |
Unlisted securities are neither listed on a stock exchange nor traded over-the-counter. Unlisted securities may include investments in new and early stage companies, which may involve a high degree of business and financial risk that can result in substantial losses and may be considered speculative. Such securities will generally be deemed to be illiquid. Because of the absence of any public trading market for these investments, it may take longer to liquidate these positions than would be the case for publicly traded securities. Although these securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales could be less than those originally paid or less than what may be considered the fair value of such securities. Furthermore, issuers whose securities are not publicly traded may not be subject to public disclosure and other investor protection requirements applicable to publicly traded securities. If such securities are required to be registered under the securities laws of one or more jurisdictions before being resold, the Fund may be required to bear the expenses of registration. In addition, in foreign jurisdictions any capital gains realized on the sale of such securities may be subject to higher rates of foreign taxation than taxes payable on the sale of listed securities. |
Utility and Financial
|
To the extent described in the Prospectus, the Fund may concentrate its investments in utility and/or financial services companies. |
Variable Rate Instruments |
Variable rate instruments provide for adjustments in the interest or dividend rate payable on the instrument at specified intervals (daily, weekly, monthly, semiannually, etc.) based on market conditions, credit ratings or interest rates and the investor may have the right to put the security back to the issuer or its agent. Variable rate instruments normally provide that the holder can demand payment of the instrument on short notice at par with accrued interest. These instruments may be secured by letters of credit or other support arrangements provided by banks. To the extent that such letters of credit or other arrangements constitute an unconditional guarantee of the issuers obligations, a bank may be treated as the issuer of a security for the purposes of complying with the diversification requirements set forth in Section 5(b) of the 1940 Act and Rule 5b-2 thereunder. The Fund may use these instruments as cash equivalents pending longer term investment of its funds. The rate adjustment features may limit the extent to which the market value of the instruments will fluctuate. |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
84
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
85
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX A
Class A Fees, Performance and Ownership
Sales Charges and Distribution and Service Fees.
For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the following table shows (1) total sales charges paid by each Fund, (2) sales charges paid to financial intermediaries, (3) sales charges paid to the principal underwriter, (4) approximate CDSC payments to the principal underwriter, (5) total distribution and service fees paid by each Fund, and (6) distribution and service fees paid to financial intermediaries. Distribution and service fees that were not paid to financial intermediaries were retained by the principal underwriter.
For the fiscal years ended December 31,
2014
and December 31,
2013
, the following total sales charges were paid on sales of Class A, of which the principal underwriter received the following amounts. The balance of such amounts was paid to financial intermediaries.
Fund |
December 31,
|
December 31,
|
December 31,
|
December 31,
|
Dividend Builder |
$
|
$
|
$
|
$
|
Global Small-Cap |
|
|
|
|
Growth |
|
|
|
$
13,
|
Large-Cap Value |
|
|
|
|
Real Estate |
|
|
$
38,
|
$
6,
|
Small-Cap |
|
$
3,
|
|
|
Special Equities |
|
|
|
|
Performance Information. The tables below indicate the average annual total return (both before and after taxes) on a hypothetical investment in shares of $1,000. For Real Estate Fund, total return prior to the date this Class was first offered reflects the total return of Class I, adjusted to reflect the Class A sales charge. The Class A total return has not been adjusted to reflect certain other expenses (such as distribution and service fees). If such adjustments were made, the Class A total return would be different. Any performance presented with an asterisk (*) includes the effect of subsidizing expenses. Performance would have been lower without subsidies.
Total returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value or public offering price with all distributions reinvested. Each Funds past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of Fund shares will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance is for the stated time period only; due to market volatility, a Funds current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted return. For the Funds performance as of the most recent month-end, please refer to www.eatonvance.com.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
86
SAI dated May 1, 2016
About Returns After Taxes. After-tax returns are calculated using certain assumptions. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
Dividend Builder Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31,
|
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year |
Five Years |
Ten Years |
Before Taxes and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
Before Taxes and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
Global Small-Cap Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31,
|
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year* |
Five Years* |
Ten Years* |
Before Taxes and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
Before Taxes and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
Growth Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31,
|
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year* |
Five Years* |
Ten Years* |
Before Taxes and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
7.
|
Before Taxes and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
7.
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
7.
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
6.
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
6.
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
5.
|
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
87
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Large-Cap Value Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31,
|
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year |
Five Years |
Ten Years |
Before Taxes and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
Before Taxes and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
3.
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
Real Estate Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31,
|
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year* |
Five Years* |
Life of Fund* |
Before Taxes and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
7.
|
Before Taxes and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
6.
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
5.
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
5.
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
4.74% |
Class A and Class I shares commenced operations on June 9, 2010 and April 28, 2006, respectively. |
|
|
|
Small-Cap Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31,
|
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year |
Five Year* |
Ten Years* |
Before Taxes and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
Before Taxes and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
1.
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
88
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Special Equities Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31,
|
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year |
Five Years |
Ten Years |
Before Taxes and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
Before Taxes and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
2.
|
|
|
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities.
At
April 1
, 2016, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned in the aggregate less than 1% of the outstanding shares of this Class of a Fund. In addition, as of the same date, the following person(s) held the share percentage indicated below, which was owned either (i) beneficially by such person(s) or (ii) of record by such person(s) on behalf of customers who are the beneficial owners of such shares and as to which such record owner(s) may exercise voting rights under certain limited circumstances:
Dividend Builder Fund |
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith |
Jacksonville, FL |
10.
|
|
National Financial Services LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
10.0% |
|
Pershing LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
8.
9
|
|
American Enterprise Investment SVC |
Minneapolis, MN |
8.
|
|
First Clearing LLC |
Saint Louis, MO |
6.
|
|
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney |
Jersey City, NJ |
5.
|
Global Small-Cap Fund |
American Enterprise Investment SVC |
Minneapolis, MN |
13.
|
|
Pershing LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
11.
|
|
National Financial Services LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
10.
|
|
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company |
Springfield, MA |
8.
|
|
First Clearing LLC |
Saint Louis, MO |
5.
|
Growth Fund |
National Financial Services LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
13.
|
|
First Clearing LLC |
Saint Louis, MO |
7.
|
|
Pershing LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
6.
|
|
American Enterprise Investment SVC |
Minneapolis, MN |
6.
|
|
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith |
Jacksonville, FL |
5.
|
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
89
SAI dated May 1, 2016
|
Large-Cap Value Fund |
National Financial Services LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
17.
|
||||
|
|
Pershing LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
|
||||
|
|
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith |
Jacksonville, FL |
6.
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
American Enterprise Investment SVC |
Minneapolis, MN |
6.3% |
||||
Real Estate Fund |
American Enterprise Investment SVC |
Minneapolis, MN |
|
|||||
|
Pershing LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
14.3% |
|||||
|
National Financial Services LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
|
|||||
|
First Clearing LLC |
Saint Louis, MO |
|
|||||
|
Raymond James |
St. Petersburg, FL |
|
|||||
Small-Cap Fund |
American Enterprise Investment SVC |
Minneapolis, MN |
17.
|
|||||
|
National Financial Services LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
11.
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
First Clearing LLC |
Saint Louis, MO |
|
|||||
|
Pershing LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
9.4% |
|||||
|
Charles Schwab & Co. Inc. |
San Francisco, CA |
|
|||||
|
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith |
Jacksonville, FL |
5.
|
|||||
Special Equities Fund |
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith |
Jacksonville, FL |
7.
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
To the knowledge of the Trust, no other person owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of this Class of a Fund as of such date.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
90
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX B
Class B Fees, Performance and Ownership
Distribution and Service Fees.
For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the following table shows (1) sales commissions paid by the principal underwriter to financial intermediaries on sales of Class B shares, (2) distribution fees paid to the principal underwriter under the Distribution Plan, (3) approximate CDSC payments to the principal underwriter, (4) service fees paid under the Distribution Plan, and (5) service fees paid to financial intermediaries. The service fees paid by the Funds that were not paid to financial intermediaries were retained by the principal underwriter.
Performance Information. The tables below indicate the cumulative and average annual total return (both before and after taxes) on a hypothetical investment in shares of $1,000. Past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate; shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Any performance presented with an asterisk (*) includes the effect of subsidizing expenses. Performance would have been lower without subsidies.
Total returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value or public offering price with all distributions reinvested. Each Funds past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of Fund shares will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance is for the stated time period only; due to market volatility, a Funds current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted return. For the Funds performance as of the most recent month-end, please refer to www.eatonvance.com.
About Returns After Taxes. After-tax returns are calculated using certain assumptions. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
Small-Cap Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31,
|
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year |
Five Years* |
Ten Years* |
Before Taxes and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
3.
|
|
|
Before Taxes and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
91
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities.
At
April 1
, 2016, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned in the aggregate less than 1% of the outstanding shares of this Class of a Fund. In addition, as of the same date, the following person(s) held the share percentage indicated below, which was owned either (i) beneficially by such person(s) or (ii) of record by such person(s) on behalf of customers who are the beneficial owners of such shares and as to which such record owner(s) may exercise voting rights under certain limited circumstances:
Small-Cap Fund |
National Financial Services LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
|
|
First Clearing LLC |
Saint Louis, MO |
15.
|
|
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith |
Jacksonville, FL |
14.
|
|
American Enterprise Investment SVC |
Minneapolis, MN |
|
|
Pershing LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
|
|
|
San
|
|
|
|
San
|
5.
|
To the knowledge of the Trust, no other person owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of this Class of a Fund as of such date.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
92
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX C
Class C Fees, Performance and Ownership
Distribution and Service Fees.
For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the following table shows (1) sales commissions paid by the principal underwriter to financial intermediaries on sales of Class C shares, (2) distribution fees paid to the principal underwriter under the Distribution Plan, (3) approximate CDSC payments to the principal underwriter, (4) service fees paid under the Distribution Plan, and (5) service fees paid to financial intermediaries. The service fees paid by the Funds that were not paid to financial intermediaries were retained by the principal underwriter.
Performance Information. The tables below indicate the average annual total return (both before and after taxes) on a hypothetical investment in shares of $1,000. Past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate; shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Any performance presented with an asterisk (*) includes the effect of subsidizing expenses. Performance would have been lower without subsidies.
Total returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value or public offering price with all distributions reinvested. Each Funds past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of Fund shares will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance is for the stated time period only; due to market volatility, a Funds current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted return. For the Funds performance as of the most recent month-end, please refer to www.eatonvance.com.
About Returns After Taxes. After-tax returns are calculated using certain assumptions. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
Dividend Builder Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31,
|
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year |
Five Years |
Ten Years |
Before Taxes and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
Before Taxes and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
93
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Global Small-Cap Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31,
|
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year* |
Five Years* |
Ten Years* |
Before Taxes and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
Before Taxes and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
Growth Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31,
|
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year* |
Five Years* |
Ten Years* |
Before Taxes and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
7.
|
Before Taxes and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
7.
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
6.
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
6.
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
5.
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
5.
|
Large-Cap Value Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31,
|
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year |
Five Years |
Ten Years |
Before Taxes and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
Before Taxes and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
94
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Small-Cap Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31,
|
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year |
Five Years* |
Ten Years* |
Before Taxes and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
3.
|
|
|
Before Taxes and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
Special Equities Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31,
|
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year |
Five Years |
Ten Years |
Before Taxes and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
Before Taxes and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
0.
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
0.
|
|
|
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities.
At
April 1
, 2016, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned in the aggregate less than 1% of the outstanding shares of this Class of a Fund. In addition, as of the same date, the following person(s) held the share percentage indicated below, which was owned either (i) beneficially by such person(s) or (ii) of record by such person(s) on behalf of customers who are the beneficial owners of such shares and as to which such record owner(s) may exercise voting rights under certain limited circumstances:
Dividend Builder Fund |
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith |
Jacksonville, FL |
14.
|
|
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney |
Jersey City, NJ |
13.9% |
|
First Clearing LLC |
Saint Louis, MO |
10.9% |
|
Pershing LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
|
|
National Financial Services LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
8.4% |
|
American Enterprise Investment SVCS |
Minneapolis, MN |
8.
|
|
Raymond James |
St. Petersburg, FL |
6.
|
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
95
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Global Small-Cap Fund |
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith |
Jacksonville, FL |
|
|
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney |
Jersey City, NJ |
8.4% |
|
National Financial Services LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
8.
|
|
Raymond James |
St. Petersburg, FL |
7.7% |
|
|
|
|
|
Varooge Yerganian FBO Adjudicate Inc
|
Santa Ana, CA |
|
|
|
|
|
Growth Fund |
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith |
Jacksonville, FL |
14.
|
|
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney |
Jersey City, NJ |
11.
|
|
First Clearing LLC |
Saint Louis, MO |
|
|
Pershing LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
|
|
National Financial Services LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
7.
|
|
Raymond James |
St. Petersburg, FL |
6.8% |
|
American Enterprise Investment SVC |
Minneapolis, MN |
|
Large-Cap Value Fund |
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith |
Jacksonville, FL |
22.
|
|
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney |
Jersey City, NJ |
17.
|
|
Raymond James |
St. Petersburg, FL |
8.
|
|
Pershing LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
|
|
UBS WM USA |
Weehawken, NJ |
6.
|
|
First Clearing LLC |
Saint Louis, MO |
6.3% |
|
National Financial Services LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
5.7% |
|
Charles Schwab & Co. Inc. |
San Francisco, CA |
5.
|
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
96
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Small-Cap Fund |
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith |
Jacksonville, FL |
|
|
Pershing LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
|
|
First Clearing LLC |
Saint Louis, MO |
|
|
Raymond James |
St. Petersburg, FL |
|
|
National Financial Services LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
7.4% |
|
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney |
Jersey City, NJ |
6.
|
|
|
|
|
Special Equities Fund |
RBC Capital Markets LLC |
Minneapolis, MN |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pershing LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
|
|
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith |
Jacksonville, FL |
|
|
Raymond James |
St. Petersburg, FL |
|
|
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney |
Jersey City, NJ |
|
|
First Clearing LLC |
Saint Louis, MO |
|
|
LPL Financial |
San Diego, CA |
5.5% |
To the knowledge of the Trust, no other person owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of this Class of a Fund as of such date.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
97
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX D
Class I Performance and Ownership
Performance Information. The tables below indicate the average annual total return (both before and after taxes) on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 in this Class of shares for the periods shown in each table. Total return for the period prior to the commencement date indicated for each Fund except Real Estate Fund, reflects the total return of each Funds Class A shares calculated at net asset value. The total return shown below has not been adjusted to reflect certain expenses (such as distribution and/or service fees). If such adjustments were made, the Class I total return would be different. Any performance presented with an asterisk (*) includes the effect of subsidizing expenses. Performance would have been lower without subsidies.
Total returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value or public offering price with all distributions reinvested. Each Funds past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of Fund shares will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance is for the stated time period only; due to market volatility, a Funds current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted return. For the Funds performance as of the most recent month-end, please refer to www.eatonvance.com.
About Returns After Taxes. After-tax returns are calculated using certain assumptions. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
Dividend Builder Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31,
|
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year |
Five Years |
Ten Years |
Before Taxes |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption |
|
|
|
Class I shares commenced operations on June 20, 2005. |
|
|
|
Global Small-Cap Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31,
|
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year* |
Five Years* |
Ten Years* |
Before Taxes |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption |
|
|
|
Class I shares commenced operations on October 1, 2009. |
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
98
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Growth Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31,
|
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year* |
Five Years* |
Ten Years* |
Before Taxes |
|
|
8.
|
After Taxes on Distributions |
|
|
7.
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption |
|
|
6.
|
Class I shares commenced operations on May 3, 2007. |
Large-Cap Value Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31,
|
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year |
Five Years |
Ten Years |
Before Taxes |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions |
3.
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Real Estate Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31,
|
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year* |
Five Years* |
Life of Fund* |
Before Taxes |
|
|
7.
|
After Taxes on Distributions |
|
|
6.
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption |
|
|
5.
|
Class I shares commenced operations on April 28, 2006. |
|
|
|
Small-Cap Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31,
|
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year |
Five Years* |
Ten Years* |
Before Taxes |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption |
|
|
|
Class I shares commenced operations on September 2, 2008. |
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
99
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Special Equities Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31,
|
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year |
Five Years |
Ten Years |
Before Taxes |
2.
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption |
|
|
|
Class I shares commenced operations on July 29, 2011. |
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities.
At
April 1
, 2016, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned approximately 1.
1%, 5.
4
% and 1.
7
% of the outstanding shares of this Class of
Dividend Builder
Fund, Growth Fund and Special Equities Fund, respectively. The Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned in the aggregate less than 1% of the outstanding shares of this Class of the other Funds. In addition, as of the same date, the following person(s) held the share percentage indicated below, which was owned either (i) beneficially by such person(s) or (ii) of record by such person(s) on behalf of customers who are the beneficial owners of such shares and as to which such record owner(s) may exercise voting rights under certain limited circumstances:
Dividend Builder Fund |
UBS WM USA |
Weehawken, NJ |
24.
|
|
First Clearing LLC |
Saint Louis, MO |
|
|
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney |
Jersey City, NJ |
|
|
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith |
Jacksonville, FL |
|
|
Charles Schwab & Co. Inc. |
San Francisco, CA |
8.
|
|
|
|
5.
|
Global Small-Cap Fund |
Charles Schwab & Co. Inc. |
San Francisco, CA |
54.
|
|
UBS WM USA |
Weehawken, NJ |
28.
|
Growth Fund |
Charles Schwab & Co. Inc. |
San Francisco, CA |
|
|
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith |
Jacksonville, FL |
|
|
National Financial Services LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
11.
|
|
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney |
Jersey City, NJ |
5.
|
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
100
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Large-Cap Value Fund |
First Clearing LLC |
Saint Louis, MO |
32.
|
|
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney |
Jersey City, NJ |
17.
|
|
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith |
Jacksonville, FL |
13.2% |
|
UBS WM USA |
Weehawken, NJ |
10.
|
|
TIAA-CREF Trust Co. Cust/Ttee FBO Retirement Plans |
St. Louis, MO |
|
|
National Financial Services LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
5.
|
Real Estate Fund |
Charles Schwab & Co. Inc. |
San Francisco, CA |
|
|
National Financial Services LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
|
|
|
|
13.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7.
5
|
Small-Cap Fund |
Charles Schwab & Co. Inc. |
San Francisco, CA |
68.
|
Special Equities Fund |
Charles Schwab & Co. Inc. |
San Francisco, CA |
52.
|
|
USCGT DAF Growth & Income Fund c/o Eaton Vance Management |
Boston, MA |
17.6% |
|
EVTC Collective Investment Trust FBO Employee Benefit Plans Moderate Fund c/o Eaton Vance Management |
Boston, MA |
13.
|
Beneficial owners of 25% or more of this Class of a Fund are presumed to be in control of the Class for purposes of voting on certain matters submitted to shareholders.
To the knowledge of the Trust, no other person owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of this Class of a Fund as of such date.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
101
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX E
Class R Fees, Performance & Ownership
Distribution and Service Fees.
For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the following table shows for Growth Fund, Large-Cap Value Fund and Small-Cap Fund (1) distribution fees paid to the principal underwriter under the Distribution Plan, (2) total service fees paid, and (3) service fees paid to financial intermediaries. The service fees paid by the Funds that were not paid to financial intermediaries were retained by the principal underwriter.
Fund |
Distribution Fee Paid to
|
Total Service
|
Service Fees Paid to
|
Growth |
$
|
$
|
$
|
Large-Cap Value |
|
|
|
Small-Cap |
|
|
|
Performance Information. The tables below indicate the average annual total return (both before and after taxes) on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 in this Class of shares for the periods shown in each table. Total return prior to the commencement date indicated for each Fund reflects the total return of the Funds Class A shares calculated at net asset value. The total return shown below has not been adjusted to reflect certain expenses (such as distribution and/or service fees). If such adjustments were made, the Class R total return would be different. Any performance presented with an asterisk (*) includes the effect of subsidizing expenses. Performance would have been lower without subsidies.
Total returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value or public offering price with all distributions reinvested. Each Funds past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of Fund shares will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance is for the stated time period only; due to market volatility, a Funds current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted return. For the Funds performance as of the most recent month-end, please refer to www.eatonvance.com.
About Returns After Taxes. After-tax returns are calculated using certain assumptions. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
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Large-Cap Value Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31,
|
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year |
Five Years |
Ten Years |
Before Taxes |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Small-Cap Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31,
|
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year |
Five Years* |
Ten Years* |
Before Taxes |
3.
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption |
|
|
|
Class R shares commenced operations on August 3, 2009. |
|
|
|
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities.
At
April 1
, 2016, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned in the aggregate less than 1% of the outstanding shares of this Class of a Fund. In addition, as of the same date, the following person(s) held the share percentage indicated below, which was owned either (i) beneficially by such person(s) or (ii) of record by such person(s) on behalf of customers who are the beneficial owners of such shares and as to which such record owner(s) may exercise voting rights under certain limited circumstances:
Growth Fund |
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith |
Jacksonville, FL |
|
|
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company |
Springfield, MA |
|
|
Reliance Trust Company FBO Volunteer BLI |
Atlanta, GA |
14.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
AXA Equitable Life for Separate Acct. 65 on Behalf of Various Expediter 401k Plans |
Secaucus, NJ |
|
|
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company |
Springfield, MA |
8.4% |
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Large-Cap Value Fund |
Hartford Life Insurance Company |
Windsor, CT |
|
|
VOYA Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company |
Windsor, CT |
17.
|
|
VOYA Institutional Trust Company |
Windsor, CT |
15.
|
|
Reliance Trust Co. custodian FBO Mass Mutual Omnibus |
|
7.
|
|
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith |
Jacksonville, FL |
5.
|
Small-Cap Fund |
Ascensus Trust Company FBO ICM Products Inc. 401K Profit Sharing |
Fargo, ND |
|
|
AXA Equitable Life for Separate Acct. 65 on Behalf of Various Expediter 401k Plans |
Secaucus, NJ |
|
Beneficial owners of 25% or more of this Class of a Fund are presumed to be in control of the Class for purposes of voting on certain matters submitted to shareholders.
To the knowledge of the Trust, no other person owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of this Class of a Fund as of such date.
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APPENDIX F
Class R6 Performance & Ownership
Performance Information. The table below indicates the average annual total return (both before and after taxes) on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 in this Class of shares for the periods shown in the table. The Funds total return for the period prior to July 1, 2014 reflects the total return of the Funds Class I shares without adjustment for any differences in the expenses of the two classes. If such adjustments were made, the Class R6 total return would be different.
Total returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value or public offering price with all distributions reinvested. Each Funds past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of Fund shares will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance is for the stated time period only; due to market volatility, a Funds current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted return. For the Funds performance as of the most recent month-end, please refer to www.eatonvance.com.
About Returns After Taxes. After-tax returns are calculated using certain assumptions. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
Large-Cap Value Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31,
|
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year |
Five Years |
Ten Years |
Before Taxes |
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions |
3.
|
|
|
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption |
|
|
|
Class R6 shares commenced operations on July 1, 2014. |
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities.
At
April 1
, 2016, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned in the aggregate less than 1% of the outstanding shares of this Class of a Fund. In addition, as of the same date, the following person(s) held the share percentage indicated below, which was owned either (i) beneficially by such person(s) or (ii) of record by such person(s) on behalf of customers who are the beneficial owners of such shares and as to which such record owner(s) may exercise voting rights under certain limited circumstances:
Great West Trust Co. as Trustee FBO Navistar, Inc. Retirement Accumulation Plan |
Overland Park, KS |
84.
|
Great West Trust Co. as Trustee FBO Navistar, Inc.
|
Overland Park, KS |
12.
|
Beneficial owners of 25% or more of this Class of a Fund are presumed to be in control of the Class for purposes of voting on certain matters submitted to shareholders.
To the knowledge of the Trust, no other person owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of this Class of a Fund as of such date.
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APPENDIX G
Eaton Vance Funds
Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures
I. Overview
The Boards of Trustees (the “ Board ” ) of the Eaton Vance Funds 1 have determined that it is in the interests of the Funds ’ shareholders to adopt these written proxy voting policy and procedures (the “ Policy ” ). For purposes of this Policy:
·
“ Fund ” means each registered investment company sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization; and
·
“ Adviser ” means the adviser or sub-adviser responsible for the day-to-day management of all or a portion of the Fund ’ s assets.
II. Delegation of Proxy Voting Responsibilities
The Board hereby delegates to the Adviser responsibility for voting the Funds proxies as described in this Policy. In this connection, the Adviser is required to provide the Board with a copy of its proxy voting policies and procedures (Adviser Procedures) and all Fund proxies will be voted in accordance with the Adviser Procedures, provided that in the event a material conflict of interest arises with respect to a proxy to be voted for the Fund (as described in Section IV below) the Adviser shall follow the process for voting such proxy as described in Section IV below.
The Adviser is required to report any material change to the Adviser Procedures to the Board in the manner set forth in Section V below. In addition, the Board will review the Adviser Procedures annually.
III. Delegation of Proxy Voting Disclosure Responsibilities
Pursuant to Rule 30b1-4 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “ 1940 Act ” ), the Fund is required to file Form N-PX no later than August 31st of each year. On Form N-PX, the Fund is required to disclose, among other things, information concerning proxies relating to the Funds portfolio investments, whether or not the Fund (or its Adviser) voted the proxies relating to securities held by the Fund and how it voted on the matter and whether it voted for or against management.
To facilitate the filing of Form N-PX for the Fund:
·
The Adviser is required to record, compile and transmit in a timely manner all data required to be filed on Form N-PX for the Fund that it manages. Such data shall be transmitted to Eaton Vance Management, which acts as administrator to the Fund (the Administrator) or the third party service provider designated by the Administrator; and
·
the Administrator is required to file Form N-PX on behalf of the Fund with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission) as required by the 1940 Act. The Administrator may delegate the filing to a third party service party provided each such filing is reviewed and approved by the Administrator.
IV. Conflicts of Interest
The Board expects the Adviser, as a fiduciary to the Fund it manages, to put the interests of the Fund and its shareholders above those of the Adviser. When required to vote a proxy for the Fund, the Adviser may have material business relationships with the issuer soliciting the proxy that could give rise to a potential material conflict of interest for the Adviser. 2 In the event such a material conflict of interest arises, the Adviser, to the extent it is aware or reasonably should have been aware of the material conflict, will refrain from voting any proxies related to companies giving rise to such material conflict until it notifies and consults with the appropriate Board, or any committee, sub-committee or group of Independent Trustees identified by the Board (as long as such committee, sub-committee or group contains at least two or more Independent Trustees) (the Board Members), concerning the material conflict. 3 For ease of communicating with the Board Members, the Adviser is required to provide the foregoing notice to the Funds Chief Legal Officer who will then notify and facilitate a consultation with the Board Members.
Once the Board Members have been notified of the material conflict:
·
They shall convene a meeting to review and consider all relevant materials related to the proxies involved. This meeting shall be convened within 3 business days, provided that it an effort will be made to convene the meeting sooner if the proxy must be voted in less than 3 business days;
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·
In considering such proxies, the Adviser shall make available all materials requested by the Board Members and make reasonably available appropriate personnel to discuss the matter upon request.
·
The Board Members will then instruct the Adviser on the appropriate course of action with respect to the proxy at issue.
If the Board Members are unable to meet and the failure to vote a proxy would have a material adverse impact on the Fund(s) involved, the Adviser will have the right to vote such proxy, provided that it discloses the existence of the material conflict to the Chairperson of the Board as soon as practicable and to the Board at its next meeting. Any determination regarding the voting of proxies of the Fund that is made by the Board Members shall be deemed to be a good faith determination regarding the voting of proxies by the full Board.
V. Reports and Review
The Administrator shall make copies of each Form N-PX filed on behalf of the Fund available for the Boards ’ review upon the Boards ’ request. The Administrator (with input from the Adviser for the Fund) shall also provide any reports reasonably requested by the Board regarding the proxy voting records of the Fund.
The Adviser shall report any material changes to the Adviser Procedures to the Board as soon as practicable and the Boards will review the Adviser Procedures annually.
The Adviser also shall report any changes to the Adviser Procedures to the Fund Chief Legal Officer prior to implementing such changes in order to enable the Administrator to effectively coordinate the Funds disclosure relating to the Adviser Procedures.
To the extent requested by the Commission, the Policy and the Adviser Procedures shall be appended to the Funds statement of additional information included in its registration statement.
_____________________
1
The Eaton Vance Funds may be organized as trusts or corporations. For ease of reference, the Funds may be referred to herein as Trusts and the Funds Board of Trustees or Board of Directors may be referred to collectively herein as the Board.
2
An Adviser is expected to maintain a process for identifying a potential material conflict of interest. As an example only, such potential conflicts may arise when the issuer is a client of the Adviser and generates a significant amount of fees to the Adviser or the issuer is a distributor of the Advisers products.
3
If a material conflict of interest exists with respect to a particular proxy and the proxy voting procedures of the relevant Adviser require that proxies are to be voted in accordance with the recommendation of a third party proxy voting vendor, the requirements of this Section IV shall only apply if the Adviser intends to vote such proxy in a manner inconsistent with such third party recommendation.
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APPENDIX H
EATON VANCE MANAGEMENT
BOSTON MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH
EATON VANCE INVESTMENT COUNSEL
EATON VANCE TRUST COMPANY
EATON VANCE MANAGEMENT (INTERNATIONAL) LIMITED
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
I. Introduction
Eaton Vance Management, Boston Management and Research, Eaton Vance Investment Counsel, Eaton Vance Management (International) Limited and Eaton Vance Trust Company (each an Adviser and collectively the Advisers) have each adopted and implemented policies and procedures that each Adviser believes are reasonably designed to ensure that proxies are voted in the best interest of clients, in accordance with its fiduciary duties and, to the extent applicable, Rule 206(4)-6 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The Advisers authority to vote the proxies of their clients is established by their advisory contracts or similar documentation, such as the Eaton Vance Funds Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures. These proxy policies and procedures reflect the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requirements governing advisers and the long-standing fiduciary standards and responsibilities for ERISA accounts set out in the Department of Labor Bulletin 94-2 C.F.R. 2509.94-2 (July 29, 1994).
II. Overview
Each Adviser manages its clients assets with the overriding goal of seeking to provide the greatest possible return to such clients consistent with governing laws and the investment policies of each client. In pursuing that goal, each Adviser seeks to exercise its clients rights as shareholders of voting securities to support sound corporate governance of the companies issuing those securities with the principle aim of maintaining or enhancing the companies economic value.
The exercise of shareholder rights is generally done by casting votes by proxy at shareholder meetings on matters submitted to shareholders for approval (for example, the election of directors or the approval of a companys stock option plans for directors, officers or employees). Each Adviser has established guidelines (Guidelines) as described below and generally will utilize such Guidelines in voting proxies on behalf of its clients. The Guidelines are largely based on those developed by the Agent (defined below) but also reflect input from the Global Proxy Group (defined below) and other Adviser investment professionals and are believed to be consistent with the views of the Adviser on the various types of proxy proposals. These Guidelines are designed to promote accountability of a companys management and board of directors to its shareholders and to align the interests of management with those of shareholders. The Guidelines provide a framework for analysis and decision making but do not address all potential issues.
Except as noted below, each Adviser will vote any proxies received by a client for which it has sole investment discretion through a third-party proxy voting service (Agent) in accordance with the Guidelines in a manner that is reasonably designed to eliminate any potential conflicts of interest, as described more fully below. The Agent is currently Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. Where applicable, proxies will be voted in accordance with client-specific guidelines or, in the case of an Eaton Vance Fund that is sub-advised, pursuant to the sub-advisers proxy voting policies and procedures. Although an Adviser retains the services of the Agent for research and voting recommendations, the Adviser remains responsible for proxy voting decisions.
III. Roles and Responsibilities
A. Proxy Administrator
The Proxy Administrator coordinates the consideration of proxies referred back to the Adviser by the Agent, and otherwise administers these Procedures. In the Proxy Administrators absence, another employee of the Adviser may perform the Proxy Administrators responsibilities as deemed appropriate by the Global Proxy Group.
B. Agent
The Agent is responsible for coordinating with the clients custodians and the Advisers to ensure that all proxy materials received by the custodians relating to the portfolio securities are processed in a timely fashion. Each Adviser shall instruct the custodian for its clients to deliver proxy ballots and related materials to the Agent. The Agent shall vote and/or refer all proxies in accordance with the Guidelines. The Agent shall retain a record of all proxy votes handled by the Agent. With respect to each Eaton Vance Fund memorialized therein, such record must reflect all of the information required to be
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disclosed in the Funds Form N-PX pursuant to Rule 30b1-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, to the extent applicable. In addition, the Agent is responsible for maintaining copies of all proxy statements received by issuers and to promptly provide such materials to an Adviser upon request.
Subject to the oversight of the Advisers, the Agent shall establish and maintain adequate internal controls and policies in connection with the provision of proxy voting services to the Advisers, including methods to reasonably ensure that its analysis and recommendations are not influenced by a conflict of interest, and shall disclose such controls and policies to the Advisers when and as provided for herein. Unless otherwise specified, references herein to recommendations of the Agent shall refer to those in which no conflict of interest has been identified. The Advisers are responsible for the ongoing oversight of the Agent as contemplated by SEC Staff Legal Bulletin No. 20 (June 30, 2014). Such oversight currently may include one or more of the following:
·
periodic review of Agents proxy voting platform and reporting capabilities (including recordkeeping);
·
periodic review of a sample of ballots for accuracy and correct application of the Guidelines;
·
periodic meetings with Agents client services team;
·
periodic in-person and/or web-based due diligence meetings;
·
receipt and review of annual certifications received from the Agent; and/or
·
annual review of due diligence materials provided by the Agent, including review of procedures and practices regarding potential conflicts of interests.
C. Global Proxy Group
The Adviser shall establish a Global Proxy Group which is responsible for establishing the Guidelines (described below) and reviewing such Guidelines at least annually. The Global Proxy Group shall also review recommendations to vote proxies in a manner that is contrary to the Guidelines and when the proxy relates to a conflicted company of the Adviser or the Agent as described below.
The members of the Global Proxy Group shall include the Chief Equity Investment Officer of Eaton Vance Management (EVM) and selected members of the Equity Departments of EVM and Eaton Vance Management (International) Limited (EVMI). The Proxy Administrator is not a voting member of the Global Proxy Group. Members of the Global Proxy Group may be changed from time to time at the Advisers discretion. Matters that require the approval of the Global Proxy Group may be acted upon by its member(s) available to consider the matter.
IV. Proxy Voting
A. The Guidelines
The Global Proxy Group shall establish recommendations for the manner in which proxy proposals shall be voted (the Guidelines). The Guidelines shall identify when ballots for specific types of proxy proposals shall be voted (1) or referred to the Adviser. The Guidelines shall address a wide variety of individual topics, including, among other matters, shareholder voting rights, anti-takeover defenses, board structures, the election of directors, executive and director compensation, reorganizations, mergers, issues of corporate social responsibility and other proposals affecting shareholder rights. In determining the Guidelines, the Global Proxy Group considers the recommendations of the Agent as well as input from the Advisers portfolio managers and analysts and/or other internally developed or third party research.
The Global Proxy Group shall review the Guidelines at least annually and, in connection with proxies to be voted on behalf of the Eaton Vance Funds, the Adviser will submit amendments to the Guidelines to the Fund Boards each year for approval.
With respect to the types of proxy proposals listed below, the Guidelines will generally provide as follows:
1. Proposals Regarding Mergers and Corporate Restructurings/Disposition of Assets/Termination/Liquidation and Mergers
The Agent shall be directed to refer proxy proposals accompanied by its written analysis and voting recommendation to the Proxy Administrator for all proposals relating to Mergers and Corporate Restructurings.
2. Corporate Structure Matters/Anti-Takeover Defenses
As a general matter, the Advisers will normally vote against anti-takeover measures and other proposals designed to limit the ability of shareholders to act on possible transactions (except in the case of closed-end management investment companies).
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3. Proposals Regarding Proxy Contests
The Agent shall be directed to refer contested proxy proposals accompanied by its written analysis and voting recommendation to the Proxy Administrator.
4. Social and Environmental Issues
The Advisers generally support management on social and environmental proposals.
Interpretation and application of the Guidelines is not intended to supersede any law, regulation, binding agreement or other legal requirement to which an issuer or the Adviser may be or become subject. The Guidelines generally relate to the types of proposals that are most frequently presented in proxy statements to shareholders. In certain circumstances, an Adviser may determine to vote contrary to the Guidelines subject to the voting procedures set forth below.
B. Voting Procedures
Except as noted in Section V below, the Proxy Administrator shall instruct the Agent to vote proxies as follows:
1. Vote in Accordance with Guidelines
If the Guidelines prescribe the manner in which the proxy is to be voted, the Agent shall vote in accordance with the Guidelines, which for certain types of proposals, are recommendations of the Agent made on a case-by-case basis.
2. Seek Guidance for a Referred Item or a Proposal for which there is No Guideline
If (i) the Guidelines state that the proxy shall be referred to the Adviser to determine the manner in which it should be voted or (ii) a proxy is received for a proposal for which there is no Guideline, the Proxy Administrator shall consult with the analyst(s) covering the company subject to the proxy proposal and shall instruct the Agent to vote in accordance with the determination of the analyst. The Proxy Administrator will maintain a record of all proxy proposals that are referred by the Agent, as well as all applicable recommendations, analysis and research received and the resolution of the matter. Where more than one analyst covers a particular company and the recommendations of such analysts for voting a proposal subject to this Section IV.B.2 conflict, the Global Proxy Group shall review such recommendations and any other available information related to the proposal and determine the manner in which it should be voted, which may result in different recommendations for clients (including Funds).
3. Votes Contrary to the Guidelines or Where Agent is Conflicted
In the event an analyst with respect to companies within his or her coverage area may recommend a vote contrary to the Guidelines, the Proxy Administrator will provide the Global Proxy Group with the Agents recommendation for the Proposal along with any other relevant materials, including a description of the basis for the analysts recommendation via email and the Proxy Administrator will then instruct the Agent to vote the proxy in the manner determined by the Global Proxy Group. The Adviser will provide a report to the Boards of Trustees of the Eaton Vance Funds reflecting any votes cast on behalf of the Eaton Vance Funds contrary to the Guidelines, and shall do so quarterly. A similar process will be followed if the Agent has a conflict of interest with respect to a proxy as described in Section VI.B.
4. Do Not Cast a Vote
It shall generally be the policy of the Advisers to take no action on a proxy for which no client holds a position or otherwise maintains an economic interest in the relevant security at the time the vote is to be cast. In addition, the Advisers may determine not to vote (i) if the economic effect on shareholders' interests or the value of the portfolio holding is indeterminable or insignificant ( e.g., proxies in connection with securities no longer held in the portfolio of a client or proxies being considered on behalf of a client that is no longer in existence); (ii) if the cost of voting a proxy outweighs the benefits ( e.g., certain international proxies, particularly in cases in which share blocking practices may impose trading restrictions on the relevant portfolio security); or (iii) in markets in which shareholders' rights are limited, and the Adviser is unable to timely access ballots or other proxy information. Non-Votes may also result in certain cases in which the Agent's recommendation has been deemed to be conflicted, as provided for herein.
C. Securities on Loan
When a fund client participates in the lending of its securities and the securities are on loan at the record date for a shareholder meeting, proxies related to such securities generally will not be forwarded to the relevant Adviser by the funds custodian and therefore will not be voted. In the event that the Adviser determines that the matters involved would have a material effect on the applicable funds investment in the loaned securities, the Adviser will make reasonable efforts to terminate the loan in time to be able to cast such vote or exercise such consent. The Adviser shall instruct the funds security lending agent to refrain from lending the full position of any security held by a fund to ensure that the Adviser receives notice of proxy proposals impacting the loaned security.
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V. Recordkeeping
The Advisers will maintain records relating to the proxies they vote on behalf of their clients in accordance with Section 204-2 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. Those records will include:
·
A copy of the Advisers proxy voting policies and procedures;
·
Proxy statements received regarding client securities. Such proxy statements received from issuers are either in the SECs EDGAR database or are kept by the Agent and are available upon request;
·
A record of each vote cast;
·
A copy of any document created by the Advisers that was material to making a decision on how to vote a proxy for a client or that memorializes the basis for such a decision; and
·
Each written client request for proxy voting records and the Advisers written response to any client request (whether written or oral) for such records.
All records described above will be maintained in an easily accessible place for five years and will be maintained in the offices of the Advisers or their Agent for two years after they are created.
Notwithstanding anything contained in this Section V, Eaton Vance Trust Company shall maintain records relating to the proxies it votes on behalf of its clients in accordance with laws and regulations applicable to it and its activities. In addition, EVMI shall maintain records relating to the proxies it votes on behalf of its clients in accordance with UK law.
VI. Assessment of Agent and Identification and Resolution of Conflicts with Clients
A. Assessment of Agent
The Advisers shall establish that the Agent (i) is independent from the Advisers, (ii) has resources that indicate it can competently provide analysis of proxy issues, and (iii) can make recommendations in an impartial manner and in the best interests of the clients and, where applicable, their beneficial owners. The Advisers shall utilize, and the Agent shall comply with, such methods for establishing the foregoing as the Advisers may deem reasonably appropriate and shall do so not less than annually as well as prior to engaging the services of any new proxy voting service. The Agent shall also notify the Advisers in writing within fifteen (15) calendar days of any material change to information previously provided to an Adviser in connection with establishing the Agents independence, competence or impartiality.
B. Conflicts of Interest
As fiduciaries to their clients, each Adviser puts the interests of its clients ahead of its own. In order to ensure that relevant personnel of the Advisers are able to identify potential material conflicts of interest, each Adviser will take the following steps:
·
Quarterly, the Eaton Vance Legal and Compliance Department will seek information from the department heads of each department of the Advisers and of Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. (EVD) (an affiliate of the Advisers and principal underwriter of certain Eaton Vance Funds). Each department head will be asked to provide a list of significant clients or prospective clients of the Advisers or EVD.
·
A representative of the Legal and Compliance Department will compile a list of the companies identified (the Conflicted Companies) and provide that list to the Proxy Administrator.
·
The Proxy Administrator will compare the list of Conflicted Companies with the names of companies for which he or she has been referred a proxy statement (the Proxy Companies). If a Conflicted Company is also a Proxy Company, the Proxy Administrator will report that fact to the Global Proxy Group.
·
If the Proxy Administrator expects to instruct the Agent to vote the proxy of the Conflicted Company strictly according to the Guidelines contained in these Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (the Policies) or the recommendation of the Agent, as applicable, he or she will (i) inform the Global Proxy Group of that fact, (ii) instruct the Agent to vote the proxies and (iii) record the existence of the material conflict and the resolution of the matter.
·
If the Proxy Administrator intends to instruct the Agent to vote in a manner inconsistent with the Guidelines, the Global Proxy Group will then determine if a material conflict of interest exists between the relevant Adviser and its clients (in consultation with the Legal and Compliance Department if needed). If the Global Proxy Group determines that a material conflict exists, prior to instructing the Agent to vote any proxies relating to these Conflicted Companies the Adviser will seek instruction on how the proxy should be voted from:
·
The client, in the case of an individual, corporate, institutional or benefit plan client;
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·
In the case of a Fund, its board of directors, any committee, sub-committee or group of Independent Trustees (as long as such committee, sub-committee or group contains at least two or more Independent Trustees); or
·
The adviser, in situations where the Adviser acts as a sub-adviser to such adviser.
The Adviser will provide all reasonable assistance to each party to enable such party to make an informed decision.
If the client, Fund board or adviser, as the case may be, fails to instruct the Adviser on how to vote the proxy, the Adviser will generally instruct the Agent, through the Proxy Administrator, to abstain from voting in order to avoid the appearance of impropriety. If however, the failure of the Adviser to vote its clients proxies would have a material adverse economic impact on the Advisers clients securities holdings in the Conflicted Company, the Adviser may instruct the Agent, through the Proxy Administrator, to vote such proxies in order to protect its clients interests. In either case, the Proxy Administrator will record the existence of the material conflict and the resolution of the matter.
The Advisers shall also identify and address conflicts that may arise from time to time concerning the Agent. Upon the Advisers request, which shall be not less than annually, and within fifteen (15) calendar days of any material change to such information previously provided to an Adviser, the Agent shall provide the Advisers with such information as the Advisers deem reasonable and appropriate for use in determining material relationships of the Agent that may pose a conflict of interest with respect to the Agents proxy analysis or recommendations. Such information shall include, but is not limited to, a monthly report from the Agent detailing the Agents Corporate Securities Division clients and related revenue data. The Advisers shall review such information on a monthly basis. The Proxy Administrator shall instruct the Agent to refer any proxies for which a material conflict of the Agent is deemed to be present to the Proxy Administrator. Any such proxy referred by the Agent shall be referred to the Global Proxy Group for consideration accompanied by the Agents written analysis and voting recommendation. The Proxy Administrator will instruct the Agent to vote the proxy as recommended by the Global Proxy Group.
(1)
The Guidelines will prescribe how a proposal shall be voted or provide factors to be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Agent in recommending a vote pursuant to the Guidelines.
Eaton Vance Domestic Equity Funds
112
SAI dated May 1, 2016
STATEMENT OF
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
May 1,
2016
Parametric Absolute Return Fund
Investor Class Shares - EOAAX Institutional Class Shares - EOAIX
Parametric Commodity Strategy Fund
Investor Class Shares - EAPCX Institutional Class Shares - EIPCX
Two International Place
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
1-800-260-0761
This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) provides general information about the Funds. The Funds are diversified, open-end management investment companies. Parametric Absolute Return Fund is a series of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust. Parametric Commodity Strategy Fund is a series of Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust. Capitalized terms used in this SAI and not otherwise defined have the meanings given to them in the Prospectus.
This SAI contains additional information about:
|
Page |
|
|
Page |
Strategies and Risks |
2 |
|
Sales Charges |
22 |
Investment Restrictions |
4 |
|
Performance |
23 |
Management and Organization |
6 |
|
Taxes |
25 |
Investment Advisory and Administrative Services |
15 |
|
Portfolio Securities Transactions |
32 |
Other Service Providers |
20 |
|
Financial Statements |
35 |
Calculation of Net Asset Value |
20 |
|
Additional Information About Investment Strategies |
35 |
Purchasing and Redeeming Shares |
21 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Appendix A: Investor Class Fees, Performance and Ownership |
66 |
|
Appendix D: Eaton Vance Funds Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures |
79 |
Appendix B: Institutional Class Performance and Ownership |
68 |
|
Appendix E: Adviser Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures |
81 |
Appendix C: Ratings |
70 |
|
Appendix F: Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures |
86 |
Although each Fund offers only its shares of beneficial interest, it is possible that a Fund (or Class) might become liable for a misstatement or omission in this SAI regarding another Fund (or Class) because the Funds use this combined SAI.
This SAI is NOT a prospectus and is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only if preceded or accompanied by the Fund Prospectus dated May 1,
2016
, as supplemented from time to time, which is incorporated herein by reference. This SAI should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus, which may be obtained by calling 1-800-260-0761.
©
2016
Eaton Vance Management
Definitions
The following terms that may be used in this SAI have the meaning set forth below:
“ 1940 Act ” means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended;
“ 1933 Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended;
“ Board ” means Board of Trustees or Board of Directors, as applicable;
CEA means Commodity Exchange Act;
CFTC means the Commodity Futures Trading Commission;
Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;
Eaton Vance family of funds means all registered investment companies advised, administered and/or distributed by Eaton Vance or its affiliates;
Eaton Vance funds means the mutual funds sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization;
Exchange means the New York Stock Exchange;
FINRA means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority;
Fund means the Fund or Funds listed on the cover of this SAI unless stated otherwise;
investment adviser means the investment adviser identified in the prospectus and, with respect to the implementation of the Funds investment strategies (including as described under Taxes) and portfolio securities transactions, any sub-adviser identified in the prospectus;
IRS means the Internal Revenue Service;
Portfolio means a registered investment company (other than the Fund) sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization in which one or more Funds and other investors may invest substantially all or any portion of their assets as described in the prospectus, if applicable;
Subsidiary means a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parametric Commodity Strategy Fund as described in the prospectus. No other Fund described in this SAI has established a Subsidiary;
SEC means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; and
Trust means Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust (Mutual Funds Trust) and Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust (Special Investment Trust).
Parametric Funds
2
SAI dated May 1, 2016
STRATEGIES AND RISKS
The Fund prospectus identifies the types of investments in which the Fund will principally invest in seeking its investment objective(s) and the principal risks associated therewith. The categories checked in the table below are all of the investments the Fund is permitted to make, including its principal investments and the investment practices the Fund (either directly or through one or more Portfolios as may be described in the prospectus) is permitted to engage in. To the extent that an investment type or practice listed below is not identified in the Fund prospectus as a principal investment
strategy
, the Fund generally expects to invest less than 5% of its total assets in such investment type. If a particular investment type
or practice
that is checked and listed below but not referred to in the prospectus becomes a more significant part of the Funds strategy, the prospectus may be amended to disclose that investment
type or practice.
Information about the various investment types and practices and the associated risks checked below is included in alphabetical order in this SAI under Additional Information about Investment Strategies.
Investment Type |
Permitted for or Relevant to |
|
|
Absolute Return Fund |
Commodity Strategy Fund |
Asset-Backed Securities (ABS) |
√ |
|
Auction Rate Securities |
|
|
Build America Bonds |
|
|
Call and Put Features on Securities |
√ |
|
Cash Equivalents |
√ |
√ |
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations ( “ CMOs ” ) |
√ |
|
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities ( “ CMBS ” ) |
√ |
|
Commodity-Related Investments |
|
√ |
Common Stocks |
√ |
|
Contingent Convertible Securities |
|
|
Convertible Securities |
√ |
|
Credit Linked Securities |
|
|
Derivative Instruments and Related Risks |
√ |
√ |
Derivative-Linked and Commodity-Linked Hybrid Instruments |
|
|
Direct Investments |
|
|
Emerging Market Investments |
√ |
|
Equity Investments |
√ |
|
Equity-Linked Securities |
|
|
Exchange-Traded Funds ( “ ETFs ” ) |
|
√ |
Exchange-Traded Notes ( “ ETNs ” ) |
|
√ |
Fixed-Income Securities |
√ |
√ |
Foreign Currency Transactions |
|
|
Foreign Investments |
√ |
|
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts |
|
|
Forward Rate Agreements |
|
|
Futures Contracts |
|
√ |
High Yield Securities |
|
|
Hybrid Securities |
√ |
|
Illiquid Securities |
√ |
√ |
Indexed Securities |
|
√ |
Inflation-Indexed (or Inflation-Linked) Bonds |
√ |
|
Junior Loans |
|
|
Parametric Funds
3
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Investment Type |
Permitted for or Relevant to |
|
Liquidity or Protective Put Agreements |
|
|
Loans |
|
|
Master Limited Partnerships ( “ MLPs ” ) |
|
|
Mortgage-Backed Securities ( “ MBS ” ) |
√ |
|
Mortgage Dollar Rolls |
|
|
Municipal Lease Obligations ( “ MLOs ” ) |
|
|
Municipal Obligations |
|
|
Option Contracts |
√ |
√ |
Pooled Investment Vehicles |
√ |
√ |
Preferred Stock |
√ |
|
Real Estate Investments |
|
|
Repurchase Agreements |
√ |
|
Residual Interest Bonds |
|
|
Restricted Securities |
√ |
√ |
Reverse Repurchase Agreements |
√ |
|
Rights and Warrants |
|
|
Royalty Bonds |
|
|
Senior Loans |
|
|
Short Sales |
|
|
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities ( “ SMBS ” ) |
|
|
Structured Notes |
|
√ |
Swap Agreements |
|
√ |
Swaptions |
|
|
Trust Certificates |
|
|
U.S. Government Securities |
√ |
√ |
Unlisted Securities |
|
|
Variable Rate Instruments |
√ |
|
When-Issued Securities, Delayed Delivery and Forward Commitments |
√ |
|
Zero Coupon Bonds |
√ |
|
Other Disclosures Regarding Investment Practices |
Permitted for or Relevant to |
|
|
Absolute Return Fund |
Commodity Strategy Fund |
Asset Coverage |
√ |
√ |
Average Effective Maturity |
√ |
|
Borrowing for Investment Purposes |
|
|
Borrowing for Temporary Purposes |
√ |
√ |
Cyber Security Risk |
√ |
√ |
Diversified Status |
√ |
√ |
Dividend Capture Trading |
|
|
Duration |
√ |
√ |
Investing in a Portfolio |
|
|
Parametric Funds
4
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Other Disclosures Regarding Investment Practices |
Permitted for or Relevant to |
|
Investments in the Subsidiary |
|
√ |
Loan Facility |
|
|
Operational Risk |
√ |
√ |
Option Strategy |
√ |
|
Participation in the ReFlow Liquidity Program |
√ |
√ |
Portfolio Turnover |
√ |
√ |
Securities Lending |
√ |
√ |
Short-Term Trading |
√ |
√ |
Significant Exposure to Health Sciences Companies |
|
|
Significant Exposure to Smaller Companies |
|
|
Significant Exposure to Utility and Financial Services Companies |
|
|
Tax-Managed Investing |
|
|
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The following investment restrictions of each Fund are designated as fundamental policies and as such cannot be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of a Funds outstanding voting securities, which as used in this SAI means the lesser of: (a) 67% of the shares of a Fund 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 the outstanding shares of a Fund. Accordingly, each Fund may not:
The fundamental investment restrictions for Absolute Return Fund are stated below. The Fund may not:
(1)
Borrow money or issue senior securities except as permitted by the 1940 Act;
(2)
Purchase securities on margin (but the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of securities). The deposit or payment by the Fund of initial, maintenance or variation margin in connection with all types of options and futures contract transactions is not considered the purchase of a security on margin;
(3)
Underwrite or participate in the marketing of securities of others, except insofar as it may technically be deemed to be an underwriter in selling a portfolio security under circumstances which may require the registration of the same under the Securities Act of 1933;
(4)
Purchase or sell real estate, although it may purchase and sell securities which are secured by real estate and securities of companies which invest or deal in real estate;
(5)
Make loans to other persons, except by (a) the acquisition of debt securities and making portfolio investments, (b) entering into repurchase agreements (c) lending portfolio securities and (d) lending cash consistent with applicable law;
(6)
With respect to 75% of its total assets, invest more than 5% of its total assets (taken at current value) in the securities of any one issuer, or invest in more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer, except obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities and except securities of other investment companies; or
(7)
Concentrate its investments in any particular industry, but, if deemed appropriate for the Funds objective, up to (but less than) 25% of the value of its assets may be invested in securities of companies in any one industry (although more than 25% may be invested in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities).
In addition, the Fund may:
(8)
Purchase and sell commodities and commodities contracts of all types and kinds (including without limitation futures contracts, options on futures contracts and other commodities-related investments) to the extent permitted by law.
Parametric Funds
5
SAI dated May 1, 2016
For purposes of determining industry classifications, the investment adviser considers an issuer to be in a particular industry if a third party has designated the issuer to be in that industry, unless the investment adviser is aware of circumstances that make the third partys classification inappropriate. In such a case, the investment adviser will assign an industry classification to the issuer.
The fundamental investment restrictions for Commodity Strategy Fund are stated below. The Fund may not:
(1)
Borrow money or issue senior securities except as permitted by the 1940 Act;
(2)
Purchase securities on margin (but the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of securities). The deposit or payment by the Fund of initial or maintenance margin in connection with futures contracts or related options transactions is not considered the purchase of a security on margin;
(3)
Underwrite or participate in the marketing of securities of others, except insofar as it may technically be deemed to be an underwriter in selling a portfolio security under circumstances which may require the registration of the same under the 1933 Act;
(4)
Purchase or sell real estate (including limited partnership interests in real estate but excluding readily marketable interests in real estate investment trusts or readily marketable securities of companies which invest or deal in real estate or securities which are secured by real estate);
(5)
Make loans to any person except by (a) the acquisition of debt instruments and making portfolio investments, (b) entering into repurchase agreements and (c) lending portfolio securities;
(6)
Concentrate its investments in any particular industry, but, if deemed appropriate for the Funds objective, up to (but less than) 25% of the value of its assets may be invested in securities of companies in any one industry (although more than 25% may be invested in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities).
In addition, the Fund may:
(7)
Purchase and sell commodities and commodities contracts of all types and kinds (including without limitation futures contracts, options on futures contracts and other commodities-related investments) to the extent permitted by law.
(8)
Invest 25% or more of its total assets in securities, commodity-linked notes and other instruments, including futures and forward contracts, related options and swaps, linked to one or more of the agriculture, energy and natural resources, livestock, precious metals, industrial metals and other sectors of the commodities market. The individual components of an index will be considered as separate industries for this purpose. The Fund may also invest more than 25% of total assets in a group of industries.
For purposes of the Commodity Strategy Funds investment restrictions and diversification status, the determination of the issuer of any obligation will be made by the Commodity Strategy Funds investment adviser or sub-adviser on the basis of the characteristics of the obligation and other relevant factors, the most significant of which is the source of funds committed to meeting interest and principal payments of such obligations.
Each Funds borrowing policy is consistent with Section 18(f) of the 1940 Act, which states that it shall be unlawful for any registered open-end company to issue any class of senior security or to sell any senior security of which it is the issuer, except that any such registered company shall be permitted to borrow from any bank; provided, that immediately after any such borrowing there is an asset coverage of at least 300% for all borrowings of such registered company; and provided further, that in the event that such asset coverage shall at any time fall below 300% such registered company shall, within three days thereafter (not including Sundays and holidays) or such longer period as the SEC may prescribe by rules and regulations, reduce the amount of its borrowings to an extent that the asset coverage of such borrowings shall be at least 300%. Reverse repurchase agreements are included in borrowings for purposes of complying with the foregoing.
Notwithstanding its investment policies and restrictions, each Fund may, in compliance with the requirements of the 1940 Act, invest: (i) all of its investable assets in an open-end management investment company with substantially the same investment objective(s), policies and restrictions as the Fund; or (ii) in more than one open-end management investment company sponsored by Eaton Vance or its affiliates, provided any such company has investment objective(s), policies and restrictions that are consistent with those of the Fund.
In addition, to the extent a registered open-end investment company acquires securities of a portfolio in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(G) under the 1940 Act, such portfolio shall not acquire any securities of a registered open-end investment company in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(G) under the 1940 Act.
Parametric Funds
6
SAI dated May 1, 2016
The following nonfundamental investment policies have been adopted by each Fund. A nonfundamental investment policy may be changed by the Board with respect to a Fund without approval by the Funds shareholders. Each Fund will not:
·
make short sales of securities or maintain a short position, unless at all times when a short position is open (i) it owns an equal amount of such securities or securities convertible into or exchangeable, without payment of any further consideration, for securities of the same issue as, and equal in amount to, the securities sold short or (ii) it holds in a segregated account cash or other liquid securities (to the extent required under the 1940 Act) in an amount equal to the current market value of the securities sold short, and unless not more than 25% of its net assets (taken at current value) is held as collateral for such sales at any one time; or
·
invest more than 15% of net assets in investments which are not readily marketable, including restricted securities and repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days. Restricted securities for the purposes of this limitation do not include securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act and commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of said Act that the members of the Board, or their delegate, determines to be liquid. Any such determination by a delegate will be made pursuant to procedures adopted by the Board. When investing in Rule 144A securities, the level of portfolio illiquidity may be increased to the extent that eligible buyers become uninterested in purchasing such securities.
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 acquisition by a Fund of such security or asset. Accordingly, unless otherwise noted, 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 investment adviser if the security is not rated by a rating agency), will not compel a Fund to dispose of such security or other asset. However, a Fund must always be in compliance with the borrowing policy and limitation on investing in illiquid securities set forth above. If a sale of securities is required to comply with the 15% limit on illiquid securities, such sales will be made in an orderly manner with consideration of the best interests of shareholders.
MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION
Fund Management. The Trustees of the Trust are responsible for the overall management and supervision of the affairs of the Trust. The Board members 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. Board members and officers of the Trust hold indefinite terms of office. 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 Board member and officer is Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. As used in this SAI, BMR refers to Boston Management and Research, EVC refers to Eaton Vance Corp., EV refers to Eaton Vance, Inc., Eaton Vance refers to Eaton Vance Management , EVMI refers to Eaton Vance Management (International) Limited and EVD refers to Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. (see Principal Underwriter under Other Service Providers). EVC and EV are the corporate parent and trustee, respectively, of Eaton Vance and BMR. EVMI is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of EVC. Each officer affiliated with Eaton Vance may hold a position with other Eaton Vance affiliates that is comparable to his or her position with Eaton Vance listed below.
Name and Year of Birth |
|
Trust
|
|
Term of Office and
|
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
|
|
Number of Portfolios
|
|
Other Directorships Held
|
Interested Trustee |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THOMAS E. FAUST JR.
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2007 |
|
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of EVC, Director and President of EV, Chief Executive Officer and President of Eaton Vance and BMR, and Director of EVD and EVMI . Trustee and/or officer of 179 registered investment companies. Mr. Faust is an interested person because of his positions with BMR, Eaton Vance, EVC, EVD, EVMI and EV, which are affiliates of the Trust. |
|
179 |
|
Director of EVC and Hexavest Inc. (investment management firm). |
Parametric Funds
7
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Name and Year of Birth |
|
Trust
|
|
Term of Office and
|
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
|
|
Number of Portfolios
|
|
Other Directorships Held
|
Noninterested Trustees |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SCOTT E. ESTON
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2011 |
|
Private investor. Formerly held various positions at Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo and Co., L.L.C. (investment management firm) (1997-2009), including Chief Operating Officer (2002-2009), Chief Financial Officer (1997-2009) and Chairman of the Executive Committee (2002-2008); President and Principal Executive Officer, GMO Trust (open-end registered investment company) (2006-2009). Former Partner, Coopers and Lybrand L.L.P. (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) ( an independent registered public accounting firm) (1987-1997). |
|
179 |
|
None |
CYNTHIA E. FROST
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2014 |
|
Private investor. Formerly, Chief Investment Officer of Brown University (university endowment) (2000-2012); Portfolio Strategist for Duke Management Company (university endowment manager) (1995-2000); Managing Director, Cambridge Associates (investment consulting company) (1989-1995); Consultant, Bain and Company (management consulting firm) (1987-1989); Senior Equity Analyst, BA Investment Management Company (1983-1985). |
|
179 |
|
None |
GEORGE J. GORMAN
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2014 |
|
Principal at George J. Gorman LLC (consulting firm). Formerly, Senior Partner at Ernst & Young LLP (public accounting firm) (1974-2009). |
|
179 |
|
Formerly, Trustee of the Bank of America Money Market Funds Series Trust (2011-2014) and of the Ashmore Funds (2010-2014). |
VALERIE A. MOSLEY
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2014 |
|
Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of Valmo Ventures (a consulting and investment firm). Former Partner and Senior Vice President, Portfolio Manager and Investment Strategist at Wellington Management Company, LLP (investment management firm) (1992-2012). Former Chief Investment Officer, PG Corbin Asset Management (1990-1992). Formerly worked in institutional corporate bond sales at Kidder Peabody (1986-1990). |
|
179 |
|
Director of Dynex Capital, Inc. (mortgage REIT) (since 2013). |
WILLIAM H. PARK
|
|
Vice-Chairperson of the Board and Trustee |
|
Vice-Chairperson of the Board since 2016 and Trustee since 2003 |
|
Private investor. Formerly, Consultant (management and transactional) (2012-2014). Formerly, Chief Financial Officer, Aveon Group, L.P. (investment management firm) (2010-2011). Formerly, Vice Chairman, Commercial Industrial Finance Corp. (specialty finance company) (2006-2010). Formerly, President and Chief Executive Officer, Prizm Capital Management, LLC (investment management firm) (2002-2005). Formerly, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, United Asset Management Corporation (investment management firm) (1982-2001). Formerly, Senior Manager, Price Waterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) (an independent registered public accounting firm) (1972-1981). |
|
179 |
|
None |
Parametric Funds
8
SAI dated May 1, 2016
HELEN FRAME PETERS
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2008 |
|
Professor of Finance, Carroll School of Management, Boston College. Formerly, Dean, Carroll School of Management, Boston College (2000-2002). Formerly, Chief Investment Officer, Fixed Income, Scudder Kemper Investments (investment management firm) (1998-1999). Formerly, Chief Investment Officer, Equity and Fixed Income, Colonial Management Associates (investment management firm) (1991-1998). |
|
179 |
|
Formerly, Director of BJs Wholesale Club, Inc. (wholesale club retailer) (2004-2011). Formerly, Trustee of SPDR Index Shares Funds and SPDR Series Trust (exchange traded funds) (2000-2009). Formerly, Director of Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (a bank for banks) (2007-2009). |
SUSAN J. SUTHERLAND
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2015 |
|
Private investor. Formerly, Associate, Counsel and Partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (law firm) (1982-2013). |
|
179 |
|
Formerly, Director of Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd. (global provider of customized insurance and reinsurance products) (2013 -2015 ). |
HARRIETT TEE TAGGART
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2011 |
|
Managing Director, Taggart Associates (a professional practice firm). Formerly, Partner and Senior Vice President, Wellington Management Company, LLP (investment management firm) (1983-2006). |
|
179 |
|
Director of Albemarle Corporation (chemicals manufacturer) (since 2007) and The Hanover Group (specialty property and casualty insurance company) (since 2009). Formerly, Director of Lubrizol Corporation (specialty chemicals) (2007-2011). |
RALPH F. VERNI
|
|
Chairperson of the Board and Trustee |
|
Chairperson of the Board since 2007 and Trustee since 2005 |
|
Consultant and private investor. Formerly, Chief Investment Officer (1982-1992), Chief Financial Officer (1988-1990) and Director (1982-1992), New England Life. Formerly, Chairperson, New England Mutual Funds (1982-1992). Formerly, President and Chief Executive Officer, State Street Management & Research (1992-2000). Formerly, Chairperson, State Street Research Mutual Funds (1992-2000). Formerly, Director, W.P. Carey, LLC (1998-2004) and First Pioneer Farm Credit Corp. (financial services cooperative) (2002-2006). |
|
179 |
|
None |
(1)
Includes both master and feeder funds in a master-feeder structure.
(2)
During their respective tenures, the Trustees (except for Mmes. Frost and Sutherland and Mr. Gorman) also served as Board members of one or more of the following funds (which operated in the years noted): eUnits
TM
2 Year U.S. Market Participation Trust: Upside to Cap / Buffered Downside (launched in 2012 and terminated in 2014); eUnits
TM
2 Year U.S. Market Participation Trust II: Upside to Cap / Buffered Downside (launched in 2012 and terminated in 2014);
and Eaton Vance National Municipal Income Trust (launched in 1998 and terminated in 2009). However, Ms. Mosley did not serve as a Board member of eUnits
TM
2 Year U.S. Market Participation Trust: Upside to Cap / Buffered Downside (launched in 2012 and terminated in 2014).
Parametric Funds
9
SAI dated May 1, 2016
The Board has general oversight responsibility with respect to the business and affairs of the Trust and each Fund. The Board has engaged an investment adviser and (if applicable) a sub-adviser (collectively the adviser) to manage each Fund and an administrator to administer each Fund and is responsible for overseeing such adviser and administrator and other service providers to the Trust and the Fund. The Board is currently composed of
ten
Trustees, including
nine
Trustees who are not interested persons of a Fund, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (each a noninterested Trustee). In addition to
six
regularly scheduled meetings per year, the Board holds special meetings or informal conference calls to discuss specific matters that may require action prior to the next regular meeting. As discussed below, the Board has established five committees to assist the Board in performing its oversight responsibilities.
The Board has appointed a noninterested Trustee to serve in the role of
Chairperson
. The
Chairpersons
primary role is to participate in the preparation of the agenda for meetings of the Board and the identification of information to be presented to the Board with respect to matters to be acted upon by the Board. The
Chairperson
also presides at all meetings of the Board and acts as a liaison with service providers, officers, attorneys, and other Board members generally between meetings. The
Chairperson
may perform such other functions as may be requested by the Board from time to time.
In addition, the Board has appointed a noninterested Trustee to serve in the role of Vice-Chairperson. The Vice-Chairperson has the power and authority to perform any or all of the duties and responsibilities of the Chairperson in the absence of the Chairperson and/or as requested by the Chairperson.
Except for any duties specified herein or pursuant to the Trusts Declaration of Trust or By-laws, the designation of
Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson
does not impose on such noninterested Trustee any duties, obligations or liability that is greater than the duties, obligations or liability imposed on such person as a member of the Board, generally.
Each Fund and the Trust are subject to a number of risks, including, among others, investment, compliance, operational, and valuation risks. Risk oversight is part of the Boards general oversight of each Fund and the Trust and is addressed as part of various activities of the Board and its Committees. As part of its oversight of each Fund and the Trust, the Board directly, or through a Committee, relies on and reviews reports from, among others, Fund management, the adviser, the administrator, the principal underwriter, the Chief Compliance Officer (the CCO), and other Fund service providers responsible for day-to-day oversight of Fund investments, operations and compliance to assist the Board in identifying and understanding the nature and extent of risks and determining whether, and to what extent, such risks can or should be mitigated. The Board also interacts with the CCO and with senior personnel of the adviser, administrator, principal underwriter and other Fund service providers and provides input on risk management issues during meetings of the Board and its Committees. Each of the adviser, administrator, principal underwriter and the other Fund service providers has its own, independent interest and responsibilities in risk management, and its policies and methods for carrying out risk management functions will depend, in part, on its individual priorities, resources and controls. It is not possible to identify all of the risks that may affect a Fund or to develop processes and controls to eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. Moreover, it is necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve each Funds goals.
The Board, with the assistance of management and with input from the Board's various committees, reviews investment policies and risks in connection with its review of Fund performance. The Board has appointed a Fund CCO who oversees the implementation and testing of the Fund compliance program and reports to the Board regarding compliance matters for the Funds and their principal service providers. In addition, as part of the Boards periodic review of the advisory, subadvisory (if applicable), distribution and other service provider agreements, the Board may consider risk management aspects of their operations and the functions for which they are responsible. With respect to valuation, the Board approves and periodically reviews valuation policies and procedures applicable to valuing each Funds shares. The administrator, the investment adviser and the sub-adviser (if applicable) are responsible for the implementation and day-to-day administration of these valuation policies and procedures and provides reports to the Audit Committee of the Board and the Board regarding these and related matters. In addition, the Audit Committee of the Board or the Board receives reports periodically from the independent public accounting firm for the Funds regarding tests performed by such firm on the valuation of all securities, as well as with respect to other risks associated with mutual funds. Reports received from service providers, legal counsel and the independent public accounting firm assist the Board in performing its oversight function.
Each Trusts Declaration of Trust does not set forth any specific qualifications to serve as a Trustee. The Charter of the Governance Committee also does not set forth any specific qualifications, but does set forth certain factors that the Committee may take into account in considering noninterested Trustee candidates. In general, no one factor is decisive in the selection of an individual to join the Board. Among the factors the Board considers when concluding that an individual should serve on the Board are the following: (i) knowledge in matters relating to the mutual fund industry; (ii) experience as a director or senior officer of public companies; (iii) educational background; (iv) reputation for high ethical standards and professional integrity; (v) specific financial, technical or other expertise, and the extent to which such expertise would complement the Board members existing mix of skills, core competencies and qualifications; (vi) perceived ability to contribute to the ongoing functions of the Board, including the ability and commitment to attend meetings regularly and work collaboratively with other members of the Board; (vii) the ability to qualify as a noninterested Trustee for purposes of the 1940 Act and any other actual or potential conflicts of interest involving the individual and the Fund; and (viii) such other factors as the Board determines to be relevant in light of the existing composition of the Board.
Parametric Funds
10
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Among the attributes or skills common to all Board members are their ability to review critically, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, to interact effectively with the other members of the Board, management, sub-advisers, other service providers, counsel and independent registered public accounting firms, and to exercise effective and independent business judgment in the performance of their duties as members of the Board. Each Board members ability to perform his or her duties effectively has been attained through the Board members business, consulting, public service and/or academic positions and through experience from service as a member of the Boards of the Eaton Vance family of funds (Eaton Vance Fund Boards) (and/or in other capacities, including for any predecessor funds), public companies, or non-profit entities or other organizations as set forth below. Each Board members ability to perform his or her duties effectively also has been enhanced by his or her educational background, professional training, and/or other life experiences.
In respect of each current member of the Board, the individuals substantial professional accomplishments and experience, including in fields related to the operations of registered investment companies, were a significant factor in the determination that the individual should serve as a member of the Board. The following is a summary of each Board members particular professional experience and additional considerations that contributed to the Boards conclusion that he or she should serve as a member of the Board:
Scott E. Eston.
Mr. Eston has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2011 and is the Chairperson of the Contract Review Committee. He currently serves on the board and on the investment
committee of Michigan State University Foundation, and on the investment advisory
sub-
committee of Michigan State University. From 1997 through 2009, Mr. Eston served in several capacities at Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo and Co. (GMO), including as Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chief Operating
Officer
and Chief Financial Officer, and also as the President and Principal Executive officer of GMO Trust, an affiliated open-end registered investment company. From 1978 through 1997, Mr. Eston was employed at Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P. (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) (since 1987 as a Partner).
Thomas E. Faust Jr. Mr. Faust has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2007. He is currently Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of EVC, Director and President of EV, Chief Executive Officer and President of Eaton Vance and BMR, and Director of EVD and EVMI . Mr. Faust has served as a Director of Hexavest Inc. since 2012. Mr. Faust previously served as an equity analyst, portfolio manager, Director of Equity Research and Management and Chief Investment Officer of Eaton Vance (1985-2007). He holds B.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Mr. Faust has been a Chartered Financial Analyst since 1988.
Cynthia E. Frost
. Ms. Frost has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since May 29, 2014. From 2000 through 2012, Ms. Frost was the Chief Investment Officer of Brown University, where she oversaw the evaluation, selection and monitoring of the third party investment managers who managed the universitys endowment. From 1995-2000, Ms. Frost was a Portfolio Strategist for Duke Management Company, which oversaw Duke Universitys endowment. Ms. Frost also served in various investment and consulting roles at Cambridge Associates (1989-1995), Bain and Company (1987-1989) and BA Investment Management Company (1983-1985
). She serves as a member of an advisory board of Creciente Partners Investment Management, LLC, a manager of a multi-manager hedge fund,
and has additional experience as a member of the investment committee of several non-profit organizations.
George J. Gorman
. Mr. Gorman has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since May 29, 2014 and is the
Chairperson
of the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee. From 1974 through 2009, Mr. Gorman served in various capacities at Ernst & Young LLP, including as a Senior Partner in the Asset Management Group (from 1988) specializing in managing engagement teams responsible for auditing mutual funds registered with the SEC, hedge funds and private equity funds. Mr. Gorman also has experience serving as an independent trustee of other mutual fund complexes, including the Bank of America Money Market Funds Series Trust (2011-2014) and the Ashmore Funds (2010-2014).
Valerie A. Mosley.
Ms. Mosley has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since January 1, 2014. She currently owns and manages a consulting and investment firm, Valmo Ventures and is a Director of Progress Investment Management Company, a manager of emerging managers
.
From 1992 through 2012, Ms. Mosley served in several capacities at Wellington Management Company, LLP, an investment management firm, including as a Partner, Senior Vice President, Portfolio Manager and Investment Strategist. Ms. Mosley also served as Chief Investment Officer at PG Corbin Asset Management from 1990-1992 and worked in institutional corporate bond sales at Kidder Peabody from 1986-1990. Ms. Mosley is a Director of Dynex Capital, Inc., a mortgage REIT,
where she serves on the boards audit and investment committees. She
also serves as a trustee or board member of several major non-profit organizations and endowments, including Mass Ventures, a quasi-public early-stage investment corporation active in Massachusetts, and
New Profit, a non-profit venture philanthropy fund.
She is a member of the Risk Audit Committee of the United Auto Workers Retiree Medical Benefits Trust and a member of the Investment Advisory Committee of New York State Common Retirement Fund.
Parametric Funds
11
SAI dated May 1, 2016
William H. Park. Mr. Park has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2003 , is the Independent Vice-Chairperson of the Board and is the Chairperson of the Audit Committee. Mr. Park was formerly a consultant (2012-2014) and formerly the Chief Financial Officer of Aveon Group, L.P. from 2010-2011. Mr. Park also served as Vice Chairman of Commercial Industrial Finance Corp. from 2006-2010, as President and Chief Executive Officer of Prizm Capital Management, LLC from 2002-2005, as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of United Asset Management Corporation from 1982-2001 and as Senior Manager of Price Waterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) from 1972-1981.
Helen Frame Peters.
Ms. Peters has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2008 and is the Chairperson of the Portfolio Management Committee. Ms. Peters is currently a Professor of Finance at Carroll School of Management, Boston College and was formerly Dean of Carroll School of Management from 2000-2002. Ms. Peters was previously a Director of BJs Wholesale Club, Inc. from 2004-2011. In addition, Ms. Peters was the Chief Investment Officer, Fixed Income at Scudder Kemper Investments from 1998-1999 and Chief Investment Officer, Equity and Fixed Income at Colonial Management Associates from 1991-1998. Ms. Peters also served as a Trustee of SPDR Index Shares Funds and SPDR Series Trust from 2000-2009 and as a Director of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston from 2007-2009.
Susan J. Sutherland.
Ms. Sutherland has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since May 1, 2015.
Ms. Sutherland also serves as a director of Hagerty Holding Corp., a leading provider of specialized automobile and marine insurance.
Ms. Sutherland was a Director of Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd., a global provider of customized reinsurance and insurance products, from 2013 until its sale in 2015.
From 1982 through 2013, Ms. Sutherland was an associate, counsel and then a partner in the Financial Institutions Group of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where she primarily represented U.S. and international insurance and reinsurance companies, investment banks and private equity firms in insurance-related corporate transactions. In addition, Ms. Sutherland is qualified as a Governance Fellow of the National Association of Corporate Directors and has also served as a board member of prominent non-profit organizations.
Harriett Tee Taggart.
Ms. Taggart has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2011 and is the Chairperson of the Governance Committee. Ms. Taggart currently manages a professional practice, Taggart Associates. Since 2007, Ms. Taggart has been a Director of Albemarle Corporation, a specialty chemical company where she serves as a member of the
Executive Compensation Committee.
Since 2009 she has served as a Director of the Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. where she serves as member of the Nomination and Governance Committee. Ms. Taggart is also a trustee or member of several major non-profit boards, advisory committees and endowment investment companies. From 1983 through 2006, Ms. Taggart served in several capacities at Wellington Management Company, LLP, an investment management firm, including as a Partner, Senior Vice President and chemical industry sector portfolio manager. Ms. Taggart also served as a Director of the Lubrizol Corporation, a specialty chemicals manufacturer from 2007-2011.
Ralph F. Verni. Mr. Verni has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2005 and is the Independent Chairperson of the Board. Mr. Verni was formerly the Chief Investment Officer (from 1982-1992), Chief Financial Officer (from 1988-1990) and Director (from 1982-1992) of New England Life. Mr. Verni was also the Chairperson of the New England Mutual Funds from 1982-1992; President and Chief Executive Officer of State Street Management & Research from 1992-2000; Chairperson of the State Street Research Mutual Funds from 1992-2000; Director of W.P. Carey, LLC from 1998-2004; and Director of First Pioneer Farm Credit Corp. from 2002-2006. Mr. Verni has been a Chartered Financial Analyst since 1977.
The Board of the Trust has several standing Committees, including the Governance Committee, the Audit Committee, the Portfolio Management Committee, the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee and the Contract Review Committee. Each of the Committees are comprised of only noninterested Trustees.
Mmes. Taggart (
Chairperson
), Frost, Mosley, Peters and Sutherland, and Messrs. Eston, Gorman, Park
and Verni are members of the Governance Committee. The purpose of the Governance Committee is to consider, evaluate and make recommendations to the Board with respect to the structure, membership and operation of the Board and the Committees thereof, including the nomination and selection of noninterested Trustees and a Chairperson of the Board and the compensation of such persons. During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the Governance Committee convened
five
times.
The Governance Committee will, when a vacancy exists, consider a nominee for Trustee recommended by a shareholder, provided that such recommendation is submitted in writing to the Funds Secretary at the principal executive office of the Fund. Such recommendations must be accompanied by biographical and occupational data on the candidate (including whether the candidate would be an interested person of the Fund), a written consent by the candidate to be named as a nominee and to serve as Trustee if elected, record and ownership information for the recommending shareholder with respect to the Fund, and a description of any arrangements or understandings regarding recommendation of the candidate for consideration.
Parametric Funds
12
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Messrs. Park (
Chairperson
), Eston
and Verni, and Ms. Frost are members of the Audit Committee. The Board has designated Mr. Park, a noninterested Trustee, as audit committee financial expert. The Audit Committees purposes are to (i) oversee each Fund's accounting and financial reporting processes, its internal control over financial reporting, and, as appropriate, the internal control over financial reporting of certain service providers; (ii) oversee or, as appropriate, assist Board oversight of the quality and integrity of each Fund's financial statements and the independent audit thereof; (iii) oversee, or, as appropriate, assist Board oversight of, each Fund's compliance with legal and regulatory requirements that relate to each Fund's accounting and financial reporting, internal control over financial reporting and independent audits; (iv) approve prior to appointment the engagement and, when appropriate, replacement of the independent registered public accounting firm, and, if applicable, nominate the independent registered public accounting firm to be proposed for shareholder ratification in any proxy statement of a Fund; (v) evaluate the qualifications, independence and performance of the independent registered public accounting firm and the audit partner in charge of leading the audit; and (vi) prepare, as necessary, audit committee reports consistent with the requirements of applicable SEC and stock exchange rules for inclusion in the proxy statement of a Fund. During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the Audit Committee convened
sixteen
times.
Messrs. Eston (
Chairperson
), Gorman, Park and Verni, and Mmes. Mosley, Peters, Sutherland and Taggart are members of the Contract Review Committee. The purposes of the Contract Review Committee are to consider, evaluate and make recommendations to the Board concerning the following matters: (i) contractual arrangements with each service provider to the Funds, including advisory, sub-advisory, transfer agency, custodial and fund accounting, distribution services and administrative services; (ii) any and all other matters in which any service provider (including Eaton Vance or any affiliated entity thereof) has an actual or potential conflict of interest with the interests of the Funds or investors therein; and (iii) any other matter appropriate for review by the noninterested Trustees, unless the matter is within the responsibilities of the other Committees of the Board. During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the Contract Review Committee convened eight times.
Mmes. Peters (
Chairperson
), Frost, Mosley and Taggart are members of the Portfolio Management Committee. The purposes of the Portfolio Management Committee are to: (i) assist the Board in its oversight of the portfolio management process employed by the Funds and their investment adviser and sub-adviser(s), if applicable, relative to the Funds stated objective(s), strategies and restrictions; (ii) assist the Board in its oversight of the trading policies and procedures and risk management techniques applicable to the Funds; and (iii) assist the Board in its monitoring of the performance results of all funds and portfolios, giving special attention to the performance of certain funds and portfolios that it or the Board identifies from time to time. During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the Portfolio Management Committee convened
nine
times.
Messrs.
Gorman (
Chairperson
) and Eston
,
and Ms. Sutherland are members of the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee. The purposes of the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee are to: (i) assist the Board in its oversight role with respect to compliance issues and certain other regulatory matters affecting the Funds; (ii) serve as a liaison between the Board and the Funds CCO; and (iii) serve as a qualified legal compliance committee within the rules promulgated by the SEC. During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee convened
twelve
times.
Parametric Funds
13
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Share Ownership.
The following table shows the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee in each Fund and in the Eaton Vance family of funds overseen by the Trustee as of December 31,
2015
.
|
Dollar Range of Equity Securities Beneficially Owned by |
|||||||||
Fund Name |
Scott E.
|
Thomas E.
|
Cynthia E.
|
George J.
|
Valerie A.
|
William H.
|
Helen Frame
|
Susan J.
|
Harriett Tee
|
Ralph F.
|
Absolute Return Fund |
None |
$10,001 -
|
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
Commodity Strategy Fund |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
$10,001 -
|
None |
None |
None |
None |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities Beneficially Owned
|
Over
|
Over
|
Over
|
Over
|
Over
|
Over
|
Over
|
Over
|
Over
|
Over
|
(1)
Interested Trustee.
(2)
Noninterested Trustees.
(3)
Ms.
Sutherland began serving as a Trustee effective May 1, 2015.
(4)
Includes shares which may be deemed to be beneficially owned through the Trustee Deferred Compensation Plan.
As of December 31,
2015
, 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,
2014
and December 31,
2015
, 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 Fund; (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 Fund; (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,
2014
and December 31,
2015
, 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.
Noninterested Trustees 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 Deferred Compensation Plan). Under the Deferred Compensation Plan, an eligible Board member may elect to have his or her deferred fees invested in the shares of one or more funds in the Eaton Vance family of funds, and the amount paid to the Board members under the Deferred Compensation Plan will be determined based upon the performance of such investments. Deferral of Board members fees in accordance with the Deferred Compensation Plan will have a negligible effect on the assets, liabilities, and net income of a participating fund or portfolio, and do not require that a participating Board member be retained. There is no retirement plan for Board members.
Parametric Funds
14
SAI dated May 1, 2016
The fees and expenses of the Trustees of the Trust are paid by the Funds (and other series of the Trust). (A Board member who is a member of the Eaton Vance organization receives no compensation from the Trust.) During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the Trustees of the Trust earned the following compensation in their capacities as Board members from the Trust. For the year ended December 31,
2015
, the Board members earned the following compensation in their capacities as members of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards
(1)
:
Source of Compensation |
Scott E.
|
Cynthia E.
|
George J.
|
Valerie A.
|
William H.
|
Helen Frame
|
Susan J.
|
Harriett Tee
|
Ralph F.
|
Mutual Funds Trust (2) |
$20,694 |
$19,228 |
$19,727 |
$19,891 |
$20,969 |
$20,969 |
$19,228 |
$20,969 |
$27,569 |
Special Investment Trust (2) |
$3,800 |
$3,540 |
$3,618 |
$3,662 |
$3,858 |
$3,858 |
$3,540 |
$3,858 |
$5,090 |
Trust and Fund Complex (1) |
$312,083 |
$290,000 (3) |
$297,500 |
$300,000 |
$316,250 |
$316,250 |
$290,000 (4) |
$316,250 |
$415,833 |
(1)
As of May 1,
2016
, the Eaton Vance fund complex consists of
179
registered investment companies or series thereof. Ms. Sutherland began serving as a Trustee effective May 1, 2015, and thus the compensation figures listed for each Trust and the Trust and Fund Complex are estimated based on amounts she would have received if she had been a Trustee for the
full
fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
and for the full calendar year ended December 31,
2015. Ronald A. Pearlman retired as a Trustee effective July 1, 2015.
For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, Mr.
Pearlman
received Trustee fees of $
15,562
from Mutual Funds Trust and $
3,014
from Special Investment Trust. For the calendar year ended December 31,
2015
, he received $
235
,000 from the Trust and Fund Complex.
(2)
Mutual Funds Trust consisted of 37 Funds and Special Investment Trust consisted of 16 Funds of as of December 31,
2015
.
(3)
Includes $
180,000
of deferred compensation.
(4)
Includes $
277,490
of deferred compensation.
Organization and Management of Wholly-Owned Subsidiary
.
The Subsidiary invests in commodity-linked swap agreements and other commodity-linked derivative instruments, but may also invest in the securities and other instruments in which the Commodity Strategy Fund is permitted to invest. The Subsidiary is an exempted company organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands, whose registered office is located at the offices of Intertrust Corporate Services (Cayman) Limited, 190 Elgin Avenue, George Town, Grand Cayman, KY1-9005, Cayman Islands. The Subsidiarys custodian is State Street Bank and Trust Company. The Subsidiarys affairs are overseen by a board currently consisting of one Director, Maureen A. Gemma. Ms. Gemma is an employee of Eaton Vance and her biographical information appears above in Management and Organization. The Subsidiary has entered into a separate contract with the Commodity Strategy Funds adviser whereby the adviser provides investment advisory services to the Subsidiary. The investment adviser to the Subsidiary will comply with provisions of the 1940 Act relating to investment advisory contracts. The agreement continues in effect 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 Commodity Strategy Fund cast in person at a meeting specifically called for the purposes of voting on such approval and (ii) by the Board of Trustees of the Commodity Strategy Fund or by vote of a majority of the outstanding securities of the Commodity Strategy Fund. The agreement may be terminated at any time without penalty upon sixty (60) days written notice by the Board of Trustees of either party, or by vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Commodity Strategy Fund and will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment. The Subsidiary will bear the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the custody, transfer agency, and audit services that it receives. The Commodity Strategy Fund expects that the expenses borne by the Subsidiary will not be material in relation to the value of its assets.
The Subsidiary has adopted compliance policies and procedures that are substantially similar to the policies and procedures adopted by the Commodity Strategy Fund. The Subsidiary is operated in accordance with the 1940 Act investment restrictions that apply to the Commodity Strategy Fund, (including provisions related to affiliated transactions and custody), but is not subject to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. The Fund will comply with provisions of the 1940 Act governing investment policies and capital structure and leverage on an aggregate basis with the Subsidiary. The Commodity Strategy Funds Chief Compliance Officer oversees implementation of the Subsidiary's policies and procedures, and makes periodic reports to its Board of Trustees regarding the Subsidiary's compliance with its policies and procedures. In testing compliance of the Commodity Strategy Fund and the Subsidiary with applicable investment restrictions, the assets of the Commodity Strategy Fund are aggregated with those of the Subsidiary, except with respect to borrowings. The Subsidiary is subject to asset segregation requirements to the same extent as the Commodity Strategy Fund, which are tested for compliance on a consolidated basis as noted in the preceding sentence.
Fund Organization.
Absolute Return Fund is a series of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust, which was organized under Massachusetts law on March 27, 1989 and Commodity Strategy Fund is a series of Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust, which was organized under Massachusetts law on May 7, 1984.
Each Trust is organized as a trust with transferable shares, commonly referred to as a Massachusetts business trust and
is operated as an open-end management investment company. Effective March 1, 2013, Eaton Vance Parametric Option Absolute Return Fund changed its name to Parametric Absolute Return Fund and Eaton Vance Parametric Structured Commodity Strategy Fund changed its name to Parametric Commodity Strategy Fund.
Each
Trust may issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest (no par value per share) in one or more series (such as a Fund). The Trustees of
each
Trust have divided the shares of
a
Fund into multiple classes. Each class represents an interest in a Fund, but is subject to different expenses, rights and privileges. The Trustees have the authority under
Parametric Funds
15
SAI dated May 1, 2016
each
Declaration of Trust to create additional classes of shares with differing rights and privileges. When issued and outstanding, shares are fully paid and nonassessable by the Trust. Shareholders
of the Trust
are entitled to one vote for each full share held. Fractional shares may be voted proportionately. Shares of
all Funds in the Trust
will be voted together
with respect to the election or removal of Trustees and on other matters affecting all Funds similarly. On matters affecting only a particular Fund, all shareholders of the affected Fund will vote together as a single class
except that only shareholders of a particular class
of a Fund
may vote on matters affecting only that class. Shares have no preemptive or conversion rights and are freely transferable. In the event of the liquidation of a Fund, shareholders of each class are entitled to share pro rata in the net assets attributable to that class available for distribution to shareholders.
As permitted by Massachusetts law, there will normally be no meetings of shareholders for the purpose of electing Trustees unless and until such time as less than
a majority
of the Trustees of the Trust holding office have been elected by shareholders. In such an event the Trustees then in office will call a shareholders meeting for the election of Trustees. Except for the foregoing circumstances and unless removed by action of the shareholders in accordance with the Trusts By-laws, the Trustees shall continue to hold office and may appoint successor Trustees. The Trusts By-laws provide that any Trustee may be removed with or without cause, by (i) the affirmative vote of holders of two-thirds of the shares or, (ii) the affirmative vote of, or written instrument, signed by at least two-thirds of the remaining Trustees, provided however, that the removal of any noninterested Trustee shall additionally require the affirmative vote of, or a written instrument executed by, at least two-thirds of the remaining noninterested Trustees. No person shall serve as a Trustee if shareholders holding two-thirds of the outstanding shares have removed him or her from that office either by a written declaration filed with the Trusts custodian or by votes cast at a meeting called for that purpose. The By-laws further provide that under certain circumstances the shareholders may call a meeting to remove a Trustee and that the Trust is required to provide assistance in communication with shareholders about such a meeting.
The Trusts Declaration of Trust may be amended by the Trustees when authorized by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust, the financial interests of which are affected by the amendment. The Trustees may also amend the Declaration of Trust without the vote or consent of shareholders to change the name of the Trust or any series, if they deem it necessary to conform it to applicable federal or state laws or regulations, or to make such other changes (such as reclassifying series or classes of shares or restructuring the Trust) provided such changes do not have a materially adverse effect on the financial interests of shareholders. The Trusts By-laws provide that the Trust will indemnify its Trustees and officers against liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with any litigation or proceeding in which they may be involved because of their offices with the Trust. However, no indemnification will be provided to any Trustee or officer for any liability to the Trust or shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
The Trusts Declaration of Trust provides that any legal proceeding brought by or on behalf of a shareholder seeking to enforce any provision of, or based upon any matter arising out of, related to or in connection with, the Declaration of Trust, the Trust, any Fund or Class or the shares of any Fund must be brought exclusively in the United States District Court for Massachusetts or, if such court does not have jurisdiction for the matter, then in the Superior Court of Suffolk County for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. If a shareholder brings a claim in another venue and the venue is subsequently changed through legal process to the foregoing Federal or state court, then the shareholder will be required to reimburse the Trust and other persons for the expenses incurred in effecting the change in venue.
The Trusts Declaration of Trust also provides that, except to the extent explicitly permitted by Federal law, a shareholder may not bring or maintain a court action on behalf of the Trust or any Fund or class of shares (commonly referred to as a derivative claim) without first making demand on the Trustees requesting the Trustees to bring the action. Within 90 days of receipt of the demand, the Trustees will consider the merits of the claim and determine whether commencing or maintaining an action would be in the best interests of the Trust or the affected Fund or Class. Any decision by the Trustees to bring, maintain or settle, or to not bring, maintain or settle the action, will be final and binding upon shareholders and therefore no action may be brought or maintained after a decision is made to reject a demand. In addition, the Trusts Declaration of Trust provides that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, each shareholder acknowledges and agrees that any alleged injury to the Trusts property, any diminution in the value of a shareholders shares and any other claim arising out of or relating to an allegation regarding the actions, inaction or omissions of or by the Trustees, the officers of the Trust or the investment adviser of a Fund is a legal claim belonging only to the Trust and not to the shareholders individually and, therefore, that any such claim is subject to the demand requirement for derivative claims referenced above.
The Trust or any series or class thereof may be terminated by: (1) the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than two-thirds of the shares outstanding and entitled to vote at any meeting of shareholders of the Trust or the appropriate series or class thereof, or by an instrument or instruments in writing without a meeting, consented to by the holders of two-thirds of the shares of the Trust or a series or class thereof, provided, however, that, if such termination is recommended by the Trustees, the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust or a series or class thereof entitled to vote thereon shall be sufficient authorization; or (2) by the approval of a majority of the Trustees then in office, to be followed by a written notice to shareholders.
Parametric Funds
16
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Under Massachusetts law, if certain conditions prevail, shareholders of a Massachusetts business trust (such as the Trust) could be deemed to have personal liability for the obligations of the Trust. Numerous investment companies registered under the 1940 Act have been formed as Massachusetts business trusts, and management is not aware of an instance where such liability has been imposed. The Trusts Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of liability on the part of Fund shareholders and the Trusts By-laws provide that the Trust shall assume the defense on behalf of any Fund shareholders. The Declaration of Trust also contains provisions limiting the liability of a series or class to that series or class. Moreover, the Trusts By-laws also provide for indemnification out of Fund property of any shareholder held personally liable solely by reason of being or having been a shareholder for all loss or expense arising from such liability. The assets of each Fund are readily marketable and will ordinarily substantially exceed its liabilities. In light of the nature of each Funds business and the nature of its assets, management believes that the possibility of the Funds liability exceeding its assets, and therefore the shareholders risk of personal liability, is remote.
Proxy Voting Policy.
The Board adopted a proxy voting policy and procedures (the Fund Policy), pursuant to which the Board has delegated proxy voting responsibility to the investment adviser
and
sub-adviser and adopted the proxy voting policies and procedures of the investment adviser
and
sub-adviser (the Adviser Policies). An independent proxy voting service has been retained to assist in the voting of Fund proxies through the provision of vote analysis, implementation and recordkeeping and disclosure services. The members of the Board will review each Funds proxy voting records from time to time and will annually consider approving the Adviser Policies for the upcoming year. For a copy of the Fund Policy and Adviser Policies, see Appendix D, Appendix E and Appendix F. Pursuant to certain provisions of the 1940 Act and certain exemptive orders relating to funds investing in other funds, a Fund or Portfolio may be required or may elect to vote its interest in another fund in the same proportion as the holders of all other shares of that fund. Information on how each Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-260-0761, and (2) on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
Investment Advisory and Administrative Services.
The investment adviser
manages
the investments and affairs of each Fund and provide related office facilities and personnel subject to the supervision of the Trusts Board of Trustees. The investment adviser
and
sub-adviser
, in the case of Absolute Return Fund, and the sub-adviser, in the case of Commodity Strategy Fund, furnish
investment research, advice and supervision,
furnish
an investment program and
determine
what securities will be purchased, held or sold by each Fund and what portion, if any, of the Funds assets will be held uninvested. Each Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreement and Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement require
(s)
the investment adviser or sub-adviser, as the case may be, to pay the salaries and fees of all officers and Trustees who are members of the investment adviser's or sub-adviser's organization and all personnel of the investment adviser or sub-adviser performing services relating to research and investment activities.
For a description of the compensation that a Fund pays the investment adviser, see the Prospectus. The following table sets forth the net assets of each Fund at December 31,
2015
and the advisory fees for the fiscal years or periods shown ended December 31.
|
|
Advisory Fee for Fiscal Years Ended |
||
Fund |
Net Assets at 12/31/15 |
12/31/15 |
12/31/14 |
12/31/13 |
Absolute Return Fund |
$22,588,037 |
$364,915 |
$517,006 |
$794,700 |
Commodity Strategy Fund |
$106,937,321 |
$566,190 |
$574,261 |
$532,053 |
Parametric Risk Advisors, LLC (PRA) acts as an investment sub-adviser to the Absolute Return Fund and is responsible for structuring and managing the Funds option strategy pursuant to an investment sub-advisory agreement. Under the terms of the investment sub-advisory agreement, PRA manages the Funds option strategy as set forth in more detail in the Funds prospectus, all subject to the supervision of the Funds Board of Trustees and Eaton Vance. Pursuant to the investment sub-advisory agreement between Eaton Vance and PRA, Eaton Vance pays compensation to PRA for providing sub-advisory services to the Fund.
The fee rate applicable to the Commodity Strategy Fund under its Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreement is determined by applying the fee schedule set forth in the Prospectus to the aggregate average daily net assets of the Fund including its interest, if any, in the Subsidiary. The fee payable by the Fund equals the product of (i) the fee rate determined in accordance with the previous sentence, and (ii) the average daily net assets of the Fund exclusive of its interest in the Subsidiary. The fee rate applicable to the Subsidiary under its Investment Advisory Agreement equals the product of (i) the fee rate determined as set forth above, and (ii) the average daily net assets of the Subsidiary. Pursuant to investment sub-advisory agreements between Eaton Vance and Parametric Portfolio Associates, Inc. (Parametric), Eaton Vance pays compensation to Parametric for providing sub-advisory services to each of the Fund and the Subsidiary.
Parametric Funds
17
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Each Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreement and Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement with the investment adviser or sub-adviser continues in effect 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 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 voting securities of the Fund. Each Agreement may be terminated at any time without penalty on sixty (60) days written notice by the Board of either party, or by vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, and each Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment. Each Agreement provides that the investment adviser or sub-adviser may render services to others. Each Agreement also provides that the investment adviser or sub-adviser shall not be liable for any loss incurred in connection with the performance of its duties, or action taken or omitted under the Agreement, in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations and duties thereunder, or for any losses sustained in the acquisition, holding or disposition of any security or other investment. Each Agreement is not intended to, and does not, confer upon any person not a party to it any right, benefit or remedy of any nature.
Information About Eaton Vance.
Eaton Vance is a business trust organized under the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. EV serves as trustee of Eaton Vance. EV and Eaton Vance are wholly-owned subsidiaries of EVC, a Maryland corporation and publicly-held holding company. BMR is an indirect subsidiary of EVC. EVC through its subsidiaries and affiliates engages primarily in investment management, administration and marketing activities. The Directors of EVC are Thomas E. Faust Jr., Ann E. Berman, Leo I. Higdon, Jr., Brian D. Langstraat, Dorothy E. Puhy, Winthrop H. Smith, Jr. and Richard A. Spillane, Jr. All shares of the outstanding Voting Common Stock of EVC are deposited in a Voting Trust, the Voting Trustees of which are Mr. Faust, Jeffrey P. Beale,
Craig R. Brandon,
Daniel C. Cataldo
, Michael A. Cirami
, Cynthia J. Clemson, James H. Evans, Maureen A. Gemma, Laurie G. Hylton, Mr. Langstraat, Frederick S. Marius, David C. McCabe,
Scott H. Page, Edward J. Perkin,
Lewis R. Piantedosi,
Charles B. Reed,
Craig P. Russ, John L. Shea,
Eric A
. Stein, Payson F. Swaffield, Michael W. Weilheimer, R. Kelly Williams and Matthew J. Witkos (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 Eaton Vance who may also be officers, or officers and Directors of EVC and EV. As indicated under Management and Organization, all of the officers of the Trust (as well as Mr. Faust who is also a Trustee) hold positions in the Eaton Vance organization.
Code of Ethics. The investment adviser, sub-advisers, principal underwriter, and each Fund have adopted Codes of Ethics governing personal securities transactions pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. Under the Codes, employees of the investment adviser, the sub-advisers and the principal underwriter may purchase and sell securities (including securities held or eligible for purchase by a Fund) subject to the provisions of the Codes and certain employees are also subject to pre-clearance, reporting requirements and /or other procedures.
Information About PRA.
PRA is a Westport, Connecticut based specialist derivatives advisory firm. PRA is a subsidiary of Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC, which is a majority owned subsidiary of EVC. At December 31,
2015
, PRAs assets under management totaled approximately $
5.0
billion.
Information About Parametric.
Parametric is a Seattle, Washington based investment manager
that has been
providing investment
advisory
services
since its formation in 1987. Parametric serves its clients through Investment Centers located in Seattle, WA and Minneapolis, MN, as well as through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Parametric Risk Advisors LLC (PRA), an SEC-registered investment adviser located in Westport, CT. In addition, in order
to
meet the needs
of
its clients, Parametric has offices in Boston, MA and Sydney, Australia.
As of December 31,
2015
, Parametrics assets under management totaled approximately $
152.3
billion (including assets of
PRA).
Parametric is
a wholly-owned subsidiary of EVC.
Parametric Funds
18
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Portfolio Managers. The portfolio managers (each referred to as a portfolio manager) of each Fund are listed below. The following table shows, as of the Funds most recent fiscal year end, the number of accounts each portfolio manager managed in each of the listed categories and the total assets (in millions of dollars) in the accounts managed within each category. The table also shows the number of accounts with respect to which the advisory fee is based on the performance of the account, if any, and the total assets (in millions of dollars) in those accounts.
|
Number of
|
Total Assets of
|
Number of Accounts
|
Total Assets of Accounts
|
Maria C. Cappellano |
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
1 |
$23.1 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
2 |
$3,032.0 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Accounts |
1 |
$10.7 |
0 |
$0 |
Thomas H. Luster (1) |
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
5 |
$482.1 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
2 |
$3,032.0 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Accounts |
9 |
$383.2 |
0 |
$0 |
Ken Everding |
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
6 |
$509.8 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Accounts |
336 |
$4,693.6 (3) |
1 |
$100.0 |
Jonathan Orseck |
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
6 |
$509.8 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Accounts |
336 |
$4,693.6 (3) |
1 |
$100.0 |
Timothy Atwill |
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
8 |
$6,483.5 (2) |
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Accounts |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
Thomas Seto |
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
27 |
$20,133.4 (2) |
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
4 |
$2,790.1 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Accounts |
11,235 |
$53,120.0 (3) |
2 |
$967.3 |
(1)
This portfolio manager serves as portfolio manager of one or more registered investment companies that invests or may invest in one or more underlying registered investment companies in the Eaton Vance family of funds or other pooled investment vehicles sponsored by Eaton Vance. The underlying investment companies may be managed by this portfolio manager or another portfolio manager.
(2)
This portfolio manager provides investment advice with respect to only a portion of the total assets of certain of these accounts. Only the assets allocated to this portfolio manager as of the Funds most recent fiscal year end are reflected in the table.
(3)
For Other Accounts that are part of a wrap account program, the number of accounts
is
the number of sponsors for which the portfolio manager provides
advisory
services rather than the number of individual customer accounts within each wrap account program.
Parametric Funds
19
SAI dated May 1, 2016
The following table shows the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned in a Fund by its portfolio manager(s) as of the Funds most recent fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
and in the Eaton Vance family of funds as of December 31,
2015
.
Fund Name and Portfolio Managers |
Dollar Range of Equity Securities
|
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity
|
Absolute Return Fund |
|
|
Thomas H. Luster |
$50,001 - $100,000 |
Over $1,000,000 |
Maria C. Cappellano |
None |
$500,001 - $1,000,000 |
Ken Everding |
$50,001 - $100,000 |
$50,001 - $100,000 |
Jonathan Orseck |
$50,001 - $100,000 |
$50,001 - $100,000 |
Commodity Strategy Fund |
|
|
Timothy Atwill |
$50,001 - $100,000 |
$100,001 - $500,000 |
Thomas Seto |
None |
$100,001 - $500,000 |
It is possible that conflicts of interest may arise in connection with a portfolio managers management of a Funds investments on the one hand and the investments of other accounts for which the portfolio manager is responsible for on the other. For example, a portfolio manager may have conflicts of interest in allocating management time, resources and investment opportunities among the Fund and other accounts he or she advises. In addition, due to differences in the investment strategies or restrictions between a Fund and the other accounts, a portfolio manager may take action with respect to another account that differs from the action taken with respect to the Fund. In some cases, another account managed by a portfolio manager may compensate the investment adviser based on the performance of the securities held by that account. The existence of such a performance based fee may create additional conflicts of interest for the portfolio manager in the allocation of management time, resources and investment opportunities. Whenever conflicts of interest arise, the portfolio manager will endeavor to exercise his or her discretion in a manner that he or she believes is equitable to all interested persons. The investment adviser and sub-adviser have adopted several policies and procedures designed to address these potential conflicts including a code of ethics and policies that govern the investment advisers and sub-advisers trading practices, including among other things the aggregation and allocation of trades among clients, brokerage allocation, cross trades and best execution.
Compensation Structure for Eaton Vance.
Compensation of the investment
adviser's
portfolio managers and other investment professionals has three primary components: (1) a base salary, (2) an annual cash bonus, and (3) annual stock-based compensation consisting of options to purchase shares of EVCs nonvoting common stock and restricted shares of EVCs nonvoting common stock. The investment advisers investment professionals also receive certain retirement, insurance and other benefits that are broadly available to the investment advisers employees. Compensation of the investment advisers investment professionals is reviewed primarily on an annual basis. Cash bonuses, stock-based compensation awards, and adjustments in base salary are typically paid or put into effect at or shortly after the October 31st fiscal year end of EVC.
Method to Determine Compensation.
The investment adviser compensates its portfolio managers based primarily on the scale and complexity of their portfolio responsibilities and the total return performance of managed funds and accounts versus the benchmark(s) stated in the prospectus, as well as an appropriate peer group (as described below). In addition to rankings within peer groups of funds on the basis of absolute performance, consideration may also be given to relative risk-adjusted performance. Risk-adjusted performance measures include, but are not limited to, the Sharpe ratio
(Sharpe ratio uses standard deviation and excess return to determine reward per unit of risk).
Performance is normally based on periods ending on the September 30th preceding fiscal year end. Fund performance is normally evaluated primarily versus peer groups of funds as determined by Lipper Inc. and/or Morningstar, Inc. When a funds peer group as determined by Lipper or Morningstar is deemed by the investment advisers management not to provide a fair comparison, performance may instead be evaluated primarily against a custom peer group or market index. In evaluating the performance of a fund and its manager, primary emphasis is normally placed on three-year performance, with secondary consideration of performance over longer and shorter periods.
A portion of the compensation payable to equity portfolio managers and investment professionals will be determined based on the ability of one or more accounts managed by such manager to achieve a specified target average annual gross return over a three year period in excess of the account benchmark. The cash bonus to be payable at the end of the three year term will be established at the inception of the term and will be adjusted positively or negatively to the extent that the average annual gross return varies from the specified target return.
For funds that are tax-managed or otherwise have an objective of after-tax returns, performance is measured net of taxes. For other funds, performance is evaluated on a pre-tax basis. For funds with an investment objective other than total return (such as current income), consideration will also be given to the funds success in achieving its objective. For managers responsible for multiple funds and accounts, investment
Parametric Funds
20
SAI dated May 1, 2016
performance is evaluated on an aggregate basis, based on averages or weighted averages among managed funds and accounts. Funds and accounts that have performance-based advisory fees are not accorded disproportionate weightings in measuring aggregate portfolio manager performance.
The compensation of portfolio managers with other job responsibilities (such as heading an investment group or providing analytical support to other portfolios) will include consideration of the scope of such responsibilities and the managers performance in meeting them.
The investment adviser seeks to compensate portfolio managers commensurate with their responsibilities and performance, and competitive with other firms within the investment management industry. The investment adviser participates in investment-industry compensation surveys and utilizes survey data as a factor in determining salary, bonus and stock-based compensation levels for portfolio managers and other investment professionals. Salaries, bonuses and stock-based compensation are also influenced by the operating performance of the investment adviser and its parent company. The overall annual cash bonus pool is generally based on a substantially fixed percentage of pre-bonus adjusted operating income. While the salaries of the investment advisers portfolio managers are comparatively fixed, cash bonuses and stock-based compensation may fluctuate significantly from year to year, based on changes in manager performance and other factors as described herein. For a high performing portfolio manager, cash bonuses and stock-based compensation may represent a substantial portion of total compensation.
Compensation Structure for PRA. Compensation of PRA portfolio managers and other investment professionals has three primary components: (1) a base salary, (2) a cash bonus, and (3) possibly annual stock-based compensation consisting of options to purchase shares of EVC nonvoting common stock, restricted shares of EVC nonvoting common stock and, for certain individuals, grants of profit participation interests in PRAs parent company Parametric Portfolio Associates, LLC. PRA investment professionals also receive certain retirement, insurance and other benefits that are broadly available to PRA employees. Compensation of PRA investment professionals is reviewed primarily on an annual basis. Stock-based compensation awards and adjustments in base salary and bonus are typically paid and/or put into effect at or shortly after fiscal year-end.
Method used to Determine Compensation. PRA seeks to compensate portfolio managers commensurate with their responsibilities and performance, and competitive with other firms within the investment management industry. The performance of portfolio managers is evaluated primarily based on success in achieving portfolio objectives for managed funds and accounts. The compensation of portfolio managers with other job responsibilities (such as product development) will include consideration of the scope of such responsibilities and the managers performance in meeting them.
Salaries, bonuses and stock-based compensation are also influenced by the operating performance of PRA, Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC, its parent company and EVC, Parametric Portfolio Associates LLCs parent company. Cash bonuses overall are determined based on a target percentage of PRA profits. While the salaries of PRA portfolio managers are comparatively fixed, cash bonuses and stock-based compensation may fluctuate substantially from year-to-year, based on changes in financial performance and other factors.
Compensation Structure for Parametric. Compensation of Parametric portfolio managers and other investment professionals has three primary components: (1) a base salary, (2) a cash bonus, and (3) annual stock-based compensation consisting of options to purchase shares of EVC nonvoting common stock, restricted shares of EVC nonvoting common stock and, for certain individuals, grants of profit participation interests in Parametric. Parametric investment professionals also receive certain retirement, insurance and other benefits that are broadly available to Parametric employees. Compensation of Parametric investment professionals is reviewed primarily on an annual basis. Stock-based compensation awards and adjustments in base salary and bonus are typically paid and/or put into effect at or shortly after fiscal year-end.
Method to Determine Compensation. Parametric seeks to compensate portfolio managers commensurate with their responsibilities and performance, and competitive with other firms within the investment management industry. The performance of portfolio managers is evaluated primarily based on success in achieving portfolio objectives for managed funds and accounts. The compensation of portfolio managers with other job responsibilities (such as product development) will include consideration of the scope of such responsibilities and the managers performance in meeting them.
Salaries, bonuses and stock-based compensation are also influenced by the operating performance of Parametric and EVC, its parent company. Cash bonuses available overall are determined based on a target percentage of Parametric profits. While the salaries of Parametric portfolio managers are comparatively fixed, cash bonuses and stock-based compensation may fluctuate substantially from year to year, based on changes in financial performance and other factors.
Parametric Funds
21
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Commodity Futures Trading Commission Registration. Effective December 31, 2012, the CFTC adopted certain regulatory changes that subject registered investment companies and advisers to regulation by the CFTC if a fund invests more than a prescribed level of its assets in certain CFTC-regulated instruments (including futures, certain options and swaps agreements) or markets itself as providing investment exposure to such instruments. Commodity Strategy Fund is considered to be a commodity pool operator under CFTC regulations. Eaton Vance, BMR and Parametric are registered with the CFTC as commodity pool operators. Eaton Vance, BMR and Parametric are also registered as commodity trading advisors. Absolute Return Fund has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term commodity pool operator under the Commodity Exchange Act. Accordingly neither the Absolute Return Fund nor the investment adviser or sub-adviser with respect to the operation of the Fund is subject to CFTC regulation. The CFTC has neither reviewed nor approved each Funds investment strategies or this SAI.
Administrative Services. Eaton Vance also provides administrative services to each Fund. Under its Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreement, Eaton Vance has been engaged to administer each Funds affairs, subject to the supervision of the Board, and shall furnish office space and all necessary office facilities, equipment and personnel for administering the affairs of each Fund.
Sub-Transfer Agency Support Services.
Eaton Vance provides sub-transfer agency and related services to Eaton Vance mutual funds pursuant to a Sub-Transfer Agency Support Services Agreement. Under the agreement, Eaton Vance provides: (1) specified sub-transfer agency services; (2) compliance monitoring services; and (3) intermediary oversight services. For the services it provides, Eaton Vance receives an aggregate annual fee equal to the lesser of $2.5 million or the actual expenses incurred by Eaton Vance in the performance of such services. Each Fund pays a pro rata share of such fee. For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, Eaton Vance earned the following pursuant to the agreement:
Absolute Return Fund |
Commodity Strategy Fund |
$1,186 |
$591 |
Expenses. Each Fund is responsible for all expenses not expressly stated to be payable by another party (such as expenses required to be paid pursuant to an agreement with the investment adviser, the sub-advisers, the principal underwriter or the administrator). In the case of expenses incurred by the Trust, each Fund is responsible for its pro rata share of those expenses. Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Multiple Class Plan for Eaton Vance Funds, Fund expenses are allocated to each class on a pro rata basis, except that distribution and service fees are allocated exclusively to the class that incurs them.
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS
Principal Underwriter. Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. (EVD), Two International Place, Boston, MA 02110 is the principal underwriter of each Fund. The principal underwriter acts as principal in selling shares under a Distribution Agreement with the Trust. The expenses of printing copies of prospectuses used to offer shares and other selling literature and of advertising are borne by the principal underwriter. The fees and expenses of qualifying and registering and maintaining qualifications and registrations of a Fund and its shares under federal and state securities laws are borne by the Fund. The Distribution Agreement is renewable annually by the members of the Board (including a majority of the noninterested Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Distribution Agreement or any applicable Distribution Plan), may be terminated on sixty days notice either by such Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding Fund shares or on six months notice by the principal underwriter and is automatically terminated upon assignment. The principal underwriter distributes shares on a best efforts basis under which it is required to take and pay for only such shares as may be sold. EVD is a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of EVC. Mr. Faust is a Director of EVD.
Custodian. State Street Bank and Trust Company (State Street), State Street Financial Center, One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111, serves as custodian to each Fund. State Street has custody of all cash and securities of a Fund, maintains the general ledger of each Fund and computes the daily net asset value of shares of each Fund. In such capacity it attends to details in connection with the sale, exchange, substitution, transfer or other dealings with each Funds investments, receives and disburses all funds and performs various other ministerial duties upon receipt of proper instructions from the Trust. State Street provides services in connection with the preparation of shareholder reports and the electronic filing of such reports with the SEC. EVC and its affiliates and their officers and employees from time to time have transactions with various banks, including State Street. It is Eaton Vances 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 each Fund and such banks.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
Deloitte & Touche LLP, 200 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116,
independent registered public accounting firm
, audits
each
Fund's financial statements and provides other
audit
, tax
and related services
.
Transfer Agent. BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc., P.O. Box 9653, Providence, RI 02940-9653, serves as transfer and dividend disbursing agent for each Fund.
Parametric Funds
22
SAI dated May 1, 2016
CALCULATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
The net asset value of the Fund is determined by State Street (as agent and custodian) by subtracting the liabilities of the Fund from the value of its total assets. The Fund is closed for business and will not issue a net asset value on the following business holidays and any other business day that the Exchange is closed: New Years Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The Funds net asset value per share is readily accessible on the Eaton Vance website (www.eatonvance.com).
The Board has approved procedures pursuant to which investments are valued for purposes of determining the Funds net asset value. Listed below is a summary of the methods generally used to value investments (some or all of which may be held by the Fund) under the procedures.
·
Equity securities (including common stock, exchange - traded funds, closed end funds, preferred equity securities, exchange - traded notes and other instruments that trade on recognized stock exchanges) are valued at the last sale, official close or if there are no reported sales at the mean between the bid and asked price on the primary exchange on which they are traded.
·
Most debt obligations are valued on the basis of market valuations furnished by a pricing service or at the mean of the bid and asked prices provided by recognized broker/dealers of such securities. The pricing service may use a pricing matrix to determine valuation.
·
Short-term obligations and money market securities maturing in sixty days or less typically are valued at amortized cost which approximates value.
·
Foreign securities and currencies are valued in U.S. dollars based on foreign currency exchange quotations supplied by a pricing service.
·
Senior and Junior Loans are valued on the basis of prices furnished by a pricing service. The pricing service uses transactions and market quotations from brokers in determining values.
·
Futures contracts are valued at the settlement or closing price on the primary exchange or board of trade on which they are traded.
·
Exchange-traded options are valued at the mean of the bid and asked prices. Over-the-counter options are valued based on quotations obtained from a pricing service or from a broker (typically the counterparty to the option).
·
Non-exchange traded derivatives (including swap agreements (other than those which have been centrally cleared), forward contracts and equity participation notes) are generally valued on the basis of valuations provided by a pricing service or using quotes provided by a broker/dealer (typically the counterparty). Swap agreements that have been cleared by a central counterparty (CCP) are valued at the daily settlement price provided by the CCP.
·
Precious metals are valued are valued at the New York Composite mean quotation.
·
Liabilities with a payment or maturity date of 364 days or less are stated at their principal value and longer dated liabilities generally will be carried at their fair value.
·
Valuations of foreign equity securities and exchange-traded futures contracts on non-North American equity indices may be adjusted from prices in effect at the close of trading on foreign exchanges to more accurately reflect their fair value as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange. Such fair valuations may be based on information provided by a pricing service.
Investments which are unable to be valued in accordance with the foregoing methodologies are valued at fair value using methods determined in good faith by or at the direction of the members of the Board. Such methods may include consideration of relevant factors, including but not limited to (i) the type of security, the existence of any contractual restrictions on the securitys disposition, (ii) the price and extent of public trading in similar securities of the issuer or of comparable companies or entities, (iii) quotations or relevant information obtained from broker-dealers or other market participants, (iv) information obtained from the issuer, analysts, and/or the appropriate stock exchange (for exchange-traded securities), (v) an analysis of the companys or entitys financial condition, (vi) an evaluation of the forces that influence the issuer and the market(s) in which the security is purchased and sold (vii) an analysis of the terms of any transaction involving the issuer of such securities; and (viii) any other factors deemed relevant by the investment adviser. The portfolio managers of one Eaton Vance fund that invests in Senior and Junior Loans may not possess the same information about a Senior or Junior Loan as the portfolio managers of another Eaton Vance fund. As such, at times the fair value of a Loan determined by certain Eaton Vance portfolio managers may vary from the fair value of the same Loan determined by other portfolio managers.
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
PURCHASING AND REDEEMING SHARES
Additional Information About Purchases.
Fund shares are offered for sale only in states where they are registered. Fund shares are continuously offered through financial intermediaries which have entered into agreements with the principal underwriter.
Fund
shares
are sold at the public offering price, which is the net asset value next computed after receipt of an order.
In connection with employer sponsored retirement plans, a Fund may accept initial investments of less than the minimum investment amount on the part of an individual participant. In the event a shareholder who is a participant of such a plan terminates participation in the plan, his or her shares will be transferred to a regular individual account. However, such account will be subject to the right of redemption by a Fund as described below.
Institutional Class Share Purchases.
Institutional Class shares are available for purchase by clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Institutional Class shares through a no-load network or platform. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments, foundations and employer sponsored retirement plans. Institutional Class shares also are offered to investment and institutional clients of Eaton Vance and its affiliates; certain persons affiliated with Eaton Vance
; current and retired members of Eaton Vance Fund Boards; employees of Eaton Vance and its affiliates and such persons
’
spouses, parents, siblings and lineal descendants and their beneficial accounts.
Waiver of Investment Minimums. In addition to waivers described in the Prospectus, minimum investment amounts are waived for current and retired members of Eaton Vance Fund Boards, clients (including custodial, agency, advisory and trust accounts), current and retired officers and employees of Eaton Vance, its affiliates and other investment advisers and sub-advisers to the Eaton Vance family of funds, and for such persons spouses, parents, siblings and lineal descendants and their beneficial accounts. The minimum initial investment amount is also waived for officers and employees of a Funds custodian and transfer agent and in connection with the merger (or similar transaction) of an investment company (or series or class thereof) or personal holding company with a Fund (or class thereof). Investments in a Fund by ReFlow in connection with the Reflow liquidity program are also not subject to the minimum investment amount.
Suspension of Sales. The Trust may, in its absolute discretion, suspend, discontinue or limit the offering of one or more of its classes of shares at any time. In determining whether any such action should be taken, the Trusts management intends to consider all relevant factors, including (without limitation) the size of a Fund or class, the investment climate and market conditions and the volume of sales and redemptions of shares. The Investor Class Distribution Plan may continue in effect and payments may be made under the Plan following any such suspension, discontinuance or limitation of the offering of shares; however, there is no contractual obligation to continue any Plan for any particular period of time. Suspension of the offering of shares would not, of course, affect a shareholders ability to redeem shares.
Additional Information About Redemptions. The right to redeem shares of a Fund can be suspended and the payment of the redemption price deferred when the Exchange is closed (other than for customary weekend and holiday closings), during periods when trading on the Exchange is restricted as determined by the SEC, or during any emergency as determined by the SEC which makes it impracticable for a Fund to dispose of its securities or value its assets, or during any other period permitted by order of the SEC for the protection of investors.
Due to the high cost of maintaining small accounts, the Trust reserves the right to redeem accounts with balances of less than $750. Prior to such a redemption, shareholders will be given 60 days written notice to make an additional purchase. However, no such redemption would be required by the Trust if the cause of the low account balance was a reduction in the net asset value of shares. No CDSC or redemption fees, if applicable, will be imposed with respect to such involuntary redemptions.
While normally payments will be made in cash for redeemed shares, the Trust, subject to compliance with applicable regulations, has reserved the right to pay the redemption price of shares of a Fund, either totally or partially, by a distribution in kind of readily marketable securities. The securities so distributed would be valued pursuant to the valuation procedures described in this SAI. If a shareholder received a distribution in kind, the shareholder could incur brokerage or other charges in converting the securities to cash.
Systematic Withdrawal Plan. The transfer agent will send to the shareholder regular monthly or quarterly payments of any permitted amount designated by the shareholder based upon the value of the shares held. The checks will be drawn from share redemptions and hence, may require the recognition of taxable gain or loss. Income dividends and capital gains distributions in connection with withdrawal plan accounts will be credited at net asset value as of the record date for each distribution. Continued withdrawals in excess of current income will eventually use up principal, particularly in a period of declining market prices. A shareholder may not have a withdrawal plan in effect at the same time he or she has authorized Bank Automated Investing or is otherwise making regular purchases of Fund shares. The shareholder, the transfer agent or the principal underwriter may terminate the withdrawal plan at any time without penalty.
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Other Information. A Fund ’ s net asset value per share is normally rounded to two decimal places. In certain situations (such as a merger, share split or a purchase or sale of shares that represents a significant portion of a share class), the administrator may determine to extend the calculation of the net asset value per share to additional decimal places to ensure that neither the value of the Fund nor a shareholders shares is diluted materially as the result of a purchase or sale or other transaction.
SALES CHARGES
Dealer Commissions. The principal underwriter may, from time to time, at its own expense, provide additional incentives to financial intermediaries which employ registered representatives who sell Fund shares and/or shares of other funds distributed by the principal underwriter. In some instances, such additional incentives may be offered only to certain financial intermediaries whose representatives sell or are expected to sell significant amounts of shares. In addition, the principal underwriter may from time to time increase or decrease the sales commissions payable to financial intermediaries. The principal underwriter may allow, upon notice to all financial intermediaries with whom it has agreements, discounts up to the full sales charge during the periods specified in the notice. During periods when the discount includes the full sales charge, such financial intermediaries may be deemed to be underwriters as that term is defined in the 1933 Act.
Distribution Plans
The Trust has in effect a compensation-type Distribution Plan for Investor Class shares (the Investor Class Plan) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Investor Class Plan is designed to (i) finance activities which are primarily intended to result in the distribution and sales of Investor Class shares and to make payments in connection with the distribution of such shares and (ii) pay service fees for personal services and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts to the principal underwriter, financial intermediaries and other persons. The distribution and service fees payable under the Investor Class Plan shall not exceed 0.25% of the average daily net assets attributable to Investor Class shares for any fiscal year. Investor Class distribution and service fees are paid monthly in arrears. For the distribution and service fees paid by Investor Class shares, see Appendix A.
The
Board believes
that the Plan will be a significant factor in the expected growth of each Funds assets, and will result in increased investment flexibility and advantages which have benefitted and will continue to benefit the Fund and its shareholders. The Eaton Vance organization may profit by reason of the operation of a Plan through an increase in Fund assets and if at any point in time the aggregate amounts received by the principal underwriter pursuant to a Plan exceeds the total expenses incurred in distributing Fund shares.
A Plan continues in effect from year to year so long as such continuance is approved at least annually by the vote of both a majority of (i) the noninterested Trustees of the Trust who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plan or any agreements related to the Plan (the Plan Trustees) and (ii) all of the Trustees then in office. A Plan may be terminated at any time by vote of a majority of the Plan Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the applicable Class. Quarterly
Board member
review of a written report of the amount expended under the Plan and the purposes for which such expenditures were made is required. A Plan may not be amended to increase materially the payments described therein without approval of the shareholders of the affected Class and the
Board
. So long as a Plan is in effect, the selection and nomination of the noninterested Trustees shall be committed to the discretion of such Trustees. The Trustees, including the Plan Trustees, initially approved the current Plan(s) on April 22, 2013 for each Fund. Any
Board member
who is an interested person of the Trust has an indirect financial interest in a Plan because his or her employer (or affiliates thereof) receives distribution and/or service fees under the Plan or agreements related thereto.
PERFORMANCE
Performance Calculations. Average annual total return before deduction of taxes (pre-tax return) is determined by multiplying a hypothetical initial purchase order of $1,000 by the average annual compound rate of return (including capital appreciation/depreciation, and distributions paid and reinvested) for the stated period and annualizing the result. The calculation assumes (i) that all distributions are reinvested at net asset value on the reinvestment dates during the period, (ii) the deduction of the maximum of any initial sales charge from the initial $1,000 purchase, (iii) a complete redemption of the investment at the end of the period, and (iv) the deduction of any applicable CDSC at the end of the period.
Average annual total return after the deduction of taxes on distributions is calculated in the same manner as pre-tax return except the calculation assumes that any federal income taxes due on distributions are deducted from the distributions before they are reinvested. Average annual total return after the deduction of taxes on distributions and taxes on redemption also is calculated in the same manner as pre-tax return except the calculation assumes that (i) any federal income taxes due on distributions are deducted from the distributions before they are reinvested and (ii) any federal income taxes due upon redemption are deducted at the end of the period. After-tax returns are based on the highest federal income tax rates in effect for individual taxpayers as of the time of each assumed distribution and redemption (taking into account their tax character), and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. In calculating after-tax returns, the net value of any federal income tax credits available to shareholders is applied to reduce federal income taxes payable on distributions at or near year-end and, to the extent the net value of such
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credits exceeds such distributions, is then assumed to be reinvested in additional Fund shares at net asset value on the last day of the fiscal year in which the credit was generated or, in the case of certain tax credits, on the date on which the year-end distribution is paid. For pre-tax and after-tax total return information, see Appendix A and Appendix B.
In addition to the foregoing total return figures, each Fund may provide pre-tax and after-tax annual and cumulative total return, as well as the ending redeemable cash value of a hypothetical investment. If shares are subject to a sales charge, total return figures may be calculated based on reduced sales charges or at net asset value. These returns would be lower if the full sales charge was imposed. After-tax returns may also be calculated using different tax rate assumptions and taking into account state and local income taxes as well as federal taxes.
Yield is computed pursuant to a standardized formula by dividing the net investment income per share earned during a recent thirty-day period by the maximum offering price (including the maximum of any initial sales charge) per share on the last day of the period and annualizing the resulting figure. Yield figures do not reflect the deduction of any applicable CDSC, but assume the maximum of any initial sales charge. Actual yield may be affected by variations in sales charges on investments.
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings and Related Information. The Board has adopted policies and procedures (the Policies) with respect to the disclosure of information about portfolio holdings of each Fund. See the Funds' Prospectus for information on disclosure made in filings with the SEC and/or posted on the Eaton Vance website (www.eatonvance.com) and disclosure of certain portfolio characteristics. Pursuant to the Policies, information about portfolio holdings of a Fund may also be disclosed as follows:
·
Confidential disclosure for a legitimate Fund purpose: Portfolio holdings may be disclosed, from time to time as necessary, for a legitimate business purpose of a Fund, believed to be in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders, provided there is a duty or an agreement that the information be kept confidential. Any such confidentiality agreement includes provisions intended to impose a duty not to trade on the non-public information. The Policies permit disclosure of portfolio holdings information to the following: 1) affiliated and unaffiliated service providers that have a legal or contractual duty to keep such information confidential, such as employees of the investment adviser (including portfolio managers and, in the case of a Portfolio, the portfolio manager of any account that invests in the Portfolio), the administrator, custodian, transfer agent, principal underwriter, etc. described herein and in the Prospectus; 2) other persons who owe a fiduciary or other duty of trust or confidence to the Fund (such as Fund legal counsel and independent registered public accounting firm); or 3) persons to whom the disclosure is made in advancement of a legitimate business purpose of a Fund and who have expressly agreed in writing to maintain the disclosed information in confidence and to use it only in connection with the legitimate business purpose underlying the arrangement. To the extent applicable to an Eaton Vance fund, such persons may include securities lending agents which may receive information from time to time regarding selected holdings which may be loaned by a Fund, in the event a Fund is rated, credit rating agencies (Moodys Investor Services, Inc. and Standard & Poors Ratings Group), analytical service providers engaged by the investment adviser (Advent, Bloomberg L.P., Evare, Factset, McMunn Associates, Inc., MSCI/Barra and The Yield Book, Inc.), proxy evaluation vendors (Institutional Shareholder Servicing Inc.), pricing services (TRPS Mark-to-Market Pricing Service, WM Company Reuters Information Services and Non-Deliverable Forward Rates Service, Markit Pricing Direct, FT Interactive Data Corp., Standard & Poors Securities Evaluation Service, Inc., SuperDerivatives and Stat Pro.), which receive information as needed to price a particular holding, translation services, third-party reconciliation services, lenders under Fund credit facilities (Citibank, N.A. and its affiliates), consultants and other product evaluators (Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC) and, for purposes of facilitating portfolio transactions, financial intermediaries and other intermediaries (national and regional municipal bond dealers and mortgage-backed securities dealers). These entities receive portfolio information on an as needed basis in order to perform the service for which they are being engaged. If required in order to perform their duties, this information will be provided in real time or as soon as practical thereafter. Additional categories of disclosure involving a legitimate business purpose may be added to this list upon the authorization of a Funds Board. In addition to the foregoing, disclosure of portfolio holdings may be made to a Funds investment adviser as a seed investor in a fund, in order for the adviser or its parent to satisfy certain reporting obligations and reduce its exposure to market risk factors associated with any such seed investment. Also, in connection with a redemption in kind, the redeeming shareholder may be required to agree to keep the information about the securities to be so distributed confidential, except to the extent necessary to dispose of the securities.
·
Historical portfolio holdings information: From time to time, each Fund may be requested to provide historic portfolio holdings information or certain characteristics of portfolio holdings that have not been made public previously. In such case, the requested information may be provided if: the information is requested for due diligence or another legitimate purpose; the requested portfolio holdings or portfolio characteristics are for a period that is no more recent than the date of the portfolio holdings or portfolio characteristics posted to the Eaton Vance website; and the dissemination of the requested information is reviewed and approved in accordance with the Policies.
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The Funds, the investment adviser, sub-advisers and principal underwriter will not receive any monetary or other consideration in connection with the disclosure of information concerning a Funds portfolio holdings.
The Policies may not be waived, or exception made, without the consent of the CCO of the Funds. The CCO may not waive or make exception to the Policies unless such waiver or exception is consistent with the intent of the Policies, which is to ensure that disclosure of portfolio information is in the best interest of Fund shareholders. In determining whether to permit a waiver of or exception to the Policies, the CCO will consider whether the proposed disclosure serves a legitimate purpose of a Fund, whether it could provide the recipient with an advantage over Fund shareholders or whether the proposed disclosure gives rise to a conflict of interest between a Funds shareholders and its investment adviser, principal underwriter or other affiliated person. The CCO will report all waivers of or exceptions to the Policies to the Board at their next meeting. The Board may impose additional restrictions on the disclosure of portfolio holdings information at any time.
The Policies are designed to provide useful information concerning a Fund to existing and prospective Fund shareholders while at the same time inhibiting the improper use of portfolio holdings information in trading Fund shares and/or portfolio securities held by a Fund. However, there can be no assurance that the provision of any portfolio holdings information is not susceptible to inappropriate uses (such as the development of market timing models), particularly in the hands of highly sophisticated investors, or that it will not in fact be used in such ways beyond the control of the Funds.
TAXES
The following is a summary of some of the tax consequences affecting the Fund and its shareholders. The summary does not address all of the special tax rules applicable to certain classes of investors, such as individual retirement accounts and employer sponsored retirement plans, tax-exempt entities, foreign investors, insurance companies and financial institutions. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors with respect to special tax rules that may apply in their particular situations, as well as the federal, state, local, and, where applicable, foreign tax consequences of investing in the Fund.
Taxation of the Fund. The Fund, as a series of the Trust, is treated as a separate entity for federal income tax purposes. The Fund has elected to be treated and intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company (RIC) under Subchapter M of the Code. Accordingly, the Fund intends to satisfy certain requirements relating to sources of its income and diversification of its assets and to distribute substantially all of its net investment income (including tax-exempt income, if any) 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 tax. Based on advice of counsel, the Fund will not recognize gain or loss on its distribution of appreciated securities in shareholder-initiated redemptions of its shares. If the Fund qualifies for treatment as a RIC and satisfies the above-mentioned distribution requirements, it will not be subject to federal income tax on income paid to its shareholders in the form of dividends or capital gain distributions. The Fund qualified as a RIC for its most recent fiscal year.
The Fund also seeks to avoid payment of federal excise tax. However, if the Fund fails to distribute in a calendar year substantially all of its ordinary income for such year and substantially all of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 (or later if the Fund is permitted to so elect and so elects), plus any retained amount from the prior year, the Fund will be subject to a 4% excise tax on the undistributed amounts. In order to avoid incurring a federal excise tax obligation, the Code requires that the Fund distributes (or be deemed to have distributed) by December 31 of each calendar year (i) at least 98% of its ordinary income (excluding tax-exempt income, if any) for such year, (ii) at least 98.2% of its capital gain net income (which is the excess of its realized capital gains over its realized capital losses), 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, and (iii) 100% of any income and capital gains from the prior year (as previously computed) that was not paid out during such year and on which the Fund paid no federal income tax. If the Fund fails to meet these requirements it will be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax on the undistributed amounts. Under current law, provided that the Fund qualifies as a RIC (and, where applicable, the Portfolio is treated as a partnership for Massachusetts and federal tax purposes), the Fund should not be liable for any income, corporate excise or franchise tax in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
If the Fund does not qualify as a RIC for any taxable year, the Funds taxable income will be subject to corporate income taxes, and all distributions from earnings and profits, including distributions of tax-exempt income and net capital gain (if any), will be taxable to the shareholder as dividend income. However, such distributions may be eligible (i) to be treated as qualified dividend income in the case of shareholders taxed as individuals and (ii) for the dividends-received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. In addition, in order to re-qualify for taxation as a RIC, the Fund may be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions.
In certain situations, the Fund may, for a taxable year, elect to defer all or a portion of its net capital losses (or if there is no net capital loss, then any net long-term or short-term capital loss) realized after October and its late-year ordinary losses (defined as the sum of the excess of post-October foreign currency and passive foreign investment company (PFIC) losses over post-October foreign currency and PFIC gains plus the excess of post-December ordinary losses over post-December ordinary income)
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
realized after December until the next taxable year in computing its investment company taxable income and net capital gain, which will defer the recognition of such realized losses. Such deferrals and other rules regarding gains and losses realized after October (or December) may affect the tax character of shareholder distributions.
The Code contains a provision codifying the judicial economic substance doctrine, which has traditionally been used by courts to deny tax benefits for transactions that lack economic substance; a strict liability penalty is imposed for an understatement of tax liability due to a transactions lack of economic substance.
Taxation of the Portfolio. If the Fund invests its assets in the Portfolio, the Portfolio normally must satisfy the applicable source of income and asset diversification requirements in order for the Fund to also satisfy these requirements. For federal income tax purposes, the Portfolio intends to be treated as a partnership that is not a publicly traded partnership and, as a result, will not be subject to federal income tax. The Fund, as an investor in the Portfolio, will be required to take into account in determining its federal income tax liability its share of such Portfolios income, gains, losses, deductions and credits, without regard to whether it has received any distributions from such Portfolio. The Portfolio will allocate at least annually among its investors, including the Fund, the Portfolios net investment income, net realized capital gains and losses , and any other items of income, gain, loss, deduction or credit. For purposes of applying the requirements of the Code regarding qualification as a RIC, the Fund (i) will be deemed to own its proportionate share of each of the assets of the Portfolio and (ii) will be entitled to the gross income of the Portfolio attributable to such share. Under current law, provided that the Portfolio is treated as a partnership for Massachusetts and federal tax purposes, the Portfolio should not be liable for any income, corporate excise or franchise tax in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Taxation of the Subsidiary
.
See the definition of
“
Subsidiary
”
under
“
Definitions
”
at the front of this SAI for information about whether any Fund and/or Portfolio (if applicable) described herein has established a Subsidiary.
The Subsidiary is classified as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As described in the prospectus, the Fund has either applied for or received from the IRS a private letter ruling or has received advice from counsel relating to the treatment of the income allocated to the Fund from the Subsidiary for purposes of the Funds status as a RIC under the Code. Foreign corporations, such as the Subsidiary, will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation unless they are deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business. It is expected that the Subsidiary will conduct it activities in a manner so as to meet the requirements of a safe harbor under Section 864(b)(2) of the Code under which the Subsidiary may engage in trading in stocks or securities or certain commodities without being deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business. However, if certain of the Subsidiary's activities were determined not to be of the type described in the safe harbor (which is not expected), then the activities of the Subsidiary may constitute a U.S. trade or business, and would be taxed as such.
The Subsidiary is treated as a controlled foreign corporation (CFC) for tax purposes and the Fund is treated as a U.S. shareholder of the Subsidiary. As a result, the Fund is required to include in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes all of the Subsidiary's subpart F income, whether or not such income is distributed by the Subsidiary. It is expected that all of the Subsidiary's income will be subpart F income. The Funds recognition of the Subsidiary's subpart F income will increase the Funds tax basis in the Subsidiary. Distributions by the Subsidiary to the Fund will be tax-free, to the extent of its previously undistributed subpart F income, and will correspondingly reduce the Fund's tax basis in the Subsidiary. Subpart F income is generally treated as ordinary income, regardless of the character of the Subsidiary's underlying income. If a net loss is realized by the Subsidiary, such loss is not generally available to offset the income earned by the Fund.
Tax Consequences of Certain Investments. The following summary of the tax consequences of certain types of investments applies to the Fund and the Portfolio, as appropriate. References in the following summary to the Fund are to any Fund or Portfolio that can engage in the particular practice as described in the prospectus or SAI.
Securities Acquired at Market Discount or with Original Issue Discount. Investment in securities acquired at a market discount, or in zero coupon, deferred interest, payment-in-kind and certain other securities with original issue discount, generally may cause the Fund to realize income prior to the receipt of cash payments with respect to these securities. Such income will be accrued daily by the Fund and, in order to avoid a tax payable by the Fund, the Fund may be required to liquidate securities that it might otherwise have continued to hold in order to generate cash so that the Fund may make required distributions to its shareholders. The Fund may elect to accrue market discount income on a daily basis.
Lower Rated or Defaulted Securities. Investments in securities that are at risk of, or are in, default present special tax issues for the Fund. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless securities and how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income.
Municipal Obligations. Any recognized gain or income attributable to market discount on long-term tax-exempt municipal obligations (i.e., obligations with a term of more than one year) purchased after April 30, 1993 (except to the extent of a portion of the discount attributable to original issue discount), 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
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
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.
From time to time proposals have been introduced before Congress for the purpose of restricting or eliminating the federal income tax exemption for interest on certain types of municipal obligations, and it can be expected that similar proposals may be introduced in the future. As a result of any such future legislation, the availability of municipal obligations for investment by the Fund and the value of the securities held by it may be affected. It is possible that events occurring after the date of issuance of municipal obligations, or after the Funds acquisition of such an obligation, may result in a determination that the interest paid on that obligation is taxable, even retroactively.
If the Fund seeks income exempt from state and/or local taxes, information about such taxes is contained in an appendix to this SAI (see the Table of Contents).
Tax Credit Bonds. If the Fund holds, directly or indirectly, one or more tax credit bonds (including Build America Bonds, clean renewable energy bonds and other qualified tax credit bonds) on one or more applicable dates during a taxable year and the Fund satisfies the minimum distribution requirement, the Fund may elect to permit its shareholders to claim a tax credit on their income tax returns equal to each shareholders proportionate share of tax credits from the applicable bonds that otherwise would be allowed to the Fund. In such a case, shareholders must include in gross income (as interest) their proportionate share of the income attributable to their proportionate share of those offsetting tax credits. A shareholders ability to claim a tax credit associated with one or more tax credit bonds may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code. Even if the Fund is eligible to pass through tax credits to shareholders, the Fund may choose not to do so.
Derivatives. The Funds investments in options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts (to the extent permitted) and certain other transactions may 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 Fund, defer Fund losses, cause adjustments in the holding periods of Fund securities, 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 Fund distributions.
Investments in so-called section 1256 contracts, such as regulated futures contracts, most foreign currency forward contracts traded in the interbank market and options on most stock indices, are subject to special tax rules. All section 1256 contracts held by the Fund at the end of its taxable year are required to be marked to their market value, and any unrealized gain or loss on those positions will be included in the Funds income as if each position had been sold for its fair market value at the end of the taxable year. The resulting gain or loss will be combined with any gain or loss realized by the Fund from positions in section 1256 contracts closed during the taxable year. Provided such positions were held as capital assets and were not part of a hedging transaction nor part of a straddle, 60% of the resulting net gain or loss will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and 40% of such net gain or loss will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss, regardless of the period of time the positions were actually held by the Fund. Unless an election is made, net 1256 gain or loss on forward currency contracts will be treated as ordinary income or loss.
Fund positions in index options that do not qualify as section 1256 contracts under the Code generally will be treated as equity options governed by Code Section 1234. Pursuant to Code Section 1234, if a written option expires unexercised, the premium received is short-term capital gain to the Fund. If the Fund enters into a closing transaction with respect to a written option, the difference between the premium received and the amount paid to close out its position is short-term capital gain or loss. If an option written by the Fund that is not a section 1256 contract is cash settled, any resulting gain or loss will be short-term capital gain. For an option purchased by the Fund that is not a section 1256 contract, any gain or loss resulting from sale of the option will be a capital gain or loss, and will be short-term or long-term, depending upon the holding period for the option. If the option expires, the resulting loss is a capital loss and is short-term or long-term, depending upon the holding period for the option. If a put option written by the Fund is exercised and physically settled, the premium received is treated as a reduction in the amount paid to acquire the underlying securities, increasing the gain or decreasing the loss to be realized by the Fund upon sale of the securities. If a call option written by the Fund is exercised and physically settled, the premium received is included in the sale proceeds, increasing the gain or decreasing the loss realized by the Fund at the time of option exercise.
As a result of entering into swap contracts, the Fund may make or receive periodic net payments. The Fund may also make or receive a payment when a swap is terminated prior to maturity through an assignment of the swap or other closing transaction. Periodic net payments will generally constitute ordinary income or deductions, while termination of a swap will generally result in capital gain or loss (which will be a long-term capital gain or loss if the Fund has been a party to a swap for more than one year). With respect to certain types of swaps, the Fund may be required to currently recognize income or loss with respect to future payments on such swaps or may elect under certain circumstances to mark such swaps to market annually for tax purposes as ordinary income or loss.
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Short Sales. In general, gain or loss on a short sale is recognized when the Fund closes the sale by delivering the borrowed property to the lender, not when the borrowed property is sold. Gain or loss from a short sale is generally considered to be capital gain or loss to the extent that the property used to close the short sale constitutes a capital asset in the Funds hands. Except with respect to certain situations where the property used to close a short sale has a long-term holding period on the date of the short sale, special rules generally treat the gains on short sales as short-term capital gains. These rules may also terminate the running of the holding period of substantially identical property held by the Fund. Moreover, a loss on a short sale will be treated as a long-term capital loss if, on the date of the short sale, substantially identical property has been held by the Fund for more than one year. In general, the Fund will not be permitted to deduct payments made to reimburse the lender of securities for dividends paid on borrowed stock if the short sale is closed on or before the 45th day after the short sale is entered.
Constructive Sales. The Fund may recognize gain (but not loss) from a constructive sale of certain appreciated financial positions if the Fund enters into a short sale, offsetting notional principal contract, or forward contract transaction with respect to the appreciated position or substantially identical property. Appreciated financial positions subject to this constructive sale treatment include interests (including options and forward contracts and short sales) in stock and certain other instruments. Constructive sale treatment does not apply if the transaction is closed out not later than thirty days after the end of the taxable year in which the transaction was initiated, and the underlying appreciated securities position is held unhedged for at least the next sixty days after the hedging transaction is closed.
Gain or loss on a short sale will generally not be realized until such time as the short sale is closed. However, as described above in the discussion of constructive sales, if the Fund holds a short sale position with respect to securities that have appreciated in value, and it then acquires property that is the same as or substantially identical to the property sold short, the Fund generally will recognize gain on the date it acquires such property as if the short sale were closed on such date with such property. Similarly, if the Fund holds an appreciated financial position with respect to securities and then enters into a short sale with respect to the same or substantially identical property, the Fund generally will recognize gain as if the appreciated financial position were sold at its fair market value on the date it enters into the short sale. The subsequent holding period for any appreciated financial position that is subject to these constructive sale rules will be determined as if such position were acquired on the date of the constructive sale.
Foreign Investments and Currencies. The Funds investments in foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes or other foreign taxes with respect to income (possibly including, in some cases, capital gains), which would decrease the Funds income on such securities. These taxes may be reduced or eliminated under the terms of an applicable U.S. income tax treaty. If more than 50% of Fund assets at year end consists of the debt and equity securities of foreign corporations, the Fund may elect to permit shareholders to claim a credit or deduction on their income tax returns for their pro rata portion of qualified taxes paid by the Fund to foreign countries. If the election is made, shareholders will include in gross income from foreign sources their pro rata share of such taxes. A shareholders ability to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by the Fund may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code (including a holding period requirement applied at both the Fund and shareholder level), as a result of which a shareholder may not get a full credit or deduction for the amount of such taxes. In particular, the Fund must own the dividend-paying stock for more than 15 days during the 31-day period beginning 15 days prior to the ex-dividend date. Likewise, shareholders must hold their Fund shares (without protection from risk or loss) on the ex-dividend date and for at least 15 additional days during the 31-day period beginning 15 days prior to the ex-dividend date to be eligible to claim the foreign tax with respect to a given dividend. Shareholders who do not itemize deductions on their federal income tax returns may claim a credit (but no deduction) for such taxes. Individual shareholders subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT) may not deduct such taxes for AMT purposes.
Transactions in foreign currencies, foreign currency-denominated debt securities and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts, forward contracts and similar instruments (to the extent permitted) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency. Under Section 988 of the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time the Fund accrues income or receivables or expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund actually collects such income or pays such liabilities are generally treated as ordinary income or ordinary loss.
Investments in PFICs could subject the Fund to U.S. federal income tax or other charges on certain distributions from such companies and on disposition of investments in such companies; however, the tax effects of such investments may be mitigated by making an election to mark such investments to market annually or treat the PFIC as a qualified electing fund. If the Fund were to invest in a PFIC and elect to treat the PFIC as a qualified electing fund under the Code, the Fund might be required to include in income each year a portion of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the qualified electing fund, even if not distributed to the Fund, and such amounts would be subject to the distribution requirements described above. In order to make this election, the Fund would be required to obtain certain annual information from the PFICs in which it invests, which may be difficult or impossible to obtain. Alternatively, if the Fund were to make a mark-to-market election with respect to a PFIC, the Fund would be treated as if it had sold and repurchased the PFIC stock at the end of each year. In such case, the Fund would report any such gains as ordinary income and would deduct any such losses as ordinary losses to the extent of previously recognized gains. This election must be made separately for each PFIC, and once made, would be effective for all subsequent
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taxable years unless revoked with the consent of the IRS. The Fund may be required to recognize income in excess of the distributions it receives from PFICs and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock in any particular year. As a result, the Fund may have to distribute this phantom income and gain to satisfy the distribution requirement and to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax.
U.S. Government Securities. Distributions paid by the Fund that are derived from interest on obligations of the U.S. Government and certain of its agencies and instrumentalities (but generally not distributions of capital gains realized upon the disposition of such obligations) may be exempt from state and local income taxes. The Fund generally intends to advise shareholders of the extent, if any, to which its distributions consist of such interest. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisers regarding the possible exclusion of such portion of their dividends for state and local income tax purposes.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Any investment by the Fund in equity securities of a REIT qualifying as such under Subchapter M of the Code may result in the Funds receipt of cash in excess of the REITs earnings; if the Fund distributes these amounts, these distributions could constitute a return of capital to Fund shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Investments in REIT equity securities also may require the Fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received. To generate sufficient cash to make the requisite distributions, the Fund may be required to sell securities in its portfolio (including when it is not advantageous to do so) that it otherwise would have continued to hold. Dividends received by the Fund from a REIT will not qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction and generally will not constitute qualified dividend income.
Inflation-Indexed Bonds. Periodic adjustments for inflation to the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond may give rise to original issue discount, which will be includable in the Funds gross income (see Securities Acquired at Market Discount or with Original Issue Discount above). Also, if the principal value of an inflation-indexed bond is adjusted downward due to inflation, amounts previously distributed in the taxable year may be characterized in some circumstances as a return of capital (see Taxation of Fund Shareholders below).
Taxation of Fund Shareholders. Subject to the discussion of distributions of tax-exempt income below, Fund distributions of investment income and net gains from investments held for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income. Fund distributions of any net gains from investments held for more than one year are taxable as long-term capital gains. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated the gains, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares in the Fund. Dividends and distributions on the Funds shares are generally subject to federal income tax as described herein to the extent they are made out of the Funds earnings and profits, even though such dividends and distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholders investment. Such distributions are likely to occur in respect of shares purchased at a time when the Funds 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 Funds net asset value also reflects unrealized losses.
Distributions paid by the Fund during any period may be more or less than the amount of net investment income and capital gains actually earned during the period. If the Fund makes a distribution to a shareholder in excess of the Funds current and accumulated earnings and profits in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital
.
A return of capital is not taxable, but it reduces a shareholders tax basis in its shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its shares. A shareholders tax basis cannot go below zero and any return of capital distributions in excess of a shareholders tax basis will be treated as capital gain.
Ordinarily, shareholders are required to take taxable distributions by the Fund into account in the year in which the distributions are made. However, for federal income tax purposes, dividends that are declared by the Fund in October, November or December as of a record date in such month and actually paid in January of the following year will be treated as if they were paid on December 31 of the year declared. Therefore, such dividends will generally be taxable to a shareholder in the year declared rather than in the year paid.
The amount of distributions payable by the Fund may vary depending on general economic and market conditions, the composition of investments, current management strategy and Fund operating expenses. The Fund will inform shareholders of the tax character of distributions annually to facilitate shareholder tax reporting.
The Fund may elect to retain its net capital gain, in which case the Fund will be taxed thereon (except to the extent of any available capital loss carryovers) at the 35% corporate tax rate. In such a case, it is expected that the Fund also will elect to have shareholders of record on the last day of its taxable year treated as if each received a distribution of its pro rata share of such gain, with the result that each shareholder will be required to report its pro rata share of such gain on its tax return as long-term capital gain, will receive a refundable tax credit for its pro rata share of tax paid by the Fund on the gain, and will increase the tax basis for its shares by an amount equal to the deemed distribution less the tax credit.
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Any Fund distribution, other than dividends that are declared by the Fund on a daily basis, will have the effect of reducing the per share net asset value of Fund shares by the amount of the distribution. If a shareholder buys shares when the Fund has unrealized or realized but not yet distributed ordinary income or capital gains, the shareholder will pay full price for the shares and then may receive a portion back as a taxable distribution even though such distribution may economically represent a return of the shareholders investment.
Tax-Exempt Income. Distributions by the Fund of net tax-exempt interest income that are properly reported as exempt-interest dividends may be treated by shareholders as interest excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes under Section 103(a) of the Code. In order for the Fund to be entitled to pay the tax-exempt interest income as exempt-interest dividends to its shareholders, the Fund must satisfy certain requirements, including the requirement that, at the close of each quarter of its taxable year, at least 50% of the value of its total assets consists of obligations the interest on which is exempt from regular federal income tax under Code Section 103(a). Interest on certain municipal obligations may be taxable for purposes of the federal AMT and for state and local purposes. In addition, corporate shareholders must include the full amount of exempt-interest dividends in computing the preference items for the purposes of the AMT. Fund shareholders are required to report tax-exempt interest on their federal income tax returns.
Tax-exempt distributions received from the Fund are taken into account in determining, and may increase, the portion of social security and certain railroad retirement benefits that may be subject to federal income tax. Interest on indebtedness incurred by a shareholder to purchase or carry Fund shares that distributes exempt-interest dividends will not be deductible for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If a shareholder receives exempt interest dividends with respect to any Fund share and if the share is held by the shareholder for six months or less, then any loss on the sale or exchange of the share may, to the extent of the exempt-interest dividends, be disallowed. Furthermore, a portion of any exempt-interest dividend paid by the Fund that represents income derived from certain revenue or private activity bonds held by the Fund may not retain its tax-exempt status in the hands of a shareholder who is a substantial user of a facility financed by such bonds, or a related person thereof. In addition, the receipt of dividends and distributions from the Fund may affect a foreign corporate shareholders federal branch profits tax liability and the federal excess net passive income tax liability of a shareholder of a Subchapter S corporation. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors as to whether they are (i) substantial users with respect to a facility or related to such users within the meaning of the Code or (ii) subject to a federal alternative minimum tax, the federal branch profits tax, or the federal excess net passive income tax.
Qualified Dividend Income. Qualified dividend income received by an individual is taxed at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain (currently at a maximum rate of 20% plus a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax). In order for a dividend received by Fund shareholders to be qualified dividend income, the Fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the dividend-paying stock in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Funds shares. A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (at either the Fund or shareholder level) (1) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning at the date which is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, in the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date), (2) to the extent that the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, (3) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment interest, or (4) if the dividend is received from a foreign corporation that is (a) not eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the U.S. (with the exception of dividends paid on stock of such a foreign corporation readily tradable on an established securities market in the U.S.) or (b) treated as a passive foreign investment company. Payments in lieu of dividends, such as payments pursuant to securities lending arrangements, also do not qualify to be treated as qualified dividend income. In general, distributions of investment income reported by the Fund as derived from qualified dividend income will be treated as qualified dividend income by a shareholder taxed as an individual provided the shareholder meets the holding period and other requirements described above with respect to the Funds shares. In any event, if the aggregate qualified dividends received by the Fund during any taxable year are 95% or more of its gross income, then 100% of the Funds dividends (other than properly reported capital gain dividends) will be eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income. For this purpose, the only gain with respect to the sale of stocks and securities included in the term gross income is the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss.
Dividends Received Deduction for Corporations. A portion of distributions made by the Fund which are derived from dividends from U.S. corporations may qualify for the dividends-received deduction (DRD) for corporations. The DRD is reduced to the extent the Fund shares with respect to which the dividends are received are treated as debt-financed under the Code and is eliminated if the shares are deemed to have been held for less than a minimum period, generally more than 45 days during the 91-day period beginning 45 days before the ex-dividend date or if the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property. Receipt of certain distributions qualifying for the DRD may result in reduction of the tax basis of the corporate shareholders shares. Distributions eligible for the DRD may give rise to or increase the alternative minimum tax for certain corporations. Payments in lieu of dividends, such as payments pursuant to securities lending arrangements, also do not qualify for the DRD.
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Recognition of Unrelated Business Taxable Income by Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Under current law, tax-exempt investors generally will not recognize unrelated business taxable income (UBTI) from distributions from the Fund. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a tax-exempt shareholder could recognize UBTI if shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of a tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code section 514(b). In addition, certain types of income received by the Fund from REITs, real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs), taxable mortgage pools or other investments may cause the Fund to designate some or all of its distributions as excess inclusion income. To Fund shareholders such excess inclusion income may: (1) constitute taxable income as UBTI for those shareholders who would otherwise be tax-exempt such as individual retirement accounts, employer sponsored retirement plans and certain charitable entities; (2) not be offset by otherwise allowable deductions for tax purposes; (3) not be eligible for reduced U.S. withholding for non-U.S. shareholders even from tax treaty countries; and (4) cause the Fund to be subject to tax if certain disqualified organizations as defined by the Code are Fund shareholders.
Sale
or Exchange of Fund Shares.
Generally, upon
the
sale or
(if permitted)
exchange of Fund shares, a shareholder will realize a taxable gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized and the
shareholders
basis in the shares. Such gain or loss will be treated as capital gain or loss if the shares are capital assets in the shareholders hands, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for more than one year, and short-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for one year or less.
Any loss realized upon the sale or
other disposition
of Fund shares with a tax holding period of six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any
Fund
distributions treated as long-term capital gain with respect to such shares. In addition, all or a portion of a loss realized on a
sale
or other disposition of Fund shares may be disallowed under wash sale rules to the extent the shareholder acquired other shares of the same Fund (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 shareholders tax basis in some or all of the other shares acquired.
See the prospectus for information regarding any permitted exchange of Fund shares.
Sales charges paid upon a purchase of shares subject to a front-end sales charge cannot be taken into account for purposes of determining gain or loss on a redemption or exchange 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 Fund shares (or shares of another fund) on or before January 31 of the following calendar year pursuant to the reinvestment or exchange privilege. Any disregarded amounts will result in an adjustment to the shareholders tax basis in some or all of any other shares acquired.
Applicability of Medicare Contribution Tax. The Code imposes a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on unearned income of certain U.S. individuals, estates and trusts. For individuals, the tax is on the lesser of the net investment income and the excess of modified adjusted gross income over $200,000 (or $250,000 if married filing jointly). Net investment income includes, among other things, interest, dividends, and gross income and capital gains derived from passive activities and trading in securities or commodities. Net investment income is reduced by deductions properly allocable to this income.
Back-Up Withholding for U.S. Shareholders. Amounts paid by the Fund to individuals and certain other shareholders who have not provided the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) and certain certifications required by the IRS as well as shareholders with respect to whom the Fund has received certain information from the IRS or a broker, may be subject to backup withholding of federal income tax arising from the Funds taxable dividends and other distributions as well as the proceeds of redemption transactions (including repurchases and exchanges), at a rate of 28%. An individuals TIN is generally his or her social security number. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against a shareholders U.S. federal income tax liability.
Taxation of Foreign Shareholders.
In general, dividends (other than capital gain dividends and exempt-interest dividends) paid to a shareholder that is not a U.S. person within the meaning of the Code (a foreign person or foreign shareholder) are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate). The withholding tax does not apply to regular dividends paid to a foreign person who provides
an IRS
Form W-8ECI, certifying that the dividends are effectively connected with the foreign persons conduct of a trade or business within the United States. Instead, the effectively connected dividends will be subject to regular U.S. income tax as if the foreign person were a U.S. shareholder. A non-U.S. corporation receiving effectively connected dividends may also be subject to additional branch profits tax imposed at a rate of 30% (or lower treaty rate). A foreign person who fails to provide an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E, or other applicable form may be subject to backup withholding at the appropriate rate. A foreign shareholder would generally be exempt from U.S. federal income tax, including withholding tax, on gains realized on the sale of shares of the Fund, net capital gain dividends, exempt interest dividends, and amounts retained by the Fund that are reported as undistributed capital gains.
Properly reported dividends are generally exempt from U.S. federal withholding tax where they (i) are paid in respect of the Funds qualified net interest income (generally, the Funds U.S. source interest income, other than certain contingent interest and interest from obligations of a corporation or partnership in which the Fund is at least a 10% shareholder, reduced by
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
expenses that are allocable to such income) or (ii) are paid in respect of the Funds qualified short-term capital gains (generally, the excess of the Funds net short-term capital gain over the Funds long-term capital loss for such taxable year). However, depending on its circumstances, the Fund may report all, some or none of its potentially eligible dividends as such qualified net interest income or as qualified short-term capital gains and/or treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible for this exemption from withholding. In order to qualify for this exemption from withholding, a non-U.S. shareholder would need to comply with applicable certification requirements relating to its non-U.S. status (including, in general, furnishing an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E, or substitute Form). In the case of shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary could withhold even if the Fund designates the payment as qualified net interest income or qualified short-term capital gain. Non-U.S. shareholders should contact their intermediaries with respect to the application of these rules to their accounts.
Distributions that the Fund reports as short-term capital gain dividends or long-term capital gain dividends will not be treated as such to a recipient foreign shareholder if the distribution is attributable to gain from the sale or exchange of U.S. real property or an interest in a U.S. real property holding corporation and the Funds direct or indirect interests in U.S. real property exceeded certain levels. Instead, if the foreign shareholder has not owned more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Fund at any time during the one year period ending on the date of distribution, such distributions will be subject to 30% withholding by the Fund and will be treated as ordinary dividends to the foreign shareholder; if the foreign shareholder owned more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Fund at any time during the one year period ending on the date of the distribution, such distribution will be treated as real property gain subject to 35% withholding tax and could subject the foreign shareholder to U.S. filing requirements. The rules described in this paragraph, other than the withholding rules, will apply notwithstanding the Funds participation or a foreign shareholders participation in a wash sale transaction or the payment of a substitute dividend.
Additionally, if the Funds direct or indirect interests in U.S. real property were to exceed certain levels, a foreign shareholder realizing gains upon redemption from the Fund could be subject to the 35% withholding tax and U.S. filing requirements unless the foreign person had not held more than 5% of the Funds outstanding shares throughout either such persons holding period for the redeemed shares or, if shorter, the previous five years,
50% or more of the value of the Funds shares were held by U.S. entities.
The same rules apply with respect to distributions to a foreign shareholder from the Fund and redemptions of a foreign shareholders interest in the Fund attributable to a REITs distribution to the Fund of gain from the sale or exchange of U.S. real property or an interest in a U.S. real property holding corporation, if the Funds direct or indirect interests in U.S. real property were to exceed certain levels.
Provided that 50% or more of the value of the Funds stock is held by U.S. shareholders, distributions of U.S. real property interests (including securities in a U.S. real property holding corporation, unless such corporation is regularly traded on an established securities market and the Fund has held 5% or less of the outstanding shares of the corporation during the five-year period ending on the date of distribution
),
in redemption of a foreign shareholders shares of the Fund will cause the Fund to recognize gain. If the Fund is required to recognize gain, the amount of gain recognized will be equal to the fair market value of such interests over the Funds adjusted basis to the extent of the greatest foreign ownership percentage of the Fund during the five-year period ending on the date of redemption.
In the case of foreign non-corporate shareholders, the Fund may be required to backup withhold U.S. federal income tax on distributions that are otherwise exempt from withholding tax unless such shareholders furnish the Fund with proper notification of their foreign status.
Shares of the Fund held by a non-U.S. shareholder at death will be considered situated within the United States and subject to the U.S. estate tax.
Compliance with the HIRE Act.
A 30% withholding tax is imposed on U.S.-source dividends,
interest and other income items,
including those paid by the Fund and, after December 31,
2018
, will be imposed on proceeds from the sale of property producing U.S.-source dividends, including
shares
in the Fund,
paid
to (i) foreign financial institutions including non-U.S. investment funds unless they agree to collect and disclose to the IRS information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. account holders and (ii) certain other foreign entities, unless they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners. To avoid withholding, foreign financial institutions will need to either enter into agreements with the IRS that state that they will provide the IRS information, including the names, addresses and taxpayer identification numbers of direct and indirect U.S. account holders, comply with due diligence procedures with respect to the identification of U.S. accounts, report to the IRS certain information with respect to U.S. accounts maintained, agree to withhold tax on certain payments made to non-compliant foreign financial institutions or to account holders who fail to provide the required information, and determine certain other information as to their account holders or, in the event that an applicable intergovernmental agreement and implementing legislation are adopted, agree to provide certain information to other revenue authorities for transmittal to the IRS. Other foreign entities will need to either provide the name, address, and taxpayer identification number of each substantial U.S. owner or
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
certifications of no substantial U.S. ownership unless certain exceptions apply or agree to provide certain information to other revenue authorities for transmittal to the IRS. Non-U.S. shareholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the possible implications of these requirements on their investment in the Fund.
Requirements of Form 8886. Under Treasury Regulations, if a shareholder realizes a loss on disposition of the Funds shares of at least $2 million in any single taxable year or $4 million in any combination of taxable years for an individual shareholder or at least $10 million in any single taxable year or $20 million in any combination of taxable years for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayers treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances. Under certain circumstances, certain tax-exempt entities and their managers may be subject to excise tax if they are parties to certain reportable transactions.
Other Taxes. Dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds may also be subject to additional state, local and foreign taxes depending on each shareholders particular situation.
Changes in Taxation. The taxation of the Fund, the Portfolio, the Subsidiary and shareholders may be adversely affected by future legislation, Treasury Regulations, IRS revenue procedures and/or guidance issued by the IRS.
PORTFOLIO SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS
Decisions concerning the execution of portfolio security transactions, including the selection of the market and the broker-dealer firm, are made by the investment adviser. Each Fund is responsible for the expenses associated with its portfolio transactions. The investment adviser is also responsible for the execution of transactions for all other accounts managed by it. The investment adviser places the portfolio security transactions for execution with one or more broker-dealer firms. The investment adviser uses its best efforts to obtain execution of portfolio security transactions at prices which in the investment advisers judgment are advantageous to the client and at a reasonably competitive spread or (when a disclosed commission is being charged) at reasonably competitive commission rates. In seeking such execution, the investment 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 broker-dealer firms services, responsiveness of the firm to the investment 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 broker-dealer 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 amount of the spread or commission, if any. In addition, the investment adviser may consider the receipt of Research Services (as defined below), provided it does not compromise the investment advisers obligation to seek best overall execution for a Fund
and is otherwise in compliance with applicable law.
The investment adviser may engage in portfolio brokerage transactions with a broker-dealer firm that sells shares of Eaton Vance funds, provided such transactions are not directed to that firm as compensation for the promotion or sale of such shares.
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 including transactions in fixed-income securities which are generally purchased and sold on a net basis (i.e., without commission) through broker-dealers and banks acting for their own account rather than as brokers. Such firms attempt to profit from such transactions by buying at the bid price and selling at the higher asked price of the market for such obligations, and the difference between the bid and asked price is customarily referred to as the spread. Fixed-income transactions may also be transactions directly with the issuer of the obligations. In an underwritten offering the price paid often includes a disclosed fixed commission or discount retained by the underwriter or dealer. Although spreads or commissions paid on portfolio security transactions will, in the judgment of the investment adviser, be reasonable in relation to the value of the services provided, commissions exceeding those which another firm might charge may be paid to broker-dealers who were selected to execute transactions on behalf of the investment advisers clients in part for providing brokerage and research services to the investment adviser as permitted by applicable law .
Pursuant to the safe harbor provided in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Section 28(e
)) and to the extent permitted by other applicable law,
a broker or dealer who executes a portfolio transaction on behalf of the investment adviser client 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 investment 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 either that particular transaction or on the basis of the overall responsibility which the investment adviser and its affiliates
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
have for accounts over which they exercise investment discretion. Research Services as used herein includes any and all brokerage and research services to the extent permitted by Section 28(e
) and other applicable law.
Generally, Research Services may include, but are not limited to, such matters as research, analytical and quotation services, data, information and other services products and materials which assist the investment adviser in the performance of its investment responsibilities. More specifically, Research Services may include general economic, political, business and market information, industry and company reviews, evaluations of securities and portfolio strategies and transactions, technical analysis of various aspects of the securities markets, recommendations as to the purchase and sale of securities and other portfolio transactions, certain financial, industry and trade publications, certain news and information services, and certain research oriented computer software, data bases and services. Any particular Research Service obtained through a broker-dealer may be used by the investment adviser in connection with client accounts other than those accounts which pay commissions to such broker-dealer
, to the extent permitted by applicable law.
Any such Research Service may be broadly useful and of value to the investment 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 clients 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 investment adviser evaluates the nature and quality of the various Research Services obtained through broker-dealer firms and
, to the extent permitted by applicable law,
may attempt to allocate sufficient portfolio security transactions to such firms to ensure the continued receipt of Research Services which the investment adviser believes are useful or of value to it in rendering investment advisory services to its clients. The investment adviser may also receive brokerage and Research Services from underwriters and dealers in fixed-price offerings
, when permitted under applicable law
.
Research Services provided by (and produced by) broker-dealers that execute portfolio transactions or from affiliates of executing broker-dealers are referred to as Proprietary Research.
Except for trades executed in jurisdictions where such consideration is not permissible,
the investment adviser may and does consider the receipt of Proprietary Research Services as a factor in selecting broker dealers to execute client portfolio transactions, provided it does not compromise the investment advisers obligation to seek best overall execution.
In jurisdictions where permissible,
the investment adviser also may consider the receipt of Research Services under so called client commission arrangements or commission sharing arrangements (both referred to as CCAs) as a factor in selecting broker dealers to execute transactions, provided it does not compromise the investment advisers obligation to seek best overall execution. Under a CCA arrangement, the investment adviser may cause client accounts to effect transactions through a broker-dealer and request that the broker-dealer allocate a portion of the commissions paid on those transactions to a pool of commission credits that are paid to other firms that provide Research Services to the investment adviser. Under a CCA, the broker-dealer that provides the Research Services need not execute the trade. Participating in CCAs may enable the investment adviser to consolidate payments for research using accumulated client commission credits from transactions executed through a particular broker-dealer to periodically pay for Research Services obtained from and provided by other firms, including other broker-dealers that supply Research Services. The investment adviser believes that CCAs offer the potential to optimize the execution of trades and the acquisition of a variety of high quality Research Services that the investment adviser might not be provided access to absent CCAs. The investment adviser will only enter into and utilize CCAs to the extent permitted by Section 28(e
) and other applicable law.
Fund trades may implicate laws of the United Kingdom, including rules of the UK Financial Conduct Authority, which govern client trading commissions and Research Services (UK Law). Broadly speaking, under UK Law the investment adviser may not accept any good or service when executing an order unless that good or service either is directly related to the execution of trades on behalf of its clients/customers or amounts to the provision of substantive research (as defined under UK Law). These requirements may also apply with respect to orders in connection with which the investment adviser receives goods and services under a CCA or other bundled brokerage arrangement.
The investment companies sponsored by the investment adviser or its affiliates also may allocate trades in such offerings to acquire information relating to the performance, fees and expenses of such companies and other investment companies, which information is used by the members of the Board of such companies to fulfill their responsibility to oversee the quality of the services provided to various entities, including the investment adviser, to such companies. Such companies may also pay cash for such information.
Securities considered as investments for each Fund may also be appropriate for other investment accounts managed by the investment adviser or its affiliates. Whenever decisions are made to buy or sell securities by each Fund and one or more of such other accounts simultaneously, the investment adviser will allocate the security transactions (including new issues) in a manner which it believes to be equitable under the circumstances. As a result of such allocations, there may be instances where each Fund 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 investment adviser reasonably determines that departure from a pro rata allocation is advisable. While
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
these aggregation and allocation policies could have a detrimental effect on the price or amount of the securities available to each Fund from time to time, it is the opinion of the members of the Board that the benefits from the investment adviser organization outweigh any disadvantage that may arise from exposure to simultaneous transactions.
The following table shows brokerage commissions paid during the periods indicated in the table, as well as the amount of Fund security transactions for the most recent fiscal year (if any) that were directed to firms that provided some Research Services to the investment adviser or its affiliates (see above), and the commissions paid in connection therewith.
|
Brokerage Commissions Paid for the Fiscal Year Ended |
Amount of Transactions
|
Commissions Paid on
|
||
Fund |
12/31/15 |
12/31/14 |
12/31/13 |
12/31/15 |
12/31/15 |
Absolute Return Fund |
$17,939 |
$35,747 |
$69,784 |
$9,207,983 |
$11,582 |
Commodity Strategy Fund |
$61,992 |
$24,373 |
$23,004 |
$15,620,958 |
$11,309 |
During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, each Fund held the following securities of its regular brokers or dealers, as that term is defined in Rule 10b-1 of the 1940 Act, and the value of such securities as of the Funds fiscal year end was as follows:
Fund |
Regular Broker or Dealer (or Parent) |
Aggregate Value |
Absolute Return Fund |
Toronto Dominion Bank |
$300,327 |
|
US Bank |
$299,938 |
|
Wells Fargo |
$299,756 |
|
Bank of America |
$299,455 |
Commodity Strategy Fund |
None |
n/a |
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial statements of, and the report of the independent registered public accounting firm for each Fund appear in its annual report to shareholders and are incorporated by reference into this SAI. A copy of each annual report accompanies this SAI.
Householding. Consistent with applicable law, duplicate mailings of shareholder reports and certain other Fund information to shareholders residing at the same address may be eliminated.
Registrant incorporates by reference the audited financial information and the reports of the independent registered public accounting firm for the Funds listed below for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, as previously filed electronically with the SEC:
Parametric Absolute Return Fund
(Accession No. 0001193125-16-480335)
Parametric Commodity Strategy Fund
(Accession No. 0001193125-16-480345)
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
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Borrowing for Temporary Purposes |
The Fund may borrow for temporary purposes (such as to satisfy redemption requests, to remain fully invested in advance of the settlement of share purchases, and to settle transactions). The Funds ability to borrow is subject to its terms and conditions of its credit arrangements, which in some cases may limit the Funds ability to borrow under the arrangement. The Fund will be required to maintain a specified level of asset coverage with respect to all borrowings and may be required to sell some of its holdings to reduce debt and restore coverage at times when it may not be advantageous to do so. The rights of the lender to receive payments of interest and repayments of principal of any borrowings made by the Fund under a credit arrangement are senior to the rights of holders of shares, with respect to the payment of dividends or upon liquidation. In the event of a default under a credit arrangement, the lenders may have the right to cause a liquidation of the collateral (i.e., sell Fund assets) and, if any such default is not cured, the lenders may be able to control the liquidation as well. Credit arrangements are subject to annual renewal, which cannot be assured. If the Fund does not have the ability to borrow for temporary purposes, it may be required to sell securities at inopportune times to meet short-term liquidity needs. Because the Fund is a party to a joint credit arrangement, it may be unable to borrow some or all of its requested amounts at any particular time. Borrowings involve additional expense to the Fund. |
Build America Bonds |
Build America Bonds are taxable municipal obligations issued pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Act) or other legislation providing for the issuance of taxable municipal debt on which the issuer receives federal support. Enacted in February 2009, the Act authorizes state and local governments to issue taxable bonds on which, assuming certain specified conditions are satisfied, issuers may either (i) receive reimbursement from the U.S. Treasury with respect to its interest payments on the bonds (direct pay Build America Bonds); or (ii) provide tax credits to investors in the bonds (tax credit Build America Bonds). Unlike most other municipal obligations, interest received on Build America Bonds is subject to federal income tax and may be subject to state income tax. Under the terms of the Act, issuers of direct pay Build America Bonds are entitled to receive reimbursement from the U.S. Treasury currently equal to 35% (or 45% in the case of Recovery Zone Economic Development Bonds) of the interest paid. Holders of tax credit Build America Bonds can receive a federal tax credit currently equal to 35% of the coupon interest received. The Fund may invest in principal only strips of tax credit Build America Bonds, which entitle the holder to receive par value of such bonds if held to maturity. The Fund does not expect to receive (or pass through to shareholders) tax credits as a result of its investments. The federal interest subsidy or tax credit continues for the life of the bonds. Build America Bonds are an alternative form of financing to state and local governments whose primary means for accessing the capital markets has been through issuance of tax-free municipal bonds. Build America Bonds can appeal to a broader array of investors than the high income U.S. taxpayers that have traditionally provided the market for municipal bonds. Build America Bonds may provide a lower net cost of funds to issuers. Pursuant to the terms of the Act, the issuance of Build America Bonds ceased on December 31, 2010. As a result, the availability of such bonds is limited and the market for the bonds and/or their liquidity may be affected. |
Call and Put Features on Securities |
Issuers of securities may reserve the right to call (redeem) the securities. If an issuer redeems a security with a call right during a time of declining interest rates, the holder of the security may not be able to reinvest the proceeds in securities providing the same investment return as provided by the securities redeemed. Some securities may have put or demand features that allow early redemption by the holder. Longer term fixed-rate securities may give the holder a right to request redemption at certain times (often annually after the lapse of an intermediate term). This put or demand feature enhances a securitys liquidity by shortening its effective maturity and enables the security to trade at a price equal to or very close to par. If a demand feature terminates prior to being exercised, the holder of the security would be subject to the longer maturity of the security, which could experience substantially more volatility. Securities with a put or demand feature are more defensive than conventional long term securities (protecting to some degree against a rise in interest rates) while providing greater opportunity than comparable intermediate term securities, because they can be retained if interest rates decline. |
Cash Equivalents |
Cash equivalents include short term, high quality, U.S. dollar denominated instruments such as commercial paper, certificates of deposit and bankers acceptances issued by U.S. or foreign banks, and Treasury bills and other obligations with a maturity of one year or less, including those issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies and instrumentalities. See U.S. Government Securities below. Certificates of deposit are certificates issued against funds deposited in a commercial bank, are for a definite period of time, earn a specified rate of return, and are normally negotiable. Bankers acceptances are short-term credit instruments used to finance the import, export, transfer or storage of goods. They are termed accepted when a bank guarantees their payment at maturity. |
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Commodity-Related Investments |
The value of commodities investments will generally be affected by overall market movements and factors specific to a particular industry or commodity, which may include weather, embargoes, tariffs, and health, political, international and regulatory developments. Economic and other events (whether real or perceived) can reduce the demand for commodities, which may reduce market prices and cause the value of Fund shares to fall. The frequency and magnitude of such changes cannot be predicted. Exposure to commodities and commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. No active trading market may exist for certain commodities investments, which may impair the ability of the Fund to sell or to realize the full value of such investments in the event of the need to liquidate such investments. In addition, adverse market conditions may impair the liquidity of actively traded commodities investments. Certain types of commodities instruments (such as total return swaps and commodity-linked notes) are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the instrument will not perform or will be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument. To the extent commodity-related investments are held through the Subsidiary, the Subsidiary is not subject to U.S. laws (including securities laws) and their protections. The Subsidiary is subject to the laws of the Cayman Islands, a foreign jurisdiction, and can be affected by developments in that jurisdiction. |
|
Certain commodities are subject to limited pricing flexibility because of supply and demand factors. Others are subject to broad price fluctuations as a result of the volatility of the prices for certain raw materials and the instability of supplies of other materials. These additional variables may create additional investment risks and result in greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The commodities that underlie commodity futures contracts and commodity swaps may be subject to additional economic and non-economic variables, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs, and international economic, political and regulatory developments. Unlike the financial futures markets, in the commodity futures markets there are costs of physical storage associated with purchasing the underlying commodity. The price of the commodity futures contract will reflect the storage costs of purchasing the physical commodity, including the time value of money invested in the physical commodity. To the extent that the storage costs for an underlying commodity change while the Fund is invested in futures contracts on that commodity, the value of the futures contract may change proportionately. |
|
In the commodity futures markets, producers of the underlying commodity may decide to hedge the price risk of selling the commodity by selling futures contracts today to lock in the price of the commodity at delivery tomorrow. In order to induce speculators to purchase the other side of the same futures contract, the commodity producer generally must sell the futures contract at a lower price than the expected future spot price. Conversely, if most hedgers in the futures market are purchasing futures contracts to hedge against a rise in prices, then speculators will only sell the other side of the futures contract at a higher futures price than the expected future spot price of the commodity. The changing nature of the hedgers and speculators in the commodity markets will influence whether futures prices are above or below the expected future spot price, which can have significant implications for the Fund. If the nature of hedgers and speculators in futures markets has shifted when it is time for the Fund to reinvest the proceeds of a maturing contract in a new futures contract, the Fund might reinvest at higher or lower futures prices, or choose to pursue other investments. |
Common Stocks |
Common stock represents an equity ownership interest in the issuing corporation. Holders of common stock generally have voting rights in the issuer and are entitled to receive common stock dividends when, as and if declared by the corporations board of directors. Common stock normally occupies the most subordinated position in an issuers capital structure. Returns on common stock investments consist of any dividends received plus the amount of appreciation or depreciation in the value of the stock. |
|
Although common stocks have historically generated higher average returns than fixed-income securities over the long term and particularly during periods of high or rising concerns about inflation, common stocks also have experienced significantly more volatility in returns and may not maintain their real value during inflationary periods. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of a particular common stock. Also, the prices of common stocks are sensitive to general movements in the stock market and a drop in the stock market may depress the price of common stocks. Common stock prices fluctuate for many reasons, including changes in investors perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant stock market, or when political or economic events affecting the issuer occur. In addition, common stock prices may be sensitive to rising interest rates as the costs of capital rise and borrowing costs increase. |
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
Contingent Convertible Securities |
Contingent convertible securities (sometimes referred to as CoCos) are convertible securities with loss absorption characteristics. These securities provide for mandatory conversion into common stock of the issuer under certain circumstances. The mandatory conversion may be automatically triggered, for instance, if a company fails to meet the capital minimum with respect to the security, the companys regulator makes a determination that the security should convert or the company receives specified levels of extraordinary public support. Since the common stock of the issuer may not pay a dividend, investors in these instruments could experience a reduced income rate, potentially to zero; and conversion would deepen the subordination of the investor, hence worsening standing in a bankruptcy. In addition, some such instruments have a set stock conversion rate that would cause an automatic write-down of capital if the price of the stock is below the conversion price on the conversion date. Under similar circumstances, the liquidation value of certain types of contingent convertible securities may be adjusted downward to below the original par value. The write down of the par value would occur automatically and would not entitle the holders to seek bankruptcy of the company. In certain circumstances, contingent convertible securities may write down to zero and investors could lose the entire value of the investment, even as the issuer remains in business. CoCos may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a predetermined price. See also Hybrid Securities. |
Convertible Securities |
A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred security, or other security that entitles the holder to acquire common stock or other equity securities of the same or a different issuer. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued or the dividend paid on such security until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities have characteristics similar to nonconvertible income securities in that they ordinarily provide a stable stream of income with generally higher yields than those of common stocks of the same or similar issuers, but lower yields than comparable nonconvertible securities. The value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline. The credit standing of the issuer and other factors also may have an effect on the convertible securitys investment value. A convertible security ranks senior to common stock in a corporations capital structure but is usually subordinated to comparable nonconvertible securities. Convertible securities may be purchased for their appreciation potential when they yield more than the underlying securities at the time of purchase or when they are considered to present less risk of principal loss than the underlying securities. Generally speaking, the interest or dividend yield of a convertible security is somewhat less than that of a non-convertible security of similar quality issued by the same company. A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible securitys governing instrument. |
|
Convertible securities are issued and traded in a number of securities markets. Even in cases where a substantial portion of the convertible securities held by the Fund are denominated in U.S. dollars, the underlying equity securities may be quoted in the currency of the country where the issuer is domiciled. As a result, fluctuations in the exchange rate between the currency in which the debt security is denominated and the currency in which the share price is quoted will affect the value of the convertible security. With respect to convertible securities denominated in a currency different from that of the underlying equity securities, the conversion price may be based on a fixed exchange rate established at the time the securities are issued, which may increase the effects of currency risk. |
|
Holders of convertible securities generally have a claim on the assets of the issuer prior to the common stockholders but may be subordinated to other debt securities of the same issuer. Certain convertible debt securities may provide a put option to the holder, which entitles the holder to cause the securities to be redeemed by the issuer at a premium over the stated principal amount of the debt securities under certain circumstances. Certain convertible securities may include loss absorption characteristics that make the securities more equity-like. This is particularly true of convertible securities issued by companies in the financial services sector. See Contingent Convertible Securities. |
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
|
Synthetic convertible securities may include either cash-settled convertibles or manufactured convertibles. Cash-settled convertibles are instruments that are created by the issuer and have the economic characteristics of traditional convertible securities but may not actually permit conversion into the underlying equity securities in all circumstances. As an example, a private company may issue a cash-settled convertible that is convertible into common stock only if the company successfully completes a public offering of its common stock prior to maturity and otherwise pays a cash amount to reflect any equity appreciation. Manufactured convertibles are created by the investment adviser or another party by combining separate securities that possess one of the two principal characteristics of a convertible security, i.e. , fixed-income (fixed-income component) or a right to acquire equity securities (convertibility component). The fixed-income component is achieved by investing in nonconvertible fixed-income securities, such as nonconvertible bonds, preferred securities and money market instruments. The convertibility component is achieved by investing in call options, warrants, or other securities with equity conversion features (equity features) granting the holder the right to purchase a specified quantity of the underlying stocks within a specified period of time at a specified price or, in the case of a stock index option, the right to receive a cash payment based on the value of the underlying stock index. A manufactured convertible differs from traditional convertible securities in several respects. Unlike a traditional convertible security, which is a single security that has a unitary market value, a manufactured convertible is comprised of two or more separate securities, each with its own market value. Therefore, the total market value of such a manufactured convertible is the sum of the values of its fixed-income component and its convertibility component. More flexibility is possible in the creation of a manufactured convertible than in the purchase of a traditional convertible security. Because many corporations have not issued convertible securities, the investment adviser may combine a fixed-income instrument and an equity feature with respect to the stock of the issuer of the fixed-income instrument to create a synthetic convertible security otherwise unavailable in the market. The investment adviser may also combine a fixed-income instrument of an issuer with an equity feature with respect to the stock of a different issuer when the investment adviser believes such a manufactured convertible would better promote the Funds objective than alternative investments. For example, the investment adviser may combine an equity feature with respect to an issuers stock with a fixed-income security of a different issuer in the same industry to diversify the Funds credit exposure, or with a U.S. Treasury instrument to create a manufactured convertible with a higher credit profile than a traditional convertible security issued by that issuer. A manufactured convertible also is a more flexible investment in that its two components may be purchased separately and, upon purchasing the separate securities, combined to create a manufactured convertible. For example, the Fund may purchase a warrant for eventual inclusion in a manufactured convertible while postponing the purchase of a suitable bond to pair with the warrant pending development of more favorable market conditions. The value of a manufactured convertible may respond to certain market fluctuations differently from a traditional convertible security with similar characteristics. For example, in the event the Fund created a manufactured convertible by combining a short-term U.S. Treasury instrument and a call option on a stock, the manufactured convertible would be expected to outperform a traditional convertible of similar maturity that is convertible into that stock during periods when Treasury instruments outperform corporate fixed-income securities and underperform during periods when corporate fixed-income securities outperform Treasury instruments. |
Credit Linked Securities |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Credit linked securities are issued by a limited purpose trust or other vehicle that, in turn, invests in a derivative instrument or basket of derivative instruments, such as credit default swaps, interest rate swaps, and other securities in order to provide exposure to certain fixed-income markets. Credit linked securities may be used as a cash management tool in order to gain exposure to a certain market and to remain fully invested when more traditional income producing securities are not available. Like an investment in a bond, investments in credit linked securities represent the right to receive periodic income payments (in the form of distributions) and payment of principal at the end of the term of the security. However, these payments are conditioned on the issuers receipt of payments from, and the issuers potential obligations to, the counterparties to the derivative instruments and other securities in which the issuer invests. An issuer may sell one or more credit default swaps, under which the issuer would receive a stream of payments over the term of the swap agreements provided that no event of default has occurred with respect to the referenced debt obligation upon which the swap is based. If a default occurs, the stream of payments may stop and the issuer would be obligated to pay the counterparty the par (or other agreed upon value) of the referenced debt obligation. This, in turn, would reduce the amount of income and principal that the holder of the credit linked security would receive. Credit linked securities generally will be exempt from registration under the 1933 Act. Accordingly, there may be no established trading market for the securities and they may constitute illiquid investments. |
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44
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Cyber Security Risk |
With the increased use of technologies by Fund service providers, such as the Internet to conduct business, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through hacking or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber security failures or breaches by the Funds investment adviser or administrator
|
Derivative Instruments and Related Risks |
Generally, derivatives can be characterized as financial instruments whose performance is derived at least in part from the performance of an underlying reference instrument. Derivative instruments may be acquired in the United States or abroad and include the various types of exchange-traded and over-the-counter (OTC) instruments described herein and other instruments with substantially similar characteristics and risks. Derivative instruments may be based on securities, indices, currencies, commodities, economic indicators and events (referred to as reference instruments). Fund obligations created pursuant to derivative instruments may be subject to the requirements described under Asset Coverage herein. |
|
Derivative instruments are subject to a number of risks, including adverse or unexpected movements in the price of the reference instrument, and counterparty, liquidity, tax, correlation and leverage risks. Use of derivative instruments may cause the realization of higher amounts of short-term capital gains (generally taxed at ordinary income tax rates) than if such instruments had not been used. Success in using derivative instruments to hedge portfolio assets depends on the degree of price correlation between the derivative instruments and the hedged asset. Imperfect correlation may be caused by several factors, including temporary price disparities among the trading markets for the derivative instrument, the reference instrument and the Funds assets. To the extent that a derivative instrument is intended to hedge against an event that does not occur, the Fund may realize losses. |
|
OTC derivative instruments involve an additional risk in that the issuer or counterparty may fail to perform its contractual obligations. Some derivative instruments are not readily marketable or may become illiquid under adverse market conditions. In addition, during periods of market volatility, a commodity exchange may suspend or limit trading in an exchange-traded derivative instrument, which may make the contract temporarily illiquid and difficult to price. Commodity exchanges may also establish daily limits on the amount that the price of a futures contract or futures option can vary from the previous days settlement price. Once the daily limit is reached, no trades may be made that day at a price beyond the limit. This may prevent the closing out of positions to limit losses. The staff of the SEC takes the position that certain purchased OTC options, and assets used as cover for written OTC options, are illiquid. The ability to terminate OTC derivative instruments may depend on the cooperation of the counterparties to such contracts. For thinly traded derivative instruments, the only source of price quotations may be the selling dealer or counterparty. In addition, certain provisions of the Code limit the use of derivative instruments. Derivatives permit the Fund to increase or decrease the level of risk, or change the character of the risk, to which its portfolio is exposed in much the same way as the Fund can increase or decrease the level of risk, or change the character of the risk, of its portfolio by making investments in specific securities. There can be no assurance that the use of derivative instruments will benefit the Fund. |
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
Derivative-Linked and Commodity-Linked Hybrid Instruments |
A derivative-linked or commodity-linked hybrid instrument (referred to herein as a hybrid instrument) is a type of potentially high-risk derivative that combines a traditional stock, bond, or commodity with an option or forward contract. Generally, the principal amount, amount payable upon maturity or redemption, or interest rate of a hybrid instrument is tied (positively or negatively) to the price of some commodity, currency or securities index or another interest rate or some other economic factor (each a benchmark). The interest rate or (unlike most fixed-income securities) the principal amount payable at maturity of a hybrid instrument may be increased or decreased, depending on changes in the value of the benchmark. An example of a hybrid instrument is a bond issued by an oil company that pays a small base level of interest with additional interest that accrues in correlation to the extent to which oil prices exceed a certain predetermined level. Such a hybrid instrument would be a combination of a bond and a call option on oil. |
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The risks of investing in hybrid instruments reflect a combination of the risks of investing in securities, options, futures and currencies. An investment in a hybrid instrument may entail significant risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional debt instrument that has a fixed principal amount, is denominated in U.S. dollars or bears interest either at a fixed rate or a floating rate determined by reference to a common, nationally published benchmark. The risks of a particular hybrid instrument will depend upon the terms of the instrument, but may include the possibility of significant changes in the benchmark(s) or the prices of the underlying assets to which the instrument is linked. Such risks generally depend upon factors unrelated to the operations or credit quality of the issuer of the hybrid instrument, which may not be foreseen by the purchaser, such as economic and political events, the supply and demand of the underlying assets and interest rate movements. Hybrid instruments may be highly volatile and their use by the Fund may not be successful. Hybrid instruments may also carry liquidity risk since the instruments are often customized to meet the portfolio needs of a particular investor, and therefore, the number of investors that are willing and able to buy such instruments in the secondary market may be smaller than that for more traditional debt securities. |
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Hybrid instruments may bear interest or pay preferred dividends at below market (or even relatively nominal) rates. Alternatively, hybrid instruments may bear interest at above market rates but bear an increased risk of principal loss (or gain). The latter scenario may result if leverage is used to structure the hybrid instrument. Leverage risk occurs when the hybrid instrument is structured so that a given change in a benchmark or underlying asset is multiplied to produce a greater value change in the hybrid instrument, thereby magnifying the risk of loss as well as the potential for gain. |
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Hybrid instruments are potentially more volatile and carry greater market risks than traditional debt instruments. Depending on the structure of the particular hybrid instrument, changes in a benchmark may be magnified by the terms of the hybrid instrument and have an even more dramatic and substantial effect upon the value of the hybrid instrument. Also, the prices of the hybrid instrument and the benchmark or underlying asset may not move in the same direction or at the same time. |
|
Hybrid instruments can be used as an efficient means of pursuing a variety of investment goals, including currency hedging, duration management, and increased total return and creating exposure to a particular market or segment of that market. The value of a hybrid instrument or its interest rate may be a multiple of a benchmark and, as a result, may be leveraged and move (up or down) more steeply and rapidly than the benchmark. These benchmarks may be sensitive to economic and political events, such as commodity shortages and currency devaluations, which cannot be readily foreseen by the purchaser of a hybrid instrument. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a hybrid instrument could be zero. The purchase of hybrid instruments also exposes the Fund to the credit risk of the issuer of the hybrids. These risks may cause significant fluctuations in the net asset value of the Fund. |
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
|
Certain hybrid instruments may provide exposure to the commodities markets. These are derivative securities with one or more commodity-linked components that have payment features similar to commodity futures contracts, commodity options, or similar instruments. Commodity-linked hybrid instruments may be either equity or debt securities, leveraged or unleveraged, and are considered hybrid instruments because they have both security and commodity-like characteristics. A portion of the value of these instruments may be derived from the value of a commodity, futures contract, index or other economic variable. The Fund will invest only in commodity-linked hybrid instruments that qualify under applicable rules of the CFTC for an exemption from the provisions of the CEA. Certain issuers of structured products such as hybrid instruments may be deemed to be investment companies as defined in the 1940 Act. As a result, the Funds investments in these products may be subject to limits applicable to investments in investment companies and may be subject to restrictions contained in the 1940 Act. |
Direct Investments |
Direct investments include (i) the private purchase from an enterprise of an equity interest in the enterprise in the form of shares of common stock or equity interests in trusts, partnerships, joint ventures or similar enterprises, and (ii) the purchase of such an equity interest in an enterprise from a principal investor in the enterprise. At the time of making a direct investment, the Fund will enter into a shareholder or similar agreement with the enterprise and one or more other holders of equity interests in the enterprise. These agreements may, in appropriate circumstances, provide the ability to appoint a representative to the board of directors or similar body of the enterprise and for eventual disposition of the investment in the enterprise. Such a representative would be expected to monitor the investment and protect the Funds rights in the investment and would not be appointed for the purpose of exercising management or control of the enterprise. |
Diversified Status |
With respect to 75% of its total assets, an investment company that is registered with the SEC as a diversified fund: (1) may not invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of any one issuer (except obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities and securities of other investment companies); and (2) may not own more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer. |
Dividend Capture Trading |
In a typical dividend capture trade, the Fund would buy a stock prior to its ex-dividend date and sell the stock at a point either on or after the ex-dividend date. The use of a dividend capture trading strategy exposes the Fund to higher portfolio turnover, increased trading costs and potential for capital loss or gain, particularly in the event of significant short-term price movements of stocks subject to dividend capture trading. |
Duration |
Duration measures the time-weighted expected cash flows of a fixed-income security, which can determine its sensitivity to changes in the general level of interest rates. Securities with longer durations generally tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with shorter durations. A mutual fund with a longer dollar-weighted average duration generally can be expected to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than a fund with a shorter dollar-weighted average duration. Duration differs from maturity in that it considers a securitys coupon payments in addition to the amount of time until the security matures. Various techniques may be used to shorten or lengthen Fund duration. As the value of a security changes over time, so will its duration. The duration of a Fund that invests in multiple Portfolios is the sum of its allocable share of the duration of each of the Portfolios in which it invests, which is determined by multiplying the Portfolios duration by the Funds percentage ownership of that Portfolio. |
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
Emerging Market Investments |
The risks described under Foreign Investments herein generally are heightened in connection with investments in emerging markets. Also, investments in securities of issuers domiciled in countries with emerging capital markets may involve certain additional risks that do not generally apply to investments in securities of issuers in more developed capital markets, such as (i) low or non-existent trading volume, resulting in a lack of liquidity and increased volatility in prices for such securities, as compared to securities of comparable issuers in more developed capital markets; (ii) uncertain national policies and social, political and economic instability, increasing the potential for expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxation, high rates of inflation or unfavorable diplomatic developments; (iii) possible fluctuations in exchange rates, differing legal systems and the existence or possible imposition of exchange controls, custodial restrictions or other foreign or U.S. governmental laws or restrictions applicable to such investments; (iv) national policies that may limit investment opportunities, such as restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests; and (v) the lack or relatively early development of legal structures governing private and foreign investments and private property. Trading practices in emerging markets also may be less developed, resulting in inefficiencies relative to trading in more developed markets, which may result in increased transaction costs. |
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Repatriation of investment income, capital and proceeds of sales by foreign investors may require governmental registration and/or approval in emerging market countries. There can be no assurance that repatriation of income, gain or initial capital from these countries will occur. In addition to withholding taxes on investment income, some countries with emerging markets may impose differential capital gains taxes on foreign investors. |
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Political and economic structures in emerging market countries may undergo significant evolution and rapid development, and these countries may lack the social, political and economic stability characteristic of more developed countries. In such a dynamic environment, there can be no assurance that any or all of these capital markets will continue to present viable investment opportunities. In the past, governments of such nations have expropriated substantial amounts of private property, and most claims of the property owners have never been fully settled. There is no assurance that such expropriations will not reoccur. In such an event, it is possible that the entire value of an investment in the affected market could be lost. In addition, unanticipated political or social developments may affect the value of investments in these countries and the availability of additional investments. The small size and inexperience of the securities markets in certain of these countries and the limited volume of trading in securities in these countries may make investments in the countries illiquid and more volatile than investments in developed markets. |
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Also, there may be less publicly available information about issuers in emerging markets than would be available about issuers in more developed capital markets, and such issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements comparable to those to which U.S. companies are subject. In certain countries with emerging capital markets, reporting standards vary widely. As a result, traditional investment measurements used in the United States, such as price/earnings ratios, may not be applicable. Certain emerging market securities may be held by a limited number of persons. This may adversely affect the timing and pricing of the acquisition or disposal of securities. The prices at which investments may be acquired may be affected by trading by persons with material non-public information and by securities transactions by brokers in anticipation of transactions in particular securities. |
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Practices in relation to settlement of securities transactions in emerging markets involve higher risks than those in developed markets, in part because brokers and counterparties in such markets may be less well capitalized, and custody and registration of assets in some countries may be unreliable. The possibility of fraud, negligence, undue influence being exerted by the issuer or refusal to recognize ownership exists in some emerging markets. As an alternative to investing directly in emerging markets, exposure may be obtained through derivative investments. |
Equity Investments |
Equity investments include common stocks; preferred stocks; depositary receipts; equity interests in trusts, partnerships, joint ventures and other unincorporated entities or enterprises; convertible and contingent convertible preferred stocks; rights and warrants and other securities that are treated as equity for U.S. federal income tax purposes (see Preferred Stock and Hybrid Securities). |
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
Equity-Linked Securities |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Equity-linked securities are privately issued securities whose investment results are designed to correspond generally to the performance of a specified stock index or basket of securities, or sometimes a single stock. These securities are used for many of the same purposes as derivative instruments and share many of the same risks. Equity-linked securities may be considered illiquid and thus subject to the Funds restrictions on investments in illiquid securities. |
Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) |
ETFs are pooled investment vehicles that are designed to provide investment results corresponding to an index. These indexes may be either broad-based, sector or international. ETFs usually are units of beneficial interest in an investment trust or represent undivided ownership interests in a portfolio of securities (or commodities), in each case with respect to a portfolio of all or substantially all of the component securities of, and in substantially the same weighting as, the relevant benchmark index. ETFs are designed to provide investment results that generally correspond to the price and yield performance of the component securities (or commodities) of the benchmark index. ETFs are listed on an exchange and trade in the secondary market on a per-share basis. The values of ETFs are subject to change as the values of their respective component securities (or commodities) fluctuate according to market volatility. Investments in ETFs may not exactly match the performance of a direct investment in the respective indices to which they are intended to correspond due to the temporary unavailability of certain index securities in the secondary market or other extraordinary circumstances, such as discrepancies with respect to the weighting of securities. Typically, the ETF bears its own operational expenses, which are deducted from its assets. To the extent that the Fund invests in ETFs, the Fund must bear these expenses in addition to the expenses of its own operation. |
Exchange-Traded Notes (ETNs) |
ETNs are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities whose returns are linked to the performance of a particular market benchmark or strategy minus applicable fees. ETNs are traded on an exchange during normal trading hours. However, investors can also hold the ETN until maturity. At maturity, the issuer pays to the investor a cash amount equal to the principal amount, subject to the days market benchmark or strategy factor. |
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ETNs do not make periodic coupon payments or provide principal protection. ETNs are subject to credit risk and the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuers credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged. The value of an ETN may also be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying assets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuers credit rating, and economic, legal, political, or geographic events that affect the referenced underlying asset. When the Fund invests in ETNs it will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. The Funds decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. In addition, although an ETN may be listed on an exchange, the issuer may not be required to maintain the listing and there can be no assurance that a secondary market will exist for an ETN. |
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ETNs are subject to tax risk. No assurance can be given that the IRS will accept, or a court will uphold, how the Fund characterizes and treats ETNs for tax purposes. Further, the IRS and Congress are considering proposals that would change the timing and character of income and gains from ETNs. |
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An ETN that is tied to a specific market benchmark or strategy may not be able to replicate and maintain exactly the composition and relative weighting of securities, commodities or other components in the applicable market benchmark or strategy. Some ETNs that use leverage can, at times, be relatively illiquid and, thus, they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs are subject to the same risk as other instruments that use leverage in any form. |
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The market value of ETN shares may differ from that of their market benchmark or strategy. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETN shares at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the securities, commodities or other components underlying the market benchmark or strategy that the ETN seeks to track. As a result, there may be times when an ETN share trades at a premium or discount to its market benchmark or strategy. |
Parametric Funds
49
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Parametric Funds
50
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Other potential foreign market risks include exchange controls, difficulties in valuing securities, defaults on foreign government securities, and difficulties of enforcing favorable legal judgments in foreign courts. Moreover, individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, reinvestment of capital, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, and balance of payments position. Certain economies may rely heavily on particular industries or foreign capital and are more vulnerable to diplomatic developments, the imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, changes in international trading patterns, trade barriers, and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. Foreign securities markets, while growing in volume and sophistication, are generally not as developed as those in the United States. Foreign countries may not have the infrastructure or resources to respond to natural and other disasters that interfere with economic activities, which may adversely affect issuers located in such countries. |
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Settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets differ significantly from those in the United States. Payment for securities before delivery may be required and in some countries delayed settlements are customary, which increases the Funds risk of loss. The Fund generally holds its foreign securities and related cash in foreign banks and securities depositories. Some foreign banks and securities depositories may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In addition, there may be limited or no regulatory oversight over their operations. Also, the laws of certain countries may put limits on the Funds ability to recover its assets if a foreign bank, depository or issuer of a security or any of their agents goes bankrupt. Certain countries may require withholding on dividends paid on portfolio securities and on realized capital gains. |
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In addition, it is often more expensive to buy, sell and hold securities in certain foreign markets than in the United States. Foreign brokerage commissions are generally higher than commissions on securities traded in the United States and may be non-negotiable. The fees paid to foreign banks and securities depositories generally are higher than those charged by U.S. banks and depositories. The increased expense of investing in foreign markets reduces the amount earned on investments and typically results in a higher operating expense ratio for the Fund as compared to investment companies that invest only in the United States. |
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Depositary receipts (including American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) and Global Depositary Receipts GDRs)) are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer and are alternatives to directly purchasing 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 the political and economic risks of the underlying issuers country, as well as in the case of depositary receipts traded on foreign markets, exchange risk. Depositary receipts may be sponsored or unsponsored. Unsponsored depositary receipts are established without the participation of the issuer. As a result, available information concerning the issuer of an unsponsored depository receipt may not be as current as for sponsored depositary receipts, and the prices of unsponsored depositary receipts may be more volatile than if such instruments were sponsored by the issuer. Unsponsored depositary receipts may involve higher expenses, may not pass through voting or other shareholder rights and they may be less liquid. |
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Unless otherwise provided in the Prospectus, in determining the domicile of an issuer, the investment adviser may consider the domicile determination of the Funds benchmark index or a leading provider of global indexes and may take into account such factors as where the companys securities are listed, and where the company is legally organized, maintains principal corporate offices and/or conducts its principal operations. |
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. A forward foreign currency exchange contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts may be bought or sold to protect against an adverse change in the relationship between currencies or to increase exposure to a particular foreign currency. Cross-hedging may be done by using forward contracts in one currency (or basket of currencies) to hedge against fluctuations in the value of instruments denominated in a different currency (or the basket of currencies and the underlying currency). Use of a different foreign currency (for hedging or non-hedging purposes) magnifies exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are individually negotiated and privately traded so they are dependent upon the creditworthiness of the counterparty. The precise matching of the forward contract amounts and the value of the instruments denominated in the corresponding currencies will not generally be possible. In addition, it may not be possible to hedge against long-term currency changes. |
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
High Yield Securities |
High yield securities (commonly referred to as junk) are considered to be of below investment grade quality and generally provide greater income potential and/or increased opportunity for capital appreciation than investments in higher quality securities but they also typically entail greater potential price volatility and principal and income risk. High yield securities are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the entitys continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments. Also, their yields and market values may fluctuate more than higher rated securities. Fluctuations in value do not affect the cash income from the securities, but are reflected in the Funds net asset value. The greater risks and fluctuations in yield and value occur, in part, because investors generally perceive issuers of lower rated and unrated securities to be less creditworthy. The secondary market on which high yield securities are traded may be less liquid than the market for higher grade securities. |
Hybrid Securities |
Hybrid securities generally possess characteristics common to both equity and debt securities. These securities may at times behave more like equity than debt, or vice versa. Preferred stocks, convertible securities and certain debt obligations are types of hybrid securities. Hybrid securities generally have a preference over common stock and perpetual or near perpetual terms. Hybrid securities generally do not have voting rights or have limited voting rights. Because hybrid securities have both debt and equity characteristics, their values vary in response to many factors, including general market and economic conditions, issuer-specific events, changes in interest rates, credit spreads and the credit quality of the issuer, and, for convertible securities, factors affecting the securities into which they convert. Hybrid securities may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a predetermined price. Hybrid securities may pay a fixed or variable rate of interest or dividends. The prices and yields of nonconvertible hybrid securities generally move with changes in interest rates and the issuers credit quality, similar to the factors affecting debt securities. If the issuer of a hybrid security experiences financial difficulties, the value of such security may be adversely affected similar to the issuers outstanding common stock or subordinated debt instruments. See also Preferred Stock, Convertible Securities and Contingent Convertible Securities. |
Illiquid Securities |
Illiquid securities include securities legally restricted as to resale, and may include commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the 1933 Act and securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A thereunder. Section 4(a)(2) and Rule 144A securities may, however, be treated as liquid by the investment 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. Even if determined to be liquid, Rule 144A securities may increase the level of portfolio illiquidity if eligible buyers become uninterested in purchasing such securities. |
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It may be difficult to sell illiquid securities at a price representing fair value until such time as the securities may be sold publicly. It also may be more difficult to determine the fair value of such securities for purposes of computing the Funds net asset value. Where registration is required, a considerable period of time may elapse between a decision to sell the securities and the time when the Fund would be permitted to sell. Thus, the Fund may not be able to obtain as favorable a price as that prevailing at the time of the decision to sell. The Fund may incur additional expense when disposing of illiquid securities, including all or a portion of the cost to register the securities. The Fund also may acquire securities through private placements under which it may agree to contractual restrictions on the resale of such securities that are in addition to applicable legal restrictions. Such restrictions might prevent the sale of such securities at a time when such sale would otherwise be desirable. |
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At times, a portion of the Funds assets may be invested in securities as to which the Fund, by itself or together with other accounts managed by the investment adviser and its affiliates, holds a major portion or all of such securities. Under adverse market or economic conditions or in the event of adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer, the Fund could find it more difficult to sell such securities when the investment adviser believes it advisable to do so or may be able to sell such securities only at prices lower than if such securities were more widely held. It may also be more difficult to determine the fair value of such securities for purposes of computing the Funds net asset value. See also Restricted Securities. |
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
Indexed Securities |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Indexed securities are securities that fluctuate in value with an index. 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. Indexed securities may include interest only (IO) and principal only (PO) securities, floating rate securities linked to the Cost of Funds Index (COFI floaters), other lagging rate floating securities, floating rate securities that are subject to a maximum interest rate (capped floaters), leveraged floating rate securities (super floaters), leveraged inverse floating rate securities (inverse floaters), dual index floaters, range floaters, index amortizing notes and various currency indexed notes. Indexed securities may 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. |
Inflation-Indexed (or Inflation-Linked) Bonds |
Inflation-indexed bonds are fixed-income securities the principal value of which is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. Inflation-indexed bonds are issued by governments, their agencies or instrumentalities and corporations. Two structures are common: The U.S. Treasury and some other issuers use a structure that accrues inflation into the principal value of the bond. Most other issuers pay out the inflation accruals as part of a semiannual coupon. The principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond is adjusted in response to changes in the level of inflation. Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed in the case of U.S. Treasury inflation-indexed bonds, and therefore, the principal amount of such bonds cannot be reduced below par even during a period of deflation. However, the current market value of these bonds is not guaranteed and will fluctuate, reflecting the risk of changes in their yields. In certain jurisdictions outside the United States, the repayment of the original bond principal upon the maturity of an inflation-indexed bond is not guaranteed, allowing for the amount of the bond repaid at maturity to be less than par. The interest rate for inflation-indexed bonds is fixed at issuance as a percentage of this adjustable principal. Accordingly, the actual interest income may both rise and fall as the principal amount of the bonds adjusts in response to movements in the Consumer Price Index. |
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The value of inflation-indexed bonds is expected to change in response to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates in turn are tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. Therefore, if inflation were to rise at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates might decline, leading to an increase in value of inflation-indexed bonds. In contrast, if nominal interest rates increased at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates might rise, leading to a decrease in value of inflation-indexed bonds. While these securities are expected to be protected from long-term inflationary trends, short-term increases in inflation may lead to a decline in value. If interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation (for example, due to changes in currency exchange rates), investors in these securities may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the bonds inflation measure. |
Investing in a Portfolio |
The Board may discontinue the Funds investment in one or more Portfolios if it determines that it is in the best interest of the Fund and its shareholders to do so. In such an event, the Board would consider what action might be taken, including investing Fund assets in another pooled investment entity or retaining an investment adviser to manage Fund assets in accordance with its investment objective(s). The Funds investment performance and expense ratio may be affected if its investment structure is changed or if another Portfolio investor withdraws all or a portion of its investment in the Portfolio. |
Investments in the Subsidiary |
The Subsidiary is organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands, and is overseen by a sole director affiliated with Eaton Vance. The Fund is the sole shareholder of the Subsidiary, and it is not currently expected that shares of the Subsidiary will be sold or offered to other investors. The Subsidiary expects to invest primarily in commodity-linked derivative instruments, including swap agreements, commodity options, futures and options on futures, backed by a portfolio of inflation-indexed securities and other fixed-income securities and is also permitted to invest in any other investments permitted by the Fund. To the extent that the Fund invests in the Subsidiary, the Fund will be subject to the risks associated with those derivative instruments and other securities, which are discussed elsewhere in the Prospectus and this SAI. |
Parametric Funds
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
Loans |
Loans may be primary, direct investments or investments in loan assignments or participation interests. A loan assignment represents a portion or the entirety of a loan and a portion of the entirety of a position previously attributable to a different lender. The purchaser of an assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations under the loan agreement and has the same rights and obligations as the assigning investor. However, assignments through private negotiations may cause the purchaser of an assignment to have different and more limited rights than those held by the assigning investor. Loan participation interests are interests issued by a lender or other entity and represent a fractional interest in a loan. The Fund typically will have a contractual relationship only with the financial institution that issued the participation interest. As a result, the Fund may have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled only from the financial institution and only upon receipt by such entity of such payments from the borrower. In connection with purchasing a participation interest, the Fund 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 investors through set-off against the borrower and the Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the loan in which it has purchased the participation interest. As a result, the Fund may assume the credit risk of both the borrower and the financial institution issuing the participation interest. In the event of the insolvency of the entity issuing a participation interest, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of such entity. |
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Loans may be originated by a lending agent, such as a financial institution or other entity, on behalf of a group or syndicate of loan investors (the Loan Investors). In such a case, the agent administers the terms of the loan agreement and is responsible for the collection of principal, and interest payments from the borrower and the apportionment of these payments to the Loan Investors. Failure by the agent to fulfill its obligations may delay or adversely affect receipt of payment by the Fund. Furthermore, unless under the terms of a loan agreement or participation (as applicable) the Fund has direct recourse against the borrower, the Fund must rely on the Agent and the other Loan Investors to pursue appropriate remedies against the borrower. |
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Loan investments may be made at par or at a discount or premium to par. The interest payable on a loan may be fixed or floating rate, and paid in cash or in-kind. In connection with transactions in loans, the Fund may be subject to facility or other fees. Loans may be secured by specific collateral or other assets of the borrower, guaranteed by a third party, unsecured or subordinated. During the term of a loan, the value of any collateral securing the loan may decline in value, causing the loan to be under collateralized. 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 borrowers obligations under the loan. In addition, if a loan is foreclosed, the Fund could become part owner of the collateral and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of such collateral. |
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A lenders repayment and other rights primarily are determined by governing loan, assignment or participation documents, which (among other things) typically establish the priority of payment on the loan relative to other indebtedness and obligations of the borrower. In the event of bankruptcy, applicable law may impact a lenders ability to enforce its rights under such documents. Investing in loans involves the risk of default by the borrower or other party obligated to repay the loan. In the event of insolvency of the borrower or other obligated party, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of such entity unless it has rights that are senior to that of other creditors or secured by specific collateral or assets of the borrower. Fixed-rate loans are also subject to the risk that their value will decline in a rising interest rate environment. This risk is mitigated for floating-rate loans, where the interest rate payable on the loan resets periodically by reference to a base lending rate. The base lending rate usually is the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), the Federal Reserve federal funds rate, the prime rate or other base lending rates used by commercial lenders. LIBOR usually is an average of the interest rates quoted by several designated banks as the rates at which they pay interest to major depositors in the London interbank market on U.S. dollar-denominated deposits. |
Parametric Funds
56
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Parametric Funds
57
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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There are currently four types of MBS: (1) those issued by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities, such as the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA), the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC); (2) those issued by private issuers that represent an interest in or are collateralized by pass through securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities; (3) those issued by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities without a government guarantee, such as credit risk transfer bonds; and (4) those issued by private issuers that represent an interest in or are collateralized by whole mortgage loans or pass through securities without a government guarantee but that usually have some form of private credit enhancement. Privately issued MBS are structured similar to GNMA, FNMA and FHLMC MBS, and are issued by originators or and investors in mortgage loans, including depositary institutions mortgage banks and special purpose subsidiaries of the foregoing. |
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GNMA Certificates and FNMA Mortgage-Backed Certificates are MBS representing part ownership of a pool of mortgage loans. GNMA loans (issued by lenders such as mortgage bankers, commercial banks and savings and loan associations) are either insured by the Federal Housing Administration or guaranteed by the Veterans Administration. A pool of such mortgages is assembled and, after being approved by GNMA, is offered to investors through securities dealers. Once such pool is approved by GNMA, the timely payment of interest and principal on the Certificates issued representing such pool is guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. GNMA is a wholly owned U.S. Government corporation within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. FNMA, a federally chartered corporation owned entirely by private stockholders, purchases both conventional and federally insured or guaranteed residential mortgages from various entities, including savings and loan associations, savings banks, commercial banks, credit unions and mortgage bankers, and packages pools of such mortgages in the form of pass-through securities generally called FNMA Mortgage-Backed Certificates, which are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by FNMA but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government; however, they are supported by the right of FNMA to borrow from the U.S. Treasury Department. |
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FHLMC, a corporate instrumentality of the U.S. Government created by Congress for the purposes of increasing the availability of mortgage credit for residential housing, issues participation certificates (PCs) representing undivided interest in FHLMCS mortgage portfolio. While FHLMC guarantees the timely payment of interest and ultimate collection of the principal of its PCs, its PCs are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. FHLMC PCs differ from GNMA Certificates in that the mortgages underlying the PCs are monthly conventional mortgages rather than mortgages insured or guaranteed by a federal agency or instrumentality. However, in several other respects, such as the monthly pass-through of interest and principal (including unscheduled prepayments) and the unpredictability of future unscheduled prepayments on the underlying mortgage pools, FHLMC PCs are similar to GNMA Certificates. |
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While it is not possible to accurately predict the life of a particular issue of MBS, the actual life of any such security is likely to be substantially less than the final maturities of the mortgage loans underlying the security. This is because unscheduled early prepayments of principal on MBS will result from the prepayment, refinancings or foreclosure of the underlying mortgage loans in the mortgage pool. Prepayments of MBS may not be able to be reinvested at the same interest rate. Because of the regular scheduled payments of principal and the early unscheduled prepayments of principal, MBS is less effective than other types of obligations as a means of locking-in attractive long-term interest rates. As a result, this type of security may have less potential for capital appreciation during periods of declining interest rates than other U.S. Government securities of comparable maturities, although many issues of MBS may have a comparable risk of decline in market value during periods of rising interest rates. If MBS is purchased at a premium above its par value, a scheduled payment of principal and an unscheduled prepayment of principal, which would be made at par, will accelerate the realization of a loss equal to that portion of the premium applicable to the payment or prepayment. If MBS has been purchased at a discount from its par value, both a scheduled payment of principal and an unscheduled prepayment of principal will increase current returns and will accelerate the recognition of income, which, when distributed to Fund shareholders, will be taxable as ordinary income. |
Parametric Funds
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
Mortgage Dollar Rolls |
In a mortgage dollar roll, the Fund sells MBS for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts to repurchase substantially similar (same type, coupon and maturity) MBS on a specified future date. During the roll period, the Fund forgoes principal and interest paid on the MBS. The Fund is compensated by the difference between the current sales price and the lower forward price for the future purchase (often referred to as the drop) as well as by the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sales. Cash proceeds may be invested in instruments that are permissible investments for the Fund. The use of mortgage dollar rolls is a speculative technique involving leverage. A covered roll is a specific type of dollar roll for which there is an offsetting cash position or permissible liquid assets earmarked or in a segregated account to secure the obligation for the forward commitment to buy MBS, or a cash equivalent security position that matures on or before the forward settlement date of the dollar roll transaction. The Fund will enter into only covered rolls. Covered rolls are not treated as a borrowing or other senior security and will be excluded from the calculation of the Funds borrowings and other senior securities. |
Municipal Lease Obligations (MLOs) |
MLOs are obligations in the form of a lease, installment purchase or conditional sales contract (which typically provide for the title to the leased asset to pass to the governmental issuer) that is issued by state or local governments to acquire equipment and facilities. Interest income from MLOs is generally exempt from local and state taxes in the state of issuance. MLOs, like other municipal debt obligations, are subject to the risk of non-payment. Although MLOs do not constitute general obligations of the issuer for which the issuers unlimited taxing power is pledged, a lease obligation is frequently backed by the issuers covenant to budget for, appropriate and make the payments due under the lease obligation. However, certain lease obligations contain non-appropriation clauses, which provide that the issuer has no obligation to make lease or installment purchase payments in future years unless money is appropriated for such purpose on a yearly basis. Although non-appropriation lease obligations may be secured by the leased property, disposition of the property in the event of foreclosure might prove difficult. Participations in municipal leases are undivided interests in a portion of the total obligation. Participations entitle their holders to receive a pro rata share of all payments under the lease. |
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MLOs and participations therein represent a type of financing that may not have the depth of marketability associated with more conventional securities and, as such, they may be less liquid than conventional securities. Certain MLOs may be deemed illiquid for the purpose of the Funds limitation on investments in illiquid securities, unless determined by the investment adviser, pursuant to guidelines adopted by the Board, to be liquid securities. The investment adviser will consider an MLO to be liquid if it is rated investment grade (being an MLO rated BBB or Baa or higher) by a nationally recognized statistical ratings organization or is insured by an insurer rated investment grade. If an MLO or participation does not meet the foregoing criteria, then the investment adviser will consider the MLO to be illiquid unless it conducts an analysis of relevant factors and concludes that the MLO is liquid. In conducting such an analysis, the investment adviser will consider the factors it believes are relevant to the marketability of the obligation, to the extent that information regarding such factor is available to the investment adviser and pertinent to the liquidity determination, which may include: (1) the willingness of dealers to bid for the obligation; (2) the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the obligation and the number of other potential buyers; (3) the frequency of trades and quotes for the obligation; (4) the nature of the marketplace trades, including the time needed to dispose of the obligation, the method of soliciting offers, and the mechanics of transfer; (5) the willingness of the governmental issuer to continue to appropriate funds for the payment of the obligation; (6) how likely or remote an event of non-appropriation may be, which depends in varying degrees on a variety of factors, including those relating to the general creditworthiness of the governmental issuer, its dependence on its continuing access to the credit markets, and the importance to the issuer of the equipment, property or facility covered by the lease or contract; (7) an assessment of the likelihood that the lease may or may not be cancelled; and (8) other factors and information unique to the obligation in determining its liquidity. |
Parametric Funds
59
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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The ability of issuers of MLOs to make timely lease payments may be adversely impacted in general economic downturns and as relative governmental cost burdens are allocated and reallocated among federal, state and local governmental units. Such non-payment would result in a reduction of income from and value of the obligation. Issuers of MLOs might seek protection under the bankruptcy laws. In the event of bankruptcy of such an issuer, holders of MLOs could experience delays and limitations with respect to the collection of principal and interest on such MLOs and may not, in all circumstances, be able to collect all principal and interest to which it is entitled. To enforce its rights in the event of a default in lease payments, the Fund might take possession of and manage the assets securing the issuers obligations on such securities or otherwise incur costs to protect its rights, which may increase the Funds operating expenses and adversely affect the net asset value of the Fund. When the lease contains a non-appropriation clause, however, the failure to pay would not be a default and the Fund would not have the right to take possession of the assets. Any income derived from the Funds ownership or operation of such assets may not be tax-exempt. |
Municipal Obligations |
Municipal obligations include debt obligations issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public facilities, refunding of outstanding obligations and obtaining funds for general operating expenses and loans to other public institutions and facilities. Certain types of bonds are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to finance various privately owned or operated facilities, including certain facilities for the local furnishing of electric energy or gas, sewage facilities, solid waste disposal facilities and other specialized facilities. Municipal obligations include bonds as well as tax-exempt commercial paper, project notes and municipal notes such as tax, revenue and bond anticipation notes of short maturity, generally less than three years. While most municipal bonds pay a fixed rate of interest semiannually in cash, there are exceptions. Some bonds pay no periodic cash interest, but rather make a single payment at maturity representing both principal and interest. Some bonds may pay interest at a variable or floating rate. Bonds may be issued or subsequently offered with interest coupons materially greater or less than those then prevailing, with price adjustments reflecting such deviation. Municipal obligations also include trust certificates representing interests in municipal securities held by a trustee. The trust certificates may evidence ownership of future interest payments, principal payments or both on the underlying securities. |
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In general, there are three categories of municipal obligations, the interest on which is exempt from federal income tax and is not a tax preference item for purposes of the alternative minimum tax (AMT): (i) certain public purpose obligations (whenever issued), which include obligations issued directly by state and local governments or their agencies to fulfill essential governmental functions; (ii) certain obligations issued before August 8, 1986 for the benefit of non-governmental persons or entities; and (iii) certain private activity bonds issued after August 7, 1986, which include qualified Section 501(c)(3) bonds or refundings of certain obligations included in the second category. Opinions relating to the validity of municipal bonds, exclusion of municipal bond interest from an investors gross income for federal income tax purposes and, where applicable, state and local income tax, are rendered by bond counsel to the issuing authorities at the time of issuance. |
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Interest on certain private activity bonds issued after August 7, 1986 is exempt from regular federal income tax, but such interest (including a distribution by the Fund derived from such interest) is treated as a tax preference item that could subject the recipient to or increase the recipients liability for the AMT. For corporate shareholders, the Funds distributions derived from interest on all municipal obligations (whenever issued) are included in adjusted current earnings for purposes of the AMT as applied to corporations (to the extent not already included in alternative minimum taxable income as income attributable to private activity bonds). |
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The two principal classifications of municipal bonds are general obligation and revenue bonds. Issuers of general obligation bonds include states, counties, cities, towns and regional districts. The proceeds of these obligations are used to fund a wide range of public projects, including the construction or improvement of schools, highways and roads, water and sewer systems and a variety of other public purposes. The basic security of general obligation bonds is the issuers pledge of its faith, credit, and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest. The taxes that can be levied for the payment of debt service may be limited or unlimited as to rate and amount. |
Parametric Funds
60
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Typically, the only security for a limited obligation or revenue bond is the net revenue derived from a particular facility or class of facilities financed thereby or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special tax or other special revenues. Revenue bonds have been issued to fund a wide variety of revenue-producing public capital projects including: electric, gas, water and sewer systems; highways, bridges and tunnels; port and airport facilities; colleges and universities; hospitals; and convention, recreational, tribal gaming and housing facilities. Although the security behind these bonds varies widely, many lower rated bonds provide additional security in the form of a debt service reserve fund that may also be used to make principal and interest payments on the issuer's obligations. In addition, some revenue obligations (as well as general obligations) are insured by a bond insurance company or backed by a letter of credit issued by a banking institution. Revenue bonds also include, for example, pollution control, health care and housing bonds, which, although nominally issued by municipal authorities, are generally not secured by the taxing power of the municipality but by the revenues of the authority derived from payments by the private entity that owns or operates the facility financed with the proceeds of the bonds. Obligations of housing finance authorities have a wide range of security features, including reserve funds and insured or subsidized mortgages, as well as the net revenues from housing or other public projects. Many of these bonds do not generally constitute the pledge of the credit of the issuer of such bonds. The credit quality of such revenue bonds is usually directly related to the credit standing of the user of the facility being financed or of an institution which provides a guarantee, letter of credit or other credit enhancement for the bond issue. The Fund may on occasion acquire revenue bonds that carry warrants or similar rights covering equity securities. Such warrants or rights may be held indefinitely, but if exercised, the Fund anticipates that it would, under normal circumstances, dispose of any equity securities so acquired within a reasonable period of time. Investing in revenue bonds may involve (without limitation) the following risks. |
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Hospital bond ratings are often based on feasibility studies that contain projections of expenses, revenues and occupancy levels. A hospitals income available to service its debt may be influenced by demand for hospital services, management capabilities, the service area economy, efforts by insurers and government agencies to limit rates and expenses, competition, availability and expense of malpractice insurance, and Medicaid and Medicare funding. |
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Education-related bonds are comprised of two types: (i) those issued to finance projects for public and private colleges and universities, charter schools and private schools, and (ii) those representing pooled interests in student loans. Bonds issued to supply educational institutions with funding are subject to many risks, including the risks of unanticipated revenue decline, primarily the result of decreasing student enrollment, decreasing state and federal funding, or changes in general economic conditions. Additionally, higher than anticipated costs associated with salaries, utilities, insurance or other general expenses could impair the ability of a borrower to make annual debt service payments. Student loan revenue bonds are generally offered by state (or sub-state) authorities or commissions and are backed by pools of student loans. Underlying student loans may be guaranteed by state guarantee agencies and may be subject to reimbursement by the United States Department of Education through its guaranteed student loan program. Others may be private, uninsured loans made to parents or students that may be supported by reserves or other forms of credit enhancement. Cash flows supporting student loan revenue bonds are impacted by numerous factors, including the rate of student loan defaults, seasoning of the loan portfolio, and student repayment deferral periods of forbearance. Other risks associated with student loan revenue bonds include potential changes in federal legislation regarding student loan revenue bonds, state guarantee agency reimbursement and continued federal interest and other program subsidies currently in effect. |
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Transportation debt may be issued to finance the construction of airports, toll roads, highways, or other transit facilities. Airport bonds are dependent on the economic conditions of the airports service area and may be affected by the business strategies and fortunes of specific airlines. They may also be subject to competition from other airports and modes of transportation. Air traffic generally follows broader economic trends and is also affected by the price and availability of fuel. Toll road bonds are also affected by the cost and availability of fuel as well as toll levels, the presence of competing roads and the general economic health of an area. Fuel costs, transportation taxes and fees, and availability of fuel also affect other transportation-related securities, as do the presence of alternate forms of transportation, such as public transportation. |
Parametric Funds
61
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Industrial development bonds are normally secured only by the revenues from the project and not by state or local government tax payments, they are subject to a wide variety of risks, many of which relate to the nature of the specific project. Generally, IDBs are sensitive to the risk of a slowdown in the economy. Electric utilities face problems in financing large construction programs in an inflationary period, cost increases and delay occasioned by safety and environmental considerations (particularly with respect to nuclear facilities), difficulty in obtaining fuel at reasonable prices, and in achieving timely and adequate rate relief from regulatory commissions, effects of energy conservation and limitations on the capacity of the capital market to absorb utility debt. Water and sewer revenue bonds are generally secured by the fees charged to each user of the service. The issuers of water and sewer revenue bonds generally enjoy a monopoly status and latitude in their ability to raise rates. However, lack of water supply due to insufficient rain, run-off, or snow pack can be a concern and has led to past defaults. Further, public resistance to rate increases, declining numbers of customers in a particular locale, costly environmental litigation, and federal environmental mandates are challenges faced by issuers of water and sewer bonds. |
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The obligations of any person or entity to pay the principal of and interest on a municipal obligation are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the Federal Bankruptcy Act, and laws, if any, that may be enacted by Congress or state legislatures extending the time for payment of principal or interest, or both, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations. Certain bond structures may be subject to the risk that a taxing authority may issue an adverse ruling regarding tax-exempt status. There is also the possibility that as a result of adverse economic conditions (including unforeseen financial events, natural disasters and other conditions that may affect an issuers ability to pay its obligations), litigation or other conditions, the power or ability of any person or entity to pay when due principal of and interest on a municipal obligation may be materially affected or interest and principal previously paid may be required to be refunded. There have been instances of defaults and bankruptcies involving municipal obligations that were not foreseen by the financial and investment communities. The Fund will take whatever action it considers appropriate in the event of anticipated financial difficulties, default or bankruptcy of either the issuer of any municipal obligation or of the underlying source of funds for debt service. Such action may include: (i) retaining the services of various persons or firms (including affiliates of the investment adviser) to evaluate or protect any real estate, facilities or other assets securing any such obligation or acquired by the Fund as a result of any such event; (ii) managing (or engaging other persons to manage) or otherwise dealing with any real estate, facilities or other assets so acquired; and (iii) taking such other actions as the adviser (including, but not limited to, payment of operating or similar expenses of the underlying project) may deem appropriate to reduce the likelihood or severity of loss on the funds investment. The Fund will incur additional expenditures in taking protective action with respect to portfolio obligations in (or anticipated to be in) default and assets securing such obligations. |
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Historically, municipal bankruptcies have been rare and certain provisions of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code governing such bankruptcy are unclear. Further, the application of state law to municipal obligation issuers could produce varying results among the states or among municipal obligation issuers within a state. These uncertainties could have a significant impact on the prices of the municipal obligations in which the Fund invests. There could be economic, business or political developments or court decisions that adversely affect all municipal obligations in the same sector. Developments such as changes in healthcare regulations, environmental considerations related to construction, construction cost increases and labor problems, failure of healthcare facilities to maintain adequate occupancy levels, and inflation can affect municipal obligations in the same sector. As the similarity in issuers of municipal obligations held by the Fund increases, the potential for fluctuations in the Funds share price also may increase. |
Parametric Funds
62
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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The secondary market for some municipal obligations issued within a state (including issues that are privately placed with the Fund) is less liquid than that for taxable debt obligations or other more widely traded municipal obligations. No established resale market exists for certain of the municipal obligations in which the Fund may invest. The market for obligations rated below investment grade is also likely to be less liquid than the market for higher rated obligations. As a result, the Fund may be unable to dispose of these municipal obligations at times when it would otherwise wish to do so at the prices at which they are valued. Municipal obligations that are rated below investment grade but that, subsequent to the assignment of such rating, are backed by escrow accounts containing U.S. Government obligations may be determined by the investment adviser to be of investment grade quality for purposes of the Funds investment policies. In the case of a defaulted obligation, the Fund may incur additional expense seeking recovery of its investment. Defaulted obligations are denoted in the Portfolio of Investments in the Financial Statements included in the Funds reports to shareholders. The yields on municipal obligations depend on a variety of factors, including purposes of the issue and source of funds for repayment, general money market conditions, general conditions of the municipal bond market, size of a particular offering, maturity of the obligation and rating of the issue. The ratings of Moodys, S&P and Fitch represent their opinions as to the quality of the municipal obligations which they undertake to rate, and in the case of insurers, other factors including the claims-paying ability of such insurer. It should be emphasized, however, that ratings are based on judgment and are not absolute standards of quality. Consequently, municipal obligations with the same maturity, coupon and rating may have different yields while obligations of the same maturity and coupon with different ratings may have the same yield. In addition, the market price of such obligations will normally fluctuate with changes in interest rates, and therefore the net asset value of the Fund will be affected by such changes. |
Operational Risk |
The Funds service providers, including the investment adviser, may experience disruptions or operating errors that could negatively impact the Fund. While service providers are expected to have appropriate operational risk management policies and procedures, their methods of operational risk management may differ from the Fund's in the setting of priorities, the personnel and resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. It also is not possible for Fund service providers to identify all of the operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. |
Option Contracts |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. An option contract is a contract that gives the holder of the option, in return for a premium, the right to buy from (in the case of a call) or sell to (in the case of a put) the writer of the option the reference instrument underlying the option (or the cash value of the index) at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option. The writer of an option on a security has the obligation upon exercise of the option to deliver the reference instrument (or the cash) upon payment of the exercise price or to pay the exercise price upon delivery of the reference instrument (or the cash). Upon exercise of an index option, the writer of an option on an index is obligated to pay the difference between the cash value of the index and the exercise price multiplied by the specified multiplier for the index option. Options may be covered, meaning that the party required to deliver the reference instrument if the option is exercised owns that instrument (or has set aside sufficient assets to meet its obligation to deliver the instrument). Options may be listed on an exchange or traded in the OTC market. In general, exchange-traded options have standardized exercise prices and expiration dates and may require the parties to post margin against their obligations, and the performance of the parties' obligations in connection with such options is guaranteed by the exchange or a related clearing corporation. OTC options have more flexible terms negotiated between the buyer and the seller, but generally do not require the parties to post margin and are subject to counterparty risk. OTC options also involve greater liquidity risk. The staff of the SEC takes the position that certain purchased OTC options, and assets used as cover for written OTC options, are illiquid. Derivatives on economic indicators generally are offered in an auction format and are booked and settled as OTC options. Options on futures contracts are discussed herein under Futures Contracts. |
Parametric Funds
63
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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If a written option expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a capital gain equal to the premium received at the time the option was written. If a purchased option expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a capital loss equal to the premium paid. Prior to the earlier of exercise or expiration, an exchange traded option may be closed out by an offsetting purchase or sale of an option of the same series (type, exchange, reference instrument, exercise price, and expiration). A capital gain will be realized from a closing purchase transaction if the cost of the closing option is less than the premium received from writing the option, or, if it is more, a capital loss will be realized. If the premium received from a closing sale transaction is more than the premium paid to purchase the option, the Fund will realize a capital gain or, if it is less, the Fund will realize a capital loss. The principal factors affecting the market value of a put or a call option include supply and demand, the current market price of the reference instrument in relation to the exercise price of the option, the volatility of the reference instrument, and the time remaining until the expiration date. There can be no assurance that a closing purchase or sale transaction can be consummated when desired. |
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Straddles are a combination of a call and a put written on the same reference instrument. A straddle is deemed to be covered when sufficient assets are deposited to meet the Funds immediate obligations. The same liquid assets may be used to cover both the call and put options where the exercise price of the call and put are the same, or the exercise price of the call is higher than that of the put. The Fund may also buy and write call options on the same reference instrument to cover its obligations. Because such combined options positions involve multiple trades, they result in higher transaction costs and may be more difficult to open or close. In an equity collar, the Fund simultaneously writes a call option and purchases a put option on the same instrument. |
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To the extent that the Fund writes a call option on an instrument it holds and intends to use such instrument as the sole means of covering its obligation under the call option, the Fund has, in return for the premium on the option, given up the opportunity to profit from a price increase in the instrument above the exercise price during the option period, but, as long as its obligation under such call option continues, has retained the risk of loss should the value of the reference instrument decline. If the Fund were unable to close out such a call option, it would not be able to sell the instrument unless the option expired without exercise. Uncovered calls have speculative characteristics and are riskier than covered calls because there is no instrument or cover held by the Fund that can act as a partial hedge. |
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The writer of an option has no control over the time when it may be required to fulfill its obligation under the option. Once an option writer has received an exercise notice, it cannot effect a closing purchase transaction in order to terminate its obligation under the option and must deliver the underlying reference instrument at the exercise price. If a put or call option purchased by the Fund is not sold when it has remaining value, and if the market price of the underlying security remains equal to or greater than the exercise price (in the case of a put), or remains less than or equal to the exercise price (in the case of a call), the Fund will lose the premium it paid for the option. Furthermore, if trading restrictions or suspensions are imposed on options markets, the Fund may be unable to close out a position. |
Option Strategy |
The Fund implements the Option Strategy or Enhancement Strategy, as further described under Investment Objective & Principal Policies and Risks in the Prospectus, whereby it writes a series of call and put option spread combinations on the S&P 500 Composite Stock Price Index (S&P 500 Index) and/or a proxy for the S&P 500 Index (such as SPDR Trust Series I units (SPDRs)). |
Parametric Funds
64
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Participation in the ReFlow Liquidity Program |
The Fund may participate in the ReFlow liquidity program, which is designed to provide an alternative liquidity source for mutual funds experiencing net redemptions of their shares. Pursuant to the program, ReFlow Fund, LLC (ReFlow) provides participating mutual funds with a source of cash to meet net shareholder redemptions by standing ready each business day to purchase fund shares up to the value of the net shares redeemed by other shareholders that are to settle the next business day. Following purchases of fund shares, ReFlow then generally redeems those shares when the fund experiences net sales, at the end of a maximum holding period determined by ReFlow (currently 28 days) or at other times at ReFlows discretion. While ReFlow holds fund shares, it will have the same rights and privileges with respect to those shares as any other shareholder. For use of the ReFlow service, a fund pays a fee to ReFlow each time it purchases fund shares, calculated by applying to the purchase amount a fee rate determined through an automated daily auction among participating mutual funds. Such fee is allocated among a funds share classes based on relative net assets. ReFlows purchases of fund shares through the liquidity program are made on an investment-blind basis without regard to the funds investment objective, policies or anticipated performance. In accordance with federal securities laws, ReFlow is prohibited from acquiring more than 3% of the outstanding voting securities of a fund. ReFlow will purchase Class I or Institutional Class shares (or, if applicable Class A or Investor Class shares) at net asset value and will not be subject to any sales charge (in the case of Class A shares), investment minimum or redemption fee applicable to such shares. ReFlow will periodically redeem its entire share position in the Fund and request that such redemption be met in kind in accordance with the Funds redemption-in-kind policies described under Redeeming Shares in the Prospectus. Investments in a fund by ReFlow in connection with the ReFlow liquidity program are not subject to the two round-trips within 90 days limitation described in Restrictions on Excessive Trading and Market Timing under Purchasing Shares in the Prospectus. The investment adviser believes that the program assists in stabilizing the Funds net assets to the benefit of the Fund and its shareholders. To the extent the Funds net assets do not decline, the investment adviser may also benefit. |
Pooled Investment Vehicles |
The Fund may invest in pooled investment vehicles including other open-end or closed-end investment companies affiliated or unaffiliated with the investment adviser, exchange-traded funds (described herein) and other collective investment pools in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act. Closed-end investment company securities are usually traded on an exchange. The demand for a closed-end funds securities is independent of the demand for the underlying portfolio assets, and accordingly, such securities can trade at a discount from, or a premium over, their net asset value. The Fund generally will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees paid by a pooled investment vehicle in which it invests in addition to the investment advisory fee paid by the Fund. |
Portfolio Turnover |
A change in the securities held by the Fund is known as portfolio turnover and generally involves expense to the Fund, including brokerage commissions or dealer markups and other transaction costs on both the sale of securities and the reinvestment of the proceeds in other securities. If sales of portfolio securities cause the Fund to realize net short-term capital gains, such gains will be taxable as ordinary income to taxable shareholders. The Funds portfolio turnover rate for a fiscal year is the ratio of the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities to the monthly average of the value of portfolio securities − excluding securities whose maturities at acquisition were one year or less. The Fund's portfolio turnover rate is not a limiting factor when the investment adviser considers a change in the Fund's portfolio holdings. The portfolio turnover rate(s) of the Fund for recent fiscal periods is included in the Financial Highlights in the Prospectus. |
Preferred Stock |
Preferred stock represents an equity interest in a corporation, company or trust that has a higher claim on the assets and earnings than common stock. Preferred stock usually has limited voting rights. Preferred stock involves credit risk, which is the risk that a preferred stock will decline in price, or fail to pay dividends when expected, because the issuer experiences a decline in its financial status. A companys preferred stock generally pays dividends after the company makes the required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt instruments but before dividend payments are made to common stockholders. However, preferred stock may not pay scheduled dividends or dividends payments may be in arrears. The value of preferred stock may react more strongly than bonds and other debt instruments to actual or perceived changes in the companys financial condition or prospects. Certain preferred stocks may be convertible to common stock. See Convertible Securities and Contingent Convertible Securities. Preferred stock may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a predetermined price. Because they may make regular income payments, preferred stocks may be considered fixed-income securities for purposes of a Funds investment restrictions. |
Parametric Funds
65
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Real Estate Investments |
Real estate investments, including real estate investment trusts (REITs) are sensitive to factors, such as changes in: real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, occupancy rates, government regulations affecting zoning, land use, and rents, and the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Companies in the real estate industry may also be subject to liabilities under environmental and hazardous waste laws, among others. Changes in underlying real estate values may have a magnified effect to the extent that investments concentrate in particular geographic regions or property types. Investments in REITs may also be adversely affected by rising interest rates. By investing in REITs, the Fund indirectly will bear REIT expenses in addition to its own expenses. Private REITs are unlisted, which may make them difficult to value and less liquid. Moreover, private REITs are generally exempt from 1933 Act registration and, as such, the amount of public information available with respect to private REITs may be less extensive than that available for publicly traded REITs. |
Repurchase Agreements |
Repurchase agreements involve the purchase of a security coupled with an agreement to resell at a specified date and price. In the event of the bankruptcy of the counterparty to a repurchase agreement, recovery of cash may be delayed. To the extent that, in the meantime, the value of the purchased securities may have decreased, a loss could result. Repurchase agreements that mature in more than seven days will be treated as illiquid. Unless the Prospectus states otherwise, the terms of a repurchase agreement 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. |
Residual Interest Bonds |
The Fund may invest in residual interest bonds in a trust that holds municipal securities. The interest rate payable on a residual interest bond bears an inverse relationship to the interest rate on another security issued by the trust. Because changes in the interest rate on the other security inversely affect the interest paid on the residual interest bond, the value and income of a residual interest bond is generally more volatile than that of a fixed rate bond. Residual interest bonds have interest rate adjustment formulas that generally reduce or, in the extreme, eliminate the interest paid to the Fund when short-term interest rates rise, and increase the interest paid to the Fund when short-term interest rates fall. Residual interest bonds have varying degrees of liquidity, and the market for these securities is relatively volatile. These securities tend to underperform the market for fixed rate bonds in a rising long-term interest rate environment, but tend to outperform the market for fixed rate bonds when long-term interest rates decline. Although volatile, residual interest bonds typically offer the potential for yields exceeding the yields available on fixed rate bonds with comparable credit quality and maturity. These securities usually permit the investor to convert the floating rate to a fixed rate (normally adjusted downward), and this optional conversion feature may provide a partial hedge against rising rates if exercised at an opportune time. While residual interest bonds expose the Fund to leverage risk because they provide two or more dollars of bond market exposure for every dollar invested, they are not subject to the Funds restrictions on borrowings. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may enter into a so-called shortfall and forbearance agreement relating to a residual interest bond held by the Fund. Such agreements commit the Fund to reimburse the difference between the liquidation value of the underlying security (which is the basis of the residual interest bond) and the principal amount due to the holders of the floating rate security issued in conjunction with the residual interest bond upon the termination of the trust issuing the residual interest bond. Absent a shortfall and forbearance agreement, the Fund would not be required to make such a reimbursement. If the Fund chooses not to enter into such an agreement, the residual interest bond could be terminated and the Fund could incur a loss. The Funds investments in residual interest bonds and similar securities described in the Prospectus and this SAI will not be considered borrowing for purposes of the Funds restrictions on borrowing described herein and in the Prospectus. On December 10, 2013, five U.S. federal agencies published final rules implementing section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Volcker Rule). The Volcker Rule prohibits banking entities from engaging in proprietary trading of certain instruments and limits such entities investments in, and relationships with, covered funds, as defined in the rules. The compliance date for the Volcker Rule with respect to covered funds in place prior to December 31, 2013 is July 21, 2016. The Volcker Rule precludes banking entities and their affiliates from (i) sponsoring residual interest bond programs as presently structured and (ii) continuing relationships with or services for existing residual interest bond programs. Certain existing residual interest bonds were restructured in order to comply with the Volker Rule prior to July 2015 while other existing residual interest bonds must do so by July 2016. The effects of the Volcker Rule may make it more difficult for the Fund to maintain current or desired levels of income. |
Parametric Funds
66
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Restricted Securities |
Restricted securities cannot be sold to the public without registration under the 1933 Act. Unless registered for sale, restricted securities can be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or pursuant to an exemption from registration. Restricted securities may be considered illiquid and subject to the Funds limitation on illiquid securities. Restricted securities may involve a high degree of business and financial risk which may result in substantial losses. The securities may be less liquid than publicly traded securities. Although these securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales could be less than those originally paid by the Fund. The Fund may invest in restricted securities, including securities initially offered and sold without registration pursuant to Rule 144A (Rule 144A Securities) and securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers initially offered and sold outside the United States without registration with the SEC pursuant to Regulation S (Regulation S Securities) under the 1933 Act. Rule 144A Securities and Regulation S Securities generally may be traded freely among certain qualified institutional investors, such as the Fund, and non-U.S. persons, but resale to a broader base of investors in the United States may be permitted only in much more limited circumstances. The Fund also may purchase restricted securities that are not eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A or Regulation S. The Fund may acquire such securities through private placement transactions, directly from the issuer or from security holders, generally at higher yields or on terms more favorable to investors than comparable publicly traded securities. However, the restrictions on resale of such securities may make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of them at the time considered most advantageous and/or may involve expenses that would not be incurred in the sale of securities that were freely marketable. Risks associated with restricted securities include the potential obligation to pay all or part of the registration expenses in order to sell certain restricted securities. A considerable period of time may elapse between the time of the decision to sell a security and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell it under an effective registration statement and/or after an applicable waiting period. If adverse conditions were to develop during this period, the Fund might obtain a price that is less favorable than the price that was prevailing at the time it decided to sell. See also Illiquid Securities. |
Reverse Repurchase Agreements |
Under a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund 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 Fund agrees to repurchase the instrument at an agreed upon time (normally within seven days) and price, which reflects an interest payment. The Fund may enter into a reverse repurchase agreement for various purposes, including, but not limited to, when it is able to invest the cash acquired at a rate higher than the cost of the agreement or as a means of raising cash to satisfy redemption requests without the necessity of selling portfolio assets. In 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 Funds assets. As a result, such transactions may increase fluctuations in the value of the Fund. Because reverse repurchase agreements may be considered to be the practical equivalent of borrowing funds, they constitute a form of leverage. Such agreements will be treated as subject to investment restrictions regarding borrowings. If the Fund 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 Funds yield. |
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Rights and Warrants |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe for shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life, usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. Warrants are securities that are typically issued together with a debt security or preferred stock and that give the holder the right to buy a proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price. Warrants are freely transferable and are often traded on major exchanges. Unlike rights, warrants normally have a life that is measured in years and entitle the holder to buy common stock of a company at a price that is usually higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued. Corporations often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive. Warrants and rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. If the market price of the underlying stock does not exceed the exercise price during the life of the warrant or right, the warrant or right will expire worthless. (Canadian special warrants issued in private placements prior to a public offering are not considered warrants.) |
Royalty Bonds |
To the extent described in the Prospectus, the Fund may invest in royalty bonds. |
Securities Lending |
The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to major banks, broker-dealers and other financial institutions in compliance with the 1940 Act. No lending may be made with any companies affiliated with the investment adviser. These loans earn income and are collateralized by cash, securities or letters of credit. The Fund may realize a loss if it is not able to invest cash collateral at rates higher than the costs to enter into the loan. The Fund invests cash collateral in an unaffiliated money market fund that operates in compliance with the requirements of Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act and maintains a stable $1.00 net asset value per share. When the loan is closed, the lender is obligated to return the collateral to the borrower. The lender could suffer a loss if the value of the collateral is below the market value of the borrowed securities or if the borrower defaults on the loan. The lender may pay reasonable finders, lending agent, administrative and custodial fees in connection with its loans. The investment adviser may instruct the securities lending agent to terminate loans and recall securities with voting rights so that the securities may be voted in accordance with the Funds proxy voting policy and procedures if deemed appropriate to do so. See Taxes for information on the tax treatment of payments in lieu of dividends received pursuant to securities lending arrangements. |
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Senior Loans |
Senior Loans are loans that are senior in repayment priority to other debt of the borrower. Senior Loans generally pay interest that floats, adjusts or varies periodically based on benchmark indicators, specified adjustment schedules or prevailing interest rates. Senior Loans are often secured by specific assets or collateral, although they may not be secured by collateral. 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), generally referred to as a syndicate. The Agent typically administers and enforces the Senior Loan on behalf of the Loan Investors in the syndicate. In addition, an institution, typically but not always the Agent, holds any collateral on behalf of the Loan Investors. 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, or novations of, a Senior Loan. Senior Loans primarily include senior floating rate loans and secondarily senior floating rate debt obligations (including those issued by an asset-backed pool), and interests therein. |
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Loan Collateral. Borrowers generally will, for the term of the Senior Loan, pledge collateral to secure their obligation. In addition Senior Loans may be guaranteed by or secured by assets of the borrowers owners or affiliates. During the term of the Senior Loan, the value of collateral securing the Loan may decline in value, causing the Loan to be under-collateralized. 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 borrowers obligations under a Senior Loan. In addition, if a Senior Loan is foreclosed, the Fund could become part owner of the collateral and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of such collateral. |
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Fees. The Fund may receive a facility fee when it buys a Senior Loan, and pay a facility fee when it sells a Senior Loan. On an ongoing basis, the Fund 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 Fund may receive a prepayment penalty fee upon the prepayment of a Senior Loan by a borrower or an amendment fee. |
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Loan Administration. In a typical Senior Loan, the Agent administers the terms of the loan agreement and is responsible for the collection of principal, and interest payments from the borrower and the apportionment of these payments to the Loan Investors. Failure by the Agent to fulfill its obligations may delay or adversely affect receipt of payment by the Fund. Furthermore, unless under the terms of a loan agreement or participation (as applicable) the Fund has direct recourse against the borrower, the Fund must rely on the Agent and the other Loan Investors to use appropriate 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 typical practice of an Agent or a Loan Investor in relying exclusively or primarily on reports from the borrower may involve the risk of fraud by the borrower. It is unclear whether an investment in a Senior Loan offers the securities law protections against fraud and misrepresentation. |
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A financial institutions appointment as Agent may usually be terminated in the event that it fails to observe the requisite standard of care or becomes insolvent. 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 Fund were determined to be subject to the claims of the Agents general creditors, the Fund 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 other Interposed Persons, similar risks may arise. |
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Additional Information. The Fund may purchase and retain in its portfolio a Senior Loan where the borrower has 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. While such investments may provide opportunities for enhanced income as well as capital appreciation, they generally involve greater risk and may be considered speculative. The Fund may from time to time participate in ad-hoc committees formed by creditors to negotiate with the management of financially troubled borrowers. The Fund may incur legal fees as a result of such participation. In addition, such participation may restrict the Funds ability to trade in or acquire additional positions in a particular security when it might otherwise desire to do so. Participation by the Fund also may expose the Fund to potential liabilities under bankruptcy or other laws governing the rights of creditors and debtors. The Fund will participate in such committees only when the investment adviser believes that such participation is necessary or desirable to enforce the Funds rights as a creditor or to protect the value of a Senior Loan held by the Fund. |
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In some instances, other accounts managed by the investment adviser may hold other securities issued by borrowers the Senior Loans of which may be held by the Fund. These other securities may include, for example, debt securities that are subordinate to the Senior Loans held by the Fund, convertible debt or common or preferred equity securities. In certain circumstances, such as if the credit quality of the borrower deteriorates, the interests of holders of these other securities may conflict with the interests of the holders of the borrowers Senior Loans. In such cases, the investment adviser may owe conflicting fiduciary duties to the Fund and other client accounts. The investment adviser will endeavor to carry out its obligations to all of its clients to the fullest extent possible, recognizing that in some cases, certain clients may achieve a lower economic return, as a result of these conflicting client interests, than if the investment advisers client accounts collectively held only a single category of the issuers securities. |
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The Fund 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 Fund 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 investment adviser, may enhance the value of a Senior Loan or would otherwise be consistent with the Funds investment policies. |
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For Eaton Vance Floating Rate Portfolio, Senior Debt Portfolio and Eaton Vance VT Floating-Rate Income Fund only: The Fund will acquire participations only if the Loan Investor selling the participation, and any other persons interpositioned between the Fund and the Loan Investor (an Interposed Person), at the time of investment, has outstanding debt or deposit obligations rated investment grade (BBB or A-3 or higher by S&P or Baa or P- 3 or higher by Moodys or comparably rated by another nationally recognized statistical ratings organization) or determined by the investment adviser to be of comparable quality. |
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For additional disclosure relating to investing in loans (including Senior Loans), see Loans above. |
Short Sales |
Short sales are transactions in which a party sells a security it does not own in anticipation of a decline in the market value of that security. To complete such a transaction, the party must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. When the party is required to return the borrowed security, it typically will purchase the security in the open market. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the party sold the security. Until the security is replaced, the party is required to repay the lender any dividends or interest, which accrues during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, it also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The net proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements, until the short position is closed out. Transaction costs are incurred in effecting short sales. A short seller will incur a loss as a result of a short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which it replaces the borrowed security. A gain will be realized if the price of the security declines in price between those dates. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount of the premium, dividends or interest the short seller may be required to pay, if any, in connection with a short sale. Short sales may be against the box or uncovered. In a short sale against the box, at the time of the sale, the short seller owns or has the immediate and unconditional right to acquire the identical security at no additional cost. In an uncovered short sale, the short seller does not own the underlying security and, as such, losses from uncovered short sales may be significant. The Fund may sell short securities representing an index or basket of securities whose constituents the Fund holds in whole or in part. A short sale of an index or basket of securities will be a covered short sale if the underlying index or basket of securities is the same or substantially identical to securities held by the Fund. Use of short sales is limited by the Funds non-fundamental restriction relating thereto. |
Short-Term Trading |
Fixed-income 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, such a security may be sold and another purchased at approximately the same time to take advantage of what is believed 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. |
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Smaller Companies |
The investment risk associated with smaller companies is higher than that normally associated with larger, more established companies due to the greater business risks associated with small size, the relative age of the company, limited product lines, distribution channels and financial and managerial resources. Further, there is typically less publicly available information concerning smaller companies than for larger companies. The securities of small companies are often traded only over-the-counter and may not be traded in the volumes typical of trading on a national securities exchange. As a result, stocks of smaller companies are often more volatile than those of larger companies, which are often traded on a national securities exchange. |
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities (SMBS) |
SMBS are multiclass mortgage securities. SMBS commonly involve two classes of securities that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distributions on a pool of mortgage assets. A common type of SMBS will have one class receiving most of the interest from the mortgages, while the other class will receive most of the principal. In the most extreme case, the interest only class receives all of the interest while the principal only class receives the entire principal. The yield to maturity on an interest only class is extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including pre-payments) on the related underlying mortgage assets, and a rapid rate of principal payments may have a material adverse effect on the yield to maturity from these securities. If the underlying mortgages experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the initial investment in these securities may not be recouped. Although the market for such securities is increasingly liquid, certain SMBS may not be readily marketable and will be considered illiquid. The market value of the class consisting entirely of principal payments generally is unusually volatile in response to changes in interest rates. The yields on a class of SMBS that receives all or most of the interest from mortgages are generally higher than prevailing market yields on other MBS because their cash flow patterns are more volatile and there is a greater risk that the initial investment will not be fully recouped. |
Structured Notes |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Structured notes are derivative debt instruments, the interest rate or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator (for example, a currency, security, commodity or index thereof). The terms of the instrument may be structured by the purchaser and the borrower issuing the note. Indexed securities may include structured notes as well as securities other than debt securities, the interest rate or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator. Indexed securities may include a multiplier that multiplies the indexed element by a specified factor and, therefore, the value of such securities may be very volatile. The terms of structured notes and indexed securities may provide that in certain circumstances no principal is due at maturity, which may result in a loss of invested capital. Structured notes and indexed securities may be positively or negatively indexed, so that appreciation of the unrelated indicator may produce an increase or a decrease in the interest rate or the value of the structured note or indexed security at maturity may be calculated as a specified multiple of the change in the value of the unrelated indicator. Structured notes and indexed securities may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types of investments because the investor bears the risk of the unrelated indicator. Structured notes or indexed securities also may be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities and instruments or more traditional debt securities. |
Swap Agreements |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a few weeks to more than one year. In a standard swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on a particular predetermined reference instrument or instruments, which can be adjusted for an interest rate factor. The gross returns to be exchanged or swapped between the parties are generally 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). Other types of swap agreements may calculate the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a net basis. Consequently, a partys current obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the net amount). |
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Whether the use of swap agreements will be successful will depend on the investment adviser's ability to predict correctly whether certain types of reference instruments are likely to produce greater returns than other instruments. Swap agreements may be subject to contractual restrictions on transferability and termination and they may have terms of greater than seven days. The Funds obligations under a swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owed to the Fund under the swap). Developments in the swaps market, including government regulation, could adversely affect the Funds ability to terminate existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements, as well as to participate in swap agreements in the future. If there is a default by the counterparty to a swap, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the swap agreement, but any recovery may be delayed depending on the circumstances of the default. |
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The swaps market was largely unregulated prior to the enactment of federal legislation known as the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Dodd-Frank Act), which was enacted in 2010 in response to turmoil in the financial markets and other market events. Among other things, the Dodd-Frank Act sets forth a new regulatory framework for certain OTC derivatives, such as swaps, in which the Fund may invest. The Dodd-Frank Act requires many swap transactions to be executed on registered exchanges or through swap execution facilities, cleared through a regulated clearinghouse, and publicly reported. In addition, many market participants are now regulated as swap dealers or major swap participants, and are, or will be, subject to certain minimum capital and margin requirements and business conduct standards. The statutory requirements of the Dodd-Frank Act are being implemented primarily through rules and regulations adopted by the SEC and/or the CFTC. There is a prescribed phase-in period during which most of the mandated rulemaking and regulations are being implemented, and temporary exemptions from certain rules and regulations have been granted so that current trading practices will not be unduly disrupted during the transition period. |
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Currently, central clearing is only required for certain market participants trading certain instruments, although central clearing for additional instruments is expected to be implemented by the CFTC until the majority of the swaps market is ultimately subject to central clearing. In addition, uncleared OTC swaps will be subject to regulatory collateral requirements that could adversely affect the Funds ability to enter into swaps in the OTC market. These developments could cause the Fund to terminate new or existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such instruments at an inopportune time. Until the mandated rulemaking and regulations are implemented completely, it will not be possible to determine the complete impact of the Dodd-Frank Act and related regulations on the Fund, and the establishment of a centralized exchange or market for swap transactions may not result in swaps being easier to value or trade. However, it is expected that swap dealers, major market participants, and swap counterparties will experience other new and/or additional regulations, requirements, compliance burdens, and associated costs. The legislation and rules to be promulgated may exert a negative effect on the Funds ability to meet its investment objective, either through limits or requirements imposed on the Fund or its counterparties. The swap market could be disrupted or limited as a result of the legislation, and the new requirements may increase the cost of the Funds investments and of doing business, which could adversely affect the ability of the Fund to buy or sell OTC derivatives. |
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Swap agreements include (but are not limited to): |
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Currency Swaps. Currency swaps involve the exchange of the rights of the parties to make or receive payments in specified currencies. Because currency swaps usually involve the delivery of the entire principal value of one designated currency in exchange for the other designated currency, the entire principal value of a currency swap is subject to the risk that the other party to the swap will default on its contractual delivery obligations. If the investment adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of market value and currency exchange rates, performance may be adversely affected. |
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Equity Swaps. An equity swap is an agreement in which at least one partys payments are based on the rate of return of an equity security or equity index, such as the S&P 500. The other partys payments can be based on a fixed rate, a non-equity variable rate, or even a different equity index. The Fund may enter into equity index swaps on a net basis pursuant to which the future cash flows from two reference instruments are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two. |
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Credit Default Swaps. Under a credit default swap agreement, the protection buyer in a credit default contract is generally obligated to pay the protection seller an upfront or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract, provided that no credit event, such as a default, on a reference instrument has occurred. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally must pay the buyer the par value (full notional value) of the reference instrument in exchange for an equal face amount of the reference instrument described in the swap, or the seller may be required to deliver the related net cash amount, if the swap is cash settled. If the Fund is a buyer and no credit event occurs, the Fund may recover nothing if the swap is held through its termination date. As a seller, the Fund generally receives an upfront payment or a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the swap provided that there is no credit event. As the seller, the Fund would effectively add leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. The determination of a credit event under the swap agreement will depend on the terms of the agreement and may rely on the decision of persons that are not a party to the agreement. The Funds obligations under a credit default swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owed to the Fund). |
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Inflation Swaps. Inflation swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, e.g., an exchange of fixed rate payments for floating rate payments or an exchange of floating rate payments based on two different reference indices. By design, one of the reference indices is an inflation index, such as the Consumer Price Index. Inflation swaps can be designated as zero coupon, where both sides of the swap compound interest over the life of the swap and then the accrued interest is paid out only at the swaps maturity. |
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Total Return Swaps. Total return swap agreements are contracts in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to another party based on the change in market value of the assets underlying the contract, which may include a specified security, basket of securities or securities indices during the specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or the total return from other underlying assets. Total return swap agreements may be used to obtain exposure to a security or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security or investing directly in such market. Total return swap agreements may effectively add leverage to the Funds portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. Generally, the Fund will enter into total return swaps on a net basis (i.e., the two payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments). The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Funds obligations over its entitlements with respect to each total return swap will be accrued on a daily basis. If the total return swap transaction is entered into on other than a net basis, the full amount of the Funds obligations will be accrued on a daily basis, and the full amount of the Funds obligations will be segregated by the Fund in an amount equal to or greater than the market value of the liabilities under the total return swap or the amount it would have cost the Fund initially to make an equivalent direct investment, plus or minus any amount the Fund is obligated to pay or is to receive under the total return swap agreement. |
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Interest Rate Swaps, Caps and Floors. Interest rate swaps are OTC contracts in which each party agrees to make a periodic interest payment based on an index or the value of an asset in return for a periodic payment from the other party based on a different index or asset. The purchase of an interest rate floor entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index falls below a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate floor. The purchase of an interest rate cap entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index rises above a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate cap. The Fund usually will enter into interest rate swap transactions on a net basis (i.e., the two payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments). The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Funds obligations over its entitlements with respect to each interest rate swap will be accrued on a daily basis. If the interest rate swap transaction is entered into on other than a net basis, the full amount of the Funds obligations will be accrued on a daily basis. Certain federal income tax requirements may limit the Funds ability to engage in certain interest rate transactions. |
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Swaptions |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. A swaption is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation) in return for payment of a premium, to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement, at some designated future time on specified terms. The Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions. Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, the Fund will generally incur a greater degree of risk when it writes a swaption than it will incur when it purchases a swaption. When the Fund purchases a swaption, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when the Fund writes a swaption, upon exercise of the option the Fund will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement. |
Tax-Managed Investing |
Taxes are a major influence on the net returns that investors receive on their taxable investments. There are four components of the returns of a mutual fund that invests in equities that are treated differently for federal income tax purposes: price appreciation, distributions of qualified dividend income, distributions of other investment income, and distributions of realized short-term and long-term capital gains. Distributions of income other than qualified dividend income and distributions of net realized short-term gains (on stocks held for one year or less) are taxed as ordinary income. Distributions of qualified dividend income and net realized long-term gains (on stocks held for more than one year) are currently taxed at rates up to 20%. The Funds investment program and the tax treatment of Fund distributions may be affected by IRS interpretations of the Code and future changes in tax laws and regulations. Returns derived from price appreciation are untaxed until the shareholder disposes of his or her shares. Upon disposition, a capital gain (short-term, if the shareholder has held his or her shares for one year or less, otherwise long-term) equal to the difference between the net proceeds of the disposition and the shareholders adjusted tax basis is realized. |
Trust Certificates |
Trust certificates are investments in a limited purpose trust or other vehicle formed under state law. Trust certificates in turn invest in instruments, such as credit default swaps, interest rate swaps, preferred securities and other securities, in order to customize the risk/return profile of a particular security. Like an investment in a bond, investments in trust certificates represent the right to receive periodic income payments (in the form of distributions) and payment of principal at the end of the term of the certificate. However, these payments are conditioned on the trusts receipt of payments from, and the trusts potential obligations to, the counterparties to the derivative instruments and other securities in which the trust invests. Investments in these instruments are indirectly subject to the risks associated with derivative instruments, including, among others, credit risk, default or similar event risk, counterparty risk, interest rate risk, leverage risk and management risk. It is expected that the trusts that issue credit-linked trust certificates will constitute private investment companies, exempt from registration under the 1940 Act. Although the trusts are typically private investment companies, they are generally not actively managed. It is also expected that the certificates will be exempt from registration under the 1933 Act. Accordingly, there may be no established trading market for the certificates and they may constitute illiquid investments. |
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U.S. Government Securities |
U.S. Government securities include: (1) U.S. Treasury obligations, which differ in their interest rates, maturities and times of issuance, including: 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, which 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. U.S. Government securities also include 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: Farmers Home Administration, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Federal Housing Administration, Federal Land Banks, Federal Financing Bank, Central Bank for Cooperatives, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, Farm Credit Bank System, Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, Federal National Mortgage Association, General Services Administration, Government National Mortgage Association, Student Loan Marketing Association, United States Postal Service, Maritime Administration, Small Business Administration, Tennessee Valley Authority, Washington D.C. Armory Board and any other enterprise established or sponsored by the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government generally is not obligated to provide support to its instrumentalities. The principal of and/or interest on certain U.S. Government securities 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 denominated in foreign currencies may be affected favorably by changes in the exchange rate between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. |
Unlisted Securities |
Unlisted securities are neither listed on a stock exchange nor traded over-the-counter. Unlisted securities may include investments in new and early stage companies, which may involve a high degree of business and financial risk that can result in substantial losses and may be considered speculative. Such securities will generally be deemed to be illiquid. Because of the absence of any public trading market for these investments, it may take longer to liquidate these positions than would be the case for publicly traded securities. Although these securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales could be less than those originally paid or less than what may be considered the fair value of such securities. Furthermore, issuers whose securities are not publicly traded may not be subject to public disclosure and other investor protection requirements applicable to publicly traded securities. If such securities are required to be registered under the securities laws of one or more jurisdictions before being resold, the Fund may be required to bear the expenses of registration. In addition, in foreign jurisdictions any capital gains realized on the sale of such securities may be subject to higher rates of foreign taxation than taxes payable on the sale of listed securities. |
Utility and Financial
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To the extent described in the Prospectus, the Fund may concentrate its investments in utility and/or financial services companies. |
Variable Rate Instruments |
Variable rate instruments provide for adjustments in the interest or dividend rate payable on the instrument at specified intervals (daily, weekly, monthly, semiannually, etc.) based on market conditions, credit ratings or interest rates and the investor may have the right to put the security back to the issuer or its agent. Variable rate instruments normally provide that the holder can demand payment of the instrument on short notice at par with accrued interest. These instruments may be secured by letters of credit or other support arrangements provided by banks. To the extent that such letters of credit or other arrangements constitute an unconditional guarantee of the issuers obligations, a bank may be treated as the issuer of a security for the purposes of complying with the diversification requirements set forth in Section 5(b) of the 1940 Act and Rule 5b-2 thereunder. The Fund may use these instruments as cash equivalents pending longer term investment of its funds. The rate adjustment features may limit the extent to which the market value of the instruments will fluctuate. |
When-Issued Securities, Delayed Delivery and Forward Commitments |
Securities may be purchased on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed delivery basis (meaning securities are purchased or sold with payment and delivery taking place in the future beyond normal settlement times) in order to secure what is considered to be an advantageous price and yield at the time of entering into the transaction. When the Fund agrees to purchase such securities, it assumes the risk of any decline in value of the security from the date of the agreement to purchase. The Fund does not earn interest on the securities it has committed to purchase until they are paid for and delivered on the settlement date. |
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
|
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, when-issued or delayed delivery 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. However, no payment or delivery is made until payment is received or delivery is made from the other party to the transaction. |
Zero Coupon 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 purchase. The effect of owning debt obligations that do not make current interest payments is that a fixed yield is earned not only on the original investment but also, in effect, on all discount accretion during the life of the debt obligation. This implicit reinvestment of earnings at a fixed rate eliminates the risk of being unable to invest distributions at a rate as high as the implicit yield on the zero coupon bond, but at the same time eliminates the holders ability to reinvest at higher rates in the future. For this reason, zero coupon bonds may be subject to substantially greater price fluctuations during periods of changing market interest rates than are comparable securities that pay interest currently. The Fund 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 Fund is required to distribute that income for each taxable year. Thus, the Fund may have to sell other investments to obtain cash needed to make income distributions. |
Parametric Funds
76
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX A
Investor Class Fees, Performance and Ownership
Sales Charges and Distribution and Service Fees.
For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the following table shows (1) total sales charges paid by each Fund, (2) sales charges paid to financial intermediaries, (3) sales charges paid to the principal underwriter, (4) approximate CDSC payments to the principal underwriter, (5) total distribution and service fees paid by each Fund, and (6) distribution and service fees paid to financial intermediaries. Distribution and service fees that were not paid to financial intermediaries were retained by the principal underwriter.
Fund |
Total Sales
|
Sales Charges to
|
Sales Charges to
|
CDSC Paid to
|
Total Distribution
|
Distribution and
|
Absolute Return Fund |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
$28,503 |
$15,908 |
Commodity Strategy Fund |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
$9,065 |
$6,198 |
For each Funds fiscal years ended December 31,
2014
and
2013
, the following total sales charges were paid on sales of Investor Class, of which the principal underwriter received the following amounts. The balance of such amounts was paid to financial intermediaries.
Fund |
December 31, 2014
|
December 31, 2014
|
December 31, 2013
|
December 31, 2013
|
Absolute Return Fund |
$0 |
$0 |
$3,007 |
$525 |
Commodity Strategy Fund |
$0 |
$0 |
$52 |
$52 |
(1)
Effective March 1, 2013, Class A shares were renamed Investor Class shares and the front-end sales charge payable upon purchase of such shares was eliminated.
Performance Information.
The tables below indicate the average annual total return (both before and after taxes) on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 in this Class of shares for the periods shown in each table. Any performance presented with an asterisk (*) includes the effect of subsidizing expenses. Performance would have been lower without subsidies.
Total returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value or public offering price with all distributions reinvested. Each Funds past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of Fund shares will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance is for the stated time period only; due to market volatility, a Funds current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted return. For the Funds performance as of the most recent month-end, please refer to www.eatonvance.com.
About Returns After Taxes. After-tax returns are calculated using certain assumptions. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares. The tax treatment of a portion of the distributions made in the current year may be recharacterized as taxable after year-end.
Absolute Return Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31, 2015 |
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year* |
Five Years* |
Life of Fund* |
Before Taxes |
6.49% |
2.04% |
2.05% |
After Taxes on Distributions |
6.49% |
1.57% |
1.60% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption |
3.67% |
1.59% |
1.60% |
Investor Class shares commenced operations on September 30, 2010. |
|
|
|
Parametric Funds
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
Commodity Strategy Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31, 2015 |
|
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year* |
Life of Fund* |
Before Taxes |
-22.36% |
-13.24% |
After Taxes on Distributions |
-22.36% |
-13.33% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption |
-12.66% |
-9.25% |
Investor Class shares commenced operations on January 3, 2012. |
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities.
At April 1,
2016
, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned in the aggregate less than 1% of the outstanding shares of this Class of each Fund. In addition, as of the same date, the following person(s) held the share percentage indicated below, which was owned either (i) beneficially by such person(s) or (ii) of record by such person(s) on behalf of customers who are the beneficial owners of such shares and as to which such record owner(s) may exercise voting rights under certain limited circumstances:
Beneficial owners of 25% or more of this Class of a Fund are presumed to be in control of the Class for purposes of voting on certain matters submitted to shareholders.
To the knowledge of the Trust, no other person owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of this Class of each Fund as of such date.
Parametric Funds
78
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX B
Institutional Class Performance and Ownership
Performance Information. The table below indicates the average annual total return (both before and after taxes) on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 in this Class of shares for the periods shown in each table. Any performance presented with an asterisk (*) includes the effect of subsidizing expenses. Performance would have been lower without subsidies.
Total returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value or public offering price with all distributions reinvested. Each Funds past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of Fund shares will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance is for the stated time period only; due to market volatility, a Funds current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted return. For the Funds performance as of the most recent month-end, please refer to www.eatonvance.com.
About Returns After Taxes. After-tax returns are calculated using certain assumptions. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares. The tax treatment of a portion of the distributions made in the current year may be recharacterized as taxable after year-end.
Absolute Return Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31, 2015 |
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year* |
Five Years* |
Life of Fund* |
Before Taxes |
6.65% |
2.27% |
2.29% |
After Taxes on Distributions |
6.65% |
1.79% |
1.82% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption |
3.76% |
1.76% |
1.78% |
Institutional Class shares commenced operations on September 30, 2010. |
|
|
|
Commodity Strategy Fund |
Length of Period Ended December 31, 2015 |
|
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year* |
Life of Fund* |
Before Taxes |
-22.22% |
-13.06% |
After Taxes on Distributions |
-22.22% |
-13.15% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption |
-12.58% |
-9.13% |
Institutional Class shares commenced operations on May 25, 2011. |
|
|
Parametric Funds
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities.
At April 1,
2016
, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned in the aggregate less than 1% of the outstanding shares of this Class of each Fund. In addition, as of the same date, the following person(s) held the share percentage indicated below, which was owned either (i) beneficially by such person(s) or (ii) of record by such person(s) on behalf of customers who are the beneficial owners of such shares and as to which such record owner(s) may exercise voting rights under certain limited circumstances:
Beneficial owners of 25% or more of this Class of a Fund are presumed to be in control of the Class for purposes of voting on certain matters submitted to shareholders.
To the knowledge of the Trust, no other person owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of this Class of each Fund as of such date.
Parametric Funds
80
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX C
RATINGS
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 which would be given to these securities on a particular date.
MOODYS INVESTORS SERVICE, INC. (Moodys)
Ratings assigned on Moodys global long-term and short-term rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities. Long-term ratings are assigned to issuers or obligations with an original maturity of one year or more and reflect both the likelihood of a default on contractually promised payments and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default. Short-term ratings are assigned to obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect the likelihood of a default on contractually promised payments.
GLOBAL LONG-TERM RATINGS SCALE
Aaa: Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.
Aa: Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low risk.
A: Obligations rated A are considered upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.
Baa: Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics
Ba: Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.
B: Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.
Caa: Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
Ca: Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.
C: Obligations rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.
Note: Moodys appends numerical modifiers, 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.
GLOBAL SHORT-TERM RATING SCALE
Moodys short term ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to honor short-term financial obligations. Ratings may be assigned to issuers, short-term programs or to individual short-term debt instruments. Such obligations generally have an original maturity not exceeding thirteen months, unless explicitly noted.
P-1: Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-2: Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-3: Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.
NP: Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime ratings categories.
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
ISSUER RATINGS
Issuer Ratings are opinions of the ability of entities to honor senior unsecured financial counterparty obligations and contracts. As such, Issuer Ratings incorporate any external support that is expected to apply to all current and future issuance of senior unsecured financial obligations and contracts, such as explicit support stemming from a guarantee of all senior unsecured financial obligations and contracts, and/or implicit support for issuers subject to joint default analysis (e.g. banks and government-related issuers). Issuer Ratings do not incorporate support arrangements, such as guarantees, that apply only to specific (but not to all) senior unsecured financial obligations and contracts.
US MUNICIPAL SHORT-TERM OBLIGATION RATINGS AND DEMAND OBLIGATION RATINGS
SHORT-TERM OBLIGATION RATINGS
While the global short-term prime rating scale is applied to US municipal tax-exempt commercial paper, these programs are typically backed by external letters of credit or liquidity facilities and their short-term prime ratings usually map to the long-term rating of the enhancing bank or financial institution and not to the municipalitys rating. Other short-term municipal obligations, which generally have different funding sources for repayment, are rated using two additional short-term rating scales (i.e., the MIG and VMIG scales discussed below).
The Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) scale is used to rate US municipal bond anticipation notes of up to three years maturity. Municipal notes rated on the MIG scale may be secured by either pledged revenues or proceeds of a take-out financing received prior to note maturity. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation, and the issuers long-term rating is only one consideration in assigning the MIG rating. MIG ratings are divided into three levelsMIG 1 through MIG 3while speculative grade short-term obligations are designated SG.
MIG 1 This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.
MIG 2 This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.
MIG 3 This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.
SG This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.
Demand Obligation Ratings
In the case of variable rate demand obligations (VRDOs), a two-component rating is assigned; a long or short-term rating and demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moodys evaluation of the degree of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moodys evaluation of the degree of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand (demand feature), The second element uses a rating from a variation of the MIG scale called the Variable Municipal Investment Grade (VMIG) scale. The rating transitions on the VMIG scale, as shown in the diagram below, differ from those on the Prime scale to reflect the risk that external liquidity support generally will terminate if the issuers long-term rating drops below investment grade.
VMIG 1: This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
VMIG 2: This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
VMIG 3: This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
SG: This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
Parametric Funds
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
STANDARD & POORS RATINGS SERVICES (S&P)
ISSUE CREDIT RATINGS DEFINITIONS
A Standard & Poor's issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects Standard & Poor's view of the obligor's capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.
Issue credit ratings can be either long-term or short-term. Short-term ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. In the U.S., for example, that means obligations with an original maturity of no more than 365 daysincluding commercial paper. Short-term ratings are also used to indicate the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to put features on long-term obligations. Medium-term notes are assigned long-term ratings.
LONG-TERM ISSUE CREDIT RATINGS:
Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on Standard & Poor's analysis of the following considerations:
Likelihood of paymentcapacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation;
Nature of and provisions of the obligation and the promise that is imputed;
Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors' rights. Issue ratings are an assessment of default risk, but may incorporate an assessment of relative seniority or ultimate recovery in the event of default. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation may apply when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.)
AAA: An obligation rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by S&P. The obligors capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.
AA: An obligation rated AA differs from the highest-rated obligors only to a small degree. The obligors capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.
A: An obligation rated A is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligors capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong.
BBB: An obligation rated BBB 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.
BB, B, CCC, CC and C
Obligations rated BB, B, CCC, CC, and C are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
BB: An obligation rated BB is less vulnerable to non-payment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligors inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B: An obligation rated B is more vulnerable than obligations rated BB, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial or economic conditions will likely impair the obligors capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
Parametric Funds
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
CCC: An obligation rated CCC 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. In the event of adverse business, financial or, economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CC: An obligation rated CC is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The 'CC' rating is used when a default has not yet occurred, but Standard & Poor's expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.
C: An obligation rated 'C' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared to obligations that are rated higher .
D: An obligation rated 'D' is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation's rating is lowered to 'D' if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.NR: This indicates that no rating has been requested, or that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that Standard & Poor's does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.
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.
SHORT-TERM ISSUE CREDIT RATINGS
A-1: A short-term obligation rated A-1 is rated in the highest category by S&P. The obligors 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 obligors capacity to meet its financial commitments on these obligation 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 obligors 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 commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments .
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 default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation's rating is lowered to 'D' if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.
ISSUER CREDIT RATINGS DEFINITIONS
Standard & Poor's issuer credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about an obligor's overall creditworthiness. This opinion focuses on the obligor's capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due. It does not apply to any specific financial obligation, as it does not take into account the nature of and provisions of the obligation, its standing in bankruptcy or liquidation, statutory preferences, or the legality and enforceability of the obligation. Counterparty credit ratings, corporate credit ratings and sovereign credit ratings are all forms of issuer credit ratings.
Issuer credit ratings can be either long-term or short-term.
Parametric Funds
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
LONG-TERM ISSUER CREDIT RATINGS
AAA: An obligor rated AAA has extremely strong capacity to meet its financial commitments. AAA is the highest issuer credit rating assigned by S&P.
AA: An obligor rated AA has very strong capacity to meet its financial commitments. It differs from the highest-rated obligors only to a small degree.
A: An obligor rated A has strong capacity to meet its financial commitments but is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligors in higher-rated categories.
BBB: An obligor rated BBB has adequate capacity to meet its financial commitments. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitments.
BB, B, CCC and CC
Obligors rated BB, B, CCC, and CC are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and CC the highest. While such obligors will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
BB: An obligor BB is less vulnerable in the near term than other lower-rated obligors. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties and exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligors inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.
B: An obligor rated B is more vulnerable than the obligors rated BB, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligors capacity or willingness to meets its financial commitments.
CCC: An obligor rated CCC is currently vulnerable, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions to meet its financial commitments.
CC: An obligor rated CC is currently highly vulnerable. The 'CC' rating is used when a default has not yet occurred, but Standard & Poor's expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.
R: An obligor rated 'R' is under regulatory supervision owing to its financial condition. During the pendency of the regulatory supervision the regulators may have the power to favor one class of obligations over others or pay some obligations and not others.
SD and D : An obligor rated 'SD' (selective default) or 'D' is in default on one or more of its financial obligations including rated and unrated financial obligations but excluding hybrid instruments classified as regulatory capital or in non-payment according to terms. An obligor is considered in default unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made within five business days of the due date in the absence of a stated grace period, or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. A 'D' rating is assigned when Standard & Poor's believes that the default will be a general default and that the obligor will fail to pay all or substantially all of its obligations as they come due. An 'SD' rating is assigned when Standard &
Poor's believes that the obligor has selectively defaulted on a specific issue or class of obligations but it will continue to meet its payment obligations on other issues or classes of obligations in a timely manner. An obligor's rating is lowered to 'D' or 'SD' if it is conducting a distressed exchange offer.
NR: An issuer designated as NR is not rated.
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.
SHORT-TERM ISSUER CREDIT RATINGS
A-1: An obligor rated A-1 has strong capacity to meet its financial commitments. It is rated in the highest category by S&P. Within this category, certain obligors are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligors capacity to meet its financial commitments is extremely strong.
A-2: An obligor rated A-2 has satisfactory capacity to meet its financial commitments. However, it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligors in the highest rating category.
Parametric Funds
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
A-3: An obligor rated A-3 has adequate capacity to meet its financial obligations. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitments.
B: An obligor rated B is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. Ratings B-1, B-2, and B-3 may be assigned to indicate finer distinctions within the B category. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligors inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.
C: An obligor rated 'C' is currently vulnerable to nonpayment that would result in a 'SD' or 'D' issuer rating, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for it to meet its financial commitments.
R: An obligor rated R is under regulatory supervision owing to its financial condition. During the pendency of the regulatory supervision the regulators may have the power to favor one class of obligations over others or pay some obligations and not others.
SD and D: An obligor rated 'SD' (selective default) or 'D' has failed to pay one or more of its financial obligations (rated or unrated), excluding hybrid instruments classified as regulatory capital or in nonpayment according to terms, when it came due. An obligor is considered in default unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. A 'D' rating is assigned when Standard & Poor's believes that the default will be a general default and that the obligor will fail to pay all or substantially all of its obligations as they come due. An 'SD' rating is assigned when Standard & Poor's believes that the obligor has selectively defaulted on a specific issue or class of obligations, excluding hybrid instruments classified as regulatory capital, but it will continue to meet its payment obligations on other issues or classes of obligations in a timely manner. An obligor's rating is lowered to 'D' or 'SD' if it is conducting a distressed exchange offer.
NR: An issuer designated as NR is not rated.
MUNICIPAL SHORT-TERM NOTE RATINGS
SHORT-TERM NOTES: An S&P U.S. municipal note ratings reflects the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes maturing beyond three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, Standard & Poor's analysis will review the following considerations: Amortization schedule--the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and Source of payment--the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.
Municipal Short-Term Note rating symbols are as follows:
SP-1: Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt will be given a plus (+) designation.
SP-2: Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.
SP-3: Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.
FITCH RATINGS
LONG-TERM CREDIT RATINGS
Investment Grade
AAA: Highest credit quality AAA ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in case of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. The capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.
AA: Very high credit quality. AA ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
A: High credit quality. A ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. The capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to changes in circumstances or in economic conditions that is the case for higher ratings.
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BBB: 'BBB' ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.
BB: Speculative. 'BB' ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time.
B: Highly speculative. B' ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment.
CCC: Substantial credit risk. Default is a real possibility.
CC: Very high levels of credit risk. Default of some kind appears probable.
C : Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. Default appears imminent or inevitable.
D: Indicates a default. Default generally is defined as one of the following:
· failure to make payment of principal and/or interest under the contractual terms of the rated obligation;
· the bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other winding-up or cessation of the business of an issuer/obligor; or
· the distressed exchange of an obligation, where creditors were offered securities with diminished structural or economic terms compared with the existing obligation to avoid a probable payment default.
Notes to Long-Term ratings:
The modifiers + or - may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the AAA Long-Term
IDR category, or to Long-Term IDR categories below B.
Short-Term Credit Ratings Assigned to Obligations in Corporate, Public and Structured Finance
A short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity or security stream and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-Term Ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as short term based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations, and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets.
F1: Highest short-term credit quality . Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added + to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.
F2: Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.
F3: Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.
B: Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
C: High short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility.
RD: Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Typically applicable to entity ratings only.
D: Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.
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DESCRIPTION OF INSURANCE FINANCIAL STRENGTH RATINGS
Moodys Investors Service, Inc. Insurance Financial Strength Ratings
Moodys Insurance Financial Strength Ratings are opinions of the ability of insurance companies to repay punctually senior policyholder claims and obligations and also reflect the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default . Specific obligations are considered unrated unless they are individually rated because the standing of a particular insurance obligation would depend on an assessment of its relative standing under those laws governing both the obligation and the insurance company.
Standard & Poors Insurance Financial Strength Ratings
A Standard & Poor's insurer financial strength rating is a forward-looking opinion about the financial security characteristics of an insurance organization with respect to its ability to pay under its insurance policies and contracts in accordance with their terms. Insurer financial strength ratings are also assigned to health maintenance organizations and similar health plans with respect to their ability to pay under their policies and contracts in accordance with their terms. This opinion is not specific to any particular policy or contract, nor does it address the suitability of a particular policy or contract for a specific purpose or purchaser. Furthermore, the opinion does not take into account deductibles, surrender or cancellation penalties, timeliness of payment, nor the likelihood of the use of a defense such as fraud to deny claims. Insurer financial strength ratings do not refer to an organization's ability to meet nonpolicy (i.e., debt) obligations. Assignment of ratings to debt issued by insurers or to debt issues that are fully or partially supported by insurance policies, contracts, or guarantees is a separate process from the determination of insurer financial strength ratings, and follows procedures consistent with those used to assign an issue credit rating. An insurer financial strength rating is not a recommendation to purchase or discontinue any policy or contract issued by an insurer.
Long-Term Insurer Financial Strength Ratings
Category Definition
AAA
An insurer rated 'AAA' has extremely strong financial security characteristics. 'AAA' is the highest insurer financial strength rating assigned by Standard & Poor's.
AA
An insurer rated 'AA' has very strong financial security characteristics, differing only slightly from those rated higher.
A
An insurer rated 'A' has strong financial security characteristics, but is somewhat more likely to be affected by adverse business conditions than are insurers with higher ratings.
BBB
An insurer rated 'BBB' has good financial security characteristics, but is more likely to be affected by adverse business conditions than are higher-rated insurers.
BB; CCC; and CC
An insurer rated 'BB' or lower is regarded as having vulnerable characteristics that may outweigh its strengths. 'BB' indicates the least degree of vulnerability within the range; 'CC' the highest.
BB
An insurer rated 'BB' has marginal financial security characteristics. Positive attributes exist, but adverse business conditions could lead to insufficient ability to meet financial commitments.
B
An insurer rated 'B' has weak financial security characteristics. Adverse business conditions will likely impair its ability to meet financial commitments.
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CCC
An insurer rated 'CCC' has very weak financial security characteristics, and is dependent on favorable business conditions to meet financial commitments.
CC
An insurer rated 'CC' has extremely weak financial security characteristics and is likely not to meet some of its financial commitments.
SD or D
An insurer rated 'SD' (selective default) or 'D' is in default on one or more of its insurance policy obligations but is not under regulatory supervision that would involve a rating of 'R'. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action if payments on a policy obligation are at risk. A 'D' rating is assigned when Standard & Poor's believes that the default will be a general default and that the obligor will fail to pay substantially all of its obligations in full in accordance with the policy terms. An 'SD' rating is assigned when Standard & Poor's believes that the insurer has selectively defaulted on a specific class of policies but it will continue to meet its payment obligations on other classes of obligations. A selective default includes the completion of a distressed exchange offer. Claim denials due to lack of coverage or other legally permitted defenses are not considered defaults.
R
An insurer rated 'R' is under regulatory supervision owing to its financial condition. During the pendency of the regulatory supervision, the regulators may have the power to favor one class of obligations over others or pay some obligations and not others. The rating does not apply to insurers subject only to non-financial actions such as market conduct violations.
NR
An insurer designated 'NR' is not rated, which implies no opinion about the insurer's financial security.
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.
Fitch Insurer Financial Strength Rating
The Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) Rating provides an assessment of the financial strength of an insurance organization. The IFS Rating is assigned to the insurance company's policyholder obligations, including assumed reinsurance obligations and contract holder obligations, such as guaranteed investment contracts. The IFS Rating reflects both the ability of the insurer to meet these obligations on a timely basis, and expected recoveries received by claimants in the event the insurer stops making payments or payments are interrupted, due to either the failure of the insurer or some form of regulatory intervention. In the context of the IFS Rating, the timeliness of payments is considered relative to both contract and/or policy terms but also recognizes the possibility of reasonable delays caused by circumstances common to the insurance industry, including claims reviews, fraud investigations and coverage disputes.
The IFS Rating does not encompass policyholder obligations residing in separate accounts, unit-linked products or segregated funds, for which the policyholder bears investment or other risks. However, any guarantees provided to the policyholder with respect to such obligations are included in the IFS Rating.
Expected recoveries are based on the agency's assessments of the sufficiency of an insurance company's assets to fund policyholder obligations, in a scenario in which payments have ceased or been interrupted. Accordingly, expected recoveries exclude the impact of recoveries obtained from any government sponsored guaranty or policyholder protection funds. Expected recoveries also exclude the impact of collateralization or security, such as letters of credit or trusteed assets, supporting select reinsurance obligations.
IFS Ratings can be assigned to insurance and reinsurance companies in any insurance sector, including the life & annuity, non-life, property/casualty, health, mortgage, financial guaranty, residual value and title insurance sectors, as well as to managed care companies such as health maintenance organizations.
The IFS Rating does not address the quality of an insurer's claims handling services or the relative value of products sold.
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The IFS Rating uses the same symbols used by the agency for its International and National credit ratings of long-term or short-term debt issues. However, the definitions associated with the ratings reflect the unique aspects of the IFS Rating within an insurance industry context.
Obligations for which a payment interruption has occurred due to either the insolvency or failure of the insurer or some form of regulatory intervention will generally be rated between 'B' and 'C' on the Long-Term IFS Rating scales (both International and National). International Short-Term IFS Ratings assigned under the same circumstances will align with the insurer's International Long-Term IFS
Ratings
.
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APPENDIX D
Eaton Vance Funds
Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures
I. Overview
The Boards of Trustees (the “ Board ” ) of the Eaton Vance Funds 1 have determined that it is in the interests of the Funds ’ shareholders to adopt these written proxy voting policy and procedures (the “ Policy ” ). For purposes of this Policy:
·
“ Fund ” means each registered investment company sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization; and
·
“ Adviser ” means the adviser or sub-adviser responsible for the day-to-day management of all or a portion of the Fund ’ s assets.
II. Delegation of Proxy Voting Responsibilities
The Board hereby delegates to the Adviser responsibility for voting the Funds proxies as described in this Policy. In this connection, the Adviser is required to provide the Board with a copy of its proxy voting policies and procedures (Adviser Procedures) and all Fund proxies will be voted in accordance with the Adviser Procedures, provided that in the event a material conflict of interest arises with respect to a proxy to be voted for the Fund (as described in Section IV below) the Adviser shall follow the process for voting such proxy as described in Section IV below.
The Adviser is required to report any material change to the Adviser Procedures to the Board in the manner set forth in Section V below. In addition, the Board will review the Adviser Procedures annually.
III. Delegation of Proxy Voting Disclosure Responsibilities
Pursuant to Rule 30b1-4 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “ 1940 Act ” ), the Fund is required to file Form N-PX no later than August 31st of each year. On Form N-PX, the Fund is required to disclose, among other things, information concerning proxies relating to the Funds portfolio investments, whether or not the Fund (or its Adviser) voted the proxies relating to securities held by the Fund and how it voted on the matter and whether it voted for or against management.
To facilitate the filing of Form N-PX for the Fund:
·
The Adviser is required to record, compile and transmit in a timely manner all data required to be filed on Form N-PX for the Fund that it manages. Such data shall be transmitted to Eaton Vance Management, which acts as administrator to the Fund (the Administrator) or the third party service provider designated by the Administrator; and
·
the Administrator is required to file Form N-PX on behalf of the Fund with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission) as required by the 1940 Act. The Administrator may delegate the filing to a third party service party provided each such filing is reviewed and approved by the Administrator.
IV. Conflicts of Interest
The Board expects the Adviser, as a fiduciary to the Fund it manages, to put the interests of the Fund and its shareholders above those of the Adviser. When required to vote a proxy for the Fund, the Adviser may have material business relationships with the issuer soliciting the proxy that could give rise to a potential material conflict of interest for the Adviser. 2 In the event such a material conflict of interest arises, the Adviser, to the extent it is aware or reasonably should have been aware of the material conflict, will refrain from voting any proxies related to companies giving rise to such material conflict until it notifies and consults with the appropriate Board, or any committee, sub-committee or group of Independent Trustees identified by the Board (as long as such committee, sub-committee or group contains at least two or more Independent Trustees) (the Board Members), concerning the material conflict. 3 For ease of communicating with the Board Members, the Adviser is required to provide the foregoing notice to the Funds Chief Legal Officer who will then notify and facilitate a consultation with the Board Members.
Once the Board Members have been notified of the material conflict:
·
They shall convene a meeting to review and consider all relevant materials related to the proxies involved. This meeting shall be convened within 3 business days, provided that it an effort will be made to convene the meeting sooner if the proxy must be voted in less than 3 business days;
·
In considering such proxies, the Adviser shall make available all materials requested by the Board Members and make reasonably available appropriate personnel to discuss the matter upon request.
·
The Board Members will then instruct the Adviser on the appropriate course of action with respect to the proxy at issue.
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If the Board Members are unable to meet and the failure to vote a proxy would have a material adverse impact on the Fund(s) involved, the Adviser will have the right to vote such proxy, provided that it discloses the existence of the material conflict to the
Chairperson
of the Board as soon as practicable and to the Board at its next meeting. Any determination regarding the voting of proxies of the Fund that is made by the Board Members shall be deemed to be a good faith determination regarding the voting of proxies by the full Board.
V. Reports and Review
The Administrator shall make copies of each Form N-PX filed on behalf of the Fund available for the Boards ’ review upon the Boards request. The Administrator (with input from the Adviser for the Fund) shall also provide any reports reasonably requested by the Board regarding the proxy voting records of the Fund.
The Adviser shall report any material changes to the Adviser Procedures to the Board as soon as practicable and the Boards will review the Adviser Procedures annually.
The Adviser also shall report any changes to the Adviser Procedures to the Fund Chief Legal Officer prior to implementing such changes in order to enable the Administrator to effectively coordinate the Funds disclosure relating to the Adviser Procedures.
To the extent requested by the Commission, the Policy and the Adviser Procedures shall be appended to the Funds statement of additional information included in its registration statement.
_____________________
1
The Eaton Vance Funds may be organized as trusts or corporations. For ease of reference, the Funds may be referred to herein as Trusts and the Funds Board of Trustees or Board of Directors may be referred to collectively herein as the Board.
2
An Adviser is expected to maintain a process for identifying a potential material conflict of interest. As an example only, such potential conflicts may arise when the issuer is a client of the Adviser and generates a significant amount of fees to the Adviser or the issuer is a distributor of the Advisers products.
3
If a material conflict of interest exists with respect to a particular proxy and the proxy voting procedures of the relevant Adviser require that proxies are to be voted in accordance with the recommendation of a third party proxy voting vendor, the requirements of this Section IV shall only apply if the Adviser intends to vote such proxy in a manner inconsistent with such third party recommendation.
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APPENDIX E
EATON VANCE MANAGEMENT
BOSTON MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH
EATON VANCE INVESTMENT COUNSEL
EATON VANCE TRUST COMPANY
EATON VANCE MANAGEMENT (INTERNATIONAL) LIMITED
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
I. Introduction
Eaton Vance Management, Boston Management and Research
,
Eaton Vance Investment Counsel
, Eaton Vance Management (International) Limited and Eaton Vance Trust Company
(each an Adviser and collectively the Advisers) have each adopted and implemented policies and procedures that each Adviser believes are reasonably designed to ensure that proxies are voted in the best interest of clients, in accordance with its fiduciary duties and, to the extent applicable, Rule 206(4)-6 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The Advisers authority to vote the proxies of their clients is established by their advisory contracts or similar documentation, such as the Eaton Vance Funds Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures. These proxy policies and procedures reflect the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requirements governing advisers and the long-standing fiduciary standards and responsibilities for ERISA accounts set out in the Department of Labor Bulletin 94-2 C.F.R. 2509.94-2 (July 29, 1994).
II. Overview
Each Adviser manages its clients assets with the overriding goal of seeking to provide the greatest possible return to such clients consistent with governing laws and the investment policies of each client. In pursuing that goal, each Adviser seeks to exercise its clients rights as shareholders of voting securities to support sound corporate governance of the companies issuing those securities with the principle aim of maintaining or enhancing the companies economic value.
The exercise of shareholder rights is generally done by casting votes by proxy at shareholder meetings on matters submitted to shareholders for approval (for example, the election of directors or the approval of a companys stock option plans for directors, officers or employees). Each Adviser
has established guidelines (
Guidelines
) as
described
below and
generally
will utilize such Guidelines in voting proxies on behalf of its clients.
The Guidelines are largely based on those developed by the Agent (defined below) but also reflect input from the Global Proxy Group (defined below) and other Adviser investment professionals and are believed to be consistent with the views of the Adviser on the various types of proxy proposals.
These Guidelines are designed to promote accountability of a companys management and board of directors to its shareholders and to align the interests of management with those of shareholders.
The Guidelines provide a framework for analysis and decision making but do not address all potential issues.
Except as noted below,
each Adviser will vote any proxies received by a client for which it has sole investment discretion through a third-party proxy voting service (Agent) in accordance with
the Guidelines
in a manner that is reasonably designed to eliminate any potential conflicts of interest, as described more fully below. The Agent is currently Institutional Shareholder Services Inc.
Where applicable,
proxies will be voted in accordance with client-specific guidelines
or, in the case of
an Eaton Vance
Fund that is sub-advised, pursuant to the
sub-advisers proxy voting policies and procedures
. Although an Adviser retains the services of the Agent for research and voting recommendations, the Adviser remains responsible for proxy voting decisions
.
III. Roles and Responsibilities
A. Proxy Administrator
The Proxy Administrator
coordinates
the
consideration
of
proxies referred back to the Adviser by the Agent,
and
otherwise administers these
Procedures
. In the Proxy Administrators absence, another employee of the Adviser may perform
the Proxy
Administrators responsibilities
as
deemed appropriate by the
Global
Proxy Group.
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B. Agent
The Agent is responsible for coordinating with the clients custodians and the Advisers to ensure that all proxy materials received by the custodians relating to the portfolio securities are processed in a timely fashion.
Each Adviser shall instruct the custodian for its clients
to
deliver proxy ballots and related materials to the Agent. The Agent shall
vote and/or refer all proxies in accordance with the Guidelines
. The Agent shall retain a record of all proxy votes handled by the Agent.
With respect to each Eaton Vance Fund memorialized therein,
such record must reflect all of the information required to be disclosed in
the
Funds Form N-PX pursuant to Rule 30b1-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, to the extent applicable. In addition, the Agent is responsible for maintaining copies of all proxy statements received by issuers and to promptly provide such materials to an Adviser upon request.
Subject to the oversight of the Advisers, the Agent shall establish and maintain adequate internal controls and policies in connection with the provision of proxy voting services to the Advisers, including methods to reasonably ensure that its analysis and recommendations are not influenced by a conflict of interest, and shall disclose such controls and policies to the Advisers when and as provided for herein. Unless otherwise specified, references herein to recommendations of the Agent shall refer to those in which no conflict of interest has been identified. The Advisers are responsible for the ongoing oversight of the Agent as contemplated by SEC Staff Legal Bulletin No. 20 (June 30, 2014). Such oversight currently may include one or more of the following:
periodic review of Agents proxy voting platform and reporting capabilities (including recordkeeping);
periodic review of a sample of ballots for accuracy and correct application of the Guidelines;
periodic meetings with Agents client services team;
periodic in-person and/or web-based due diligence meetings;
receipt and review of annual certifications received from the Agent; and/or
annual review of due diligence materials provided by the Agent, including review of procedures and practices regarding potential conflicts of interests.
C. Global Proxy Group
The Adviser shall establish a
Global
Proxy Group which
is responsible for establishing the Guidelines (described below) and reviewing such Guidelines at least annually. The Global Proxy Group
shall
also
review
recommendations
to vote proxies in a manner that is contrary to the Guidelines and
when
the
proxy
relates
to
a conflicted company of the Adviser or the Agent as described below.
The members of the Global Proxy Group shall include the Chief Equity Investment Officer of Eaton Vance Management (EVM) and selected members of the Equity Departments of EVM and Eaton Vance Management (International) Limited (EVMI).
The Proxy Administrator
is not a voting member of the Global Proxy Group.
Members of the
Global
Proxy Group
may be
changed
from time to time at the Advisers discretion.
Matters that require the approval of the Global Proxy Group may be acted upon by its member(s) available to consider the matter.
IV. Proxy Voting
A. The Guidelines
The Global Proxy Group shall establish recommendations for the manner in which proxy proposals shall be voted (the Guidelines). The Guidelines shall identify when ballots for specific types of proxy proposals shall be voted (1) or referred to the Adviser. The Guidelines shall address a wide variety of individual topics, including, among other matters, shareholder voting rights, anti-takeover defenses, board structures, the election of directors, executive and director compensation, reorganizations, mergers, issues of corporate social responsibility and other proposals affecting shareholder rights. In determining the Guidelines, the Global Proxy Group considers the recommendations of the Agent as well as input from the Advisers portfolio managers and analysts and/or other internally developed or third party research.
The Global Proxy Group shall review the Guidelines at least annually and, in connection with proxies to be voted on behalf of the Eaton Vance Funds, the Adviser will submit amendments to the Guidelines to the Fund Boards each year for approval.
With respect to the types of proxy proposals listed below, the Guidelines will generally provide as follows:
1 . Proposals Regarding Mergers and Corporate Restructurings /Disposition of Assets/Termination/Liquidation and Mergers
The Agent shall be directed to refer proxy proposals accompanied by its written analysis and voting recommendation to the Proxy Administrator for all proposals relating to Mergers and Corporate Restructurings.
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2
. Corporate Structure Matters/Anti-Takeover Defenses
As a general matter, the Advisers will normally vote against anti-takeover measures and other proposals designed to limit the ability of shareholders to act on possible transactions (except in the case of closed-end management investment companies).
3. Proposals Regarding Proxy Contests
The Agent shall be directed to refer contested proxy proposals accompanied by its written analysis and voting recommendation to the Proxy Administrator.
4 . Social and Environmental Issues
The Advisers generally support management on social and environmental proposals.
Interpretation and application of the Guidelines is not intended to supersede any law, regulation, binding agreement or other legal requirement to which an issuer or the Adviser may be or become subject. The Guidelines generally relate to the types of proposals that are most frequently presented in proxy statements to shareholders. In certain circumstances, an Adviser may determine to vote contrary to the Guidelines subject to the voting procedures set forth below.
B . Voting Procedures
Except as noted in Section V below
, the Proxy Administrator
shall instruct the Agent to vote proxies as follows:
1. Vote in Accordance with Guidelines
If the Guidelines prescribe the manner in which the proxy is to be voted, the Agent shall vote in accordance with the Guidelines, which for certain types of proposals, are recommendations of the Agent made on a case-by-case basis.
2. Seek Guidance for a Referred Item or a Proposal for which there is No Guideline
If (i) the Guidelines state that the proxy shall be referred to the Adviser to determine the manner in which it should be voted or (ii) a proxy is received for a proposal for which there is no Guideline, the Proxy Administrator shall consult with the analyst(s) covering the company subject to the proxy proposal and shall instruct the Agent to vote in accordance with the determination of the analyst. The Proxy Administrator will maintain a record of all proxy proposals that are referred by
the Agent, as well as
all applicable recommendations, analysis and research received and the resolution of the matter. Where more than one analyst covers a particular company and the recommendations of such analysts for voting a proposal subject to this Section IV.B.2 conflict, the Global Proxy Group shall review such recommendations and any other available information related to the proposal and determine the manner in which it should be voted, which may result in different recommendations for clients (including Funds).
3.
Votes
Contrary to
the Guidelines
or
Where
Agent
is Conflicted
In the event
an analyst with respect to companies
within
his or her coverage area may recommend a vote contrary to the Guidelines, the Proxy Administrator will provide the Global Proxy Group with the
Agents recommendation
for
the
Proposal along
with
any other
relevant
materials, including a description of the basis for the analysts
recommendation
via email and
the Proxy Administrator will
then
instruct the Agent to vote the proxy
in the manner determined
by the
Global
Proxy Group. The Adviser will provide a report to the Boards of Trustees of the Eaton Vance Funds reflecting any votes cast on behalf of the Eaton Vance Funds contrary to the Guidelines
, and shall do so quarterly. A similar process will be followed if the Agent has a conflict of interest with respect to a proxy as described in Section VI.B
.
4. Do Not Cast
a
Vote
It shall generally be the policy of the Advisers to take no action on a
proxy
for which no client holds a position or otherwise maintains an economic interest in the relevant security at the time the vote is to be cast. In addition, the Advisers may determine not to vote (i) if the economic effect on shareholders' interests or the value of the portfolio holding is indeterminable or insignificant (
e.g.,
proxies in connection with securities no longer held in the portfolio of a client or proxies being considered on behalf of a client that is no longer in existence); (ii) if the cost of voting a proxy outweighs the benefits (
e.g.,
certain international proxies, particularly in cases in which share blocking practices may impose trading restrictions on the relevant portfolio security); or (iii) in markets in which shareholders' rights are limited, and the Adviser is unable to timely access ballots or other proxy information. Non-Votes may also result in certain cases in which the Agent's recommendation has been deemed to be conflicted, as provided for herein.
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C. Securities on Loan
When a fund client participates in the lending of its securities and the securities are on loan at the record date for a shareholder meeting, proxies related to such securities generally will not be forwarded to the relevant Adviser
by the
funds custodian and therefore will not be voted. In the event that the Adviser determines that the matters involved would have a material effect on the
applicable
funds investment in the loaned securities, the Adviser will make reasonable efforts to terminate the loan in time to be able to cast such vote or exercise such consent. The Adviser shall instruct the funds security lending agent to refrain from lending the full position of
any
security held by a fund to ensure that the Adviser receives notice of proxy proposals impacting the loaned security
.
V. Recordkeeping
The Advisers will maintain records relating to the proxies they vote on behalf of their clients in accordance with Section 204-2 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. Those records will include:
·
A copy of the Advisers proxy voting policies and procedures;
·
Proxy statements received regarding client securities. Such proxy statements received from issuers are either in the SECs EDGAR database or are kept by the Agent and are available upon request;
·
A record of each vote cast;
·
A copy of any document created by the Advisers that was material to making a decision on how to vote a proxy for a client or that memorializes the basis for such a decision; and
·
Each written client request for proxy voting records and the Advisers written response to any client request (whether written or oral) for such records.
All records described above will be maintained in an easily accessible place for five years and will be maintained in the offices of the Advisers or their Agent for two years after they are created.
Notwithstanding anything contained in this Section V, Eaton Vance Trust Company shall maintain records relating to the proxies it votes on behalf of its clients in accordance with laws and regulations applicable to it and its activities. In addition, EVMI shall maintain records relating to the proxies it votes on behalf of its clients in accordance with UK law.
VI. Assessment of Agent and Identification and Resolution of Conflicts with Clients
A. Assessment of Agent
The Advisers shall establish that the Agent (i) is independent from the Advisers, (ii) has resources that indicate it can competently provide analysis of proxy issues, and (iii) can make recommendations in an impartial manner and in the best interests of the clients and, where applicable, their beneficial owners. The Advisers shall utilize, and the Agent shall comply with, such methods for establishing the foregoing as the Advisers may deem reasonably appropriate and shall do so not less than annually as well as prior to engaging the services of any new proxy voting service. The Agent shall also notify the Advisers in writing within fifteen (15) calendar days of any material change to information previously provided to an Adviser in connection with establishing the Agents independence, competence or impartiality.
B. Conflicts of Interest
As fiduciaries to their clients, each Adviser puts the interests of its clients ahead of its own. In order to ensure that relevant personnel of the Advisers are able to identify potential material conflicts of interest, each Adviser will take the following steps:
·
Quarterly, the Eaton Vance Legal and Compliance Department will seek information from the department heads of each department of the Advisers and of Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. (EVD) (an affiliate of the Advisers and principal underwriter of certain Eaton Vance Funds). Each department head will be asked to provide a list of significant clients or prospective clients of the Advisers or EVD.
·
A representative of the Legal and Compliance Department will compile a list of the companies identified (the Conflicted Companies) and provide that list to the Proxy Administrator.
·
The Proxy Administrator will compare the list of Conflicted Companies with the names of companies for which he or she has been referred a proxy statement (the Proxy Companies). If a Conflicted Company is also a Proxy Company, the Proxy Administrator will report that fact to the Global Proxy Group.
·
If the Proxy Administrator expects to instruct the Agent to vote the proxy of the Conflicted Company strictly according to the Guidelines contained in these Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (the Policies) or the recommendation of the Agent, as applicable, he or she will (i) inform the Global Proxy Group of that fact, (ii) instruct the Agent to vote the proxies and (iii) record the existence of the material conflict and the resolution of the matter.
Parametric Funds
96
SAI dated May 1, 2016
·
If the Proxy Administrator intends to instruct the Agent to vote in a manner inconsistent with the Guidelines
, the Global Proxy Group
will then determine if a material conflict of interest exists between the relevant Adviser and its clients
(
in consultation with
the Legal and Compliance Department if needed). If the Global Proxy Group
determines that a material conflict exists, prior to instructing the Agent to vote any proxies relating to these Conflicted Companies the Adviser will seek instruction on how the proxy should be voted from:
·
The client, in the case of an individual, corporate, institutional or benefit plan client;
·
In the case of a Fund, its board of directors, any committee
,
sub-committee or group of Independent Trustees (as long as such committee, sub-committee or group contains at least two or more Independent Trustees); or
·
The adviser, in situations where the Adviser acts as a sub-adviser to such adviser.
The Adviser will provide all reasonable assistance to each party to enable such party to make an informed decision.
If the client, Fund board or adviser, as the case may be, fails to instruct the Adviser on how to vote the proxy, the Adviser will generally instruct the Agent, through the Proxy Administrator, to abstain from voting in order to avoid the appearance of impropriety. If however, the failure of the Adviser to vote its clients proxies would have a material adverse economic impact on the Advisers clients securities holdings in the Conflicted Company, the Adviser may instruct the Agent, through the Proxy Administrator, to vote such proxies in order to protect its clients interests. In either case, the Proxy Administrator will record the existence of the material conflict and the resolution of the matter.
The Advisers shall also identify and address conflicts that may arise from time to time concerning the Agent. Upon the Advisers request, which shall be not less than annually, and within fifteen (15) calendar days of any material change to such information previously provided to an Adviser, the Agent shall provide the Advisers with such information as the Advisers deem reasonable and appropriate for use in determining material relationships of the Agent that may pose a conflict of interest with respect to the Agents proxy analysis or recommendations. Such information shall include, but is not limited to, a monthly report from the Agent detailing the Agents Corporate Securities Division clients and related revenue data. The Advisers shall review such information on a monthly basis. The Proxy Administrator shall instruct the Agent to refer any proxies for which a material conflict of the Agent is deemed to be present to the Proxy Administrator. Any such proxy referred by the Agent shall be referred to the Global Proxy Group for consideration accompanied by the Agents written analysis and voting recommendation. The Proxy Administrator will instruct the Agent to vote the proxy as recommended by the Global Proxy Group.
(1)
The Guidelines will prescribe how a proposal shall be voted or provide factors to be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Agent in recommending a vote pursuant to the Guidelines.
Parametric Funds
97
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX F
PARAMETRIC PORTFOLIO ASSOCIATES LLC
PROXY VOTING POLICIE S AND PROCEDURES
Policy
Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC (Parametric) has adopted and implemented these policies and procedures which it believes are reasonably designed to ensure that proxies are voted in the best interests of clients, in accordance with its fiduciary obligations and applicable regulatory requirements. Parametric will generally vote proxies in accordance with its Proxy Voting Guidelines, attached hereto as Exhibit A, which are set and annually reviewed by the firms Proxy Voting Committee. Parametric will consider potential conflicts of interest when voting proxies and disclose material conflicts to clients. Parametric will promptly provide these policies and procedures, as well as proxy voting records, to its clients upon request. As required, Parametric will retain appropriate proxy voting books and records. In the event that Parametric engages a third party to administer and vote proxies on behalf a client, it will evaluate the service providers conflicts of interest procedures and confirm its abilities to vote proxies in the clients best interest.
Regulatory Requirements
Rule 206(4)-6 under the Investment Advisers Act requires that an investment adviser that exercises voting authority over client proxies to adopt and implement policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure that the adviser votes proxies in the best interest of the client. The rule specifically requires that the policies and procedures describe how the adviser addresses material conflicts of interest with respect to proxy voting. The rule also requires an adviser to disclose to its clients information about those policies and procedures, and how the client may obtain information on how the adviser has voted the clients proxies. In addition, Rule 204-2 under the Act requires an adviser to retain certain records related to proxy voting.
Responsibility
The Proxy Voting Coordinator is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the firms proxy voting practices, including voting proxies on behalf of clients. The Proxy Voting Committee is responsible for monitoring Parametrics proxy voting practices, reviewing Parametrics proxy voting guidelines on an annual basis, and evaluating any service providers engaged to vote proxies on behalf of clients. The Compliance Department is responsible for annually reviewing these policies and procedures to verify that they are adequate, appropriate and effective.
Procedures
Parametric has adopted and implemented procedures to ensure the firms proxy voting policies are observed, executed properly and amended or updated, as appropriate. The procedures are summarized as follows:
New Accounts
Parametric is generally delegated the responsibility to vote proxies on behalf of clients. This responsibility is typically established in the investment advisory agreement between the client and Parametric. If not set forth in the advisory agreement, Parametric will assume the responsibility to vote proxies on the clients behalf unless it has received written instruction from the client not to.
On a monthly basis, Operations performs a reconciliation to ensure that Parametric is receiving and voting proxies for all client accounts, including new client accounts, for which it is responsible for voting client proxies.
Proxy Voting Administration
Parametrics proxy voting is administered on a daily basis by a Proxy Voting Coordinator, who is a member of Parametrics Operations Department. The Coordinator is responsible for ensuring proxies are received and voted in accordance with Parametrics Proxy Voting Guidelines or other specified guidelines set and provided by a client.
Parametric utilizes Broadridges ProxyEdge, an automated tool which enables the firm to manage, track, reconcile and report proxy voting. Parametric utilizes ProxyEdge to ensure that all proxies are received and voted in timely manner. ProxyEdge receives a daily, automated feed from Parametrics internal accounting system which contains real-time client accounts and holdings data.
In the event that Parametric receives a proxy issue that is not addressed in its Proxy Voting Guidelines, the Proxy Voting Coordinator will consult with an Operations Supervisor to confirm that the firms guidelines do not apply to the proxy issue. If confirmed, the Coordinator will forward the proxy to an appropriate Portfolio Manager for a decision how to vote the proxy in the clients best interest. The Portfolio Managers decision will be documented by the Coordinator and reported to the Proxy Voting Committee for review at their next meeting.
Parametric Funds
98
SAI dated May 1, 2016
The Coordinator may abstain from voting a proxy on behalf of a client account if the economic effect on shareholders interests or the value of the holding is indeterminable or insignificant (e.g., the security is no longer held in the client portfolio) or if the cost of voting the proxy outweighs the potential benefit (e.g., international proxies which share blocking practices may impose trading restrictions). The Proxy Voting Committee will review all abstentions to confirm they were in the clients best interest.
A secondary review of proxy votes submitted by the Proxy Voting Coordinator is performed by an Operations Supervisor on a regular basis, to verify that the Coordinator has voted all proxies and voted them consistent with the appropriate proxy voting guidelines.
Proxy Voting Committee
Parametric has established a Proxy Voting Committee (the Committee), which shall meet on a quarterly basis to oversee and monitor the firms proxy voting practices. The Committees charter is attached hereto as Exhibit B.
The Committee will consider requests (from clients or Portfolio Managers) to vote a proxy contrary to the firms Proxy Voting Guidelines. The Committee will document its rationale for approving or denying the request.
On an annual basis, the Committee will review and, if necessary, revise the firms Proxy Voting Guidelines to ensure they are current, appropriate and designed to serve the best interests of clients and fund shareholders.
In the event that Parametric deems it to be in a clients best interest to engage a third party to vote client proxies, the Committee will exercise due diligence to ensure that the third party firm can make recommendations and or vote proxies in an impartial manner and in the best interest of the client. This evaluation will consider the proxy voting firms business and conflict of interest procedures, and confirm that the procedures address the firms conflicts. On an annual basis, the Committee will evaluate the performance any third-party proxy voting firms and reconsider if changes have impacted their conflict of interest procedures. Initial and ongoing due diligence evaluations shall be documented in writing.
Conflicts of interest
The Proxy Voting Committee will identify and actively monitor potential material conflicts of interest which may compromise Parametrics ability to vote a proxy issue in the best interest of clients. The Committee will maintain a list of Potential Material Conflicts related to proxy voting and provide it to the Proxy Voting Coordinator whenever it is updated. The list shall identify potential conflicts resulting from business relationships with clients, potential clients, service providers, and the firms affiliates.
Each proxy is reviewed by the Proxy Voting Coordinator to assess the extent to which there may be a material conflict between Parametrics interests and those of the client. The Coordinator may consult with the Operations Supervisor to determine if a potential conflict exists. If so determined, the Coordinator will report the potential conflict to the Proxy Voting Committee, which will consider the relevant facts and determine if the conflict is material. If not, the proxy will be voted in accordance with Parametrics Proxy Voting Guidelines.
If the Proxy Voting Committee determines a material conflict exists, Parametric will refrain from voting the proxy until it has disclosed the conflict to clients and obtain their consent or instruction as how to vote the proxy. Parametric shall provide all necessary information to clients when seeking their instruction and/or consent in voting the proxy.
If a client is unresponsive and fails to provide Parametric with instruction or consent to vote the proxy, the Proxy Voting Committee shall make a good faith determination as how to vote the proxy (which may include abstaining from voting the proxy) and provide appropriate instruction to the Proxy Voting Coordinator. The Committee shall document the rationale for making its final determination.
Proxy Voting Disclosure Responsibilities
As a sub-adviser to various mutual funds registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, Parametric will, upon each funds request, compile and transmit in a timely manner all data required to be filed on Form N-PX to the appropriate funds administrator or third party service provider designated by the funds administrator.
Parametric will promptly report any material changes to these policies and procedures to its mutual fund clients in accordance with their respective policies and procedures, to ensure that the revised policies and procedures may be properly reviewed by the funds Boards of Trustees/Directors and included in the funds annual registration statements.
Parametric Funds
99
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Solicitations and Information Requests
Parametrics proxy voting policies and procedures are summarized and described to clients in Item 17 of the firms Form ADV Brochure (Form ADV Part 2A). Parametric will promptly provide a copy of these proxy voting policies and procedures, which may be updated from time to time, to a client upon their request.
Parametrics Form ADV Brochure discloses to clients how they may obtain information from Parametric about how it voted proxies on their behalf. Parametric will provide proxy voting information free of charge upon written request.
Parametric will not reveal or disclose to any third-party how it may have voted or intends to vote a proxy until its vote has been counted at the respective shareholders meeting. Parametric may in any event disclose its general voting guidelines. No employee of Parametric may accept any benefit in the solicitation of proxies.
Compliance Review
On a regular basis, but not less than annually, the Compliance Department will review proxy voting to verify that Parametric has voted proxies in accordance with the firms proxy voting guidelines and in clients best interests.
On an annual basis, the Compliance Department will review the firms proxy voting policies and procedures to confirm that they are adequate, effective, and designed to ensure that proxies are voted in clients best interests.
Class Actions
Parametric generally does not file or respond to class action claims on behalf of clients unless specifically obligated to do so under the terms of the clients investment advisory agreement. Parametric will retain appropriate documentation regarding any determinations made on behalf of a client with regard to a class action claim or settlement.
Recordkeeping
Parametric
will maintain
proxy voting
books
and
records
in
an easily accessible place for a period of six years, the first two years
in
the firms
appropriate office location.
Parametric will maintain all requisite
proxy voting
books
and
records, including but not limited to: (1)
proxy
voting policies and procedures, (2)
proxy
statements received
on
behalf of
client
accounts, (3) proxies voted, (4) copies of any documents that were material to making a decision
how
to vote proxies, and (5)
client
requests for proxy voting records and Parametrics written response to any
client
request
.
Parametric Funds
100
SAI dated May 1, 2016
STATEMENT OF
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
Class A Shares - EVIFX Class B Shares - EMIFX Class C Shares - ECIFX
Class I Shares - EIIFX Class R Shares - ERIFX Class R6 Shares - ESIFX
Two International Place
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
1-800-262-1122
This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) provides general information about the Fund and its underlying Portfolios. The Fund and Portfolios are diversified, open-end management investment companies. The Fund is a series of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust. Capitalized terms used in this SAI and not otherwise defined have the meanings given to them in the Prospectus.
This SAI contains additional information about:
|
Page |
|
|
Page |
Strategies and Risks |
2 |
|
Sales Charges |
21 |
Investment Restrictions |
5 |
|
Performance |
23 |
Management and Organization |
6 |
|
Taxes |
25 |
Investment Advisory and Administrative Services |
16 |
|
Portfolio Securities Transactions |
33 |
Other Service Providers |
19 |
|
Financial Statements |
35 |
Calculation of Net Asset Value |
19 |
|
Additional Information About Investment Strategies |
36 |
Purchasing and Redeeming Shares |
20 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Appendix A: Class A Fees, Performance and Ownership |
67 |
|
Appendix E: Class R Fees, Performance and Ownership |
74 |
Appendix B: Class B Fees, Performance and Ownership |
69 |
|
Appendix F: Class R6 Performance and Ownership |
75 |
Appendix C: Class C Fees, Performance and Ownership |
71 |
|
Appendix G: Eaton Vance Funds Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures |
76 |
Appendix D: Class I Performance and Ownership |
73 |
|
Appendix H: Adviser Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures |
78 |
This SAI is NOT a prospectus and is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only if preceded or accompanied by the Fund Prospectus dated May 1, 2016, as supplemented from time to time, which is incorporated herein by reference. This SAI should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus, which may be obtained by calling 1-800-262-1122.
© 2016 Eaton Vance Management
Definitions
The following terms that may be used in this SAI have the meaning set forth below:
1940 Act means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended;
1933 Act means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended;
Board means Board of Trustees or Board of Directors, as applicable;
CEA means Commodity Exchange Act;
CFTC means the Commodity Futures Trading Commission;
Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;
Eaton Vance family of funds means all registered investment companies advised, administered and/or distributed by Eaton Vance or its affiliates;
Eaton Vance funds means the mutual funds sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization;
Exchange means the New York Stock Exchange;
FINRA means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority;
Fund means the Fund or Funds listed on the cover of this SAI unless stated otherwise;
investment adviser means the investment adviser identified in the prospectus and, with respect to the implementation of the Funds investment strategies (including as described under Taxes) and portfolio securities transactions, any sub-adviser identified in the prospectus;
IRS means the Internal Revenue Service;
Portfolio means a registered investment company (other than the Fund) sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization in which one or more Funds and other investors may invest substantially all or any portion of their assets as described in the prospectus, if applicable;
Subsidiary means a wholly-owned subsidiary that certain funds may have established to pursue their investment objective. The Fund described in this SAI has not established a subsidiary;
SEC means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; and
Trust means Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust, of which the Fund is a series.
STRATEGIES AND RISKS
The Fund prospectus identifies the types of investments in which the Fund will principally invest in seeking its investment objective(s) and the principal risks associated therewith. The categories checked in the table below are all of the investments the Fund is permitted to make, including its principal investments and the investment practices the Fund (either directly or through one or more Portfolios as may be described in the prospectus) is permitted to engage in. To the extent that an investment type or practice listed below is not identified in the Fund prospectus as a principal investment strategy, the Fund generally expects to invest less than 5% of its total assets in such investment type. If a particular investment type or practice that is checked and listed below but not referred to in the prospectus becomes a more significant part of the Funds strategy, the prospectus may be amended to disclose that investment type or practice. If applicable, Fund as used herein and under Additional Information About Investment Strategies refers to the Fund and its corresponding Portfolios listed in the table below. Information about the various investment types and practices and the associated risks checked below is included in alphabetical order in this SAI under Additional Information about Investment Strategies. ”
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
2
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Investment Type |
Permitted for or Relevant to: |
|
|
Core Bond Portfolio |
Stock Portfolio |
Asset-Backed Securities ( “ ABS ” ) |
√ |
|
Auction Rate Securities |
√ |
|
Build America Bonds |
√ |
|
Call and Put Features on Securities |
√ |
|
Cash Equivalents |
√ |
√ |
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations ( “ CMOs ” ) |
√ |
|
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities ( “ CMBS ” ) |
√ |
|
Commodity-Related Investments |
|
|
Common Stocks |
√ |
√ |
Contingent Convertible Securities |
√ |
√ |
Convertible Securities |
√ |
√ |
Credit Linked Securities |
√ |
|
Derivative Instruments and Related Risks |
√ |
√ |
Direct Investments |
|
√ |
Derivative-Linked and Commodity-Linked Hybrid Instruments |
|
|
Emerging Market Investments |
√ |
√ |
Equity Investments |
√ |
√ |
Equity-Linked Securities |
|
|
Exchange-Traded Funds ( “ ETFs ” ) |
√ |
√ |
Exchange-Traded Notes ( “ ETNs ” ) |
|
|
Fixed-Income Securities |
√ |
√ |
Foreign Currency Transactions |
√ |
√ |
Foreign Investments |
√ |
√ |
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts |
√ |
√ |
Forward Rate Agreements |
√ |
|
Futures Contracts |
√ (1) |
√ |
High Yield Securities |
√ |
√ |
Hybrid Securities |
√ |
√ |
Illiquid Securities |
√ |
√ |
Indexed Securities |
|
|
Inflation-Indexed (or Inflation-Linked) Bonds |
√ |
|
Junior Loans |
|
|
Liquidity or Protective Put Agreements |
|
|
Loans |
|
|
Master Limited Partnerships ( “ MLPs ” ) |
√ |
√ |
Mortgage-Backed Securities ( “ MBS ” ) |
√ |
|
Mortgage Dollar Rolls |
√ |
|
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
3
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Investment Type |
Permitted for or Relevant to: |
|
|
Core Bond Portfolio |
Stock Portfolio |
Municipal Lease Obligations ( “ MLOs ” ) |
|
|
Municipal Obligations |
√ |
|
Option Contracts |
√ (2) |
√ |
Pooled Investment Vehicles |
√ |
√ |
Preferred Stock |
√ |
√ |
Real Estate Investments |
√ |
√ |
Repurchase Agreements |
√ |
√ |
Residual Interest Bonds |
|
|
Restricted Securities |
√ |
√ |
Reverse Repurchase Agreements |
|
|
Rights and Warrants |
√ |
√ |
Royalty Bonds |
|
|
Senior Loans |
|
|
Short Sales |
√ |
√ |
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities ( “ SMBS ” ) |
√ |
|
Structured Notes |
√ |
|
Swap Agreements |
√ |
√ |
Swaptions |
√ |
√ |
Trust Certificates |
√ |
|
U.S. Government Securities |
√ |
|
Unlisted Securities |
|
|
Variable Rate Instruments |
√ |
|
When-Issued Securities, Delayed Delivery and Forward Commitments |
√ |
√ |
Zero Coupon Bonds |
√ |
|
Other Disclosures Regarding Investment Practices |
Permitted for or Relevant to: |
|
|
Core Bond Portfolio |
Stock Portfolio |
Asset Coverage |
√ |
√ |
Average Effective Maturity |
√ |
|
Borrowing for Investment Purposes |
|
|
Borrowing for Temporary Purposes |
√ |
√ |
Cyber Security Risk |
√ |
√ |
Diversified Status |
√ |
√ |
Dividend Capture Trading |
|
|
Duration |
√ |
|
Investing in a Portfolio |
√ |
√ |
Investments in the Subsidiary |
|
|
Loan Facility |
|
|
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
4
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Other Disclosures Regarding Investment Practices |
Permitted for or Relevant to: |
|
|
Core Bond Portfolio |
Stock Portfolio |
Operational Risk |
√ |
√ |
Option Strategy |
|
|
Participation in the ReFlow Liquidity Program (3) |
√ |
√ |
Portfolio Turnover |
√ |
√ |
Securities Lending |
√ |
√ |
Short-Term Trading |
√ |
|
Significant Exposure to Health Sciences Companies |
|
|
Significant Exposure to Smaller Companies |
|
√ |
Significant Exposure to Utility and Financial Services Companies |
|
|
Tax-Managed Investing |
|
|
(1)
Foreign exchange traded futures contracts and options thereon may be used only if the investment adviser determines that the trading on such foreign exchange does not entail risks, including credit and liquidity risks, that are materially greater than the risks associated with trading on CFTC-regulated exchanges.
(2)
A put option on a security may be written only if the investment adviser intends to acquire the security. Credit exposure on equity swaps to any one counterparty will be limited 5% or less of net assets. Call options written on securities will be covered by ownership of the securities subject to the call option or an offsetting option.
(3)
A Fund investing in a Portfolio may participate in the ReFlow Liquidity Program.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The following investment restrictions of the Fund are designated as fundamental policies and as such cannot be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Funds outstanding voting securities, which as used in this SAI means the lesser of: (a) 67% of the shares of the Fund 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 the outstanding shares of the Fund. Accordingly, the Fund may not:
(1)
Borrow money or issue senior securities, except as permitted by the 1940 Act.
(2)
With respect to 75% of its total assets, invest more than 5% of its total assets taken at market value in the securities of any one issuer, or in more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer, except obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities and except securities of other investment companies.
(3)
Make loans to any person except by (a) the acquisition of debt securities and making portfolio investments, (b) entering into repurchase agreements or (c) lending portfolio securities.
(4)
Purchase securities on margin (but the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of securities).
(5)
Invest in real estate (although it may purchase and sell securities which are secured by real estate and securities of companies which invest or deal in real estate); or
(6)
Invest in physical commodities or commodity contracts for the purchase and sale of physical commodities.
(7)
Invest 25% or more of the value of its total assets at the time of acquisition in any one industry with public utility companies (being electric utility companies, natural gas producing companies, transmission companies, telephone companies, and water works companies) being considered separate industries.
In addition, the Fund and its corresponding Portfolios may not underwrite securities of other issuers.
For purposes of determining industry classifications, the investment adviser considers an issuer to be in a particular industry if a third party has designated the issuer to be in that industry, unless the investment adviser is aware of circumstances that make the third partys classification inappropriate. In such a case, the investment adviser will assign an industry classification to the issuer.
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
5
SAI dated May 1, 2016
The Funds borrowing policy is consistent with Section 18(f) of the 1940 Act, which states that it shall be unlawful for any registered open-end company to issue any class of senior security or to sell any senior security of which it is the issuer, except that any such registered company shall be permitted to borrow from any bank; provided, that immediately after any such borrowing there is an asset coverage of at least 300% for all borrowings of such registered company; and provided further, that in the event that such asset coverage shall at any time fall below 300% such registered company shall, within three days thereafter (not including Sundays and holidays) or such longer period as the SEC may prescribe by rules and regulations, reduce the amount of its borrowings to an extent that the asset coverage of such borrowings shall be at least 300%.
Notwithstanding its investment policies and restrictions, the Fund may in compliance with the requirements of the 1940 Act invest (i) all of its investable assets in an open-end management investment company with substantially the same investment objective(s), policies and restrictions as the Fund; or (ii) in more than one open-end management investment company sponsored by Eaton Vance or its affiliates, provided any such company has the same investment objective(s), policies and restrictions as those of the Fund.
Each Portfolio has adopted substantially the same fundamental investment restrictions as the foregoing investment restrictions adopted by the Fund; such restrictions cannot be changed without the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Portfolio.
In addition, to the extent a registered open-end investment company acquires securities of a Portfolio in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(G) under the 1940 Act, such Portfolio shall not acquire any securities of a registered open-end investment company in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(G) under the 1940 Act.
The following nonfundamental investment policies have been adopted by the Fund and Portfolios. A nonfundamental investment policy may be changed by the Board with respect to the Fund without approval by the Funds shareholders or, with respect to a Portfolio, without approval of its corresponding Fund or its other investors. The Fund and Portfolios will not:
·
make short sales of securities or maintain a short position, unless at all times when a short position is open (i) it owns an equal amount of such securities or securities convertible into or exchangeable, without payment of any further consideration, for securities of the same issue as, and equal in amount to, the securities sold short or (ii) it holds in a segregated account cash or other liquid securities (to the extent required under the 1940 Act) in an amount equal to the current market value of the securities sold short, and unless not more than 25% of its net assets (taken at current value) is held as collateral for such sales at any one time; or
·
invest more than 15% of net assets in investments which are not readily marketable, including restricted securities and repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days. Restricted securities for the purposes of this limitation do not include securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act and commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of said Act that the members of the Board, or their delegate, determines to be liquid. Any such determination by a delegate will be made pursuant to procedures adopted by the Board. When investing in Rule 144A securities, the level of portfolio illiquidity may be increased to the extent that eligible buyers become uninterested in purchasing such securities.
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 acquisition by the Fund or Portfolio of such security or asset. Accordingly, unless otherwise noted, 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 investment adviser if the security is not rated by a rating agency), will not compel the Fund or Portfolio to dispose of such security or other asset. However, the Fund and Portfolios must always be in compliance with the borrowing policy and limitation on investing in illiquid securities set forth above. If a sale of securities is required to comply with the 15% limit on illiquid securities, such sales will be made in an orderly manner with consideration of the best interests of shareholders.
MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION
Fund Management. The Trustees of the Trust are responsible for the overall management and supervision of the affairs of the Trust. The Trustees of each Portfolio are responsible for the overall management and supervision of each Portfolio. The Board members and officers of the Trust and each Portfolio 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. Board members and officers of the Trust and each Portfolio hold indefinite terms of office. The noninterested Trustees consist of those Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust and each Portfolio, as that term is defined under the 1940 Act. The business address of each Board member and officer is Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. As used in this SAI, EVC refers to Eaton Vance Corp., EV refers to
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
6
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance, Inc., Eaton Vance refers to Eaton Vance Management, EVMI refers to Eaton Vance Management (International) Limited and EVD refers to Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. (see Principal Underwriter under Other Service Providers). EVC and EV are the corporate parent and trustee, respectively, of Eaton Vance and BMR. EVMI is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of EVC. Each officer affiliated with Eaton Vance may hold a position with other Eaton Vance affiliates that is comparable to his or her position with Eaton Vance listed below.
Name and Year of Birth |
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Trust/Portfolio
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Term of Office and
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Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
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Number of Portfolios
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Other Directorships Held
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Interested Trustee |
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THOMAS E. FAUST JR.
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Trustee |
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Of the Trust since 2007 and of Stock Portfolio since 2009 |
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Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of EVC, Director and President of EV, Chief Executive Officer and President of Eaton Vance and BMR, and Director of EVD and EVMI. Trustee and/or officer of 179 registered investment companies. Mr. Faust is an interested person because of his positions with BMR, Eaton Vance, EVC, EVD, EVMI and EV, which are affiliates of the Trust and Portfolio. |
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179 |
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Director of EVC and Hexavest Inc. (investment management firm). |
Noninterested Trustees |
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SCOTT E. ESTON
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Trustee |
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Since 2011 |
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Private investor. Formerly held various positions at Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo and Co., L.L.C. (investment management firm) (1997-2009), including Chief Operating Officer (2002-2009), Chief Financial Officer (1997-2009) and Chairman of the Executive Committee (2002-2008); President and Principal Executive Officer, GMO Trust (open-end registered investment company) (2006-2009). Former Partner, Coopers and Lybrand L.L.P. (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) (an independent registered public accounting firm) (1987-1997). |
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179 |
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None |
CYNTHIA E. FROST
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Trustee |
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Since 2014 |
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Private investor. Formerly, Chief Investment Officer of Brown University (university endowment) (2000-2012); Portfolio Strategist for Duke Management Company (university endowment manager) (1995-2000); Managing Director, Cambridge Associates (investment consulting company) (1989-1995); Consultant, Bain and Company (management consulting firm) (1987-1989); Senior Equity Analyst, BA Investment Management Company (1983-1985). |
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179 |
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None |
GEORGE J. GORMAN
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Trustee |
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Since 2014 |
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Principal at George J. Gorman LLC (consulting firm). Formerly, Senior Partner at Ernst & Young LLP (public accounting firm) (1974-2009). |
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179 |
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Formerly, Trustee of the Bank of America Money Market Funds Series Trust (2011-2014) and of the Ashmore Funds (2010-2014). |
VALERIE A. MOSLEY
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Trustee |
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Since 2014 |
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Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of Valmo Ventures (a consulting and investment firm). Former Partner and Senior Vice President, Portfolio Manager and Investment Strategist at Wellington Management Company, LLP (investment management firm) (1992-2012). Former Chief Investment Officer, PG Corbin Asset Management (1990-1992). Formerly worked in institutional corporate bond sales at Kidder Peabody (1986-1990). |
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179 |
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Director of Dynex Capital, Inc. (mortgage REIT) (since 2013). |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
7
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Name and Year of Birth |
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Trust/Portfolio
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Term of Office and
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Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
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Number of Portfolios
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Other Directorships Held
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WILLIAM H. PARK
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Vice-Chairperson of the Board and Trustee |
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Vice-Chairperson of the Board since 2016, Trustee of the Trust since 2003 and of Stock Portfolio since 2009 |
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Private investor. Formerly, Consultant (management and transactional) (2012-2014). Formerly, Chief Financial Officer, Aveon Group, L.P. (investment management firm) (2010-2011). Formerly, Vice Chairman, Commercial Industrial Finance Corp. (specialty finance company) (2006-2010). Formerly, President and Chief Executive Officer, Prizm Capital Management, LLC (investment management firm) (2002-2005). Formerly, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, United Asset Management Corporation (investment management firm) (1982-2001). Formerly, Senior Manager, Price Waterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) (an independent registered public accounting firm) (1972-1981). |
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179 |
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None |
HELEN FRAME PETERS
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Trustee |
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Of the Trust since 2008 and of Stock Portfolio since 2009 |
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Professor of Finance, Carroll School of Management, Boston College. Formerly, Dean, Carroll School of Management, Boston College (2000-2002). Formerly, Chief Investment Officer, Fixed Income, Scudder Kemper Investments (investment management firm) (1998-1999). Formerly, Chief Investment Officer, Equity and Fixed Income, Colonial Management Associates (investment management firm) (1991-1998). |
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179 |
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Formerly, Director of BJs Wholesale Club, Inc. (wholesale club retailer) (2004-2011). Formerly, Trustee of SPDR Index Shares Funds and SPDR Series Trust (exchange traded funds) (2000-2009). Formerly, Director of Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (a bank for banks) (2007-2009). |
SUSAN J. SUTHERLAND
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Trustee |
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Since 2015 |
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Private investor. Formerly, Associate, Counsel and Partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (law firm) (1982-2013). |
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179 |
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Formerly, Director of Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd. (global provider of customized insurance and reinsurance products) (2013-2015). |
HARRIETT TEE TAGGART
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Trustee |
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Since 2011 |
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Managing Director, Taggart Associates (a professional practice firm). Formerly, Partner and Senior Vice President, Wellington Management Company, LLP (investment management firm) (1983-2006). |
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179 |
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Director of Albemarle Corporation (chemicals manufacturer) (since 2007) and The Hanover Group (specialty property and casualty insurance company) (since 2009). Formerly, Director of Lubrizol Corporation (specialty chemicals) (2007-2011). |
RALPH F. VERNI
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Chairperson of the Board and Trustee |
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Chairperson of the Board since 2007 and Trustee of the Trust since 2005 and of Stock Portfolio since 2009 |
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Consultant and private investor. Formerly, Chief Investment Officer (1982-1992), Chief Financial Officer (1988-1990) and Director (1982-1992), New England Life. Formerly, Chairperson, New England Mutual Funds (1982-1992). Formerly, President and Chief Executive Officer, State Street Management & Research (1992-2000). Formerly, Chairperson, State Street Research Mutual Funds (1992-2000). Formerly, Director, W.P. Carey, LLC (1998-2004) and First Pioneer Farm Credit Corp. (financial services cooperative) (2002-2006). |
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179 |
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None |
(1)
Includes both master and feeder funds in a master-feeder structure.
(2)
During their respective tenures, the Trustees (except for Mmes. Frost and Sutherland and Mr. Gorman) also served as Board members of one or more of the following funds (which operated in the years noted): eUnits TM 2 Year U.S. Market Participation Trust: Upside to Cap / Buffered Downside (launched in 2012 and terminated in 2014); eUnits TM 2 Year U.S. Market Participation Trust II: Upside to
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
8
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Cap / Buffered Downside (launched in 2012 and terminated in 2014); and Eaton Vance National Municipal Income Trust (launched in 1998 and terminated in 2009). However, Ms. Mosley did not serve as a Board member of eUnits TM 2 Year U.S. Market Participation Trust: Upside to Cap / Buffered Downside (launched in 2012 and terminated in 2014).
Principal Officers who are not Trustees |
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Name and Year of Birth |
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Trust/Portfolio Position(s) |
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Term of Office and
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Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years |
PAYSON F. SWAFFIELD
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President of the Trust |
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Since 2013 |
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Vice President and Chief Income Investment Officer of Eaton Vance and BMR. Officer of 148 registered investment companies managed by Eaton Vance or BMR. |
CHARLES B. GAFFNEY
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President of Stock Portfolio |
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Since 2011 |
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Director of Equity Research and a Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR. Officer of 2 registered investment companies managed by Eaton Vance or BMR. |
MAUREEN A. GEMMA
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Vice President, Secretary and Chief Legal Officer |
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Vice President since 2011, Secretary and Chief Legal Officer of the Trust since 2007 and 2008, respectively, and of Stock Portfolio since 2009 |
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Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR. Officer of 179 registered investment companies managed by Eaton Vance or BMR. |
JAMES F. KIRCHNER
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Treasurer |
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Since 2013 |
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Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR. Officer of 179 registered investment companies managed by Eaton Vance or BMR. |
PAUL M. ONEIL
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Chief Compliance Officer |
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Of the Trust since 2004 and of Stock Portfolio since 2009 |
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Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR. Officer of 179 registered investment companies managed by Eaton Vance or BMR. |
The Board has general oversight responsibility with respect to the business and affairs of the Trust and the Fund. The Board has engaged an investment adviser and (if applicable) a sub-adviser (collectively the adviser) to manage the Fund and an administrator to administer the Fund and is responsible for overseeing such adviser and administrator and other service providers to the Trust and the Fund. The Board is currently composed of ten Trustees, including nine Trustees who are not interested persons of the Fund, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (each a noninterested Trustee). In addition to six regularly scheduled meetings per year, the Board holds special meetings or informal conference calls to discuss specific matters that may require action prior to the next regular meeting. As discussed below, the Board has established five committees to assist the Board in performing its oversight responsibilities.
The Board has appointed a noninterested Trustee to serve in the role of Chairperson. The Chairpersons primary role is to participate in the preparation of the agenda for meetings of the Board and the identification of information to be presented to the Board with respect to matters to be acted upon by the Board. The Chairperson also presides at all meetings of the Board and acts as a liaison with service providers, officers, attorneys, and other Board members generally between meetings. The Chairperson may perform such other functions as may be requested by the Board from time to time. In addition, the Board has appointed a noninterested Trustee to serve in the role of Vice-Chairperson. The Vice-Chairperson has the power and authority to perform any or all of the duties and responsibilities of the Chairperson in the absence of the Chairperson and/or as requested by the Chairperson. Except for any duties specified herein or pursuant to the Trusts Declaration of Trust or By-laws, the designation of Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson does not impose on such noninterested Trustee any duties, obligations or liability that is greater than the duties, obligations or liability imposed on such person as a member of the Board, generally. Each Portfolio has the same leadership structure as the Trust.
The Fund and the Trust are subject to a number of risks, including, among others, investment, compliance, operational, and valuation risks. Risk oversight is part of the Boards general oversight of the Fund and the Trust and is addressed as part of various activities of the Board and its Committees. As part of its oversight of the Fund and the Trust, the Board directly, or through a Committee, relies on and reviews reports from, among others, Fund management, the adviser, the administrator, the principal underwriter, the Chief Compliance Officer (the CCO), and other Fund service providers responsible for day-to-day oversight of Fund investments, operations and compliance to assist the Board in identifying and understanding the nature and extent of risks and determining whether, and to what extent, such risks can or should be mitigated. The Board also interacts with the CCO and with senior personnel of the adviser, administrator, principal underwriter and other Fund service providers and provides input on risk management issues during meetings of the Board and its Committees. Each of the adviser, administrator, principal underwriter and the other Fund service providers has its own, independent interest and responsibilities in risk management, and its policies and methods for carrying out risk management functions will depend, in part, on its individual priorities, resources and controls. It is not possible to identify all of the risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
controls to eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. Moreover, it is necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Funds goals.
The Board, with the assistance of management and with input from the Board's various committees, reviews investment policies and risks in connection with its review of Fund performance. The Board has appointed a Fund CCO who oversees the implementation and testing of the Fund compliance program and reports to the Board regarding compliance matters for the Fund and its principal service providers. In addition, as part of the Boards periodic review of the advisory, subadvisory (if applicable), distribution and other service provider agreements, the Board may consider risk management aspects of their operations and the functions for which they are responsible. With respect to valuation, the Board approves and periodically reviews valuation policies and procedures applicable to valuing the Funds shares. The administrator, the investment adviser and the sub-adviser (if applicable) are responsible for the implementation and day-to-day administration of these valuation policies and procedures and provides reports to the Audit Committee of the Board and the Board regarding these and related matters. In addition, the Audit Committee of the Board or the Board receives reports periodically from the independent public accounting firm for the Fund regarding tests performed by such firm on the valuation of all securities, as well as with respect to other risks associated with mutual funds. Reports received from service providers, legal counsel and the independent public accounting firm assist the Board in performing its oversight function. Each Portfolio has the same risk oversight approach as the Fund and the Trust.
The Trusts Declaration of Trust does not set forth any specific qualifications to serve as a Trustee. The Charter of the Governance Committee also does not set forth any specific qualifications, but does set forth certain factors that the Committee may take into account in considering noninterested Trustee candidates. In general, no one factor is decisive in the selection of an individual to join the Board. Among the factors the Board considers when concluding that an individual should serve on the Board are the following: (i) knowledge in matters relating to the mutual fund industry; (ii) experience as a director or senior officer of public companies; (iii) educational background; (iv) reputation for high ethical standards and professional integrity; (v) specific financial, technical or other expertise, and the extent to which such expertise would complement the Board members existing mix of skills, core competencies and qualifications; (vi) perceived ability to contribute to the ongoing functions of the Board, including the ability and commitment to attend meetings regularly and work collaboratively with other members of the Board; (vii) the ability to qualify as a noninterested Trustee for purposes of the 1940 Act and any other actual or potential conflicts of interest involving the individual and the Fund; and (viii) such other factors as the Board determines to be relevant in light of the existing composition of the Board.
Among the attributes or skills common to all Board members are their ability to review critically, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, to interact effectively with the other members of the Board, management, sub-advisers, other service providers, counsel and independent registered public accounting firms, and to exercise effective and independent business judgment in the performance of their duties as members of the Board. Each Board members ability to perform his or her duties effectively has been attained through the Board members business, consulting, public service and/or academic positions and through experience from service as a member of the Boards of the Eaton Vance family of funds (Eaton Vance Fund Boards) (and/or in other capacities, including for any predecessor funds), public companies, or non-profit entities or other organizations as set forth below. Each Board members ability to perform his or her duties effectively also has been enhanced by his or her educational background, professional training, and/or other life experiences.
In respect of each current member of the Board, the individuals substantial professional accomplishments and experience, including in fields related to the operations of registered investment companies, were a significant factor in the determination that the individual should serve as a member of the Board. The following is a summary of each Board members particular professional experience and additional considerations that contributed to the Boards conclusion that he or she should serve as a member of the Board:
Scott E. Eston. Mr. Eston has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2011 and is the Chairperson of the Contract Review Committee. He currently serves on the board and on the investment committee of Michigan State University Foundation, and on the investment advisory sub-committee of Michigan State University. From 1997 through 2009, Mr. Eston served in several capacities at Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo and Co. (GMO), including as Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and also as the President and Principal Executive officer of GMO Trust, an affiliated open-end registered investment company. From 1978 through 1997, Mr. Eston was employed at Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P. (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) (since 1987 as a Partner).
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
Thomas E. Faust Jr. Mr. Faust has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2007. He is currently Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of EVC, Director and President of EV, Chief Executive Officer and President of Eaton Vance and BMR, and Director of EVD and EVMI. Mr. Faust has served as a Director of Hexavest Inc. since 2012. Mr. Faust previously served as an equity analyst, portfolio manager, Director of Equity Research and Management and Chief Investment Officer of Eaton Vance (1985-2007). He holds B.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Mr. Faust has been a Chartered Financial Analyst since 1988.
Cynthia E. Frost . Ms. Frost has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since May 29, 2014. From 2000 through 2012, Ms. Frost was the Chief Investment Officer of Brown University, where she oversaw the evaluation, selection and monitoring of the third party investment managers who managed the universitys endowment. From 1995-2000, Ms. Frost was a Portfolio Strategist for Duke Management Company, which oversaw Duke Universitys endowment. Ms. Frost also served in various investment and consulting roles at Cambridge Associates (1989-1995), Bain and Company (1987-1989) and BA Investment Management Company (1983-1985). She serves as a member of an advisory board of Creciente Partners Investment Management, LLC, a manager of a multi-manager hedge fund, and has additional experience as a member of the investment committee of several non-profit organizations.
George J. Gorman . Mr. Gorman has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since May 29, 2014 and is the Chairperson of the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee. From 1974 through 2009, Mr. Gorman served in various capacities at Ernst & Young LLP, including as a Senior Partner in the Asset Management Group (from 1988) specializing in managing engagement teams responsible for auditing mutual funds registered with the SEC, hedge funds and private equity funds. Mr. Gorman also has experience serving as an independent trustee of other mutual fund complexes, including the Bank of America Money Market Funds Series Trust (2011-2014) and the Ashmore Funds (2010-2014).
Valerie A. Mosley. Ms. Mosley has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since January 1, 2014. She currently owns and manages a consulting and investment firm, Valmo Ventures and is a Director of Progress Investment Management Company, a manager of emerging managers. From 1992 through 2012, Ms. Mosley served in several capacities at Wellington Management Company, LLP, an investment management firm, including as a Partner, Senior Vice President, Portfolio Manager and Investment Strategist. Ms. Mosley also served as Chief Investment Officer at PG Corbin Asset Management from 1990-1992 and worked in institutional corporate bond sales at Kidder Peabody from 1986-1990. Ms. Mosley is a Director of Dynex Capital, Inc., a mortgage REIT, where she serves on the boards audit and investment committees. She also serves as a trustee or board member of several major non-profit organizations and endowments, including Mass Ventures, a quasi-public early-stage investment corporation active in Massachusetts, and New Profit, a non-profit venture philanthropy fund. She is a member of the Risk Audit Committee of the United Auto Workers Retiree Medical Benefits Trust and a member of the Investment Advisory Committee of New York State Common Retirement Fund.
William H. Park. Mr. Park has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2003, is the Independent Vice-Chairperson of the Board and is the Chairperson of the Audit Committee. Mr. Park was formerly a consultant (2012-2014) and formerly the Chief Financial Officer of Aveon Group, L.P. from 2010-2011. Mr. Park also served as Vice Chairman of Commercial Industrial Finance Corp. from 2006-2010, as President and Chief Executive Officer of Prizm Capital Management, LLC from 2002-2005, as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of United Asset Management Corporation from 1982-2001 and as Senior Manager of Price Waterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) from 1972-1981.
Helen Frame Peters. Ms. Peters has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2008 and is the Chairperson of the Portfolio Management Committee. Ms. Peters is currently a Professor of Finance at Carroll School of Management, Boston College and was formerly Dean of Carroll School of Management from 2000-2002. Ms. Peters was previously a Director of BJs Wholesale Club, Inc. from 2004-2011. In addition, Ms. Peters was the Chief Investment Officer, Fixed Income at Scudder Kemper Investments from 1998-1999 and Chief Investment Officer, Equity and Fixed Income at Colonial Management Associates from 1991-1998. Ms. Peters also served as a Trustee of SPDR Index Shares Funds and SPDR Series Trust from 2000-2009 and as a Director of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston from 2007-2009.
Susan J. Sutherland. Ms. Sutherland has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since May 1, 2015. Ms. Sutherland also serves as a director of Hagerty Holding Corp., a leading provider of specialized automobile and marine insurance. Ms. Sutherland was a Director of Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd., a global provider of customized reinsurance and insurance products, from 2013 until its sale in 2015. From 1982 through 2013, Ms. Sutherland was an associate, counsel and then a partner in the Financial Institutions Group of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where she primarily represented U.S. and international insurance and reinsurance companies, investment banks and private equity firms in insurance-related corporate transactions. In addition, Ms. Sutherland is qualified as a Governance Fellow of the National Association of Corporate Directors and has also served as a board member of prominent non-profit organizations.
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
Harriett Tee Taggart. Ms. Taggart has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2011 and is the Chairperson of the Governance Committee. Ms. Taggart currently manages a professional practice, Taggart Associates. Since 2007, Ms. Taggart has been a Director of Albemarle Corporation, a specialty chemical company where she serves as a member of the Executive Compensation Committee. Since 2009 she has served as a Director of the Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. where she serves as member of the Nomination and Governance Committee. Ms. Taggart is also a trustee or member of several major non-profit boards, advisory committees and endowment investment companies. From 1983 through 2006, Ms. Taggart served in several capacities at Wellington Management Company, LLP, an investment management firm, including as a Partner, Senior Vice President and chemical industry sector portfolio manager. Ms. Taggart also served as a Director of the Lubrizol Corporation, a specialty chemicals manufacturer from 2007-2011.
Ralph F. Verni. Mr. Verni has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2005 and is the Independent Chairperson of the Board. Mr. Verni was formerly the Chief Investment Officer (from 1982-1992), Chief Financial Officer (from 1988-1990) and Director (from 1982-1992) of New England Life. Mr. Verni was also the Chairperson of the New England Mutual Funds from 1982-1992; President and Chief Executive Officer of State Street Management & Research from 1992-2000; Chairperson of the State Street Research Mutual Funds from 1992-2000; Director of W.P. Carey, LLC from 1998-2004; and Director of First Pioneer Farm Credit Corp. from 2002-2006. Mr. Verni has been a Chartered Financial Analyst since 1977.
The Board of the Trust and each Portfolio have several standing Committees, including the Governance Committee, the Audit Committee, the Portfolio Management Committee, the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee and the Contract Review Committee. Each of the Committees are comprised of only noninterested Trustees.
Mmes. Taggart (Chairperson), Frost, Mosley, Peters and Sutherland, and Messrs. Eston, Gorman, Park and Verni are members of the Governance Committee. The purpose of the Governance Committee is to consider, evaluate and make recommendations to the Board with respect to the structure, membership and operation of the Board and the Committees thereof, including the nomination and selection of noninterested Trustees and a Chairperson of the Board and the compensation of such persons. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, the Governance Committee convened five times.
The Governance Committee will, when a vacancy exists, consider a nominee for Trustee recommended by a shareholder, provided that such recommendation is submitted in writing to the Funds Secretary at the principal executive office of the Fund. Such recommendations must be accompanied by biographical and occupational data on the candidate (including whether the candidate would be an interested person of the Fund), a written consent by the candidate to be named as a nominee and to serve as Trustee if elected, record and ownership information for the recommending shareholder with respect to the Fund, and a description of any arrangements or understandings regarding recommendation of the candidate for consideration.
Messrs. Park (Chairperson), Eston and Verni, and Ms. Frost are members of the Audit Committee. The Board has designated Mr. Park, a noninterested Trustee, as audit committee financial expert. The Audit Committees purposes are to (i) oversee the Fund's and each Portfolio's accounting and financial reporting processes, its internal control over financial reporting, and, as appropriate, the internal control over financial reporting of certain service providers; (ii) oversee or, as appropriate, assist Board oversight of the quality and integrity of the Fund's and each Portfolio's financial statements and the independent audit thereof; (iii) oversee, or, as appropriate, assist Board oversight of, the Fund's and each Portfolio's compliance with legal and regulatory requirements that relate to the Fund's and each Portfolio's accounting and financial reporting, internal control over financial reporting and independent audits; (iv) approve prior to appointment the engagement and, when appropriate, replacement of the independent registered public accounting firm, and, if applicable, nominate the independent registered public accounting firm to be proposed for shareholder ratification in any proxy statement of the Fund; (v) evaluate the qualifications, independence and performance of the independent registered public accounting firm and the audit partner in charge of leading the audit; and (vi) prepare, as necessary, audit committee reports consistent with the requirements of applicable SEC and stock exchange rules for inclusion in the proxy statement of the Fund. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, the Audit Committee convened sixteen times.
Messrs. Eston (Chairperson), Gorman, Park and Verni, and Mmes. Mosley, Peters, Sutherland and Taggart are members of the Contract Review Committee. The purposes of the Contract Review Committee are to consider, evaluate and make recommendations to the Board concerning the following matters: (i) contractual arrangements with each service provider to the Fund and the Portfolios, including advisory, sub-advisory, transfer agency, custodial and fund accounting, distribution services and administrative services; (ii) any and all other matters in which any service provider (including Eaton Vance or any affiliated entity thereof) has an actual or potential conflict of interest with the interests of the Fund, the Portfolios or investors therein; and (iii) any other matter appropriate for review by the noninterested Trustees, unless the matter is within the responsibilities of the other Committees of the Board. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, the Contract Review Committee convened eight times.
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
Mmes. Peters (Chairperson), Frost, Mosley and Taggart are members of the Portfolio Management Committee. The purposes of the Portfolio Management Committee are to: (i) assist the Board in its oversight of the portfolio management process employed by the Fund and the Portfolios and their investment adviser and sub-adviser(s), if applicable, relative to the Funds and the Portfolios stated objective(s), strategies and restrictions; (ii) assist the Board in its oversight of the trading policies and procedures and risk management techniques applicable to the Fund and the Portfolios; and (iii) assist the Board in its monitoring of the performance results of all funds and portfolios, giving special attention to the performance of certain funds and portfolios that it or the Board identifies from time to time. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, the Portfolio Management Committee convened nine times.
Messrs. Gorman (Chairperson) and Eston, and Ms. Sutherland are members of the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee. The purposes of the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee are to: (i) assist the Board in its oversight role with respect to compliance issues and certain other regulatory matters affecting the Fund and the Portfolios; (ii) serve as a liaison between the Board and the Funds and the Portfolios CCO; and (iii) serve as a qualified legal compliance committee within the rules promulgated by the SEC. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee convened twelve times.
Share Ownership. The following table shows the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee in the Fund and in the Eaton Vance family of funds overseen by the Trustee as of December 31, 2015. Interests in a Portfolio cannot be purchased by a Trustee.
As of December 31, 2015, 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, 2014 and December 31, 2015, 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 Fund; (ii) another fund managed by EVC, distributed by EVD or a person controlling, controlled by or under common
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
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 Fund; (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, 2014 and December 31, 2015, 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 a Portfolio or any of their immediate family members served as an officer.
Noninterested Trustees 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 Deferred Compensation Plan). Under the Deferred Compensation Plan, an eligible Board member may elect to have his or her deferred fees invested in the shares of one or more funds in the Eaton Vance family of funds, and the amount paid to the Board members under the Deferred Compensation Plan will be determined based upon the performance of such investments. Deferral of Board members fees in accordance with the Deferred Compensation Plan will have a negligible effect on the assets, liabilities, and net income of a participating fund or portfolio, and do not require that a participating Board member be retained. There is no retirement plan for Board members.
The fees and expenses of the Trustees of the Trust and each Portfolio are paid by the Fund (and other series of the Trust) and the Portfolio, respectively. (A Board member who is a member of the Eaton Vance organization receives no compensation from the Trust or a Portfolio.) During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, the Trustees of the Trust and each Portfolio earned the following compensation in their capacities as Board members from the Trust and each Portfolio. For the year ended December 31, 2015, the Board members earned the following compensation in their capacities as members of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards (1) :
Source of Compensation |
Cynthia E.
|
George J.
|
Valerie A.
|
William H.
|
Helen Frame
|
Susan J.
|
Harriett Tee
|
Ralph F.
|
|
Trust (2) |
$3,800 |
$3,540 |
$3,618 |
$3,662 |
$3,858 |
$3,858 |
$3,540 |
$3,858 |
$5,090 |
Stock Portfolio |
$1,537 |
$1,426 (3) |
$1,466 |
$1,476 |
$1,556 |
$1,556 |
$1,426 (4) |
$1,556 |
$2,042 |
Trust and Fund Complex (1) |
$312,083 |
$290,000 (5) |
$297,500 |
$300,000 |
$316,250 |
$316,250 |
$290,000 (6) |
$316,250 |
$415,833 |
(1)
As of May 1, 2016, the Eaton Vance fund complex consists of 179 registered investment companies or series thereof. Ms. Sutherland began serving as a Trustee effective May 1, 2015, and thus the compensation figures listed for the Trust, Portfolio and the Trust and Fund Complex are estimated based on amounts she would have received if she had been a Trustee for the full fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 and for the full calendar year ended December 31, 2015. Ronald A. Pearlman resigned as a Trustee effective July 1, 2015. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, Mr. Pearlman received Trustee fees of $3,014 from the Trust and $1,124 from Stock Portfolio. For the calendar year ended December 31, 2015, he received $235,000 from the Trust and Fund Complex.
(2)
The Trust consisted of 16 Funds as of December 31, 2015.
(3)
Includes $924 of deferred compensation.
(4)
Includes $1,426 of deferred compensation.
(5)
Includes $180,000 of deferred compensation.
(6)
Includes $277,490 of deferred compensation.
Fund Organization. The Fund is a series the Trust, which was organized under Massachusetts law on March 27, 1989 as a trust with transferable shares, commonly referred to as a Massachusetts business trust and is operated as an open-end management investment company. The Trust may issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest (no par value per share) in one or more series (such as the Fund). The Trustees of the Trust have divided the shares of the Fund into multiple classes. Each class represents an interest in the Fund, but is subject to different expenses, rights and privileges. The Trustees have the authority under the Declaration of Trust to create additional classes of shares with differing rights and privileges. When issued and outstanding, shares are fully paid and nonassessable by the Trust. Shareholders of the Trust are entitled to one vote for each full share held. Fractional shares may be voted proportionately. Shares of all Funds in the Trust will be voted together with respect to the election or removal of Trustees and on other matters affecting all Funds similarly. On matters affecting only a particular Fund, all shareholders of the affected Fund will vote together as a single class, except that only shareholders of a particular class may vote on matters affecting only that class. Shares have no preemptive or conversion rights and are freely transferable. In the event of the liquidation of the Fund, shareholders of each class are entitled to share pro rata in the net assets attributable to that class available for distribution to shareholders.
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
As permitted by Massachusetts law, there will normally be no meetings of shareholders for the purpose of electing Trustees unless and until such time as less than a majority of the Trustees of the Trust holding office have been elected by shareholders. In such an event the Trustees then in office will call a shareholders meeting for the election of Trustees. Except for the foregoing circumstances and unless removed by action of the shareholders in accordance with the Trusts By-laws, the Trustees shall continue to hold office and may appoint successor Trustees. The Trusts By-laws provide that any Trustee may be removed with or without cause, by (i) the affirmative vote of holders of two-thirds of the shares or, (ii) the affirmative vote of, or written instrument, signed by at least two-thirds of the remaining Trustees, provided however, that the removal of any noninterested Trustee shall additionally require the affirmative vote of, or a written instrument executed by, at least two-thirds of the remaining noninterested Trustees. No person shall serve as a Trustee if shareholders holding two-thirds of the outstanding shares have removed him or her from that office either by a written declaration filed with the Trusts custodian or by votes cast at a meeting called for that purpose. The By-laws further provide that under certain circumstances the shareholders may call a meeting to remove a Trustee and that the Trust is required to provide assistance in communication with shareholders about such a meeting.
The Trusts Declaration of Trust may be amended by the Trustees when authorized by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust, the financial interests of which are affected by the amendment. The Trustees may also amend the Declaration of Trust without the vote or consent of shareholders to change the name of the Trust or any series, if they deem it necessary to conform it to applicable federal or state laws or regulations, or to make such other changes (such as reclassifying series or classes of shares or restructuring the Trust) provided such changes do not have a materially adverse effect on the financial interests of shareholders. The Trusts By-laws provide that the Trust will indemnify its Trustees and officers against liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with any litigation or proceeding in which they may be involved because of their offices with the Trust. However, no indemnification will be provided to any Trustee or officer for any liability to the Trust or shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
The Trusts Declaration of Trust provides that any legal proceeding brought by or on behalf of a shareholder seeking to enforce any provision of, or based upon any matter arising out of, related to or in connection with, the Declaration of Trust, the Trust, any Fund or Class or the shares of any Fund must be brought exclusively in the United States District Court for Massachusetts or, if such court does not have jurisdiction for the matter, then in the Superior Court of Suffolk County for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. If a shareholder brings a claim in another venue and the venue is subsequently changed through legal process to the foregoing Federal or state court, then the shareholder will be required to reimburse the Trust and other persons for the expenses incurred in effecting the change in venue.
The Trusts Declaration of Trust also provides that, except to the extent explicitly permitted by Federal law, a shareholder may not bring or maintain a court action on behalf of the Trust or any Fund or class of shares (commonly referred to as a derivative claim) without first making demand on the Trustees requesting the Trustees to bring the action. Within 90 days of receipt of the demand, the Trustees will consider the merits of the claim and determine whether commencing or maintaining an action would be in the best interests of the Trust or the affected Fund or Class. Any decision by the Trustees to bring, maintain or settle, or to not bring, maintain or settle the action, will be final and binding upon shareholders and therefore no action may be brought or maintained after a decision is made to reject a demand. In addition, the Trusts Declaration of Trust provides that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, each shareholder acknowledges and agrees that any alleged injury to the Trusts property, any diminution in the value of a shareholders shares and any other claim arising out of or relating to an allegation regarding the actions, inaction or omissions of or by the Trustees, the officers of the Trust or the investment adviser of the Fund is a legal claim belonging only to the Trust and not to the shareholders individually and, therefore, that any such claim is subject to the demand requirement for derivative claims referenced above.
The Trust or any series or class thereof may be terminated by: (1) the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than two-thirds of the shares outstanding and entitled to vote at any meeting of shareholders of the Trust or the appropriate series or class thereof, or by an instrument or instruments in writing without a meeting, consented to by the holders of two-thirds of the shares of the Trust or a series or class thereof, provided, however, that, if such termination is recommended by the Trustees, the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust or a series or class thereof entitled to vote thereon shall be sufficient authorization; or (2) by the approval of a majority of the Trustees then in office, to be followed by a written notice to shareholders.
Under Massachusetts law, if certain conditions prevail, shareholders of a Massachusetts business trust (such as the Trust) could be deemed to have personal liability for the obligations of the Trust. Numerous investment companies registered under the 1940 Act have been formed as Massachusetts business trusts, and management is not aware of an instance where such liability has been imposed. The Trusts Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of liability on the part of Fund shareholders and the Trusts By-laws provide that the Trust shall assume the defense on behalf of any Fund shareholders. The Declaration of
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
15
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Trust also contains provisions limiting the liability of a series or class to that series or class. Moreover, the Trusts By-laws also provide for indemnification out of Fund property of any shareholder held personally liable solely by reason of being or having been a shareholder for all loss or expense arising from such liability. The assets of the Fund are readily marketable and will ordinarily substantially exceed its liabilities. In light of the nature of the Funds business and the nature of its assets, management believes that the possibility of the Funds liability exceeding its assets, and therefore the shareholders risk of personal liability, is remote.
Portfolio Organization. Each Portfolio was organized as a trust with transferable interests, commonly referred to as a “ Massachusetts business trust ” on December 14, 2009 and intends to be treated as a partnership for federal tax purposes. Prior to that date, Core Bond Portfolio and Stock Portfolio were organized as New York trusts on February 28, 2000 and August 10, 2009, respectively. Effective May 1, 2015, Investment Grade Income Portfolio changed its name to Core Bond Portfolio. Effective October 31, 2014, Large-Cap Core Research Portfolio changed its name to Stock Portfolio. In accordance with the Declaration of Trust of each Portfolio, there will normally be no meetings of the investors for the purpose of electing Trustees unless and until such time as less than a majority of the Trustees of the Portfolio holding office have been elected by investors. In such an event the Trustees of the Portfolio then in office will call an investors meeting for the election of Trustees. Except for the foregoing circumstances and unless removed by action of the investors in accordance with the Portfolios Declaration of Trust, the Trustees shall continue to hold office and may appoint successor Trustees.
Each Portfolios Declaration of Trust provides that any Trustee may be removed, with or without cause, by (i) the affirmative vote of investors holding two-thirds of the outstanding interests or, (ii) the affirmative vote of, or a written instrument executed by, at least two-thirds of the remaining Trustees, provided however, that the removal of any noninterested Trustee shall additionally require the affirmative vote of, or a written instrument executed by, at least two-thirds of the remaining noninterested Trustees. The Portfolios By-laws provide that the Portfolio will indemnify its Trustees and officers against liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with any litigation or proceeding in which they may be involved because of their offices with the Portfolio. However, no indemnification will be provided to any Trustee or officer for any liability to the Portfolio or interestholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
Each Portfolios Declaration of Trust provides that any legal proceeding brought by or on behalf of an investor seeking to enforce any provision of, or based upon any matter arising out of, related to or in connection with, the Declaration of Trust, the Portfolio or the interests of the Portfolio must be brought exclusively in the United States District Court for Massachusetts or, if such court does not have jurisdiction for the matter, then in the Superior Court of Suffolk County for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. If an investor brings a claim in another venue and the venue is subsequently changed through legal process to the foregoing Federal or state court, then the investor will be required to reimburse the Portfolio and other persons for the expenses incurred in effecting the change in venue.
Each Portfolios Declaration of Trust also provides that, except to the extent explicitly permitted by Federal law, an investor may not bring or maintain a court action on behalf of the Portfolio (commonly referred to as a derivative claim) without first making demand on the Trustees requesting the Trustees to bring the action. Within 90 days of receipt of the demand, the Trustees will consider the merits of the claim and determine whether commencing or maintaining an action would be in the best interests of the Portfolio. Any decision by the Trustees to bring, maintain or settle, or to not bring, maintain or settle the action, will be final and binding upon investors and therefore no action may be brought or maintained after a decision is made to reject a demand. In addition, each Portfolios Declaration of Trust provides that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, each investor acknowledges and agrees that any alleged injury to the Portfolios property, any diminution in the value of an investors interests and any other claim arising out of or relating to an allegation regarding the actions, inaction or omissions of or by the Trustees, the officers of the Portfolio or the investment adviser of the Portfolio is a legal claim belonging only to the Portfolio and not to the investors individually and, therefore, that any such claim is subject to the demand requirement for derivative claims referenced above.
Under Massachusetts law, if certain conditions prevail, shareholders of a Massachusetts business trust (such as a Portfolio) could be deemed to have personal liability for the obligations of a Portfolio. Numerous investment companies registered under the 1940 Act have been formed as Massachusetts business trusts, and management is not aware of an instance where such liability has been imposed. Each Portfolios Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of liability on the part of Portfolio interestholders and the By-laws provide that the Portfolio shall assume the defense on behalf of any Portfolio interestholders. Moreover, the By-laws also provide for indemnification out of Portfolio property of any interestholder held personally liable solely by reason of being or having been an interestholder for all loss or expense arising from such liability. The assets of each Portfolio are readily marketable and will ordinarily substantially exceed its liabilities. In light of the nature of each Portfolios business and the nature of its assets, management believes that the possibility of the Portfolios liability exceeding its assets, and therefore the interestholders risk of personal liability, is remote.
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
16
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Each Fund may be required to vote on matters pertaining to the Portfolio. When required by law to do so, the Fund will hold a meeting of Fund shareholders and will vote its interest in the Portfolio for or against such matters proportionately to the instructions to vote for or against such matters received from Fund shareholders. The Fund shall vote shares for which it receives no voting instructions in the same proportion as the shares for which it receives voting instructions. Other investors in a Portfolio may alone or collectively acquire sufficient voting interests in the Portfolio to control matters relating to the operation of the Portfolio, which may require the Fund to withdraw its investment in the Portfolio or take other appropriate action. Any such withdrawal could result in a distribution in kind of portfolio securities (as opposed to a cash distribution from the Portfolio). If securities are distributed, a Fund could incur brokerage, tax or other charges in converting the securities to cash. In addition, the distribution in kind may result in a less diversified portfolio of investments or adversely affect the liquidity of a Fund. Notwithstanding the above, there are other means for meeting shareholder redemption requests, such as borrowing.
Proxy Voting Policy. The Board adopted a proxy voting policy and procedures (the Fund Policy), pursuant to which the Board has delegated proxy voting responsibility to the investment adviser and adopted the proxy voting policies and procedures of the investment adviser (the Adviser Policies). An independent proxy voting service has been retained to assist in the voting of Fund proxies through the provision of vote analysis, implementation and recordkeeping and disclosure services. The members of the Board will review the Funds and each Portfolios proxy voting records from time to time and will annually consider approving the Adviser Policies for the upcoming year. For a copy of the Fund Policy and Adviser Policies, see Appendix G and Appendix H, respectively. Pursuant to certain provisions of the 1940 Act and certain exemptive orders relating to funds investing in other funds, a Fund or Portfolio may be required or may elect to vote its interest in another fund in the same proportion as the holders of all other shares of that fund. Information on how the Fund and the Portfolios voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-262-1122, and (2) on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
Investment Advisory Services. The investment adviser manages the investments and affairs of each Portfolio and provides related office facilities and personnel subject to the supervision of the Trust's and each Portfolios Board of Trustees. The investment adviser furnishes investment research, advice and supervision, furnishes an investment program and determines what securities will be purchased, held or sold by each Portfolio and what portion, if any, of each Portfolios assets will be held uninvested. The Investment Advisory Agreement requires the investment adviser to pay the salaries and fees of all officers and Trustees who are members of the investment adviser's organization and all personnel of the investment adviser performing services relating to research and investment activities.
At December 31, 2015, Core Bond Portfolio had net assets of $342,683,998. For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, the Portfolio paid advisory fees of $1,168,185, $856,042 and $558,509, respectively.
At December 31, 2015, Stock Portfolio had net assets of $395,491,901. For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, the Portfolio paid advisory fees of $1,941,084, $1,619,686 and $1,347,199, respectively.
Each Investment Advisory Agreement with the investment adviser continues in effect 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 a Portfolio cast in person at a meeting specifically called for the purpose of voting on such approval and (ii) by the Board of Trustees of a Portfolio or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund or a Portfolio. Each Agreement may be terminated at any time without penalty on sixty (60) days written notice by the Board of either party, or by vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund or a Portfolio, and each Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment. Each Agreement provides that the investment adviser may render services to others. Each Agreement also provides that the investment adviser shall not be liable for any loss incurred in connection with the performance of its duties, or action taken or omitted under the Agreement, in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations and duties thereunder, or for any losses sustained in the acquisition, holding or disposition of any security or other investment. Each Agreement is not intended to, and does not, confer upon any person not a party to it any right, benefit or remedy of any nature.
Information About BMR and Eaton Vance. BMR and Eaton Vance are business trusts organized under the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. EV serves as trustee of BMR and Eaton Vance. EV and Eaton Vance are wholly-owned subsidiaries of EVC, a Maryland corporation and publicly-held holding company. BMR is an indirect subsidiary of EVC. EVC through its subsidiaries and affiliates engages primarily in investment management, administration and marketing activities. The Directors of EVC are Thomas E. Faust Jr., Ann E. Berman, Leo I. Higdon, Jr., Brian D. Langstraat, Dorothy E. Puhy, Winthrop H. Smith, Jr. and Richard A. Spillane, Jr. All shares of the outstanding Voting Common Stock of EVC are deposited in a Voting Trust, the Voting Trustees of which are Mr. Faust, Jeffrey P. Beale, Craig R. Brandon, Daniel C. Cataldo, Michael A. Cirami,
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
17
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Cynthia J. Clemson, James H. Evans, Maureen A. Gemma, Laurie G. Hylton, Mr. Langstraat, Frederick S. Marius, David C. McCabe, Scott H. Page, Edward J. Perkin, Lewis R. Piantedosi, Charles B. Reed, Craig P. Russ, John L. Shea, Eric A. Stein, Payson F. Swaffield, Michael W. Weilheimer, R. Kelly Williams and Matthew J. Witkos (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 who may also be officers, or officers and Directors of EVC and EV. As indicated under Management and Organization, all of the officers of the Trust (as well as Mr. Faust who is also a Trustee) hold positions in the Eaton Vance organization.
Code of Ethics. The investment adviser, principal underwriter, and the Fund and the Portfolios have adopted Codes of Ethics governing personal securities transactions pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. Under the Codes, employees of the investment adviser and the principal underwriter may purchase and sell securities (including securities held or eligible for purchase by the Portfolios) subject to the provisions of the Codes and certain employees are also subject to pre-clearance, reporting requirements and/or other procedures.
Portfolio Managers. The portfolio managers (each referred to as a portfolio manager) of each Portfolio are listed below. The following table shows, as of each Portfolios most recent fiscal year end, the number of accounts each portfolio manager managed in each of the listed categories and the total assets (in millions of dollars) in the accounts managed within each category. The table also shows the number of accounts with respect to which the advisory fee is based on the performance of the account, if any, and the total assets (in millions of dollars) in those accounts.
|
Number of
|
Total Assets of
|
Number of Accounts
|
Total Assets of Accounts
|
Charles B. Gaffney |
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
3 |
$1,451.1 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Accounts |
3 |
$2.6 |
0 |
$0 |
Thomas H. Luster (1) |
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
5 |
$482.1 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
2 |
$3,032.0 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Accounts |
9 |
$383.2 |
0 |
$0 |
Bernard Scozzafava |
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
2 |
$374.1 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Accounts |
12 |
$206.4 |
0 |
$0 |
(1) This portfolio manager serves as portfolio manager of one or more registered investment companies that invests or may invest in one or more underlying registered investment companies in the Eaton Vance family of funds or other pooled investment vehicles sponsored by Eaton Vance. The underlying investment companies may be managed by this portfolio manager or another portfolio manager.
The following table shows the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned in the Fund by its portfolio manager(s) as of the Funds most recent fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 and in the Eaton Vance family of funds as of December 31, 2015. Interests in the Portfolio cannot be purchased by a portfolio manager.
|
Dollar Range of Equity Securities
|
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity
|
Charles B. Gaffney |
$50,001 - $100,000 |
$500,001 - $1,000,000 |
Thomas H. Luster |
None |
Over $1,000,000 |
Bernard Scozzafava |
None |
$100,001 - $500,000 |
It is possible that conflicts of interest may arise in connection with a portfolio managers management of a Portfolios investments on the one hand and the investments of other accounts for which the portfolio manager is responsible on the other. For example, a portfolio manager may have conflicts of interest in allocating management time, resources and investment opportunities among a Portfolio and other accounts he advises. In addition, due to differences in the investment strategies or restrictions between a Portfolio and the other accounts, a portfolio manager may take action with respect to another account that
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
18
SAI dated May 1, 2016
differs from the action taken with respect to a Portfolio. In some cases, another account managed by a portfolio manager may compensate the investment adviser based on the performance of the securities held by that account. The existence of such a performance based fee may create additional conflicts of interest for the portfolio manager in the allocation of management time, resources and investment opportunities. Whenever conflicts of interest arise, the portfolio manager will endeavor to exercise his discretion in a manner that he believes is equitable to all interested persons. The investment adviser has adopted several policies and procedures designed to address these potential conflicts including a code of ethics and policies which govern the investment advisers trading practices, including among other things the aggregation and allocation of trades among clients, brokerage allocation, cross trades and best execution.
Compensation Structure for BMR. Compensation of the investment adviser's portfolio managers and other investment professionals has three primary components: (1) a base salary, (2) an annual cash bonus, and (3) annual stock-based compensation consisting of options to purchase shares of EVCs nonvoting common stock and restricted shares of EVCs nonvoting common stock. The investment advisers investment professionals also receive certain retirement, insurance and other benefits that are broadly available to the investment advisers employees. Compensation of the investment advisers investment professionals is reviewed primarily on an annual basis. Cash bonuses, stock-based compensation awards, and adjustments in base salary are typically paid or put into effect at or shortly after the October 31st fiscal year end of EVC.
Method to Determine Compensation. The investment adviser compensates its portfolio managers based primarily on the scale and complexity of their portfolio responsibilities and the total return performance of managed funds and accounts versus the benchmark(s) stated in the prospectus, as well as an appropriate peer group (as described below). In addition to rankings within peer groups of funds on the basis of absolute performance, consideration may also be given to relative risk-adjusted performance. Risk-adjusted performance measures include, but are not limited to, the Sharpe ratio (Sharpe ratio uses standard deviation and excess return to determine reward per unit of risk). Performance is normally based on periods ending on the September 30th preceding fiscal year end. Fund performance is normally evaluated primarily versus peer groups of funds as determined by Lipper Inc. and/or Morningstar, Inc. When a funds peer group as determined by Lipper or Morningstar is deemed by the investment advisers management not to provide a fair comparison, performance may instead be evaluated primarily against a custom peer group or market index. In evaluating the performance of a fund and its manager, primary emphasis is normally placed on three-year performance, with secondary consideration of performance over longer and shorter periods. A portion of the compensation payable to equity portfolio managers and investment professionals will be determined based on the ability of one or more accounts managed by such manager to achieve a specified target average annual gross return over a three year period in excess of the account benchmark. The cash bonus to be payable at the end of the three year term will be established at the inception of the term and will be adjusted positively or negatively to the extent that the average annual gross return varies from the specified target return. For funds that are tax-managed or otherwise have an objective of after-tax returns, performance is measured net of taxes. For other funds, performance is evaluated on a pre-tax basis. For funds with an investment objective other than total return (such as current income), consideration will also be given to the funds success in achieving its objective. For managers responsible for multiple funds and accounts, investment performance is evaluated on an aggregate basis, based on averages or weighted averages among managed funds and accounts. Funds and accounts that have performance-based advisory fees are not accorded disproportionate weightings in measuring aggregate portfolio manager performance.
The compensation of portfolio managers with other job responsibilities (such as heading an investment group or providing analytical support to other portfolios) will include consideration of the scope of such responsibilities and the managers performance in meeting them.
The investment adviser seeks to compensate portfolio managers commensurate with their responsibilities and performance, and competitive with other firms within the investment management industry. The investment adviser participates in investment-industry compensation surveys and utilizes survey data as a factor in determining salary, bonus and stock-based compensation levels for portfolio managers and other investment professionals. Salaries, bonuses and stock-based compensation are also influenced by the operating performance of the investment adviser and its parent company. The overall annual cash bonus pool is generally based on a substantially fixed percentage of pre-bonus adjusted operating income. While the salaries of the investment advisers portfolio managers are comparatively fixed, cash bonuses and stock-based compensation may fluctuate significantly from year to year, based on changes in manager performance and other factors as described herein. For a high performing portfolio manager, cash bonuses and stock-based compensation may represent a substantial portion of total compensation.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission Registration. Effective December 31, 2012, the CFTC adopted certain regulatory changes that subject registered investment companies and advisers to regulation by the CFTC if a fund invests more than a prescribed level of its assets in certain CFTC-regulated instruments (including futures, certain options and swaps agreements) or markets itself as providing investment exposure to such instruments. The Fund has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term commodity pool operator under the Commodity Exchange Act. Accordingly neither the Fund nor the investment
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
adviser with respect to the operation of the Fund is subject to CFTC regulation. Because of their management of other strategies, Eaton Vance and BMR are registered with the CFTC as commodity pool operators. Eaton Vance and BMR are also registered as commodity trading advisors. The CFTC has neither reviewed nor approved the Funds investment strategies or this SAI.
Administrative Services. As indicated in the Prospectus, Eaton Vance serves as administrator of the Fund. Eaton Vance currently receives a fee of 0.04% for serving as administrator of the Fund. Prior to June 15, 2012, the Fund was authorized to pay Eaton Vance an annual fee in the amount of 0.10% of average daily net assets for providing administrative services to the Fund. Under the Agreement, Eaton Vance has been engaged to administer the Funds affairs, subject to the supervision of the Board, and shall furnish office space and all necessary office facilities, equipment and personnel for administering the affairs of the Fund.
As of December 31, 2015, the Fund had net assets of $517,091,683. For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the administration fee amounted to $145,063, $101,665 and $81,630, respectively.
Sub-Transfer Agency Support Services. Eaton Vance provides sub-transfer agency and related services to Eaton Vance mutual funds pursuant to a Sub-Transfer Agency Support Services Agreement. Under the agreement, Eaton Vance provides: (1) specified sub-transfer agency services; (2) compliance monitoring services; and (3) intermediary oversight services. For the services it provides, Eaton Vance receives an aggregate annual fee equal to the lesser of $2.5 million or the actual expenses incurred by Eaton Vance in the performance of such services. The Fund pays a pro rata share of such fee. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, Eaton Vance earned $35,804 from the Fund pursuant to the agreement.
Expenses. The Fund and Portfolios are responsible for all expenses not expressly stated to be payable by another party (such as expenses required to be paid pursuant to an agreement with the investment adviser, the principal underwriter or the administrator). In the case of expenses incurred by the Trust, the Fund is responsible for its pro rata share of those expenses. Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Multiple Class Plan for Eaton Vance Funds, Fund expenses are allocated to each class on a pro rata basis, except that distribution and service fees are allocated exclusively to the class that incurs them, and sub-accounting, recordkeeping and other similar fees are not allocated to (or incurred by) Class R6 shares.
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS
Principal Underwriter. Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. (EVD), Two International Place, Boston, MA 02110 is the principal underwriter of the Fund. The principal underwriter acts as principal in selling shares under a Distribution Agreement with the Trust. The expenses of printing copies of prospectuses used to offer shares and other selling literature and of advertising are borne by the principal underwriter. The fees and expenses of qualifying and registering and maintaining qualifications and registrations of the Fund and its shares under federal and state securities laws are borne by the Fund. The Distribution Agreement is renewable annually by the members of the Board (including a majority of the noninterested Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Distribution Agreement or any applicable Distribution Plan), may be terminated on sixty days notice either by such Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding Fund shares or on six months notice by the principal underwriter and is automatically terminated upon assignment. The principal underwriter distributes shares on a best efforts basis under which it is required to take and pay for only such shares as may be sold. EVD is a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of EVC. Mr. Faust is a Director of EVD. EVD also serves as placement agent for the Portfolios.
Custodian. State Street Bank and Trust Company (State Street), State Street Financial Center, One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111, serves as custodian to the Fund and each Portfolio. State Street has custody of all cash and securities representing the Funds interest in each Portfolio, has custody of each Portfolios assets, maintains the general ledger of each Portfolio and the Fund and computes the daily net asset value of interests in each Portfolio and the net asset value of shares of the Fund. In such capacity it attends to details in connection with the sale, exchange, substitution, transfer or other dealings with each Portfolios investments, receives and disburses all funds and performs various other ministerial duties upon receipt of proper instructions from the Trust and each Portfolio. State Street also provides services in connection with the preparation of shareholder reports and the electronic filing of such reports with the SEC. EVC and its affiliates and their officers and employees from time to time have transactions with various banks, including State Street. It is Eaton Vances 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 Fund or each Portfolio and such banks.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. Deloitte & Touche LLP, 200 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116, independent registered public accounting firm, audits the Fund's and each Portfolio's financial statements and provides other audit, tax and related services.
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Transfer Agent. BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc., P.O. Box 9653, Providence, RI 02940-9653, serves as transfer and dividend disbursing agent for the Fund.
CALCULATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
The net asset value of the Fund is determined by State Street (as agent and custodian) by subtracting the liabilities of the Fund from the value of its total assets. The Fund is closed for business and will not issue a net asset value on the following business holidays and any other business day that the Exchange is closed: New Years Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The Funds net asset value per share is readily accessible on the Eaton Vance website (www.eatonvance.com).
Each Portfolio investor may add to or reduce its investment in the Portfolio on each day the Exchange is open for trading (Portfolio Business Day) as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange (the Portfolio Valuation Time). The value of each investors interest in the Portfolio will be determined by multiplying the net asset value of the Portfolio by the percentage, determined on the prior Portfolio Business Day, which represented that investors share of the aggregate interests in the Portfolio on such prior day. Any additions or withdrawals for the current Portfolio Business Day will then be recorded. Each investors percentage of the aggregate interest in the Portfolio will then be recomputed as a percentage equal to a fraction (i) the numerator of which is the value of such investors investment in the Portfolio as of the Portfolio Valuation Time on the prior Portfolio Business Day plus or minus, as the case may be, the amount of any additions to or withdrawals from the investors investment in the Portfolio on the current Portfolio Business Day and (ii) the denominator of which is the aggregate net asset value of the Portfolio as of the Portfolio Valuation Time on the prior Portfolio Business Day plus or minus, as the case may be, the amount of the net additions to or withdrawals from the aggregate investment in the Portfolio on the current Portfolio Business Day by all investors in the Portfolio. The percentage so determined will then be applied to determine the value of the investors interest in the Portfolio for the current Portfolio Business Day.
The Board has approved procedures pursuant to which investments are valued for purposes of determining the Funds net asset value. Listed below is a summary of the methods generally used to value investments (some or all of which may be held by the Fund) under the procedures.
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Equity securities (including common stock, exchange-traded funds, closed end funds, preferred equity securities, exchange-traded notes and other instruments that trade on recognized stock exchanges) are valued at the last sale, official close or if there are no reported sales at the mean between the bid and asked price on the primary exchange on which they are traded.
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Most debt obligations are valued on the basis of market valuations furnished by a pricing service or at the mean of the bid and asked prices provided by recognized broker/dealers of such securities. The pricing service may use a pricing matrix to determine valuation.
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Short-term obligations and money market securities maturing in sixty days or less typically are valued at amortized cost which approximates value.
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Foreign securities and currencies are valued in U.S. dollars based on foreign currency exchange quotations supplied by a pricing service.
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Senior and Junior Loans are valued on the basis of prices furnished by a pricing service. The pricing service uses transactions and market quotations from brokers in determining values.
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Futures contracts are valued at the settlement or closing price on the primary exchange or board of trade on which they are traded.
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Exchange-traded options are valued at the mean of the bid and asked prices. Over-the-counter options are valued based on quotations obtained from a pricing service or from a broker (typically the counterparty to the option).
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Non-exchange traded derivatives (including swap agreements (other than those which have been centrally cleared), forward contracts and equity participation notes) are generally valued on the basis of valuations provided by a pricing service or using quotes provided by a broker/dealer (typically the counterparty). Swap agreements that have been cleared by a central counterparty (CCP) are valued at the daily settlement price provided by the CCP.
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Precious metals are valued are valued at the New York Composite mean quotation.
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Liabilities with a payment or maturity date of 364 days or less are stated at their principal value and longer dated liabilities generally will be carried at their fair value.
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Valuations of foreign equity securities and exchange-traded futures contracts on non-North American equity indices may be adjusted from prices in effect at the close of trading on foreign exchanges to more accurately reflect their fair value as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange. Such fair valuations may be based on information provided by a pricing service.
Investments which are unable to be valued in accordance with the foregoing methodologies are valued at fair value using methods determined in good faith by or at the direction of the members of the Board. Such methods may include consideration of relevant factors, including but not limited to (i) the type of security, the existence of any contractual restrictions on the securitys disposition, (ii) the price and extent of public trading in similar securities of the issuer or of comparable companies or entities, (iii) quotations or relevant information obtained from broker-dealers or other market participants, (iv) information obtained from the issuer, analysts, and/or the appropriate stock exchange (for exchange-traded securities), (v) an analysis of the companys or entitys financial condition, (vi) an evaluation of the forces that influence the issuer and the market(s) in which the security is purchased and sold (vii) an analysis of the terms of any transaction involving the issuer of such securities; and (viii) any other factors deemed relevant by the investment adviser. The portfolio managers of one Eaton Vance fund that invests in Senior and Junior Loans may not possess the same information about a Senior or Junior Loan as the portfolio managers of another Eaton Vance fund. As such, at times the fair value of a Loan determined by certain Eaton Vance portfolio managers may vary from the fair value of the same Loan determined by other portfolio managers.
PURCHASING AND REDEEMING SHARES
Additional Information About Purchases. Fund shares are offered for sale only in states where they are registered. Fund shares are continuously offered through financial intermediaries which have entered into agreements with the principal underwriter. Fund shares are sold at the public offering price, which is the net asset value plus the initial sales charge, if any. The Fund receives the net asset value. The principal underwriter receives the sales charge, all or a portion of which may be reallowed to the financial intermediaries responsible for selling Fund shares. The sales charge table in the Prospectus is applicable to purchases of the Fund alone or in combination with purchases of certain other funds offered by the principal underwriter, made at a single time by (i) an individual, or an individual, his or her spouse and their children under the age of twenty-one, purchasing shares for his or their own account, and (ii) a trustee or other fiduciary purchasing shares for a single trust estate or a single fiduciary account. The table is also presently applicable to (1) purchases of Class A shares pursuant to a written Statement of Intention; or (2) purchases of Class A shares pursuant to the Right of Accumulation and declared as such at the time of purchase. See Sales Charges.
In connection with employer sponsored retirement plans, the Fund may accept initial investments of less than the minimum investment amount on the part of an individual participant. In the event a shareholder who is a participant of such a plan terminates participation in the plan, his or her shares will be transferred to a regular individual account. However, such account will be subject to the right of redemption by the Fund as described below.
Class I Share Purchases. Class I shares are available for purchase by clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class I shares through a no-load network or platform. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments, foundations and employer sponsored retirement plans. Class I shares also are offered to investment and institutional clients of Eaton Vance and its affiliates; certain persons affiliated with Eaton Vance; current and retired members of Eaton Vance Fund Boards; employees of Eaton Vance and its affiliates and such persons spouses, parents, siblings and lineal descendants and their beneficial accounts.
Class R Share Purchases. Class R shares are available for purchase by clients of financial intermediaries who charge an advisory, management or consulting or similar fee for their services; accounts affiliated with those financial intermediaries; and in connection with certain employer sponsored retirement plans and Individual Retirement Account rollover accounts.
Waiver of Investment Minimums. For classes other than Class R6, in addition to waivers described in the Prospectus, minimum investment amounts are waived for current and retired members of Eaton Vance Fund Boards, clients (including custodial, agency, advisory and trust accounts), current and retired officers and employees of Eaton Vance, its affiliates and other investment advisers and sub-advisers to the Eaton Vance family of funds, and for such persons spouses, parents, siblings and lineal descendants and their beneficial accounts. The minimum initial investment amount is also waived for officers and employees of a Funds custodian and transfer agent and in connection with the merger (or similar transaction) of an investment company (or series or class thereof) or personal holding company with the Fund (or class thereof). Investments in a Fund by ReFlow in connection with the Reflow liquidity program are also not subject to the minimum investment amount.
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Suspension of Sales. The Trust may, in its absolute discretion, suspend, discontinue or limit the offering of one or more of its classes of shares at any time. In determining whether any such action should be taken, the Trusts management intends to consider all relevant factors, including (without limitation) the size of the Fund or class, the investment climate and market conditions and the volume of sales and redemptions of shares. The Class A, Class B, Class C and Class R Distribution Plans may continue in effect and payments may be made under the Plans following any such suspension, discontinuance or limitation of the offering of shares; however, there is no contractual obligation to continue any Plan for any particular period of time. Suspension of the offering of shares would not, of course, affect a shareholders ability to redeem shares.
Additional Information About Redemptions. The right to redeem shares of the Fund can be suspended and the payment of the redemption price deferred when the Exchange is closed (other than for customary weekend and holiday closings), during periods when trading on the Exchange is restricted as determined by the SEC, or during any emergency as determined by the SEC which makes it impracticable for each Portfolio to dispose of its securities or value its assets, or during any other period permitted by order of the SEC for the protection of investors.
Due to the high cost of maintaining small accounts, the Trust reserves the right to redeem accounts with balances of less than $750. Prior to such a redemption, shareholders will be given 60 days written notice to make an additional purchase. However, no such redemption would be required by the Trust if the cause of the low account balance was a reduction in the net asset value of shares. No CDSC or redemption fees, if applicable, will be imposed with respect to such involuntary redemptions.
While normally payments will be made in cash for redeemed shares, the Trust, subject to compliance with applicable regulations, has reserved the right to pay the redemption price of shares of the Fund, either totally or partially, by a distribution in kind of readily marketable securities. The securities so distributed would be valued pursuant to the valuation procedures described in this SAI. If a shareholder received a distribution in kind, the shareholder could incur brokerage or other charges in converting the securities to cash.
Systematic Withdrawal Plan. The transfer agent will send to the shareholder regular monthly or quarterly payments of any permitted amount designated by the shareholder based upon the value of the shares held. The checks will be drawn from share redemptions and hence, may require the recognition of taxable gain or loss. Income dividends and capital gains distributions in connection with withdrawal plan accounts will be credited at net asset value as of the record date for each distribution. Continued withdrawals in excess of current income will eventually use up principal, particularly in a period of declining market prices. A shareholder may not have a withdrawal plan in effect at the same time he or she has authorized Bank Automated Investing or is otherwise making regular purchases of Fund shares. The shareholder, the transfer agent or the principal underwriter may terminate the withdrawal plan at any time without penalty.
Other Information. The Fund ’ s net asset value per share is normally rounded to two decimal places. In certain situations (such as a merger, share split or a purchase or sale of shares that represents a significant portion of a share class), the administrator may determine to extend the calculation of the net asset value per share to additional decimal places to ensure that neither the value of the Fund nor a shareholders shares is diluted materially as the result of a purchase or sale or other transaction.
SALES CHARGES
Dealer Commissions. The principal underwriter may, from time to time, at its own expense, provide additional incentives to financial intermediaries which employ registered representatives who sell Fund shares and/or shares of other funds distributed by the principal underwriter. In some instances, such additional incentives may be offered only to certain financial intermediaries whose representatives sell or are expected to sell significant amounts of shares. In addition, the principal underwriter may from time to time increase or decrease the sales commissions payable to financial intermediaries. The principal underwriter may allow, upon notice to all financial intermediaries with whom it has agreements, discounts up to the full sales charge during the periods specified in the notice. During periods when the discount includes the full sales charge, such financial intermediaries may be deemed to be underwriters as that term is defined in the 1933 Act.
Purchases at Net Asset Value. Class A shares may be sold at net asset value (without a sales charge) to clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class A shares through a no-load network or platform; current and retired members of Eaton Vance Fund Boards; to clients (including custodial, agency, advisory and trust accounts) and current and former officers and employees of Eaton Vance, its affiliates and other investment advisers and sub-advisers of Eaton Vance sponsored funds; and to such persons spouses, parents, siblings and lineal descendants and their beneficial accounts. Such shares may also be issued at net asset value (1) in connection with the merger (or similar transaction) of an investment company (or series or class thereof) or personal holding company with the Fund (or class thereof), (2) to HSAs (Health Savings Accounts) and to employer sponsored retirement plans and trusts used to fund those plans, (3) to officers and employees of the
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Funds custodian and transfer agent and (4) in connection with the ReFlow liquidity program. Class A shares may also be sold at net asset value to registered representatives and employees of financial intermediaries. Sales charges generally are waived because either (i) there is no sales effort involved in the sale of shares or (ii) the investor is paying a fee (other than the sales charge) to the financial intermediary involved in the sale. Any new or revised sales charge or CDSC waiver will be prospective only.
CDSC Waiver. CDSCs will be waived in connection with minimum required distributions from employer sponsored retirement plans and individual retirement accounts by applying the rate required to be withdrawn under the applicable rules and regulations of the IRS to the balance of shares in your account.
Statement of Intention. If it is anticipated that $50,000 or more of Class A shares and shares of other funds exchangeable for Class A shares of another Eaton Vance fund will be purchased within a 13-month period, the Statement of Intention section of the account application should be completed so that shares may be obtained at the same reduced sales charge as though the total quantity were invested in one lump sum. Shares eligible for the right of accumulation (see below) as of the date of the statement and purchased during the 13-month period will be included toward the completion of the statement. If you make a statement of intention, the transfer agent is authorized to hold in escrow sufficient shares (5% of the dollar amount specified in the statement) which can be redeemed to make up any difference in sales charge on the amount intended to be invested and the amount actually invested. A statement of intention does not obligate the shareholder to purchase or the Fund to sell the full amount indicated in the statement.
If the amount actually purchased during the 13-month period is less than that indicated in the statement, the shareholder will be requested to pay the difference between the sales charge applicable to the shares purchased and the sales charge paid under the statement of intention. If the payment is not received in 20 days, the appropriate number of escrowed shares will be redeemed in order to realize such difference. Shareholders will not receive a lower sales charge if total purchases during the 13-month period are large enough to qualify for a lower sales charge than that applicable to the amount specified in the statement. If the sales charge rate changes during the 13-month period, all shares purchased or charges assessed after the date of such change will be subject to the then applicable sales charge.
Right of Accumulation. Under the right of accumulation, the applicable sales charge level is calculated by aggregating the dollar amount of the current purchase and the value (calculated at the maximum current offering price) of shares owned by the shareholder. The sales charge on the shares being purchased will then be applied at the rate applicable to the aggregate. Share purchases eligible for the right of accumulation are described under Sales Charges in the Prospectus. For any such discount to be made available at the time of purchase a purchaser or his or her financial intermediary must provide the principal underwriter (in the case of a purchase made through a financial intermediary) or the transfer agent (in the case of an investment made by mail) with sufficient information to permit verification that the purchase order qualifies for the accumulation privilege. Confirmation of the order is subject to such verification. The right of accumulation privilege may be amended or terminated at any time as to purchases occurring thereafter.
Conversion Feature. Class B shares held for eight years will automatically convert to Class A shares. For purposes of this conversion, all distributions paid on Class B shares which the shareholder elects to reinvest in Class B shares will be considered to be held in a separate sub-account. Upon the conversion of Class B shares not acquired through the reinvestment of distributions, a pro rata portion of the Class B shares held in the sub-account will also convert to Class A shares. This portion will be determined by the ratio that the Class B shares being converted bears to the total of Class B shares (excluding shares acquired through reinvestment) in the account. This conversion feature is subject to the continuing availability of a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service or an opinion of counsel that the conversion is not taxable for federal income tax purposes.
Distribution Plans
The Trust has in effect a compensation-type Distribution Plan for Class A shares (the Class A Plan) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Class A Plan is designed to (i) finance activities which are primarily intended to result in the distribution and sales of Class A shares and to make payments in connection with the distribution of such shares and (ii) pay service fees for personal services and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts to the principal underwriter, financial intermediaries and other persons. The distribution and service fees payable under the Class A Plan shall not exceed 0.25% of the average daily net assets attributable to Class A shares for any fiscal year. Class A distribution and service fees are paid monthly in arrears. For the distribution and service fees paid by Class A shares, see Appendix A.
The Trust also has in effect a compensation-type Distribution Plan for the Fund's Class B and Class C shares (the Class B and Class C Plans) adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. Pursuant to the Class B and Class C Plans, Class B and Class C pay the principal underwriter a distribution fee, accrued daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate not exceeding 0.75%
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of its average daily net assets to finance the distribution of its shares. Such fees compensate the principal underwriter for the sales commissions paid by it to financial intermediaries on the sale of shares, for other distribution expenses (such as personnel, overhead, travel, printing and postage) and for interest expense. The principal underwriter is entitled to receive all distribution fees and CDSCs paid or payable with respect to Class B and Class C shares, provided that no such payments will be made that would cause the Fund's Class C shares to exceed the maximum sales charge permitted by FINRA's NASD Conduct Rule 2830(d) as determined in accordance with such Rule or Class B shares to exceed a maximum sales charge of 5% as determined in accordance with such Rule.
The Class B and Class C Plans also authorize the payment of service fees to the principal underwriter, financial intermediaries and other persons in amounts not exceeding an annual rate of 0.25% of its average daily net assets for personal services, and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts. For Class B, this fee is paid monthly in arrears based on the value of shares sold by such persons. For Class C, financial intermediaries currently receive (a) a service fee (except on exchange transactions and reinvestments) at the time of sale equal to 0.25% of the purchase price of Class C shares sold by such intermediaries, and (b) monthly service fees approximately equivalent to 1/12 of 0.25% of the value of Class C shares sold by such intermediaries. During the first year after a purchase of Class C shares, the principal underwriter will retain the service fee as reimbursement for the service fee payment made to financial intermediaries at the time of sale. For the service fees paid, see Appendix B and Appendix C.
The Trust also has in effect a compensation-type Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act for the Funds Class R shares (the Class R Plan). The Class R Plan provides for the payment of a monthly distribution fee to the principal underwriter of up to an annual rate of 0.50% of average daily net assets attributable to Class R shares. The Trustees of the Trust have currently limited Class R distribution payments to 0.25% of average daily net assets attributable to Class R shares. The Class R Plan also provides that Class R shares will pay a service fee to the principal underwriter in an amount equal on an annual basis of up to 0.25% of that portion of average daily net assets attributable to Class R shares for personal services and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts. Service fees are paid monthly in arrears. For the distribution and service fees paid by Class R shares, see Appendix E.
The Board believes that each Plan will be a significant factor in the expected growth of the Funds assets, and will result in increased investment flexibility and advantages which have benefitted and will continue to benefit the Fund and its shareholders. The Eaton Vance organization may profit by reason of the operation of a Plan through an increase in Fund assets and if at any point in time the aggregate amounts received by the principal underwriter pursuant to a Plan exceeds the total expenses incurred in distributing Fund shares. For sales commissions and CDSCs, if applicable, see Appendix A, Appendix B and Appendix C.
A Plan continues in effect from year to year so long as such continuance is approved at least annually by the vote of both a majority of (i) the noninterested Trustees of the Trust who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plan or any agreements related to the Plan (the Plan Trustees) and (ii) all of the Trustees then in office. A Plan may be terminated at any time by vote of a majority of the Plan Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the applicable Class. Quarterly Board member review of a written report of the amount expended under the Plan and the purposes for which such expenditures were made is required. A Plan may not be amended to increase materially the payments described therein without approval of the shareholders of the affected Class and the Board. So long as a Plan is in effect, the selection and nomination of the noninterested Trustees shall be committed to the discretion of such Trustees. The Trustees, including the Plan Trustees, initially approved the current Plan(s) on April 22, 2013 for all classes except the Class R Plan, which was approved on April 26, 2016. Any Board member who is an interested person of the Trust has an indirect financial interest in a Plan because his or her employer (or affiliates thereof) receives distribution and/or service fees under the Plan or agreements related thereto.
PERFORMANCE
Performance Calculations. Average annual total return before deduction of taxes (pre-tax return) is determined by multiplying a hypothetical initial purchase order of $1,000 by the average annual compound rate of return (including capital appreciation/depreciation, and distributions paid and reinvested) for the stated period and annualizing the result. The calculation assumes (i) that all distributions are reinvested at net asset value on the reinvestment dates during the period, (ii) the deduction of the maximum of any initial sales charge from the initial $1,000 purchase, (iii) a complete redemption of the investment at the end of the period, and (iv) the deduction of any applicable CDSC at the end of the period.
Average annual total return after the deduction of taxes on distributions is calculated in the same manner as pre-tax return except the calculation assumes that any federal income taxes due on distributions are deducted from the distributions before they are reinvested. Average annual total return after the deduction of taxes on distributions and taxes on redemption also is calculated in the same manner as pre-tax return except the calculation assumes that (i) any federal income taxes due on distributions are
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deducted from the distributions before they are reinvested and (ii) any federal income taxes due upon redemption are deducted at the end of the period. After-tax returns are based on the highest federal income tax rates in effect for individual taxpayers as of the time of each assumed distribution and redemption (taking into account their tax character), and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. In calculating after-tax returns, the net value of any federal income tax credits available to shareholders is applied to reduce federal income taxes payable on distributions at or near year-end and, to the extent the net value of such credits exceeds such distributions, is then assumed to be reinvested in additional Fund shares at net asset value on the last day of the fiscal year in which the credit was generated or, in the case of certain tax credits, on the date on which the year-end distribution is paid. For pre-tax and after-tax total return information, see Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix C, Appendix D, Appendix E and Appendix F.
In addition to the foregoing total return figures, the Fund may provide pre-tax and after-tax annual and cumulative total return, as well as the ending redeemable cash value of a hypothetical investment. If shares are subject to a sales charge, total return figures may be calculated based on reduced sales charges or at net asset value. These returns would be lower if the full sales charge was imposed. After-tax returns may also be calculated using different tax rate assumptions and taking into account state and local income taxes as well as federal taxes. A Funds performance may differ from that of other investors in a Portfolio, including other investment companies.
Yield is computed pursuant to a standardized formula by dividing the net investment income per share earned during a recent thirty-day period by the maximum offering price (including the maximum of any initial sales charge) per share on the last day of the period and annualizing the resulting figure. Net investment income per share is calculated from the yields to maturity of all debt obligations based on prescribed methods, reduced by accrued expenses for the period with the resulting number being divided by the average daily number of shares outstanding and entitled to receive distributions during the period. Yield figures do not reflect the deduction of any applicable CDSC, but assume the maximum of any initial sales charge. Actual yield may be affected by variations in sales charges on investments.
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings and Related Information. The Board has adopted policies and procedures (the Policies) with respect to the disclosure of information about portfolio holdings of the Fund. See the Fund's Prospectus for information on disclosure made in filings with the SEC and/or posted on the Eaton Vance website (www.eatonvance.com) and disclosure of certain portfolio characteristics. Pursuant to the Policies, information about portfolio holdings of the Fund may also be disclosed as follows:
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Confidential disclosure for a legitimate Fund purpose: Portfolio holdings may be disclosed, from time to time as necessary, for a legitimate business purpose of the Fund, believed to be in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders, provided there is a duty or an agreement that the information be kept confidential. Any such confidentiality agreement includes provisions intended to impose a duty not to trade on the non-public information. The Policies permit disclosure of portfolio holdings information to the following: 1) affiliated and unaffiliated service providers that have a legal or contractual duty to keep such information confidential, such as employees of the investment adviser (including portfolio managers and, in the case of a Portfolio, the portfolio manager of any account that invests in the Portfolio), the administrator, custodian, transfer agent, principal underwriter, etc. described herein and in the Prospectus; 2) other persons who owe a fiduciary or other duty of trust or confidence to the Fund (such as Fund legal counsel and independent registered public accounting firm); or 3) persons to whom the disclosure is made in advancement of a legitimate business purpose of the Fund and who have expressly agreed in writing to maintain the disclosed information in confidence and to use it only in connection with the legitimate business purpose underlying the arrangement. To the extent applicable to an Eaton Vance fund, such persons may include securities lending agents which may receive information from time to time regarding selected holdings which may be loaned by a Fund, in the event a Fund is rated, credit rating agencies (Moodys Investor Services, Inc. and Standard & Poors Ratings Group), analytical service providers engaged by the investment adviser (Advent, Bloomberg L.P., Evare, Factset, McMunn Associates, Inc., MSCI/Barra and The Yield Book, Inc.), proxy evaluation vendors (Institutional Shareholder Servicing Inc.), pricing services (TRPS Mark-to-Market Pricing Service, WM Company Reuters Information Services and Non-Deliverable Forward Rates Service, Markit Pricing Direct, FT Interactive Data Corp., Standard & Poors Securities Evaluation Service, Inc., SuperDerivatives and Stat Pro.), which receive information as needed to price a particular holding, translation services, third-party reconciliation services, lenders under Fund credit facilities (Citibank, N.A. and its affiliates), consultants and other product evaluators (Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC) and, for purposes of facilitating portfolio transactions, financial intermediaries and other intermediaries (national and regional municipal bond dealers and mortgage-backed securities dealers). These entities receive portfolio information on an as needed basis in order to perform the service for which they are being engaged. If required in order to perform their duties, this information will be provided in real time or as soon as practical thereafter. Additional categories of disclosure involving a legitimate business purpose may be added to this list upon the authorization of the Funds Board. In addition to the foregoing, disclosure of portfolio holdings may be made to the Funds investment adviser as a seed investor in a fund, in
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order for the adviser or its parent to satisfy certain reporting obligations and reduce its exposure to market risk factors associated with any such seed investment. Also, in connection with a redemption in kind, the redeeming shareholder may be required to agree to keep the information about the securities to be so distributed confidential, except to the extent necessary to dispose of the securities.
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Historical portfolio holdings information: From time to time, the Fund may be requested to provide historic portfolio holdings information or certain characteristics of portfolio holdings that have not been made public previously. In such case, the requested information may be provided if: the information is requested for due diligence or another legitimate purpose; the requested portfolio holdings or portfolio characteristics are for a period that is no more recent than the date of the portfolio holdings or portfolio characteristics posted to the Eaton Vance website; and the dissemination of the requested information is reviewed and approved in accordance with the Policies.
The Fund, the investment adviser and principal underwriter will not receive any monetary or other consideration in connection with the disclosure of information concerning the Funds portfolio holdings.
The Policies may not be waived, or exception made, without the consent of the CCO of the Fund. The CCO may not waive or make exception to the Policies unless such waiver or exception is consistent with the intent of the Policies, which is to ensure that disclosure of portfolio information is in the best interest of Fund shareholders. In determining whether to permit a waiver of or exception to the Policies, the CCO will consider whether the proposed disclosure serves a legitimate purpose of the Fund, whether it could provide the recipient with an advantage over Fund shareholders or whether the proposed disclosure gives rise to a conflict of interest between the Funds shareholders and its investment adviser, principal underwriter or other affiliated person. The CCO will report all waivers of or exceptions to the Policies to the Board at their next meeting. The Board may impose additional restrictions on the disclosure of portfolio holdings information at any time.
The Policies are designed to provide useful information concerning the Fund to existing and prospective Fund shareholders while at the same time inhibiting the improper use of portfolio holdings information in trading Fund shares and/or portfolio securities held by each Portfolio. However, there can be no assurance that the provision of any portfolio holdings information is not susceptible to inappropriate uses (such as the development of market timing models), particularly in the hands of highly sophisticated investors, or that it will not in fact be used in such ways beyond the control of the Fund.
TAXES
The following is a summary of some of the tax consequences affecting the Fund and its shareholders. The summary does not address all of the special tax rules applicable to certain classes of investors, such as individual retirement accounts and employer sponsored retirement plans, tax-exempt entities, foreign investors, insurance companies and financial institutions. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors with respect to special tax rules that may apply in their particular situations, as well as the federal, state, local, and, where applicable, foreign tax consequences of investing in the Fund.
Taxation of the Fund. The Fund, as a series of the Trust, is treated as a separate entity for federal income tax purposes. The Fund has elected to be treated and intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company (RIC) under Subchapter M of the Code. Accordingly, the Fund intends to satisfy certain requirements relating to sources of its income and diversification of its assets and to distribute substantially all of its net investment income (including tax-exempt income, if any) 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 tax. Based on advice of counsel, the Fund will not recognize gain or loss on its distribution of appreciated securities in shareholder-initiated redemptions of its shares. If the Fund qualifies for treatment as a RIC and satisfies the above-mentioned distribution requirements, it will not be subject to federal income tax on income paid to its shareholders in the form of dividends or capital gain distributions. The Fund qualified as a RIC for its most recent fiscal year.
The Fund also seeks to avoid payment of federal excise tax. However, if the Fund fails to distribute in a calendar year substantially all of its ordinary income for such year and substantially all of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 (or later if the Fund is permitted to so elect and so elects), plus any retained amount from the prior year, the Fund will be subject to a 4% excise tax on the undistributed amounts. In order to avoid incurring a federal excise tax obligation, the Code requires that the Fund distributes (or be deemed to have distributed) by December 31 of each calendar year (i) at least 98% of its ordinary income (excluding tax-exempt income, if any) for such year, (ii) at least 98.2% of its capital gain net income (which is the excess of its realized capital gains over its realized capital losses), 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, and (iii) 100% of any income and capital gains from the prior year (as previously computed) that was not paid out during such year and on which the Fund paid no federal income tax. If the Fund fails to meet these requirements it will be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax
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on the undistributed amounts. Under current law, provided that the Fund qualifies as a RIC (and, where applicable, the Portfolio is treated as a partnership for Massachusetts and federal tax purposes), the Fund should not be liable for any income, corporate excise or franchise tax in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
If the Fund does not qualify as a RIC for any taxable year, the Funds taxable income will be subject to corporate income taxes, and all distributions from earnings and profits, including distributions of tax-exempt income and net capital gain (if any), will be taxable to the shareholder as dividend income. However, such distributions may be eligible (i) to be treated as qualified dividend income in the case of shareholders taxed as individuals and (ii) for the dividends-received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. In addition, in order to re-qualify for taxation as a RIC, the Fund may be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions.
In certain situations, the Fund may, for a taxable year, elect to defer all or a portion of its net capital losses (or if there is no net capital loss, then any net long-term or short-term capital loss) realized after October and its late-year ordinary losses (defined as the sum of the excess of post-October foreign currency and passive foreign investment company (PFIC) losses over post-October foreign currency and PFIC gains plus the excess of post-December ordinary losses over post-December ordinary income) realized after December until the next taxable year in computing its investment company taxable income and net capital gain, which will defer the recognition of such realized losses. Such deferrals and other rules regarding gains and losses realized after October (or December) may affect the tax character of shareholder distributions.
The Code contains a provision codifying the judicial economic substance doctrine, which has traditionally been used by courts to deny tax benefits for transactions that lack economic substance; a strict liability penalty is imposed for an understatement of tax liability due to a transactions lack of economic substance.
Taxation of the Portfolio. If the Fund invests its assets in the Portfolio, the Portfolio normally must satisfy the applicable source of income and asset diversification requirements in order for the Fund to also satisfy these requirements. For federal income tax purposes, the Portfolio intends to be treated as a partnership that is not a publicly traded partnership and, as a result, will not be subject to federal income tax. The Fund, as an investor in the Portfolio, will be required to take into account in determining its federal income tax liability its share of such Portfolios income, gains, losses, deductions and credits, without regard to whether it has received any distributions from such Portfolio. The Portfolio will allocate at least annually among its investors, including the Fund, the Portfolios net investment income, net realized capital gains and losses, and any other items of income, gain, loss, deduction or credit. For purposes of applying the requirements of the Code regarding qualification as a RIC, the Fund (i) will be deemed to own its proportionate share of each of the assets of the Portfolio and (ii) will be entitled to the gross income of the Portfolio attributable to such share. Under current law, provided that the Portfolio is treated as a partnership for Massachusetts and federal tax purposes, the Portfolio should not be liable for any income, corporate excise or franchise tax in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Taxation of the Subsidiary. See the definition of “ Subsidiary under Definitions at the front of this SAI for information about whether any Fund and/or Portfolio (if applicable) described herein has established a Subsidiary. The Subsidiary is classified as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As described in the prospectus, the Fund has either applied for or received from the IRS a private letter ruling or has received advice from counsel relating to the treatment of the income allocated to the Fund from the Subsidiary for purposes of the Funds status as a RIC under the Code. Foreign corporations, such as the Subsidiary, will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation unless they are deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business. It is expected that the Subsidiary will conduct it activities in a manner so as to meet the requirements of a safe harbor under Section 864(b)(2) of the Code under which the Subsidiary may engage in trading in stocks or securities or certain commodities without being deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business. However, if certain of the Subsidiary's activities were determined not to be of the type described in the safe harbor (which is not expected), then the activities of the Subsidiary may constitute a U.S. trade or business, and would be taxed as such.
The Subsidiary is treated as a controlled foreign corporation (CFC) for tax purposes and the Fund is treated as a U.S. shareholder of the Subsidiary. As a result, the Fund is required to include in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes all of the Subsidiary's subpart F income, whether or not such income is distributed by the Subsidiary. It is expected that all of the Subsidiary's income will be subpart F income. The Funds recognition of the Subsidiary's subpart F income will increase the Funds tax basis in the Subsidiary. Distributions by the Subsidiary to the Fund will be tax-free, to the extent of its previously undistributed subpart F income, and will correspondingly reduce the Fund's tax basis in the Subsidiary. Subpart F income is generally treated as ordinary income, regardless of the character of the Subsidiary's underlying income. If a net loss is realized by the Subsidiary, such loss is not generally available to offset the income earned by the Fund.
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Tax Consequences of Certain Investments. The following summary of the tax consequences of certain types of investments applies to the Fund and the Portfolio, as appropriate. References in the following summary to the Fund are to any Fund or Portfolio that can engage in the particular practice as described in the prospectus or SAI.
Securities Acquired at Market Discount or with Original Issue Discount. Investment in securities acquired at a market discount, or in zero coupon, deferred interest, payment-in-kind and certain other securities with original issue discount, generally may cause the Fund to realize income prior to the receipt of cash payments with respect to these securities. Such income will be accrued daily by the Fund and, in order to avoid a tax payable by the Fund, the Fund may be required to liquidate securities that it might otherwise have continued to hold in order to generate cash so that the Fund may make required distributions to its shareholders. The Fund may elect to accrue market discount income on a daily basis.
Lower Rated or Defaulted Securities. Investments in securities that are at risk of, or are in, default present special tax issues for the Fund. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless securities and how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income.
Municipal Obligations. Any recognized gain or income attributable to market discount on long-term tax-exempt municipal obligations (i.e., obligations with a term of more than one year) purchased after April 30, 1993 (except to the extent of a portion of the discount attributable to original issue discount), 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.
From time to time proposals have been introduced before Congress for the purpose of restricting or eliminating the federal income tax exemption for interest on certain types of municipal obligations, and it can be expected that similar proposals may be introduced in the future. As a result of any such future legislation, the availability of municipal obligations for investment by the Fund and the value of the securities held by it may be affected. It is possible that events occurring after the date of issuance of municipal obligations, or after the Funds acquisition of such an obligation, may result in a determination that the interest paid on that obligation is taxable, even retroactively.
If the Fund seeks income exempt from state and/or local taxes, information about such taxes is contained in an appendix to this SAI (see the Table of Contents).
Tax Credit Bonds. If the Fund holds, directly or indirectly, one or more tax credit bonds (including Build America Bonds, clean renewable energy bonds and other qualified tax credit bonds) on one or more applicable dates during a taxable year and the Fund satisfies the minimum distribution requirement, the Fund may elect to permit its shareholders to claim a tax credit on their income tax returns equal to each shareholders proportionate share of tax credits from the applicable bonds that otherwise would be allowed to the Fund. In such a case, shareholders must include in gross income (as interest) their proportionate share of the income attributable to their proportionate share of those offsetting tax credits. A shareholders ability to claim a tax credit associated with one or more tax credit bonds may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code. Even if the Fund is eligible to pass through tax credits to shareholders, the Fund may choose not to do so.
Derivatives. The Funds investments in options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts (to the extent permitted) and certain other transactions may 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 Fund, defer Fund losses, cause adjustments in the holding periods of Fund securities, 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 Fund distributions.
Investments in so-called section 1256 contracts, such as regulated futures contracts, most foreign currency forward contracts traded in the interbank market and options on most stock indices, are subject to special tax rules. All section 1256 contracts held by the Fund at the end of its taxable year are required to be marked to their market value, and any unrealized gain or loss on those positions will be included in the Funds income as if each position had been sold for its fair market value at the end of the taxable year. The resulting gain or loss will be combined with any gain or loss realized by the Fund from positions in section 1256 contracts closed during the taxable year. Provided such positions were held as capital assets and were not part of a hedging transaction nor part of a straddle, 60% of the resulting net gain or loss will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and 40% of such net gain or loss will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss, regardless of the period of time the
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positions were actually held by the Fund. Unless an election is made, net 1256 gain or loss on forward currency contracts will be treated as ordinary income or loss.
Fund positions in index options that do not qualify as section 1256 contracts under the Code generally will be treated as equity options governed by Code Section 1234. Pursuant to Code Section 1234, if a written option expires unexercised, the premium received is short-term capital gain to the Fund. If the Fund enters into a closing transaction with respect to a written option, the difference between the premium received and the amount paid to close out its position is short-term capital gain or loss. If an option written by the Fund that is not a section 1256 contract is cash settled, any resulting gain or loss will be short-term capital gain. For an option purchased by the Fund that is not a section 1256 contract, any gain or loss resulting from sale of the option will be a capital gain or loss, and will be short-term or long-term, depending upon the holding period for the option. If the option expires, the resulting loss is a capital loss and is short-term or long-term, depending upon the holding period for the option. If a put option written by the Fund is exercised and physically settled, the premium received is treated as a reduction in the amount paid to acquire the underlying securities, increasing the gain or decreasing the loss to be realized by the Fund upon sale of the securities. If a call option written by the Fund is exercised and physically settled, the premium received is included in the sale proceeds, increasing the gain or decreasing the loss realized by the Fund at the time of option exercise.
As a result of entering into swap contracts, the Fund may make or receive periodic net payments. The Fund may also make or receive a payment when a swap is terminated prior to maturity through an assignment of the swap or other closing transaction. Periodic net payments will generally constitute ordinary income or deductions, while termination of a swap will generally result in capital gain or loss (which will be a long-term capital gain or loss if the Fund has been a party to a swap for more than one year). With respect to certain types of swaps, the Fund may be required to currently recognize income or loss with respect to future payments on such swaps or may elect under certain circumstances to mark such swaps to market annually for tax purposes as ordinary income or loss.
Short Sales. In general, gain or loss on a short sale is recognized when the Fund closes the sale by delivering the borrowed property to the lender, not when the borrowed property is sold. Gain or loss from a short sale is generally considered to be capital gain or loss to the extent that the property used to close the short sale constitutes a capital asset in the Funds hands. Except with respect to certain situations where the property used to close a short sale has a long-term holding period on the date of the short sale, special rules generally treat the gains on short sales as short-term capital gains. These rules may also terminate the running of the holding period of substantially identical property held by the Fund. Moreover, a loss on a short sale will be treated as a long-term capital loss if, on the date of the short sale, substantially identical property has been held by the Fund for more than one year. In general, the Fund will not be permitted to deduct payments made to reimburse the lender of securities for dividends paid on borrowed stock if the short sale is closed on or before the 45th day after the short sale is entered.
Constructive Sales. The Fund may recognize gain (but not loss) from a constructive sale of certain appreciated financial positions if the Fund enters into a short sale, offsetting notional principal contract, or forward contract transaction with respect to the appreciated position or substantially identical property. Appreciated financial positions subject to this constructive sale treatment include interests (including options and forward contracts and short sales) in stock and certain other instruments. Constructive sale treatment does not apply if the transaction is closed out not later than thirty days after the end of the taxable year in which the transaction was initiated, and the underlying appreciated securities position is held unhedged for at least the next sixty days after the hedging transaction is closed.
Gain or loss on a short sale will generally not be realized until such time as the short sale is closed. However, as described above in the discussion of constructive sales, if the Fund holds a short sale position with respect to securities that have appreciated in value, and it then acquires property that is the same as or substantially identical to the property sold short, the Fund generally will recognize gain on the date it acquires such property as if the short sale were closed on such date with such property. Similarly, if the Fund holds an appreciated financial position with respect to securities and then enters into a short sale with respect to the same or substantially identical property, the Fund generally will recognize gain as if the appreciated financial position were sold at its fair market value on the date it enters into the short sale. The subsequent holding period for any appreciated financial position that is subject to these constructive sale rules will be determined as if such position were acquired on the date of the constructive sale.
Foreign Investments and Currencies. The Funds investments in foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes or other foreign taxes with respect to income (possibly including, in some cases, capital gains), which would decrease the Funds income on such securities. These taxes may be reduced or eliminated under the terms of an applicable U.S. income tax treaty. If more than 50% of Fund assets at year end consists of the debt and equity securities of foreign corporations, the Fund may elect to permit shareholders to claim a credit or deduction on their income tax returns for their pro rata portion of qualified taxes paid by the Fund to foreign countries. If the election is made, shareholders will include in gross income from foreign sources their pro rata share of such taxes. A shareholders ability to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by the
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Fund may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code (including a holding period requirement applied at both the Fund and shareholder level), as a result of which a shareholder may not get a full credit or deduction for the amount of such taxes. In particular, the Fund must own the dividend-paying stock for more than 15 days during the 31-day period beginning 15 days prior to the ex-dividend date. Likewise, shareholders must hold their Fund shares (without protection from risk or loss) on the ex-dividend date and for at least 15 additional days during the 31-day period beginning 15 days prior to the ex-dividend date to be eligible to claim the foreign tax with respect to a given dividend. Shareholders who do not itemize deductions on their federal income tax returns may claim a credit (but no deduction) for such taxes. Individual shareholders subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT) may not deduct such taxes for AMT purposes.
Transactions in foreign currencies, foreign currency-denominated debt securities and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts, forward contracts and similar instruments (to the extent permitted) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency. Under Section 988 of the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time the Fund accrues income or receivables or expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund actually collects such income or pays such liabilities are generally treated as ordinary income or ordinary loss.
Investments in PFICs could subject the Fund to U.S. federal income tax or other charges on certain distributions from such companies and on disposition of investments in such companies; however, the tax effects of such investments may be mitigated by making an election to mark such investments to market annually or treat the PFIC as a qualified electing fund. If the Fund were to invest in a PFIC and elect to treat the PFIC as a qualified electing fund under the Code, the Fund might be required to include in income each year a portion of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the qualified electing fund, even if not distributed to the Fund, and such amounts would be subject to the distribution requirements described above. In order to make this election, the Fund would be required to obtain certain annual information from the PFICs in which it invests, which may be difficult or impossible to obtain. Alternatively, if the Fund were to make a mark-to-market election with respect to a PFIC, the Fund would be treated as if it had sold and repurchased the PFIC stock at the end of each year. In such case, the Fund would report any such gains as ordinary income and would deduct any such losses as ordinary losses to the extent of previously recognized gains. This election must be made separately for each PFIC, and once made, would be effective for all subsequent taxable years unless revoked with the consent of the IRS. The Fund may be required to recognize income in excess of the distributions it receives from PFICs and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock in any particular year. As a result, the Fund may have to distribute this phantom income and gain to satisfy the distribution requirement and to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax.
U.S. Government Securities. Distributions paid by the Fund that are derived from interest on obligations of the U.S. Government and certain of its agencies and instrumentalities (but generally not distributions of capital gains realized upon the disposition of such obligations) may be exempt from state and local income taxes. The Fund generally intends to advise shareholders of the extent, if any, to which its distributions consist of such interest. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisers regarding the possible exclusion of such portion of their dividends for state and local income tax purposes.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Any investment by the Fund in equity securities of a REIT qualifying as such under Subchapter M of the Code may result in the Funds receipt of cash in excess of the REITs earnings; if the Fund distributes these amounts, these distributions could constitute a return of capital to Fund shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Investments in REIT equity securities also may require the Fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received. To generate sufficient cash to make the requisite distributions, the Fund may be required to sell securities in its portfolio (including when it is not advantageous to do so) that it otherwise would have continued to hold. Dividends received by the Fund from a REIT will not qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction and generally will not constitute qualified dividend income.
Inflation-Indexed Bonds. Periodic adjustments for inflation to the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond may give rise to original issue discount, which will be includable in the Funds gross income (see Securities Acquired at Market Discount or with Original Issue Discount above). Also, if the principal value of an inflation-indexed bond is adjusted downward due to inflation, amounts previously distributed in the taxable year may be characterized in some circumstances as a return of capital (see Taxation of Fund Shareholders below).
Taxation of Fund Shareholders. Subject to the discussion of distributions of tax-exempt income below, Fund distributions of investment income and net gains from investments held for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income. Fund distributions of any net gains from investments held for more than one year are taxable as long-term capital gains. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated the gains, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares in the Fund. Dividends and distributions on the Funds shares are generally subject to federal income tax as described herein to the extent they are made out of the Funds earnings and profits, even though such dividends and distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholders investment. Such
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distributions are likely to occur in respect of shares purchased at a time when the Funds 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 Funds net asset value also reflects unrealized losses.
Distributions paid by the Fund during any period may be more or less than the amount of net investment income and capital gains actually earned during the period. If the Fund makes a distribution to a shareholder in excess of the Funds current and accumulated earnings and profits in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital. A return of capital is not taxable, but it reduces a shareholders tax basis in its shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its shares. A shareholders tax basis cannot go below zero and any return of capital distributions in excess of a shareholders tax basis will be treated as capital gain.
Ordinarily, shareholders are required to take taxable distributions by the Fund into account in the year in which the distributions are made. However, for federal income tax purposes, dividends that are declared by the Fund in October, November or December as of a record date in such month and actually paid in January of the following year will be treated as if they were paid on December 31 of the year declared. Therefore, such dividends will generally be taxable to a shareholder in the year declared rather than in the year paid.
The amount of distributions payable by the Fund may vary depending on general economic and market conditions, the composition of investments, current management strategy and Fund operating expenses. The Fund will inform shareholders of the tax character of distributions annually to facilitate shareholder tax reporting.
The Fund may elect to retain its net capital gain, in which case the Fund will be taxed thereon (except to the extent of any available capital loss carryovers) at the 35% corporate tax rate. In such a case, it is expected that the Fund also will elect to have shareholders of record on the last day of its taxable year treated as if each received a distribution of its pro rata share of such gain, with the result that each shareholder will be required to report its pro rata share of such gain on its tax return as long-term capital gain, will receive a refundable tax credit for its pro rata share of tax paid by the Fund on the gain, and will increase the tax basis for its shares by an amount equal to the deemed distribution less the tax credit.
Any Fund distribution, other than dividends that are declared by the Fund on a daily basis, will have the effect of reducing the per share net asset value of Fund shares by the amount of the distribution. If a shareholder buys shares when the Fund has unrealized or realized but not yet distributed ordinary income or capital gains, the shareholder will pay full price for the shares and then may receive a portion back as a taxable distribution even though such distribution may economically represent a return of the shareholders investment.
Tax-Exempt Income. Distributions by the Fund of net tax-exempt interest income that are properly reported as exempt-interest dividends may be treated by shareholders as interest excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes under Section 103(a) of the Code. In order for the Fund to be entitled to pay the tax-exempt interest income as exempt-interest dividends to its shareholders, the Fund must satisfy certain requirements, including the requirement that, at the close of each quarter of its taxable year, at least 50% of the value of its total assets consists of obligations the interest on which is exempt from regular federal income tax under Code Section 103(a). Interest on certain municipal obligations may be taxable for purposes of the federal AMT and for state and local purposes. In addition, corporate shareholders must include the full amount of exempt-interest dividends in computing the preference items for the purposes of the AMT. Fund shareholders are required to report tax-exempt interest on their federal income tax returns.
Tax-exempt distributions received from the Fund are taken into account in determining, and may increase, the portion of social security and certain railroad retirement benefits that may be subject to federal income tax. Interest on indebtedness incurred by a shareholder to purchase or carry Fund shares that distributes exempt-interest dividends will not be deductible for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If a shareholder receives exempt interest dividends with respect to any Fund share and if the share is held by the shareholder for six months or less, then any loss on the sale or exchange of the share may, to the extent of the exempt-interest dividends, be disallowed. Furthermore, a portion of any exempt-interest dividend paid by the Fund that represents income derived from certain revenue or private activity bonds held by the Fund may not retain its tax-exempt status in the hands of a shareholder who is a substantial user of a facility financed by such bonds, or a related person thereof. In addition, the receipt of dividends and distributions from the Fund may affect a foreign corporate shareholders federal branch profits tax liability and the federal excess net passive income tax liability of a shareholder of a Subchapter S corporation. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors as to whether they are (i) substantial users with respect to a facility or related to such users within the meaning of the Code or (ii) subject to a federal alternative minimum tax, the federal branch profits tax, or the federal excess net passive income tax.
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Qualified Dividend Income. Qualified dividend income received by an individual is taxed at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain (currently at a maximum rate of 20% plus a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax). In order for a dividend received by Fund shareholders to be qualified dividend income, the Fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the dividend-paying stock in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Funds shares. A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (at either the Fund or shareholder level) (1) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning at the date which is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, in the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date), (2) to the extent that the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, (3) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment interest, or (4) if the dividend is received from a foreign corporation that is (a) not eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the U.S. (with the exception of dividends paid on stock of such a foreign corporation readily tradable on an established securities market in the U.S.) or (b) treated as a passive foreign investment company. Payments in lieu of dividends, such as payments pursuant to securities lending arrangements, also do not qualify to be treated as qualified dividend income. In general, distributions of investment income reported by the Fund as derived from qualified dividend income will be treated as qualified dividend income by a shareholder taxed as an individual provided the shareholder meets the holding period and other requirements described above with respect to the Funds shares. In any event, if the aggregate qualified dividends received by the Fund during any taxable year are 95% or more of its gross income, then 100% of the Funds dividends (other than properly reported capital gain dividends) will be eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income. For this purpose, the only gain with respect to the sale of stocks and securities included in the term gross income is the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss.
Dividends Received Deduction for Corporations. A portion of distributions made by the Fund which are derived from dividends from U.S. corporations may qualify for the dividends-received deduction (DRD) for corporations. The DRD is reduced to the extent the Fund shares with respect to which the dividends are received are treated as debt-financed under the Code and is eliminated if the shares are deemed to have been held for less than a minimum period, generally more than 45 days during the 91-day period beginning 45 days before the ex-dividend date or if the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property. Receipt of certain distributions qualifying for the DRD may result in reduction of the tax basis of the corporate shareholders shares. Distributions eligible for the DRD may give rise to or increase the alternative minimum tax for certain corporations. Payments in lieu of dividends, such as payments pursuant to securities lending arrangements, also do not qualify for the DRD.
Recognition of Unrelated Business Taxable Income by Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Under current law, tax-exempt investors generally will not recognize unrelated business taxable income (UBTI) from distributions from the Fund. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a tax-exempt shareholder could recognize UBTI if shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of a tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code section 514(b). In addition, certain types of income received by the Fund from REITs, real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs), taxable mortgage pools or other investments may cause the Fund to designate some or all of its distributions as excess inclusion income. To Fund shareholders such excess inclusion income may: (1) constitute taxable income as UBTI for those shareholders who would otherwise be tax-exempt such as individual retirement accounts, employer sponsored retirement plans and certain charitable entities; (2) not be offset by otherwise allowable deductions for tax purposes; (3) not be eligible for reduced U.S. withholding for non-U.S. shareholders even from tax treaty countries; and (4) cause the Fund to be subject to tax if certain disqualified organizations as defined by the Code are Fund shareholders.
Sale or Exchange of Fund Shares. Generally, upon the sale or (if permitted) exchange of Fund shares, a shareholder will realize a taxable gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized and the shareholders basis in the shares. Such gain or loss will be treated as capital gain or loss if the shares are capital assets in the shareholders hands, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for more than one year, and short-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for one year or less.
Any loss realized upon the sale or other disposition of Fund shares with a tax holding period of six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any Fund distributions treated as long-term capital gain with respect to such shares. In addition, all or a portion of a loss realized on a sale or other disposition of Fund shares may be disallowed under wash sale rules to the extent the shareholder acquired other shares of the same Fund (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 shareholders tax basis in some or all of the other shares acquired. See the prospectus for information regarding any permitted exchange of Fund shares.
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Sales charges paid upon a purchase of shares subject to a front-end sales charge cannot be taken into account for purposes of determining gain or loss on a redemption or exchange 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 Fund shares (or shares of another fund) on or before January 31 of the following calendar year pursuant to the reinvestment or exchange privilege. Any disregarded amounts will result in an adjustment to the shareholders tax basis in some or all of any other shares acquired.
Applicability of Medicare Contribution Tax. The Code imposes a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on unearned income of certain U.S. individuals, estates and trusts. For individuals, the tax is on the lesser of the net investment income and the excess of modified adjusted gross income over $200,000 (or $250,000 if married filing jointly). Net investment income includes, among other things, interest, dividends, and gross income and capital gains derived from passive activities and trading in securities or commodities. Net investment income is reduced by deductions properly allocable to this income.
Back-Up Withholding for U.S. Shareholders. Amounts paid by the Fund to individuals and certain other shareholders who have not provided the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) and certain certifications required by the IRS as well as shareholders with respect to whom the Fund has received certain information from the IRS or a broker, may be subject to backup withholding of federal income tax arising from the Funds taxable dividends and other distributions as well as the proceeds of redemption transactions (including repurchases and exchanges), at a rate of 28%. An individuals TIN is generally his or her social security number. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against a shareholders U.S. federal income tax liability.
Taxation of Foreign Shareholders. In general, dividends (other than capital gain dividends and exempt-interest dividends) paid to a shareholder that is not a U.S. person within the meaning of the Code (a foreign person or foreign shareholder) are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate). The withholding tax does not apply to regular dividends paid to a foreign person who provides an IRS Form W-8ECI, certifying that the dividends are effectively connected with the foreign persons conduct of a trade or business within the United States. Instead, the effectively connected dividends will be subject to regular U.S. income tax as if the foreign person were a U.S. shareholder. A non-U.S. corporation receiving effectively connected dividends may also be subject to additional branch profits tax imposed at a rate of 30% (or lower treaty rate). A foreign person who fails to provide an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E, or other applicable form may be subject to backup withholding at the appropriate rate. A foreign shareholder would generally be exempt from U.S. federal income tax, including withholding tax, on gains realized on the sale of shares of the Fund, net capital gain dividends, exempt interest dividends, and amounts retained by the Fund that are reported as undistributed capital gains.
Properly reported dividends are generally exempt from U.S. federal withholding tax where they (i) are paid in respect of the Funds qualified net interest income (generally, the Funds U.S. source interest income, other than certain contingent interest and interest from obligations of a corporation or partnership in which the Fund is at least a 10% shareholder, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income) or (ii) are paid in respect of the Funds qualified short-term capital gains (generally, the excess of the Funds net short-term capital gain over the Funds long-term capital loss for such taxable year). However, depending on its circumstances, the Fund may report all, some or none of its potentially eligible dividends as such qualified net interest income or as qualified short-term capital gains and/or treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible for this exemption from withholding. In order to qualify for this exemption from withholding, a non-U.S. shareholder would need to comply with applicable certification requirements relating to its non-U.S. status (including, in general, furnishing an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E, or substitute Form). In the case of shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary could withhold even if the Fund designates the payment as qualified net interest income or qualified short-term capital gain. Non-U.S. shareholders should contact their intermediaries with respect to the application of these rules to their accounts.
Distributions that the Fund reports as short-term capital gain dividends or long-term capital gain dividends will not be treated as such to a recipient foreign shareholder if the distribution is attributable to gain from the sale or exchange of U.S. real property or an interest in a U.S. real property holding corporation and the Funds direct or indirect interests in U.S. real property exceeded certain levels. Instead, if the foreign shareholder has not owned more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Fund at any time during the one year period ending on the date of distribution, such distributions will be subject to 30% withholding by the Fund and will be treated as ordinary dividends to the foreign shareholder; if the foreign shareholder owned more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Fund at any time during the one year period ending on the date of the distribution, such distribution will be treated as real property gain subject to 35% withholding tax and could subject the foreign shareholder to U.S. filing requirements. The rules described in this paragraph, other than the withholding rules, will apply notwithstanding the Funds participation or a foreign shareholders participation in a wash sale transaction or the payment of a substitute dividend.
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
34
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Additionally, if the Funds direct or indirect interests in U.S. real property were to exceed certain levels, a foreign shareholder realizing gains upon redemption from the Fund could be subject to the 35% withholding tax and U.S. filing requirements unless the foreign person had not held more than 5% of the Funds outstanding shares throughout either such persons holding period for the redeemed shares or, if shorter, the previous five years, 50% or more of the value of the Funds shares were held by U.S. entities.
The same rules apply with respect to distributions to a foreign shareholder from the Fund and redemptions of a foreign shareholders interest in the Fund attributable to a REITs distribution to the Fund of gain from the sale or exchange of U.S. real property or an interest in a U.S. real property holding corporation, if the Funds direct or indirect interests in U.S. real property were to exceed certain levels.
Provided that 50% or more of the value of the Funds stock is held by U.S. shareholders, distributions of U.S. real property interests (including securities in a U.S. real property holding corporation, unless such corporation is regularly traded on an established securities market and the Fund has held 5% or less of the outstanding shares of the corporation during the five-year period ending on the date of distribution), in redemption of a foreign shareholders shares of the Fund will cause the Fund to recognize gain. If the Fund is required to recognize gain, the amount of gain recognized will be equal to the fair market value of such interests over the Funds adjusted basis to the extent of the greatest foreign ownership percentage of the Fund during the five-year period ending on the date of redemption.
In the case of foreign non-corporate shareholders, the Fund may be required to backup withhold U.S. federal income tax on distributions that are otherwise exempt from withholding tax unless such shareholders furnish the Fund with proper notification of their foreign status.
Shares of the Fund held by a non-U.S. shareholder at death will be considered situated within the United States and subject to the U.S. estate tax.
Compliance with the HIRE Act. A 30% withholding tax is imposed on U.S.-source dividends, interest and other income items, including those paid by the Fund and, after December 31, 2018, will be imposed on proceeds from the sale of property producing U.S.-source dividends, including shares in the Fund, paid to (i) foreign financial institutions including non-U.S. investment funds unless they agree to collect and disclose to the IRS information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. account holders and (ii) certain other foreign entities, unless they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners. To avoid withholding, foreign financial institutions will need to either enter into agreements with the IRS that state that they will provide the IRS information, including the names, addresses and taxpayer identification numbers of direct and indirect U.S. account holders, comply with due diligence procedures with respect to the identification of U.S. accounts, report to the IRS certain information with respect to U.S. accounts maintained, agree to withhold tax on certain payments made to non-compliant foreign financial institutions or to account holders who fail to provide the required information, and determine certain other information as to their account holders or, in the event that an applicable intergovernmental agreement and implementing legislation are adopted, agree to provide certain information to other revenue authorities for transmittal to the IRS. Other foreign entities will need to either provide the name, address, and taxpayer identification number of each substantial U.S. owner or certifications of no substantial U.S. ownership unless certain exceptions apply or agree to provide certain information to other revenue authorities for transmittal to the IRS. Non-U.S. shareholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the possible implications of these requirements on their investment in the Fund.
Requirements of Form 8886. Under Treasury Regulations, if a shareholder realizes a loss on disposition of the Funds shares of at least $2 million in any single taxable year or $4 million in any combination of taxable years for an individual shareholder or at least $10 million in any single taxable year or $20 million in any combination of taxable years for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayers treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances. Under certain circumstances, certain tax-exempt entities and their managers may be subject to excise tax if they are parties to certain reportable transactions.
Other Taxes. Dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds may also be subject to additional state, local and foreign taxes depending on each shareholders particular situation.
Changes in Taxation. The taxation of the Fund, the Portfolio, the Subsidiary and shareholders may be adversely affected by future legislation, Treasury Regulations, IRS revenue procedures and/or guidance issued by the IRS.
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
35
SAI dated May 1, 2016
PORTFOLIO SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS
Decisions concerning the execution of portfolio security transactions, including the selection of the market and the broker-dealer firm, are made by the investment adviser. Each Portfolio is responsible for the expenses associated with its portfolio transactions. The investment adviser is also responsible for the execution of transactions for all other accounts managed by it. The investment adviser places the portfolio security transactions for execution with one or more broker-dealer firms. The investment adviser uses its best efforts to obtain execution of portfolio security transactions at prices which in the investment advisers judgment are advantageous to the client and at a reasonably competitive spread or (when a disclosed commission is being charged) at reasonably competitive commission rates. In seeking such execution, the investment 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 broker-dealer firms services, responsiveness of the firm to the investment 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 broker-dealer 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 amount of the spread or commission, if any. In addition, the investment adviser may consider the receipt of Research Services (as defined below), provided it does not compromise the investment advisers obligation to seek best overall execution for each Portfolio and is otherwise in compliance with applicable law. The investment adviser may engage in portfolio brokerage transactions with a broker-dealer firm that sells shares of Eaton Vance funds, provided such transactions are not directed to that firm as compensation for the promotion or sale of such shares.
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 including transactions in fixed-income securities which are generally purchased and sold on a net basis (i.e., without commission) through broker-dealers and banks acting for their own account rather than as brokers. Such firms attempt to profit from such transactions by buying at the bid price and selling at the higher asked price of the market for such obligations, and the difference between the bid and asked price is customarily referred to as the spread. Fixed-income transactions may also be transactions directly with the issuer of the obligations. In an underwritten offering the price paid often includes a disclosed fixed commission or discount retained by the underwriter or dealer. Although spreads or commissions paid on portfolio security transactions will, in the judgment of the investment adviser, be reasonable in relation to the value of the services provided, commissions exceeding those which another firm might charge may be paid to broker-dealers who were selected to execute transactions on behalf of the investment advisers clients in part for providing brokerage and research services to the investment adviser as permitted by applicable law.
Pursuant to the safe harbor provided in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Section 28(e)) and to the extent permitted by other applicable law, a broker or dealer who executes a portfolio transaction on behalf of the investment adviser client 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 investment 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 either that particular transaction or on the basis of the overall responsibility which the investment adviser and its affiliates have for accounts over which they exercise investment discretion. Research Services as used herein includes any and all brokerage and research services to the extent permitted by Section 28(e) and other applicable law. Generally, Research Services may include, but are not limited to, such matters as research, analytical and quotation services, data, information and other services products and materials which assist the investment adviser in the performance of its investment responsibilities. More specifically, Research Services may include general economic, political, business and market information, industry and company reviews, evaluations of securities and portfolio strategies and transactions, technical analysis of various aspects of the securities markets, recommendations as to the purchase and sale of securities and other portfolio transactions, certain financial, industry and trade publications, certain news and information services, and certain research oriented computer software, data bases and services. Any particular Research Service obtained through a broker-dealer may be used by the investment adviser in connection with client accounts other than those accounts which pay commissions to such broker-dealer, to the extent permitted by applicable law. Any such Research Service may be broadly useful and of value to the investment 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 clients 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 investment adviser evaluates the nature and quality of the various Research Services obtained through broker-dealer firms and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, may attempt to allocate sufficient portfolio security transactions to such firms to ensure the continued receipt of Research Services which the investment adviser believes
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
36
SAI dated May 1, 2016
are useful or of value to it in rendering investment advisory services to its clients. The investment adviser may also receive brokerage and Research Services from underwriters and dealers in fixed-price offerings, when permitted under applicable law.
Research Services provided by (and produced by) broker-dealers that execute portfolio transactions or from affiliates of executing broker-dealers are referred to as Proprietary Research. Except for trades executed in jurisdictions where such consideration is not permissible, the investment adviser may and does consider the receipt of Proprietary Research Services as a factor in selecting broker dealers to execute client portfolio transactions, provided it does not compromise the investment advisers obligation to seek best overall execution. In jurisdictions where permissible, the investment adviser also may consider the receipt of Research Services under so called client commission arrangements or commission sharing arrangements (both referred to as CCAs) as a factor in selecting broker dealers to execute transactions, provided it does not compromise the investment advisers obligation to seek best overall execution. Under a CCA arrangement, the investment adviser may cause client accounts to effect transactions through a broker-dealer and request that the broker-dealer allocate a portion of the commissions paid on those transactions to a pool of commission credits that are paid to other firms that provide Research Services to the investment adviser. Under a CCA, the broker-dealer that provides the Research Services need not execute the trade. Participating in CCAs may enable the investment adviser to consolidate payments for research using accumulated client commission credits from transactions executed through a particular broker-dealer to periodically pay for Research Services obtained from and provided by other firms, including other broker-dealers that supply Research Services. The investment adviser believes that CCAs offer the potential to optimize the execution of trades and the acquisition of a variety of high quality Research Services that the investment adviser might not be provided access to absent CCAs. The investment adviser will only enter into and utilize CCAs to the extent permitted by Section 28(e) and other applicable law.
Fund trades may implicate laws of the United Kingdom, including rules of the UK Financial Conduct Authority, which govern client trading commissions and Research Services (UK Law). Broadly speaking, under UK Law the investment adviser may not accept any good or service when executing an order unless that good or service either is directly related to the execution of trades on behalf of its clients/customers or amounts to the provision of substantive research (as defined under UK Law). These requirements may also apply with respect to orders in connection with which the investment adviser receives goods and services under a CCA or other bundled brokerage arrangement.
The investment companies sponsored by the investment adviser or its affiliates also may allocate brokerage commissions to acquire information relating to the performance, fees and expenses of such companies and other investment companies, which information is used by the members of the Board of such companies to fulfill their responsibility to oversee the quality of the services provided to various entities, including the investment adviser, to such companies. Such companies may also pay cash for such information.
Securities considered as investments for a Portfolio may also be appropriate for other investment accounts managed by the investment adviser or its affiliates. Whenever decisions are made to buy or sell securities by a Portfolio and one or more of such other accounts simultaneously, the investment adviser will allocate the security transactions (including new issues) in a manner which it believes to be equitable under the circumstances. As a result of such allocations, there may be instances where a Portfolio 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 investment 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 a Portfolio from time to time, it is the opinion of the members of the Board that the benefits from the investment adviser organization outweigh any disadvantage that may arise from exposure to simultaneous transactions.
The following table shows brokerage commissions paid during the periods indicated in the table, as well as the amount of Portfolio security transactions for the most recent fiscal year (if any) that were directed to firms that provided some Research Services to the investment adviser or its affiliates (see above), and the commissions paid in connection therewith.
|
Brokerage Commissions Paid for the Fiscal Year Ended |
Amount of Transactions
|
Commissions Paid on Transactions
|
||
Fund/Portfolio |
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
2015 |
2015 |
Core Bond Portfolio |
$82 |
$247 |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
Stock Portfolio |
$257,571 |
$202,403 |
$178,106 |
$626,575,049 |
$224,897 |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
37
SAI dated May 1, 2016
During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, each Portfolio held securities of its or its corresponding Funds regular brokers or dealers, as that term is defined in Rule 10b-1 of the 1940 Act, the value of such securities was:
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial statements of, and the report of the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund appear in its annual report to shareholders and are incorporated by reference into this SAI. A copy of the annual report accompanies this SAI.
Householding. Consistent with applicable law, duplicate mailings of shareholder reports and certain other Fund information to shareholders residing at the same address may be eliminated.
Registrant incorporates by reference the audited financial information and the reports of the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund and Stock Portfolio for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, as previously filed electronically with the SEC (Accession No. 0001193125-16-480335).
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
38
SAI dated May 1, 2016
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
39
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
40
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Borrowing for Temporary Purposes |
The Fund may borrow for temporary purposes (such as to satisfy redemption requests, to remain fully invested in advance of the settlement of share purchases, and to settle transactions). The Funds ability to borrow is subject to its terms and conditions of its credit arrangements, which in some cases may limit the Funds ability to borrow under the arrangement. The Fund will be required to maintain a specified level of asset coverage with respect to all borrowings and may be required to sell some of its holdings to reduce debt and restore coverage at times when it may not be advantageous to do so. The rights of the lender to receive payments of interest and repayments of principal of any borrowings made by the Fund under a credit arrangement are senior to the rights of holders of shares, with respect to the payment of dividends or upon liquidation. In the event of a default under a credit arrangement, the lenders may have the right to cause a liquidation of the collateral (i.e., sell Fund assets) and, if any such default is not cured, the lenders may be able to control the liquidation as well. Credit arrangements are subject to annual renewal, which cannot be assured. If the Fund does not have the ability to borrow for temporary purposes, it may be required to sell securities at inopportune times to meet short-term liquidity needs. Because the Fund is a party to a joint credit arrangement, it may be unable to borrow some or all of its requested amounts at any particular time. Borrowings involve additional expense to the Fund. |
Build America Bonds |
Build America Bonds are taxable municipal obligations issued pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Act) or other legislation providing for the issuance of taxable municipal debt on which the issuer receives federal support. Enacted in February 2009, the Act authorizes state and local governments to issue taxable bonds on which, assuming certain specified conditions are satisfied, issuers may either (i) receive reimbursement from the U.S. Treasury with respect to its interest payments on the bonds (direct pay Build America Bonds); or (ii) provide tax credits to investors in the bonds (tax credit Build America Bonds). Unlike most other municipal obligations, interest received on Build America Bonds is subject to federal income tax and may be subject to state income tax. Under the terms of the Act, issuers of direct pay Build America Bonds are entitled to receive reimbursement from the U.S. Treasury currently equal to 35% (or 45% in the case of Recovery Zone Economic Development Bonds) of the interest paid. Holders of tax credit Build America Bonds can receive a federal tax credit currently equal to 35% of the coupon interest received. The Fund may invest in principal only strips of tax credit Build America Bonds, which entitle the holder to receive par value of such bonds if held to maturity. The Fund does not expect to receive (or pass through to shareholders) tax credits as a result of its investments. The federal interest subsidy or tax credit continues for the life of the bonds. Build America Bonds are an alternative form of financing to state and local governments whose primary means for accessing the capital markets has been through issuance of tax-free municipal bonds. Build America Bonds can appeal to a broader array of investors than the high income U.S. taxpayers that have traditionally provided the market for municipal bonds. Build America Bonds may provide a lower net cost of funds to issuers. Pursuant to the terms of the Act, the issuance of Build America Bonds ceased on December 31, 2010. As a result, the availability of such bonds is limited and the market for the bonds and/or their liquidity may be affected. |
Call and Put Features on Securities |
Issuers of securities may reserve the right to call (redeem) the securities. If an issuer redeems a security with a call right during a time of declining interest rates, the holder of the security may not be able to reinvest the proceeds in securities providing the same investment return as provided by the securities redeemed. Some securities may have put or demand features that allow early redemption by the holder. Longer term fixed-rate securities may give the holder a right to request redemption at certain times (often annually after the lapse of an intermediate term). This put or demand feature enhances a securitys liquidity by shortening its effective maturity and enables the security to trade at a price equal to or very close to par. If a demand feature terminates prior to being exercised, the holder of the security would be subject to the longer maturity of the security, which could experience substantially more volatility. Securities with a put or demand feature are more defensive than conventional long term securities (protecting to some degree against a rise in interest rates) while providing greater opportunity than comparable intermediate term securities, because they can be retained if interest rates decline. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
41
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Cash Equivalents |
Cash equivalents include short term, high quality, U.S. dollar denominated instruments such as commercial paper, certificates of deposit and bankers acceptances issued by U.S. or foreign banks, and Treasury bills and other obligations with a maturity of one year or less, including those issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies and instrumentalities. See U.S. Government Securities below. Certificates of deposit are certificates issued against funds deposited in a commercial bank, are for a definite period of time, earn a specified rate of return, and are normally negotiable. Bankers acceptances are short-term credit instruments used to finance the import, export, transfer or storage of goods. They are termed accepted when a bank guarantees their payment at maturity. |
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The obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks may be general obligations of the parent bank in addition to the issuing branch, or may be limited by the terms of a specific obligation and by governmental regulation. Payment of interest and principal upon these obligations may also be affected by governmental action in the country of domicile of the branch (generally referred to as sovereign risk). In addition, evidence of ownership of portfolio securities may be held outside of the U.S. and generally will be subject to the risks associated with the holding of such property overseas. Various provisions of U.S. law governing the establishment and operation of domestic branches do not apply to foreign branches of domestic banks. The obligations of U.S. branches of foreign banks may be general obligations of the parent bank in addition to the issuing branch, or may be limited by the terms of a specific obligation and by federal and state regulation as well as by governmental action in the country in which the foreign bank has its head office. |
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Cash equivalents are often acquired directly from the issuers thereof or otherwise are normally traded on a net basis (without commission) through broker-dealers and banks acting for their own account. Such firms attempt to profit from such transactions by buying at the bid price and selling at the higher asked price of the market, and the difference is customarily referred to as the spread. Cash equivalents may be adversely affected by market and economic events, such as a sharp rise in prevailing short-term interest rates; adverse developments in the banking industry, which issues or guarantees many money market securities; adverse economic, political or other developments affecting domestic issuers of money market securities; changes in the credit quality of issuers; and default by a counterparty. These securities may be subject to federal income, state income and/or other taxes. Instead of investing in cash equivalents directly, the Fund may invest in an affiliated money market fund (such as Eaton Vance Cash Reserves Fund, LLC, which is managed by Eaton Vance) or unaffiliated money market fund. |
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (CMOs) |
CMOs are backed by a pool of mortgages or mortgage loans. The key feature of the CMO structure is the prioritization of the cash flows from the pool of mortgages among the several classes, or tranches, of the CMO, thereby creating a series of obligations with varying rates and maturities. Senior CMO classes will typically have priority over residual CMOs as to the receipt of principal and or interest payments on the underlying mortgages. CMOs also issue sequential and parallel pay classes, including planned amortization and target amortization classes, and fixed and floating rate CMO tranches. CMOs issued by U.S. government agencies are backed by agency mortgages, while privately issued CMOs may be backed by either government agency mortgages or private mortgages. Payments of principal and interest are passed through to each CMO tranche at varying schedules resulting in bonds with different coupons, effective maturities and sensitivities to interest rates. Parallel pay CMOs are structured to provide payments of principal on each payment date to more than one class, concurrently on a proportionate or disproportionate basis. Sequential pay CMOs generally pay principal to only one class at a time while paying interest to several classes. CMOs generally are secured by an assignment to a trustee under the indenture pursuant to which the bonds are issued as collateral consisting of a pool of mortgages. Payments with respect to the underlying mortgages generally are made to the trustee under the indenture. CMOs are designed to be retired as the underlying mortgages are repaid. In the event of sufficient early prepayments on such mortgages, the class or series of CMO first to mature generally will be retired prior to maturity. Therefore, although in most cases the issuer of CMOs will not supply additional collateral in the event of such prepayments, there will be sufficient collateral to secure CMOs that remain outstanding. Floating rate CMO tranches carry interest rates that are tied in a fixed relationship to an index subject to an upper limit, or cap, and sometimes to a lower limit, or floor. CMOs may be less liquid and may exhibit greater price volatility than other types of mortgage- or asset-backed securities. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
42
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (CMBS) |
CMBS include securities that reflect an interest in, and are secured by, mortgage loans on commercial real property, such as hotels, office buildings, retail stores, hospitals and other commercial buildings. CMBS may have a lower repayment uncertainty than other mortgage-related securities because commercial mortgage loans generally prohibit or impose penalties on prepayment of principal. The risks of investing in CMBS reflect the risks of investing in the real estate securing the underlying mortgage loans, including the effects of local and other economic conditions on real estate markets, the ability of tenants to make loan payment, and the ability of a property to attract and retain tenants. CMBS may be less liquid and may exhibit greater price volatility than other types of mortgage- or asset-backed securities. |
Commodity-Related Investments |
The value of commodities investments will generally be affected by overall market movements and factors specific to a particular industry or commodity, which may include weather, embargoes, tariffs, and health, political, international and regulatory developments. Economic and other events (whether real or perceived) can reduce the demand for commodities, which may reduce market prices and cause the value of Fund shares to fall. The frequency and magnitude of such changes cannot be predicted. Exposure to commodities and commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. No active trading market may exist for certain commodities investments, which may impair the ability of the Fund to sell or to realize the full value of such investments in the event of the need to liquidate such investments. In addition, adverse market conditions may impair the liquidity of actively traded commodities investments. Certain types of commodities instruments (such as total return swaps and commodity-linked notes) are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the instrument will not perform or will be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument. To the extent commodity-related investments are held through the Subsidiary, the Subsidiary is not subject to U.S. laws (including securities laws) and their protections. The Subsidiary is subject to the laws of the Cayman Islands, a foreign jurisdiction, and can be affected by developments in that jurisdiction. |
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Certain commodities are subject to limited pricing flexibility because of supply and demand factors. Others are subject to broad price fluctuations as a result of the volatility of the prices for certain raw materials and the instability of supplies of other materials. These additional variables may create additional investment risks and result in greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The commodities that underlie commodity futures contracts and commodity swaps may be subject to additional economic and non-economic variables, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs, and international economic, political and regulatory developments. Unlike the financial futures markets, in the commodity futures markets there are costs of physical storage associated with purchasing the underlying commodity. The price of the commodity futures contract will reflect the storage costs of purchasing the physical commodity, including the time value of money invested in the physical commodity. To the extent that the storage costs for an underlying commodity change while the Fund is invested in futures contracts on that commodity, the value of the futures contract may change proportionately. |
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In the commodity futures markets, producers of the underlying commodity may decide to hedge the price risk of selling the commodity by selling futures contracts today to lock in the price of the commodity at delivery tomorrow. In order to induce speculators to purchase the other side of the same futures contract, the commodity producer generally must sell the futures contract at a lower price than the expected future spot price. Conversely, if most hedgers in the futures market are purchasing futures contracts to hedge against a rise in prices, then speculators will only sell the other side of the futures contract at a higher futures price than the expected future spot price of the commodity. The changing nature of the hedgers and speculators in the commodity markets will influence whether futures prices are above or below the expected future spot price, which can have significant implications for the Fund. If the nature of hedgers and speculators in futures markets has shifted when it is time for the Fund to reinvest the proceeds of a maturing contract in a new futures contract, the Fund might reinvest at higher or lower futures prices, or choose to pursue other investments. |
Common Stocks |
Common stock represents an equity ownership interest in the issuing corporation. Holders of common stock generally have voting rights in the issuer and are entitled to receive common stock dividends when, as and if declared by the corporations board of directors. Common stock normally occupies the most subordinated position in an issuers capital structure. Returns on common stock investments consist of any dividends received plus the amount of appreciation or depreciation in the value of the stock. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
43
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Although common stocks have historically generated higher average returns than fixed-income securities over the long term and particularly during periods of high or rising concerns about inflation, common stocks also have experienced significantly more volatility in returns and may not maintain their real value during inflationary periods. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of a particular common stock. Also, the prices of common stocks are sensitive to general movements in the stock market and a drop in the stock market may depress the price of common stocks. Common stock prices fluctuate for many reasons, including changes in investors perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant stock market, or when political or economic events affecting the issuer occur. In addition, common stock prices may be sensitive to rising interest rates as the costs of capital rise and borrowing costs increase. |
Contingent Convertible Securities |
Contingent convertible securities (sometimes referred to as CoCos) are convertible securities with loss absorption characteristics. These securities provide for mandatory conversion into common stock of the issuer under certain circumstances. The mandatory conversion may be automatically triggered, for instance, if a company fails to meet the capital minimum with respect to the security, the companys regulator makes a determination that the security should convert or the company receives specified levels of extraordinary public support. Since the common stock of the issuer may not pay a dividend, investors in these instruments could experience a reduced income rate, potentially to zero; and conversion would deepen the subordination of the investor, hence worsening standing in a bankruptcy. In addition, some such instruments have a set stock conversion rate that would cause an automatic write-down of capital if the price of the stock is below the conversion price on the conversion date. Under similar circumstances, the liquidation value of certain types of contingent convertible securities may be adjusted downward to below the original par value. The write down of the par value would occur automatically and would not entitle the holders to seek bankruptcy of the company. In certain circumstances, contingent convertible securities may write down to zero and investors could lose the entire value of the investment, even as the issuer remains in business. CoCos may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a predetermined price. See also Hybrid Securities. |
Convertible Securities |
A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred security, or other security that entitles the holder to acquire common stock or other equity securities of the same or a different issuer. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued or the dividend paid on such security until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities have characteristics similar to nonconvertible income securities in that they ordinarily provide a stable stream of income with generally higher yields than those of common stocks of the same or similar issuers, but lower yields than comparable nonconvertible securities. The value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline. The credit standing of the issuer and other factors also may have an effect on the convertible securitys investment value. A convertible security ranks senior to common stock in a corporations capital structure but is usually subordinated to comparable nonconvertible securities. Convertible securities may be purchased for their appreciation potential when they yield more than the underlying securities at the time of purchase or when they are considered to present less risk of principal loss than the underlying securities. Generally speaking, the interest or dividend yield of a convertible security is somewhat less than that of a non-convertible security of similar quality issued by the same company. A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible securitys governing instrument. |
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Convertible securities are issued and traded in a number of securities markets. Even in cases where a substantial portion of the convertible securities held by the Fund are denominated in U.S. dollars, the underlying equity securities may be quoted in the currency of the country where the issuer is domiciled. As a result, fluctuations in the exchange rate between the currency in which the debt security is denominated and the currency in which the share price is quoted will affect the value of the convertible security. With respect to convertible securities denominated in a currency different from that of the underlying equity securities, the conversion price may be based on a fixed exchange rate established at the time the securities are issued, which may increase the effects of currency risk. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Holders of convertible securities generally have a claim on the assets of the issuer prior to the common stockholders but may be subordinated to other debt securities of the same issuer. Certain convertible debt securities may provide a put option to the holder, which entitles the holder to cause the securities to be redeemed by the issuer at a premium over the stated principal amount of the debt securities under certain circumstances. Certain convertible securities may include loss absorption characteristics that make the securities more equity-like. This is particularly true of convertible securities issued by companies in the financial services sector. See Contingent Convertible Securities. |
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Synthetic convertible securities may include either cash-settled convertibles or manufactured convertibles. Cash-settled convertibles are instruments that are created by the issuer and have the economic characteristics of traditional convertible securities but may not actually permit conversion into the underlying equity securities in all circumstances. As an example, a private company may issue a cash-settled convertible that is convertible into common stock only if the company successfully completes a public offering of its common stock prior to maturity and otherwise pays a cash amount to reflect any equity appreciation. Manufactured convertibles are created by the investment adviser or another party by combining separate securities that possess one of the two principal characteristics of a convertible security, i.e. , fixed-income (fixed-income component) or a right to acquire equity securities (convertibility component). The fixed-income component is achieved by investing in nonconvertible fixed-income securities, such as nonconvertible bonds, preferred securities and money market instruments. The convertibility component is achieved by investing in call options, warrants, or other securities with equity conversion features (equity features) granting the holder the right to purchase a specified quantity of the underlying stocks within a specified period of time at a specified price or, in the case of a stock index option, the right to receive a cash payment based on the value of the underlying stock index. A manufactured convertible differs from traditional convertible securities in several respects. Unlike a traditional convertible security, which is a single security that has a unitary market value, a manufactured convertible is comprised of two or more separate securities, each with its own market value. Therefore, the total market value of such a manufactured convertible is the sum of the values of its fixed-income component and its convertibility component. More flexibility is possible in the creation of a manufactured convertible than in the purchase of a traditional convertible security. Because many corporations have not issued convertible securities, the investment adviser may combine a fixed-income instrument and an equity feature with respect to the stock of the issuer of the fixed-income instrument to create a synthetic convertible security otherwise unavailable in the market. The investment adviser may also combine a fixed-income instrument of an issuer with an equity feature with respect to the stock of a different issuer when the investment adviser believes such a manufactured convertible would better promote the Funds objective than alternative investments. For example, the investment adviser may combine an equity feature with respect to an issuers stock with a fixed-income security of a different issuer in the same industry to diversify the Funds credit exposure, or with a U.S. Treasury instrument to create a manufactured convertible with a higher credit profile than a traditional convertible security issued by that issuer. A manufactured convertible also is a more flexible investment in that its two components may be purchased separately and, upon purchasing the separate securities, combined to create a manufactured convertible. For example, the Fund may purchase a warrant for eventual inclusion in a manufactured convertible while postponing the purchase of a suitable bond to pair with the warrant pending development of more favorable market conditions. The value of a manufactured convertible may respond to certain market fluctuations differently from a traditional convertible security with similar characteristics. For example, in the event the Fund created a manufactured convertible by combining a short-term U.S. Treasury instrument and a call option on a stock, the manufactured convertible would be expected to outperform a traditional convertible of similar maturity that is convertible into that stock during periods when Treasury instruments outperform corporate fixed-income securities and underperform during periods when corporate fixed-income securities outperform Treasury instruments. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
Credit Linked Securities |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Credit linked securities are issued by a limited purpose trust or other vehicle that, in turn, invests in a derivative instrument or basket of derivative instruments, such as credit default swaps, interest rate swaps, and other securities in order to provide exposure to certain fixed-income markets. Credit linked securities may be used as a cash management tool in order to gain exposure to a certain market and to remain fully invested when more traditional income producing securities are not available. Like an investment in a bond, investments in credit linked securities represent the right to receive periodic income payments (in the form of distributions) and payment of principal at the end of the term of the security. However, these payments are conditioned on the issuers receipt of payments from, and the issuers potential obligations to, the counterparties to the derivative instruments and other securities in which the issuer invests. An issuer may sell one or more credit default swaps, under which the issuer would receive a stream of payments over the term of the swap agreements provided that no event of default has occurred with respect to the referenced debt obligation upon which the swap is based. If a default occurs, the stream of payments may stop and the issuer would be obligated to pay the counterparty the par (or other agreed upon value) of the referenced debt obligation. This, in turn, would reduce the amount of income and principal that the holder of the credit linked security would receive. Credit linked securities generally will be exempt from registration under the 1933 Act. Accordingly, there may be no established trading market for the securities and they may constitute illiquid investments. |
Cyber Security Risk |
With the increased use of technologies by Fund service providers, such as the Internet to conduct business, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through hacking or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber security failures or breaches by the Funds investment adviser or administrator and other service providers (including, but not limited to, the custodian or transfer agent), and the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with the Funds ability to calculate its NAV, impediments to trading, the inability of Fund shareholders to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future. While various Fund service providers have established business continuity plans and risk management systems intended to identify and mitigate cyber attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by service providers to the Fund and issuers in which the Fund invests. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result. |
Derivative Instruments and Related Risks |
Generally, derivatives can be characterized as financial instruments whose performance is derived at least in part from the performance of an underlying reference instrument. Derivative instruments may be acquired in the United States or abroad and include the various types of exchange-traded and over-the-counter (OTC) instruments described herein and other instruments with substantially similar characteristics and risks. Derivative instruments may be based on securities, indices, currencies, commodities, economic indicators and events (referred to as reference instruments). Fund obligations created pursuant to derivative instruments may be subject to the requirements described under Asset Coverage herein. |
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Derivative instruments are subject to a number of risks, including adverse or unexpected movements in the price of the reference instrument, and counterparty, liquidity, tax, correlation and leverage risks. Use of derivative instruments may cause the realization of higher amounts of short-term capital gains (generally taxed at ordinary income tax rates) than if such instruments had not been used. Success in using derivative instruments to hedge portfolio assets depends on the degree of price correlation between the derivative instruments and the hedged asset. Imperfect correlation may be caused by several factors, including temporary price disparities among the trading markets for the derivative instrument, the reference instrument and the Funds assets. To the extent that a derivative instrument is intended to hedge against an event that does not occur, the Fund may realize losses. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
47
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Hybrid instruments can be used as an efficient means of pursuing a variety of investment goals, including currency hedging, duration management, and increased total return and creating exposure to a particular market or segment of that market. The value of a hybrid instrument or its interest rate may be a multiple of a benchmark and, as a result, may be leveraged and move (up or down) more steeply and rapidly than the benchmark. These benchmarks may be sensitive to economic and political events, such as commodity shortages and currency devaluations, which cannot be readily foreseen by the purchaser of a hybrid instrument. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a hybrid instrument could be zero. The purchase of hybrid instruments also exposes the Fund to the credit risk of the issuer of the hybrids. These risks may cause significant fluctuations in the net asset value of the Fund. |
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Certain hybrid instruments may provide exposure to the commodities markets. These are derivative securities with one or more commodity-linked components that have payment features similar to commodity futures contracts, commodity options, or similar instruments. Commodity-linked hybrid instruments may be either equity or debt securities, leveraged or unleveraged, and are considered hybrid instruments because they have both security and commodity-like characteristics. A portion of the value of these instruments may be derived from the value of a commodity, futures contract, index or other economic variable. The Fund will invest only in commodity-linked hybrid instruments that qualify under applicable rules of the CFTC for an exemption from the provisions of the CEA. Certain issuers of structured products such as hybrid instruments may be deemed to be investment companies as defined in the 1940 Act. As a result, the Funds investments in these products may be subject to limits applicable to investments in investment companies and may be subject to restrictions contained in the 1940 Act. |
Direct Investments |
Direct investments include (i) the private purchase from an enterprise of an equity interest in the enterprise in the form of shares of common stock or equity interests in trusts, partnerships, joint ventures or similar enterprises, and (ii) the purchase of such an equity interest in an enterprise from a principal investor in the enterprise. At the time of making a direct investment, the Fund will enter into a shareholder or similar agreement with the enterprise and one or more other holders of equity interests in the enterprise. These agreements may, in appropriate circumstances, provide the ability to appoint a representative to the board of directors or similar body of the enterprise and for eventual disposition of the investment in the enterprise. Such a representative would be expected to monitor the investment and protect the Funds rights in the investment and would not be appointed for the purpose of exercising management or control of the enterprise. |
Diversified Status |
With respect to 75% of its total assets, an investment company that is registered with the SEC as a diversified fund: (1) may not invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of any one issuer (except obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities and securities of other investment companies); and (2) may not own more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer. |
Dividend Capture Trading |
In a typical dividend capture trade, the Fund would buy a stock prior to its ex-dividend date and sell the stock at a point either on or after the ex-dividend date. The use of a dividend capture trading strategy exposes the Fund to higher portfolio turnover, increased trading costs and potential for capital loss or gain, particularly in the event of significant short-term price movements of stocks subject to dividend capture trading. |
Duration |
Duration measures the time-weighted expected cash flows of a fixed-income security, which can determine its sensitivity to changes in the general level of interest rates. Securities with longer durations generally tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with shorter durations. A mutual fund with a longer dollar-weighted average duration generally can be expected to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than a fund with a shorter dollar-weighted average duration. Duration differs from maturity in that it considers a securitys coupon payments in addition to the amount of time until the security matures. Various techniques may be used to shorten or lengthen Fund duration. As the value of a security changes over time, so will its duration. The duration of a Fund that invests in multiple Portfolios is the sum of its allocable share of the duration of each of the Portfolios in which it invests, which is determined by multiplying the Portfolios duration by the Funds percentage ownership of that Portfolio. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
48
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Emerging Market Investments |
The risks described under Foreign Investments herein generally are heightened in connection with investments in emerging markets. Also, investments in securities of issuers domiciled in countries with emerging capital markets may involve certain additional risks that do not generally apply to investments in securities of issuers in more developed capital markets, such as (i) low or non-existent trading volume, resulting in a lack of liquidity and increased volatility in prices for such securities, as compared to securities of comparable issuers in more developed capital markets; (ii) uncertain national policies and social, political and economic instability, increasing the potential for expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxation, high rates of inflation or unfavorable diplomatic developments; (iii) possible fluctuations in exchange rates, differing legal systems and the existence or possible imposition of exchange controls, custodial restrictions or other foreign or U.S. governmental laws or restrictions applicable to such investments; (iv) national policies that may limit investment opportunities, such as restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests; and (v) the lack or relatively early development of legal structures governing private and foreign investments and private property. Trading practices in emerging markets also may be less developed, resulting in inefficiencies relative to trading in more developed markets, which may result in increased transaction costs. |
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Repatriation of investment income, capital and proceeds of sales by foreign investors may require governmental registration and/or approval in emerging market countries. There can be no assurance that repatriation of income, gain or initial capital from these countries will occur. In addition to withholding taxes on investment income, some countries with emerging markets may impose differential capital gains taxes on foreign investors. |
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Political and economic structures in emerging market countries may undergo significant evolution and rapid development, and these countries may lack the social, political and economic stability characteristic of more developed countries. In such a dynamic environment, there can be no assurance that any or all of these capital markets will continue to present viable investment opportunities. In the past, governments of such nations have expropriated substantial amounts of private property, and most claims of the property owners have never been fully settled. There is no assurance that such expropriations will not reoccur. In such an event, it is possible that the entire value of an investment in the affected market could be lost. In addition, unanticipated political or social developments may affect the value of investments in these countries and the availability of additional investments. The small size and inexperience of the securities markets in certain of these countries and the limited volume of trading in securities in these countries may make investments in the countries illiquid and more volatile than investments in developed markets. |
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Also, there may be less publicly available information about issuers in emerging markets than would be available about issuers in more developed capital markets, and such issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements comparable to those to which U.S. companies are subject. In certain countries with emerging capital markets, reporting standards vary widely. As a result, traditional investment measurements used in the United States, such as price/earnings ratios, may not be applicable. Certain emerging market securities may be held by a limited number of persons. This may adversely affect the timing and pricing of the acquisition or disposal of securities. The prices at which investments may be acquired may be affected by trading by persons with material non-public information and by securities transactions by brokers in anticipation of transactions in particular securities. |
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Practices in relation to settlement of securities transactions in emerging markets involve higher risks than those in developed markets, in part because brokers and counterparties in such markets may be less well capitalized, and custody and registration of assets in some countries may be unreliable. The possibility of fraud, negligence, undue influence being exerted by the issuer or refusal to recognize ownership exists in some emerging markets. As an alternative to investing directly in emerging markets, exposure may be obtained through derivative investments. |
Equity Investments |
Equity investments include common stocks; preferred stocks; depositary receipts; equity interests in trusts, partnerships, joint ventures and other unincorporated entities or enterprises; convertible and contingent convertible preferred stocks; rights and warrants and other securities that are treated as equity for U.S. federal income tax purposes (see Preferred Stock and Hybrid Securities). |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
Equity-Linked Securities |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Equity-linked securities are privately issued securities whose investment results are designed to correspond generally to the performance of a specified stock index or basket of securities, or sometimes a single stock. These securities are used for many of the same purposes as derivative instruments and share many of the same risks. Equity-linked securities may be considered illiquid and thus subject to the Funds restrictions on investments in illiquid securities. |
Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) |
ETFs are pooled investment vehicles that are designed to provide investment results corresponding to an index. These indexes may be either broad-based, sector or international. ETFs usually are units of beneficial interest in an investment trust or represent undivided ownership interests in a portfolio of securities (or commodities), in each case with respect to a portfolio of all or substantially all of the component securities of, and in substantially the same weighting as, the relevant benchmark index. ETFs are designed to provide investment results that generally correspond to the price and yield performance of the component securities (or commodities) of the benchmark index. ETFs are listed on an exchange and trade in the secondary market on a per-share basis. The values of ETFs are subject to change as the values of their respective component securities (or commodities) fluctuate according to market volatility. Investments in ETFs may not exactly match the performance of a direct investment in the respective indices to which they are intended to correspond due to the temporary unavailability of certain index securities in the secondary market or other extraordinary circumstances, such as discrepancies with respect to the weighting of securities. Typically, the ETF bears its own operational expenses, which are deducted from its assets. To the extent that the Fund invests in ETFs, the Fund must bear these expenses in addition to the expenses of its own operation. |
Exchange-Traded Notes (ETNs) |
ETNs are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities whose returns are linked to the performance of a particular market benchmark or strategy minus applicable fees. ETNs are traded on an exchange during normal trading hours. However, investors can also hold the ETN until maturity. At maturity, the issuer pays to the investor a cash amount equal to the principal amount, subject to the days market benchmark or strategy factor. |
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ETNs do not make periodic coupon payments or provide principal protection. ETNs are subject to credit risk and the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuers credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged. The value of an ETN may also be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying assets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuers credit rating, and economic, legal, political, or geographic events that affect the referenced underlying asset. When the Fund invests in ETNs it will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. The Funds decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. In addition, although an ETN may be listed on an exchange, the issuer may not be required to maintain the listing and there can be no assurance that a secondary market will exist for an ETN. |
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ETNs are subject to tax risk. No assurance can be given that the IRS will accept, or a court will uphold, how the Fund characterizes and treats ETNs for tax purposes. Further, the IRS and Congress are considering proposals that would change the timing and character of income and gains from ETNs. |
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An ETN that is tied to a specific market benchmark or strategy may not be able to replicate and maintain exactly the composition and relative weighting of securities, commodities or other components in the applicable market benchmark or strategy. Some ETNs that use leverage can, at times, be relatively illiquid and, thus, they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs are subject to the same risk as other instruments that use leverage in any form. |
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The market value of ETN shares may differ from that of their market benchmark or strategy. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETN shares at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the securities, commodities or other components underlying the market benchmark or strategy that the ETN seeks to track. As a result, there may be times when an ETN share trades at a premium or discount to its market benchmark or strategy. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
50
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Fixed-Income Securities |
Fixed-income securities include bonds, preferred, preference and convertible securities, notes, debentures, asset-backed securities (including those backed by mortgages), loan participations and assignments, equipment lease certificates, equipment trust certificates and conditional sales contracts. Generally, issuers of fixed-income securities pay investors periodic interest and repay the amount borrowed either periodically during the life of the security and/or at maturity. Some fixed-income securities, such as zero coupon bonds, do not pay current interest, but are purchased at a discount from their face values, and values accumulate over time to face value at maturity. The market prices of fixed-income securities fluctuate depending on such factors as interest rates, credit quality and maturity. In general, market prices of fixed-income securities decline when interest rates rise and increase when interest rates fall. Fixed-income securities are subject to risk factors such as sensitivity to interest rate and real or perceived changes in economic conditions, payment expectations, liquidity and valuation. Fixed-income securities with longer maturities (for example, over ten years) are more affected by changes in interest rates and provide less price stability than securities with short-term maturities (for example, one to ten years). Fixed-income securities bear the risk of principal and interest default by the issuer, which will be greater with higher yielding, lower grade securities. During an economic downturn, the ability of issuers to service their debt may be impaired. The rating assigned to a fixed-income security by a rating agency does not reflect assessment of the volatility of the securitys market value or of the liquidity of an investment in the securities. Credit ratings are based largely on the issuers historical financial condition and a rating agencys investment analysis at the time of rating, and the rating assigned to any particular security is not necessarily a reflection of the issuers current financial condition. Credit quality 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. If relevant to the Fund(s) in this SAI, corporate bond ratings are described in an appendix to the SAI (see the table of contents). Preferred stock and certain other hybrid securities may pay a fixed-dividend rate, but may be considered equity securities for purposes of a Funds investment restrictions (see Preferred Stock and Hybrid Securities). As described in the Prospectus, the Fund may also invest in event-linked instruments. |
Foreign Currency Transactions |
As measured in U.S. dollars, the value of assets denominated in foreign currencies may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in foreign currency rates and exchange control regulations. Currency exchange rates can also be affected unpredictably by intervention by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks, or the failure to intervene, or by currency controls or political developments in the United States or abroad. Foreign currency exchange transactions may be conducted on a spot ( i.e. , cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the foreign currency exchange market or through entering into derivative currency transactions (see Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts, Option Contracts, Futures Contracts and Swap Agreements Currency Swaps herein). Currency transactions are subject to the risk of a number of complex political and economic factors applicable to the countries issuing the underlying currencies. Furthermore, unlike trading in most other types of instruments, there is no systematic reporting of last sale information with respect to the foreign currencies underlying the derivative currency transactions. As a result, available information may not be complete. In an over-the-counter trading environment, there are no daily price fluctuation limits. |
Foreign Investments |
Investing in securities issued by companies whose principal business activities are outside the United States may involve significant risks not present in domestic investments. For example, because foreign companies may not be subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements and regulatory measures 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. In addition, with respect to certain foreign countries, there is the possibility of nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, currency blockage, political or social instability, or diplomatic developments, which could affect investments in those countries. Any of these actions could adversely affect securities prices, impair the Funds ability to purchase or sell foreign securities, or transfer the Funds assets or income back to the United States, or otherwise adversely affect Fund operations. In the event of nationalization, expropriation or confiscation, the Fund could lose its entire investment in that country. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Other potential foreign market risks include exchange controls, difficulties in valuing securities, defaults on foreign government securities, and difficulties of enforcing favorable legal judgments in foreign courts. Moreover, individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, reinvestment of capital, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, and balance of payments position. Certain economies may rely heavily on particular industries or foreign capital and are more vulnerable to diplomatic developments, the imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, changes in international trading patterns, trade barriers, and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. Foreign securities markets, while growing in volume and sophistication, are generally not as developed as those in the United States. Foreign countries may not have the infrastructure or resources to respond to natural and other disasters that interfere with economic activities, which may adversely affect issuers located in such countries. |
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Settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets differ significantly from those in the United States. Payment for securities before delivery may be required and in some countries delayed settlements are customary, which increases the Funds risk of loss. The Fund generally holds its foreign securities and related cash in foreign banks and securities depositories. Some foreign banks and securities depositories may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In addition, there may be limited or no regulatory oversight over their operations. Also, the laws of certain countries may put limits on the Funds ability to recover its assets if a foreign bank, depository or issuer of a security or any of their agents goes bankrupt. Certain countries may require withholding on dividends paid on portfolio securities and on realized capital gains. |
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In addition, it is often more expensive to buy, sell and hold securities in certain foreign markets than in the United States. Foreign brokerage commissions are generally higher than commissions on securities traded in the United States and may be non-negotiable. The fees paid to foreign banks and securities depositories generally are higher than those charged by U.S. banks and depositories. The increased expense of investing in foreign markets reduces the amount earned on investments and typically results in a higher operating expense ratio for the Fund as compared to investment companies that invest only in the United States. |
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Depositary receipts (including American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) and Global Depositary Receipts GDRs)) are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer and are alternatives to directly purchasing 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 the political and economic risks of the underlying issuers country, as well as in the case of depositary receipts traded on foreign markets, exchange risk. Depositary receipts may be sponsored or unsponsored. Unsponsored depositary receipts are established without the participation of the issuer. As a result, available information concerning the issuer of an unsponsored depository receipt may not be as current as for sponsored depositary receipts, and the prices of unsponsored depositary receipts may be more volatile than if such instruments were sponsored by the issuer. Unsponsored depositary receipts may involve higher expenses, may not pass through voting or other shareholder rights and they may be less liquid. |
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Unless otherwise provided in the Prospectus, in determining the domicile of an issuer, the investment adviser may consider the domicile determination of the Funds benchmark index or a leading provider of global indexes and may take into account such factors as where the companys securities are listed, and where the company is legally organized, maintains principal corporate offices and/or conducts its principal operations. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
52
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. A forward foreign currency exchange contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts may be bought or sold to protect against an adverse change in the relationship between currencies or to increase exposure to a particular foreign currency. Cross-hedging may be done by using forward contracts in one currency (or basket of currencies) to hedge against fluctuations in the value of instruments denominated in a different currency (or the basket of currencies and the underlying currency). Use of a different foreign currency (for hedging or non-hedging purposes) magnifies exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are individually negotiated and privately traded so they are dependent upon the creditworthiness of the counterparty. The precise matching of the forward contract amounts and the value of the instruments denominated in the corresponding currencies will not generally be possible. In addition, it may not be possible to hedge against long-term currency changes. |
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When a currency is difficult to hedge or to hedge against the U.S. dollar, the Fund may enter into a forward contract to sell a currency whose changes in value are generally considered to be linked to such currency. Currency transactions can result in losses if the currency being hedged fluctuates in value to a degree or in a direction that is not anticipated. In addition, there is the risk that the perceived linkage between various currencies may not be present or may not be present during the particular time the hedge is in place. If the Fund purchases a bond denominated in a foreign currency with a higher interest rate than is available on U.S. bonds of a similar maturity, the additional yield on the foreign bond could be substantially reduced or lost if the Fund were to enter into a direct hedge by selling the foreign currency and purchasing the U.S. dollar. |
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Some of the forward foreign currency exchange contracts may be classified as non-deliverable forwards (NDFs). NDFs are cash-settled, forward contracts that may be thinly traded. NDFs are commonly quoted for time periods of one month up to two years, and are normally quoted and settled in U.S. dollars, but may be settled in other currencies. They are often used to gain exposure to or hedge exposure to foreign currencies that are not internationally traded. NDFs may also be used to gain or hedge exposure to gold. |
Forward Rate Agreements |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Under a forward rate agreement, the buyer locks in an interest rate at a future settlement date. If the interest rate on the settlement date exceeds the lock rate, the buyer pays the seller the difference between the two rates. If the lock rate exceeds the interest rate on the settlement date, the seller pays the buyer the difference between the two rates. Any such gain received by the Fund would be taxable. These instruments are traded in the OTC market. |
Futures Contracts |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Futures contracts are standardized contracts that obligate a purchaser to take delivery, and a seller to make delivery, of a specific amount of the underlying reference instrument at a specified future date at a specified price. These contracts are traded on exchanges, so that, in most cases, either party can close out its position on the exchange for cash, without delivering the underlying asset. Upon purchasing or selling a futures contract, a purchaser or seller is required to deposit collateral (initial margin). Each day thereafter until the futures position is closed, the purchaser or seller will pay additional margin (variation margin) representing any loss experienced as a result of the futures position the prior day or be entitled to a payment representing any profit experienced as a result of the futures position the prior day. A public market exists in futures contracts covering a number of indexes as well as financial instruments and foreign currencies. It is expected that other futures contracts will be developed and traded in the future. In computing daily net asset value, the Fund will mark to market its open futures positions. The Fund is also required to deposit and maintain margin with respect to put and call options on futures contracts written by it. Futures contracts are traded on exchanges or boards of trade that are licensed by the CFTC and must be executed through a futures commission merchant or brokerage firm that is a member of the relevant exchange or board. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
53
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Although some futures contracts call for making or taking delivery of the underlying reference instrument, generally these obligations are closed out prior to delivery by offsetting purchases or sales of matching futures contracts (same exchange, underlying security or index, and delivery month). Closing a futures contract sale is effected by purchasing a futures contract for the same aggregate amount of the specific type of financial instrument or commodity with the same delivery date. If an offsetting purchase price is less than the original sale price, the Fund realizes a capital gain, or if it is more, the Fund realizes a capital loss. Conversely, if an offsetting sale price is more than the original purchase price, the Fund realizes a capital gain, or if it is less, the Fund realizes a capital loss. |
Health Sciences Companies |
To the extent described in the Prospectus, the Fund may concentrate its investments in health sciences companies. |
High Yield Securities |
High yield securities (commonly referred to as junk) are considered to be of below investment grade quality and generally provide greater income potential and/or increased opportunity for capital appreciation than investments in higher quality securities but they also typically entail greater potential price volatility and principal and income risk. High yield securities are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the entitys continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments. Also, their yields and market values may fluctuate more than higher rated securities. Fluctuations in value do not affect the cash income from the securities, but are reflected in the Funds net asset value. The greater risks and fluctuations in yield and value occur, in part, because investors generally perceive issuers of lower rated and unrated securities to be less creditworthy. The secondary market on which high yield securities are traded may be less liquid than the market for higher grade securities. |
Hybrid Securities |
Hybrid securities generally possess characteristics common to both equity and debt securities. These securities may at times behave more like equity than debt, or vice versa. Preferred stocks, convertible securities and certain debt obligations are types of hybrid securities. Hybrid securities generally have a preference over common stock and perpetual or near perpetual terms. Hybrid securities generally do not have voting rights or have limited voting rights. Because hybrid securities have both debt and equity characteristics, their values vary in response to many factors, including general market and economic conditions, issuer-specific events, changes in interest rates, credit spreads and the credit quality of the issuer, and, for convertible securities, factors affecting the securities into which they convert. Hybrid securities may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a predetermined price. Hybrid securities may pay a fixed or variable rate of interest or dividends. The prices and yields of nonconvertible hybrid securities generally move with changes in interest rates and the issuers credit quality, similar to the factors affecting debt securities. If the issuer of a hybrid security experiences financial difficulties, the value of such security may be adversely affected similar to the issuers outstanding common stock or subordinated debt instruments. See also Preferred Stock, Convertible Securities and Contingent Convertible Securities. |
Illiquid Securities |
Illiquid securities include securities legally restricted as to resale, and may include commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the 1933 Act and securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A thereunder. Section 4(a)(2) and Rule 144A securities may, however, be treated as liquid by the investment 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. Even if determined to be liquid, Rule 144A securities may increase the level of portfolio illiquidity if eligible buyers become uninterested in purchasing such securities. |
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It may be difficult to sell illiquid securities at a price representing fair value until such time as the securities may be sold publicly. It also may be more difficult to determine the fair value of such securities for purposes of computing the Funds net asset value. Where registration is required, a considerable period of time may elapse between a decision to sell the securities and the time when the Fund would be permitted to sell. Thus, the Fund may not be able to obtain as favorable a price as that prevailing at the time of the decision to sell. The Fund may incur additional expense when disposing of illiquid securities, including all or a portion of the cost to register the securities. The Fund also may acquire securities through private placements under which it may agree to contractual restrictions on the resale of such securities that are in addition to applicable legal restrictions. Such restrictions might prevent the sale of such securities at a time when such sale would otherwise be desirable. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
54
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
55
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
56
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Loans |
Loans may be primary, direct investments or investments in loan assignments or participation interests. A loan assignment represents a portion or the entirety of a loan and a portion of the entirety of a position previously attributable to a different lender. The purchaser of an assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations under the loan agreement and has the same rights and obligations as the assigning investor. However, assignments through private negotiations may cause the purchaser of an assignment to have different and more limited rights than those held by the assigning investor. Loan participation interests are interests issued by a lender or other entity and represent a fractional interest in a loan. The Fund typically will have a contractual relationship only with the financial institution that issued the participation interest. As a result, the Fund may have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled only from the financial institution and only upon receipt by such entity of such payments from the borrower. In connection with purchasing a participation interest, the Fund 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 investors through set-off against the borrower and the Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the loan in which it has purchased the participation interest. As a result, the Fund may assume the credit risk of both the borrower and the financial institution issuing the participation interest. In the event of the insolvency of the entity issuing a participation interest, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of such entity. |
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Loans may be originated by a lending agent, such as a financial institution or other entity, on behalf of a group or syndicate of loan investors (the Loan Investors). In such a case, the agent administers the terms of the loan agreement and is responsible for the collection of principal, and interest payments from the borrower and the apportionment of these payments to the Loan Investors. Failure by the agent to fulfill its obligations may delay or adversely affect receipt of payment by the Fund. Furthermore, unless under the terms of a loan agreement or participation (as applicable) the Fund has direct recourse against the borrower, the Fund must rely on the Agent and the other Loan Investors to pursue appropriate remedies against the borrower. |
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Loan investments may be made at par or at a discount or premium to par. The interest payable on a loan may be fixed or floating rate, and paid in cash or in-kind. In connection with transactions in loans, the Fund may be subject to facility or other fees. Loans may be secured by specific collateral or other assets of the borrower, guaranteed by a third party, unsecured or subordinated. During the term of a loan, the value of any collateral securing the loan may decline in value, causing the loan to be under collateralized. 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 borrowers obligations under the loan. In addition, if a loan is foreclosed, the Fund could become part owner of the collateral and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of such collateral. |
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A lenders repayment and other rights primarily are determined by governing loan, assignment or participation documents, which (among other things) typically establish the priority of payment on the loan relative to other indebtedness and obligations of the borrower. In the event of bankruptcy, applicable law may impact a lenders ability to enforce its rights under such documents. Investing in loans involves the risk of default by the borrower or other party obligated to repay the loan. In the event of insolvency of the borrower or other obligated party, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of such entity unless it has rights that are senior to that of other creditors or secured by specific collateral or assets of the borrower. Fixed-rate loans are also subject to the risk that their value will decline in a rising interest rate environment. This risk is mitigated for floating-rate loans, where the interest rate payable on the loan resets periodically by reference to a base lending rate. The base lending rate usually is the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), the Federal Reserve federal funds rate, the prime rate or other base lending rates used by commercial lenders. LIBOR usually is an average of the interest rates quoted by several designated banks as the rates at which they pay interest to major depositors in the London interbank market on U.S. dollar-denominated deposits. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
57
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
58
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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There are currently four types of MBS: (1) those issued by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities, such as the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA), the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC); (2) those issued by private issuers that represent an interest in or are collateralized by pass through securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities; (3) those issued by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities without a government guarantee, such as credit risk transfer bonds; and (4) those issued by private issuers that represent an interest in or are collateralized by whole mortgage loans or pass through securities without a government guarantee but that usually have some form of private credit enhancement. Privately issued MBS are structured similar to GNMA, FNMA and FHLMC MBS, and are issued by originators or and investors in mortgage loans, including depositary institutions mortgage banks and special purpose subsidiaries of the foregoing. |
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GNMA Certificates and FNMA Mortgage-Backed Certificates are MBS representing part ownership of a pool of mortgage loans. GNMA loans (issued by lenders such as mortgage bankers, commercial banks and savings and loan associations) are either insured by the Federal Housing Administration or guaranteed by the Veterans Administration. A pool of such mortgages is assembled and, after being approved by GNMA, is offered to investors through securities dealers. Once such pool is approved by GNMA, the timely payment of interest and principal on the Certificates issued representing such pool is guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. GNMA is a wholly owned U.S. Government corporation within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. FNMA, a federally chartered corporation owned entirely by private stockholders, purchases both conventional and federally insured or guaranteed residential mortgages from various entities, including savings and loan associations, savings banks, commercial banks, credit unions and mortgage bankers, and packages pools of such mortgages in the form of pass-through securities generally called FNMA Mortgage-Backed Certificates, which are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by FNMA but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government; however, they are supported by the right of FNMA to borrow from the U.S. Treasury Department. |
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FHLMC, a corporate instrumentality of the U.S. Government created by Congress for the purposes of increasing the availability of mortgage credit for residential housing, issues participation certificates (PCs) representing undivided interest in FHLMCS mortgage portfolio. While FHLMC guarantees the timely payment of interest and ultimate collection of the principal of its PCs, its PCs are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. FHLMC PCs differ from GNMA Certificates in that the mortgages underlying the PCs are monthly conventional mortgages rather than mortgages insured or guaranteed by a federal agency or instrumentality. However, in several other respects, such as the monthly pass-through of interest and principal (including unscheduled prepayments) and the unpredictability of future unscheduled prepayments on the underlying mortgage pools, FHLMC PCs are similar to GNMA Certificates. |
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While it is not possible to accurately predict the life of a particular issue of MBS, the actual life of any such security is likely to be substantially less than the final maturities of the mortgage loans underlying the security. This is because unscheduled early prepayments of principal on MBS will result from the prepayment, refinancings or foreclosure of the underlying mortgage loans in the mortgage pool. Prepayments of MBS may not be able to be reinvested at the same interest rate. Because of the regular scheduled payments of principal and the early unscheduled prepayments of principal, MBS is less effective than other types of obligations as a means of locking-in attractive long-term interest rates. As a result, this type of security may have less potential for capital appreciation during periods of declining interest rates than other U.S. Government securities of comparable maturities, although many issues of MBS may have a comparable risk of decline in market value during periods of rising interest rates. If MBS is purchased at a premium above its par value, a scheduled payment of principal and an unscheduled prepayment of principal, which would be made at par, will accelerate the realization of a loss equal to that portion of the premium applicable to the payment or prepayment. If MBS has been purchased at a discount from its par value, both a scheduled payment of principal and an unscheduled prepayment of principal will increase current returns and will accelerate the recognition of income, which, when distributed to Fund shareholders, will be taxable as ordinary income. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
59
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Mortgage Dollar Rolls |
In a mortgage dollar roll, the Fund sells MBS for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts to repurchase substantially similar (same type, coupon and maturity) MBS on a specified future date. During the roll period, the Fund forgoes principal and interest paid on the MBS. The Fund is compensated by the difference between the current sales price and the lower forward price for the future purchase (often referred to as the drop) as well as by the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sales. Cash proceeds may be invested in instruments that are permissible investments for the Fund. The use of mortgage dollar rolls is a speculative technique involving leverage. A covered roll is a specific type of dollar roll for which there is an offsetting cash position or permissible liquid assets earmarked or in a segregated account to secure the obligation for the forward commitment to buy MBS, or a cash equivalent security position that matures on or before the forward settlement date of the dollar roll transaction. The Fund will enter into only covered rolls. Covered rolls are not treated as a borrowing or other senior security and will be excluded from the calculation of the Funds borrowings and other senior securities. |
Municipal Lease Obligations (MLOs) |
MLOs are obligations in the form of a lease, installment purchase or conditional sales contract (which typically provide for the title to the leased asset to pass to the governmental issuer) that is issued by state or local governments to acquire equipment and facilities. Interest income from MLOs is generally exempt from local and state taxes in the state of issuance. MLOs, like other municipal debt obligations, are subject to the risk of non-payment. Although MLOs do not constitute general obligations of the issuer for which the issuers unlimited taxing power is pledged, a lease obligation is frequently backed by the issuers covenant to budget for, appropriate and make the payments due under the lease obligation. However, certain lease obligations contain non-appropriation clauses, which provide that the issuer has no obligation to make lease or installment purchase payments in future years unless money is appropriated for such purpose on a yearly basis. Although non-appropriation lease obligations may be secured by the leased property, disposition of the property in the event of foreclosure might prove difficult. Participations in municipal leases are undivided interests in a portion of the total obligation. Participations entitle their holders to receive a pro rata share of all payments under the lease. |
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MLOs and participations therein represent a type of financing that may not have the depth of marketability associated with more conventional securities and, as such, they may be less liquid than conventional securities. Certain MLOs may be deemed illiquid for the purpose of the Funds limitation on investments in illiquid securities, unless determined by the investment adviser, pursuant to guidelines adopted by the Board, to be liquid securities. The investment adviser will consider an MLO to be liquid if it is rated investment grade (being an MLO rated BBB or Baa or higher) by a nationally recognized statistical ratings organization or is insured by an insurer rated investment grade. If an MLO or participation does not meet the foregoing criteria, then the investment adviser will consider the MLO to be illiquid unless it conducts an analysis of relevant factors and concludes that the MLO is liquid. In conducting such an analysis, the investment adviser will consider the factors it believes are relevant to the marketability of the obligation, to the extent that information regarding such factor is available to the investment adviser and pertinent to the liquidity determination, which may include: (1) the willingness of dealers to bid for the obligation; (2) the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the obligation and the number of other potential buyers; (3) the frequency of trades and quotes for the obligation; (4) the nature of the marketplace trades, including the time needed to dispose of the obligation, the method of soliciting offers, and the mechanics of transfer; (5) the willingness of the governmental issuer to continue to appropriate funds for the payment of the obligation; (6) how likely or remote an event of non-appropriation may be, which depends in varying degrees on a variety of factors, including those relating to the general creditworthiness of the governmental issuer, its dependence on its continuing access to the credit markets, and the importance to the issuer of the equipment, property or facility covered by the lease or contract; (7) an assessment of the likelihood that the lease may or may not be cancelled; and (8) other factors and information unique to the obligation in determining its liquidity. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
60
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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The ability of issuers of MLOs to make timely lease payments may be adversely impacted in general economic downturns and as relative governmental cost burdens are allocated and reallocated among federal, state and local governmental units. Such non-payment would result in a reduction of income from and value of the obligation. Issuers of MLOs might seek protection under the bankruptcy laws. In the event of bankruptcy of such an issuer, holders of MLOs could experience delays and limitations with respect to the collection of principal and interest on such MLOs and may not, in all circumstances, be able to collect all principal and interest to which it is entitled. To enforce its rights in the event of a default in lease payments, the Fund might take possession of and manage the assets securing the issuers obligations on such securities or otherwise incur costs to protect its rights, which may increase the Funds operating expenses and adversely affect the net asset value of the Fund. When the lease contains a non-appropriation clause, however, the failure to pay would not be a default and the Fund would not have the right to take possession of the assets. Any income derived from the Funds ownership or operation of such assets may not be tax-exempt. |
Municipal Obligations |
Municipal obligations include debt obligations issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public facilities, refunding of outstanding obligations and obtaining funds for general operating expenses and loans to other public institutions and facilities. Certain types of bonds are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to finance various privately owned or operated facilities, including certain facilities for the local furnishing of electric energy or gas, sewage facilities, solid waste disposal facilities and other specialized facilities. Municipal obligations include bonds as well as tax-exempt commercial paper, project notes and municipal notes such as tax, revenue and bond anticipation notes of short maturity, generally less than three years. While most municipal bonds pay a fixed rate of interest semiannually in cash, there are exceptions. Some bonds pay no periodic cash interest, but rather make a single payment at maturity representing both principal and interest. Some bonds may pay interest at a variable or floating rate. Bonds may be issued or subsequently offered with interest coupons materially greater or less than those then prevailing, with price adjustments reflecting such deviation. Municipal obligations also include trust certificates representing interests in municipal securities held by a trustee. The trust certificates may evidence ownership of future interest payments, principal payments or both on the underlying securities. |
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In general, there are three categories of municipal obligations, the interest on which is exempt from federal income tax and is not a tax preference item for purposes of the alternative minimum tax (AMT): (i) certain public purpose obligations (whenever issued), which include obligations issued directly by state and local governments or their agencies to fulfill essential governmental functions; (ii) certain obligations issued before August 8, 1986 for the benefit of non-governmental persons or entities; and (iii) certain private activity bonds issued after August 7, 1986, which include qualified Section 501(c)(3) bonds or refundings of certain obligations included in the second category. Opinions relating to the validity of municipal bonds, exclusion of municipal bond interest from an investors gross income for federal income tax purposes and, where applicable, state and local income tax, are rendered by bond counsel to the issuing authorities at the time of issuance. |
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Interest on certain private activity bonds issued after August 7, 1986 is exempt from regular federal income tax, but such interest (including a distribution by the Fund derived from such interest) is treated as a tax preference item that could subject the recipient to or increase the recipients liability for the AMT. For corporate shareholders, the Funds distributions derived from interest on all municipal obligations (whenever issued) are included in adjusted current earnings for purposes of the AMT as applied to corporations (to the extent not already included in alternative minimum taxable income as income attributable to private activity bonds). |
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The two principal classifications of municipal bonds are general obligation and revenue bonds. Issuers of general obligation bonds include states, counties, cities, towns and regional districts. The proceeds of these obligations are used to fund a wide range of public projects, including the construction or improvement of schools, highways and roads, water and sewer systems and a variety of other public purposes. The basic security of general obligation bonds is the issuers pledge of its faith, credit, and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest. The taxes that can be levied for the payment of debt service may be limited or unlimited as to rate and amount. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
61
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Typically, the only security for a limited obligation or revenue bond is the net revenue derived from a particular facility or class of facilities financed thereby or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special tax or other special revenues. Revenue bonds have been issued to fund a wide variety of revenue-producing public capital projects including: electric, gas, water and sewer systems; highways, bridges and tunnels; port and airport facilities; colleges and universities; hospitals; and convention, recreational, tribal gaming and housing facilities. Although the security behind these bonds varies widely, many lower rated bonds provide additional security in the form of a debt service reserve fund that may also be used to make principal and interest payments on the issuer's obligations. In addition, some revenue obligations (as well as general obligations) are insured by a bond insurance company or backed by a letter of credit issued by a banking institution. Revenue bonds also include, for example, pollution control, health care and housing bonds, which, although nominally issued by municipal authorities, are generally not secured by the taxing power of the municipality but by the revenues of the authority derived from payments by the private entity that owns or operates the facility financed with the proceeds of the bonds. Obligations of housing finance authorities have a wide range of security features, including reserve funds and insured or subsidized mortgages, as well as the net revenues from housing or other public projects. Many of these bonds do not generally constitute the pledge of the credit of the issuer of such bonds. The credit quality of such revenue bonds is usually directly related to the credit standing of the user of the facility being financed or of an institution which provides a guarantee, letter of credit or other credit enhancement for the bond issue. The Fund may on occasion acquire revenue bonds that carry warrants or similar rights covering equity securities. Such warrants or rights may be held indefinitely, but if exercised, the Fund anticipates that it would, under normal circumstances, dispose of any equity securities so acquired within a reasonable period of time. Investing in revenue bonds may involve (without limitation) the following risks. |
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Hospital bond ratings are often based on feasibility studies that contain projections of expenses, revenues and occupancy levels. A hospitals income available to service its debt may be influenced by demand for hospital services, management capabilities, the service area economy, efforts by insurers and government agencies to limit rates and expenses, competition, availability and expense of malpractice insurance, and Medicaid and Medicare funding. |
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Education-related bonds are comprised of two types: (i) those issued to finance projects for public and private colleges and universities, charter schools and private schools, and (ii) those representing pooled interests in student loans. Bonds issued to supply educational institutions with funding are subject to many risks, including the risks of unanticipated revenue decline, primarily the result of decreasing student enrollment, decreasing state and federal funding, or changes in general economic conditions. Additionally, higher than anticipated costs associated with salaries, utilities, insurance or other general expenses could impair the ability of a borrower to make annual debt service payments. Student loan revenue bonds are generally offered by state (or sub-state) authorities or commissions and are backed by pools of student loans. Underlying student loans may be guaranteed by state guarantee agencies and may be subject to reimbursement by the United States Department of Education through its guaranteed student loan program. Others may be private, uninsured loans made to parents or students that may be supported by reserves or other forms of credit enhancement. Cash flows supporting student loan revenue bonds are impacted by numerous factors, including the rate of student loan defaults, seasoning of the loan portfolio, and student repayment deferral periods of forbearance. Other risks associated with student loan revenue bonds include potential changes in federal legislation regarding student loan revenue bonds, state guarantee agency reimbursement and continued federal interest and other program subsidies currently in effect. |
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Transportation debt may be issued to finance the construction of airports, toll roads, highways, or other transit facilities. Airport bonds are dependent on the economic conditions of the airports service area and may be affected by the business strategies and fortunes of specific airlines. They may also be subject to competition from other airports and modes of transportation. Air traffic generally follows broader economic trends and is also affected by the price and availability of fuel. Toll road bonds are also affected by the cost and availability of fuel as well as toll levels, the presence of competing roads and the general economic health of an area. Fuel costs, transportation taxes and fees, and availability of fuel also affect other transportation-related securities, as do the presence of alternate forms of transportation, such as public transportation. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
62
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Industrial development bonds are normally secured only by the revenues from the project and not by state or local government tax payments, they are subject to a wide variety of risks, many of which relate to the nature of the specific project. Generally, IDBs are sensitive to the risk of a slowdown in the economy. Electric utilities face problems in financing large construction programs in an inflationary period, cost increases and delay occasioned by safety and environmental considerations (particularly with respect to nuclear facilities), difficulty in obtaining fuel at reasonable prices, and in achieving timely and adequate rate relief from regulatory commissions, effects of energy conservation and limitations on the capacity of the capital market to absorb utility debt. Water and sewer revenue bonds are generally secured by the fees charged to each user of the service. The issuers of water and sewer revenue bonds generally enjoy a monopoly status and latitude in their ability to raise rates. However, lack of water supply due to insufficient rain, run-off, or snow pack can be a concern and has led to past defaults. Further, public resistance to rate increases, declining numbers of customers in a particular locale, costly environmental litigation, and federal environmental mandates are challenges faced by issuers of water and sewer bonds. |
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The obligations of any person or entity to pay the principal of and interest on a municipal obligation are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the Federal Bankruptcy Act, and laws, if any, that may be enacted by Congress or state legislatures extending the time for payment of principal or interest, or both, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations. Certain bond structures may be subject to the risk that a taxing authority may issue an adverse ruling regarding tax-exempt status. There is also the possibility that as a result of adverse economic conditions (including unforeseen financial events, natural disasters and other conditions that may affect an issuers ability to pay its obligations), litigation or other conditions, the power or ability of any person or entity to pay when due principal of and interest on a municipal obligation may be materially affected or interest and principal previously paid may be required to be refunded. There have been instances of defaults and bankruptcies involving municipal obligations that were not foreseen by the financial and investment communities. The Fund will take whatever action it considers appropriate in the event of anticipated financial difficulties, default or bankruptcy of either the issuer of any municipal obligation or of the underlying source of funds for debt service. Such action may include: (i) retaining the services of various persons or firms (including affiliates of the investment adviser) to evaluate or protect any real estate, facilities or other assets securing any such obligation or acquired by the Fund as a result of any such event; (ii) managing (or engaging other persons to manage) or otherwise dealing with any real estate, facilities or other assets so acquired; and (iii) taking such other actions as the adviser (including, but not limited to, payment of operating or similar expenses of the underlying project) may deem appropriate to reduce the likelihood or severity of loss on the funds investment. The Fund will incur additional expenditures in taking protective action with respect to portfolio obligations in (or anticipated to be in) default and assets securing such obligations. |
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Historically, municipal bankruptcies have been rare and certain provisions of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code governing such bankruptcy are unclear. Further, the application of state law to municipal obligation issuers could produce varying results among the states or among municipal obligation issuers within a state. These uncertainties could have a significant impact on the prices of the municipal obligations in which the Fund invests. There could be economic, business or political developments or court decisions that adversely affect all municipal obligations in the same sector. Developments such as changes in healthcare regulations, environmental considerations related to construction, construction cost increases and labor problems, failure of healthcare facilities to maintain adequate occupancy levels, and inflation can affect municipal obligations in the same sector. As the similarity in issuers of municipal obligations held by the Fund increases, the potential for fluctuations in the Funds share price also may increase. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
63
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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The secondary market for some municipal obligations issued within a state (including issues that are privately placed with the Fund) is less liquid than that for taxable debt obligations or other more widely traded municipal obligations. No established resale market exists for certain of the municipal obligations in which the Fund may invest. The market for obligations rated below investment grade is also likely to be less liquid than the market for higher rated obligations. As a result, the Fund may be unable to dispose of these municipal obligations at times when it would otherwise wish to do so at the prices at which they are valued. Municipal obligations that are rated below investment grade but that, subsequent to the assignment of such rating, are backed by escrow accounts containing U.S. Government obligations may be determined by the investment adviser to be of investment grade quality for purposes of the Funds investment policies. In the case of a defaulted obligation, the Fund may incur additional expense seeking recovery of its investment. Defaulted obligations are denoted in the Portfolio of Investments in the Financial Statements included in the Funds reports to shareholders. The yields on municipal obligations depend on a variety of factors, including purposes of the issue and source of funds for repayment, general money market conditions, general conditions of the municipal bond market, size of a particular offering, maturity of the obligation and rating of the issue. The ratings of Moodys, S&P and Fitch represent their opinions as to the quality of the municipal obligations which they undertake to rate, and in the case of insurers, other factors including the claims-paying ability of such insurer. It should be emphasized, however, that ratings are based on judgment and are not absolute standards of quality. Consequently, municipal obligations with the same maturity, coupon and rating may have different yields while obligations of the same maturity and coupon with different ratings may have the same yield. In addition, the market price of such obligations will normally fluctuate with changes in interest rates, and therefore the net asset value of the Fund will be affected by such changes. |
Operational Risk |
The Funds service providers, including the investment adviser, may experience disruptions or operating errors that could negatively impact the Fund. While service providers are expected to have appropriate operational risk management policies and procedures, their methods of operational risk management may differ from the Fund's in the setting of priorities, the personnel and resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. It also is not possible for Fund service providers to identify all of the operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. |
Option Contracts |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. An option contract is a contract that gives the holder of the option, in return for a premium, the right to buy from (in the case of a call) or sell to (in the case of a put) the writer of the option the reference instrument underlying the option (or the cash value of the index) at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option. The writer of an option on a security has the obligation upon exercise of the option to deliver the reference instrument (or the cash) upon payment of the exercise price or to pay the exercise price upon delivery of the reference instrument (or the cash). Upon exercise of an index option, the writer of an option on an index is obligated to pay the difference between the cash value of the index and the exercise price multiplied by the specified multiplier for the index option. Options may be covered, meaning that the party required to deliver the reference instrument if the option is exercised owns that instrument (or has set aside sufficient assets to meet its obligation to deliver the instrument). Options may be listed on an exchange or traded in the OTC market. In general, exchange-traded options have standardized exercise prices and expiration dates and may require the parties to post margin against their obligations, and the performance of the parties' obligations in connection with such options is guaranteed by the exchange or a related clearing corporation. OTC options have more flexible terms negotiated between the buyer and the seller, but generally do not require the parties to post margin and are subject to counterparty risk. OTC options also involve greater liquidity risk. The staff of the SEC takes the position that certain purchased OTC options, and assets used as cover for written OTC options, are illiquid. Derivatives on economic indicators generally are offered in an auction format and are booked and settled as OTC options. Options on futures contracts are discussed herein under Futures Contracts. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
64
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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If a written option expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a capital gain equal to the premium received at the time the option was written. If a purchased option expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a capital loss equal to the premium paid. Prior to the earlier of exercise or expiration, an exchange traded option may be closed out by an offsetting purchase or sale of an option of the same series (type, exchange, reference instrument, exercise price, and expiration). A capital gain will be realized from a closing purchase transaction if the cost of the closing option is less than the premium received from writing the option, or, if it is more, a capital loss will be realized. If the premium received from a closing sale transaction is more than the premium paid to purchase the option, the Fund will realize a capital gain or, if it is less, the Fund will realize a capital loss. The principal factors affecting the market value of a put or a call option include supply and demand, the current market price of the reference instrument in relation to the exercise price of the option, the volatility of the reference instrument, and the time remaining until the expiration date. There can be no assurance that a closing purchase or sale transaction can be consummated when desired. |
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Straddles are a combination of a call and a put written on the same reference instrument. A straddle is deemed to be covered when sufficient assets are deposited to meet the Funds immediate obligations. The same liquid assets may be used to cover both the call and put options where the exercise price of the call and put are the same, or the exercise price of the call is higher than that of the put. The Fund may also buy and write call options on the same reference instrument to cover its obligations. Because such combined options positions involve multiple trades, they result in higher transaction costs and may be more difficult to open or close. In an equity collar, the Fund simultaneously writes a call option and purchases a put option on the same instrument. |
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To the extent that the Fund writes a call option on an instrument it holds and intends to use such instrument as the sole means of covering its obligation under the call option, the Fund has, in return for the premium on the option, given up the opportunity to profit from a price increase in the instrument above the exercise price during the option period, but, as long as its obligation under such call option continues, has retained the risk of loss should the value of the reference instrument decline. If the Fund were unable to close out such a call option, it would not be able to sell the instrument unless the option expired without exercise. Uncovered calls have speculative characteristics and are riskier than covered calls because there is no instrument or cover held by the Fund that can act as a partial hedge. |
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The writer of an option has no control over the time when it may be required to fulfill its obligation under the option. Once an option writer has received an exercise notice, it cannot effect a closing purchase transaction in order to terminate its obligation under the option and must deliver the underlying reference instrument at the exercise price. If a put or call option purchased by the Fund is not sold when it has remaining value, and if the market price of the underlying security remains equal to or greater than the exercise price (in the case of a put), or remains less than or equal to the exercise price (in the case of a call), the Fund will lose the premium it paid for the option. Furthermore, if trading restrictions or suspensions are imposed on options markets, the Fund may be unable to close out a position. |
Option Strategy |
The Fund implements the Option Strategy or Enhancement Strategy, as further described under Investment Objective & Principal Policies and Risks in the Prospectus, whereby it writes a series of call and put option spread combinations on the S&P 500 Composite Stock Price Index (S&P 500 Index) and/or a proxy for the S&P 500 Index (such as SPDR Trust Series I units (SPDRs)). |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
65
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Participation in the ReFlow Liquidity Program |
The Fund may participate in the ReFlow liquidity program, which is designed to provide an alternative liquidity source for mutual funds experiencing net redemptions of their shares. Pursuant to the program, ReFlow Fund, LLC (ReFlow) provides participating mutual funds with a source of cash to meet net shareholder redemptions by standing ready each business day to purchase fund shares up to the value of the net shares redeemed by other shareholders that are to settle the next business day. Following purchases of fund shares, ReFlow then generally redeems those shares when the fund experiences net sales, at the end of a maximum holding period determined by ReFlow (currently 28 days) or at other times at ReFlows discretion. While ReFlow holds fund shares, it will have the same rights and privileges with respect to those shares as any other shareholder. For use of the ReFlow service, a fund pays a fee to ReFlow each time it purchases fund shares, calculated by applying to the purchase amount a fee rate determined through an automated daily auction among participating mutual funds. Such fee is allocated among a funds share classes based on relative net assets. ReFlows purchases of fund shares through the liquidity program are made on an investment-blind basis without regard to the funds investment objective, policies or anticipated performance. In accordance with federal securities laws, ReFlow is prohibited from acquiring more than 3% of the outstanding voting securities of a fund. ReFlow will purchase Class I or Institutional Class shares (or, if applicable Class A or Investor Class shares) at net asset value and will not be subject to any sales charge (in the case of Class A shares), investment minimum or redemption fee applicable to such shares. ReFlow will periodically redeem its entire share position in the Fund and request that such redemption be met in kind in accordance with the Funds redemption-in-kind policies described under Redeeming Shares in the Prospectus. Investments in a fund by ReFlow in connection with the ReFlow liquidity program are not subject to the two round-trips within 90 days limitation described in Restrictions on Excessive Trading and Market Timing under Purchasing Shares in the Prospectus. The investment adviser believes that the program assists in stabilizing the Funds net assets to the benefit of the Fund and its shareholders. To the extent the Funds net assets do not decline, the investment adviser may also benefit. |
Pooled Investment Vehicles |
The Fund may invest in pooled investment vehicles including other open-end or closed-end investment companies affiliated or unaffiliated with the investment adviser, exchange-traded funds (described herein) and other collective investment pools in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act. Closed-end investment company securities are usually traded on an exchange. The demand for a closed-end funds securities is independent of the demand for the underlying portfolio assets, and accordingly, such securities can trade at a discount from, or a premium over, their net asset value. The Fund generally will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees paid by a pooled investment vehicle in which it invests in addition to the investment advisory fee paid by the Fund. |
Portfolio Turnover |
A change in the securities held by the Fund is known as portfolio turnover and generally involves expense to the Fund, including brokerage commissions or dealer markups and other transaction costs on both the sale of securities and the reinvestment of the proceeds in other securities. If sales of portfolio securities cause the Fund to realize net short-term capital gains, such gains will be taxable as ordinary income to taxable shareholders. The Funds portfolio turnover rate for a fiscal year is the ratio of the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities to the monthly average of the value of portfolio securities − excluding securities whose maturities at acquisition were one year or less. The Fund's portfolio turnover rate is not a limiting factor when the investment adviser considers a change in the Fund's portfolio holdings. The portfolio turnover rate(s) of the Fund for recent fiscal periods is included in the Financial Highlights in the Prospectus. |
Preferred Stock |
Preferred stock represents an equity interest in a corporation, company or trust that has a higher claim on the assets and earnings than common stock. Preferred stock usually has limited voting rights. Preferred stock involves credit risk, which is the risk that a preferred stock will decline in price, or fail to pay dividends when expected, because the issuer experiences a decline in its financial status. A companys preferred stock generally pays dividends after the company makes the required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt instruments but before dividend payments are made to common stockholders. However, preferred stock may not pay scheduled dividends or dividends payments may be in arrears. The value of preferred stock may react more strongly than bonds and other debt instruments to actual or perceived changes in the companys financial condition or prospects. Certain preferred stocks may be convertible to common stock. See Convertible Securities and Contingent Convertible Securities. Preferred stock may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a predetermined price. Because they may make regular income payments, preferred stocks may be considered fixed-income securities for purposes of a Funds investment restrictions. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
66
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Real Estate Investments |
Real estate investments, including real estate investment trusts (REITs) are sensitive to factors, such as changes in: real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, occupancy rates, government regulations affecting zoning, land use, and rents, and the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Companies in the real estate industry may also be subject to liabilities under environmental and hazardous waste laws, among others. Changes in underlying real estate values may have a magnified effect to the extent that investments concentrate in particular geographic regions or property types. Investments in REITs may also be adversely affected by rising interest rates. By investing in REITs, the Fund indirectly will bear REIT expenses in addition to its own expenses. Private REITs are unlisted, which may make them difficult to value and less liquid. Moreover, private REITs are generally exempt from 1933 Act registration and, as such, the amount of public information available with respect to private REITs may be less extensive than that available for publicly traded REITs. |
Repurchase Agreements |
Repurchase agreements involve the purchase of a security coupled with an agreement to resell at a specified date and price. In the event of the bankruptcy of the counterparty to a repurchase agreement, recovery of cash may be delayed. To the extent that, in the meantime, the value of the purchased securities may have decreased, a loss could result. Repurchase agreements that mature in more than seven days will be treated as illiquid. Unless the Prospectus states otherwise, the terms of a repurchase agreement 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. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
67
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Residual Interest Bonds |
The Fund may invest in residual interest bonds in a trust that holds municipal securities. The interest rate payable on a residual interest bond bears an inverse relationship to the interest rate on another security issued by the trust. Because changes in the interest rate on the other security inversely affect the interest paid on the residual interest bond, the value and income of a residual interest bond is generally more volatile than that of a fixed rate bond. Residual interest bonds have interest rate adjustment formulas that generally reduce or, in the extreme, eliminate the interest paid to the Fund when short-term interest rates rise, and increase the interest paid to the Fund when short-term interest rates fall. Residual interest bonds have varying degrees of liquidity, and the market for these securities is relatively volatile. These securities tend to underperform the market for fixed rate bonds in a rising long-term interest rate environment, but tend to outperform the market for fixed rate bonds when long-term interest rates decline. Although volatile, residual interest bonds typically offer the potential for yields exceeding the yields available on fixed rate bonds with comparable credit quality and maturity. These securities usually permit the investor to convert the floating rate to a fixed rate (normally adjusted downward), and this optional conversion feature may provide a partial hedge against rising rates if exercised at an opportune time. While residual interest bonds expose the Fund to leverage risk because they provide two or more dollars of bond market exposure for every dollar invested, they are not subject to the Funds restrictions on borrowings. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may enter into a so-called shortfall and forbearance agreement relating to a residual interest bond held by the Fund. Such agreements commit the Fund to reimburse the difference between the liquidation value of the underlying security (which is the basis of the residual interest bond) and the principal amount due to the holders of the floating rate security issued in conjunction with the residual interest bond upon the termination of the trust issuing the residual interest bond. Absent a shortfall and forbearance agreement, the Fund would not be required to make such a reimbursement. If the Fund chooses not to enter into such an agreement, the residual interest bond could be terminated and the Fund could incur a loss. The Funds investments in residual interest bonds and similar securities described in the Prospectus and this SAI will not be considered borrowing for purposes of the Funds restrictions on borrowing described herein and in the Prospectus. On December 10, 2013, five U.S. federal agencies published final rules implementing section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Volcker Rule). The Volcker Rule prohibits banking entities from engaging in proprietary trading of certain instruments and limits such entities investments in, and relationships with, covered funds, as defined in the rules. The compliance date for the Volcker Rule with respect to covered funds in place prior to December 31, 2013 is July 21, 2016. The Volcker Rule precludes banking entities and their affiliates from (i) sponsoring residual interest bond programs as presently structured and (ii) continuing relationships with or services for existing residual interest bond programs. Certain existing residual interest bonds were restructured in order to comply with the Volker Rule prior to July 2015 while other existing residual interest bonds must do so by July 2016. The effects of the Volcker Rule may make it more difficult for the Fund to maintain current or desired levels of income. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
68
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Restricted Securities |
Restricted securities cannot be sold to the public without registration under the 1933 Act. Unless registered for sale, restricted securities can be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or pursuant to an exemption from registration. Restricted securities may be considered illiquid and subject to the Funds limitation on illiquid securities. Restricted securities may involve a high degree of business and financial risk which may result in substantial losses. The securities may be less liquid than publicly traded securities. Although these securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales could be less than those originally paid by the Fund. The Fund may invest in restricted securities, including securities initially offered and sold without registration pursuant to Rule 144A (Rule 144A Securities) and securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers initially offered and sold outside the United States without registration with the SEC pursuant to Regulation S (Regulation S Securities) under the 1933 Act. Rule 144A Securities and Regulation S Securities generally may be traded freely among certain qualified institutional investors, such as the Fund, and non-U.S. persons, but resale to a broader base of investors in the United States may be permitted only in much more limited circumstances. The Fund also may purchase restricted securities that are not eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A or Regulation S. The Fund may acquire such securities through private placement transactions, directly from the issuer or from security holders, generally at higher yields or on terms more favorable to investors than comparable publicly traded securities. However, the restrictions on resale of such securities may make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of them at the time considered most advantageous and/or may involve expenses that would not be incurred in the sale of securities that were freely marketable. Risks associated with restricted securities include the potential obligation to pay all or part of the registration expenses in order to sell certain restricted securities. A considerable period of time may elapse between the time of the decision to sell a security and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell it under an effective registration statement and/or after an applicable waiting period. If adverse conditions were to develop during this period, the Fund might obtain a price that is less favorable than the price that was prevailing at the time it decided to sell. See also Illiquid Securities. |
Reverse Repurchase Agreements |
Under a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund 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 Fund agrees to repurchase the instrument at an agreed upon time (normally within seven days) and price, which reflects an interest payment. The Fund may enter into a reverse repurchase agreement for various purposes, including, but not limited to, when it is able to invest the cash acquired at a rate higher than the cost of the agreement or as a means of raising cash to satisfy redemption requests without the necessity of selling portfolio assets. In 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 Funds assets. As a result, such transactions may increase fluctuations in the value of the Fund. Because reverse repurchase agreements may be considered to be the practical equivalent of borrowing funds, they constitute a form of leverage. Such agreements will be treated as subject to investment restrictions regarding borrowings. If the Fund 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 Funds yield. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
69
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Rights and Warrants |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe for shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life, usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. Warrants are securities that are typically issued together with a debt security or preferred stock and that give the holder the right to buy a proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price. Warrants are freely transferable and are often traded on major exchanges. Unlike rights, warrants normally have a life that is measured in years and entitle the holder to buy common stock of a company at a price that is usually higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued. Corporations often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive. Warrants and rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. If the market price of the underlying stock does not exceed the exercise price during the life of the warrant or right, the warrant or right will expire worthless. (Canadian special warrants issued in private placements prior to a public offering are not considered warrants.) |
Royalty Bonds |
To the extent described in the Prospectus, the Fund may invest in royalty bonds. |
Securities Lending |
The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to major banks, broker-dealers and other financial institutions in compliance with the 1940 Act. No lending may be made with any companies affiliated with the investment adviser. These loans earn income and are collateralized by cash, securities or letters of credit. The Fund may realize a loss if it is not able to invest cash collateral at rates higher than the costs to enter into the loan. The Fund invests cash collateral in an unaffiliated money market fund that operates in compliance with the requirements of Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act and maintains a stable $1.00 net asset value per share. When the loan is closed, the lender is obligated to return the collateral to the borrower. The lender could suffer a loss if the value of the collateral is below the market value of the borrowed securities or if the borrower defaults on the loan. The lender may pay reasonable finders, lending agent, administrative and custodial fees in connection with its loans. The investment adviser may instruct the securities lending agent to terminate loans and recall securities with voting rights so that the securities may be voted in accordance with the Funds proxy voting policy and procedures if deemed appropriate to do so. See Taxes for information on the tax treatment of payments in lieu of dividends received pursuant to securities lending arrangements. |
Senior Loans |
Senior Loans are loans that are senior in repayment priority to other debt of the borrower. Senior Loans generally pay interest that floats, adjusts or varies periodically based on benchmark indicators, specified adjustment schedules or prevailing interest rates. Senior Loans are often secured by specific assets or collateral, although they may not be secured by collateral. 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), generally referred to as a syndicate. The Agent typically administers and enforces the Senior Loan on behalf of the Loan Investors in the syndicate. In addition, an institution, typically but not always the Agent, holds any collateral on behalf of the Loan Investors. 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, or novations of, a Senior Loan. Senior Loans primarily include senior floating rate loans and secondarily senior floating rate debt obligations (including those issued by an asset-backed pool), and interests therein. |
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Loan Collateral. Borrowers generally will, for the term of the Senior Loan, pledge collateral to secure their obligation. In addition Senior Loans may be guaranteed by or secured by assets of the borrowers owners or affiliates. During the term of the Senior Loan, the value of collateral securing the Loan may decline in value, causing the Loan to be under-collateralized. 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 borrowers obligations under a Senior Loan. In addition, if a Senior Loan is foreclosed, the Fund could become part owner of the collateral and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of such collateral. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
70
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Fees. The Fund may receive a facility fee when it buys a Senior Loan, and pay a facility fee when it sells a Senior Loan. On an ongoing basis, the Fund 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 Fund may receive a prepayment penalty fee upon the prepayment of a Senior Loan by a borrower or an amendment fee. |
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Loan Administration. In a typical Senior Loan, the Agent administers the terms of the loan agreement and is responsible for the collection of principal, and interest payments from the borrower and the apportionment of these payments to the Loan Investors. Failure by the Agent to fulfill its obligations may delay or adversely affect receipt of payment by the Fund. Furthermore, unless under the terms of a loan agreement or participation (as applicable) the Fund has direct recourse against the borrower, the Fund must rely on the Agent and the other Loan Investors to use appropriate 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 typical practice of an Agent or a Loan Investor in relying exclusively or primarily on reports from the borrower may involve the risk of fraud by the borrower. It is unclear whether an investment in a Senior Loan offers the securities law protections against fraud and misrepresentation. |
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A financial institutions appointment as Agent may usually be terminated in the event that it fails to observe the requisite standard of care or becomes insolvent. 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 Fund were determined to be subject to the claims of the Agents general creditors, the Fund 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 other Interposed Persons, similar risks may arise. |
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Additional Information. The Fund may purchase and retain in its portfolio a Senior Loan where the borrower has 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. While such investments may provide opportunities for enhanced income as well as capital appreciation, they generally involve greater risk and may be considered speculative. The Fund may from time to time participate in ad-hoc committees formed by creditors to negotiate with the management of financially troubled borrowers. The Fund may incur legal fees as a result of such participation. In addition, such participation may restrict the Funds ability to trade in or acquire additional positions in a particular security when it might otherwise desire to do so. Participation by the Fund also may expose the Fund to potential liabilities under bankruptcy or other laws governing the rights of creditors and debtors. The Fund will participate in such committees only when the investment adviser believes that such participation is necessary or desirable to enforce the Funds rights as a creditor or to protect the value of a Senior Loan held by the Fund. |
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In some instances, other accounts managed by the investment adviser may hold other securities issued by borrowers the Senior Loans of which may be held by the Fund. These other securities may include, for example, debt securities that are subordinate to the Senior Loans held by the Fund, convertible debt or common or preferred equity securities. In certain circumstances, such as if the credit quality of the borrower deteriorates, the interests of holders of these other securities may conflict with the interests of the holders of the borrowers Senior Loans. In such cases, the investment adviser may owe conflicting fiduciary duties to the Fund and other client accounts. The investment adviser will endeavor to carry out its obligations to all of its clients to the fullest extent possible, recognizing that in some cases, certain clients may achieve a lower economic return, as a result of these conflicting client interests, than if the investment advisers client accounts collectively held only a single category of the issuers securities. |
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The Fund 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 Fund 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 investment adviser, may enhance the value of a Senior Loan or would otherwise be consistent with the Funds investment policies. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
71
SAI dated May 1, 2016
|
For Eaton Vance Floating Rate Portfolio, Senior Debt Portfolio and Eaton Vance VT Floating-Rate Income Fund only: The Fund will acquire participations only if the Loan Investor selling the participation, and any other persons interpositioned between the Fund and the Loan Investor (an Interposed Person), at the time of investment, has outstanding debt or deposit obligations rated investment grade (BBB or A-3 or higher by S&P or Baa or P- 3 or higher by Moodys or comparably rated by another nationally recognized statistical ratings organization) or determined by the investment adviser to be of comparable quality. |
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For additional disclosure relating to investing in loans (including Senior Loans), see Loans above. |
Short Sales |
Short sales are transactions in which a party sells a security it does not own in anticipation of a decline in the market value of that security. To complete such a transaction, the party must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. When the party is required to return the borrowed security, it typically will purchase the security in the open market. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the party sold the security. Until the security is replaced, the party is required to repay the lender any dividends or interest, which accrues during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, it also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The net proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements, until the short position is closed out. Transaction costs are incurred in effecting short sales. A short seller will incur a loss as a result of a short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which it replaces the borrowed security. A gain will be realized if the price of the security declines in price between those dates. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount of the premium, dividends or interest the short seller may be required to pay, if any, in connection with a short sale. Short sales may be against the box or uncovered. In a short sale against the box, at the time of the sale, the short seller owns or has the immediate and unconditional right to acquire the identical security at no additional cost. In an uncovered short sale, the short seller does not own the underlying security and, as such, losses from uncovered short sales may be significant. The Fund may sell short securities representing an index or basket of securities whose constituents the Fund holds in whole or in part. A short sale of an index or basket of securities will be a covered short sale if the underlying index or basket of securities is the same or substantially identical to securities held by the Fund. Use of short sales is limited by the Funds non-fundamental restriction relating thereto. |
Short-Term Trading |
Fixed-income 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, such a security may be sold and another purchased at approximately the same time to take advantage of what is believed 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. |
Smaller Companies |
The investment risk associated with smaller companies is higher than that normally associated with larger, more established companies due to the greater business risks associated with small size, the relative age of the company, limited product lines, distribution channels and financial and managerial resources. Further, there is typically less publicly available information concerning smaller companies than for larger companies. The securities of small companies are often traded only over-the-counter and may not be traded in the volumes typical of trading on a national securities exchange. As a result, stocks of smaller companies are often more volatile than those of larger companies, which are often traded on a national securities exchange. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
72
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities (SMBS) |
SMBS are multiclass mortgage securities. SMBS commonly involve two classes of securities that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distributions on a pool of mortgage assets. A common type of SMBS will have one class receiving most of the interest from the mortgages, while the other class will receive most of the principal. In the most extreme case, the interest only class receives all of the interest while the principal only class receives the entire principal. The yield to maturity on an interest only class is extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including pre-payments) on the related underlying mortgage assets, and a rapid rate of principal payments may have a material adverse effect on the yield to maturity from these securities. If the underlying mortgages experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the initial investment in these securities may not be recouped. Although the market for such securities is increasingly liquid, certain SMBS may not be readily marketable and will be considered illiquid. The market value of the class consisting entirely of principal payments generally is unusually volatile in response to changes in interest rates. The yields on a class of SMBS that receives all or most of the interest from mortgages are generally higher than prevailing market yields on other MBS because their cash flow patterns are more volatile and there is a greater risk that the initial investment will not be fully recouped. |
Structured Notes |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Structured notes are derivative debt instruments, the interest rate or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator (for example, a currency, security, commodity or index thereof). The terms of the instrument may be structured by the purchaser and the borrower issuing the note. Indexed securities may include structured notes as well as securities other than debt securities, the interest rate or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator. Indexed securities may include a multiplier that multiplies the indexed element by a specified factor and, therefore, the value of such securities may be very volatile. The terms of structured notes and indexed securities may provide that in certain circumstances no principal is due at maturity, which may result in a loss of invested capital. Structured notes and indexed securities may be positively or negatively indexed, so that appreciation of the unrelated indicator may produce an increase or a decrease in the interest rate or the value of the structured note or indexed security at maturity may be calculated as a specified multiple of the change in the value of the unrelated indicator. Structured notes and indexed securities may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types of investments because the investor bears the risk of the unrelated indicator. Structured notes or indexed securities also may be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities and instruments or more traditional debt securities. |
Swap Agreements |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a few weeks to more than one year. In a standard swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on a particular predetermined reference instrument or instruments, which can be adjusted for an interest rate factor. The gross returns to be exchanged or swapped between the parties are generally 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). Other types of swap agreements may calculate the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a net basis. Consequently, a partys current obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the net amount). |
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Whether the use of swap agreements will be successful will depend on the investment adviser's ability to predict correctly whether certain types of reference instruments are likely to produce greater returns than other instruments. Swap agreements may be subject to contractual restrictions on transferability and termination and they may have terms of greater than seven days. The Funds obligations under a swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owed to the Fund under the swap). Developments in the swaps market, including government regulation, could adversely affect the Funds ability to terminate existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements, as well as to participate in swap agreements in the future. If there is a default by the counterparty to a swap, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the swap agreement, but any recovery may be delayed depending on the circumstances of the default. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
73
SAI dated May 1, 2016
|
The swaps market was largely unregulated prior to the enactment of federal legislation known as the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Dodd-Frank Act), which was enacted in 2010 in response to turmoil in the financial markets and other market events. Among other things, the Dodd-Frank Act sets forth a new regulatory framework for certain OTC derivatives, such as swaps, in which the Fund may invest. The Dodd-Frank Act requires many swap transactions to be executed on registered exchanges or through swap execution facilities, cleared through a regulated clearinghouse, and publicly reported. In addition, many market participants are now regulated as swap dealers or major swap participants, and are, or will be, subject to certain minimum capital and margin requirements and business conduct standards. The statutory requirements of the Dodd-Frank Act are being implemented primarily through rules and regulations adopted by the SEC and/or the CFTC. There is a prescribed phase-in period during which most of the mandated rulemaking and regulations are being implemented, and temporary exemptions from certain rules and regulations have been granted so that current trading practices will not be unduly disrupted during the transition period. |
|
Currently, central clearing is only required for certain market participants trading certain instruments, although central clearing for additional instruments is expected to be implemented by the CFTC until the majority of the swaps market is ultimately subject to central clearing. In addition, uncleared OTC swaps will be subject to regulatory collateral requirements that could adversely affect the Funds ability to enter into swaps in the OTC market. These developments could cause the Fund to terminate new or existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such instruments at an inopportune time. Until the mandated rulemaking and regulations are implemented completely, it will not be possible to determine the complete impact of the Dodd-Frank Act and related regulations on the Fund, and the establishment of a centralized exchange or market for swap transactions may not result in swaps being easier to value or trade. However, it is expected that swap dealers, major market participants, and swap counterparties will experience other new and/or additional regulations, requirements, compliance burdens, and associated costs. The legislation and rules to be promulgated may exert a negative effect on the Funds ability to meet its investment objective, either through limits or requirements imposed on the Fund or its counterparties. The swap market could be disrupted or limited as a result of the legislation, and the new requirements may increase the cost of the Funds investments and of doing business, which could adversely affect the ability of the Fund to buy or sell OTC derivatives. |
|
Swap agreements include (but are not limited to): |
|
Currency Swaps. Currency swaps involve the exchange of the rights of the parties to make or receive payments in specified currencies. Because currency swaps usually involve the delivery of the entire principal value of one designated currency in exchange for the other designated currency, the entire principal value of a currency swap is subject to the risk that the other party to the swap will default on its contractual delivery obligations. If the investment adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of market value and currency exchange rates, performance may be adversely affected. |
|
Equity Swaps. An equity swap is an agreement in which at least one partys payments are based on the rate of return of an equity security or equity index, such as the S&P 500. The other partys payments can be based on a fixed rate, a non-equity variable rate, or even a different equity index. The Fund may enter into equity index swaps on a net basis pursuant to which the future cash flows from two reference instruments are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
74
SAI dated May 1, 2016
|
Credit Default Swaps. Under a credit default swap agreement, the protection buyer in a credit default contract is generally obligated to pay the protection seller an upfront or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract, provided that no credit event, such as a default, on a reference instrument has occurred. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally must pay the buyer the par value (full notional value) of the reference instrument in exchange for an equal face amount of the reference instrument described in the swap, or the seller may be required to deliver the related net cash amount, if the swap is cash settled. If the Fund is a buyer and no credit event occurs, the Fund may recover nothing if the swap is held through its termination date. As a seller, the Fund generally receives an upfront payment or a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the swap provided that there is no credit event. As the seller, the Fund would effectively add leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. The determination of a credit event under the swap agreement will depend on the terms of the agreement and may rely on the decision of persons that are not a party to the agreement. The Funds obligations under a credit default swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owed to the Fund). |
|
Inflation Swaps. Inflation swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, e.g., an exchange of fixed rate payments for floating rate payments or an exchange of floating rate payments based on two different reference indices. By design, one of the reference indices is an inflation index, such as the Consumer Price Index. Inflation swaps can be designated as zero coupon, where both sides of the swap compound interest over the life of the swap and then the accrued interest is paid out only at the swaps maturity. |
|
Total Return Swaps. Total return swap agreements are contracts in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to another party based on the change in market value of the assets underlying the contract, which may include a specified security, basket of securities or securities indices during the specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or the total return from other underlying assets. Total return swap agreements may be used to obtain exposure to a security or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security or investing directly in such market. Total return swap agreements may effectively add leverage to the Funds portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. Generally, the Fund will enter into total return swaps on a net basis (i.e., the two payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments). The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Funds obligations over its entitlements with respect to each total return swap will be accrued on a daily basis. If the total return swap transaction is entered into on other than a net basis, the full amount of the Funds obligations will be accrued on a daily basis, and the full amount of the Funds obligations will be segregated by the Fund in an amount equal to or greater than the market value of the liabilities under the total return swap or the amount it would have cost the Fund initially to make an equivalent direct investment, plus or minus any amount the Fund is obligated to pay or is to receive under the total return swap agreement. |
|
Interest Rate Swaps, Caps and Floors. Interest rate swaps are OTC contracts in which each party agrees to make a periodic interest payment based on an index or the value of an asset in return for a periodic payment from the other party based on a different index or asset. The purchase of an interest rate floor entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index falls below a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate floor. The purchase of an interest rate cap entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index rises above a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate cap. The Fund usually will enter into interest rate swap transactions on a net basis (i.e., the two payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments). The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Funds obligations over its entitlements with respect to each interest rate swap will be accrued on a daily basis. If the interest rate swap transaction is entered into on other than a net basis, the full amount of the Funds obligations will be accrued on a daily basis. Certain federal income tax requirements may limit the Funds ability to engage in certain interest rate transactions. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
75
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Swaptions |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. A swaption is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation) in return for payment of a premium, to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement, at some designated future time on specified terms. The Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions. Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, the Fund will generally incur a greater degree of risk when it writes a swaption than it will incur when it purchases a swaption. When the Fund purchases a swaption, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when the Fund writes a swaption, upon exercise of the option the Fund will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement. |
Tax-Managed Investing |
Taxes are a major influence on the net returns that investors receive on their taxable investments. There are four components of the returns of a mutual fund that invests in equities that are treated differently for federal income tax purposes: price appreciation, distributions of qualified dividend income, distributions of other investment income, and distributions of realized short-term and long-term capital gains. Distributions of income other than qualified dividend income and distributions of net realized short-term gains (on stocks held for one year or less) are taxed as ordinary income. Distributions of qualified dividend income and net realized long-term gains (on stocks held for more than one year) are currently taxed at rates up to 20%. The Funds investment program and the tax treatment of Fund distributions may be affected by IRS interpretations of the Code and future changes in tax laws and regulations. Returns derived from price appreciation are untaxed until the shareholder disposes of his or her shares. Upon disposition, a capital gain (short-term, if the shareholder has held his or her shares for one year or less, otherwise long-term) equal to the difference between the net proceeds of the disposition and the shareholders adjusted tax basis is realized. |
Trust Certificates |
Trust certificates are investments in a limited purpose trust or other vehicle formed under state law. Trust certificates in turn invest in instruments, such as credit default swaps, interest rate swaps, preferred securities and other securities, in order to customize the risk/return profile of a particular security. Like an investment in a bond, investments in trust certificates represent the right to receive periodic income payments (in the form of distributions) and payment of principal at the end of the term of the certificate. However, these payments are conditioned on the trusts receipt of payments from, and the trusts potential obligations to, the counterparties to the derivative instruments and other securities in which the trust invests. Investments in these instruments are indirectly subject to the risks associated with derivative instruments, including, among others, credit risk, default or similar event risk, counterparty risk, interest rate risk, leverage risk and management risk. It is expected that the trusts that issue credit-linked trust certificates will constitute private investment companies, exempt from registration under the 1940 Act. Although the trusts are typically private investment companies, they are generally not actively managed. It is also expected that the certificates will be exempt from registration under the 1933 Act. Accordingly, there may be no established trading market for the certificates and they may constitute illiquid investments. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
76
SAI dated May 1, 2016
U.S. Government Securities |
U.S. Government securities include: (1) U.S. Treasury obligations, which differ in their interest rates, maturities and times of issuance, including: 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, which 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. U.S. Government securities also include 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: Farmers Home Administration, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Federal Housing Administration, Federal Land Banks, Federal Financing Bank, Central Bank for Cooperatives, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, Farm Credit Bank System, Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, Federal National Mortgage Association, General Services Administration, Government National Mortgage Association, Student Loan Marketing Association, United States Postal Service, Maritime Administration, Small Business Administration, Tennessee Valley Authority, Washington D.C. Armory Board and any other enterprise established or sponsored by the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government generally is not obligated to provide support to its instrumentalities. The principal of and/or interest on certain U.S. Government securities 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 denominated in foreign currencies may be affected favorably by changes in the exchange rate between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. |
Unlisted Securities |
Unlisted securities are neither listed on a stock exchange nor traded over-the-counter. Unlisted securities may include investments in new and early stage companies, which may involve a high degree of business and financial risk that can result in substantial losses and may be considered speculative. Such securities will generally be deemed to be illiquid. Because of the absence of any public trading market for these investments, it may take longer to liquidate these positions than would be the case for publicly traded securities. Although these securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales could be less than those originally paid or less than what may be considered the fair value of such securities. Furthermore, issuers whose securities are not publicly traded may not be subject to public disclosure and other investor protection requirements applicable to publicly traded securities. If such securities are required to be registered under the securities laws of one or more jurisdictions before being resold, the Fund may be required to bear the expenses of registration. In addition, in foreign jurisdictions any capital gains realized on the sale of such securities may be subject to higher rates of foreign taxation than taxes payable on the sale of listed securities. |
Utility and Financial Services Companies |
To the extent described in the Prospectus, the Fund may concentrate its investments in utility and/or financial services companies. |
Variable Rate Instruments |
Variable rate instruments provide for adjustments in the interest or dividend rate payable on the instrument at specified intervals (daily, weekly, monthly, semiannually, etc.) based on market conditions, credit ratings or interest rates and the investor may have the right to put the security back to the issuer or its agent. Variable rate instruments normally provide that the holder can demand payment of the instrument on short notice at par with accrued interest. These instruments may be secured by letters of credit or other support arrangements provided by banks. To the extent that such letters of credit or other arrangements constitute an unconditional guarantee of the issuers obligations, a bank may be treated as the issuer of a security for the purposes of complying with the diversification requirements set forth in Section 5(b) of the 1940 Act and Rule 5b-2 thereunder. The Fund may use these instruments as cash equivalents pending longer term investment of its funds. The rate adjustment features may limit the extent to which the market value of the instruments will fluctuate. |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
77
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
78
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX A
Class A Fees, Performance and Ownership
Sales Charges and Distribution and Service Fees. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, the following table shows (1) total sales charges paid by the Fund, (2) sales charges paid to financial intermediaries, (3) sales charges paid to the principal underwriter, (4) approximate CDSC payments to the principal underwriter, (5) total distribution and service fees paid by the Fund, and (6) distribution and service fees paid to financial intermediaries. Distribution and service fees that were not paid to financial intermediaries were retained by the principal underwriter.
For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, total sales charges of $478,269 and $164,530, respectively, were paid on sales of Class A, of which the principal underwriter received $70,588 and $22,822, respectively. The balance of such amounts was paid to financial intermediaries.
Performance Information. The table below indicates the average annual total return (both before and after taxes) on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 in this Class of shares for the periods shown in the table. Any performance presented with an asterisk (*) includes the effect of subsidizing expenses. Performance would have been lower without subsidies.
Total returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value or public offering price with all distributions reinvested. The Funds past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of Fund shares will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance is for the stated time period only; due to market volatility, the Funds current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted return. For the Funds performance as of the most recent month-end, please refer to www.eatonvance.com.
About Returns After Taxes. After-tax returns are calculated using certain assumptions. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
|
Length of Period Ended December 31, 2015 |
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year* |
Five Years* |
Ten Years* |
Before Taxes and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
2.65% |
8.98% |
6.67% |
Before Taxes and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
3.29% |
7.71% |
6.05% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
0.81% |
7.44% |
5.46% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
5.02% |
6.19% |
4.84% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
2.24% |
6.79% |
5.15% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
1.16% |
5.76% |
4.62% |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
79
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities. At April 1, 2016, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned in the aggregate less than 1% of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund. In addition, as of the same date, the following person(s) held the share percentage indicated below, which was owned either (i) beneficially by such person(s) or (ii) of record by such person(s) on behalf of customers who are the beneficial owners of such shares and as to which such record owner(s) may exercise voting rights under certain limited circumstances:
National Financial Services LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
13.3% |
American Enterprise Investment SVC |
Minneapolis, MN |
12.8% |
Pershing LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
8.9% |
First Clearing LLC |
Saint Louis, MO |
8.5% |
Charles Schwab & Co Inc. |
San Francisco, CA |
5.7% |
To the knowledge of the Trust, no other person owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund as of such date.
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
80
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX B
Class B Fees, Performance and Ownership
Distribution and Service Fees. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, the following table shows (1) sales commissions paid by the principal underwriter to financial intermediaries on sales of Class B shares, (2) distribution fees paid to the principal underwriter under the Distribution Plan, (3) approximate CDSC payments to the principal underwriter, (4) service fees paid under the Distribution Plan, and (5) service fees paid to financial intermediaries. The service fees paid by the Fund that were not paid to financial intermediaries were retained by the principal underwriter.
Commission Paid
|
Distribution Fee Paid
|
CDSC Paid to
|
Service
|
|
$0 |
$69,534 |
$6,000 |
$23,178 |
$21,273 |
Performance Information. The table below indicates the average annual total return (both before and after taxes) on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 in this Class of shares for the periods shown in the table. Any performance presented with an asterisk (*) includes the effect of subsidizing expenses. Performance would have been lower without subsidies.
Total returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value or public offering price with all distributions reinvested. The Funds past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of Fund shares will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance is for the stated time period only; due to market volatility, the Funds current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted return. For the Funds performance as of the most recent month-end, please refer to www.eatonvance.com.
About Returns After Taxes. After-tax returns are calculated using certain assumptions. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
|
Length of Period Ended December 31, 2015 |
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year* |
Five Years* |
Ten Years* |
Before Taxes and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
1.88% |
8.17% |
5.87% |
Before Taxes and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
2.97% |
7.88% |
5.87% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
0.34% |
6.88% |
4.88% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
4.51% |
6.58% |
4.88% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
1.76% |
6.22% |
4.57% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
0.98% |
5.98% |
4.57% |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
81
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities. At April 1, 2016, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned in the aggregate less than 1% of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund. In addition, as of the same date, the following person(s) held the share percentage indicated below, which was owned either (i) beneficially by such person(s) or (ii) of record by such person(s) on behalf of customers who are the beneficial owners of such shares and as to which such record owner(s) may exercise voting rights under certain limited circumstances:
First Clearing LLC |
Saint Louis, MO |
23.8% |
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. |
Jacksonville, FL |
15.4% |
National Financial Services LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
14.7% |
Pershing LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
12.9% |
American Enterprise Investment SVC |
Minneapolis, MN |
9.4% |
To the knowledge of the Trust, no other person owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund as of such date.
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
82
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX C
Class C Fees, Performance and Ownership
Distribution and Service Fees. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, the following table shows (1) sales commissions paid by the principal underwriter to financial intermediaries on sales of Class C shares, (2) distribution fees paid to the principal underwriter under the Distribution Plan, (3) approximate CDSC payments to the principal underwriter, (4) service fees paid under the Distribution Plan, and (5) service fees paid to financial intermediaries. The service fees paid by the Fund that were not paid to financial intermediaries were retained by the principal underwriter.
Commission Paid by Principal Underwriter
|
Distribution Fee Paid
|
CDSC Paid
|
Service Fees |
Service Fees Paid
|
$933,880 |
$641,089 |
$9,000 |
$213,696 |
$311,293 |
Performance Information. The table below indicates the average annual total return (both before and after taxes) on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 in this Class of shares for the periods shown in the table. Any performance presented with an asterisk (*) includes the effect of subsidizing expenses. Performance would have been lower without subsidies.
Total returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value or public offering price with all distributions reinvested. The Funds past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of Fund shares will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance is for the stated time period only; due to market volatility, the Funds current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted return. For the Funds performance as of the most recent month-end, please refer to www.eatonvance.com.
About Returns After Taxes. After-tax returns are calculated using certain assumptions. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
|
Length of Period Ended December 31, 2015 |
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year* |
Five Years* |
Ten Years* |
Before Taxes and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
1.86% |
8.16% |
5.89% |
Before Taxes and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
0.89% |
8.16% |
5.89% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
0.28% |
6.85% |
4.90% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
0.68% |
6.85% |
4.90% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
1.76% |
6.20% |
4.58% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
1.21% |
6.20% |
4.58% |
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
83
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities. At April 1, 2016, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned in the aggregate less than 1% of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund. In addition, as of the same date, the following person(s) held the share percentage indicated below, which was owned either (i) beneficially by such person(s) or (ii) of record by such person(s) on behalf of customers who are the beneficial owners of such shares and as to which such record owner(s) may exercise voting rights under certain limited circumstances:
First Clearing LLC |
Saint Louis, MO |
26.9% |
American Enterprise Investment Svc |
Minneapolis, MN |
9.6% |
Raymond James |
St. Petersburg, FL |
9.4% |
National Financial Services LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
8.4% |
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith |
Jacksonville, FL |
8.1% |
Pershing LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
7.7% |
J.P. Morgan Clearing Corp. |
Brooklyn, NY |
5.9% |
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney |
Jersey City, NJ |
5.2% |
Beneficial owners of 25% or more of this Class of the Fund are presumed to be in control of the Class for purposes of voting on certain matters submitted by shareholders.
To the knowledge of the Trust, no other person owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund as of such date.
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
84
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX D
Class I Performance and Ownership
Performance Information. The table below indicates the average annual total return (both before and after taxes) on a hypothetical investment in shares of $1,000. Total return for the period prior to September 28, 2012 reflects the total return of the Fund's Class A shares calculated at net asset value. The total return shown below has not been adjusted to reflect Fund expenses (such as distribution and/or service fees). If such an adjustment was made, the total return of this Class would be different. Any performance presented with an asterisk (*) includes the effect of subsidizing expenses. Performance would have been lower without subsidies.
Total returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value or public offering price with all distributions reinvested. The Funds past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of Fund shares will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance is for the stated time period only; due to market volatility, the Funds current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted return. For the Funds performance as of the most recent month-end, please refer to www.eatonvance.com.
About Returns After Taxes. After-tax returns are calculated using certain assumptions. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
|
Length of Period Ended December 31, 2015 |
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year* |
Five Years* |
Ten Years* |
Before Taxes |
2.88% |
9.15% |
6.76% |
After Taxes on Distributions |
0.96% |
7.49% |
5.37% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption |
2.39% |
6.84% |
5.06% |
Class I shares commenced operations on September 28, 2012. |
|
|
|
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities. At April 1, 2016, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned approximately 2.5% of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund. In addition, as of the same date, the following person(s) held the share percentage indicated below, which was owned either (i) beneficially by such person(s) or (ii) of record by such person(s) on behalf of customers who are the beneficial owners of such shares and as to which such record owner(s) may exercise voting rights under certain limited circumstances:
To the knowledge of the Trust, no other person owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund as of such date.
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85
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX E
Class R Fees, Performance & Ownership
As of the date of this SAI, this Class of the Fund had not yet commenced operations so there is no fee information.
Performance Information. The table below indicates the average annual total return (both before and after taxes) on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 in this Class of shares for the periods shown in the table. The Funds total return for the period prior to May 1, 2016 reflects the total return of the Funds Class A shares at net asset value. The total return shown below has not been adjusted to reflect certain expenses (such as distribution and/or service fees). If such adjustments were made, the Class R total return would be different. Any return presented with an asterisk (*) includes the effect of subsidizing expenses. Returns would have been lower without subsidies.
Total returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value or public offering price with all distributions reinvested. The Funds past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of Fund shares will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance is for the stated time period only; due to market volatility, the Funds current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted return. For the Funds performance as of the most recent month-end, please refer to www.eatonvance.com.
About Returns After Taxes. After-tax returns are calculated using certain assumptions. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
|
Length of Period Ended December 31, 2015 |
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year* |
Five Years* |
Ten Years* |
Before Taxes |
2.65% |
8.98% |
6.67% |
After Taxes on Distributions |
0.81% |
7.44% |
5.46% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption |
2.24% |
6.79% |
5.15% |
Class R shares commenced operations on May 1, 2016. |
|
|
|
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities. As of April 1, 2016, there were no shares of this Class of the Fund outstanding.
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX F
Class R6 Performance & Ownership
Performance Information. The table below indicates the average annual total return (both before and after taxes) on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 in this Class of shares for the periods shown in the table. The Funds total return for the period prior to May 1, 2016 reflects the total return of the Funds Class I shares without adjustment for any differences in the expenses of the two classes. If such adjustments were made, the Class R6 total return would be different.
Total returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value or public offering price with all distributions reinvested. The Funds past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of Fund shares will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance is for the stated time period only; due to market volatility, the Funds current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted return. For the Funds performance as of the most recent month-end, please refer to www.eatonvance.com.
About Returns After Taxes. After-tax returns are calculated using certain assumptions. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
|
Length of Period Ended December 31, 2015 |
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year* |
Five Years* |
Ten Years* |
Before Taxes |
2.88% |
9.15% |
6.76% |
After Taxes on Distributions |
0.96% |
7.49% |
5.37% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption |
2.39% |
6.84% |
5.06% |
Class R6 shares commenced operations on May 1, 2016. |
|
|
|
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities. As of April 1, 2016, there were no shares of this Class of the Fund outstanding.
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX G
Eaton Vance Funds
Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures
I. Overview
The Boards of Trustees (the “ Board ” ) of the Eaton Vance Funds 1 have determined that it is in the interests of the Funds ’ shareholders to adopt these written proxy voting policy and procedures (the “ Policy ” ). For purposes of this Policy:
·
“ Fund ” means each registered investment company sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization; and
·
“ Adviser ” means the adviser or sub-adviser responsible for the day-to-day management of all or a portion of the Fund ’ s assets.
II. Delegation of Proxy Voting Responsibilities
The Board hereby delegates to the Adviser responsibility for voting the Funds proxies as described in this Policy. In this connection, the Adviser is required to provide the Board with a copy of its proxy voting policies and procedures (Adviser Procedures) and all Fund proxies will be voted in accordance with the Adviser Procedures, provided that in the event a material conflict of interest arises with respect to a proxy to be voted for the Fund (as described in Section IV below) the Adviser shall follow the process for voting such proxy as described in Section IV below.
The Adviser is required to report any material change to the Adviser Procedures to the Board in the manner set forth in Section V below. In addition, the Board will review the Adviser Procedures annually.
III. Delegation of Proxy Voting Disclosure Responsibilities
Pursuant to Rule 30b1-4 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “ 1940 Act ” ), the Fund is required to file Form N-PX no later than August 31st of each year. On Form N-PX, the Fund is required to disclose, among other things, information concerning proxies relating to the Funds portfolio investments, whether or not the Fund (or its Adviser) voted the proxies relating to securities held by the Fund and how it voted on the matter and whether it voted for or against management.
To facilitate the filing of Form N-PX for the Fund:
·
The Adviser is required to record, compile and transmit in a timely manner all data required to be filed on Form N-PX for the Fund that it manages. Such data shall be transmitted to Eaton Vance Management, which acts as administrator to the Fund (the Administrator) or the third party service provider designated by the Administrator; and
·
the Administrator is required to file Form N-PX on behalf of the Fund with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission) as required by the 1940 Act. The Administrator may delegate the filing to a third party service party provided each such filing is reviewed and approved by the Administrator.
IV. Conflicts of Interest
The Board expects the Adviser, as a fiduciary to the Fund it manages, to put the interests of the Fund and its shareholders above those of the Adviser. When required to vote a proxy for the Fund, the Adviser may have material business relationships with the issuer soliciting the proxy that could give rise to a potential material conflict of interest for the Adviser. 2 In the event such a material conflict of interest arises, the Adviser, to the extent it is aware or reasonably should have been aware of the material conflict, will refrain from voting any proxies related to companies giving rise to such material conflict until it notifies and consults with the appropriate Board, or any committee, sub-committee or group of Independent Trustees identified by the Board (as long as such committee, sub-committee or group contains at least two or more Independent Trustees) (the Board Members), concerning the material conflict. 3 For ease of communicating with the Board Members, the Adviser is required to provide the foregoing notice to the Funds Chief Legal Officer who will then notify and facilitate a consultation with the Board Members.
Once the Board Members have been notified of the material conflict:
·
They shall convene a meeting to review and consider all relevant materials related to the proxies involved. This meeting shall be convened within 3 business days, provided that it an effort will be made to convene the meeting sooner if the proxy must be voted in less than 3 business days;
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
·
In considering such proxies, the Adviser shall make available all materials requested by the Board Members and make reasonably available appropriate personnel to discuss the matter upon request.
·
The Board Members will then instruct the Adviser on the appropriate course of action with respect to the proxy at issue.
If the Board Members are unable to meet and the failure to vote a proxy would have a material adverse impact on the Fund(s) involved, the Adviser will have the right to vote such proxy, provided that it discloses the existence of the material conflict to the Chairperson of the Board as soon as practicable and to the Board at its next meeting. Any determination regarding the voting of proxies of the Fund that is made by the Board Members shall be deemed to be a good faith determination regarding the voting of proxies by the full Board.
V. Reports and Review
The Administrator shall make copies of each Form N-PX filed on behalf of the Fund available for the Boards ’ review upon the Boards ’ request. The Administrator (with input from the Adviser for the Fund) shall also provide any reports reasonably requested by the Board regarding the proxy voting records of the Fund.
The Adviser shall report any material changes to the Adviser Procedures to the Board as soon as practicable and the Boards will review the Adviser Procedures annually.
The Adviser also shall report any changes to the Adviser Procedures to the Fund Chief Legal Officer prior to implementing such changes in order to enable the Administrator to effectively coordinate the Funds disclosure relating to the Adviser Procedures.
To the extent requested by the Commission, the Policy and the Adviser Procedures shall be appended to the Funds statement of additional information included in its registration statement.
_____________________
1
The Eaton Vance Funds may be organized as trusts or corporations. For ease of reference, the Funds may be referred to herein as Trusts and the Funds Board of Trustees or Board of Directors may be referred to collectively herein as the Board.
2
An Adviser is expected to maintain a process for identifying a potential material conflict of interest. As an example only, such potential conflicts may arise when the issuer is a client of the Adviser and generates a significant amount of fees to the Adviser or the issuer is a distributor of the Advisers products.
3
If a material conflict of interest exists with respect to a particular proxy and the proxy voting procedures of the relevant Adviser require that proxies are to be voted in accordance with the recommendation of a third party proxy voting vendor, the requirements of this Section IV shall only apply if the Adviser intends to vote such proxy in a manner inconsistent with such third party recommendation.
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX H
EATON VANCE MANAGEMENT
BOSTON MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH
EATON VANCE INVESTMENT COUNSEL
EATON VANCE TRUST COMPANY
EATON VANCE MANAGEMENT (INTERNATIONAL) LIMITED
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
I. Introduction
Eaton Vance Management, Boston Management and Research, Eaton Vance Investment Counsel, Eaton Vance Management (International) Limited and Eaton Vance Trust Company (each an Adviser and collectively the Advisers) have each adopted and implemented policies and procedures that each Adviser believes are reasonably designed to ensure that proxies are voted in the best interest of clients, in accordance with its fiduciary duties and, to the extent applicable, Rule 206(4)-6 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The Advisers authority to vote the proxies of their clients is established by their advisory contracts or similar documentation, such as the Eaton Vance Funds Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures. These proxy policies and procedures reflect the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requirements governing advisers and the long-standing fiduciary standards and responsibilities for ERISA accounts set out in the Department of Labor Bulletin 94-2 C.F.R. 2509.94-2 (July 29, 1994).
II. Overview
Each Adviser manages its clients assets with the overriding goal of seeking to provide the greatest possible return to such clients consistent with governing laws and the investment policies of each client. In pursuing that goal, each Adviser seeks to exercise its clients rights as shareholders of voting securities to support sound corporate governance of the companies issuing those securities with the principle aim of maintaining or enhancing the companies economic value.
The exercise of shareholder rights is generally done by casting votes by proxy at shareholder meetings on matters submitted to shareholders for approval (for example, the election of directors or the approval of a companys stock option plans for directors, officers or employees). Each Adviser has established guidelines (Guidelines) as described below and generally will utilize such Guidelines in voting proxies on behalf of its clients. The Guidelines are largely based on those developed by the Agent (defined below) but also reflect input from the Global Proxy Group (defined below) and other Adviser investment professionals and are believed to be consistent with the views of the Adviser on the various types of proxy proposals. These Guidelines are designed to promote accountability of a companys management and board of directors to its shareholders and to align the interests of management with those of shareholders. The Guidelines provide a framework for analysis and decision making but do not address all potential issues.
Except as noted below, each Adviser will vote any proxies received by a client for which it has sole investment discretion through a third-party proxy voting service (Agent) in accordance with the Guidelines in a manner that is reasonably designed to eliminate any potential conflicts of interest, as described more fully below. The Agent is currently Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. Where applicable, proxies will be voted in accordance with client-specific guidelines or, in the case of an Eaton Vance Fund that is sub-advised, pursuant to the sub-advisers proxy voting policies and procedures. Although an Adviser retains the services of the Agent for research and voting recommendations, the Adviser remains responsible for proxy voting decisions.
III. Roles and Responsibilities
A. Proxy Administrator
The Proxy Administrator coordinates the consideration of proxies referred back to the Adviser by the Agent, and otherwise administers these Procedures. In the Proxy Administrators absence, another employee of the Adviser may perform the Proxy Administrators responsibilities as deemed appropriate by the Global Proxy Group.
B. Agent
The Agent is responsible for coordinating with the clients custodians and the Advisers to ensure that all proxy materials received by the custodians relating to the portfolio securities are processed in a timely fashion. Each Adviser shall instruct the custodian for its clients to deliver proxy ballots and related materials to the Agent. The Agent shall vote and/or refer all proxies in accordance with the Guidelines. The Agent shall retain a record of all proxy votes handled by the Agent. With respect to each Eaton Vance Fund memorialized therein, such record must reflect all of the information required to be
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disclosed in the Funds Form N-PX pursuant to Rule 30b1-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, to the extent applicable. In addition, the Agent is responsible for maintaining copies of all proxy statements received by issuers and to promptly provide such materials to an Adviser upon request.
Subject to the oversight of the Advisers, the Agent shall establish and maintain adequate internal controls and policies in connection with the provision of proxy voting services to the Advisers, including methods to reasonably ensure that its analysis and recommendations are not influenced by a conflict of interest, and shall disclose such controls and policies to the Advisers when and as provided for herein. Unless otherwise specified, references herein to recommendations of the Agent shall refer to those in which no conflict of interest has been identified. The Advisers are responsible for the ongoing oversight of the Agent as contemplated by SEC Staff Legal Bulletin No. 20 (June 30, 2014). Such oversight currently may include one or more of the following:
·
periodic review of Agents proxy voting platform and reporting capabilities (including recordkeeping);
·
periodic review of a sample of ballots for accuracy and correct application of the Guidelines;
·
periodic meetings with Agents client services team;
·
periodic in-person and/or web-based due diligence meetings;
·
receipt and review of annual certifications received from the Agent; and/or
·
annual review of due diligence materials provided by the Agent, including review of procedures and practices regarding potential conflicts of interests.
C. Global Proxy Group
The Adviser shall establish a Global Proxy Group which is responsible for establishing the Guidelines (described below) and reviewing such Guidelines at least annually. The Global Proxy Group shall also review recommendations to vote proxies in a manner that is contrary to the Guidelines and when the proxy relates to a conflicted company of the Adviser or the Agent as described below.
The members of the Global Proxy Group shall include the Chief Equity Investment Officer of Eaton Vance Management (EVM) and selected members of the Equity Departments of EVM and Eaton Vance Management (International) Limited (EVMI). The Proxy Administrator is not a voting member of the Global Proxy Group. Members of the Global Proxy Group may be changed from time to time at the Advisers discretion. Matters that require the approval of the Global Proxy Group may be acted upon by its member(s) available to consider the matter.
IV. Proxy Voting
A. The Guidelines
The Global Proxy Group shall establish recommendations for the manner in which proxy proposals shall be voted (the Guidelines). The Guidelines shall identify when ballots for specific types of proxy proposals shall be voted (1) or referred to the Adviser. The Guidelines shall address a wide variety of individual topics, including, among other matters, shareholder voting rights, anti-takeover defenses, board structures, the election of directors, executive and director compensation, reorganizations, mergers, issues of corporate social responsibility and other proposals affecting shareholder rights. In determining the Guidelines, the Global Proxy Group considers the recommendations of the Agent as well as input from the Advisers portfolio managers and analysts and/or other internally developed or third party research.
The Global Proxy Group shall review the Guidelines at least annually and, in connection with proxies to be voted on behalf of the Eaton Vance Funds, the Adviser will submit amendments to the Guidelines to the Fund Boards each year for approval.
With respect to the types of proxy proposals listed below, the Guidelines will generally provide as follows:
1. Proposals Regarding Mergers and Corporate Restructurings/Disposition of Assets/Termination/Liquidation and Mergers
The Agent shall be directed to refer proxy proposals accompanied by its written analysis and voting recommendation to the Proxy Administrator for all proposals relating to Mergers and Corporate Restructurings.
2. Corporate Structure Matters/Anti-Takeover Defenses
As a general matter, the Advisers will normally vote against anti-takeover measures and other proposals designed to limit the ability of shareholders to act on possible transactions (except in the case of closed-end management investment companies).
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
3. Proposals Regarding Proxy Contests
The Agent shall be directed to refer contested proxy proposals accompanied by its written analysis and voting recommendation to the Proxy Administrator.
4. Social and Environmental Issues
The Advisers generally support management on social and environmental proposals.
Interpretation and application of the Guidelines is not intended to supersede any law, regulation, binding agreement or other legal requirement to which an issuer or the Adviser may be or become subject. The Guidelines generally relate to the types of proposals that are most frequently presented in proxy statements to shareholders. In certain circumstances, an Adviser may determine to vote contrary to the Guidelines subject to the voting procedures set forth below.
B. Voting Procedures
Except as noted in Section V below, the Proxy Administrator shall instruct the Agent to vote proxies as follows:
1. Vote in Accordance with Guidelines
If the Guidelines prescribe the manner in which the proxy is to be voted, the Agent shall vote in accordance with the Guidelines, which for certain types of proposals, are recommendations of the Agent made on a case-by-case basis.
2. Seek Guidance for a Referred Item or a Proposal for which there is No Guideline
If (i) the Guidelines state that the proxy shall be referred to the Adviser to determine the manner in which it should be voted or (ii) a proxy is received for a proposal for which there is no Guideline, the Proxy Administrator shall consult with the analyst(s) covering the company subject to the proxy proposal and shall instruct the Agent to vote in accordance with the determination of the analyst. The Proxy Administrator will maintain a record of all proxy proposals that are referred by the Agent, as well as all applicable recommendations, analysis and research received and the resolution of the matter. Where more than one analyst covers a particular company and the recommendations of such analysts for voting a proposal subject to this Section IV.B.2 conflict, the Global Proxy Group shall review such recommendations and any other available information related to the proposal and determine the manner in which it should be voted, which may result in different recommendations for clients (including Funds).
3. Votes Contrary to the Guidelines or Where Agent is Conflicted
In the event an analyst with respect to companies within his or her coverage area may recommend a vote contrary to the Guidelines, the Proxy Administrator will provide the Global Proxy Group with the Agents recommendation for the Proposal along with any other relevant materials, including a description of the basis for the analysts recommendation via email and the Proxy Administrator will then instruct the Agent to vote the proxy in the manner determined by the Global Proxy Group. The Adviser will provide a report to the Boards of Trustees of the Eaton Vance Funds reflecting any votes cast on behalf of the Eaton Vance Funds contrary to the Guidelines, and shall do so quarterly. A similar process will be followed if the Agent has a conflict of interest with respect to a proxy as described in Section VI.B.
4. Do Not Cast a Vote
It shall generally be the policy of the Advisers to take no action on a proxy for which no client holds a position or otherwise maintains an economic interest in the relevant security at the time the vote is to be cast. In addition, the Advisers may determine not to vote (i) if the economic effect on shareholders' interests or the value of the portfolio holding is indeterminable or insignificant ( e.g., proxies in connection with securities no longer held in the portfolio of a client or proxies being considered on behalf of a client that is no longer in existence); (ii) if the cost of voting a proxy outweighs the benefits ( e.g., certain international proxies, particularly in cases in which share blocking practices may impose trading restrictions on the relevant portfolio security); or (iii) in markets in which shareholders' rights are limited, and the Adviser is unable to timely access ballots or other proxy information. Non-Votes may also result in certain cases in which the Agent's recommendation has been deemed to be conflicted, as provided for herein.
C. Securities on Loan
When a fund client participates in the lending of its securities and the securities are on loan at the record date for a shareholder meeting, proxies related to such securities generally will not be forwarded to the relevant Adviser by the funds custodian and therefore will not be voted. In the event that the Adviser determines that the matters involved would have a material effect on the applicable funds investment in the loaned securities, the Adviser will make reasonable efforts to terminate the loan in time to be able to cast such vote or exercise such consent. The Adviser shall instruct the funds security lending agent to refrain from lending the full position of any security held by a fund to ensure that the Adviser receives notice of proxy proposals impacting the loaned security.
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
V. Recordkeeping
The Advisers will maintain records relating to the proxies they vote on behalf of their clients in accordance with Section 204-2 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. Those records will include:
·
A copy of the Advisers proxy voting policies and procedures;
·
Proxy statements received regarding client securities. Such proxy statements received from issuers are either in the SECs EDGAR database or are kept by the Agent and are available upon request;
·
A record of each vote cast;
·
A copy of any document created by the Advisers that was material to making a decision on how to vote a proxy for a client or that memorializes the basis for such a decision; and
·
Each written client request for proxy voting records and the Advisers written response to any client request (whether written or oral) for such records.
All records described above will be maintained in an easily accessible place for five years and will be maintained in the offices of the Advisers or their Agent for two years after they are created.
Notwithstanding anything contained in this Section V, Eaton Vance Trust Company shall maintain records relating to the proxies it votes on behalf of its clients in accordance with laws and regulations applicable to it and its activities. In addition, EVMI shall maintain records relating to the proxies it votes on behalf of its clients in accordance with UK law.
VI. Assessment of Agent and Identification and Resolution of Conflicts with Clients
A. Assessment of Agent
The Advisers shall establish that the Agent (i) is independent from the Advisers, (ii) has resources that indicate it can competently provide analysis of proxy issues, and (iii) can make recommendations in an impartial manner and in the best interests of the clients and, where applicable, their beneficial owners. The Advisers shall utilize, and the Agent shall comply with, such methods for establishing the foregoing as the Advisers may deem reasonably appropriate and shall do so not less than annually as well as prior to engaging the services of any new proxy voting service. The Agent shall also notify the Advisers in writing within fifteen (15) calendar days of any material change to information previously provided to an Adviser in connection with establishing the Agents independence, competence or impartiality.
B. Conflicts of Interest
As fiduciaries to their clients, each Adviser puts the interests of its clients ahead of its own. In order to ensure that relevant personnel of the Advisers are able to identify potential material conflicts of interest, each Adviser will take the following steps:
·
Quarterly, the Eaton Vance Legal and Compliance Department will seek information from the department heads of each department of the Advisers and of Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. (EVD) (an affiliate of the Advisers and principal underwriter of certain Eaton Vance Funds). Each department head will be asked to provide a list of significant clients or prospective clients of the Advisers or EVD.
·
A representative of the Legal and Compliance Department will compile a list of the companies identified (the Conflicted Companies) and provide that list to the Proxy Administrator.
·
The Proxy Administrator will compare the list of Conflicted Companies with the names of companies for which he or she has been referred a proxy statement (the Proxy Companies). If a Conflicted Company is also a Proxy Company, the Proxy Administrator will report that fact to the Global Proxy Group.
·
If the Proxy Administrator expects to instruct the Agent to vote the proxy of the Conflicted Company strictly according to the Guidelines contained in these Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (the Policies) or the recommendation of the Agent, as applicable, he or she will (i) inform the Global Proxy Group of that fact, (ii) instruct the Agent to vote the proxies and (iii) record the existence of the material conflict and the resolution of the matter.
·
If the Proxy Administrator intends to instruct the Agent to vote in a manner inconsistent with the Guidelines, the Global Proxy Group will then determine if a material conflict of interest exists between the relevant Adviser and its clients (in consultation with the Legal and Compliance Department if needed). If the Global Proxy Group determines that a material conflict exists, prior to instructing the Agent to vote any proxies relating to these Conflicted Companies the Adviser will seek instruction on how the proxy should be voted from:
·
The client, in the case of an individual, corporate, institutional or benefit plan client;
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·
In the case of a Fund, its board of directors, any committee, sub-committee or group of Independent Trustees (as long as such committee, sub-committee or group contains at least two or more Independent Trustees); or
·
The adviser, in situations where the Adviser acts as a sub-adviser to such adviser.
The Adviser will provide all reasonable assistance to each party to enable such party to make an informed decision.
If the client, Fund board or adviser, as the case may be, fails to instruct the Adviser on how to vote the proxy, the Adviser will generally instruct the Agent, through the Proxy Administrator, to abstain from voting in order to avoid the appearance of impropriety. If however, the failure of the Adviser to vote its clients proxies would have a material adverse economic impact on the Advisers clients securities holdings in the Conflicted Company, the Adviser may instruct the Agent, through the Proxy Administrator, to vote such proxies in order to protect its clients interests. In either case, the Proxy Administrator will record the existence of the material conflict and the resolution of the matter.
The Advisers shall also identify and address conflicts that may arise from time to time concerning the Agent. Upon the Advisers request, which shall be not less than annually, and within fifteen (15) calendar days of any material change to such information previously provided to an Adviser, the Agent shall provide the Advisers with such information as the Advisers deem reasonable and appropriate for use in determining material relationships of the Agent that may pose a conflict of interest with respect to the Agents proxy analysis or recommendations. Such information shall include, but is not limited to, a monthly report from the Agent detailing the Agents Corporate Securities Division clients and related revenue data. The Advisers shall review such information on a monthly basis. The Proxy Administrator shall instruct the Agent to refer any proxies for which a material conflict of the Agent is deemed to be present to the Proxy Administrator. Any such proxy referred by the Agent shall be referred to the Global Proxy Group for consideration accompanied by the Agents written analysis and voting recommendation. The Proxy Administrator will instruct the Agent to vote the proxy as recommended by the Global Proxy Group.
(1)
The Guidelines will prescribe how a proposal shall be voted or provide factors to be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Agent in recommending a vote pursuant to the Guidelines.
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STATEMENT OF
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
Class A Shares - EACSX Class C Shares - ECCSX Class I Shares - EICSX
Two International Place
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
1-800-262-1122
This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) provides general information about the Fund
and its underlying Portfolio
. The Fund
and Portfolio are
non-diversified, open-end management investment
companies
. The Fund is a series of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust. Capitalized terms used in this SAI and not otherwise defined have the meanings given to them in the Prospectus.
This SAI contains additional information about:
|
Page |
|
|
Page |
Strategies and Risks |
2 |
|
Sales Charges |
22 |
Investment Restrictions |
4 |
|
Performance |
23 |
Management and Organization |
6 |
|
Taxes |
25 |
Investment Advisory and Administrative Services |
16 |
|
Portfolio Securities Transactions |
33 |
Other Service Providers |
19 |
|
Financial Statements |
35 |
Calculation of Net Asset Value |
19 |
|
Additional Information About Investment Strategies |
35 |
Purchasing and Redeeming Shares |
20 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Appendix A: Class A Fees, Performance and Ownership |
66 |
|
Appendix D: Ratings |
71 |
Appendix B: Class C Fees, Performance and Ownership |
68 |
|
Appendix E: Eaton Vance Funds Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures |
80 |
Appendix C: Class I Performance and Ownership |
70 |
|
Appendix F: Adviser Proxy Voting Policies, Guidelines and Procedures |
82 |
This SAI is NOT a prospectus and is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only if preceded or accompanied by the Fund Prospectus dated May 1, 2016, as supplemented from time to time, which is incorporated herein by reference. This SAI should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus, which may be obtained by calling 1-800-262-1122.
© 2016 Eaton Vance Management
Definitions
The following terms that may be used in this SAI have the meaning set forth below:
“ 1940 Act ” means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended;
“ 1933 Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended;
“ Board ” means Board of Trustees or Board of Directors, as applicable;
CEA means Commodity Exchange Act;
CFTC means the Commodity Futures Trading Commission;
Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;
Eaton Vance family of funds means all registered investment companies advised, administered and/or distributed by Eaton Vance or its affiliates;
Eaton Vance funds means the mutual funds sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization;
Exchange means the New York Stock Exchange;
FINRA means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority;
Fund means the Fund or Funds listed on the cover of this SAI unless stated otherwise;
investment adviser means the investment adviser identified in the prospectus and, with respect to the implementation of the Funds investment strategies (including as described under Taxes) and portfolio securities transactions, any sub-adviser identified in the prospectus;
IRS means the Internal Revenue Service;
Portfolio means a registered investment company (other than the Fund) sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization in which one or more Funds and other investors may invest substantially all or any portion of their assets as described in the prospectus, if applicable;
Subsidiary means a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Fund or the Portfolio as described in the prospectus;
SEC means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; and
Trust means Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust, of which the Fund is a series.
STRATEGIES AND RISKS
The Fund prospectus identifies the types of investments in which the Fund will principally invest in seeking its investment objective(s) and the principal risks associated therewith. The categories checked in the table below are all of the investments the Fund is permitted to make, including its principal investments and the investment practices the Fund (either directly or through one or more Portfolios as may be described in the prospectus) is permitted to engage in. To the extent that an investment type or practice listed below is not identified in the Fund prospectus as a principal investment strategy, the Fund generally expects to invest less than 5% of its total assets in such investment type. If a particular investment type or practice that is checked and listed below but not referred to in the prospectus becomes a more significant part of the Funds strategy, the prospectus may be amended to disclose that investment type or practice . Fund as used herein and under Additional Information About Investment Strategies refer to the Fund and the Portfolio. Information about the various investment types and practices and the associated risks checked below is included in alphabetical order in this SAI under Additional Information about Investment Strategies.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
2
SAI dated May 1, 2016
As described in the prospectus, the Fund invests a portion of its assets in Global Macro Absolute Return Advantage Portfolio, a registered investment company managed by an affiliate of the Funds investment adviser, and holds other investments directly or through its Subsidiary. As used in the table below and throughout this SAI, GMARAP refers to Global Macro Absolute Return Advantage Portfolio. The GMARAP column below reflects the investments and practices of GMARAP. The Fund column below reflects the investments and practices that the Fund may engage in directly or through the Subsidiary.
Investment Type |
Permitted for or Relevant to Fund |
Permitted for or Relevant to GMARAP |
Asset-Backed Securities (ABS) |
|
√ |
Auction Rate Securities |
|
√ |
Build America Bonds |
|
√ |
Call and Put Features on Securities |
|
√ |
Cash Equivalents |
√ |
√ |
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations ( “ CMOs ” ) |
|
√ |
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities ( “ CMBS ” ) |
|
√ |
Commodity-Related Investments |
√ |
√ |
Common Stocks |
|
√ |
Contingent Convertible Securities |
|
√ |
Convertible Securities |
|
√ |
Credit Linked Securities |
|
√ |
Derivative Instruments and Related Risks |
√ |
√ |
Derivative-Linked and Commodity-Linked Hybrid Instruments |
√ |
√ |
Direct Investments |
|
√ |
Emerging Market Investments |
|
√ |
Equity Investments |
|
√ |
Equity Linked Securities |
|
√ |
Exchange-Traded Funds ( “ ETFs ” ) |
√ |
√ |
Exchange-Traded Notes ( “ ETNs ” ) |
|
√ |
Fixed-Income Securities |
√ |
√ |
Foreign Currency Transactions |
|
√ |
Foreign Investments |
|
√ |
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts |
|
√ |
Forward Rate Agreements |
|
√ |
Futures Contracts |
√ |
√ |
High Yield Securities |
|
√ |
Hybrid Securities |
|
√ |
Illiquid Securities |
√ |
√ |
Indexed Securities |
|
√ |
Inflation-Indexed (or Inflation-Linked) Bonds |
|
√ |
Junior Loans |
|
√ |
Liquidity or Protective Put Agreements |
|
|
Loans |
|
√ |
Master Limited Partnerships ( “ MLPs ” ) |
|
√ |
Mortgage-Backed Securities ( “ MBS ” ) |
|
√ |
Mortgage Dollar Rolls |
|
√ |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
3
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Investment Type |
Permitted for or Relevant to Fund |
Permitted for or Relevant to GMARAP |
Municipal lease Obligations ( “ MLOs ” ) |
|
√ |
Municipal Obligations |
|
√ |
Option Contracts |
√ |
√ |
Pooled Investment Vehicles |
√ |
√ |
Preferred Stock |
|
√ |
Real Estate Investments |
|
√ |
Repurchase Agreements |
|
√ |
Residual Interest Bonds |
|
|
Restricted Securities |
√ |
√ |
Reverse Repurchase Agreements |
|
√ |
Rights and Warrants |
|
√ |
Royalty Bonds |
|
|
Senior Loans |
|
√ |
Short Sales |
|
√ |
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities ( “ SMBS ” ) |
|
√ |
Structured Notes |
|
√ |
Swap Agreements |
√ |
√ |
Swaptions |
√ |
√ |
Trust Certificates |
|
√ |
U.S. Government Securities |
√ |
√ |
Unlisted Securities |
|
√ |
Variable Rate Instruments |
|
√ |
When-Issued Securities, Delayed Delivery and Forward Commitments |
|
√ |
Zero Coupon Bonds |
|
√ |
Other Disclosures Regarding Investment Practices |
Permitted for or Relevant to the Fund |
Permitted for or Relevant to GMARAP |
Asset Coverage |
√ |
√ |
Average Effective Maturity |
|
√ |
Borrowing for Investment Purposes |
|
√ |
Borrowing for Temporary Purposes |
√ |
√ |
Cyber Security Risk |
√ |
√ |
Diversified Status |
|
|
Dividend Capture Trading |
|
√ |
Duration |
|
√ |
Fund Investing in a Portfolio |
√ |
√ |
Investments in the Subsidiary |
√ |
√ |
Loan Facility |
|
|
Operational Risk |
√ |
√ |
Option Strategy |
|
|
Participation in the ReFlow Liquidity Program * |
√ |
√ |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
4
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Other Disclosures Regarding Investment Practices |
Permitted for or Relevant to the Fund |
Permitted for or Relevant to GMARAP |
Portfolio Turnover |
√ |
√ |
Securities Lending |
√ |
√ |
Short-Term Trading |
√ |
√ |
Significant Exposure to Health Sciences Companies |
|
|
Significant Exposure to Smaller Companies |
|
|
Significant Exposure to Utility and Financial Service Companies |
|
|
Tax-Managed Investing |
|
|
*
A Fund investing in a Portfolio may participate in the ReFlow Liquidity Program.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The following investment restrictions of the Fund are designated as fundamental policies and as such cannot be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Funds outstanding voting securities, which as used in this SAI means the lesser of: (a) 67% of the shares of the Fund 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 the outstanding shares of the Fund. Accordingly, the Fund may not:
(1)
Borrow money or issue senior securities except as permitted by the 1940 Act;
(2)
Purchase securities on margin (but the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of securities). The deposit or payment by the Fund of initial or maintenance margin in connection with futures contracts or related options transactions is not considered the purchase of a security on margin;
(3)
Underwrite or participate in the marketing of securities of others, except insofar as it may technically be deemed to be an underwriter in selling a portfolio security under circumstances which may require the registration of the same under the 1933 Act;
(4)
Purchase or sell real estate (including limited partnership interests in real estate but excluding readily marketable interests in real estate investment trusts or readily marketable securities of companies which invest or deal in real estate or securities which are secured by real estate);
(5)
Make loans to any person except by (a) the acquisition of debt instruments and making portfolio investments, (b) entering into repurchase agreements and (c) lending portfolio securities; or
(6)
Concentrate its investments in any particular industry, but, if deemed appropriate for the Funds objective, up to (but less than) 25% of the value of its assets may be invested in securities of companies in any one industry (although more than 25% may be invested in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities).
In addition, the Fund may:
(7)
Purchase and sell commodities and commodities contracts of all types and kinds (including without limitation futures contracts, options on futures contracts and other commodities-related investments) to the extent permitted by law.
(8)
Invest 25% or more of its total assets in securities, commodity-linked notes and other instruments, including futures and forward contracts, related options and swaps, linked to one or more of the agriculture, energy and natural resources, livestock, precious metals, industrial metals and other sectors of the commodities market. The individual components of an index will be considered as separate industries for this purpose. The Fund may also invest more than 25% of total assets in a group of industries.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
5
SAI dated May 1, 2016
For purposes of determining industry classifications, the investment adviser considers an issuer to be in a particular industry if a third party has designated the issuer to be in that industry, unless the investment adviser is aware of circumstances that make the third partys classification inappropriate. In such a case, the investment adviser will assign an industry classification to the issuer. Privately issued mortgage backed securities and a foreign government each are considered an industry.
For purposes of determining compliance with the Funds asset requirements, the absolute value of the notional amount of long and short derivative positions is included.
The Funds borrowing policy is consistent with Section 18(f) of the 1940 Act, which states that it shall be unlawful for any registered open-end company to issue any class of senior security or to sell any senior security of which it is the issuer, except that any such registered company shall be permitted to borrow from any bank; provided, that immediately after any such borrowing there is an asset coverage of at least 300% for all borrowings of such registered company; and provided further, that in the event that such asset coverage shall at any time fall below 300% such registered company shall, within three days thereafter (not including Sundays and holidays) or such longer period as the SEC may prescribe by rules and regulations, reduce the amount of its borrowings to an extent that the asset coverage of such borrowings shall be at least 300%. Reverse repurchase agreements are included in borrowings for purposes of complying with the foregoing.
In addition, to the extent a registered open-end investment company acquires securities of a portfolio in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(G) under the 1940 Act, such portfolio shall not acquire any securities of a registered open-end investment company in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(G) under the 1940 Act.
The following nonfundamental investment policies have been adopted by the Fund and Portfolio . A nonfundamental investment policy may be changed by the Board with respect to the Fund without approval by the Funds shareholders. The Fund and Portfolio will not:
·
make short sales of securities or maintain a short position, unless at all times when a short position is open (i) it owns an equal amount of such securities or securities convertible into or exchangeable, without payment of any further consideration, for securities of the same issue as, and equal in amount to, the securities sold short or (ii) it holds in a segregated account cash or other liquid securities (to the extent required under the 1940 Act) in an amount equal to the current market value of the securities sold short, and unless not more than 25% of its net assets (taken at current value) is held as collateral for such sales at any one time; or
·
invest more than 15% of net assets in investments which are not readily marketable, including restricted securities and repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days. Restricted securities for the purposes of this limitation do not include securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act and commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of said Act that the members of the Board, or their delegate, determines to be liquid. Any such determination by a delegate will be made pursuant to procedures adopted by the Board. When investing in Rule 144A securities, the level of portfolio illiquidity may be increased to the extent that eligible buyers become uninterested in purchasing such securities.
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 acquisition by the Fund of such security or asset. Accordingly, unless otherwise noted, 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 investment adviser if the security is not rated by a rating agency), will not compel the Fund to dispose of such security or other asset. However, the Fund and Portfolio must always be in compliance with the borrowing policy and limitation on investing in illiquid securities set forth above. If a sale of securities is required to comply with the 15% limit on illiquid securities, such sales will be made in an orderly manner with consideration of the best interests of shareholders.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
6
SAI dated May 1, 2016
MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION
Fund Management.
The Trustees of the Trust are responsible for the overall management and supervision of the affairs of the Trust.
The Trustees of the Portfolio are responsible for the overall management and supervision of the Portfolio.
The Board members and officers of the Trust
and the Portfolio
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. Board members and officers of the Trust
and the Portfolio
hold indefinite terms of office. The noninterested Trustees consist of those Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust
and the Portfolio
, as that term is defined under the 1940 Act. The business address of each Board member and officer is Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. As used in this SAI
, EVC refers to Eaton Vance Corp., EV refers to Eaton Vance, Inc., Eaton Vance refers to Eaton Vance Management, EVMI refers to Eaton Vance Management (International) Limited and EVD refers to Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. (see Principal Underwriter under Other Service Providers). EVC and EV are the corporate parent and trustee, respectively, of Eaton Vance and BMR. EVMI is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of EVC. Each officer affiliated with Eaton Vance may hold a position with other Eaton Vance affiliates that is comparable to his or her position with Eaton Vance listed below.
Name and Year of Birth |
|
Trust
/Portfolio
|
|
Term of Office and
|
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
|
|
Number of Portfolios
|
|
Other Directorships Held
|
Interested Trustee |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THOMAS E. FAUST JR.
|
|
Trustee |
|
Of the Trust since 2007 and of GMARAP since 2010 |
|
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of EVC, Director and President of EV, Chief Executive Officer and President of Eaton Vance and BMR, and Director of EVD and EVMI. Trustee and/or officer of
|
|
|
|
Director of EVC and Hexavest Inc. (investment management firm). |
Noninterested Trustees |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SCOTT E. ESTON
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2011 |
|
Private investor. Formerly held various positions at Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo and Co., L.L.C. (investment management firm) (1997-2009), including Chief Operating Officer (2002-2009), Chief Financial Officer (1997-2009) and Chairman of the Executive Committee (2002-2008); President and Principal Executive Officer, GMO Trust (open-end registered investment company) (2006-2009). Former Partner, Coopers and Lybrand L.L.P. (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) (an independent registered public accounting firm) (1987-1997). |
|
|
|
None |
CYNTHIA E. FROST
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2014 |
|
Private investor. Formerly, Chief Investment Officer of Brown University (university endowment) (2000-2012); Portfolio Strategist for Duke Management Company (university endowment manager) (1995-2000); Managing Director, Cambridge Associates (investment consulting company) (1989-1995); Consultant, Bain and Company (management consulting firm) (1987-1989); Senior Equity Analyst, BA Investment Management Company (1983-1985). |
|
|
|
None |
GEORGE J. GORMAN
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2014 |
|
Principal at George J. Gorman LLC (consulting firm). Formerly, Senior Partner at Ernst & Young LLP (public accounting firm) (1974-2009). |
|
|
|
Formerly, Trustee of the Bank of America Money Market Funds Series Trust (2011-2014) and of the Ashmore Funds (2010-2014). |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
7
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Name and Year of Birth |
|
Trust
/Portfolio
|
|
Term of Office and
|
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
|
|
Number of Portfolios
|
|
Other Directorships Held
|
VALERIE A. MOSLEY
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2014 |
|
Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of Valmo Ventures (a consulting and investment firm). Former Partner and Senior Vice President, Portfolio Manager and Investment Strategist at Wellington Management Company, LLP (investment management firm) (1992-2012). Former Chief Investment Officer, PG Corbin Asset Management (1990-1992). Formerly worked in institutional corporate bond sales at Kidder Peabody (1986-1990). |
|
|
|
Director of Dynex Capital, Inc. (mortgage REIT) (since 2013). |
WILLIAM H. PARK
|
|
Vice-Chairperson of the Board and Trustee |
|
Vice-Chairperson of the Board since 2016, Trustee of the Trust since 2003 and of GMARAP since 2010 |
|
Private investor. Formerly, Consultant (management and transactional) (2012-2014). Formerly, Chief Financial Officer, Aveon Group, L.P. (investment management firm) (2010-2011). Formerly, Vice Chairman, Commercial Industrial Finance Corp. (specialty finance company) (2006-2010). Formerly, President and Chief Executive Officer, Prizm Capital Management, LLC (investment management firm) (2002-2005). Formerly, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, United Asset Management Corporation (investment management firm) (1982-2001). Formerly, Senior Manager, Price Waterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) (an independent registered public accounting firm) (1972-1981). |
|
|
|
None |
HELEN FRAME PETERS
|
|
Trustee |
|
Of the Trust since 2008 and of GMARAP since 2010 |
|
Professor of Finance, Carroll School of Management, Boston College. Formerly, Dean, Carroll School of Management, Boston College (2000-2002). Formerly, Chief Investment Officer, Fixed Income, Scudder Kemper Investments (investment management firm) (1998-1999). Formerly, Chief Investment Officer, Equity and Fixed Income, Colonial Management Associates (investment management firm) (1991-1998). |
|
|
|
Formerly, Director of BJs Wholesale Club, Inc. (wholesale club retailer) (2004-2011). Formerly, Trustee of SPDR Index Shares Funds and SPDR Series Trust (exchange traded funds) (2000-2009). Formerly, Director of Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (a bank for banks) (2007-2009). |
SUSAN J. SUTHERLAND
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2015 |
|
Private investor. Formerly, Associate, Counsel and Partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (law firm) (1982-2013). |
|
|
|
Formerly, Director of Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd. (global provider of customized insurance and reinsurance products) (2013-2015). |
HARRIETT TEE TAGGART
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2011 |
|
Managing Director, Taggart Associates (a professional practice firm). Formerly, Partner and Senior Vice President, Wellington Management Company, LLP (investment management firm) (1983-2006). |
|
|
|
Director of Albemarle Corporation (chemicals manufacturer) (since 2007) and The Hanover Group (specialty property and casualty insurance company) (since 2009). Formerly, Director of Lubrizol Corporation (specialty chemicals) (2007-2011). |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
8
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Name and Year of Birth |
|
Trust
/Portfolio
|
|
Term of Office and
|
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
|
|
Number of Portfolios
|
|
Other Directorships Held
|
RALPH F. VERNI
|
|
Chairperson of the Board and Trustee |
|
Chairperson of the Board since 2007, Trustee of the Trust since 2005 and of GMARAP since 2010 |
|
Consultant and private investor. Formerly, Chief Investment Officer (1982-1992), Chief Financial Officer (1988-1990) and Director (1982-1992), New England Life. Formerly, Chairperson, New England Mutual Funds (1982-1992). Formerly, President and Chief Executive Officer, State Street Management & Research (1992-2000). Formerly, Chairperson, State Street Research Mutual Funds (1992-2000). Formerly, Director, W.P. Carey, LLC (1998-2004) and First Pioneer Farm Credit Corp. (financial services cooperative) (2002-2006). |
|
|
|
None |
(1)
Includes both master and feeder funds in a master-feeder structure.
(2)
During their respective tenures, the Trustees (except for Mmes. Frost and Sutherland and Mr. Gorman) also served as Board members of one or more of the following funds (which operated in the years noted): eUnits TM 2 Year U.S. Market Participation Trust: Upside to Cap / Buffered Downside (launched in 2012 and terminated in 2014); eUnits TM 2 Year U.S. Market Participation Trust II: Upside to Cap / Buffered Downside (launched in 2012 and terminated in 2014); and Eaton Vance National Municipal Income Trust (launched in 1998 and terminated in 2009). However, Ms. Mosley did not serve as a Board member of eUnits TM 2 Year U.S. Market Participation Trust: Upside to Cap / Buffered Downside (launched in 2012 and terminated in 2014).
The Board has general oversight responsibility with respect to the business and affairs of the Trust and the Fund. The Board has engaged an investment adviser and (if applicable) a sub-adviser (collectively the adviser) to manage the Fund and an administrator to administer the Fund and is responsible for overseeing such adviser and administrator and other service providers to the Trust and the Fund. The Board is currently composed of ten Trustees, including nine Trustees who are not interested persons of the Fund, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (each a noninterested Trustee). In addition to six regularly scheduled meetings per year, the Board holds special meetings or informal conference calls to discuss specific matters that may require action prior to the next regular meeting. As discussed below, the Board has established five committees to assist the Board in performing its oversight responsibilities.
The Board has appointed a noninterested Trustee to serve in the role of Chairperson. The Chairpersons primary role is to participate in the preparation of the agenda for meetings of the Board and the identification of information to be presented to the Board with respect to matters to be acted upon by the Board. The Chairperson also presides at all meetings of the Board and acts as a liaison with service providers, officers, attorneys, and other Board members generally between meetings. The Chairperson may perform such other functions as may be requested by the Board from time to time. In addition, the Board has appointed a noninterested Trustee to serve in the role of Vice-Chairperson. The Vice-Chairperson has the power and authority to
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
9
SAI dated May 1, 2016
perform any or all of the duties and responsibilities of the Chairperson in the absence of the Chairperson and/or as requested by the Chairperson. Except for any duties specified herein or pursuant to the Trusts Declaration of Trust or By-laws, the designation of Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson does not impose on such noninterested Trustee any duties, obligations or liability that is greater than the duties, obligations or liability imposed on such person as a member of the Board, generally. The Portfolio has the same leadership structure as the Trust.
The Fund and the Trust are subject to a number of risks, including, among others, investment, compliance, operational, and valuation risks. Risk oversight is part of the Boards general oversight of the Fund and the Trust and is addressed as part of various activities of the Board and its Committees. As part of its oversight of the Fund and the Trust, the Board directly, or through a Committee, relies on and reviews reports from, among others, Fund management, the adviser, the administrator, the principal underwriter, the Chief Compliance Officer (the CCO), and other Fund service providers responsible for day-to-day oversight of Fund investments, operations and compliance to assist the Board in identifying and understanding the nature and extent of risks and determining whether, and to what extent, such risks can or should be mitigated. The Board also interacts with the CCO and with senior personnel of the adviser, administrator, principal underwriter and other Fund service providers and provides input on risk management issues during meetings of the Board and its Committees. Each of the adviser, administrator, principal underwriter and the other Fund service providers has its own, independent interest and responsibilities in risk management, and its policies and methods for carrying out risk management functions will depend, in part, on its individual priorities, resources and controls. It is not possible to identify all of the risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. Moreover, it is necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Funds goals.
The Board, with the assistance of management and with input from the Board's various committees, reviews investment policies and risks in connection with its review of Fund performance. The Board has appointed a Fund CCO who oversees the implementation and testing of the Fund compliance program and reports to the Board regarding compliance matters for the Fund and its principal service providers. In addition, as part of the Boards periodic review of the advisory, subadvisory (if applicable), distribution and other service provider agreements, the Board may consider risk management aspects of their operations and the functions for which they are responsible. With respect to valuation, the Board approves and periodically reviews valuation policies and procedures applicable to valuing the Funds shares. The administrator, the investment adviser and the sub-adviser (if applicable) are responsible for the implementation and day-to-day administration of these valuation policies and procedures and provides reports to the Audit Committee of the Board and the Board regarding these and related matters. In addition, the Audit Committee of the Board or the Board receives reports periodically from the independent public accounting firm for the Fund regarding tests performed by such firm on the valuation of all securities, as well as with respect to other risks associated with mutual funds. Reports received from service providers, legal counsel and the independent public accounting firm assist the Board in performing its oversight function. The Portfolio has the same risk oversight approach as the Fund and the Trust.
The Trusts Declaration of Trust does not set forth any specific qualifications to serve as a Trustee. The Charter of the Governance Committee also does not set forth any specific qualifications, but does set forth certain factors that the Committee may take into account in considering noninterested Trustee candidates. In general, no one factor is decisive in the selection of an individual to join the Board. Among the factors the Board considers when concluding that an individual should serve on the Board are the following: (i) knowledge in matters relating to the mutual fund industry; (ii) experience as a director or senior officer of public companies; (iii) educational background; (iv) reputation for high ethical standards and professional integrity; (v) specific financial, technical or other expertise, and the extent to which such expertise would complement the Board members existing mix of skills, core competencies and qualifications; (vi) perceived ability to contribute to the ongoing functions of the Board, including the ability and commitment to attend meetings regularly and work collaboratively with other members of the Board; (vii) the ability to qualify as a noninterested Trustee for purposes of the 1940 Act and any other actual or potential conflicts of interest involving the individual and the Fund; and (viii) such other factors as the Board determines to be relevant in light of the existing composition of the Board.
Among the attributes or skills common to all Board members are their ability to review critically, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, to interact effectively with the other members of the Board, management, sub-advisers, other service providers, counsel and independent registered public accounting firms, and to exercise effective and independent business judgment in the performance of their duties as members of the Board. Each Board members ability to perform his or her duties effectively has been attained through the Board members business, consulting, public service and/or academic positions and through experience from service as a member of the Boards of the Eaton Vance family of funds (Eaton Vance Fund Boards) (and/or in other capacities, including for any predecessor funds), public companies, or non-profit entities or other organizations as set forth below. Each Board members ability to perform his or her duties effectively also has been enhanced by his or her educational background, professional training, and/or other life experiences.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
10
SAI dated May 1, 2016
In respect of each current member of the Board, the individuals substantial professional accomplishments and experience, including in fields related to the operations of registered investment companies, were a significant factor in the determination that the individual should serve as a member of the Board. The following is a summary of each Board members particular professional experience and additional considerations that contributed to the Boards conclusion that he or she should serve as a member of the Board:
Scott E. Eston. Mr. Eston has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2011 and is the Chairperson of the Contract Review Committee. He currently serves on the board and on the investment committee of Michigan State University Foundation, and on the investment advisory sub-committee of Michigan State University. From 1997 through 2009, Mr. Eston served in several capacities at Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo and Co. (GMO), including as Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and also as the President and Principal Executive officer of GMO Trust, an affiliated open-end registered investment company. From 1978 through 1997, Mr. Eston was employed at Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P. (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) (since 1987 as a Partner).
Thomas E. Faust Jr. Mr. Faust has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2007. He is currently Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of EVC, Director and President of EV, Chief Executive Officer and President of Eaton Vance and BMR, and Director of EVD and EVMI. Mr. Faust has served as a Director of Hexavest Inc. since 2012. Mr. Faust previously served as an equity analyst, portfolio manager, Director of Equity Research and Management and Chief Investment Officer of Eaton Vance (1985-2007). He holds B.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Mr. Faust has been a Chartered Financial Analyst since 1988.
Cynthia E. Frost . Ms. Frost has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since May 29, 2014. From 2000 through 2012, Ms. Frost was the Chief Investment Officer of Brown University, where she oversaw the evaluation, selection and monitoring of the third party investment managers who managed the universitys endowment. From 1995-2000, Ms. Frost was a Portfolio Strategist for Duke Management Company, which oversaw Duke Universitys endowment. Ms. Frost also served in various investment and consulting roles at Cambridge Associates (1989-1995), Bain and Company (1987-1989) and BA Investment Management Company (1983-1985). She serves as a member of an advisory board of Creciente Partners Investment Management, LLC, a manager of a multi-manager hedge fund, and has additional experience as a member of the investment committee of several non-profit organizations.
George J. Gorman . Mr. Gorman has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since May 29, 2014 and is the Chairperson of the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee. From 1974 through 2009, Mr. Gorman served in various capacities at Ernst & Young LLP, including as a Senior Partner in the Asset Management Group (from 1988) specializing in managing engagement teams responsible for auditing mutual funds registered with the SEC, hedge funds and private equity funds. Mr. Gorman also has experience serving as an independent trustee of other mutual fund complexes, including the Bank of America Money Market Funds Series Trust (2011-2014) and the Ashmore Funds (2010-2014).
Valerie A. Mosley. Ms. Mosley has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since January 1, 2014. She currently owns and manages a consulting and investment firm, Valmo Ventures and is a Director of Progress Investment Management Company, a manager of emerging managers. From 1992 through 2012, Ms. Mosley served in several capacities at Wellington Management Company, LLP, an investment management firm, including as a Partner, Senior Vice President, Portfolio Manager and Investment Strategist. Ms. Mosley also served as Chief Investment Officer at PG Corbin Asset Management from 1990-1992 and worked in institutional corporate bond sales at Kidder Peabody from 1986-1990. Ms. Mosley is a Director of Dynex Capital, Inc., a mortgage REIT, where she serves on the boards audit and investment committees. She also serves as a trustee or board member of several major non-profit organizations and endowments, including Mass Ventures, a quasi-public early-stage investment corporation active in Massachusetts, and New Profit, a non-profit venture philanthropy fund. She is a member of the Risk Audit Committee of the United Auto Workers Retiree Medical Benefits Trust and a member of the Investment Advisory Committee of New York State Common Retirement Fund.
William H. Park. Mr. Park has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2003, is the Independent Vice-Chairperson of the Board and is the Chairperson of the Audit Committee. Mr. Park was formerly a consultant (2012-2014) and formerly the Chief Financial Officer of Aveon Group, L.P. from 2010-2011. Mr. Park also served as Vice Chairman of Commercial Industrial Finance Corp. from 2006-2010, as President and Chief Executive Officer of Prizm Capital Management, LLC from 2002-2005, as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of United Asset Management Corporation from 1982-2001 and as Senior Manager of Price Waterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) from 1972-1981.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
Helen Frame Peters. Ms. Peters has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2008 and is the Chairperson of the Portfolio Management Committee. Ms. Peters is currently a Professor of Finance at Carroll School of Management, Boston College and was formerly Dean of Carroll School of Management from 2000-2002. Ms. Peters was previously a Director of BJs Wholesale Club, Inc. from 2004-2011. In addition, Ms. Peters was the Chief Investment Officer, Fixed Income at Scudder Kemper Investments from 1998-1999 and Chief Investment Officer, Equity and Fixed Income at Colonial Management Associates from 1991-1998. Ms. Peters also served as a Trustee of SPDR Index Shares Funds and SPDR Series Trust from 2000-2009 and as a Director of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston from 2007-2009.
Susan J. Sutherland. Ms. Sutherland has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since May 1, 2015. Ms. Sutherland also serves as a director of Hagerty Holding Corp., a leading provider of specialized automobile and marine insurance. Ms. Sutherland was a Director of Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd., a global provider of customized reinsurance and insurance products, from 2013 until its sale in 2015. From 1982 through 2013, Ms. Sutherland was an associate, counsel and then a partner in the Financial Institutions Group of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where she primarily represented U.S. and international insurance and reinsurance companies, investment banks and private equity firms in insurance-related corporate transactions. In addition, Ms. Sutherland is qualified as a Governance Fellow of the National Association of Corporate Directors and has also served as a board member of prominent non-profit organizations.
Harriett Tee Taggart. Ms. Taggart has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2011 and is the Chairperson of the Governance Committee. Ms. Taggart currently manages a professional practice, Taggart Associates. Since 2007, Ms. Taggart has been a Director of Albemarle Corporation, a specialty chemical company where she serves as a member of the Executive Compensation Committee. Since 2009 she has served as a Director of the Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. where she serves as member of the Nomination and Governance Committee. Ms. Taggart is also a trustee or member of several major non-profit boards, advisory committees and endowment investment companies. From 1983 through 2006, Ms. Taggart served in several capacities at Wellington Management Company, LLP, an investment management firm, including as a Partner, Senior Vice President and chemical industry sector portfolio manager. Ms. Taggart also served as a Director of the Lubrizol Corporation, a specialty chemicals manufacturer from 2007-2011.
Ralph F. Verni. Mr. Verni has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2005 and is the Independent Chairperson of the Board. Mr. Verni was formerly the Chief Investment Officer (from 1982-1992), Chief Financial Officer (from 1988-1990) and Director (from 1982-1992) of New England Life. Mr. Verni was also the Chairperson of the New England Mutual Funds from 1982-1992; President and Chief Executive Officer of State Street Management & Research from 1992-2000; Chairperson of the State Street Research Mutual Funds from 1992-2000; Director of W.P. Carey, LLC from 1998-2004; and Director of First Pioneer Farm Credit Corp. from 2002-2006. Mr. Verni has been a Chartered Financial Analyst since 1977.
The Board of the Trust
and the Portfolio have
several standing Committees, including the Governance Committee, the Audit Committee, the Portfolio Management Committee, the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee and the Contract Review Committee. Each of the Committees are comprised of only noninterested Trustees.
Mmes. Taggart (Chairperson), Frost, Mosley, Peters and Sutherland, and Messrs. Eston, Gorman, Park and Verni are members of the Governance Committee. The purpose of the Governance Committee is to consider, evaluate and make recommendations to the Board with respect to the structure, membership and operation of the Board and the Committees thereof, including the nomination and selection of noninterested Trustees and a Chairperson of the Board and the compensation of such persons. During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the Governance Committee convened
five
times.
The Governance Committee will, when a vacancy exists, consider a nominee for Trustee recommended by a shareholder, provided that such recommendation is submitted in writing to the Funds Secretary at the principal executive office of the Fund. Such recommendations must be accompanied by biographical and occupational data on the candidate (including whether the candidate would be an interested person of the Fund), a written consent by the candidate to be named as a nominee and to serve as Trustee if elected, record and ownership information for the recommending shareholder with respect to the Fund, and a description of any arrangements or understandings regarding recommendation of the candidate for consideration.
Messrs. Park (Chairperson), Eston and Verni, and Ms. Frost are members of the Audit Committee. The Board has designated Mr. Park, a noninterested Trustee, as audit committee financial expert. The Audit Committees purposes are to (i) oversee the Fund's and the Portfolio's accounting and financial reporting processes, its internal control over financial reporting, and, as appropriate, the internal control over financial reporting of certain service providers; (ii) oversee or, as appropriate, assist Board oversight of the quality and integrity of the Fund's and the Portfolio's financial statements and the independent audit thereof; (iii) oversee, or, as appropriate, assist Board oversight of, the Fund's and the Portfolio's compliance with legal and regulatory requirements that relate to the Fund's and the Portfolio's accounting and financial reporting, internal control over financial reporting and independent audits; (iv) approve prior to appointment the engagement and, when appropriate, replacement of the independent registered public accounting firm, and, if applicable, nominate the independent registered public accounting firm to be proposed for shareholder ratification in any proxy statement of the Fund; (v) evaluate the qualifications, independence and
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
12
SAI dated May 1, 2016
performance of the independent registered public accounting firm and the audit partner in charge of leading the audit; and (vi) prepare, as necessary, audit committee reports consistent with the requirements of applicable SEC and stock exchange rules for inclusion in the proxy statement of the Fund. During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the Audit Committee convened
sixteen
times.
Messrs. Eston (Chairperson), Gorman, Park and Verni, and Mmes. Mosley, Peters, Sutherland and Taggart are members of the Contract Review Committee. The purposes of the Contract Review Committee are to consider, evaluate and make recommendations to the Board concerning the following matters: (i) contractual arrangements with each service provider to the Fund
and the Portfolio
, including advisory, sub-advisory, transfer agency, custodial and fund accounting, distribution services and administrative services; (ii) any and all other matters in which any service provider (including Eaton Vance or any affiliated entity thereof) has an actual or potential conflict of interest with the interests of the Fund
, the Portfolio
or investors therein; and (iii) any other matter appropriate for review by the noninterested Trustees, unless the matter is within the responsibilities of the other Committees of the Board. During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the Contract Review Committee convened eight times.
Mmes. Peters (Chairperson), Frost, Mosley and Taggart are members of the Portfolio Management Committee. The purposes of the Portfolio Management Committee are to: (i) assist the Board in its oversight of the portfolio management process employed by the Fund and
the Portfolio and
its investment adviser and sub-adviser(s), if applicable, relative to the Funds
and the Portfolio's
stated objective(s), strategies and restrictions; (ii) assist the Board in its oversight of the trading policies and procedures and risk management techniques applicable to the Fund
and the Portfolio
; and (iii) assist the Board in its monitoring of the performance results of all funds and portfolios, giving special attention to the performance of certain funds and portfolios that it or the Board identifies from time to time. During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the Portfolio Management Committee convened
nine
times.
Messrs. Gorman (Chairperson) and Eston, and Ms. Sutherland are members of the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee. The purposes of the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee are to: (i) assist the Board in its oversight role with respect to compliance issues and certain other regulatory matters affecting the Fund
and the Portfolio
; (ii) serve as a liaison between the Board and the Funds
and the Portfolio's
CCO; and (iii) serve as a qualified legal compliance committee within the rules promulgated by the SEC. During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee convened
twelve
times.
Share Ownership.
The following table shows the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee in the Fund and in the Eaton Vance family of funds overseen by the Trustee as of December 31,
2015. Interests in the Portfolio cannot be purchased by a Trustee
.
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
As of December 31,
2015
, 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,
2014
and December 31,
2015
, 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 Fund; (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 Fund; (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,
2014
and December 31,
2015
, 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
the Portfolio or
any of their immediate family members served as an officer.
Noninterested Trustees 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 Deferred Compensation Plan). Under the Deferred Compensation Plan, an eligible Board member may elect to have his or her deferred fees invested in the shares of one or more funds in the Eaton Vance family of funds, and the amount paid to the Board members under the Deferred Compensation Plan will be determined based upon the performance of such investments. Deferral of Board members fees in accordance with the Deferred Compensation Plan will have a negligible effect on the assets, liabilities, and net income of a participating fund or portfolio, and do not require that a participating Board member be retained. There is no retirement plan for Board members.
The fees and expenses of the Trustees of the Trust
and the Portfolio
are paid by the Fund (and other series of the Trust)
and the Portfolio, respectively.
(A Board member who is a member of the Eaton Vance organization receives no compensation from the Trust
or the Portfolio
.) During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the Trustees of the Trust
and the Portfolio
earned the following compensation in their capacities as Board members from the Trust
and the Portfolio
. For the year ended December 31,
2015
, the Board members earned the following compensation in their capacities as members of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards
(1)
:
Source of Compensation |
Scott E.
|
Cynthia E.
|
George J.
|
Valerie A.
|
William H.
|
Helen Frame
|
Susan J.
|
Harriett Tee
|
Ralph F.
|
Trust (2) |
$3,800 |
$3,540 |
$3,618 |
$3,662 |
$3,858 |
$3,858 |
$3,540 |
$3,858 |
$5,090 |
Global Macro Absolute
|
$7,263 |
$6,752 (3) |
$6,921 |
$6,985 |
$7,363 |
$7,363 |
$6,752 (4) |
$7,363 |
$9,689 |
Trust and Fund Complex (1) |
$312,083 |
$290,000 (5) |
$297,500 |
$300,000 |
$316,250 |
$316,250 |
$290,000 (6) |
$316,250 |
$415,833 |
(1)
As of May 1,
2016
, the Eaton Vance fund complex consists of
179
registered investment companies or series thereof. Ms. Sutherland began serving as a Trustee effective May 1, 2015, and thus the compensation figures listed for the Trust
, Portfolio
and the Trust and Fund Complex are estimated based on amounts she would have received if she had been a Trustee for the
full
fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
and for the full calendar year ended December 31,
2015. Ronald A. Pearlman retired as a Trustee effective July 1, 2015.
For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, Mr.
Pearlman
received Trustee fees of $
3,014
from the Trust
and $5,534 from the Portfolio.
For the calendar year ended December 31,
2015
, he received $
235
,000 from the Trust and Fund Complex.
(2)
The Trust consisted of 16 Funds as of December 31,
2015
.
(3)
Includes $
4,383
of deferred compensation.
(4)
Includes $
6,752
of deferred compensation.
(5)
Includes $
180,000 of deferred compensation.
(6)
Includes $277,490 of deferred compensation.
Organization and Management of Wholly-Owned Subsidiary. The Subsidiary invests in commodity-linked swap agreements and other commodity-linked derivative instruments, but may also invest in the securities and other instruments in which the Fund is permitted to invest. The Subsidiary is an exempted company organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands, whose registered office is located at the offices of Intertrust Corporate Services (Cayman) Limited, 190 Elgin Avenue, George Town, Grand Cayman, KY1-9005, Cayman Islands. The Subsidiarys custodian is State Street Bank and Trust Company. The Subsidiarys affairs are overseen by a board currently consisting of one Director, Maureen A. Gemma. Ms. Gemma is an
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
14
SAI dated May 1, 2016
employee of Eaton Vance and her biographical information appears above in Management and Organization. The Subsidiary has entered into a separate contract with the Funds adviser whereby the adviser provides investment advisory services to the Subsidiary. The investment adviser to the Subsidiary will comply with provisions of the 1940 Act relating to investment advisory contracts. The agreement continues in effect 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 Fund cast in person at a meeting specifically called for the purposes of voting on such approval and (ii) by the Board of Trustees of the Fund or by vote of a majority of the outstanding securities of the Fund. The agreement may be terminated at any time without penalty upon sixty (60) days written notice by the Board of Trustees of either party, or by vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund and will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment. The Subsidiary will bear the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the custody, transfer agency, and audit services that it receives. The Fund expects that the expenses borne by the Subsidiary will not be material in relation to the value of its assets.
The Subsidiary has adopted compliance policies and procedures that are substantially similar to the policies and procedures adopted by the Fund. The Subsidiary is operated in accordance with the 1940 Act investment restrictions that apply to the Fund, (including provisions related to affiliated transactions and custody), but is not subject to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. The Fund will comply with provisions of the 1940 Act governing investment policies and capital structure and leverage on an aggregate basis with the Subsidiary. The Funds Chief Compliance Officer oversees implementation of the Subsidiary's policies and procedures, and makes periodic reports to its Board of Trustees regarding the Subsidiary's compliance with its policies and procedures. In testing compliance of the Fund and the Subsidiary with applicable investment restrictions, the assets of the Fund are aggregated with those of the Subsidiary, except with respect to borrowings. The Subsidiary is subject to asset segregation requirements to the same extent as the Fund, which are tested for compliance on a consolidated basis as noted in the preceding sentence.
Fund Organization. The Fund is a series of the Trust, which was organized under Massachusetts law on March 27, 1989 as a trust with transferrable shares, commonly referred to as a “ Massachusetts business trust ” and is operated as an open-end management investment company. The Trust may issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest (no par value per share) in one or more series (such as the Fund). The Trustees of the Trust have divided the shares of the Fund into multiple classes. Each class represents an interest in the Fund, but is subject to different expenses, rights and privileges. The Trustees have the authority under the Declaration of Trust to create additional classes of shares with differing rights and privileges. When issued and outstanding, shares are fully paid and nonassessable by the Trust. Shareholders of the Trust are entitled to one vote for each full share held. Fractional shares may be voted proportionately. Shares of all Funds in the Trust will be voted together with respect to the election or removal of Trustees and on other matters affecting all Funds similarly. On matters affecting only a particular Fund, all shareholders of the affected Fund will vote together as a single class, except that only shareholders of a particular class may vote on matters affecting only that class. Shares have no preemptive or conversion rights and are freely transferable. In the event of the liquidation of the Fund, shareholders of each class are entitled to share pro rata in the net assets attributable to that class available for distribution to shareholders.
As permitted by Massachusetts law, there will normally be no meetings of shareholders for the purpose of electing Trustees unless and until such time as less than a majority of the Trustees of the Trust holding office have been elected by shareholders. In such an event the Trustees then in office will call a shareholders meeting for the election of Trustees. Except for the foregoing circumstances and unless removed by action of the shareholders in accordance with the Trusts By-laws, the Trustees shall continue to hold office and may appoint successor Trustees. The Trusts By-laws provide that any Trustee may be removed with or without cause, by (i) the affirmative vote of holders of two-thirds of the shares or, (ii) the affirmative vote of, or written instrument, signed by at least two-thirds of the remaining Trustees, provided however, that the removal of any noninterested Trustee shall additionally require the affirmative vote of, or a written instrument executed by, at least two-thirds of the remaining noninterested Trustees. No person shall serve as a Trustee if shareholders holding two-thirds of the outstanding shares have removed him or her from that office either by a written declaration filed with the Trusts custodian or by votes cast at a meeting called for that purpose. The By-laws further provide that under certain circumstances the shareholders may call a meeting to remove a Trustee and that the Trust is required to provide assistance in communication with shareholders about such a meeting.
The Trusts Declaration of Trust may be amended by the Trustees when authorized by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust, the financial interests of which are affected by the amendment. The Trustees may also amend the Declaration of Trust without the vote or consent of shareholders to change the name of the Trust or any series, if they deem it necessary to conform it to applicable federal or state laws or regulations, or to make such other changes (such as reclassifying series or classes of shares or restructuring the Trust) provided such changes do not have a materially adverse effect on the financial interests of shareholders. The Trusts By-laws provide that the Trust will indemnify its Trustees and officers against liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with any litigation or proceeding in which they may be involved because of their offices with the Trust. However, no indemnification will be provided to any Trustee or officer for any liability to the Trust or shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
The Trusts Declaration of Trust provides that any legal proceeding brought by or on behalf of a shareholder seeking to enforce any provision of, or based upon any matter arising out of, related to or in connection with, the Declaration of Trust, the Trust, any Fund or Class or the shares of any Fund must be brought exclusively in the United States District Court for Massachusetts or, if such court does not have jurisdiction for the matter, then in the Superior Court of Suffolk County for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. If a shareholder brings a claim in another venue and the venue is subsequently changed through legal process to the foregoing Federal or state court, then the shareholder will be required to reimburse the Trust and other persons for the expenses incurred in effecting the change in venue.
The Trusts Declaration of Trust also provides that, except to the extent explicitly permitted by Federal law, a shareholder may not bring or maintain a court action on behalf of the Trust or any Fund or class of shares (commonly referred to as a derivative claim) without first making demand on the Trustees requesting the Trustees to bring the action. Within 90 days of receipt of the demand, the Trustees will consider the merits of the claim and determine whether commencing or maintaining an action would be in the best interests of the Trust or the affected Fund or Class. Any decision by the Trustees to bring, maintain or settle, or to not bring, maintain or settle the action, will be final and binding upon shareholders and therefore no action may be brought or maintained after a decision is made to reject a demand. In addition, the Trusts Declaration of Trust provides that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, each shareholder acknowledges and agrees that any alleged injury to the Trusts property, any diminution in the value of a shareholders shares and any other claim arising out of or relating to an allegation regarding the actions, inaction or omissions of or by the Trustees, the officers of the Trust or the investment adviser of the Fund is a legal claim belonging only to the Trust and not to the shareholders individually and, therefore, that any such claim is subject to the demand requirement for derivative claims referenced above.
The Trust or any series or class thereof may be terminated by: (1) the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than two-thirds of the shares outstanding and entitled to vote at any meeting of shareholders of the Trust or the appropriate series or class thereof, or by an instrument or instruments in writing without a meeting, consented to by the holders of two-thirds of the shares of the Trust or a series or class thereof, provided, however, that, if such termination is recommended by the Trustees, the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust or a series or class thereof entitled to vote thereon shall be sufficient authorization; or (2) by the approval of a majority of the Trustees then in office, to be followed by a written notice to shareholders.
Under Massachusetts law, if certain conditions prevail, shareholders of a Massachusetts business trust (such as the Trust) could be deemed to have personal liability for the obligations of the Trust. Numerous investment companies registered under the 1940 Act have been formed as Massachusetts business trusts, and management is not aware of an instance where such liability has been imposed. The Trusts Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of liability on the part of Fund shareholders and the Trusts By-laws provide that the Trust shall assume the defense on behalf of any Fund shareholders. The Declaration of Trust also contains provisions limiting the liability of a series or class to that series or class. Moreover, the Trusts By-laws also provide for indemnification out of Fund property of any shareholder held personally liable solely by reason of being or having been a shareholder for all loss or expense arising from such liability. The assets of the Fund are readily marketable and will ordinarily substantially exceed its liabilities. In light of the nature of the Funds business and the nature of its assets, management believes that the possibility of the Funds liability exceeding its assets, and therefore the shareholders risk of personal liability, is remote.
Portfolio Organization. The Portfolio was organized as a trust with transferable interests, commonly referred to as a “ Massachusetts business trust ” on June 4, 2010 and intends to be treated as a partnership for federal tax purposes. In accordance with the Declaration of Trust of the Portfolio, there will normally be no meetings of the investors for the purpose of electing Trustees unless and until such time as less than a majority of the Trustees of the Portfolio holding office have been elected by investors. In such an event the Trustees of the Portfolio then in office will call an investors meeting for the election of Trustees. Except for the foregoing circumstances and unless removed by action of the investors in accordance with the Portfolios Declaration of Trust, the Trustees shall continue to hold office and may appoint successor Trustees.
The
Portfolios
Declaration of Trust
provides that any Trustee may be removed, with or without cause, by (i) the affirmative vote of investors holding two-thirds of the outstanding interests or, (ii) the affirmative vote of, or a written instrument executed by, at least two-thirds of the remaining Trustees, provided however, that the removal of any noninterested Trustee shall additionally require the affirmative vote of, or a written instrument executed by, at least two-thirds of the remaining noninterested Trustees. The Portfolios By-laws provide that the Portfolio will indemnify its Trustees and officers against liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with any litigation or proceeding in which they may be involved because of their offices with the Portfolio. However, no indemnification will be provided to any Trustee or officer for any liability to the Portfolio or interestholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
The Portfolios Declaration of Trust provides that any legal proceeding brought by or on behalf of an investor seeking to enforce any provision of, or based upon any matter arising out of, related to or in connection with, the Declaration of Trust, the Portfolio or the interests of
the
Portfolio must be brought exclusively in the United States District Court for Massachusetts or, if such court does not have jurisdiction for the matter, then in the Superior Court of Suffolk County for the Commonwealth of
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
Massachusetts. If an investor brings a claim in another venue and the venue is subsequently changed through legal process to the foregoing Federal or state court, then the investor will be required to reimburse the Portfolio and other persons for the expenses incurred in effecting the change in venue.
The Portfolios Declaration of Trust also provides that, except to the extent explicitly permitted by Federal law, an investor may not bring or maintain a court action on behalf of the Portfolio (commonly referred to as a derivative claim) without first making demand on the Trustees requesting the Trustees to bring the action. Within 90 days of receipt of the demand, the Trustees will consider the merits of the claim and determine whether commencing or maintaining an action would be in the best interests of the Portfolio. Any decision by the Trustees to bring, maintain or settle, or to not bring, maintain or settle the action, will be final and binding upon investors and therefore no action may be brought or maintained after a decision is made to reject a demand. In addition, the Portfolios Declaration of Trust provides that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, each investor acknowledges and agrees that any alleged injury to the Portfolios property, any diminution in the value of an investors interests and any other claim arising out of or relating to an allegation regarding the actions, inaction or omissions of or by the Trustees, the officers of the Portfolio or the investment adviser of the Portfolio is a legal claim belonging only to the Portfolio and not to the investors individually and, therefore, that any such claim is subject to the demand requirement for derivative claims referenced above.
Under Massachusetts law, if certain conditions prevail, shareholders of a Massachusetts business trust (such as the Portfolio) could be deemed to have personal liability for the obligations of the Portfolio. Numerous investment companies registered under the 1940 Act have been formed as Massachusetts business trusts, and management is not aware of an instance where such liability has been imposed. The Portfolios Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of liability on the part of Portfolio interestholders and the By-laws provide that the Portfolio shall assume the defense on behalf of any Portfolio interestholders. Moreover, the By-laws also provide for indemnification out of Portfolio property of any interestholder held personally liable solely by reason of being or having been an interestholder for all loss or expense arising from such liability. The assets of the Portfolio are readily marketable and will ordinarily substantially exceed its liabilities. In light of the nature of the Portfolios business and the nature of its assets, management believes that the possibility of the Portfolios liability exceeding its assets, and therefore the interestholders risk of personal liability, is remote.
The Fund may be required to vote on matters pertaining to the Portfolio. When required by law to do so, the Fund will hold a meeting of Fund shareholders and will vote its interest in the Portfolio for or against such matters proportionately to the instructions to vote for or against such matters received from Fund shareholders. The Fund shall vote shares for which it receives no voting instructions in the same proportion as the shares for which it receives voting instructions. Other investors in the Portfolio may alone or collectively acquire sufficient voting interests in the Portfolio to control matters relating to the operation of the Portfolio, which may require the Fund to withdraw its investment in the Portfolio or take other appropriate action. Any such withdrawal could result in a distribution in kind of portfolio securities (as opposed to a cash distribution from the Portfolio). If securities are distributed, the Fund could incur brokerage, tax or other charges in converting the securities to cash. In addition, the distribution in kind may result in a less diversified portfolio of investments or adversely affect the liquidity of the Fund. Notwithstanding the above, there are other means for meeting shareholder redemption requests, such as borrowing.
Proxy Voting Policy. The Board adopted a proxy voting policy and procedures (the Fund Policy), pursuant to which the Board has delegated proxy voting responsibility to the investment adviser and adopted the proxy voting policies and procedures of the investment adviser (the Adviser Policies). An independent proxy voting service has been retained to assist in the voting of Fund proxies through the provision of vote analysis, implementation and recordkeeping and disclosure services. The members of the Board will review the Funds and the Portfolios proxy voting records from time to time and will annually consider approving the Adviser Policies for the upcoming year. For a copy of the Fund Policy and Adviser Policies, see Appendix E and Appendix F, respectively. Pursuant to certain provisions of the 1940 Act and certain exemptive orders relating to funds investing in other funds, a Fund or Portfolio may be required or may elect to vote its interest in another fund in the same proportion as the holders of all other shares of that fund. Information on how the Fund and the Portfolio voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-262-1122, and (2) on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
17
SAI dated May 1, 2016
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
Investment Advisory and Administrative Services.
The investment adviser manages the investments and affairs of the Fund and provides related office facilities and personnel subject to the supervision of the Trusts Board of Trustees.
The Fund was sub-advised by Armored Wolf, LLC from inception to November 6, 2015. The investment adviser furnishes investment research, advice and supervision, furnishes an investment program and determines
what securities will be purchased, held or sold by the Fund and what portion, if any, of the Funds assets will be held uninvested. The Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreement requires the investment adviser to pay the salaries and fees of all officers and Trustees who are members of the investment adviser's organization and all personnel of the investment adviser performing services relating to research and investment activities.
For a description of the compensation that the Fund pays the investment adviser, see the Prospectus.
The fee rate applicable to the Fund under its Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreement is determined by applying the fee schedule set forth in the Prospectus to the aggregate average daily net assets of the Fund including its interest, if any, in the Subsidiary. The fee payable by the Fund equals the product of (i) the fee rate determined in accordance with the previous sentence, and (ii) the average daily net assets of the Fund exclusive of its interest in the Subsidiary. The fee rate applicable to the Subsidiary under its Investment Advisory Agreement equals the product of (i) the fee rate determined as set forth above, and (ii) the average daily net assets of the Subsidiary.
At December 31,
2015
, the Fund had net assets of $
59,263,011
. The advisory fee payable by the Fund shall be reduced by the Funds allocable share of any fee paid pursuant to its Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreement by any investment company advised by the investment adviser or its affiliates in which the Fund invests its assets. For the fiscal years ended December 31,
2015,
2014
and
2013
, the investment adviser and administration fee amounted to $
1,913,351, $
4,959,454
and
$5,575,392
, respectively. The Fund was sub-advised by Armored Wolf, LLC from inception to November 6, 2015. For the fiscal years ended December 31,
2015,
2014
and
2013
, Eaton Vance and Armored Wolf were allocated $
228,173, $
50,249
and $
0
, respectively, of the Funds operating expenses.
The Investment Advisory Agreement or Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreement with the investment adviser continues in effect 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 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 voting securities of the Fund or Portfolio. The Agreement may be terminated at any time without penalty on sixty (60) days written notice by the Board of either party, or by vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund or Portfolio, and the Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment. The Agreement provides that the investment adviser may render services to others. The Agreement also provides that the investment adviser shall not be liable for any loss incurred in connection with the performance of its duties, or action taken or omitted under the Agreement, in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations and duties thereunder, or for any losses sustained in the acquisition, holding or disposition of any security or other investment.
The
Agreement is not intended to, and does not, confer upon any person not a party to it any right, benefit or remedy of any nature.
Information About
BMR and
Eaton Vance.
BMR and
Eaton Vance
are
business
trusts
organized under the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. EV serves as trustee of
BMR and
Eaton Vance. EV and Eaton Vance are wholly-owned subsidiaries of EVC, a Maryland corporation and publicly-held holding company. BMR is an indirect subsidiary of EVC. EVC through its subsidiaries and affiliates engages primarily in investment management, administration and marketing activities. The Directors of EVC are Thomas E. Faust Jr., Ann E. Berman, Leo I. Higdon, Jr., Brian D. Langstraat, Dorothy E. Puhy, Winthrop H. Smith, Jr. and Richard A. Spillane, Jr. All shares of the outstanding Voting Common Stock of EVC are deposited in a Voting Trust, the Voting Trustees of which are Mr. Faust, Jeffrey P. Beale, Craig R. Brandon, Daniel C. Cataldo, Michael A. Cirami, Cynthia J. Clemson, James H. Evans, Maureen A. Gemma, Laurie G. Hylton, Mr. Langstraat, Frederick S. Marius, David C. McCabe, Scott H. Page, Edward J. Perkin, Lewis R. Piantedosi, Charles B. Reed, Craig P. Russ, John L. Shea, Eric A. Stein, Payson F. Swaffield, Michael W. Weilheimer, R. Kelly Williams and Matthew J. Witkos (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 who may also be officers, or officers and Directors of EVC and EV. As indicated under Management and Organization, all of the officers of the Trust (as well as Mr. Faust who is also a Trustee) hold positions in the Eaton Vance organization.
Code of Ethics. The investment adviser, principal underwriter, and the Fund and the Portfolio have adopted Codes of Ethics governing personal securities transactions pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. Under the Codes, employees of the investment adviser and the principal underwriter may purchase and sell securities (including securities held or eligible for purchase by the Fund) subject to the provisions of the Codes and certain employees are also subject to pre-clearance, reporting requirements and /or other procedures.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
18
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Portfolio
Managers
.
The portfolio managers
(each referred to as a portfolio manager)
of the Fund and the Portfolio
are listed below. The following table shows, as of
the Funds most recent fiscal year
, the number of accounts each portfolio manager managed in each of the listed categories and the total assets (in millions of dollars) in the accounts managed within each category. The table also shows the number of accounts with respect to which the advisory fee is based on the performance of the account, if any, and the total assets (in millions of dollars) in those accounts.
|
Number of
|
Total Assets of
|
Number of Accounts
|
Total Assets of Accounts
|
John R. Baur (1) |
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
17 |
$280.1 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
3 |
$52.3 |
1 |
$15.3 |
Other Accounts |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
Michael A. Cirami (1) |
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
17 |
$280.1 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
3 |
$52.3 |
1 |
$15.3 |
Other Accounts |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
Eric A. Stein (1) |
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
16 |
$368.1 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
3 |
$389.9 |
1 |
$15.3 |
Other Accounts |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
(1)
This portfolio manager serves as portfolio manager of one or more registered investment companies and pooled investment vehicles that invest or may invest in one or more underlying registered investment companies in the Eaton Vance family of funds. The underlying investment companies may be managed by this portfolio manager or another portfolio manager.
The following table shows the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned in
the
Fund by its portfolio manager(s) as of the
Funds
most recent fiscal year ended
December 31
, 2015 and in the Eaton Vance family of funds as of December 31,
2015
. Interests in
the
Portfolio cannot be purchased by a portfolio manager.
Fund Name and Portfolio Manager s |
Dollar Range of Equity Securities
|
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity
|
John R. Baur |
None |
$500,001 - $1,000,000 |
Michael A. Cirami |
None |
$500,001 - $1,000,000 |
Eric A. Stein |
None |
$100,001 - $500,000 |
It is possible that conflicts of interest may arise in connection with the portfolio managers management of the Funds and the Portfolios investments on the one hand and the investments of other accounts for which the portfolio manager is responsible for on the other. For example, the portfolio manager may have conflicts of interest in allocating management time, resources and investment opportunities among the Fund , the Portfolio and other accounts he advises. In addition due to differences in the investment strategies or restrictions between the Fund , the Portfolio and the other accounts, the portfolio manager may take action with respect to another account that differs from the action taken with respect to the Fund and the Portfolio . In some cases, another account managed by the portfolio manager may compensate the investment adviser based on the performance of the securities held by that account. The existence of such a performance based fee may create additional conflicts of interest for the portfolio manager in the allocation of management time, resources and investment opportunities. Whenever conflicts of interest arise, the portfolio manager will endeavor to exercise his discretion in a manner that he believes is equitable to all interested persons. The investment adviser has adopted several policies and procedures designed to address these potential conflicts including a code of ethics and policies that govern the investment advisers trading practices, including among other things the aggregation and allocation of trades among clients, brokerage allocation, cross trades and best execution.
Compensation Structure for Eaton Vance
and BMR
.
Compensation of the investment
adviser's
portfolio managers and other investment professionals has three primary components: (1) a base salary, (2) an annual cash bonus, and (3) annual stock-based compensation consisting of options to purchase shares of EVCs nonvoting common stock and restricted shares of EVCs nonvoting common stock. The investment advisers investment professionals also receive certain retirement, insurance and other benefits that are broadly available to the investment advisers employees. Compensation of the investment advisers investment professionals is reviewed primarily on an annual basis. Cash bonuses, stock-based compensation awards, and adjustments in base salary are typically paid or put into effect at or shortly after the October 31st fiscal year end of EVC.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
19
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Method to Determine Compensation. The investment adviser compensates its portfolio managers based primarily on the scale and complexity of their portfolio responsibilities and the total return performance of managed funds and accounts versus the benchmark(s) stated in the prospectus, as well as an appropriate peer group (as described below). In addition to rankings within peer groups of funds on the basis of absolute performance, consideration may also be given to relative risk-adjusted performance. Risk-adjusted performance measures include, but are not limited to, the Sharpe ratio (Sharpe ratio uses standard deviation and excess return to determine reward per unit of risk). Performance is normally based on periods ending on the September 30th preceding fiscal year end. Fund performance is normally evaluated primarily versus peer groups of funds as determined by Lipper Inc. and/or Morningstar, Inc. When a funds peer group as determined by Lipper or Morningstar is deemed by the investment advisers management not to provide a fair comparison, performance may instead be evaluated primarily against a custom peer group or market index. In evaluating the performance of a fund and its manager, primary emphasis is normally placed on three-year performance, with secondary consideration of performance over longer and shorter periods. A portion of the compensation payable to equity portfolio managers and investment professionals will be determined based on the ability of one or more accounts managed by such manager to achieve a specified target average annual gross return over a three year period in excess of the account benchmark. The cash bonus to be payable at the end of the three year term will be established at the inception of the term and will be adjusted positively or negatively to the extent that the average annual gross return varies from the specified target return. For funds that are tax-managed or otherwise have an objective of after-tax returns, performance is measured net of taxes. For other funds, performance is evaluated on a pre-tax basis. For funds with an investment objective other than total return (such as current income), consideration will also be given to the funds success in achieving its objective. For managers responsible for multiple funds and accounts, investment performance is evaluated on an aggregate basis, based on averages or weighted averages among managed funds and accounts. Funds and accounts that have performance-based advisory fees are not accorded disproportionate weightings in measuring aggregate portfolio manager performance.
The compensation of portfolio managers with other job responsibilities (such as heading an investment group or providing analytical support to other portfolios) will include consideration of the scope of such responsibilities and the managers performance in meeting them.
The investment adviser seeks to compensate portfolio managers commensurate with their responsibilities and performance, and competitive with other firms within the investment management industry. The investment adviser participates in investment-industry compensation surveys and utilizes survey data as a factor in determining salary, bonus and stock-based compensation levels for portfolio managers and other investment professionals. Salaries, bonuses and stock-based compensation are also influenced by the operating performance of the investment adviser and its parent company. The overall annual cash bonus pool is generally based on a substantially fixed percentage of pre-bonus adjusted operating income. While the salaries of the investment advisers portfolio managers are comparatively fixed, cash bonuses and stock-based compensation may fluctuate significantly from year to year, based on changes in manager performance and other factors as described herein. For a high performing portfolio manager, cash bonuses and stock-based compensation may represent a substantial portion of total compensation.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission Registration. Effective December 31, 2012, the CFTC adopted certain regulatory changes that subject registered investment companies and advisers to regulation by the CFTC if a fund invests more than a prescribed level of its assets in certain CFTC-regulated instruments (including futures, certain options and swaps agreements) or markets itself as providing investment exposure to such instruments. The Fund is considered to be a commodity pool operator under CFTC regulations. Eaton Vance and BMR are registered with the CFTC as commodity pool operators. Eaton Vance and BMR are also registered as commodity trading advisors. The CFTC has neither reviewed nor approved the Funds investment strategies or this SAI.
Administrative Services. Eaton Vance also provides administrative services to the Fund. Under its Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreement, Eaton Vance has been engaged to administer the Funds affairs, subject to the supervision of the Board, and shall furnish office space and all necessary office facilities, equipment and personnel for administering the affairs of the Fund.
Sub-Transfer Agency Support Services.
Eaton Vance provides sub-transfer agency and related services to Eaton Vance mutual funds pursuant to a Sub-Transfer Agency Support Services Agreement. Under the agreement, Eaton Vance provides: (1) specified sub-transfer agency services; (2) compliance monitoring services; and (3) intermediary oversight services. For the services it provides, Eaton Vance receives an aggregate annual fee equal to the lesser of $2.5 million or the actual expenses incurred by Eaton Vance in the performance of such services. The Fund pays a pro rata share of such fee. For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, Eaton Vance earned $2,
198
from the Fund pursuant to the agreement.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
20
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Expenses.
The Fund
and Portfolio are
responsible for all expenses not expressly stated to be payable by another party (such as expenses required to be paid pursuant to an agreement with the investment adviser, the principal underwriter or the administrator). In the case of expenses incurred by the Trust, the Fund is responsible for its pro rata share of those expenses. Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Multiple Class Plan for Eaton Vance Funds, Fund expenses are allocated to each class on a pro rata basis, except that distribution and service fees are allocated exclusively to the class that incurs them.
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS
Principal Underwriter. Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. (EVD), Two International Place, Boston, MA 02110 is the principal underwriter of the Fund. The principal underwriter acts as principal in selling shares under a Distribution Agreement with the Trust. The expenses of printing copies of prospectuses used to offer shares and other selling literature and of advertising are borne by the principal underwriter. The fees and expenses of qualifying and registering and maintaining qualifications and registrations of the Fund and its shares under federal and state securities laws are borne by the Fund. The Distribution Agreement is renewable annually by the members of the Board (including a majority of the noninterested Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Distribution Agreement or any applicable Distribution Plan), may be terminated on sixty days notice either by such Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding Fund shares or on six months notice by the principal underwriter and is automatically terminated upon assignment. The principal underwriter distributes shares on a best efforts basis under which it is required to take and pay for only such shares as may be sold. EVD is a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of EVC. Mr. Faust is a Director of EVD. EVD also serves as placement agent for the Portfolio.
Custodian.
State Street Bank and Trust Company (State Street), State Street Financial Center, One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111, serves as custodian to the Fund
and the Portfolio
. State Street has custody of all cash and securities
representing the Funds interest in the Portfolio, has custody
of the
Portfolios and the Fund's assets
, maintains the general ledger of the
Portfolio and the
Fund and computes the daily net asset value of
interests in the Portfolio and the net asset value of
shares of the Fund. In such capacity it attends to details in connection with the sale, exchange, substitution, transfer or other dealings with the
Portfolios
investments, receives and disburses all funds and performs various other ministerial duties upon receipt of proper instructions from the Trust
and the Portfolio
. State Street
also
provides services in connection with the preparation of shareholder reports and the electronic filing of such reports with the SEC. EVC and its affiliates and their officers and employees from time to time have transactions with various banks, including State Street. It is Eaton Vances 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 Fund
or the Portfolio
and such banks.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. Deloitte & Touche LLP, 200 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116, independent registered public accounting firm, audits the Fund's and the Portfolio's financial statements and provides other audit, tax and related services.
Transfer Agent. BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc., P.O. Box 9653, Providence, RI 02940-9653, serves as transfer and dividend disbursing agent for the Fund.
CALCULATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
The net asset value of the Fund is determined by State Street (as agent and custodian) by subtracting the liabilities of the Fund from the value of its total assets. The Fund is closed for business and will not issue a net asset value on the following business holidays and any other business day that the Exchange is closed: New Years Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The Funds net asset value per share is readily accessible on the Eaton Vance website (www.eatonvance.com).
The Board has approved procedures pursuant to which investments are valued for purposes of determining the Funds net asset value. Listed below is a summary of the methods generally used to value investments (some or all of which may be held by the Fund) under the procedures.
·
Equity securities (including common stock, exchange-traded funds, closed end funds, preferred equity securities, exchange-traded notes and other instruments that trade on recognized stock exchanges) are valued at the last sale, official close or if there are no reported sales at the mean between the bid and asked price on the primary exchange on which they are traded.
·
Most debt obligations are valued on the basis of market valuations furnished by a pricing service or at the mean of the bid and asked prices provided by recognized broker/dealers of such securities. The pricing service may use a pricing matrix to determine valuation.
·
Short-term obligations and money market securities maturing in sixty days or less typically are valued at amortized cost which approximates value.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
21
SAI dated May 1, 2016
·
Foreign securities and currencies are valued in U.S. dollars based on foreign currency exchange quotations supplied by a pricing service.
·
Senior and Junior Loans are valued on the basis of prices furnished by a pricing service. The pricing service uses transactions and market quotations from brokers in determining values.
·
Futures contracts are valued at the settlement or closing price on the primary exchange or board of trade on which they are traded.
·
Exchange-traded options are valued at the mean of the bid and asked prices. Over-the-counter options are valued based on quotations obtained from a pricing service or from a broker (typically the counterparty to the option).
·
Non-exchange traded derivatives (including swap agreements (other than those which have been centrally cleared), forward contracts and equity participation notes) are generally valued on the basis of valuations provided by a pricing service or using quotes provided by a broker/dealer (typically the counterparty). Swap agreements that have been cleared by a central counterparty (CCP) are valued at the daily settlement price provided by the CCP.
·
Precious metals are valued are valued at the New York Composite mean quotation.
·
Liabilities with a payment or maturity date of 364 days or less are stated at their principal value and longer dated liabilities generally will be carried at their fair value.
·
Valuations of foreign equity securities and exchange-traded futures contracts on non-North American equity indices may be adjusted from prices in effect at the close of trading on foreign exchanges to more accurately reflect their fair value as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange. Such fair valuations may be based on information provided by a pricing service.
Investments which are unable to be valued in accordance with the foregoing methodologies are valued at fair value using methods determined in good faith by or at the direction of the members of the Board. Such methods may include consideration of relevant factors, including but not limited to (i) the type of security, the existence of any contractual restrictions on the securitys disposition, (ii) the price and extent of public trading in similar securities of the issuer or of comparable companies or entities, (iii) quotations or relevant information obtained from broker-dealers or other market participants, (iv) information obtained from the issuer, analysts, and/or the appropriate stock exchange (for exchange-traded securities), (v) an analysis of the companys or entitys financial condition, (vi) an evaluation of the forces that influence the issuer and the market(s) in which the security is purchased and sold (vii) an analysis of the terms of any transaction involving the issuer of such securities; and (viii) any other factors deemed relevant by the investment adviser. The portfolio managers of one Eaton Vance fund that invests in Senior and Junior Loans may not possess the same information about a Senior or Junior Loan as the portfolio managers of another Eaton Vance fund. As such, at times the fair value of a Loan determined by certain Eaton Vance portfolio managers may vary from the fair value of the same Loan determined by other portfolio managers.
PURCHASING AND REDEEMING SHARES
Additional Information About Purchases. Fund shares are offered for sale only in states where they are registered. Fund shares are continuously offered through financial intermediaries which have entered into agreements with the principal underwriter. Fund shares are sold at the public offering price, which is the net asset value plus the initial sales charge, if any. The Fund receives the net asset value. The principal underwriter receives the sales charge, all or a portion of which may be reallowed to the financial intermediaries responsible for selling Fund shares. The sales charge table in the Prospectus is applicable to purchases of the Fund alone or in combination with purchases of certain other funds offered by the principal underwriter, made at a single time by (i) an individual, or an individual, his or her spouse and their children under the age of twenty-one, purchasing shares for his or their own account, and (ii) a trustee or other fiduciary purchasing shares for a single trust estate or a single fiduciary account. The table is also presently applicable to (1) purchases of Class A shares pursuant to a written Statement of Intention; or (2) purchases of Class A shares pursuant to the Right of Accumulation and declared as such at the time of purchase. See Sales Charges.
In connection with employer sponsored retirement plans, the Fund may accept initial investments of less than the minimum investment amount on the part of an individual participant. In the event a shareholder who is a participant of such a plan terminates participation in the plan, his or her shares will be transferred to a regular individual account. However, such account will be subject to the right of redemption by the Fund as described below.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
22
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Class I Share Purchases. Class I shares are available for purchase by clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class I shares through a no-load network or platform. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments, foundations and employer sponsored retirement plans. Class I shares also are offered to investment and institutional clients of Eaton Vance and its affiliates; certain persons affiliated with Eaton Vance; current and retired members of Eaton Vance Fund Boards; employees of Eaton Vance and its affiliates and such persons ’ spouses, parents, siblings and lineal descendants and their beneficial accounts.
Waiver of Investment Minimums. In addition to waivers described in the Prospectus, minimum investment amounts are waived for current and retired members of Eaton Vance Fund Boards, clients (including custodial, agency, advisory and trust accounts), current and retired officers and employees of Eaton Vance, its affiliates and other investment advisers and sub-advisers to the Eaton Vance family of funds, and for such persons spouses, parents, siblings and lineal descendants and their beneficial accounts. The minimum initial investment amount is also waived for officers and employees of the Funds custodian and transfer agent and in connection with the merger (or similar transaction) of an investment company (or series or class thereof) or personal holding company with the Fund (or class thereof). Investments in a Fund by ReFlow in connection with the Reflow liquidity program are also not subject to the minimum investment amount.
Suspension of Sales. The Trust may, in its absolute discretion, suspend, discontinue or limit the offering of one or more of its classes of shares at any time. In determining whether any such action should be taken, the Trusts management intends to consider all relevant factors, including (without limitation) the size of the Fund or class, the investment climate and market conditions and the volume of sales and redemptions of shares. The Class A and Class C Distribution Plans may continue in effect and payments may be made under the Plans following any such suspension, discontinuance or limitation of the offering of shares; however, there is no contractual obligation to continue any Plan for any particular period of time. Suspension of the offering of shares would not, of course, affect a shareholders ability to redeem shares.
Additional Information About Redemptions. The right to redeem shares of the Fund can be suspended and the payment of the redemption price deferred when the Exchange is closed (other than for customary weekend and holiday closings), during periods when trading on the Exchange is restricted as determined by the SEC, or during any emergency as determined by the SEC which makes it impracticable for the Fund to dispose of its securities or value its assets, or during any other period permitted by order of the SEC for the protection of investors.
Due to the high cost of maintaining small accounts, the Trust reserves the right to redeem accounts with balances of less than $750. Prior to such a redemption, shareholders will be given 60 days written notice to make an additional purchase. However, no such redemption would be required by the Trust if the cause of the low account balance was a reduction in the net asset value of shares. No CDSC or redemption fees, if applicable, will be imposed with respect to such involuntary redemptions.
While normally payments will be made in cash for redeemed shares, the Trust, subject to compliance with applicable regulations, has reserved the right to pay the redemption price of shares of the Fund, either totally or partially, by a distribution in kind of readily marketable securities. The securities so distributed would be valued pursuant to the valuation procedures described in this SAI. If a shareholder received a distribution in kind, the shareholder could incur brokerage or other charges in converting the securities to cash.
Systematic Withdrawal Plan. The transfer agent will send to the shareholder regular monthly or quarterly payments of any permitted amount designated by the shareholder based upon the value of the shares held. The checks will be drawn from share redemptions and hence, may require the recognition of taxable gain or loss. Income dividends and capital gains distributions in connection with withdrawal plan accounts will be credited at net asset value as of the record date for each distribution. Continued withdrawals in excess of current income will eventually use up principal, particularly in a period of declining market prices. A shareholder may not have a withdrawal plan in effect at the same time he or she has authorized Bank Automated Investing or is otherwise making regular purchases of Fund shares. The shareholder, the transfer agent or the principal underwriter may terminate the withdrawal plan at any time without penalty.
Other Information. The Fund ’ s net asset value per share is normally rounded to two decimal places. In certain situations (such as a merger, share split or a purchase or sale of shares that represents a significant portion of a share class), the administrator may determine to extend the calculation of the net asset value per share to additional decimal places to ensure that neither the value of the Fund nor a shareholders shares is diluted materially as the result of a purchase or sale or other transaction.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
23
SAI dated May 1, 2016
SALES CHARGES
Dealer Commissions. The principal underwriter may, from time to time, at its own expense, provide additional incentives to financial intermediaries which employ registered representatives who sell Fund shares and/or shares of other funds distributed by the principal underwriter. In some instances, such additional incentives may be offered only to certain financial intermediaries whose representatives sell or are expected to sell significant amounts of shares. In addition, the principal underwriter may from time to time increase or decrease the sales commissions payable to financial intermediaries. The principal underwriter may allow, upon notice to all financial intermediaries with whom it has agreements, discounts up to the full sales charge during the periods specified in the notice. During periods when the discount includes the full sales charge, such financial intermediaries may be deemed to be underwriters as that term is defined in the 1933 Act.
Purchases at Net Asset Value. Class A shares may be sold at net asset value (without a sales charge) to clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class A shares through a no-load network or platform; current and retired members of Eaton Vance Fund Boards; to clients (including custodial, agency, advisory and trust accounts) and current and former officers and employees of Eaton Vance, its affiliates and other investment advisers and sub-advisers of Eaton Vance sponsored funds; and to such persons spouses, parents, siblings and lineal descendants and their beneficial accounts. Such shares may also be issued at net asset value (1) in connection with the merger (or similar transaction) of an investment company (or series or class thereof) or personal holding company with the Fund (or class thereof), (2) to HSAs (Health Savings Accounts) and to employer sponsored retirement plans and trusts used to fund those plans, (3) to officers and employees of the Funds custodian and transfer agent and (4) in connection with the ReFlow liquidity program. Class A shares may also be sold at net asset value to registered representatives and employees of financial intermediaries. Sales charges generally are waived because either (i) there is no sales effort involved in the sale of shares or (ii) the investor is paying a fee (other than the sales charge) to the financial intermediary involved in the sale. Any new or revised sales charge or CDSC waiver will be prospective only.
CDSC Waiver.
CDSCs
will be waived in connection with minimum required distributions from employer sponsored retirement plans and individual retirement accounts by applying the rate required to be withdrawn under the applicable rules and regulations of the IRS to the balance of
shares in your account.
Statement of Intention. If it is anticipated that $50,000 or more of Class A shares and shares of other funds exchangeable for Class A shares of another Eaton Vance fund will be purchased within a 13-month period, the Statement of Intention section of the account application should be completed so that shares may be obtained at the same reduced sales charge as though the total quantity were invested in one lump sum. Shares eligible for the right of accumulation (see below) as of the date of the statement and purchased during the 13-month period will be included toward the completion of the statement. If you make a statement of intention, the transfer agent is authorized to hold in escrow sufficient shares (5% of the dollar amount specified in the statement) which can be redeemed to make up any difference in sales charge on the amount intended to be invested and the amount actually invested. A statement of intention does not obligate the shareholder to purchase or the Fund to sell the full amount indicated in the statement.
If the amount actually purchased during the 13-month period is less than that indicated in the statement, the shareholder will be requested to pay the difference between the sales charge applicable to the shares purchased and the sales charge paid under the statement of intention. If the payment is not received in 20 days, the appropriate number of escrowed shares will be redeemed in order to realize such difference. Shareholders will not receive a lower sales charge if total purchases during the 13-month period are large enough to qualify for a lower sales charge than that applicable to the amount specified in the statement. If the sales charge rate changes during the 13-month period, all shares purchased or charges assessed after the date of such change will be subject to the then applicable sales charge.
Right of Accumulation. Under the right of accumulation, the applicable sales charge level is calculated by aggregating the dollar amount of the current purchase and the value (calculated at the maximum current offering price) of shares owned by the shareholder. The sales charge on the shares being purchased will then be applied at the rate applicable to the aggregate. Share purchases eligible for the right of accumulation are described under Sales Charges in the Prospectus. For any such discount to be made available at the time of purchase a purchaser or his or her financial intermediary must provide the principal underwriter (in the case of a purchase made through a financial intermediary) or the transfer agent (in the case of an investment made by mail) with sufficient information to permit verification that the purchase order qualifies for the accumulation privilege. Confirmation of the order is subject to such verification. The right of accumulation privilege may be amended or terminated at any time as to purchases occurring thereafter.
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Distribution Plans
The Trust has in effect a compensation-type Distribution Plan for Class A shares (the Class A Plan) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Class A Plan is designed to (i) finance activities which are primarily intended to result in the distribution and sales of Class A shares and to make payments in connection with the distribution of such shares and (ii) pay service fees for personal services and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts to the principal underwriter, financial intermediaries and other persons. The distribution and service fees payable under the Class A Plan shall not exceed 0.25% of the average daily net assets attributable to Class A shares for any fiscal year. Class A distribution and service fees are paid monthly in arrears. For the distribution and service fees paid by Class A shares, see Appendix A.
The Trust also has in effect a compensation-type Distribution Plan for the Fund's Class C shares (the Class C Plan) adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. Pursuant to the Class C Plan, Class C pays the principal underwriter a distribution fee, accrued daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate not exceeding 0.75% of its average daily net assets to finance the distribution of its shares. Such fees compensate the principal underwriter for the sales commissions paid by it to financial intermediaries on the sale of shares, for other distribution expenses (such as personnel, overhead, travel, printing and postage) and for interest expense. The principal underwriter is entitled to receive all distribution fees and CDSCs paid or payable with respect to Class C shares, provided that no such payments will be made that would cause the Class to exceed the maximum sales charge permitted by FINRA's NASD Conduct Rule 2830(d).
The Class C Plan also authorizes the payment of service fees to the principal underwriter, financial intermediaries and other persons in amounts not exceeding an annual rate of 0.25% of its average daily net assets for personal services, and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts. For Class C, financial intermediaries currently receive (a) a service fee (except on exchange transactions and reinvestments) at the time of sale equal to 0.25% of the purchase price of Class C shares sold by such intermediaries, and (b) monthly service fees approximately equivalent to 1/12 of 0.25% of the value of Class C shares sold by such intermediaries. During the first year after a purchase of Class C shares, the principal underwriter will retain the service fee as reimbursement for the service fee payment made to financial intermediaries at the time of sale. For the service fees paid, see Appendix B.
The Board believes that each Plan will be a significant factor in the expected growth of the Funds assets, and will result in increased investment flexibility and advantages which have benefitted and will continue to benefit the Fund and its shareholders. The Eaton Vance organization may profit by reason of the operation of a Plan through an increase in Fund assets and if at any point in time the aggregate amounts received by the principal underwriter pursuant to a Plan exceeds the total expenses incurred in distributing Fund shares. For sales commissions and CDSCs, if applicable, see Appendix A and Appendix B.
A Plan continues in effect from year to year so long as such continuance is approved at least annually by the vote of both a majority of (i) the noninterested Trustees of the Trust who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plan or any agreements related to the Plan (the Plan Trustees) and (ii) all of the Trustees then in office. A Plan may be terminated at any time by vote of a majority of the Plan Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the applicable Class. Quarterly Board member review of a written report of the amount expended under the Plan and the purposes for which such expenditures were made is required. A Plan may not be amended to increase materially the payments described therein without approval of the shareholders of the affected Class and the Board. So long as a Plan is in effect, the selection and nomination of the noninterested Trustees shall be committed to the discretion of such Trustees. The Trustees, including the Plan Trustees, initially approved the current Plan(s) on April 22, 2013. Any Board member who is an interested person of the Trust has an indirect financial interest in a Plan because his or her employer (or affiliates thereof) receives distribution and/or service fees under the Plan or agreements related thereto.
PERFORMANCE
Performance Calculations. Average annual total return before deduction of taxes (pre-tax return) is determined by multiplying a hypothetical initial purchase order of $1,000 by the average annual compound rate of return (including capital appreciation/depreciation, and distributions paid and reinvested) for the stated period and annualizing the result. The calculation assumes (i) that all distributions are reinvested at net asset value on the reinvestment dates during the period, (ii) the deduction of the maximum of any initial sales charge from the initial $1,000 purchase, (iii) a complete redemption of the investment at the end of the period, and (iv) the deduction of any applicable CDSC at the end of the period.
Average annual total return after the deduction of taxes on distributions is calculated in the same manner as pre-tax return except the calculation assumes that any federal income taxes due on distributions are deducted from the distributions before they are reinvested. Average annual total return after the deduction of taxes on distributions and taxes on redemption also is calculated in the same manner as pre-tax return except the calculation assumes that (i) any federal income taxes due on distributions are deducted from the distributions before they are reinvested and (ii) any federal income taxes due upon redemption are deducted at the end of the period. After-tax returns are based on the highest federal income tax rates in effect for individual taxpayers as of the time of each assumed distribution and redemption (taking into account their tax character), and do not reflect the impact of
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state and local taxes. In calculating after-tax returns, the net value of any federal income tax credits available to shareholders is applied to reduce federal income taxes payable on distributions at or near year-end and, to the extent the net value of such credits exceeds such distributions, is then assumed to be reinvested in additional Fund shares at net asset value on the last day of the fiscal year in which the credit was generated or, in the case of certain tax credits, on the date on which the year-end distribution is paid. For pre-tax and after-tax total return information, see Appendix A, Appendix B and Appendix C.
In addition to the foregoing total return figures, the Fund may provide pre-tax and after-tax annual and cumulative total return, as well as the ending redeemable cash value of a hypothetical investment. If shares are subject to a sales charge, total return figures may be calculated based on reduced sales charges or at net asset value. These returns would be lower if the full sales charge was imposed. After-tax returns may also be calculated using different tax rate assumptions and taking into account state and local income taxes as well as federal taxes. The Funds performance may differ from that of other investors in the Portfolio, including other investment companies.
Yield is computed pursuant to a standardized formula by dividing the net investment income per share earned during a recent thirty-day period by the maximum offering price (including the maximum of any initial sales charge) per share on the last day of the period and annualizing the resulting figure. Yield figures do not reflect the deduction of any applicable CDSC, but assume the maximum of any initial sales charge. Actual yield may be affected by variations in sales charges on investments.
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings and Related Information. The Board has adopted policies and procedures (the Policies) with respect to the disclosure of information about portfolio holdings of the Fund. See the Fund's Prospectus for information on disclosure made in filings with the SEC and/or posted on the Eaton Vance website (www.eatonvance.com) and disclosure of certain portfolio characteristics. Pursuant to the Policies, information about portfolio holdings of the Fund may also be disclosed as follows:
·
Confidential disclosure for a legitimate Fund purpose: Portfolio holdings may be disclosed, from time to time as necessary, for a legitimate business purpose of the Fund, believed to be in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders, provided there is a duty or an agreement that the information be kept confidential. Any such confidentiality agreement includes provisions intended to impose a duty not to trade on the non-public information. The Policies permit disclosure of portfolio holdings information to the following: 1) affiliated and unaffiliated service providers that have a legal or contractual duty to keep such information confidential, such as employees of the investment adviser (including portfolio managers and, in the case of a Portfolio, the portfolio manager of any account that invests in the Portfolio), the administrator, custodian, transfer agent, principal underwriter, etc. described herein and in the Prospectus; 2) other persons who owe a fiduciary or other duty of trust or confidence to the Fund (such as Fund legal counsel and independent registered public accounting firm); or 3) persons to whom the disclosure is made in advancement of a legitimate business purpose of the Fund and who have expressly agreed in writing to maintain the disclosed information in confidence and to use it only in connection with the legitimate business purpose underlying the arrangement. To the extent applicable to an Eaton Vance fund, such persons may include securities lending agents which may receive information from time to time regarding selected holdings which may be loaned by a Fund, in the event a Fund is rated, credit rating agencies (Moodys Investor Services, Inc. and Standard & Poors Ratings Group), analytical service providers engaged by the investment adviser (Advent, Bloomberg L.P., Evare, Factset, McMunn Associates, Inc., MSCI/Barra and The Yield Book, Inc.), proxy evaluation vendors (Institutional Shareholder Servicing Inc.), pricing services (TRPS Mark-to-Market Pricing Service, WM Company Reuters Information Services and Non-Deliverable Forward Rates Service, Markit Pricing Direct, FT Interactive Data Corp., Standard & Poors Securities Evaluation Service, Inc., SuperDerivatives and Stat Pro.), which receive information as needed to price a particular holding, translation services, third-party reconciliation services, lenders under Fund credit facilities (Citibank, N.A. and its affiliates), consultants and other product evaluators (Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC) and, for purposes of facilitating portfolio transactions, financial intermediaries and other intermediaries (national and regional municipal bond dealers and mortgage-backed securities dealers). These entities receive portfolio information on an as needed basis in order to perform the service for which they are being engaged. If required in order to perform their duties, this information will be provided in real time or as soon as practical thereafter. Additional categories of disclosure involving a legitimate business purpose may be added to this list upon the authorization of the Funds Board. In addition to the foregoing, disclosure of portfolio holdings may be made to the Funds investment adviser as a seed investor in a fund, in order for the adviser or its parent to satisfy certain reporting obligations and reduce its exposure to market risk factors associated with any such seed investment. Also, in connection with a redemption in kind, the redeeming shareholder may be required to agree to keep the information about the securities to be so distributed confidential, except to the extent necessary to dispose of the securities.
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·
Historical portfolio holdings information: From time to time, the Fund may be requested to provide historic portfolio holdings information or certain characteristics of portfolio holdings that have not been made public previously. In such case, the requested information may be provided if: the information is requested for due diligence or another legitimate purpose; the requested portfolio holdings or portfolio characteristics are for a period that is no more recent than the date of the portfolio holdings or portfolio characteristics posted to the Eaton Vance website; and the dissemination of the requested information is reviewed and approved in accordance with the Policies.
The Fund, the investment adviser and principal underwriter will not receive any monetary or other consideration in connection with the disclosure of information concerning the Funds portfolio holdings.
The Policies may not be waived, or exception made, without the consent of the CCO of the Fund. The CCO may not waive or make exception to the Policies unless such waiver or exception is consistent with the intent of the Policies, which is to ensure that disclosure of portfolio information is in the best interest of Fund shareholders. In determining whether to permit a waiver of or exception to the Policies, the CCO will consider whether the proposed disclosure serves a legitimate purpose of the Fund, whether it could provide the recipient with an advantage over Fund shareholders or whether the proposed disclosure gives rise to a conflict of interest between the Funds shareholders and its investment adviser, principal underwriter or other affiliated person. The CCO will report all waivers of or exceptions to the Policies to the Board at their next meeting. The Board may impose additional restrictions on the disclosure of portfolio holdings information at any time.
The Policies are designed to provide useful information concerning the Fund to existing and prospective Fund shareholders while at the same time inhibiting the improper use of portfolio holdings information in trading Fund shares and/or portfolio securities held by the Fund and the Portfolio . However, there can be no assurance that the provision of any portfolio holdings information is not susceptible to inappropriate uses (such as the development of market timing models), particularly in the hands of highly sophisticated investors, or that it will not in fact be used in such ways beyond the control of the Fund.
TAXES
The following is a summary of some of the tax consequences affecting the Fund and its shareholders. The summary does not address all of the special tax rules applicable to certain classes of investors, such as individual retirement accounts and employer sponsored retirement plans, tax-exempt entities, foreign investors, insurance companies and financial institutions. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors with respect to special tax rules that may apply in their particular situations, as well as the federal, state, local, and, where applicable, foreign tax consequences of investing in the Fund.
Taxation of the Fund. The Fund, as a series of the Trust, is treated as a separate entity for federal income tax purposes. The Fund has elected to be treated and intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company (RIC) under Subchapter M of the Code. Accordingly, the Fund intends to satisfy certain requirements relating to sources of its income and diversification of its assets and to distribute substantially all of its net investment income (including tax-exempt income, if any) 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 tax. Based on advice of counsel, the Fund will not recognize gain or loss on its distribution of appreciated securities in shareholder-initiated redemptions of its shares. If the Fund qualifies for treatment as a RIC and satisfies the above-mentioned distribution requirements, it will not be subject to federal income tax on income paid to its shareholders in the form of dividends or capital gain distributions. The Fund qualified as a RIC for its most recent fiscal year.
The Fund also seeks to avoid payment of federal excise tax. However, if the Fund fails to distribute in a calendar year substantially all of its ordinary income for such year and substantially all of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 (or later if the Fund is permitted to so elect and so elects), plus any retained amount from the prior year, the Fund will be subject to a 4% excise tax on the undistributed amounts. In order to avoid incurring a federal excise tax obligation, the Code requires that the Fund distributes (or be deemed to have distributed) by December 31 of each calendar year (i) at least 98% of its ordinary income (excluding tax-exempt income, if any) for such year, (ii) at least 98.2% of its capital gain net income (which is the excess of its realized capital gains over its realized capital losses), 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, and (iii) 100% of any income and capital gains from the prior year (as previously computed) that was not paid out during such year and on which the Fund paid no federal income tax. If the Fund fails to meet these requirements it will be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax on the undistributed amounts. Under current law, provided that the Fund qualifies as a RIC (and, where applicable, the Portfolio is treated as a partnership for Massachusetts and federal tax purposes), the Fund should not be liable for any income, corporate excise or franchise tax in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
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If the Fund does not qualify as a RIC for any taxable year, the Funds taxable income will be subject to corporate income taxes, and all distributions from earnings and profits, including distributions of tax-exempt income and net capital gain (if any), will be taxable to the shareholder as dividend income. However, such distributions may be eligible (i) to be treated as qualified dividend income in the case of shareholders taxed as individuals and (ii) for the dividends-received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. In addition, in order to re-qualify for taxation as a RIC, the Fund may be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions.
In certain situations, the Fund may, for a taxable year, elect to defer all or a portion of its net capital losses (or if there is no net capital loss, then any net long-term or short-term capital loss) realized after October and its late-year ordinary losses (defined as the sum of the excess of post-October foreign currency and passive foreign investment company (PFIC) losses over post-October foreign currency and PFIC gains plus the excess of post-December ordinary losses over post-December ordinary income) realized after December until the next taxable year in computing its investment company taxable income and net capital gain, which will defer the recognition of such realized losses. Such deferrals and other rules regarding gains and losses realized after October (or December) may affect the tax character of shareholder distributions.
The Code contains a provision codifying the judicial economic substance doctrine, which has traditionally been used by courts to deny tax benefits for transactions that lack economic substance; a strict liability penalty is imposed for an understatement of tax liability due to a transactions lack of economic substance.
Taxation of the Portfolio. If the Fund invests its assets in the Portfolio, the Portfolio normally must satisfy the applicable source of income and asset diversification requirements in order for the Fund to also satisfy these requirements. For federal income tax purposes, the Portfolio intends to be treated as a partnership that is not a publicly traded partnership and, as a result, will not be subject to federal income tax. The Fund, as an investor in the Portfolio, will be required to take into account in determining its federal income tax liability its share of such Portfolios income, gains, losses, deductions and credits, without regard to whether it has received any distributions from such Portfolio. The Portfolio will allocate at least annually among its investors, including the Fund, the Portfolios net investment income, net realized capital gains and losses, and any other items of income, gain, loss, deduction or credit. For purposes of applying the requirements of the Code regarding qualification as a RIC, the Fund (i) will be deemed to own its proportionate share of each of the assets of the Portfolio and (ii) will be entitled to the gross income of the Portfolio attributable to such share. Under current law, provided that the Portfolio is treated as a partnership for Massachusetts and federal tax purposes, the Portfolio should not be liable for any income, corporate excise or franchise tax in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Taxation of the Subsidiary.
See the definition of Subsidiary under Definitions at the front of this SAI for information about whether any Fund and/or Portfolio (if applicable) described herein has established a Subsidiary.
The Subsidiary is classified as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As described in the prospectus, the Fund has either applied for or received from the IRS a private letter ruling or has received advice from counsel relating to the treatment of the income allocated to the Fund from the Subsidiary for purposes of the Funds status as a RIC under the Code. Foreign corporations, such as the Subsidiary, will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation unless they are deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business. It is expected that the Subsidiary will conduct it activities in a manner so as to meet the requirements of a safe harbor under Section 864(b)(2) of the Code under which the Subsidiary may engage in trading in stocks or securities or certain commodities without being deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business. However, if certain of the Subsidiary's activities were determined not to be of the type described in the safe harbor (which is not expected), then the activities of the Subsidiary may constitute a U.S. trade or business, and would be taxed as such.
The Subsidiary is treated as a controlled foreign corporation (CFC) for tax purposes and the Fund is treated as a U.S. shareholder of the Subsidiary. As a result, the Fund is required to include in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes all of the Subsidiary's subpart F income, whether or not such income is distributed by the Subsidiary. It is expected that all of the Subsidiary's income will be subpart F income. The Funds recognition of the Subsidiary's subpart F income will increase the Funds tax basis in the Subsidiary. Distributions by the Subsidiary to the Fund will be tax-free, to the extent of its previously undistributed subpart F income, and will correspondingly reduce the Fund's tax basis in the Subsidiary. Subpart F income is generally treated as ordinary income, regardless of the character of the Subsidiary's underlying income. If a net loss is realized by the Subsidiary, such loss is not generally available to offset the income earned by the Fund.
Tax Consequences of Certain Investments. The following summary of the tax consequences of certain types of investments applies to the Fund and the Portfolio, as appropriate. References in the following summary to the Fund are to any Fund or Portfolio that can engage in the particular practice as described in the prospectus or SAI.
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Securities Acquired at Market Discount or with Original Issue Discount. Investment in securities acquired at a market discount, or in zero coupon, deferred interest, payment-in-kind and certain other securities with original issue discount, generally may cause the Fund to realize income prior to the receipt of cash payments with respect to these securities. Such income will be accrued daily by the Fund and, in order to avoid a tax payable by the Fund, the Fund may be required to liquidate securities that it might otherwise have continued to hold in order to generate cash so that the Fund may make required distributions to its shareholders. The Fund may elect to accrue market discount income on a daily basis.
Lower Rated or Defaulted Securities. Investments in securities that are at risk of, or are in, default present special tax issues for the Fund. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless securities and how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income.
Municipal Obligations. Any recognized gain or income attributable to market discount on long-term tax-exempt municipal obligations (i.e., obligations with a term of more than one year) purchased after April 30, 1993 (except to the extent of a portion of the discount attributable to original issue discount), 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.
From time to time proposals have been introduced before Congress for the purpose of restricting or eliminating the federal income tax exemption for interest on certain types of municipal obligations, and it can be expected that similar proposals may be introduced in the future. As a result of any such future legislation, the availability of municipal obligations for investment by the Fund and the value of the securities held by it may be affected. It is possible that events occurring after the date of issuance of municipal obligations, or after the Funds acquisition of such an obligation, may result in a determination that the interest paid on that obligation is taxable, even retroactively.
If the Fund seeks income exempt from state and/or local taxes, information about such taxes is contained in an appendix to this SAI (see the Table of Contents).
Tax Credit Bonds. If the Fund holds, directly or indirectly, one or more tax credit bonds (including Build America Bonds, clean renewable energy bonds and other qualified tax credit bonds) on one or more applicable dates during a taxable year and the Fund satisfies the minimum distribution requirement, the Fund may elect to permit its shareholders to claim a tax credit on their income tax returns equal to each shareholders proportionate share of tax credits from the applicable bonds that otherwise would be allowed to the Fund. In such a case, shareholders must include in gross income (as interest) their proportionate share of the income attributable to their proportionate share of those offsetting tax credits. A shareholders ability to claim a tax credit associated with one or more tax credit bonds may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code. Even if the Fund is eligible to pass through tax credits to shareholders, the Fund may choose not to do so.
Derivatives. The Funds investments in options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts (to the extent permitted) and certain other transactions may 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 Fund, defer Fund losses, cause adjustments in the holding periods of Fund securities, 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 Fund distributions.
Investments in so-called section 1256 contracts, such as regulated futures contracts, most foreign currency forward contracts traded in the interbank market and options on most stock indices, are subject to special tax rules. All section 1256 contracts held by the Fund at the end of its taxable year are required to be marked to their market value, and any unrealized gain or loss on those positions will be included in the Funds income as if each position had been sold for its fair market value at the end of the taxable year. The resulting gain or loss will be combined with any gain or loss realized by the Fund from positions in section 1256 contracts closed during the taxable year. Provided such positions were held as capital assets and were not part of a hedging transaction nor part of a straddle, 60% of the resulting net gain or loss will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and 40% of such net gain or loss will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss, regardless of the period of time the positions were actually held by the Fund. Unless an election is made, net 1256 gain or loss on forward currency contracts will be treated as ordinary income or loss.
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Fund positions in index options that do not qualify as section 1256 contracts under the Code generally will be treated as equity options governed by Code Section 1234. Pursuant to Code Section 1234, if a written option expires unexercised, the premium received is short-term capital gain to the Fund. If the Fund enters into a closing transaction with respect to a written option, the difference between the premium received and the amount paid to close out its position is short-term capital gain or loss. If an option written by the Fund that is not a section 1256 contract is cash settled, any resulting gain or loss will be short-term capital gain. For an option purchased by the Fund that is not a section 1256 contract, any gain or loss resulting from sale of the option will be a capital gain or loss, and will be short-term or long-term, depending upon the holding period for the option. If the option expires, the resulting loss is a capital loss and is short-term or long-term, depending upon the holding period for the option. If a put option written by the Fund is exercised and physically settled, the premium received is treated as a reduction in the amount paid to acquire the underlying securities, increasing the gain or decreasing the loss to be realized by the Fund upon sale of the securities. If a call option written by the Fund is exercised and physically settled, the premium received is included in the sale proceeds, increasing the gain or decreasing the loss realized by the Fund at the time of option exercise.
As a result of entering into swap contracts, the Fund may make or receive periodic net payments. The Fund may also make or receive a payment when a swap is terminated prior to maturity through an assignment of the swap or other closing transaction. Periodic net payments will generally constitute ordinary income or deductions, while termination of a swap will generally result in capital gain or loss (which will be a long-term capital gain or loss if the Fund has been a party to a swap for more than one year). With respect to certain types of swaps, the Fund may be required to currently recognize income or loss with respect to future payments on such swaps or may elect under certain circumstances to mark such swaps to market annually for tax purposes as ordinary income or loss.
Short Sales. In general, gain or loss on a short sale is recognized when the Fund closes the sale by delivering the borrowed property to the lender, not when the borrowed property is sold. Gain or loss from a short sale is generally considered to be capital gain or loss to the extent that the property used to close the short sale constitutes a capital asset in the Funds hands. Except with respect to certain situations where the property used to close a short sale has a long-term holding period on the date of the short sale, special rules generally treat the gains on short sales as short-term capital gains. These rules may also terminate the running of the holding period of substantially identical property held by the Fund. Moreover, a loss on a short sale will be treated as a long-term capital loss if, on the date of the short sale, substantially identical property has been held by the Fund for more than one year. In general, the Fund will not be permitted to deduct payments made to reimburse the lender of securities for dividends paid on borrowed stock if the short sale is closed on or before the 45th day after the short sale is entered.
Constructive Sales. The Fund may recognize gain (but not loss) from a constructive sale of certain appreciated financial positions if the Fund enters into a short sale, offsetting notional principal contract, or forward contract transaction with respect to the appreciated position or substantially identical property. Appreciated financial positions subject to this constructive sale treatment include interests (including options and forward contracts and short sales) in stock and certain other instruments. Constructive sale treatment does not apply if the transaction is closed out not later than thirty days after the end of the taxable year in which the transaction was initiated, and the underlying appreciated securities position is held unhedged for at least the next sixty days after the hedging transaction is closed.
Gain or loss on a short sale will generally not be realized until such time as the short sale is closed. However, as described above in the discussion of constructive sales, if the Fund holds a short sale position with respect to securities that have appreciated in value, and it then acquires property that is the same as or substantially identical to the property sold short, the Fund generally will recognize gain on the date it acquires such property as if the short sale were closed on such date with such property. Similarly, if the Fund holds an appreciated financial position with respect to securities and then enters into a short sale with respect to the same or substantially identical property, the Fund generally will recognize gain as if the appreciated financial position were sold at its fair market value on the date it enters into the short sale. The subsequent holding period for any appreciated financial position that is subject to these constructive sale rules will be determined as if such position were acquired on the date of the constructive sale.
Foreign Investments and Currencies. The Funds investments in foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes or other foreign taxes with respect to income (possibly including, in some cases, capital gains), which would decrease the Funds income on such securities. These taxes may be reduced or eliminated under the terms of an applicable U.S. income tax treaty. If more than 50% of Fund assets at year end consists of the debt and equity securities of foreign corporations, the Fund may elect to permit shareholders to claim a credit or deduction on their income tax returns for their pro rata portion of qualified taxes paid by the Fund to foreign countries. If the election is made, shareholders will include in gross income from foreign sources their pro rata share of such taxes. A shareholders ability to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by the Fund may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code (including a holding period requirement applied at both the Fund and shareholder level), as a result of which a shareholder may not get a full credit or deduction for the amount of such taxes. In particular, the Fund must own the dividend-paying stock for more than 15 days during the 31-day period beginning 15 days prior to the ex-dividend date. Likewise, shareholders must hold their Fund shares (without protection from risk or loss) on
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the ex-dividend date and for at least 15 additional days during the 31-day period beginning 15 days prior to the ex-dividend date to be eligible to claim the foreign tax with respect to a given dividend. Shareholders who do not itemize deductions on their federal income tax returns may claim a credit (but no deduction) for such taxes. Individual shareholders subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT) may not deduct such taxes for AMT purposes.
Transactions in foreign currencies, foreign currency-denominated debt securities and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts, forward contracts and similar instruments (to the extent permitted) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency. Under Section 988 of the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time the Fund accrues income or receivables or expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund actually collects such income or pays such liabilities are generally treated as ordinary income or ordinary loss.
Investments in PFICs could subject the Fund to U.S. federal income tax or other charges on certain distributions from such companies and on disposition of investments in such companies; however, the tax effects of such investments may be mitigated by making an election to mark such investments to market annually or treat the PFIC as a qualified electing fund. If the Fund were to invest in a PFIC and elect to treat the PFIC as a qualified electing fund under the Code, the Fund might be required to include in income each year a portion of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the qualified electing fund, even if not distributed to the Fund, and such amounts would be subject to the distribution requirements described above. In order to make this election, the Fund would be required to obtain certain annual information from the PFICs in which it invests, which may be difficult or impossible to obtain. Alternatively, if the Fund were to make a mark-to-market election with respect to a PFIC, the Fund would be treated as if it had sold and repurchased the PFIC stock at the end of each year. In such case, the Fund would report any such gains as ordinary income and would deduct any such losses as ordinary losses to the extent of previously recognized gains. This election must be made separately for each PFIC, and once made, would be effective for all subsequent taxable years unless revoked with the consent of the IRS. The Fund may be required to recognize income in excess of the distributions it receives from PFICs and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock in any particular year. As a result, the Fund may have to distribute this phantom income and gain to satisfy the distribution requirement and to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax.
U.S. Government Securities. Distributions paid by the Fund that are derived from interest on obligations of the U.S. Government and certain of its agencies and instrumentalities (but generally not distributions of capital gains realized upon the disposition of such obligations) may be exempt from state and local income taxes. The Fund generally intends to advise shareholders of the extent, if any, to which its distributions consist of such interest. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisers regarding the possible exclusion of such portion of their dividends for state and local income tax purposes.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Any investment by the Fund in equity securities of a REIT qualifying as such under Subchapter M of the Code may result in the Funds receipt of cash in excess of the REITs earnings; if the Fund distributes these amounts, these distributions could constitute a return of capital to Fund shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Investments in REIT equity securities also may require the Fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received. To generate sufficient cash to make the requisite distributions, the Fund may be required to sell securities in its portfolio (including when it is not advantageous to do so) that it otherwise would have continued to hold. Dividends received by the Fund from a REIT will not qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction and generally will not constitute qualified dividend income.
Inflation-Indexed Bonds. Periodic adjustments for inflation to the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond may give rise to original issue discount, which will be includable in the Funds gross income (see Securities Acquired at Market Discount or with Original Issue Discount above). Also, if the principal value of an inflation-indexed bond is adjusted downward due to inflation, amounts previously distributed in the taxable year may be characterized in some circumstances as a return of capital (see Taxation of Fund Shareholders below).
Taxation of Fund Shareholders. Subject to the discussion of distributions of tax-exempt income below, Fund distributions of investment income and net gains from investments held for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income. Fund distributions of any net gains from investments held for more than one year are taxable as long-term capital gains. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated the gains, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares in the Fund. Dividends and distributions on the Funds shares are generally subject to federal income tax as described herein to the extent they are made out of the Funds earnings and profits, even though such dividends and distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholders investment. Such distributions are likely to occur in respect of shares purchased at a time when the Funds 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 Funds net asset value also reflects unrealized losses.
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Distributions paid by the Fund during any period may be more or less than the amount of net investment income and capital gains actually earned during the period. If the Fund makes a distribution to a shareholder in excess of the Funds current and accumulated earnings and profits in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital. A return of capital is not taxable, but it reduces a shareholders tax basis in its shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its shares. A shareholders tax basis cannot go below zero and any return of capital distributions in excess of a shareholders tax basis will be treated as capital gain.
Ordinarily, shareholders are required to take taxable distributions by the Fund into account in the year in which the distributions are made. However, for federal income tax purposes, dividends that are declared by the Fund in October, November or December as of a record date in such month and actually paid in January of the following year will be treated as if they were paid on December 31 of the year declared. Therefore, such dividends will generally be taxable to a shareholder in the year declared rather than in the year paid.
The amount of distributions payable by the Fund may vary depending on general economic and market conditions, the composition of investments, current management strategy and Fund operating expenses. The Fund will inform shareholders of the tax character of distributions annually to facilitate shareholder tax reporting.
The Fund may elect to retain its net capital gain, in which case the Fund will be taxed thereon (except to the extent of any available capital loss carryovers) at the 35% corporate tax rate. In such a case, it is expected that the Fund also will elect to have shareholders of record on the last day of its taxable year treated as if each received a distribution of its pro rata share of such gain, with the result that each shareholder will be required to report its pro rata share of such gain on its tax return as long-term capital gain, will receive a refundable tax credit for its pro rata share of tax paid by the Fund on the gain, and will increase the tax basis for its shares by an amount equal to the deemed distribution less the tax credit.
Any Fund distribution, other than dividends that are declared by the Fund on a daily basis, will have the effect of reducing the per share net asset value of Fund shares by the amount of the distribution. If a shareholder buys shares when the Fund has unrealized or realized but not yet distributed ordinary income or capital gains, the shareholder will pay full price for the shares and then may receive a portion back as a taxable distribution even though such distribution may economically represent a return of the shareholders investment.
Tax-Exempt Income. Distributions by the Fund of net tax-exempt interest income that are properly reported as exempt-interest dividends may be treated by shareholders as interest excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes under Section 103(a) of the Code. In order for the Fund to be entitled to pay the tax-exempt interest income as exempt-interest dividends to its shareholders, the Fund must satisfy certain requirements, including the requirement that, at the close of each quarter of its taxable year, at least 50% of the value of its total assets consists of obligations the interest on which is exempt from regular federal income tax under Code Section 103(a). Interest on certain municipal obligations may be taxable for purposes of the federal AMT and for state and local purposes. In addition, corporate shareholders must include the full amount of exempt-interest dividends in computing the preference items for the purposes of the AMT. Fund shareholders are required to report tax-exempt interest on their federal income tax returns.
Tax-exempt distributions received from the Fund are taken into account in determining, and may increase, the portion of social security and certain railroad retirement benefits that may be subject to federal income tax. Interest on indebtedness incurred by a shareholder to purchase or carry Fund shares that distributes exempt-interest dividends will not be deductible for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If a shareholder receives exempt interest dividends with respect to any Fund share and if the share is held by the shareholder for six months or less, then any loss on the sale or exchange of the share may, to the extent of the exempt-interest dividends, be disallowed. Furthermore, a portion of any exempt-interest dividend paid by the Fund that represents income derived from certain revenue or private activity bonds held by the Fund may not retain its tax-exempt status in the hands of a shareholder who is a substantial user of a facility financed by such bonds, or a related person thereof. In addition, the receipt of dividends and distributions from the Fund may affect a foreign corporate shareholders federal branch profits tax liability and the federal excess net passive income tax liability of a shareholder of a Subchapter S corporation. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors as to whether they are (i) substantial users with respect to a facility or related to such users within the meaning of the Code or (ii) subject to a federal alternative minimum tax, the federal branch profits tax, or the federal excess net passive income tax.
Qualified Dividend Income. Qualified dividend income received by an individual is taxed at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain (currently at a maximum rate of 20% plus a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax). In order for a dividend received by Fund shareholders to be qualified dividend income, the Fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the dividend-paying stock in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Funds shares. A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (at either the Fund or shareholder level) (1) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning at the date which is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, in the case
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of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date), (2) to the extent that the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, (3) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment interest, or (4) if the dividend is received from a foreign corporation that is (a) not eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the U.S. (with the exception of dividends paid on stock of such a foreign corporation readily tradable on an established securities market in the U.S.) or (b) treated as a passive foreign investment company. Payments in lieu of dividends, such as payments pursuant to securities lending arrangements, also do not qualify to be treated as qualified dividend income. In general, distributions of investment income reported by the Fund as derived from qualified dividend income will be treated as qualified dividend income by a shareholder taxed as an individual provided the shareholder meets the holding period and other requirements described above with respect to the Funds shares. In any event, if the aggregate qualified dividends received by the Fund during any taxable year are 95% or more of its gross income, then 100% of the Funds dividends (other than properly reported capital gain dividends) will be eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income. For this purpose, the only gain with respect to the sale of stocks and securities included in the term gross income is the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss.
Dividends Received Deduction for Corporations. A portion of distributions made by the Fund which are derived from dividends from U.S. corporations may qualify for the dividends-received deduction (DRD) for corporations. The DRD is reduced to the extent the Fund shares with respect to which the dividends are received are treated as debt-financed under the Code and is eliminated if the shares are deemed to have been held for less than a minimum period, generally more than 45 days during the 91-day period beginning 45 days before the ex-dividend date or if the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property. Receipt of certain distributions qualifying for the DRD may result in reduction of the tax basis of the corporate shareholders shares. Distributions eligible for the DRD may give rise to or increase the alternative minimum tax for certain corporations. Payments in lieu of dividends, such as payments pursuant to securities lending arrangements, also do not qualify for the DRD.
Recognition of Unrelated Business Taxable Income by Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Under current law, tax-exempt investors generally will not recognize unrelated business taxable income (UBTI) from distributions from the Fund. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a tax-exempt shareholder could recognize UBTI if shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of a tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code section 514(b). In addition, certain types of income received by the Fund from REITs, real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs), taxable mortgage pools or other investments may cause the Fund to designate some or all of its distributions as excess inclusion income. To Fund shareholders such excess inclusion income may: (1) constitute taxable income as UBTI for those shareholders who would otherwise be tax-exempt such as individual retirement accounts, employer sponsored retirement plans and certain charitable entities; (2) not be offset by otherwise allowable deductions for tax purposes; (3) not be eligible for reduced U.S. withholding for non-U.S. shareholders even from tax treaty countries; and (4) cause the Fund to be subject to tax if certain disqualified organizations as defined by the Code are Fund shareholders.
Sale
or Exchange of Fund Shares.
Generally, upon
the
sale or
(if permitted)
exchange of Fund shares, a shareholder will realize a taxable gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized and the
shareholders
basis in the shares. Such gain or loss will be treated as capital gain or loss if the shares are capital assets in the shareholders hands, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for more than one year, and short-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for one year or less.
Any loss realized upon the sale or
other disposition
of Fund shares with a tax holding period of six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any
Fund
distributions treated as long-term capital gain with respect to such shares. In addition, all or a portion of a loss realized on a
sale
or other disposition of Fund shares may be disallowed under wash sale rules to the extent the shareholder acquired other shares of the same Fund (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 shareholders tax basis in some or all of the other shares acquired.
See the prospectus for information regarding any permitted exchange of Fund shares.
Sales charges paid upon a purchase of shares subject to a front-end sales charge cannot be taken into account for purposes of determining gain or loss on a redemption or exchange 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 Fund shares (or shares of another fund) on or before January 31 of the following calendar year pursuant to the reinvestment or exchange privilege. Any disregarded amounts will result in an adjustment to the shareholders tax basis in some or all of any other shares acquired.
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Applicability of Medicare Contribution Tax. The Code imposes a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on unearned income of certain U.S. individuals, estates and trusts. For individuals, the tax is on the lesser of the net investment income and the excess of modified adjusted gross income over $200,000 (or $250,000 if married filing jointly). Net investment income includes, among other things, interest, dividends, and gross income and capital gains derived from passive activities and trading in securities or commodities. Net investment income is reduced by deductions properly allocable to this income.
Back-Up Withholding for U.S. Shareholders. Amounts paid by the Fund to individuals and certain other shareholders who have not provided the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) and certain certifications required by the IRS as well as shareholders with respect to whom the Fund has received certain information from the IRS or a broker, may be subject to backup withholding of federal income tax arising from the Funds taxable dividends and other distributions as well as the proceeds of redemption transactions (including repurchases and exchanges), at a rate of 28%. An individuals TIN is generally his or her social security number. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against a shareholders U.S. federal income tax liability.
Taxation of Foreign Shareholders. In general, dividends (other than capital gain dividends and exempt-interest dividends) paid to a shareholder that is not a U.S. person within the meaning of the Code (a foreign person or foreign shareholder) are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate). The withholding tax does not apply to regular dividends paid to a foreign person who provides an IRS Form W-8ECI, certifying that the dividends are effectively connected with the foreign persons conduct of a trade or business within the United States. Instead, the effectively connected dividends will be subject to regular U.S. income tax as if the foreign person were a U.S. shareholder. A non-U.S. corporation receiving effectively connected dividends may also be subject to additional branch profits tax imposed at a rate of 30% (or lower treaty rate). A foreign person who fails to provide an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E, or other applicable form may be subject to backup withholding at the appropriate rate. A foreign shareholder would generally be exempt from U.S. federal income tax, including withholding tax, on gains realized on the sale of shares of the Fund, net capital gain dividends, exempt interest dividends, and amounts retained by the Fund that are reported as undistributed capital gains.
Properly reported dividends are generally exempt from U.S. federal withholding tax where they (i) are paid in respect of the Funds qualified net interest income (generally, the Funds U.S. source interest income, other than certain contingent interest and interest from obligations of a corporation or partnership in which the Fund is at least a 10% shareholder, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income) or (ii) are paid in respect of the Funds qualified short-term capital gains (generally, the excess of the Funds net short-term capital gain over the Funds long-term capital loss for such taxable year). However, depending on its circumstances, the Fund may report all, some or none of its potentially eligible dividends as such qualified net interest income or as qualified short-term capital gains and/or treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible for this exemption from withholding. In order to qualify for this exemption from withholding, a non-U.S. shareholder would need to comply with applicable certification requirements relating to its non-U.S. status (including, in general, furnishing an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E, or substitute Form). In the case of shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary could withhold even if the Fund designates the payment as qualified net interest income or qualified short-term capital gain. Non-U.S. shareholders should contact their intermediaries with respect to the application of these rules to their accounts.
Distributions that the Fund reports as short-term capital gain dividends or long-term capital gain dividends will not be treated as such to a recipient foreign shareholder if the distribution is attributable to gain from the sale or exchange of U.S. real property or an interest in a U.S. real property holding corporation and the Funds direct or indirect interests in U.S. real property exceeded certain levels. Instead, if the foreign shareholder has not owned more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Fund at any time during the one year period ending on the date of distribution, such distributions will be subject to 30% withholding by the Fund and will be treated as ordinary dividends to the foreign shareholder; if the foreign shareholder owned more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Fund at any time during the one year period ending on the date of the distribution, such distribution will be treated as real property gain subject to 35% withholding tax and could subject the foreign shareholder to U.S. filing requirements. The rules described in this paragraph, other than the withholding rules, will apply notwithstanding the Funds participation or a foreign shareholders participation in a wash sale transaction or the payment of a substitute dividend.
Additionally, if the Funds direct or indirect interests in U.S. real property were to exceed certain levels, a foreign shareholder realizing gains upon redemption from the Fund could be subject to the 35% withholding tax and U.S. filing requirements unless the foreign person had not held more than 5% of the Funds outstanding shares throughout either such persons holding period for the redeemed shares or, if shorter, the previous five years,
50% or more of the value of the Funds shares were held by U.S. entities.
The same rules apply with respect to distributions to a foreign shareholder from the Fund and redemptions of a foreign shareholders interest in the Fund attributable to a REITs distribution to the Fund of gain from the sale or exchange of U.S. real property or an interest in a U.S. real property holding corporation, if the Funds direct or indirect interests in U.S. real property were to exceed certain levels.
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Provided that 50% or more of the value of the Funds stock is held by U.S. shareholders, distributions of U.S. real property interests (including securities in a U.S. real property holding corporation, unless such corporation is regularly traded on an established securities market and the Fund has held 5% or less of the outstanding shares of the corporation during the five-year period ending on the date of distribution
),
in redemption of a foreign shareholders shares of the Fund will cause the Fund to recognize gain. If the Fund is required to recognize gain, the amount of gain recognized will be equal to the fair market value of such interests over the Funds adjusted basis to the extent of the greatest foreign ownership percentage of the Fund during the five-year period ending on the date of redemption.
In the case of foreign non-corporate shareholders, the Fund may be required to backup withhold U.S. federal income tax on distributions that are otherwise exempt from withholding tax unless such shareholders furnish the Fund with proper notification of their foreign status.
Shares of the Fund held by a non-U.S. shareholder at death will be considered situated within the United States and subject to the U.S. estate tax.
Compliance with the HIRE Act.
A 30% withholding tax is imposed on U.S.-source dividends, interest and other income items, including those paid by the Fund and, after December 31, 2018, will be imposed on proceeds from the sale of property producing U.S.-source dividends, including
shares
in the Fund,
paid
to (i) foreign financial institutions including non-U.S. investment funds unless they agree to collect and disclose to the IRS information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. account holders and (ii) certain other foreign entities, unless they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners. To avoid withholding, foreign financial institutions will need to either enter into agreements with the IRS that state that they will provide the IRS information, including the names, addresses and taxpayer identification numbers of direct and indirect U.S. account holders, comply with due diligence procedures with respect to the identification of U.S. accounts, report to the IRS certain information with respect to U.S. accounts maintained, agree to withhold tax on certain payments made to non-compliant foreign financial institutions or to account holders who fail to provide the required information, and determine certain other information as to their account holders or, in the event that an applicable intergovernmental agreement and implementing legislation are adopted, agree to provide certain information to other revenue authorities for transmittal to the IRS. Other foreign entities will need to either provide the name, address, and taxpayer identification number of each substantial U.S. owner or certifications of no substantial U.S. ownership unless certain exceptions apply or agree to provide certain information to other revenue authorities for transmittal to the IRS. Non-U.S. shareholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the possible implications of these requirements on their investment in the Fund.
Requirements of Form 8886. Under Treasury Regulations, if a shareholder realizes a loss on disposition of the Funds shares of at least $2 million in any single taxable year or $4 million in any combination of taxable years for an individual shareholder or at least $10 million in any single taxable year or $20 million in any combination of taxable years for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayers treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances. Under certain circumstances, certain tax-exempt entities and their managers may be subject to excise tax if they are parties to certain reportable transactions.
Other Taxes. Dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds may also be subject to additional state, local and foreign taxes depending on each shareholders particular situation.
Changes in Taxation. The taxation of the Fund, the Portfolio, the Subsidiary and shareholders may be adversely affected by future legislation, Treasury Regulations, IRS revenue procedures and/or guidance issued by the IRS.
PORTFOLIO SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS
Decisions concerning the execution of portfolio security transactions, including the selection of the market and the broker-dealer firm, are made by the investment adviser. The Fund is responsible for the expenses associated with its portfolio transactions. The investment adviser is also responsible for the execution of transactions for all other accounts managed by it. The investment adviser places the portfolio security transactions for execution with one or more broker-dealer firms. The investment adviser uses its best efforts to obtain execution of portfolio security transactions at prices which in the investment advisers judgment are advantageous to the client and at a reasonably competitive spread or (when a disclosed commission is being charged) at reasonably competitive commission rates. In seeking such execution, the investment 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 broker-dealer firms services, responsiveness of the firm to the investment 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 broker-dealer firm, the reputation,
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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 amount of the spread or commission, if any. In addition, the investment adviser may consider the receipt of Research Services (as defined below), provided it does not compromise the investment advisers obligation to seek best overall execution for the Fund and is otherwise in compliance with applicable law. The investment adviser may engage in portfolio brokerage transactions with a broker-dealer firm that sells shares of Eaton Vance funds, provided such transactions are not directed to that firm as compensation for the promotion or sale of such shares.
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 including transactions in fixed-income securities which are generally purchased and sold on a net basis (i.e., without commission) through broker-dealers and banks acting for their own account rather than as brokers. Such firms attempt to profit from such transactions by buying at the bid price and selling at the higher asked price of the market for such obligations, and the difference between the bid and asked price is customarily referred to as the spread. Fixed-income transactions may also be transactions directly with the issuer of the obligations. In an underwritten offering the price paid often includes a disclosed fixed commission or discount retained by the underwriter or dealer. Although spreads or commissions paid on portfolio security transactions will, in the judgment of the investment adviser, be reasonable in relation to the value of the services provided, commissions exceeding those which another firm might charge may be paid to broker-dealers who were selected to execute transactions on behalf of the investment advisers clients in part for providing brokerage and research services to the investment adviser as permitted by applicable law.
Pursuant to the safe harbor provided in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Section 28(e)) and to the extent permitted by other applicable law, a broker or dealer who executes a portfolio transaction on behalf of the investment adviser client 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 investment 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 either that particular transaction or on the basis of the overall responsibility which the investment adviser and its affiliates have for accounts over which they exercise investment discretion. Research Services as used herein includes any and all brokerage and research services to the extent permitted by Section 28(e) and other applicable law. Generally, Research Services may include, but are not limited to, such matters as research, analytical and quotation services, data, information and other services products and materials which assist the investment adviser in the performance of its investment responsibilities. More specifically, Research Services may include general economic, political, business and market information, industry and company reviews, evaluations of securities and portfolio strategies and transactions, technical analysis of various aspects of the securities markets, recommendations as to the purchase and sale of securities and other portfolio transactions, certain financial, industry and trade publications, certain news and information services, and certain research oriented computer software, data bases and services. Any particular Research Service obtained through a broker-dealer may be used by the investment adviser in connection with client accounts other than those accounts which pay commissions to such broker-dealer, to the extent permitted by applicable law. Any such Research Service may be broadly useful and of value to the investment 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 clients 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 investment adviser evaluates the nature and quality of the various Research Services obtained through broker-dealer firms and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, may attempt to allocate sufficient portfolio security transactions to such firms to ensure the continued receipt of Research Services which the investment adviser believes are useful or of value to it in rendering investment advisory services to its clients. The investment adviser may also receive brokerage and Research Services from underwriters and dealers in fixed-price offerings, when permitted under applicable law.
Research Services provided by (and produced by) broker-dealers that execute portfolio transactions or from affiliates of executing broker-dealers are referred to as Proprietary Research. Except for trades executed in jurisdictions where such consideration is not permissible, the investment adviser may and does consider the receipt of Proprietary Research Services as a factor in selecting broker dealers to execute client portfolio transactions, provided it does not compromise the investment advisers obligation to seek best overall execution. In jurisdictions where permissible, the investment adviser also may consider the receipt of Research Services under so called client commission arrangements or commission sharing arrangements (both referred to as CCAs) as a factor in selecting broker dealers to execute transactions, provided it does not compromise the investment advisers obligation to seek best overall execution. Under a CCA arrangement, the investment adviser may cause client accounts to effect transactions through a broker-dealer and request that the broker-dealer allocate a portion of the commissions paid on those transactions to a pool of commission credits that are paid to other firms that provide Research Services to the investment adviser. Under a CCA, the broker-dealer that provides the Research Services need not execute the trade. Participating in CCAs
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may enable the investment adviser to consolidate payments for research using accumulated client commission credits from transactions executed through a particular broker-dealer to periodically pay for Research Services obtained from and provided by other firms, including other broker-dealers that supply Research Services. The investment adviser believes that CCAs offer the potential to optimize the execution of trades and the acquisition of a variety of high quality Research Services that the investment adviser might not be provided access to absent CCAs. The investment adviser will only enter into and utilize CCAs to the extent permitted by Section 28(e) and other applicable law.
The investment companies sponsored by the investment adviser or its affiliates also may allocate brokerage commissions to acquire information relating to the performance, fees and expenses of such companies and other investment companies, which information is used by the members of the Board of such companies to fulfill their responsibility to oversee the quality of the services provided to various entities, including the investment adviser, to such companies. Such companies may also pay cash for such information.
Securities considered as investments for the Fund may also be appropriate for other investment accounts managed by the investment adviser or its affiliates. Whenever decisions are made to buy or sell securities by the Fund and one or more of such other accounts simultaneously, the investment adviser will allocate the security transactions (including new 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 Fund 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 investment 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 Fund from time to time, it is the opinion of the members of the Board that the benefits from the investment adviser organization outweigh any disadvantage that may arise from exposure to simultaneous transactions.
The following table shows brokerage commissions paid during periods indicated in each table, as well as the amount of Fund security transactions for the most recent fiscal year (if any) that were directed to firms that provided some Research Services to the investment adviser or its affiliates (see above), and the commissions paid in connection therewith.
During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the
Fund held
no
securities of its
“
regular brokers or dealers,
”
as that term is defined in Rule 10b-1 of the 1940 Act
.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial statements of, and the report of the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund appear in its annual report to shareholders and are incorporated by reference into this SAI. A copy of the annual report accompanies this SAI.
Householding. Consistent with applicable law, duplicate mailings of shareholder reports and certain other Fund information to shareholders residing at the same address may be eliminated.
Registrant incorporates by reference the audited financial information and the reports of the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund and Portfolio for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, as previously filed electronically with the SEC (Accession No. 0001193125-16-480335).
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
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Borrowing for Temporary Purposes |
The Fund may borrow for temporary purposes (such as to satisfy redemption requests, to remain fully invested in advance of the settlement of share purchases, and to settle transactions). The Funds ability to borrow is subject to its terms and conditions of its credit arrangements, which in some cases may limit the Funds ability to borrow under the arrangement. The Fund will be required to maintain a specified level of asset coverage with respect to all borrowings and may be required to sell some of its holdings to reduce debt and restore coverage at times when it may not be advantageous to do so. The rights of the lender to receive payments of interest and repayments of principal of any borrowings made by the Fund under a credit arrangement are senior to the rights of holders of shares, with respect to the payment of dividends or upon liquidation. In the event of a default under a credit arrangement, the lenders may have the right to cause a liquidation of the collateral (i.e., sell Fund assets) and, if any such default is not cured, the lenders may be able to control the liquidation as well. Credit arrangements are subject to annual renewal, which cannot be assured. If the Fund does not have the ability to borrow for temporary purposes, it may be required to sell securities at inopportune times to meet short-term liquidity needs. Because the Fund is a party to a joint credit arrangement, it may be unable to borrow some or all of its requested amounts at any particular time. Borrowings involve additional expense to the Fund. |
Build America Bonds |
Build America Bonds are taxable municipal obligations issued pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Act) or other legislation providing for the issuance of taxable municipal debt on which the issuer receives federal support. Enacted in February 2009, the Act authorizes state and local governments to issue taxable bonds on which, assuming certain specified conditions are satisfied, issuers may either (i) receive reimbursement from the U.S. Treasury with respect to its interest payments on the bonds (direct pay Build America Bonds); or (ii) provide tax credits to investors in the bonds (tax credit Build America Bonds). Unlike most other municipal obligations, interest received on Build America Bonds is subject to federal income tax and may be subject to state income tax. Under the terms of the Act, issuers of direct pay Build America Bonds are entitled to receive reimbursement from the U.S. Treasury currently equal to 35% (or 45% in the case of Recovery Zone Economic Development Bonds) of the interest paid. Holders of tax credit Build America Bonds can receive a federal tax credit currently equal to 35% of the coupon interest received. The Fund may invest in principal only strips of tax credit Build America Bonds, which entitle the holder to receive par value of such bonds if held to maturity. The Fund does not expect to receive (or pass through to shareholders) tax credits as a result of its investments. The federal interest subsidy or tax credit continues for the life of the bonds. Build America Bonds are an alternative form of financing to state and local governments whose primary means for accessing the capital markets has been through issuance of tax-free municipal bonds. Build America Bonds can appeal to a broader array of investors than the high income U.S. taxpayers that have traditionally provided the market for municipal bonds. Build America Bonds may provide a lower net cost of funds to issuers. Pursuant to the terms of the Act, the issuance of Build America Bonds ceased on December 31, 2010. As a result, the availability of such bonds is limited and the market for the bonds and/or their liquidity may be affected. |
Call and Put Features on Securities |
Issuers of securities may reserve the right to call (redeem) the securities. If an issuer redeems a security with a call right during a time of declining interest rates, the holder of the security may not be able to reinvest the proceeds in securities providing the same investment return as provided by the securities redeemed. Some securities may have put or demand features that allow early redemption by the holder. Longer term fixed-rate securities may give the holder a right to request redemption at certain times (often annually after the lapse of an intermediate term). This put or demand feature enhances a securitys liquidity by shortening its effective maturity and enables the security to trade at a price equal to or very close to par. If a demand feature terminates prior to being exercised, the holder of the security would be subject to the longer maturity of the security, which could experience substantially more volatility. Securities with a put or demand feature are more defensive than conventional long term securities (protecting to some degree against a rise in interest rates) while providing greater opportunity than comparable intermediate term securities, because they can be retained if interest rates decline. |
Cash Equivalents |
Cash equivalents include short term, high quality, U.S. dollar denominated instruments such as commercial paper, certificates of deposit and bankers acceptances issued by U.S. or foreign banks, and Treasury bills and other obligations with a maturity of one year or less, including those issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies and instrumentalities. See U.S. Government Securities below. Certificates of deposit are certificates issued against funds deposited in a commercial bank, are for a definite period of time, earn a specified rate of return, and are normally negotiable. Bankers acceptances are short-term credit instruments used to finance the import, export, transfer or storage of goods. They are termed accepted when a bank guarantees their payment at maturity. |
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Commodity-Related Investments |
The value of commodities investments will generally be affected by overall market movements and factors specific to a particular industry or commodity, which may include weather, embargoes, tariffs, and health, political, international and regulatory developments. Economic and other events (whether real or perceived) can reduce the demand for commodities, which may reduce market prices and cause the value of Fund shares to fall. The frequency and magnitude of such changes cannot be predicted. Exposure to commodities and commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. No active trading market may exist for certain commodities investments, which may impair the ability of the Fund to sell or to realize the full value of such investments in the event of the need to liquidate such investments. In addition, adverse market conditions may impair the liquidity of actively traded commodities investments. Certain types of commodities instruments (such as total return swaps and commodity-linked notes) are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the instrument will not perform or will be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument. To the extent commodity-related investments are held through the Subsidiary, the Subsidiary is not subject to U.S. laws (including securities laws) and their protections. The Subsidiary is subject to the laws of the Cayman Islands, a foreign jurisdiction, and can be affected by developments in that jurisdiction. |
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Certain commodities are subject to limited pricing flexibility because of supply and demand factors. Others are subject to broad price fluctuations as a result of the volatility of the prices for certain raw materials and the instability of supplies of other materials. These additional variables may create additional investment risks and result in greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The commodities that underlie commodity futures contracts and commodity swaps may be subject to additional economic and non-economic variables, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs, and international economic, political and regulatory developments. Unlike the financial futures markets, in the commodity futures markets there are costs of physical storage associated with purchasing the underlying commodity. The price of the commodity futures contract will reflect the storage costs of purchasing the physical commodity, including the time value of money invested in the physical commodity. To the extent that the storage costs for an underlying commodity change while the Fund is invested in futures contracts on that commodity, the value of the futures contract may change proportionately. |
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In the commodity futures markets, producers of the underlying commodity may decide to hedge the price risk of selling the commodity by selling futures contracts today to lock in the price of the commodity at delivery tomorrow. In order to induce speculators to purchase the other side of the same futures contract, the commodity producer generally must sell the futures contract at a lower price than the expected future spot price. Conversely, if most hedgers in the futures market are purchasing futures contracts to hedge against a rise in prices, then speculators will only sell the other side of the futures contract at a higher futures price than the expected future spot price of the commodity. The changing nature of the hedgers and speculators in the commodity markets will influence whether futures prices are above or below the expected future spot price, which can have significant implications for the Fund. If the nature of hedgers and speculators in futures markets has shifted when it is time for the Fund to reinvest the proceeds of a maturing contract in a new futures contract, the Fund might reinvest at higher or lower futures prices, or choose to pursue other investments. |
Common Stocks |
Common stock represents an equity ownership interest in the issuing corporation. Holders of common stock generally have voting rights in the issuer and are entitled to receive common stock dividends when, as and if declared by the corporations board of directors. Common stock normally occupies the most subordinated position in an issuers capital structure. Returns on common stock investments consist of any dividends received plus the amount of appreciation or depreciation in the value of the stock. |
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Although common stocks have historically generated higher average returns than fixed-income securities over the long term and particularly during periods of high or rising concerns about inflation, common stocks also have experienced significantly more volatility in returns and may not maintain their real value during inflationary periods. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of a particular common stock. Also, the prices of common stocks are sensitive to general movements in the stock market and a drop in the stock market may depress the price of common stocks. Common stock prices fluctuate for many reasons, including changes in investors perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant stock market, or when political or economic events affecting the issuer occur. In addition, common stock prices may be sensitive to rising interest rates as the costs of capital rise and borrowing costs increase. |
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Contingent Convertible Securities |
Contingent convertible securities (sometimes referred to as CoCos) are convertible securities with loss absorption characteristics. These securities provide for mandatory conversion into common stock of the issuer under certain circumstances. The mandatory conversion may be automatically triggered, for instance, if a company fails to meet the capital minimum with respect to the security, the companys regulator makes a determination that the security should convert or the company receives specified levels of extraordinary public support. Since the common stock of the issuer may not pay a dividend, investors in these instruments could experience a reduced income rate, potentially to zero; and conversion would deepen the subordination of the investor, hence worsening standing in a bankruptcy. In addition, some such instruments have a set stock conversion rate that would cause an automatic write-down of capital if the price of the stock is below the conversion price on the conversion date. Under similar circumstances, the liquidation value of certain types of contingent convertible securities may be adjusted downward to below the original par value. The write down of the par value would occur automatically and would not entitle the holders to seek bankruptcy of the company. In certain circumstances, contingent convertible securities may write down to zero and investors could lose the entire value of the investment, even as the issuer remains in business. CoCos may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a predetermined price. See also Hybrid Securities. |
Convertible Securities |
A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred security, or other security that entitles the holder to acquire common stock or other equity securities of the same or a different issuer. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued or the dividend paid on such security until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities have characteristics similar to nonconvertible income securities in that they ordinarily provide a stable stream of income with generally higher yields than those of common stocks of the same or similar issuers, but lower yields than comparable nonconvertible securities. The value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline. The credit standing of the issuer and other factors also may have an effect on the convertible securitys investment value. A convertible security ranks senior to common stock in a corporations capital structure but is usually subordinated to comparable nonconvertible securities. Convertible securities may be purchased for their appreciation potential when they yield more than the underlying securities at the time of purchase or when they are considered to present less risk of principal loss than the underlying securities. Generally speaking, the interest or dividend yield of a convertible security is somewhat less than that of a non-convertible security of similar quality issued by the same company. A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible securitys governing instrument. |
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Convertible securities are issued and traded in a number of securities markets. Even in cases where a substantial portion of the convertible securities held by the Fund are denominated in U.S. dollars, the underlying equity securities may be quoted in the currency of the country where the issuer is domiciled. As a result, fluctuations in the exchange rate between the currency in which the debt security is denominated and the currency in which the share price is quoted will affect the value of the convertible security. With respect to convertible securities denominated in a currency different from that of the underlying equity securities, the conversion price may be based on a fixed exchange rate established at the time the securities are issued, which may increase the effects of currency risk. |
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Holders of convertible securities generally have a claim on the assets of the issuer prior to the common stockholders but may be subordinated to other debt securities of the same issuer. Certain convertible debt securities may provide a put option to the holder, which entitles the holder to cause the securities to be redeemed by the issuer at a premium over the stated principal amount of the debt securities under certain circumstances. Certain convertible securities may include loss absorption characteristics that make the securities more equity-like. This is particularly true of convertible securities issued by companies in the financial services sector. See Contingent Convertible Securities. |
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Synthetic convertible securities may include either cash-settled convertibles or manufactured convertibles. Cash-settled convertibles are instruments that are created by the issuer and have the economic characteristics of traditional convertible securities but may not actually permit conversion into the underlying equity securities in all circumstances. As an example, a private company may issue a cash-settled convertible that is convertible into common stock only if the company successfully completes a public offering of its common stock prior to maturity and otherwise pays a cash amount to reflect any equity appreciation. Manufactured convertibles are created by the investment adviser or another party by combining separate securities that possess one of the two principal characteristics of a convertible security, i.e. , fixed-income (fixed-income component) or a right to acquire equity securities (convertibility component). The fixed-income component is achieved by investing in nonconvertible fixed-income securities, such as nonconvertible bonds, preferred securities and money market instruments. The convertibility component is achieved by investing in call options, warrants, or other securities with equity conversion features (equity features) granting the holder the right to purchase a specified quantity of the underlying stocks within a specified period of time at a specified price or, in the case of a stock index option, the right to receive a cash payment based on the value of the underlying stock index. A manufactured convertible differs from traditional convertible securities in several respects. Unlike a traditional convertible security, which is a single security that has a unitary market value, a manufactured convertible is comprised of two or more separate securities, each with its own market value. Therefore, the total market value of such a manufactured convertible is the sum of the values of its fixed-income component and its convertibility component. More flexibility is possible in the creation of a manufactured convertible than in the purchase of a traditional convertible security. Because many corporations have not issued convertible securities, the investment adviser may combine a fixed-income instrument and an equity feature with respect to the stock of the issuer of the fixed-income instrument to create a synthetic convertible security otherwise unavailable in the market. The investment adviser may also combine a fixed-income instrument of an issuer with an equity feature with respect to the stock of a different issuer when the investment adviser believes such a manufactured convertible would better promote the Funds objective than alternative investments. For example, the investment adviser may combine an equity feature with respect to an issuers stock with a fixed-income security of a different issuer in the same industry to diversify the Funds credit exposure, or with a U.S. Treasury instrument to create a manufactured convertible with a higher credit profile than a traditional convertible security issued by that issuer. A manufactured convertible also is a more flexible investment in that its two components may be purchased separately and, upon purchasing the separate securities, combined to create a manufactured convertible. For example, the Fund may purchase a warrant for eventual inclusion in a manufactured convertible while postponing the purchase of a suitable bond to pair with the warrant pending development of more favorable market conditions. The value of a manufactured convertible may respond to certain market fluctuations differently from a traditional convertible security with similar characteristics. For example, in the event the Fund created a manufactured convertible by combining a short-term U.S. Treasury instrument and a call option on a stock, the manufactured convertible would be expected to outperform a traditional convertible of similar maturity that is convertible into that stock during periods when Treasury instruments outperform corporate fixed-income securities and underperform during periods when corporate fixed-income securities outperform Treasury instruments. |
Credit Linked Securities |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Credit linked securities are issued by a limited purpose trust or other vehicle that, in turn, invests in a derivative instrument or basket of derivative instruments, such as credit default swaps, interest rate swaps, and other securities in order to provide exposure to certain fixed-income markets. Credit linked securities may be used as a cash management tool in order to gain exposure to a certain market and to remain fully invested when more traditional income producing securities are not available. Like an investment in a bond, investments in credit linked securities represent the right to receive periodic income payments (in the form of distributions) and payment of principal at the end of the term of the security. However, these payments are conditioned on the issuers receipt of payments from, and the issuers potential obligations to, the counterparties to the derivative instruments and other securities in which the issuer invests. An issuer may sell one or more credit default swaps, under which the issuer would receive a stream of payments over the term of the swap agreements provided that no event of default has occurred with respect to the referenced debt obligation upon which the swap is based. If a default occurs, the stream of payments may stop and the issuer would be obligated to pay the counterparty the par (or other agreed upon value) of the referenced debt obligation. This, in turn, would reduce the amount of income and principal that the holder of the credit linked security would receive. Credit linked securities generally will be exempt from registration under the 1933 Act. Accordingly, there may be no established trading market for the securities and they may constitute illiquid investments. |
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Cyber Security Risk |
With the increased use of technologies by Fund service providers, such as the Internet to conduct business, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through hacking or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber security failures or breaches by the Funds investment adviser or administrator
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Derivative Instruments and Related Risks |
Generally, derivatives can be characterized as financial instruments whose performance is derived at least in part from the performance of an underlying reference instrument. Derivative instruments may be acquired in the United States or abroad and include the various types of exchange-traded and over-the-counter (OTC) instruments described herein and other instruments with substantially similar characteristics and risks. Derivative instruments may be based on securities, indices, currencies, commodities, economic indicators and events (referred to as reference instruments). Fund obligations created pursuant to derivative instruments may be subject to the requirements described under Asset Coverage herein. |
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Derivative instruments are subject to a number of risks, including adverse or unexpected movements in the price of the reference instrument, and counterparty, liquidity, tax, correlation and leverage risks. Use of derivative instruments may cause the realization of higher amounts of short-term capital gains (generally taxed at ordinary income tax rates) than if such instruments had not been used. Success in using derivative instruments to hedge portfolio assets depends on the degree of price correlation between the derivative instruments and the hedged asset. Imperfect correlation may be caused by several factors, including temporary price disparities among the trading markets for the derivative instrument, the reference instrument and the Funds assets. To the extent that a derivative instrument is intended to hedge against an event that does not occur, the Fund may realize losses. |
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OTC derivative instruments involve an additional risk in that the issuer or counterparty may fail to perform its contractual obligations. Some derivative instruments are not readily marketable or may become illiquid under adverse market conditions. In addition, during periods of market volatility, a commodity exchange may suspend or limit trading in an exchange-traded derivative instrument, which may make the contract temporarily illiquid and difficult to price. Commodity exchanges may also establish daily limits on the amount that the price of a futures contract or futures option can vary from the previous days settlement price. Once the daily limit is reached, no trades may be made that day at a price beyond the limit. This may prevent the closing out of positions to limit losses. The staff of the SEC takes the position that certain purchased OTC options, and assets used as cover for written OTC options, are illiquid. The ability to terminate OTC derivative instruments may depend on the cooperation of the counterparties to such contracts. For thinly traded derivative instruments, the only source of price quotations may be the selling dealer or counterparty. In addition, certain provisions of the Code limit the use of derivative instruments. Derivatives permit the Fund to increase or decrease the level of risk, or change the character of the risk, to which its portfolio is exposed in much the same way as the Fund can increase or decrease the level of risk, or change the character of the risk, of its portfolio by making investments in specific securities. There can be no assurance that the use of derivative instruments will benefit the Fund. |
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Derivative-Linked and Commodity-Linked Hybrid Instruments |
A derivative-linked or commodity-linked hybrid instrument (referred to herein as a hybrid instrument) is a type of potentially high-risk derivative that combines a traditional stock, bond, or commodity with an option or forward contract. Generally, the principal amount, amount payable upon maturity or redemption, or interest rate of a hybrid instrument is tied (positively or negatively) to the price of some commodity, currency or securities index or another interest rate or some other economic factor (each a benchmark). The interest rate or (unlike most fixed-income securities) the principal amount payable at maturity of a hybrid instrument may be increased or decreased, depending on changes in the value of the benchmark. An example of a hybrid instrument is a bond issued by an oil company that pays a small base level of interest with additional interest that accrues in correlation to the extent to which oil prices exceed a certain predetermined level. Such a hybrid instrument would be a combination of a bond and a call option on oil. |
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The risks of investing in hybrid instruments reflect a combination of the risks of investing in securities, options, futures and currencies. An investment in a hybrid instrument may entail significant risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional debt instrument that has a fixed principal amount, is denominated in U.S. dollars or bears interest either at a fixed rate or a floating rate determined by reference to a common, nationally published benchmark. The risks of a particular hybrid instrument will depend upon the terms of the instrument, but may include the possibility of significant changes in the benchmark(s) or the prices of the underlying assets to which the instrument is linked. Such risks generally depend upon factors unrelated to the operations or credit quality of the issuer of the hybrid instrument, which may not be foreseen by the purchaser, such as economic and political events, the supply and demand of the underlying assets and interest rate movements. Hybrid instruments may be highly volatile and their use by the Fund may not be successful. Hybrid instruments may also carry liquidity risk since the instruments are often customized to meet the portfolio needs of a particular investor, and therefore, the number of investors that are willing and able to buy such instruments in the secondary market may be smaller than that for more traditional debt securities. |
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Hybrid instruments may bear interest or pay preferred dividends at below market (or even relatively nominal) rates. Alternatively, hybrid instruments may bear interest at above market rates but bear an increased risk of principal loss (or gain). The latter scenario may result if leverage is used to structure the hybrid instrument. Leverage risk occurs when the hybrid instrument is structured so that a given change in a benchmark or underlying asset is multiplied to produce a greater value change in the hybrid instrument, thereby magnifying the risk of loss as well as the potential for gain. |
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Hybrid instruments are potentially more volatile and carry greater market risks than traditional debt instruments. Depending on the structure of the particular hybrid instrument, changes in a benchmark may be magnified by the terms of the hybrid instrument and have an even more dramatic and substantial effect upon the value of the hybrid instrument. Also, the prices of the hybrid instrument and the benchmark or underlying asset may not move in the same direction or at the same time. |
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Hybrid instruments can be used as an efficient means of pursuing a variety of investment goals, including currency hedging, duration management, and increased total return and creating exposure to a particular market or segment of that market. The value of a hybrid instrument or its interest rate may be a multiple of a benchmark and, as a result, may be leveraged and move (up or down) more steeply and rapidly than the benchmark. These benchmarks may be sensitive to economic and political events, such as commodity shortages and currency devaluations, which cannot be readily foreseen by the purchaser of a hybrid instrument. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a hybrid instrument could be zero. The purchase of hybrid instruments also exposes the Fund to the credit risk of the issuer of the hybrids. These risks may cause significant fluctuations in the net asset value of the Fund. |
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Certain hybrid instruments may provide exposure to the commodities markets. These are derivative securities with one or more commodity-linked components that have payment features similar to commodity futures contracts, commodity options, or similar instruments. Commodity-linked hybrid instruments may be either equity or debt securities, leveraged or unleveraged, and are considered hybrid instruments because they have both security and commodity-like characteristics. A portion of the value of these instruments may be derived from the value of a commodity, futures contract, index or other economic variable. The Fund will invest only in commodity-linked hybrid instruments that qualify under applicable rules of the CFTC for an exemption from the provisions of the CEA. Certain issuers of structured products such as hybrid instruments may be deemed to be investment companies as defined in the 1940 Act. As a result, the Funds investments in these products may be subject to limits applicable to investments in investment companies and may be subject to restrictions contained in the 1940 Act. |
Direct Investments |
Direct investments include (i) the private purchase from an enterprise of an equity interest in the enterprise in the form of shares of common stock or equity interests in trusts, partnerships, joint ventures or similar enterprises, and (ii) the purchase of such an equity interest in an enterprise from a principal investor in the enterprise. At the time of making a direct investment, the Fund will enter into a shareholder or similar agreement with the enterprise and one or more other holders of equity interests in the enterprise. These agreements may, in appropriate circumstances, provide the ability to appoint a representative to the board of directors or similar body of the enterprise and for eventual disposition of the investment in the enterprise. Such a representative would be expected to monitor the investment and protect the Funds rights in the investment and would not be appointed for the purpose of exercising management or control of the enterprise. |
Diversified Status |
With respect to 75% of its total assets, an investment company that is registered with the SEC as a diversified fund: (1) may not invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of any one issuer (except obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities and securities of other investment companies); and (2) may not own more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer. |
Dividend Capture Trading |
In a typical dividend capture trade, the Fund would buy a stock prior to its ex-dividend date and sell the stock at a point either on or after the ex-dividend date. The use of a dividend capture trading strategy exposes the Fund to higher portfolio turnover, increased trading costs and potential for capital loss or gain, particularly in the event of significant short-term price movements of stocks subject to dividend capture trading. |
Duration |
Duration measures the time-weighted expected cash flows of a fixed-income security, which can determine its sensitivity to changes in the general level of interest rates. Securities with longer durations generally tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with shorter durations. A mutual fund with a longer dollar-weighted average duration generally can be expected to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than a fund with a shorter dollar-weighted average duration. Duration differs from maturity in that it considers a securitys coupon payments in addition to the amount of time until the security matures. Various techniques may be used to shorten or lengthen Fund duration. As the value of a security changes over time, so will its duration. The duration of a Fund that invests in multiple Portfolios is the sum of its allocable share of the duration of each of the Portfolios in which it invests, which is determined by multiplying the Portfolios duration by the Funds percentage ownership of that Portfolio. |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
47
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Emerging Market Investments |
The risks described under Foreign Investments herein generally are heightened in connection with investments in emerging markets. Also, investments in securities of issuers domiciled in countries with emerging capital markets may involve certain additional risks that do not generally apply to investments in securities of issuers in more developed capital markets, such as (i) low or non-existent trading volume, resulting in a lack of liquidity and increased volatility in prices for such securities, as compared to securities of comparable issuers in more developed capital markets; (ii) uncertain national policies and social, political and economic instability, increasing the potential for expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxation, high rates of inflation or unfavorable diplomatic developments; (iii) possible fluctuations in exchange rates, differing legal systems and the existence or possible imposition of exchange controls, custodial restrictions or other foreign or U.S. governmental laws or restrictions applicable to such investments; (iv) national policies that may limit investment opportunities, such as restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests; and (v) the lack or relatively early development of legal structures governing private and foreign investments and private property. Trading practices in emerging markets also may be less developed, resulting in inefficiencies relative to trading in more developed markets, which may result in increased transaction costs. |
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Repatriation of investment income, capital and proceeds of sales by foreign investors may require governmental registration and/or approval in emerging market countries. There can be no assurance that repatriation of income, gain or initial capital from these countries will occur. In addition to withholding taxes on investment income, some countries with emerging markets may impose differential capital gains taxes on foreign investors. |
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Political and economic structures in emerging market countries may undergo significant evolution and rapid development, and these countries may lack the social, political and economic stability characteristic of more developed countries. In such a dynamic environment, there can be no assurance that any or all of these capital markets will continue to present viable investment opportunities. In the past, governments of such nations have expropriated substantial amounts of private property, and most claims of the property owners have never been fully settled. There is no assurance that such expropriations will not reoccur. In such an event, it is possible that the entire value of an investment in the affected market could be lost. In addition, unanticipated political or social developments may affect the value of investments in these countries and the availability of additional investments. The small size and inexperience of the securities markets in certain of these countries and the limited volume of trading in securities in these countries may make investments in the countries illiquid and more volatile than investments in developed markets. |
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Also, there may be less publicly available information about issuers in emerging markets than would be available about issuers in more developed capital markets, and such issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements comparable to those to which U.S. companies are subject. In certain countries with emerging capital markets, reporting standards vary widely. As a result, traditional investment measurements used in the United States, such as price/earnings ratios, may not be applicable. Certain emerging market securities may be held by a limited number of persons. This may adversely affect the timing and pricing of the acquisition or disposal of securities. The prices at which investments may be acquired may be affected by trading by persons with material non-public information and by securities transactions by brokers in anticipation of transactions in particular securities. |
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Practices in relation to settlement of securities transactions in emerging markets involve higher risks than those in developed markets, in part because brokers and counterparties in such markets may be less well capitalized, and custody and registration of assets in some countries may be unreliable. The possibility of fraud, negligence, undue influence being exerted by the issuer or refusal to recognize ownership exists in some emerging markets. As an alternative to investing directly in emerging markets, exposure may be obtained through derivative investments. |
Equity Investments |
Equity investments include common stocks; preferred stocks; depositary receipts; equity interests in trusts, partnerships, joint ventures and other unincorporated entities or enterprises; convertible and contingent convertible preferred stocks; rights and warrants and other securities that are treated as equity for U.S. federal income tax purposes (see Preferred Stock and Hybrid Securities). |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
48
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Equity-Linked Securities |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Equity-linked securities are privately issued securities whose investment results are designed to correspond generally to the performance of a specified stock index or basket of securities, or sometimes a single stock. These securities are used for many of the same purposes as derivative instruments and share many of the same risks. Equity-linked securities may be considered illiquid and thus subject to the Funds restrictions on investments in illiquid securities. |
Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) |
ETFs are pooled investment vehicles that are designed to provide investment results corresponding to an index. These indexes may be either broad-based, sector or international. ETFs usually are units of beneficial interest in an investment trust or represent undivided ownership interests in a portfolio of securities (or commodities), in each case with respect to a portfolio of all or substantially all of the component securities of, and in substantially the same weighting as, the relevant benchmark index. ETFs are designed to provide investment results that generally correspond to the price and yield performance of the component securities (or commodities) of the benchmark index. ETFs are listed on an exchange and trade in the secondary market on a per-share basis. The values of ETFs are subject to change as the values of their respective component securities (or commodities) fluctuate according to market volatility. Investments in ETFs may not exactly match the performance of a direct investment in the respective indices to which they are intended to correspond due to the temporary unavailability of certain index securities in the secondary market or other extraordinary circumstances, such as discrepancies with respect to the weighting of securities. Typically, the ETF bears its own operational expenses, which are deducted from its assets. To the extent that the Fund invests in ETFs, the Fund must bear these expenses in addition to the expenses of its own operation. |
Exchange-Traded Notes (ETNs) |
ETNs are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities whose returns are linked to the performance of a particular market benchmark or strategy minus applicable fees. ETNs are traded on an exchange during normal trading hours. However, investors can also hold the ETN until maturity. At maturity, the issuer pays to the investor a cash amount equal to the principal amount, subject to the days market benchmark or strategy factor. |
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ETNs do not make periodic coupon payments or provide principal protection. ETNs are subject to credit risk and the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuers credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged. The value of an ETN may also be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying assets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuers credit rating, and economic, legal, political, or geographic events that affect the referenced underlying asset. When the Fund invests in ETNs it will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. The Funds decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. In addition, although an ETN may be listed on an exchange, the issuer may not be required to maintain the listing and there can be no assurance that a secondary market will exist for an ETN. |
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ETNs are subject to tax risk. No assurance can be given that the IRS will accept, or a court will uphold, how the Fund characterizes and treats ETNs for tax purposes. Further, the IRS and Congress are considering proposals that would change the timing and character of income and gains from ETNs. |
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An ETN that is tied to a specific market benchmark or strategy may not be able to replicate and maintain exactly the composition and relative weighting of securities, commodities or other components in the applicable market benchmark or strategy. Some ETNs that use leverage can, at times, be relatively illiquid and, thus, they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs are subject to the same risk as other instruments that use leverage in any form. |
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The market value of ETN shares may differ from that of their market benchmark or strategy. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETN shares at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the securities, commodities or other components underlying the market benchmark or strategy that the ETN seeks to track. As a result, there may be times when an ETN share trades at a premium or discount to its market benchmark or strategy. |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
49
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
50
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Other potential foreign market risks include exchange controls, difficulties in valuing securities, defaults on foreign government securities, and difficulties of enforcing favorable legal judgments in foreign courts. Moreover, individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, reinvestment of capital, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, and balance of payments position. Certain economies may rely heavily on particular industries or foreign capital and are more vulnerable to diplomatic developments, the imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, changes in international trading patterns, trade barriers, and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. Foreign securities markets, while growing in volume and sophistication, are generally not as developed as those in the United States. Foreign countries may not have the infrastructure or resources to respond to natural and other disasters that interfere with economic activities, which may adversely affect issuers located in such countries. |
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Settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets differ significantly from those in the United States. Payment for securities before delivery may be required and in some countries delayed settlements are customary, which increases the Funds risk of loss. The Fund generally holds its foreign securities and related cash in foreign banks and securities depositories. Some foreign banks and securities depositories may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In addition, there may be limited or no regulatory oversight over their operations. Also, the laws of certain countries may put limits on the Funds ability to recover its assets if a foreign bank, depository or issuer of a security or any of their agents goes bankrupt. Certain countries may require withholding on dividends paid on portfolio securities and on realized capital gains. |
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In addition, it is often more expensive to buy, sell and hold securities in certain foreign markets than in the United States. Foreign brokerage commissions are generally higher than commissions on securities traded in the United States and may be non-negotiable. The fees paid to foreign banks and securities depositories generally are higher than those charged by U.S. banks and depositories. The increased expense of investing in foreign markets reduces the amount earned on investments and typically results in a higher operating expense ratio for the Fund as compared to investment companies that invest only in the United States. |
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Depositary receipts (including American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) and Global Depositary Receipts GDRs)) are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer and are alternatives to directly purchasing 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 the political and economic risks of the underlying issuers country, as well as in the case of depositary receipts traded on foreign markets, exchange risk. Depositary receipts may be sponsored or unsponsored. Unsponsored depositary receipts are established without the participation of the issuer. As a result, available information concerning the issuer of an unsponsored depository receipt may not be as current as for sponsored depositary receipts, and the prices of unsponsored depositary receipts may be more volatile than if such instruments were sponsored by the issuer. Unsponsored depositary receipts may involve higher expenses, may not pass through voting or other shareholder rights and they may be less liquid. |
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Unless otherwise provided in the Prospectus, in determining the domicile of an issuer, the investment adviser may consider the domicile determination of the Funds benchmark index or a leading provider of global indexes and may take into account such factors as where the companys securities are listed, and where the company is legally organized, maintains principal corporate offices and/or conducts its principal operations. |
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. A forward foreign currency exchange contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts may be bought or sold to protect against an adverse change in the relationship between currencies or to increase exposure to a particular foreign currency. Cross-hedging may be done by using forward contracts in one currency (or basket of currencies) to hedge against fluctuations in the value of instruments denominated in a different currency (or the basket of currencies and the underlying currency). Use of a different foreign currency (for hedging or non-hedging purposes) magnifies exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are individually negotiated and privately traded so they are dependent upon the creditworthiness of the counterparty. The precise matching of the forward contract amounts and the value of the instruments denominated in the corresponding currencies will not generally be possible. In addition, it may not be possible to hedge against long-term currency changes. |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
51
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
52
SAI dated May 1, 2016
High Yield Securities |
High yield securities (commonly referred to as junk) are considered to be of below investment grade quality and generally provide greater income potential and/or increased opportunity for capital appreciation than investments in higher quality securities but they also typically entail greater potential price volatility and principal and income risk. High yield securities are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the entitys continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments. Also, their yields and market values may fluctuate more than higher rated securities. Fluctuations in value do not affect the cash income from the securities, but are reflected in the Funds net asset value. The greater risks and fluctuations in yield and value occur, in part, because investors generally perceive issuers of lower rated and unrated securities to be less creditworthy. The secondary market on which high yield securities are traded may be less liquid than the market for higher grade securities. |
Hybrid Securities |
Hybrid securities generally possess characteristics common to both equity and debt securities. These securities may at times behave more like equity than debt, or vice versa. Preferred stocks, convertible securities and certain debt obligations are types of hybrid securities. Hybrid securities generally have a preference over common stock and perpetual or near perpetual terms. Hybrid securities generally do not have voting rights or have limited voting rights. Because hybrid securities have both debt and equity characteristics, their values vary in response to many factors, including general market and economic conditions, issuer-specific events, changes in interest rates, credit spreads and the credit quality of the issuer, and, for convertible securities, factors affecting the securities into which they convert. Hybrid securities may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a predetermined price. Hybrid securities may pay a fixed or variable rate of interest or dividends. The prices and yields of nonconvertible hybrid securities generally move with changes in interest rates and the issuers credit quality, similar to the factors affecting debt securities. If the issuer of a hybrid security experiences financial difficulties, the value of such security may be adversely affected similar to the issuers outstanding common stock or subordinated debt instruments. See also Preferred Stock, Convertible Securities and Contingent Convertible Securities. |
Illiquid Securities |
Illiquid securities include securities legally restricted as to resale, and may include commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the 1933 Act and securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A thereunder. Section 4(a)(2) and Rule 144A securities may, however, be treated as liquid by the investment 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. Even if determined to be liquid, Rule 144A securities may increase the level of portfolio illiquidity if eligible buyers become uninterested in purchasing such securities. |
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It may be difficult to sell illiquid securities at a price representing fair value until such time as the securities may be sold publicly. It also may be more difficult to determine the fair value of such securities for purposes of computing the Funds net asset value. Where registration is required, a considerable period of time may elapse between a decision to sell the securities and the time when the Fund would be permitted to sell. Thus, the Fund may not be able to obtain as favorable a price as that prevailing at the time of the decision to sell. The Fund may incur additional expense when disposing of illiquid securities, including all or a portion of the cost to register the securities. The Fund also may acquire securities through private placements under which it may agree to contractual restrictions on the resale of such securities that are in addition to applicable legal restrictions. Such restrictions might prevent the sale of such securities at a time when such sale would otherwise be desirable. |
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At times, a portion of the Funds assets may be invested in securities as to which the Fund, by itself or together with other accounts managed by the investment adviser and its affiliates, holds a major portion or all of such securities. Under adverse market or economic conditions or in the event of adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer, the Fund could find it more difficult to sell such securities when the investment adviser believes it advisable to do so or may be able to sell such securities only at prices lower than if such securities were more widely held. It may also be more difficult to determine the fair value of such securities for purposes of computing the Funds net asset value. See also Restricted Securities. |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
53
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Indexed Securities |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Indexed securities are securities that fluctuate in value with an index. 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. Indexed securities may include interest only (IO) and principal only (PO) securities, floating rate securities linked to the Cost of Funds Index (COFI floaters), other lagging rate floating securities, floating rate securities that are subject to a maximum interest rate (capped floaters), leveraged floating rate securities (super floaters), leveraged inverse floating rate securities (inverse floaters), dual index floaters, range floaters, index amortizing notes and various currency indexed notes. Indexed securities may 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. |
Inflation-Indexed (or Inflation-Linked) Bonds |
Inflation-indexed bonds are fixed-income securities the principal value of which is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. Inflation-indexed bonds are issued by governments, their agencies or instrumentalities and corporations. Two structures are common: The U.S. Treasury and some other issuers use a structure that accrues inflation into the principal value of the bond. Most other issuers pay out the inflation accruals as part of a semiannual coupon. The principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond is adjusted in response to changes in the level of inflation. Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed in the case of U.S. Treasury inflation-indexed bonds, and therefore, the principal amount of such bonds cannot be reduced below par even during a period of deflation. However, the current market value of these bonds is not guaranteed and will fluctuate, reflecting the risk of changes in their yields. In certain jurisdictions outside the United States, the repayment of the original bond principal upon the maturity of an inflation-indexed bond is not guaranteed, allowing for the amount of the bond repaid at maturity to be less than par. The interest rate for inflation-indexed bonds is fixed at issuance as a percentage of this adjustable principal. Accordingly, the actual interest income may both rise and fall as the principal amount of the bonds adjusts in response to movements in the Consumer Price Index. |
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The value of inflation-indexed bonds is expected to change in response to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates in turn are tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. Therefore, if inflation were to rise at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates might decline, leading to an increase in value of inflation-indexed bonds. In contrast, if nominal interest rates increased at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates might rise, leading to a decrease in value of inflation-indexed bonds. While these securities are expected to be protected from long-term inflationary trends, short-term increases in inflation may lead to a decline in value. If interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation (for example, due to changes in currency exchange rates), investors in these securities may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the bonds inflation measure. |
Investing in a Portfolio |
The Board may discontinue the Funds investment in one or more Portfolios if it determines that it is in the best interest of the Fund and its shareholders to do so. In such an event, the Board would consider what action might be taken, including investing Fund assets in another pooled investment entity or retaining an investment adviser to manage Fund assets in accordance with its investment objective(s). The Funds investment performance and expense ratio may be affected if its investment structure is changed or if another Portfolio investor withdraws all or a portion of its investment in the Portfolio. |
Investments in the Subsidiary |
The Subsidiary is organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands, and is overseen by a sole director affiliated with Eaton Vance. The Fund is the sole shareholder of the Subsidiary, and it is not currently expected that shares of the Subsidiary will be sold or offered to other investors. The Subsidiary expects to invest primarily in commodity-linked derivative instruments, including swap agreements, commodity options, futures and options on futures, backed by a portfolio of inflation-indexed securities and other fixed-income securities and is also permitted to invest in any other investments permitted by the Fund. To the extent that the Fund invests in the Subsidiary, the Fund will be subject to the risks associated with those derivative instruments and other securities, which are discussed elsewhere in the Prospectus and this SAI. |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
54
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
55
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Loans |
Loans may be primary, direct investments or investments in loan assignments or participation interests. A loan assignment represents a portion or the entirety of a loan and a portion of the entirety of a position previously attributable to a different lender. The purchaser of an assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations under the loan agreement and has the same rights and obligations as the assigning investor. However, assignments through private negotiations may cause the purchaser of an assignment to have different and more limited rights than those held by the assigning investor. Loan participation interests are interests issued by a lender or other entity and represent a fractional interest in a loan. The Fund typically will have a contractual relationship only with the financial institution that issued the participation interest. As a result, the Fund may have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled only from the financial institution and only upon receipt by such entity of such payments from the borrower. In connection with purchasing a participation interest, the Fund 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 investors through set-off against the borrower and the Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the loan in which it has purchased the participation interest. As a result, the Fund may assume the credit risk of both the borrower and the financial institution issuing the participation interest. In the event of the insolvency of the entity issuing a participation interest, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of such entity. |
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Loans may be originated by a lending agent, such as a financial institution or other entity, on behalf of a group or syndicate of loan investors (the Loan Investors). In such a case, the agent administers the terms of the loan agreement and is responsible for the collection of principal, and interest payments from the borrower and the apportionment of these payments to the Loan Investors. Failure by the agent to fulfill its obligations may delay or adversely affect receipt of payment by the Fund. Furthermore, unless under the terms of a loan agreement or participation (as applicable) the Fund has direct recourse against the borrower, the Fund must rely on the Agent and the other Loan Investors to pursue appropriate remedies against the borrower. |
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Loan investments may be made at par or at a discount or premium to par. The interest payable on a loan may be fixed or floating rate, and paid in cash or in-kind. In connection with transactions in loans, the Fund may be subject to facility or other fees. Loans may be secured by specific collateral or other assets of the borrower, guaranteed by a third party, unsecured or subordinated. During the term of a loan, the value of any collateral securing the loan may decline in value, causing the loan to be under collateralized. 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 borrowers obligations under the loan. In addition, if a loan is foreclosed, the Fund could become part owner of the collateral and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of such collateral. |
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A lenders repayment and other rights primarily are determined by governing loan, assignment or participation documents, which (among other things) typically establish the priority of payment on the loan relative to other indebtedness and obligations of the borrower. In the event of bankruptcy, applicable law may impact a lenders ability to enforce its rights under such documents. Investing in loans involves the risk of default by the borrower or other party obligated to repay the loan. In the event of insolvency of the borrower or other obligated party, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of such entity unless it has rights that are senior to that of other creditors or secured by specific collateral or assets of the borrower. Fixed-rate loans are also subject to the risk that their value will decline in a rising interest rate environment. This risk is mitigated for floating-rate loans, where the interest rate payable on the loan resets periodically by reference to a base lending rate. The base lending rate usually is the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), the Federal Reserve federal funds rate, the prime rate or other base lending rates used by commercial lenders. LIBOR usually is an average of the interest rates quoted by several designated banks as the rates at which they pay interest to major depositors in the London interbank market on U.S. dollar-denominated deposits. |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
56
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
57
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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There are currently four types of MBS: (1) those issued by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities, such as the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA), the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC); (2) those issued by private issuers that represent an interest in or are collateralized by pass through securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities; (3) those issued by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities without a government guarantee, such as credit risk transfer bonds; and (4) those issued by private issuers that represent an interest in or are collateralized by whole mortgage loans or pass through securities without a government guarantee but that usually have some form of private credit enhancement. Privately issued MBS are structured similar to GNMA, FNMA and FHLMC MBS, and are issued by originators or and investors in mortgage loans, including depositary institutions mortgage banks and special purpose subsidiaries of the foregoing. |
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GNMA Certificates and FNMA Mortgage-Backed Certificates are MBS representing part ownership of a pool of mortgage loans. GNMA loans (issued by lenders such as mortgage bankers, commercial banks and savings and loan associations) are either insured by the Federal Housing Administration or guaranteed by the Veterans Administration. A pool of such mortgages is assembled and, after being approved by GNMA, is offered to investors through securities dealers. Once such pool is approved by GNMA, the timely payment of interest and principal on the Certificates issued representing such pool is guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. GNMA is a wholly owned U.S. Government corporation within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. FNMA, a federally chartered corporation owned entirely by private stockholders, purchases both conventional and federally insured or guaranteed residential mortgages from various entities, including savings and loan associations, savings banks, commercial banks, credit unions and mortgage bankers, and packages pools of such mortgages in the form of pass-through securities generally called FNMA Mortgage-Backed Certificates, which are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by FNMA but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government; however, they are supported by the right of FNMA to borrow from the U.S. Treasury Department. |
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FHLMC, a corporate instrumentality of the U.S. Government created by Congress for the purposes of increasing the availability of mortgage credit for residential housing, issues participation certificates (PCs) representing undivided interest in FHLMCS mortgage portfolio. While FHLMC guarantees the timely payment of interest and ultimate collection of the principal of its PCs, its PCs are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. FHLMC PCs differ from GNMA Certificates in that the mortgages underlying the PCs are monthly conventional mortgages rather than mortgages insured or guaranteed by a federal agency or instrumentality. However, in several other respects, such as the monthly pass-through of interest and principal (including unscheduled prepayments) and the unpredictability of future unscheduled prepayments on the underlying mortgage pools, FHLMC PCs are similar to GNMA Certificates. |
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While it is not possible to accurately predict the life of a particular issue of MBS, the actual life of any such security is likely to be substantially less than the final maturities of the mortgage loans underlying the security. This is because unscheduled early prepayments of principal on MBS will result from the prepayment, refinancings or foreclosure of the underlying mortgage loans in the mortgage pool. Prepayments of MBS may not be able to be reinvested at the same interest rate. Because of the regular scheduled payments of principal and the early unscheduled prepayments of principal, MBS is less effective than other types of obligations as a means of locking-in attractive long-term interest rates. As a result, this type of security may have less potential for capital appreciation during periods of declining interest rates than other U.S. Government securities of comparable maturities, although many issues of MBS may have a comparable risk of decline in market value during periods of rising interest rates. If MBS is purchased at a premium above its par value, a scheduled payment of principal and an unscheduled prepayment of principal, which would be made at par, will accelerate the realization of a loss equal to that portion of the premium applicable to the payment or prepayment. If MBS has been purchased at a discount from its par value, both a scheduled payment of principal and an unscheduled prepayment of principal will increase current returns and will accelerate the recognition of income, which, when distributed to Fund shareholders, will be taxable as ordinary income. |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
58
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Mortgage Dollar Rolls |
In a mortgage dollar roll, the Fund sells MBS for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts to repurchase substantially similar (same type, coupon and maturity) MBS on a specified future date. During the roll period, the Fund forgoes principal and interest paid on the MBS. The Fund is compensated by the difference between the current sales price and the lower forward price for the future purchase (often referred to as the drop) as well as by the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sales. Cash proceeds may be invested in instruments that are permissible investments for the Fund. The use of mortgage dollar rolls is a speculative technique involving leverage. A covered roll is a specific type of dollar roll for which there is an offsetting cash position or permissible liquid assets earmarked or in a segregated account to secure the obligation for the forward commitment to buy MBS, or a cash equivalent security position that matures on or before the forward settlement date of the dollar roll transaction. The Fund will enter into only covered rolls. Covered rolls are not treated as a borrowing or other senior security and will be excluded from the calculation of the Funds borrowings and other senior securities. |
Municipal Lease Obligations (MLOs) |
MLOs are obligations in the form of a lease, installment purchase or conditional sales contract (which typically provide for the title to the leased asset to pass to the governmental issuer) that is issued by state or local governments to acquire equipment and facilities. Interest income from MLOs is generally exempt from local and state taxes in the state of issuance. MLOs, like other municipal debt obligations, are subject to the risk of non-payment. Although MLOs do not constitute general obligations of the issuer for which the issuers unlimited taxing power is pledged, a lease obligation is frequently backed by the issuers covenant to budget for, appropriate and make the payments due under the lease obligation. However, certain lease obligations contain non-appropriation clauses, which provide that the issuer has no obligation to make lease or installment purchase payments in future years unless money is appropriated for such purpose on a yearly basis. Although non-appropriation lease obligations may be secured by the leased property, disposition of the property in the event of foreclosure might prove difficult. Participations in municipal leases are undivided interests in a portion of the total obligation. Participations entitle their holders to receive a pro rata share of all payments under the lease. |
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MLOs and participations therein represent a type of financing that may not have the depth of marketability associated with more conventional securities and, as such, they may be less liquid than conventional securities. Certain MLOs may be deemed illiquid for the purpose of the Funds limitation on investments in illiquid securities, unless determined by the investment adviser, pursuant to guidelines adopted by the Board, to be liquid securities. The investment adviser will consider an MLO to be liquid if it is rated investment grade (being an MLO rated BBB or Baa or higher) by a nationally recognized statistical ratings organization or is insured by an insurer rated investment grade. If an MLO or participation does not meet the foregoing criteria, then the investment adviser will consider the MLO to be illiquid unless it conducts an analysis of relevant factors and concludes that the MLO is liquid. In conducting such an analysis, the investment adviser will consider the factors it believes are relevant to the marketability of the obligation, to the extent that information regarding such factor is available to the investment adviser and pertinent to the liquidity determination, which may include: (1) the willingness of dealers to bid for the obligation; (2) the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the obligation and the number of other potential buyers; (3) the frequency of trades and quotes for the obligation; (4) the nature of the marketplace trades, including the time needed to dispose of the obligation, the method of soliciting offers, and the mechanics of transfer; (5) the willingness of the governmental issuer to continue to appropriate funds for the payment of the obligation; (6) how likely or remote an event of non-appropriation may be, which depends in varying degrees on a variety of factors, including those relating to the general creditworthiness of the governmental issuer, its dependence on its continuing access to the credit markets, and the importance to the issuer of the equipment, property or facility covered by the lease or contract; (7) an assessment of the likelihood that the lease may or may not be cancelled; and (8) other factors and information unique to the obligation in determining its liquidity. |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
59
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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The ability of issuers of MLOs to make timely lease payments may be adversely impacted in general economic downturns and as relative governmental cost burdens are allocated and reallocated among federal, state and local governmental units. Such non-payment would result in a reduction of income from and value of the obligation. Issuers of MLOs might seek protection under the bankruptcy laws. In the event of bankruptcy of such an issuer, holders of MLOs could experience delays and limitations with respect to the collection of principal and interest on such MLOs and may not, in all circumstances, be able to collect all principal and interest to which it is entitled. To enforce its rights in the event of a default in lease payments, the Fund might take possession of and manage the assets securing the issuers obligations on such securities or otherwise incur costs to protect its rights, which may increase the Funds operating expenses and adversely affect the net asset value of the Fund. When the lease contains a non-appropriation clause, however, the failure to pay would not be a default and the Fund would not have the right to take possession of the assets. Any income derived from the Funds ownership or operation of such assets may not be tax-exempt. |
Municipal Obligations |
Municipal obligations include debt obligations issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public facilities, refunding of outstanding obligations and obtaining funds for general operating expenses and loans to other public institutions and facilities. Certain types of bonds are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to finance various privately owned or operated facilities, including certain facilities for the local furnishing of electric energy or gas, sewage facilities, solid waste disposal facilities and other specialized facilities. Municipal obligations include bonds as well as tax-exempt commercial paper, project notes and municipal notes such as tax, revenue and bond anticipation notes of short maturity, generally less than three years. While most municipal bonds pay a fixed rate of interest semiannually in cash, there are exceptions. Some bonds pay no periodic cash interest, but rather make a single payment at maturity representing both principal and interest. Some bonds may pay interest at a variable or floating rate. Bonds may be issued or subsequently offered with interest coupons materially greater or less than those then prevailing, with price adjustments reflecting such deviation. Municipal obligations also include trust certificates representing interests in municipal securities held by a trustee. The trust certificates may evidence ownership of future interest payments, principal payments or both on the underlying securities. |
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In general, there are three categories of municipal obligations, the interest on which is exempt from federal income tax and is not a tax preference item for purposes of the alternative minimum tax (AMT): (i) certain public purpose obligations (whenever issued), which include obligations issued directly by state and local governments or their agencies to fulfill essential governmental functions; (ii) certain obligations issued before August 8, 1986 for the benefit of non-governmental persons or entities; and (iii) certain private activity bonds issued after August 7, 1986, which include qualified Section 501(c)(3) bonds or refundings of certain obligations included in the second category. Opinions relating to the validity of municipal bonds, exclusion of municipal bond interest from an investors gross income for federal income tax purposes and, where applicable, state and local income tax, are rendered by bond counsel to the issuing authorities at the time of issuance. |
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Interest on certain private activity bonds issued after August 7, 1986 is exempt from regular federal income tax, but such interest (including a distribution by the Fund derived from such interest) is treated as a tax preference item that could subject the recipient to or increase the recipients liability for the AMT. For corporate shareholders, the Funds distributions derived from interest on all municipal obligations (whenever issued) are included in adjusted current earnings for purposes of the AMT as applied to corporations (to the extent not already included in alternative minimum taxable income as income attributable to private activity bonds). |
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The two principal classifications of municipal bonds are general obligation and revenue bonds. Issuers of general obligation bonds include states, counties, cities, towns and regional districts. The proceeds of these obligations are used to fund a wide range of public projects, including the construction or improvement of schools, highways and roads, water and sewer systems and a variety of other public purposes. The basic security of general obligation bonds is the issuers pledge of its faith, credit, and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest. The taxes that can be levied for the payment of debt service may be limited or unlimited as to rate and amount. |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
60
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Typically, the only security for a limited obligation or revenue bond is the net revenue derived from a particular facility or class of facilities financed thereby or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special tax or other special revenues. Revenue bonds have been issued to fund a wide variety of revenue-producing public capital projects including: electric, gas, water and sewer systems; highways, bridges and tunnels; port and airport facilities; colleges and universities; hospitals; and convention, recreational, tribal gaming and housing facilities. Although the security behind these bonds varies widely, many lower rated bonds provide additional security in the form of a debt service reserve fund that may also be used to make principal and interest payments on the issuer's obligations. In addition, some revenue obligations (as well as general obligations) are insured by a bond insurance company or backed by a letter of credit issued by a banking institution. Revenue bonds also include, for example, pollution control, health care and housing bonds, which, although nominally issued by municipal authorities, are generally not secured by the taxing power of the municipality but by the revenues of the authority derived from payments by the private entity that owns or operates the facility financed with the proceeds of the bonds. Obligations of housing finance authorities have a wide range of security features, including reserve funds and insured or subsidized mortgages, as well as the net revenues from housing or other public projects. Many of these bonds do not generally constitute the pledge of the credit of the issuer of such bonds. The credit quality of such revenue bonds is usually directly related to the credit standing of the user of the facility being financed or of an institution which provides a guarantee, letter of credit or other credit enhancement for the bond issue. The Fund may on occasion acquire revenue bonds that carry warrants or similar rights covering equity securities. Such warrants or rights may be held indefinitely, but if exercised, the Fund anticipates that it would, under normal circumstances, dispose of any equity securities so acquired within a reasonable period of time. Investing in revenue bonds may involve (without limitation) the following risks. |
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Hospital bond ratings are often based on feasibility studies that contain projections of expenses, revenues and occupancy levels. A hospitals income available to service its debt may be influenced by demand for hospital services, management capabilities, the service area economy, efforts by insurers and government agencies to limit rates and expenses, competition, availability and expense of malpractice insurance, and Medicaid and Medicare funding. |
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Education-related bonds are comprised of two types: (i) those issued to finance projects for public and private colleges and universities, charter schools and private schools, and (ii) those representing pooled interests in student loans. Bonds issued to supply educational institutions with funding are subject to many risks, including the risks of unanticipated revenue decline, primarily the result of decreasing student enrollment, decreasing state and federal funding, or changes in general economic conditions. Additionally, higher than anticipated costs associated with salaries, utilities, insurance or other general expenses could impair the ability of a borrower to make annual debt service payments. Student loan revenue bonds are generally offered by state (or sub-state) authorities or commissions and are backed by pools of student loans. Underlying student loans may be guaranteed by state guarantee agencies and may be subject to reimbursement by the United States Department of Education through its guaranteed student loan program. Others may be private, uninsured loans made to parents or students that may be supported by reserves or other forms of credit enhancement. Cash flows supporting student loan revenue bonds are impacted by numerous factors, including the rate of student loan defaults, seasoning of the loan portfolio, and student repayment deferral periods of forbearance. Other risks associated with student loan revenue bonds include potential changes in federal legislation regarding student loan revenue bonds, state guarantee agency reimbursement and continued federal interest and other program subsidies currently in effect. |
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Transportation debt may be issued to finance the construction of airports, toll roads, highways, or other transit facilities. Airport bonds are dependent on the economic conditions of the airports service area and may be affected by the business strategies and fortunes of specific airlines. They may also be subject to competition from other airports and modes of transportation. Air traffic generally follows broader economic trends and is also affected by the price and availability of fuel. Toll road bonds are also affected by the cost and availability of fuel as well as toll levels, the presence of competing roads and the general economic health of an area. Fuel costs, transportation taxes and fees, and availability of fuel also affect other transportation-related securities, as do the presence of alternate forms of transportation, such as public transportation. |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
61
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Industrial development bonds are normally secured only by the revenues from the project and not by state or local government tax payments, they are subject to a wide variety of risks, many of which relate to the nature of the specific project. Generally, IDBs are sensitive to the risk of a slowdown in the economy. Electric utilities face problems in financing large construction programs in an inflationary period, cost increases and delay occasioned by safety and environmental considerations (particularly with respect to nuclear facilities), difficulty in obtaining fuel at reasonable prices, and in achieving timely and adequate rate relief from regulatory commissions, effects of energy conservation and limitations on the capacity of the capital market to absorb utility debt. Water and sewer revenue bonds are generally secured by the fees charged to each user of the service. The issuers of water and sewer revenue bonds generally enjoy a monopoly status and latitude in their ability to raise rates. However, lack of water supply due to insufficient rain, run-off, or snow pack can be a concern and has led to past defaults. Further, public resistance to rate increases, declining numbers of customers in a particular locale, costly environmental litigation, and federal environmental mandates are challenges faced by issuers of water and sewer bonds. |
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The obligations of any person or entity to pay the principal of and interest on a municipal obligation are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the Federal Bankruptcy Act, and laws, if any, that may be enacted by Congress or state legislatures extending the time for payment of principal or interest, or both, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations. Certain bond structures may be subject to the risk that a taxing authority may issue an adverse ruling regarding tax-exempt status. There is also the possibility that as a result of adverse economic conditions (including unforeseen financial events, natural disasters and other conditions that may affect an issuers ability to pay its obligations), litigation or other conditions, the power or ability of any person or entity to pay when due principal of and interest on a municipal obligation may be materially affected or interest and principal previously paid may be required to be refunded. There have been instances of defaults and bankruptcies involving municipal obligations that were not foreseen by the financial and investment communities. The Fund will take whatever action it considers appropriate in the event of anticipated financial difficulties, default or bankruptcy of either the issuer of any municipal obligation or of the underlying source of funds for debt service. Such action may include: (i) retaining the services of various persons or firms (including affiliates of the investment adviser) to evaluate or protect any real estate, facilities or other assets securing any such obligation or acquired by the Fund as a result of any such event; (ii) managing (or engaging other persons to manage) or otherwise dealing with any real estate, facilities or other assets so acquired; and (iii) taking such other actions as the adviser (including, but not limited to, payment of operating or similar expenses of the underlying project) may deem appropriate to reduce the likelihood or severity of loss on the funds investment. The Fund will incur additional expenditures in taking protective action with respect to portfolio obligations in (or anticipated to be in) default and assets securing such obligations. |
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Historically, municipal bankruptcies have been rare and certain provisions of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code governing such bankruptcy are unclear. Further, the application of state law to municipal obligation issuers could produce varying results among the states or among municipal obligation issuers within a state. These uncertainties could have a significant impact on the prices of the municipal obligations in which the Fund invests. There could be economic, business or political developments or court decisions that adversely affect all municipal obligations in the same sector. Developments such as changes in healthcare regulations, environmental considerations related to construction, construction cost increases and labor problems, failure of healthcare facilities to maintain adequate occupancy levels, and inflation can affect municipal obligations in the same sector. As the similarity in issuers of municipal obligations held by the Fund increases, the potential for fluctuations in the Funds share price also may increase. |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
62
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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The secondary market for some municipal obligations issued within a state (including issues that are privately placed with the Fund) is less liquid than that for taxable debt obligations or other more widely traded municipal obligations. No established resale market exists for certain of the municipal obligations in which the Fund may invest. The market for obligations rated below investment grade is also likely to be less liquid than the market for higher rated obligations. As a result, the Fund may be unable to dispose of these municipal obligations at times when it would otherwise wish to do so at the prices at which they are valued. Municipal obligations that are rated below investment grade but that, subsequent to the assignment of such rating, are backed by escrow accounts containing U.S. Government obligations may be determined by the investment adviser to be of investment grade quality for purposes of the Funds investment policies. In the case of a defaulted obligation, the Fund may incur additional expense seeking recovery of its investment. Defaulted obligations are denoted in the Portfolio of Investments in the Financial Statements included in the Funds reports to shareholders. The yields on municipal obligations depend on a variety of factors, including purposes of the issue and source of funds for repayment, general money market conditions, general conditions of the municipal bond market, size of a particular offering, maturity of the obligation and rating of the issue. The ratings of Moodys, S&P and Fitch represent their opinions as to the quality of the municipal obligations which they undertake to rate, and in the case of insurers, other factors including the claims-paying ability of such insurer. It should be emphasized, however, that ratings are based on judgment and are not absolute standards of quality. Consequently, municipal obligations with the same maturity, coupon and rating may have different yields while obligations of the same maturity and coupon with different ratings may have the same yield. In addition, the market price of such obligations will normally fluctuate with changes in interest rates, and therefore the net asset value of the Fund will be affected by such changes. |
Operational Risk |
The Funds service providers, including the investment adviser, may experience disruptions or operating errors that could negatively impact the Fund. While service providers are expected to have appropriate operational risk management policies and procedures, their methods of operational risk management may differ from the Fund's in the setting of priorities, the personnel and resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. It also is not possible for Fund service providers to identify all of the operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. |
Option Contracts |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. An option contract is a contract that gives the holder of the option, in return for a premium, the right to buy from (in the case of a call) or sell to (in the case of a put) the writer of the option the reference instrument underlying the option (or the cash value of the index) at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option. The writer of an option on a security has the obligation upon exercise of the option to deliver the reference instrument (or the cash) upon payment of the exercise price or to pay the exercise price upon delivery of the reference instrument (or the cash). Upon exercise of an index option, the writer of an option on an index is obligated to pay the difference between the cash value of the index and the exercise price multiplied by the specified multiplier for the index option. Options may be covered, meaning that the party required to deliver the reference instrument if the option is exercised owns that instrument (or has set aside sufficient assets to meet its obligation to deliver the instrument). Options may be listed on an exchange or traded in the OTC market. In general, exchange-traded options have standardized exercise prices and expiration dates and may require the parties to post margin against their obligations, and the performance of the parties' obligations in connection with such options is guaranteed by the exchange or a related clearing corporation. OTC options have more flexible terms negotiated between the buyer and the seller, but generally do not require the parties to post margin and are subject to counterparty risk. OTC options also involve greater liquidity risk. The staff of the SEC takes the position that certain purchased OTC options, and assets used as cover for written OTC options, are illiquid. Derivatives on economic indicators generally are offered in an auction format and are booked and settled as OTC options. Options on futures contracts are discussed herein under Futures Contracts. |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
63
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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If a written option expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a capital gain equal to the premium received at the time the option was written. If a purchased option expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a capital loss equal to the premium paid. Prior to the earlier of exercise or expiration, an exchange traded option may be closed out by an offsetting purchase or sale of an option of the same series (type, exchange, reference instrument, exercise price, and expiration). A capital gain will be realized from a closing purchase transaction if the cost of the closing option is less than the premium received from writing the option, or, if it is more, a capital loss will be realized. If the premium received from a closing sale transaction is more than the premium paid to purchase the option, the Fund will realize a capital gain or, if it is less, the Fund will realize a capital loss. The principal factors affecting the market value of a put or a call option include supply and demand, the current market price of the reference instrument in relation to the exercise price of the option, the volatility of the reference instrument, and the time remaining until the expiration date. There can be no assurance that a closing purchase or sale transaction can be consummated when desired. |
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Straddles are a combination of a call and a put written on the same reference instrument. A straddle is deemed to be covered when sufficient assets are deposited to meet the Funds immediate obligations. The same liquid assets may be used to cover both the call and put options where the exercise price of the call and put are the same, or the exercise price of the call is higher than that of the put. The Fund may also buy and write call options on the same reference instrument to cover its obligations. Because such combined options positions involve multiple trades, they result in higher transaction costs and may be more difficult to open or close. In an equity collar, the Fund simultaneously writes a call option and purchases a put option on the same instrument. |
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To the extent that the Fund writes a call option on an instrument it holds and intends to use such instrument as the sole means of covering its obligation under the call option, the Fund has, in return for the premium on the option, given up the opportunity to profit from a price increase in the instrument above the exercise price during the option period, but, as long as its obligation under such call option continues, has retained the risk of loss should the value of the reference instrument decline. If the Fund were unable to close out such a call option, it would not be able to sell the instrument unless the option expired without exercise. Uncovered calls have speculative characteristics and are riskier than covered calls because there is no instrument or cover held by the Fund that can act as a partial hedge. |
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The writer of an option has no control over the time when it may be required to fulfill its obligation under the option. Once an option writer has received an exercise notice, it cannot effect a closing purchase transaction in order to terminate its obligation under the option and must deliver the underlying reference instrument at the exercise price. If a put or call option purchased by the Fund is not sold when it has remaining value, and if the market price of the underlying security remains equal to or greater than the exercise price (in the case of a put), or remains less than or equal to the exercise price (in the case of a call), the Fund will lose the premium it paid for the option. Furthermore, if trading restrictions or suspensions are imposed on options markets, the Fund may be unable to close out a position. |
Option Strategy |
The Fund implements the Option Strategy or Enhancement Strategy, as further described under Investment Objective & Principal Policies and Risks in the Prospectus, whereby it writes a series of call and put option spread combinations on the S&P 500 Composite Stock Price Index (S&P 500 Index) and/or a proxy for the S&P 500 Index (such as SPDR Trust Series I units (SPDRs)). |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
64
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Participation in the ReFlow Liquidity Program |
The Fund may participate in the ReFlow liquidity program, which is designed to provide an alternative liquidity source for mutual funds experiencing net redemptions of their shares. Pursuant to the program, ReFlow Fund, LLC (ReFlow) provides participating mutual funds with a source of cash to meet net shareholder redemptions by standing ready each business day to purchase fund shares up to the value of the net shares redeemed by other shareholders that are to settle the next business day. Following purchases of fund shares, ReFlow then generally redeems those shares when the fund experiences net sales, at the end of a maximum holding period determined by ReFlow (currently 28 days) or at other times at ReFlows discretion. While ReFlow holds fund shares, it will have the same rights and privileges with respect to those shares as any other shareholder. For use of the ReFlow service, a fund pays a fee to ReFlow each time it purchases fund shares, calculated by applying to the purchase amount a fee rate determined through an automated daily auction among participating mutual funds. Such fee is allocated among a funds share classes based on relative net assets. ReFlows purchases of fund shares through the liquidity program are made on an investment-blind basis without regard to the funds investment objective, policies or anticipated performance. In accordance with federal securities laws, ReFlow is prohibited from acquiring more than 3% of the outstanding voting securities of a fund. ReFlow will purchase Class I or Institutional Class shares (or, if applicable Class A or Investor Class shares) at net asset value and will not be subject to any sales charge (in the case of Class A shares), investment minimum or redemption fee applicable to such shares. ReFlow will periodically redeem its entire share position in the Fund and request that such redemption be met in kind in accordance with the Funds redemption-in-kind policies described under Redeeming Shares in the Prospectus. Investments in a fund by ReFlow in connection with the ReFlow liquidity program are not subject to the two round-trips within 90 days limitation described in Restrictions on Excessive Trading and Market Timing under Purchasing Shares in the Prospectus. The investment adviser believes that the program assists in stabilizing the Funds net assets to the benefit of the Fund and its shareholders. To the extent the Funds net assets do not decline, the investment adviser may also benefit. |
Pooled Investment Vehicles |
The Fund may invest in pooled investment vehicles including other open-end or closed-end investment companies affiliated or unaffiliated with the investment adviser, exchange-traded funds (described herein) and other collective investment pools in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act. Closed-end investment company securities are usually traded on an exchange. The demand for a closed-end funds securities is independent of the demand for the underlying portfolio assets, and accordingly, such securities can trade at a discount from, or a premium over, their net asset value. The Fund generally will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees paid by a pooled investment vehicle in which it invests in addition to the investment advisory fee paid by the Fund. |
Portfolio Turnover |
A change in the securities held by the Fund is known as portfolio turnover and generally involves expense to the Fund, including brokerage commissions or dealer markups and other transaction costs on both the sale of securities and the reinvestment of the proceeds in other securities. If sales of portfolio securities cause the Fund to realize net short-term capital gains, such gains will be taxable as ordinary income to taxable shareholders. The Funds portfolio turnover rate for a fiscal year is the ratio of the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities to the monthly average of the value of portfolio securities − excluding securities whose maturities at acquisition were one year or less. The Fund's portfolio turnover rate is not a limiting factor when the investment adviser considers a change in the Fund's portfolio holdings. The portfolio turnover rate(s) of the Fund for recent fiscal periods is included in the Financial Highlights in the Prospectus. |
Preferred Stock |
Preferred stock represents an equity interest in a corporation, company or trust that has a higher claim on the assets and earnings than common stock. Preferred stock usually has limited voting rights. Preferred stock involves credit risk, which is the risk that a preferred stock will decline in price, or fail to pay dividends when expected, because the issuer experiences a decline in its financial status. A companys preferred stock generally pays dividends after the company makes the required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt instruments but before dividend payments are made to common stockholders. However, preferred stock may not pay scheduled dividends or dividends payments may be in arrears. The value of preferred stock may react more strongly than bonds and other debt instruments to actual or perceived changes in the companys financial condition or prospects. Certain preferred stocks may be convertible to common stock. See Convertible Securities and Contingent Convertible Securities. Preferred stock may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a predetermined price. Because they may make regular income payments, preferred stocks may be considered fixed-income securities for purposes of a Funds investment restrictions. |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
65
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Real Estate Investments |
Real estate investments, including real estate investment trusts (REITs) are sensitive to factors, such as changes in: real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, occupancy rates, government regulations affecting zoning, land use, and rents, and the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Companies in the real estate industry may also be subject to liabilities under environmental and hazardous waste laws, among others. Changes in underlying real estate values may have a magnified effect to the extent that investments concentrate in particular geographic regions or property types. Investments in REITs may also be adversely affected by rising interest rates. By investing in REITs, the Fund indirectly will bear REIT expenses in addition to its own expenses. Private REITs are unlisted, which may make them difficult to value and less liquid. Moreover, private REITs are generally exempt from 1933 Act registration and, as such, the amount of public information available with respect to private REITs may be less extensive than that available for publicly traded REITs. |
Repurchase Agreements |
Repurchase agreements involve the purchase of a security coupled with an agreement to resell at a specified date and price. In the event of the bankruptcy of the counterparty to a repurchase agreement, recovery of cash may be delayed. To the extent that, in the meantime, the value of the purchased securities may have decreased, a loss could result. Repurchase agreements that mature in more than seven days will be treated as illiquid. Unless the Prospectus states otherwise, the terms of a repurchase agreement 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. |
Residual Interest Bonds |
The Fund may invest in residual interest bonds in a trust that holds municipal securities. The interest rate payable on a residual interest bond bears an inverse relationship to the interest rate on another security issued by the trust. Because changes in the interest rate on the other security inversely affect the interest paid on the residual interest bond, the value and income of a residual interest bond is generally more volatile than that of a fixed rate bond. Residual interest bonds have interest rate adjustment formulas that generally reduce or, in the extreme, eliminate the interest paid to the Fund when short-term interest rates rise, and increase the interest paid to the Fund when short-term interest rates fall. Residual interest bonds have varying degrees of liquidity, and the market for these securities is relatively volatile. These securities tend to underperform the market for fixed rate bonds in a rising long-term interest rate environment, but tend to outperform the market for fixed rate bonds when long-term interest rates decline. Although volatile, residual interest bonds typically offer the potential for yields exceeding the yields available on fixed rate bonds with comparable credit quality and maturity. These securities usually permit the investor to convert the floating rate to a fixed rate (normally adjusted downward), and this optional conversion feature may provide a partial hedge against rising rates if exercised at an opportune time. While residual interest bonds expose the Fund to leverage risk because they provide two or more dollars of bond market exposure for every dollar invested, they are not subject to the Funds restrictions on borrowings. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may enter into a so-called shortfall and forbearance agreement relating to a residual interest bond held by the Fund. Such agreements commit the Fund to reimburse the difference between the liquidation value of the underlying security (which is the basis of the residual interest bond) and the principal amount due to the holders of the floating rate security issued in conjunction with the residual interest bond upon the termination of the trust issuing the residual interest bond. Absent a shortfall and forbearance agreement, the Fund would not be required to make such a reimbursement. If the Fund chooses not to enter into such an agreement, the residual interest bond could be terminated and the Fund could incur a loss. The Funds investments in residual interest bonds and similar securities described in the Prospectus and this SAI will not be considered borrowing for purposes of the Funds restrictions on borrowing described herein and in the Prospectus. On December 10, 2013, five U.S. federal agencies published final rules implementing section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Volcker Rule). The Volcker Rule prohibits banking entities from engaging in proprietary trading of certain instruments and limits such entities investments in, and relationships with, covered funds, as defined in the rules. The compliance date for the Volcker Rule with respect to covered funds in place prior to December 31, 2013 is July 21, 2016. The Volcker Rule precludes banking entities and their affiliates from (i) sponsoring residual interest bond programs as presently structured and (ii) continuing relationships with or services for existing residual interest bond programs. Certain existing residual interest bonds were restructured in order to comply with the Volker Rule prior to July 2015 while other existing residual interest bonds must do so by July 2016. The effects of the Volcker Rule may make it more difficult for the Fund to maintain current or desired levels of income. |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
66
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Restricted Securities |
Restricted securities cannot be sold to the public without registration under the 1933 Act. Unless registered for sale, restricted securities can be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or pursuant to an exemption from registration. Restricted securities may be considered illiquid and subject to the Funds limitation on illiquid securities. Restricted securities may involve a high degree of business and financial risk which may result in substantial losses. The securities may be less liquid than publicly traded securities. Although these securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales could be less than those originally paid by the Fund. The Fund may invest in restricted securities, including securities initially offered and sold without registration pursuant to Rule 144A (Rule 144A Securities) and securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers initially offered and sold outside the United States without registration with the SEC pursuant to Regulation S (Regulation S Securities) under the 1933 Act. Rule 144A Securities and Regulation S Securities generally may be traded freely among certain qualified institutional investors, such as the Fund, and non-U.S. persons, but resale to a broader base of investors in the United States may be permitted only in much more limited circumstances. The Fund also may purchase restricted securities that are not eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A or Regulation S. The Fund may acquire such securities through private placement transactions, directly from the issuer or from security holders, generally at higher yields or on terms more favorable to investors than comparable publicly traded securities. However, the restrictions on resale of such securities may make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of them at the time considered most advantageous and/or may involve expenses that would not be incurred in the sale of securities that were freely marketable. Risks associated with restricted securities include the potential obligation to pay all or part of the registration expenses in order to sell certain restricted securities. A considerable period of time may elapse between the time of the decision to sell a security and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell it under an effective registration statement and/or after an applicable waiting period. If adverse conditions were to develop during this period, the Fund might obtain a price that is less favorable than the price that was prevailing at the time it decided to sell. See also Illiquid Securities. |
Reverse Repurchase Agreements |
Under a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund 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 Fund agrees to repurchase the instrument at an agreed upon time (normally within seven days) and price, which reflects an interest payment. The Fund may enter into a reverse repurchase agreement for various purposes, including, but not limited to, when it is able to invest the cash acquired at a rate higher than the cost of the agreement or as a means of raising cash to satisfy redemption requests without the necessity of selling portfolio assets. In 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 Funds assets. As a result, such transactions may increase fluctuations in the value of the Fund. Because reverse repurchase agreements may be considered to be the practical equivalent of borrowing funds, they constitute a form of leverage. Such agreements will be treated as subject to investment restrictions regarding borrowings. If the Fund 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 Funds yield. |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
67
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Rights and Warrants |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe for shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life, usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. Warrants are securities that are typically issued together with a debt security or preferred stock and that give the holder the right to buy a proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price. Warrants are freely transferable and are often traded on major exchanges. Unlike rights, warrants normally have a life that is measured in years and entitle the holder to buy common stock of a company at a price that is usually higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued. Corporations often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive. Warrants and rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. If the market price of the underlying stock does not exceed the exercise price during the life of the warrant or right, the warrant or right will expire worthless. (Canadian special warrants issued in private placements prior to a public offering are not considered warrants.) |
Royalty Bonds |
To the extent described in the Prospectus, the Fund may invest in royalty bonds. |
Securities Lending |
The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to major banks, broker-dealers and other financial institutions in compliance with the 1940 Act. No lending may be made with any companies affiliated with the investment adviser. These loans earn income and are collateralized by cash, securities or letters of credit. The Fund may realize a loss if it is not able to invest cash collateral at rates higher than the costs to enter into the loan. The Fund invests cash collateral in an unaffiliated money market fund that operates in compliance with the requirements of Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act and maintains a stable $1.00 net asset value per share. When the loan is closed, the lender is obligated to return the collateral to the borrower. The lender could suffer a loss if the value of the collateral is below the market value of the borrowed securities or if the borrower defaults on the loan. The lender may pay reasonable finders, lending agent, administrative and custodial fees in connection with its loans. The investment adviser may instruct the securities lending agent to terminate loans and recall securities with voting rights so that the securities may be voted in accordance with the Funds proxy voting policy and procedures if deemed appropriate to do so. See Taxes for information on the tax treatment of payments in lieu of dividends received pursuant to securities lending arrangements. |
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Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
68
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Senior Loans |
Senior Loans are loans that are senior in repayment priority to other debt of the borrower. Senior Loans generally pay interest that floats, adjusts or varies periodically based on benchmark indicators, specified adjustment schedules or prevailing interest rates. Senior Loans are often secured by specific assets or collateral, although they may not be secured by collateral. 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), generally referred to as a syndicate. The Agent typically administers and enforces the Senior Loan on behalf of the Loan Investors in the syndicate. In addition, an institution, typically but not always the Agent, holds any collateral on behalf of the Loan Investors. 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, or novations of, a Senior Loan. Senior Loans primarily include senior floating rate loans and secondarily senior floating rate debt obligations (including those issued by an asset-backed pool), and interests therein. |
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Loan Collateral. Borrowers generally will, for the term of the Senior Loan, pledge collateral to secure their obligation. In addition Senior Loans may be guaranteed by or secured by assets of the borrowers owners or affiliates. During the term of the Senior Loan, the value of collateral securing the Loan may decline in value, causing the Loan to be under-collateralized. 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 borrowers obligations under a Senior Loan. In addition, if a Senior Loan is foreclosed, the Fund could become part owner of the collateral and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of such collateral. |
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Fees. The Fund may receive a facility fee when it buys a Senior Loan, and pay a facility fee when it sells a Senior Loan. On an ongoing basis, the Fund 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 Fund may receive a prepayment penalty fee upon the prepayment of a Senior Loan by a borrower or an amendment fee. |
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Loan Administration. In a typical Senior Loan, the Agent administers the terms of the loan agreement and is responsible for the collection of principal, and interest payments from the borrower and the apportionment of these payments to the Loan Investors. Failure by the Agent to fulfill its obligations may delay or adversely affect receipt of payment by the Fund. Furthermore, unless under the terms of a loan agreement or participation (as applicable) the Fund has direct recourse against the borrower, the Fund must rely on the Agent and the other Loan Investors to use appropriate 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 typical practice of an Agent or a Loan Investor in relying exclusively or primarily on reports from the borrower may involve the risk of fraud by the borrower. It is unclear whether an investment in a Senior Loan offers the securities law protections against fraud and misrepresentation. |
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A financial institutions appointment as Agent may usually be terminated in the event that it fails to observe the requisite standard of care or becomes insolvent. 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 Fund were determined to be subject to the claims of the Agents general creditors, the Fund 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 other Interposed Persons, similar risks may arise. |
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Additional Information. The Fund may purchase and retain in its portfolio a Senior Loan where the borrower has 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. While such investments may provide opportunities for enhanced income as well as capital appreciation, they generally involve greater risk and may be considered speculative. The Fund may from time to time participate in ad-hoc committees formed by creditors to negotiate with the management of financially troubled borrowers. The Fund may incur legal fees as a result of such participation. In addition, such participation may restrict the Funds ability to trade in or acquire additional positions in a particular security when it might otherwise desire to do so. Participation by the Fund also may expose the Fund to potential liabilities under bankruptcy or other laws governing the rights of creditors and debtors. The Fund will participate in such committees only when the investment adviser believes that such participation is necessary or desirable to enforce the Funds rights as a creditor or to protect the value of a Senior Loan held by the Fund. |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
69
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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In some instances, other accounts managed by the investment adviser may hold other securities issued by borrowers the Senior Loans of which may be held by the Fund. These other securities may include, for example, debt securities that are subordinate to the Senior Loans held by the Fund, convertible debt or common or preferred equity securities. In certain circumstances, such as if the credit quality of the borrower deteriorates, the interests of holders of these other securities may conflict with the interests of the holders of the borrowers Senior Loans. In such cases, the investment adviser may owe conflicting fiduciary duties to the Fund and other client accounts. The investment adviser will endeavor to carry out its obligations to all of its clients to the fullest extent possible, recognizing that in some cases, certain clients may achieve a lower economic return, as a result of these conflicting client interests, than if the investment advisers client accounts collectively held only a single category of the issuers securities. |
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The Fund 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 Fund 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 investment adviser, may enhance the value of a Senior Loan or would otherwise be consistent with the Funds investment policies. |
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For Eaton Vance Floating Rate Portfolio, Senior Debt Portfolio and Eaton Vance VT Floating-Rate Income Fund only: The Fund will acquire participations only if the Loan Investor selling the participation, and any other persons interpositioned between the Fund and the Loan Investor (an Interposed Person), at the time of investment, has outstanding debt or deposit obligations rated investment grade (BBB or A-3 or higher by S&P or Baa or P- 3 or higher by Moodys or comparably rated by another nationally recognized statistical ratings organization) or determined by the investment adviser to be of comparable quality. |
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For additional disclosure relating to investing in loans (including Senior Loans), see Loans above. |
Short Sales |
Short sales are transactions in which a party sells a security it does not own in anticipation of a decline in the market value of that security. To complete such a transaction, the party must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. When the party is required to return the borrowed security, it typically will purchase the security in the open market. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the party sold the security. Until the security is replaced, the party is required to repay the lender any dividends or interest, which accrues during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, it also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The net proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements, until the short position is closed out. Transaction costs are incurred in effecting short sales. A short seller will incur a loss as a result of a short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which it replaces the borrowed security. A gain will be realized if the price of the security declines in price between those dates. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount of the premium, dividends or interest the short seller may be required to pay, if any, in connection with a short sale. Short sales may be against the box or uncovered. In a short sale against the box, at the time of the sale, the short seller owns or has the immediate and unconditional right to acquire the identical security at no additional cost. In an uncovered short sale, the short seller does not own the underlying security and, as such, losses from uncovered short sales may be significant. The Fund may sell short securities representing an index or basket of securities whose constituents the Fund holds in whole or in part. A short sale of an index or basket of securities will be a covered short sale if the underlying index or basket of securities is the same or substantially identical to securities held by the Fund. Use of short sales is limited by the Funds non-fundamental restriction relating thereto. |
Short-Term Trading |
Fixed-income 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, such a security may be sold and another purchased at approximately the same time to take advantage of what is believed 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. |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
70
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Smaller Companies |
The investment risk associated with smaller companies is higher than that normally associated with larger, more established companies due to the greater business risks associated with small size, the relative age of the company, limited product lines, distribution channels and financial and managerial resources. Further, there is typically less publicly available information concerning smaller companies than for larger companies. The securities of small companies are often traded only over-the-counter and may not be traded in the volumes typical of trading on a national securities exchange. As a result, stocks of smaller companies are often more volatile than those of larger companies, which are often traded on a national securities exchange. |
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities (SMBS) |
SMBS are multiclass mortgage securities. SMBS commonly involve two classes of securities that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distributions on a pool of mortgage assets. A common type of SMBS will have one class receiving most of the interest from the mortgages, while the other class will receive most of the principal. In the most extreme case, the interest only class receives all of the interest while the principal only class receives the entire principal. The yield to maturity on an interest only class is extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including pre-payments) on the related underlying mortgage assets, and a rapid rate of principal payments may have a material adverse effect on the yield to maturity from these securities. If the underlying mortgages experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the initial investment in these securities may not be recouped. Although the market for such securities is increasingly liquid, certain SMBS may not be readily marketable and will be considered illiquid. The market value of the class consisting entirely of principal payments generally is unusually volatile in response to changes in interest rates. The yields on a class of SMBS that receives all or most of the interest from mortgages are generally higher than prevailing market yields on other MBS because their cash flow patterns are more volatile and there is a greater risk that the initial investment will not be fully recouped. |
Structured Notes |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Structured notes are derivative debt instruments, the interest rate or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator (for example, a currency, security, commodity or index thereof). The terms of the instrument may be structured by the purchaser and the borrower issuing the note. Indexed securities may include structured notes as well as securities other than debt securities, the interest rate or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator. Indexed securities may include a multiplier that multiplies the indexed element by a specified factor and, therefore, the value of such securities may be very volatile. The terms of structured notes and indexed securities may provide that in certain circumstances no principal is due at maturity, which may result in a loss of invested capital. Structured notes and indexed securities may be positively or negatively indexed, so that appreciation of the unrelated indicator may produce an increase or a decrease in the interest rate or the value of the structured note or indexed security at maturity may be calculated as a specified multiple of the change in the value of the unrelated indicator. Structured notes and indexed securities may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types of investments because the investor bears the risk of the unrelated indicator. Structured notes or indexed securities also may be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities and instruments or more traditional debt securities. |
Swap Agreements |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a few weeks to more than one year. In a standard swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on a particular predetermined reference instrument or instruments, which can be adjusted for an interest rate factor. The gross returns to be exchanged or swapped between the parties are generally 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). Other types of swap agreements may calculate the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a net basis. Consequently, a partys current obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the net amount). |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
71
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Whether the use of swap agreements will be successful will depend on the investment adviser's ability to predict correctly whether certain types of reference instruments are likely to produce greater returns than other instruments. Swap agreements may be subject to contractual restrictions on transferability and termination and they may have terms of greater than seven days. The Funds obligations under a swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owed to the Fund under the swap). Developments in the swaps market, including government regulation, could adversely affect the Funds ability to terminate existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements, as well as to participate in swap agreements in the future. If there is a default by the counterparty to a swap, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the swap agreement, but any recovery may be delayed depending on the circumstances of the default. |
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The swaps market was largely unregulated prior to the enactment of federal legislation known as the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Dodd-Frank Act), which was enacted in 2010 in response to turmoil in the financial markets and other market events. Among other things, the Dodd-Frank Act sets forth a new regulatory framework for certain OTC derivatives, such as swaps, in which the Fund may invest. The Dodd-Frank Act requires many swap transactions to be executed on registered exchanges or through swap execution facilities, cleared through a regulated clearinghouse, and publicly reported. In addition, many market participants are now regulated as swap dealers or major swap participants, and are, or will be, subject to certain minimum capital and margin requirements and business conduct standards. The statutory requirements of the Dodd-Frank Act are being implemented primarily through rules and regulations adopted by the SEC and/or the CFTC. There is a prescribed phase-in period during which most of the mandated rulemaking and regulations are being implemented, and temporary exemptions from certain rules and regulations have been granted so that current trading practices will not be unduly disrupted during the transition period. |
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Currently, central clearing is only required for certain market participants trading certain instruments, although central clearing for additional instruments is expected to be implemented by the CFTC until the majority of the swaps market is ultimately subject to central clearing. In addition, uncleared OTC swaps will be subject to regulatory collateral requirements that could adversely affect the Funds ability to enter into swaps in the OTC market. These developments could cause the Fund to terminate new or existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such instruments at an inopportune time. Until the mandated rulemaking and regulations are implemented completely, it will not be possible to determine the complete impact of the Dodd-Frank Act and related regulations on the Fund, and the establishment of a centralized exchange or market for swap transactions may not result in swaps being easier to value or trade. However, it is expected that swap dealers, major market participants, and swap counterparties will experience other new and/or additional regulations, requirements, compliance burdens, and associated costs. The legislation and rules to be promulgated may exert a negative effect on the Funds ability to meet its investment objective, either through limits or requirements imposed on the Fund or its counterparties. The swap market could be disrupted or limited as a result of the legislation, and the new requirements may increase the cost of the Funds investments and of doing business, which could adversely affect the ability of the Fund to buy or sell OTC derivatives. |
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Swap agreements include (but are not limited to): |
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Currency Swaps. Currency swaps involve the exchange of the rights of the parties to make or receive payments in specified currencies. Because currency swaps usually involve the delivery of the entire principal value of one designated currency in exchange for the other designated currency, the entire principal value of a currency swap is subject to the risk that the other party to the swap will default on its contractual delivery obligations. If the investment adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of market value and currency exchange rates, performance may be adversely affected. |
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Equity Swaps. An equity swap is an agreement in which at least one partys payments are based on the rate of return of an equity security or equity index, such as the S&P 500. The other partys payments can be based on a fixed rate, a non-equity variable rate, or even a different equity index. The Fund may enter into equity index swaps on a net basis pursuant to which the future cash flows from two reference instruments are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two. |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
72
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Credit Default Swaps. Under a credit default swap agreement, the protection buyer in a credit default contract is generally obligated to pay the protection seller an upfront or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract, provided that no credit event, such as a default, on a reference instrument has occurred. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally must pay the buyer the par value (full notional value) of the reference instrument in exchange for an equal face amount of the reference instrument described in the swap, or the seller may be required to deliver the related net cash amount, if the swap is cash settled. If the Fund is a buyer and no credit event occurs, the Fund may recover nothing if the swap is held through its termination date. As a seller, the Fund generally receives an upfront payment or a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the swap provided that there is no credit event. As the seller, the Fund would effectively add leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. The determination of a credit event under the swap agreement will depend on the terms of the agreement and may rely on the decision of persons that are not a party to the agreement. The Funds obligations under a credit default swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owed to the Fund). |
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Inflation Swaps. Inflation swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, e.g., an exchange of fixed rate payments for floating rate payments or an exchange of floating rate payments based on two different reference indices. By design, one of the reference indices is an inflation index, such as the Consumer Price Index. Inflation swaps can be designated as zero coupon, where both sides of the swap compound interest over the life of the swap and then the accrued interest is paid out only at the swaps maturity. |
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Total Return Swaps. Total return swap agreements are contracts in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to another party based on the change in market value of the assets underlying the contract, which may include a specified security, basket of securities or securities indices during the specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or the total return from other underlying assets. Total return swap agreements may be used to obtain exposure to a security or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security or investing directly in such market. Total return swap agreements may effectively add leverage to the Funds portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. Generally, the Fund will enter into total return swaps on a net basis (i.e., the two payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments). The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Funds obligations over its entitlements with respect to each total return swap will be accrued on a daily basis. If the total return swap transaction is entered into on other than a net basis, the full amount of the Funds obligations will be accrued on a daily basis, and the full amount of the Funds obligations will be segregated by the Fund in an amount equal to or greater than the market value of the liabilities under the total return swap or the amount it would have cost the Fund initially to make an equivalent direct investment, plus or minus any amount the Fund is obligated to pay or is to receive under the total return swap agreement. |
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Interest Rate Swaps, Caps and Floors. Interest rate swaps are OTC contracts in which each party agrees to make a periodic interest payment based on an index or the value of an asset in return for a periodic payment from the other party based on a different index or asset. The purchase of an interest rate floor entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index falls below a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate floor. The purchase of an interest rate cap entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index rises above a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate cap. The Fund usually will enter into interest rate swap transactions on a net basis (i.e., the two payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments). The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Funds obligations over its entitlements with respect to each interest rate swap will be accrued on a daily basis. If the interest rate swap transaction is entered into on other than a net basis, the full amount of the Funds obligations will be accrued on a daily basis. Certain federal income tax requirements may limit the Funds ability to engage in certain interest rate transactions. |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
73
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Swaptions |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. A swaption is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation) in return for payment of a premium, to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement, at some designated future time on specified terms. The Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions. Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, the Fund will generally incur a greater degree of risk when it writes a swaption than it will incur when it purchases a swaption. When the Fund purchases a swaption, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when the Fund writes a swaption, upon exercise of the option the Fund will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement. |
Tax-Managed Investing |
Taxes are a major influence on the net returns that investors receive on their taxable investments. There are four components of the returns of a mutual fund that invests in equities that are treated differently for federal income tax purposes: price appreciation, distributions of qualified dividend income, distributions of other investment income, and distributions of realized short-term and long-term capital gains. Distributions of income other than qualified dividend income and distributions of net realized short-term gains (on stocks held for one year or less) are taxed as ordinary income. Distributions of qualified dividend income and net realized long-term gains (on stocks held for more than one year) are currently taxed at rates up to 20%. The Funds investment program and the tax treatment of Fund distributions may be affected by IRS interpretations of the Code and future changes in tax laws and regulations. Returns derived from price appreciation are untaxed until the shareholder disposes of his or her shares. Upon disposition, a capital gain (short-term, if the shareholder has held his or her shares for one year or less, otherwise long-term) equal to the difference between the net proceeds of the disposition and the shareholders adjusted tax basis is realized. |
Trust Certificates |
Trust certificates are investments in a limited purpose trust or other vehicle formed under state law. Trust certificates in turn invest in instruments, such as credit default swaps, interest rate swaps, preferred securities and other securities, in order to customize the risk/return profile of a particular security. Like an investment in a bond, investments in trust certificates represent the right to receive periodic income payments (in the form of distributions) and payment of principal at the end of the term of the certificate. However, these payments are conditioned on the trusts receipt of payments from, and the trusts potential obligations to, the counterparties to the derivative instruments and other securities in which the trust invests. Investments in these instruments are indirectly subject to the risks associated with derivative instruments, including, among others, credit risk, default or similar event risk, counterparty risk, interest rate risk, leverage risk and management risk. It is expected that the trusts that issue credit-linked trust certificates will constitute private investment companies, exempt from registration under the 1940 Act. Although the trusts are typically private investment companies, they are generally not actively managed. It is also expected that the certificates will be exempt from registration under the 1933 Act. Accordingly, there may be no established trading market for the certificates and they may constitute illiquid investments. |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
74
SAI dated May 1, 2016
U.S. Government Securities |
U.S. Government securities include: (1) U.S. Treasury obligations, which differ in their interest rates, maturities and times of issuance, including: 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, which 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. U.S. Government securities also include 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: Farmers Home Administration, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Federal Housing Administration, Federal Land Banks, Federal Financing Bank, Central Bank for Cooperatives, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, Farm Credit Bank System, Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, Federal National Mortgage Association, General Services Administration, Government National Mortgage Association, Student Loan Marketing Association, United States Postal Service, Maritime Administration, Small Business Administration, Tennessee Valley Authority, Washington D.C. Armory Board and any other enterprise established or sponsored by the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government generally is not obligated to provide support to its instrumentalities. The principal of and/or interest on certain U.S. Government securities 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 denominated in foreign currencies may be affected favorably by changes in the exchange rate between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. |
Unlisted Securities |
Unlisted securities are neither listed on a stock exchange nor traded over-the-counter. Unlisted securities may include investments in new and early stage companies, which may involve a high degree of business and financial risk that can result in substantial losses and may be considered speculative. Such securities will generally be deemed to be illiquid. Because of the absence of any public trading market for these investments, it may take longer to liquidate these positions than would be the case for publicly traded securities. Although these securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales could be less than those originally paid or less than what may be considered the fair value of such securities. Furthermore, issuers whose securities are not publicly traded may not be subject to public disclosure and other investor protection requirements applicable to publicly traded securities. If such securities are required to be registered under the securities laws of one or more jurisdictions before being resold, the Fund may be required to bear the expenses of registration. In addition, in foreign jurisdictions any capital gains realized on the sale of such securities may be subject to higher rates of foreign taxation than taxes payable on the sale of listed securities. |
Utility and Financial
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To the extent described in the Prospectus, the Fund may concentrate its investments in utility and/or financial services companies. |
Variable Rate Instruments |
Variable rate instruments provide for adjustments in the interest or dividend rate payable on the instrument at specified intervals (daily, weekly, monthly, semiannually, etc.) based on market conditions, credit ratings or interest rates and the investor may have the right to put the security back to the issuer or its agent. Variable rate instruments normally provide that the holder can demand payment of the instrument on short notice at par with accrued interest. These instruments may be secured by letters of credit or other support arrangements provided by banks. To the extent that such letters of credit or other arrangements constitute an unconditional guarantee of the issuers obligations, a bank may be treated as the issuer of a security for the purposes of complying with the diversification requirements set forth in Section 5(b) of the 1940 Act and Rule 5b-2 thereunder. The Fund may use these instruments as cash equivalents pending longer term investment of its funds. The rate adjustment features may limit the extent to which the market value of the instruments will fluctuate. |
When-Issued Securities, Delayed Delivery and Forward Commitments |
Securities may be purchased on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed delivery basis (meaning securities are purchased or sold with payment and delivery taking place in the future beyond normal settlement times) in order to secure what is considered to be an advantageous price and yield at the time of entering into the transaction. When the Fund agrees to purchase such securities, it assumes the risk of any decline in value of the security from the date of the agreement to purchase. The Fund does not earn interest on the securities it has committed to purchase until they are paid for and delivered on the settlement date. |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
75
SAI dated May 1, 2016
|
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, when-issued or delayed delivery 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. However, no payment or delivery is made until payment is received or delivery is made from the other party to the transaction. |
Zero Coupon 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 purchase. The effect of owning debt obligations that do not make current interest payments is that a fixed yield is earned not only on the original investment but also, in effect, on all discount accretion during the life of the debt obligation. This implicit reinvestment of earnings at a fixed rate eliminates the risk of being unable to invest distributions at a rate as high as the implicit yield on the zero coupon bond, but at the same time eliminates the holders ability to reinvest at higher rates in the future. For this reason, zero coupon bonds may be subject to substantially greater price fluctuations during periods of changing market interest rates than are comparable securities that pay interest currently. The Fund 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 Fund is required to distribute that income for each taxable year. Thus, the Fund may have to sell other investments to obtain cash needed to make income distributions. |
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
76
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX A
Class A Fees, Performance and Ownership
Sales Charges and Distribution and Service Fees.
For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the following table shows (1) total sales charges paid by the Fund, (2) sales charges paid to financial intermediaries, (3) sales charges paid to the principal underwriter, (4) approximate CDSC payments to the principal underwriter, (5) total distribution and service fees paid by the Fund, and (6) distribution and service fees paid to financial intermediaries. Distribution and service fees that were not paid to financial intermediaries were retained by the principal underwriter.
Total Sales
|
Sales Charges to
|
Sales Charges to
|
CDSC Paid to
|
Total Distribution
|
Distribution and Service Fees
|
$19,491 |
$16,498 |
$2,993 |
$0 |
$32,843 |
$40,781 |
For the fiscal years ended December 31,
2014
and
2013
, total sales charges of $
27,124 and $
62,880
, respectively were paid on sales of Class A shares, of which the principal underwriter received $
2,957
and $
4,986
, respectively. The balance of such amounts was paid to financial intermediaries.
Performance Information. The table below indicates the average annual total return (both before and after taxes) on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 in this Class of shares for the periods shown in the table. Any performance presented with an asterisk (*) includes the effect of subsidizing expenses. Performance would have been lower without subsidies.
Total returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value or public offering price with all distributions reinvested. The Funds past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of Fund shares will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance is for the stated time period only; due to market volatility, the Funds current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted return. For the Funds performance as of the most recent month-end, please refer to www.eatonvance.com.
About Returns After Taxes. After-tax returns are calculated using certain assumptions. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares. The tax treatment of a portion of the distributions made in the current year may be recharacterized as taxable after year-end.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
77
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities.
At
April 1
, 2016, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned in the aggregate less than 1% of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund. In addition, as of the same date, the following person(s) held the share percentage indicated below, which was owned either (i) beneficially by such person(s) or (ii) of record by such person(s) on behalf of customers who are the beneficial owners of such shares and as to which such record owner(s) may exercise voting rights under certain limited circumstances:
Beneficial owners of 25% or more of this Class of the Fund are presumed to be in control of the Fund for purposes of voting on certain matters submitted to shareholders.
To the knowledge of the Trust, no other person owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund as of such date.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
78
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX B
Class C Fees, Performance and Ownership
Distribution and Service Fees.
For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the following table shows (1) sales commissions paid by the principal underwriter to financial intermediaries on sales of Class C shares, (2) distribution fees paid to the principal underwriter under the Distribution Plan, (3) approximate CDSC payments to the principal underwriter, (4) service fees paid under the Distribution Plan, and (5) service fees paid to financial intermediaries. The service fees paid by the Fund that were not paid to financial intermediaries were retained by the principal underwriter.
Commission Paid by
|
Distribution Fee Paid
|
CDSC Paid
|
Service Fees |
Service Fees Paid
|
$34,116 |
$35,763 |
$0 |
$11,934 |
$11,372 |
Performance Information. The table below indicates the average annual total return (both before and after taxes) on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 in this Class of shares for the periods shown in the table. Any performance presented with an asterisk (*) includes the effect of subsidizing expenses. Performance would have been lower without subsidies.
Total returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value or public offering price with all distributions reinvested. The Funds past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of Fund shares will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance is for the stated time period only; due to market volatility, the Funds current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted return. For the Funds performance as of the most recent month-end, please refer to www.eatonvance.com.
About Returns After Taxes. After-tax returns are calculated using certain assumptions. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares. The tax treatment of a portion of the distributions made in the current year may be recharacterized as taxable after year-end.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
79
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities.
At
April 1
, 2016, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned in the aggregate less than 1% of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund. In addition, as of the same date, the following person(s) held the share percentage indicated below, which was owned either (i) beneficially by such person(s) or (ii) of record by such person(s) on behalf of customers who are the beneficial owners of such shares and as to which such record owner(s) may exercise voting rights under certain limited circumstances:
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney |
Jersey City, NJ |
41.8% |
Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith |
Jacksonville, FL |
25.2% |
UBS WM USA |
Weehawken, NJ |
8.6% |
LPL Financial |
San Diego, CA |
5.4% |
Beneficial owners of 25% or more of this Class of the Fund are presumed to be in control of the Fund for purposes of voting on certain matters submitted to shareholders.
To the knowledge of the Trust, no other person owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund as of such date.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
80
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX C
Class I Performance and Ownership
Performance Information. The table below indicates the average annual total return (both before and after taxes) on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 in this Class of shares for the periods shown in the table. Any performance presented with an asterisk (*) includes the effect of subsidizing expenses. Performance would have been lower without subsidies.
Total returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value or public offering price with all distributions reinvested. The Funds past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of Fund shares will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance is for the stated time period only; due to market volatility, the Funds current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted return. For the Funds performance as of the most recent month-end, please refer to www.eatonvance.com.
About Returns After Taxes. After-tax returns are calculated using certain assumptions. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares. The tax treatment of a portion of the distributions made in the current year may be recharacterized as taxable after year-end.
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities.
At
April 1
, 2016, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned in the aggregate less than 1% of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund. In addition, as of the same date, the following person(s) held the share percentage indicated below, which was owned either (i) beneficially by such person(s) or (ii) of record by such person(s) on behalf of customers who are the beneficial owners of such shares and as to which such record owner(s) may exercise voting rights under certain limited circumstances:
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney |
Jersey City, NJ |
67.5% |
Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith |
Jacksonville, FL |
17.0% |
Beneficial owners of 25% or more of this Class of the Fund are presumed to be in control of the Fund for purposes of voting on certain matters submitted to shareholders.
To the knowledge of the Trust, no other person owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund as of such date.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
81
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX D
RATINGS
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 which would be given to these securities on a particular date.
MOODYS INVESTORS SERVICE, INC. (Moodys)
Ratings assigned on Moodys global long-term and short-term rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities. Long-term ratings are assigned to issuers or obligations with an original maturity of one year or more and reflect both the likelihood of a default on contractually promised payments and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default. Short-term ratings are assigned to obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect the likelihood of a default on contractually promised payments.
GLOBAL LONG-TERM RATINGS SCALE
Aaa: Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.
Aa: Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low risk.
A: Obligations rated A are considered upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.
Baa: Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics
Ba: Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.
B: Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.
Caa: Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
Ca: Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.
C: Obligations rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.
Note: Moodys appends numerical modifiers, 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.
GLOBAL SHORT-TERM RATING SCALE
Moodys short term ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to honor short-term financial obligations. Ratings may be assigned to issuers, short-term programs or to individual short-term debt instruments. Such obligations generally have an original maturity not exceeding thirteen months, unless explicitly noted.
P-1: Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-2: Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-3: Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.
NP: Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime ratings categories.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
82
SAI dated May 1, 2016
ISSUER RATINGS
Issuer Ratings are opinions of the ability of entities to honor senior unsecured financial counterparty obligations and contracts. As such, Issuer Ratings incorporate any external support that is expected to apply to all current and future issuance of senior unsecured financial obligations and contracts, such as explicit support stemming from a guarantee of all senior unsecured financial obligations and contracts, and/or implicit support for issuers subject to joint default analysis (e.g. banks and government-related issuers). Issuer Ratings do not incorporate support arrangements, such as guarantees, that apply only to specific (but not to all) senior unsecured financial obligations and contracts.
US MUNICIPAL SHORT-TERM OBLIGATION RATINGS AND DEMAND OBLIGATION RATINGS
SHORT-TERM OBLIGATION RATINGS
While the global short-term prime rating scale is applied to US municipal tax-exempt commercial paper, these programs are typically backed by external letters of credit or liquidity facilities and their short-term prime ratings usually map to the long-term rating of the enhancing bank or financial institution and not to the municipalitys rating. Other short-term municipal obligations, which generally have different funding sources for repayment, are rated using two additional short-term rating scales (i.e., the MIG and VMIG scales discussed below).
The Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) scale is used to rate US municipal bond anticipation notes of up to three years maturity. Municipal notes rated on the MIG scale may be secured by either pledged revenues or proceeds of a take-out financing received prior to note maturity. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation, and the issuers long-term rating is only one consideration in assigning the MIG rating. MIG ratings are divided into three levelsMIG 1 through MIG 3while speculative grade short-term obligations are designated SG.
MIG 1 This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.
MIG 2 This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.
MIG 3 This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.
SG This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.
Demand Obligation Ratings
In the case of variable rate demand obligations (VRDOs), a two-component rating is assigned; a long or short-term rating and demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moodys evaluation of the degree of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moodys evaluation of the degree of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand (demand feature), The second element uses a rating from a variation of the MIG scale called the Variable Municipal Investment Grade (VMIG) scale. The rating transitions on the VMIG scale, as shown in the diagram below, differ from those on the Prime scale to reflect the risk that external liquidity support generally will terminate if the issuers long-term rating drops below investment grade.
VMIG 1: This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
VMIG 2: This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
VMIG 3: This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
SG: This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
83
SAI dated May 1, 2016
STANDARD & POORS RATINGS SERVICES (S&P)
ISSUE CREDIT RATINGS DEFINITIONS
A Standard & Poor's issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects Standard & Poor's view of the obligor's capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.
Issue credit ratings can be either long-term or short-term. Short-term ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. In the U.S., for example, that means obligations with an original maturity of no more than 365 daysincluding commercial paper. Short-term ratings are also used to indicate the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to put features on long-term obligations. Medium-term notes are assigned long-term ratings.
LONG-TERM ISSUE CREDIT RATINGS:
Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on Standard & Poor's analysis of the following considerations:
· Likelihood of payment — capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation;
· Nature of and provisions of the obligation and the promise that is imputed;
· Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors' rights. Issue ratings are an assessment of default risk, but may incorporate an assessment of relative seniority or ultimate recovery in the event of default. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation may apply when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.)
AAA: An obligation rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by S&P. The obligors capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.
AA: An obligation rated AA differs from the highest-rated obligors only to a small degree. The obligors capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.
A: An obligation rated A is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligors capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong.
BBB: An obligation rated BBB 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.
BB, B, CCC, CC and C
Obligations rated BB, B, CCC, CC, and C are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
BB: An obligation rated BB is less vulnerable to non-payment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligors inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B: An obligation rated B is more vulnerable than obligations rated BB, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial or economic conditions will likely impair the obligors capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
84
SAI dated May 1, 2016
CCC: An obligation rated CCC 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. In the event of adverse business, financial or, economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CC: An obligation rated CC is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The 'CC' rating is used when a default has not yet occurred, but Standard & Poor's expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.
C: An obligation rated 'C' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared to obligations that are rated higher .
D: An obligation rated 'D' is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation's rating is lowered to 'D' if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.NR: This indicates that no rating has been requested, or that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that Standard & Poor's does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.
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.
SHORT-TERM ISSUE CREDIT RATINGS
A-1: A short-term obligation rated A-1 is rated in the highest category by S&P. The obligors 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 obligors capacity to meet its financial commitments on these obligation 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 obligors 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 commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments .
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 default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation's rating is lowered to 'D' if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.
ISSUER CREDIT RATINGS DEFINITIONS
Standard & Poor's issuer credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about an obligor's overall creditworthiness. This opinion focuses on the obligor's capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due. It does not apply to any specific financial obligation, as it does not take into account the nature of and provisions of the obligation, its standing in bankruptcy or liquidation, statutory preferences, or the legality and enforceability of the obligation. Counterparty credit ratings, corporate credit ratings and sovereign credit ratings are all forms of issuer credit ratings.
Issuer credit ratings can be either long-term or short-term.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
85
SAI dated May 1, 2016
LONG-TERM ISSUER CREDIT RATINGS
AAA: An obligor rated AAA has extremely strong capacity to meet its financial commitments. AAA is the highest issuer credit rating assigned by S&P.
AA: An obligor rated AA has very strong capacity to meet its financial commitments. It differs from the highest-rated obligors only to a small degree.
A: An obligor rated A has strong capacity to meet its financial commitments but is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligors in higher-rated categories.
BBB: An obligor rated BBB has adequate capacity to meet its financial commitments. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitments.
BB, B, CCC and CC
Obligors rated BB, B, CCC, and CC are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and CC the highest. While such obligors will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
BB: An obligor BB is less vulnerable in the near term than other lower-rated obligors. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties and exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligors inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.
B: An obligor rated B is more vulnerable than the obligors rated BB, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligors capacity or willingness to meets its financial commitments.
CCC: An obligor rated CCC is currently vulnerable, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions to meet its financial commitments.
CC: An obligor rated CC is currently highly vulnerable. The 'CC' rating is used when a default has not yet occurred, but Standard & Poor's expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.
R: An obligor rated 'R' is under regulatory supervision owing to its financial condition. During the pendency of the regulatory supervision the regulators may have the power to favor one class of obligations over others or pay some obligations and not others.
SD and D : An obligor rated 'SD' (selective default) or 'D' is in default on one or more of its financial obligations including rated and unrated financial obligations but excluding hybrid instruments classified as regulatory capital or in non-payment according to terms. An obligor is considered in default unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made within five business days of the due date in the absence of a stated grace period, or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. A 'D' rating is assigned when Standard & Poor's believes that the default will be a general default and that the obligor will fail to pay all or substantially all of its obligations as they come due. An 'SD' rating is assigned when Standard &
Poor's believes that the obligor has selectively defaulted on a specific issue or class of obligations but it will continue to meet its payment obligations on other issues or classes of obligations in a timely manner. An obligor's rating is lowered to 'D' or 'SD' if it is conducting a distressed exchange offer.
NR: An issuer designated as NR is not rated.
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.
SHORT-TERM ISSUER CREDIT RATINGS
A-1: An obligor rated A-1 has strong capacity to meet its financial commitments. It is rated in the highest category by S&P. Within this category, certain obligors are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligors capacity to meet its financial commitments is extremely strong.
A-2: An obligor rated A-2 has satisfactory capacity to meet its financial commitments. However, it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligors in the highest rating category.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
86
SAI dated May 1, 2016
A-3: An obligor rated A-3 has adequate capacity to meet its financial obligations. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitments.
B: An obligor rated B is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. Ratings B-1, B-2, and B-3 may be assigned to indicate finer distinctions within the B category. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligors inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.
C: An obligor rated 'C' is currently vulnerable to nonpayment that would result in a 'SD' or 'D' issuer rating, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for it to meet its financial commitments.
R: An obligor rated R is under regulatory supervision owing to its financial condition. During the pendency of the regulatory supervision the regulators may have the power to favor one class of obligations over others or pay some obligations and not others.
SD and D: An obligor rated 'SD' (selective default) or 'D' has failed to pay one or more of its financial obligations (rated or unrated), excluding hybrid instruments classified as regulatory capital or in nonpayment according to terms, when it came due. An obligor is considered in default unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. A 'D' rating is assigned when Standard & Poor's believes that the default will be a general default and that the obligor will fail to pay all or substantially all of its obligations as they come due. An 'SD' rating is assigned when Standard & Poor's believes that the obligor has selectively defaulted on a specific issue or class of obligations, excluding hybrid instruments classified as regulatory capital, but it will continue to meet its payment obligations on other issues or classes of obligations in a timely manner. An obligor's rating is lowered to 'D' or 'SD' if it is conducting a distressed exchange offer.
NR: An issuer designated as NR is not rated.
MUNICIPAL SHORT-TERM NOTE RATINGS
SHORT-TERM NOTES: An S&P U.S. municipal note ratings reflects the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes maturing beyond three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, Standard & Poor's analysis will review the following considerations: Amortization schedule--the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and Source of payment--the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.
Municipal Short-Term Note rating symbols are as follows:
SP-1: Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt will be given a plus (+) designation.
SP-2: Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.
SP-3: Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.
FITCH RATINGS
LONG-TERM CREDIT RATINGS
Investment Grade
AAA: Highest credit quality AAA ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in case of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. The capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.
AA: Very high credit quality. AA ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
A: High credit quality. A ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. The capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to changes in circumstances or in economic conditions that is the case for higher ratings.
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BBB: 'BBB' ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.
BB: Speculative. 'BB' ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time.
B: Highly speculative. B' ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment.
CCC: Substantial credit risk. Default is a real possibility.
CC: Very high levels of credit risk. Default of some kind appears probable.
C : Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. Default appears imminent or inevitable.
D: Indicates a default. Default generally is defined as one of the following:
· failure to make payment of principal and/or interest under the contractual terms of the rated obligation;
· the bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other winding-up or cessation of the business of an issuer/obligor; or
· the distressed exchange of an obligation, where creditors were offered securities with diminished structural or economic terms compared with the existing obligation to avoid a probable payment default.
Notes to Long-Term ratings:
The modifiers + or - may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the AAA Long-Term IDR category, or to Long-Term IDR categories below B.
Short-Term Credit Ratings Assigned to Obligations in Corporate, Public and Structured Finance
A short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity or security stream and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-Term Ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as short term based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations, and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets.
F1: Highest short-term credit quality . Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added + to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.
F2: Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.
F3: Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.
B: Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
C: High short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility.
RD: Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Typically applicable to entity ratings only.
D: Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.
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DESCRIPTION OF INSURANCE FINANCIAL STRENGTH RATINGS
Moodys Investors Service, Inc. Insurance Financial Strength Ratings
Moodys Insurance Financial Strength Ratings are opinions of the ability of insurance companies to repay punctually senior policyholder claims and obligations and also reflect the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default . Specific obligations are considered unrated unless they are individually rated because the standing of a particular insurance obligation would depend on an assessment of its relative standing under those laws governing both the obligation and the insurance company.
Standard & Poors Insurance Financial Strength Ratings
A Standard & Poor's insurer financial strength rating is a forward-looking opinion about the financial security characteristics of an insurance organization with respect to its ability to pay under its insurance policies and contracts in accordance with their terms. Insurer financial strength ratings are also assigned to health maintenance organizations and similar health plans with respect to their ability to pay under their policies and contracts in accordance with their terms. This opinion is not specific to any particular policy or contract, nor does it address the suitability of a particular policy or contract for a specific purpose or purchaser. Furthermore, the opinion does not take into account deductibles, surrender or cancellation penalties, timeliness of payment, nor the likelihood of the use of a defense such as fraud to deny claims. Insurer financial strength ratings do not refer to an organization's ability to meet nonpolicy (i.e., debt) obligations. Assignment of ratings to debt issued by insurers or to debt issues that are fully or partially supported by insurance policies, contracts, or guarantees is a separate process from the determination of insurer financial strength ratings, and follows procedures consistent with those used to assign an issue credit rating. An insurer financial strength rating is not a recommendation to purchase or discontinue any policy or contract issued by an insurer.
Long-Term Insurer Financial Strength Ratings
Category Definition
AAA
An insurer rated 'AAA' has extremely strong financial security characteristics. 'AAA' is the highest insurer financial strength rating assigned by Standard & Poor's.
AA
An insurer rated 'AA' has very strong financial security characteristics, differing only slightly from those rated higher.
A
An insurer rated 'A' has strong financial security characteristics, but is somewhat more likely to be affected by adverse business conditions than are insurers with higher ratings.
BBB
An insurer rated 'BBB' has good financial security characteristics, but is more likely to be affected by adverse business conditions than are higher-rated insurers.
BB; CCC; and CC
An insurer rated 'BB' or lower is regarded as having vulnerable characteristics that may outweigh its strengths. 'BB' indicates the least degree of vulnerability within the range; 'CC' the highest.
BB
An insurer rated 'BB' has marginal financial security characteristics. Positive attributes exist, but adverse business conditions could lead to insufficient ability to meet financial commitments.
B
An insurer rated 'B' has weak financial security characteristics. Adverse business conditions will likely impair its ability to meet financial commitments.
CCC
An insurer rated 'CCC' has very weak financial security characteristics, and is dependent on favorable business conditions to meet financial commitments.
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CC
An insurer rated 'CC' has extremely weak financial security characteristics and is likely not to meet some of its financial commitments.
SD or D
An insurer rated 'SD' (selective default) or 'D' is in default on one or more of its insurance policy obligations but is not under regulatory supervision that would involve a rating of 'R'. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action if payments on a policy obligation are at risk. A 'D' rating is assigned when Standard & Poor's believes that the default will be a general default and that the obligor will fail to pay substantially all of its obligations in full in accordance with the policy terms. An 'SD' rating is assigned when Standard & Poor's believes that the insurer has selectively defaulted on a specific class of policies but it will continue to meet its payment obligations on other classes of obligations. A selective default includes the completion of a distressed exchange offer. Claim denials due to lack of coverage or other legally permitted defenses are not considered defaults.
R
An insurer rated 'R' is under regulatory supervision owing to its financial condition. During the pendency of the regulatory supervision, the regulators may have the power to favor one class of obligations over others or pay some obligations and not others. The rating does not apply to insurers subject only to non-financial actions such as market conduct violations.
NR
An insurer designated 'NR' is not rated, which implies no opinion about the insurer's financial security.
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.
Fitch Insurer Financial Strength Rating
The Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) Rating provides an assessment of the financial strength of an insurance organization. The IFS Rating is assigned to the insurance company's policyholder obligations, including assumed reinsurance obligations and contract holder obligations, such as guaranteed investment contracts. The IFS Rating reflects both the ability of the insurer to meet these obligations on a timely basis, and expected recoveries received by claimants in the event the insurer stops making payments or payments are interrupted, due to either the failure of the insurer or some form of regulatory intervention. In the context of the IFS Rating, the timeliness of payments is considered relative to both contract and/or policy terms but also recognizes the possibility of reasonable delays caused by circumstances common to the insurance industry, including claims reviews, fraud investigations and coverage disputes.
The IFS Rating does not encompass policyholder obligations residing in separate accounts, unit-linked products or segregated funds, for which the policyholder bears investment or other risks. However, any guarantees provided to the policyholder with respect to such obligations are included in the IFS Rating.
Expected recoveries are based on the agency's assessments of the sufficiency of an insurance company's assets to fund policyholder obligations, in a scenario in which payments have ceased or been interrupted. Accordingly, expected recoveries exclude the impact of recoveries obtained from any government sponsored guaranty or policyholder protection funds. Expected recoveries also exclude the impact of collateralization or security, such as letters of credit or trusteed assets, supporting select reinsurance obligations.
IFS Ratings can be assigned to insurance and reinsurance companies in any insurance sector, including the life & annuity, non-life, property/casualty, health, mortgage, financial guaranty, residual value and title insurance sectors, as well as to managed care companies such as health maintenance organizations.
The IFS Rating does not address the quality of an insurer's claims handling services or the relative value of products sold.
The IFS Rating uses the same symbols used by the agency for its International and National credit ratings of long-term or short-term debt issues. However, the definitions associated with the ratings reflect the unique aspects of the IFS Rating within an insurance industry context.
Obligations for which a payment interruption has occurred due to either the insolvency or failure of the insurer or some form of regulatory intervention will generally be rated between 'B' and 'C' on the Long-Term IFS Rating scales (both International and National). International Short-Term IFS Ratings assigned under the same circumstances will align with the insurer's International Long-Term IFS Ratings.
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APPENDIX E
Eaton Vance Funds
Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures
I. Overview
The Boards of Trustees (the “ Board ” ) of the Eaton Vance Funds 1 have determined that it is in the interests of the Funds ’ shareholders to adopt these written proxy voting policy and procedures (the “ Policy ” ). For purposes of this Policy:
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“ Fund ” means each registered investment company sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization; and
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“ Adviser ” means the adviser or sub-adviser responsible for the day-to-day management of all or a portion of the Fund ’ s assets.
II. Delegation of Proxy Voting Responsibilities
The Board hereby delegates to the Adviser responsibility for voting the Funds proxies as described in this Policy. In this connection, the Adviser is required to provide the Board with a copy of its proxy voting policies and procedures (Adviser Procedures) and all Fund proxies will be voted in accordance with the Adviser Procedures, provided that in the event a material conflict of interest arises with respect to a proxy to be voted for the Fund (as described in Section IV below) the Adviser shall follow the process for voting such proxy as described in Section IV below.
The Adviser is required to report any material change to the Adviser Procedures to the Board in the manner set forth in Section V below. In addition, the Board will review the Adviser Procedures annually.
III. Delegation of Proxy Voting Disclosure Responsibilities
Pursuant to Rule 30b1-4 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “ 1940 Act ” ), the Fund is required to file Form N-PX no later than August 31st of each year. On Form N-PX, the Fund is required to disclose, among other things, information concerning proxies relating to the Funds portfolio investments, whether or not the Fund (or its Adviser) voted the proxies relating to securities held by the Fund and how it voted on the matter and whether it voted for or against management.
To facilitate the filing of Form N-PX for the Fund:
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The Adviser is required to record, compile and transmit in a timely manner all data required to be filed on Form N-PX for the Fund that it manages. Such data shall be transmitted to Eaton Vance Management, which acts as administrator to the Fund (the Administrator) or the third party service provider designated by the Administrator; and
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the Administrator is required to file Form N-PX on behalf of the Fund with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission) as required by the 1940 Act. The Administrator may delegate the filing to a third party service party provided each such filing is reviewed and approved by the Administrator.
IV. Conflicts of Interest
The Board expects the Adviser, as a fiduciary to the Fund it manages, to put the interests of the Fund and its shareholders above those of the Adviser. When required to vote a proxy for the Fund, the Adviser may have material business relationships with the issuer soliciting the proxy that could give rise to a potential material conflict of interest for the Adviser. 2 In the event such a material conflict of interest arises, the Adviser, to the extent it is aware or reasonably should have been aware of the material conflict, will refrain from voting any proxies related to companies giving rise to such material conflict until it notifies and consults with the appropriate Board, or any committee, sub-committee or group of Independent Trustees identified by the Board (as long as such committee, sub-committee or group contains at least two or more Independent Trustees) (the Board Members), concerning the material conflict. 3 For ease of communicating with the Board Members, the Adviser is required to provide the foregoing notice to the Funds Chief Legal Officer who will then notify and facilitate a consultation with the Board Members.
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Once the Board Members have been notified of the material conflict:
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They shall convene a meeting to review and consider all relevant materials related to the proxies involved. This meeting shall be convened within 3 business days, provided that it an effort will be made to convene the meeting sooner if the proxy must be voted in less than 3 business days;
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In considering such proxies, the Adviser shall make available all materials requested by the Board Members and make reasonably available appropriate personnel to discuss the matter upon request.
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The Board Members will then instruct the Adviser on the appropriate course of action with respect to the proxy at issue.
If the Board Members are unable to meet and the failure to vote a proxy would have a material adverse impact on the Fund(s) involved, the Adviser will have the right to vote such proxy, provided that it discloses the existence of the material conflict to the Chairperson of the Board as soon as practicable and to the Board at its next meeting. Any determination regarding the voting of proxies of the Fund that is made by the Board Members shall be deemed to be a good faith determination regarding the voting of proxies by the full Board.
V. Reports and Review
The Administrator shall make copies of each Form N-PX filed on behalf of the Fund available for the Boards ’ review upon the Boards ’ request. The Administrator (with input from the Adviser for the Fund) shall also provide any reports reasonably requested by the Board regarding the proxy voting records of the Fund.
The Adviser shall report any material changes to the Adviser Procedures to the Board as soon as practicable and the Boards will review the Adviser Procedures annually.
The Adviser also shall report any changes to the Adviser Procedures to the Fund Chief Legal Officer prior to implementing such changes in order to enable the Administrator to effectively coordinate the Funds disclosure relating to the Adviser Procedures.
To the extent requested by the Commission, the Policy and the Adviser Procedures shall be appended to the Funds statement of additional information included in its registration statement.
_____________________
1
The Eaton Vance Funds may be organized as trusts or corporations. For ease of reference, the Funds may be referred to herein as Trusts and the Funds Board of Trustees or Board of Directors may be referred to collectively herein as the Board.
2
An Adviser is expected to maintain a process for identifying a potential material conflict of interest. As an example only, such potential conflicts may arise when the issuer is a client of the Adviser and generates a significant amount of fees to the Adviser or the issuer is a distributor of the Advisers products.
3
If a material conflict of interest exists with respect to a particular proxy and the proxy voting procedures of the relevant Adviser require that proxies are to be voted in accordance with the recommendation of a third party proxy voting vendor, the requirements of this Section IV shall only apply if the Adviser intends to vote such proxy in a manner inconsistent with such third party recommendation.
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APPENDIX F
EATON VANCE MANAGEMENT
BOSTON MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH
EATON VANCE INVESTMENT COUNSEL
EATON VANCE TRUST COMPANY
EATON VANCE MANAGEMENT (INTERNATIONAL) LIMITED
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
I. Introduction
Eaton Vance Management, Boston Management and Research, Eaton Vance Investment Counsel, Eaton Vance Management (International) Limited and Eaton Vance Trust Company (each an Adviser and collectively the Advisers) have each adopted and implemented policies and procedures that each Adviser believes are reasonably designed to ensure that proxies are voted in the best interest of clients, in accordance with its fiduciary duties and, to the extent applicable, Rule 206(4)-6 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The Advisers authority to vote the proxies of their clients is established by their advisory contracts or similar documentation, such as the Eaton Vance Funds Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures. These proxy policies and procedures reflect the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requirements governing advisers and the long-standing fiduciary standards and responsibilities for ERISA accounts set out in the Department of Labor Bulletin 94-2 C.F.R. 2509.94-2 (July 29, 1994).
II. Overview
Each Adviser manages its clients assets with the overriding goal of seeking to provide the greatest possible return to such clients consistent with governing laws and the investment policies of each client. In pursuing that goal, each Adviser seeks to exercise its clients rights as shareholders of voting securities to support sound corporate governance of the companies issuing those securities with the principle aim of maintaining or enhancing the companies economic value.
The exercise of shareholder rights is generally done by casting votes by proxy at shareholder meetings on matters submitted to shareholders for approval (for example, the election of directors or the approval of a companys stock option plans for directors, officers or employees). Each Adviser has established guidelines (Guidelines) as described below and generally will utilize such Guidelines in voting proxies on behalf of its clients. The Guidelines are largely based on those developed by the Agent (defined below) but also reflect input from the Global Proxy Group (defined below) and other Adviser investment professionals and are believed to be consistent with the views of the Adviser on the various types of proxy proposals. These Guidelines are designed to promote accountability of a companys management and board of directors to its shareholders and to align the interests of management with those of shareholders. The Guidelines provide a framework for analysis and decision making but do not address all potential issues.
Except as noted below, each Adviser will vote any proxies received by a client for which it has sole investment discretion through a third-party proxy voting service (Agent) in accordance with the Guidelines in a manner that is reasonably designed to eliminate any potential conflicts of interest, as described more fully below. The Agent is currently Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. Where applicable, proxies will be voted in accordance with client-specific guidelines or, in the case of an Eaton Vance Fund that is sub-advised, pursuant to the sub-advisers proxy voting policies and procedures. Although an Adviser retains the services of the Agent for research and voting recommendations, the Adviser remains responsible for proxy voting decisions.
III. Roles and Responsibilities
A. Proxy Administrator
The Proxy Administrator coordinates the consideration of proxies referred back to the Adviser by the Agent, and otherwise administers these Procedures. In the Proxy Administrators absence, another employee of the Adviser may perform the Proxy Administrators responsibilities as deemed appropriate by the Global Proxy Group.
B. Agent
The Agent is responsible for coordinating with the clients custodians and the Advisers to ensure that all proxy materials received by the custodians relating to the portfolio securities are processed in a timely fashion. Each Adviser shall instruct the custodian for its clients to deliver proxy ballots and related materials to the Agent. The Agent shall vote and/or refer all proxies in accordance with the Guidelines. The Agent shall retain a record of all proxy votes handled by the Agent. With respect to each Eaton Vance Fund memorialized therein, such record must reflect all of the information required to be disclosed in the Funds Form N-PX pursuant to Rule 30b1-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, to the extent applicable. In addition, the Agent is responsible for maintaining copies of all proxy statements received by issuers and to promptly provide such materials to an Adviser upon request.
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Subject to the oversight of the Advisers, the Agent shall establish and maintain adequate internal controls and policies in connection with the provision of proxy voting services to the Advisers, including methods to reasonably ensure that its analysis and recommendations are not influenced by a conflict of interest, and shall disclose such controls and policies to the Advisers when and as provided for herein. Unless otherwise specified, references herein to recommendations of the Agent shall refer to those in which no conflict of interest has been identified. The Advisers are responsible for the ongoing oversight of the Agent as contemplated by SEC Staff Legal Bulletin No. 20 (June 30, 2014). Such oversight currently may include one or more of the following:
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periodic review of Agents proxy voting platform and reporting capabilities (including recordkeeping);
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periodic review of a sample of ballots for accuracy and correct application of the Guidelines;
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periodic meetings with Agents client services team;
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periodic in-person and/or web-based due diligence meetings;
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receipt and review of annual certifications received from the Agent; and/or
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annual review of due diligence materials provided by the Agent, including review of procedures and practices regarding potential conflicts of interests.
C. Global Proxy Group
The Adviser shall establish a Global Proxy Group which is responsible for establishing the Guidelines (described below) and reviewing such Guidelines at least annually. The Global Proxy Group shall also review recommendations to vote proxies in a manner that is contrary to the Guidelines and when the proxy relates to a conflicted company of the Adviser or the Agent as described below.
The members of the Global Proxy Group shall include the Chief Equity Investment Officer of Eaton Vance Management (EVM) and selected members of the Equity Departments of EVM and Eaton Vance Management (International) Limited (EVMI). The Proxy Administrator is not a voting member of the Global Proxy Group. Members of the Global Proxy Group may be changed from time to time at the Advisers discretion. Matters that require the approval of the Global Proxy Group may be acted upon by its member(s) available to consider the matter.
IV. Proxy Voting
A. The Guidelines
The Global Proxy Group shall establish recommendations for the manner in which proxy proposals shall be voted (the Guidelines). The Guidelines shall identify when ballots for specific types of proxy proposals shall be voted (1) or referred to the Adviser. The Guidelines shall address a wide variety of individual topics, including, among other matters, shareholder voting rights, anti-takeover defenses, board structures, the election of directors, executive and director compensation, reorganizations, mergers, issues of corporate social responsibility and other proposals affecting shareholder rights. In determining the Guidelines, the Global Proxy Group considers the recommendations of the Agent as well as input from the Advisers portfolio managers and analysts and/or other internally developed or third party research.
The Global Proxy Group shall review the Guidelines at least annually and, in connection with proxies to be voted on behalf of the Eaton Vance Funds, the Adviser will submit amendments to the Guidelines to the Fund Boards each year for approval.
With respect to the types of proxy proposals listed below, the Guidelines will generally provide as follows:
1. Proposals Regarding Mergers and Corporate Restructurings/Disposition of Assets/Termination/Liquidation and Mergers
The Agent shall be directed to refer proxy proposals accompanied by its written analysis and voting recommendation to the Proxy Administrator for all proposals relating to Mergers and Corporate Restructurings.
2. Corporate Structure Matters/Anti-Takeover Defenses
As a general matter, the Advisers will normally vote against anti-takeover measures and other proposals designed to limit the ability of shareholders to act on possible transactions (except in the case of closed-end management investment companies).
3. Proposals Regarding Proxy Contests
The Agent shall be directed to refer contested proxy proposals accompanied by its written analysis and voting recommendation to the Proxy Administrator.
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4. Social and Environmental Issues
The Advisers generally support management on social and environmental proposals.
Interpretation and application of the Guidelines is not intended to supersede any law, regulation, binding agreement or other legal requirement to which an issuer or the Adviser may be or become subject. The Guidelines generally relate to the types of proposals that are most frequently presented in proxy statements to shareholders. In certain circumstances, an Adviser may determine to vote contrary to the Guidelines subject to the voting procedures set forth below.
B. Voting Procedures
Except as noted in Section V below, the Proxy Administrator shall instruct the Agent to vote proxies as follows:
1. Vote in Accordance with Guidelines
If the Guidelines prescribe the manner in which the proxy is to be voted, the Agent shall vote in accordance with the Guidelines, which for certain types of proposals, are recommendations of the Agent made on a case-by-case basis.
2. Seek Guidance for a Referred Item or a Proposal for which there is No Guideline
If (i) the Guidelines state that the proxy shall be referred to the Adviser to determine the manner in which it should be voted or (ii) a proxy is received for a proposal for which there is no Guideline, the Proxy Administrator shall consult with the analyst(s) covering the company subject to the proxy proposal and shall instruct the Agent to vote in accordance with the determination of the analyst. The Proxy Administrator will maintain a record of all proxy proposals that are referred by the Agent, as well as all applicable recommendations, analysis and research received and the resolution of the matter. Where more than one analyst covers a particular company and the recommendations of such analysts for voting a proposal subject to this Section IV.B.2 conflict, the Global Proxy Group shall review such recommendations and any other available information related to the proposal and determine the manner in which it should be voted, which may result in different recommendations for clients (including Funds).
3. Votes Contrary to the Guidelines or Where Agent is Conflicted
In the event an analyst with respect to companies within his or her coverage area may recommend a vote contrary to the Guidelines, the Proxy Administrator will provide the Global Proxy Group with the Agents recommendation for the Proposal along with any other relevant materials, including a description of the basis for the analysts recommendation via email and the Proxy Administrator will then instruct the Agent to vote the proxy in the manner determined by the Global Proxy Group. The Adviser will provide a report to the Boards of Trustees of the Eaton Vance Funds reflecting any votes cast on behalf of the Eaton Vance Funds contrary to the Guidelines, and shall do so quarterly. A similar process will be followed if the Agent has a conflict of interest with respect to a proxy as described in Section VI.B.
4. Do Not Cast a Vote
It shall generally be the policy of the Advisers to take no action on a proxy for which no client holds a position or otherwise maintains an economic interest in the relevant security at the time the vote is to be cast. In addition, the Advisers may determine not to vote (i) if the economic effect on shareholders' interests or the value of the portfolio holding is indeterminable or insignificant ( e.g., proxies in connection with securities no longer held in the portfolio of a client or proxies being considered on behalf of a client that is no longer in existence); (ii) if the cost of voting a proxy outweighs the benefits ( e.g., certain international proxies, particularly in cases in which share blocking practices may impose trading restrictions on the relevant portfolio security); or (iii) in markets in which shareholders' rights are limited, and the Adviser is unable to timely access ballots or other proxy information. Non-Votes may also result in certain cases in which the Agent's recommendation has been deemed to be conflicted, as provided for herein.
C. Securities on Loan
When a fund client participates in the lending of its securities and the securities are on loan at the record date for a shareholder meeting, proxies related to such securities generally will not be forwarded to the relevant Adviser by the funds custodian and therefore will not be voted. In the event that the Adviser determines that the matters involved would have a material effect on the applicable funds investment in the loaned securities, the Adviser will make reasonable efforts to terminate the loan in time to be able to cast such vote or exercise such consent. The Adviser shall instruct the funds security lending agent to refrain from lending the full position of any security held by a fund to ensure that the Adviser receives notice of proxy proposals impacting the loaned security.
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V. Recordkeeping
The Advisers will maintain records relating to the proxies they vote on behalf of their clients in accordance with Section 204-2 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. Those records will include:
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A copy of the Advisers proxy voting policies and procedures;
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Proxy statements received regarding client securities. Such proxy statements received from issuers are either in the SECs EDGAR database or are kept by the Agent and are available upon request;
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A record of each vote cast;
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A copy of any document created by the Advisers that was material to making a decision on how to vote a proxy for a client or that memorializes the basis for such a decision; and
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Each written client request for proxy voting records and the Advisers written response to any client request (whether written or oral) for such records.
All records described above will be maintained in an easily accessible place for five years and will be maintained in the offices of the Advisers or their Agent for two years after they are created.
Notwithstanding anything contained in this Section V, Eaton Vance Trust Company shall maintain records relating to the proxies it votes on behalf of its clients in accordance with laws and regulations applicable to it and its activities. In addition, EVMI shall maintain records relating to the proxies it votes on behalf of its clients in accordance with UK law.
VI. Assessment of Agent and Identification and Resolution of Conflicts with Clients
A. Assessment of Agent
The Advisers shall establish that the Agent (i) is independent from the Advisers, (ii) has resources that indicate it can competently provide analysis of proxy issues, and (iii) can make recommendations in an impartial manner and in the best interests of the clients and, where applicable, their beneficial owners. The Advisers shall utilize, and the Agent shall comply with, such methods for establishing the foregoing as the Advisers may deem reasonably appropriate and shall do so not less than annually as well as prior to engaging the services of any new proxy voting service. The Agent shall also notify the Advisers in writing within fifteen (15) calendar days of any material change to information previously provided to an Adviser in connection with establishing the Agents independence, competence or impartiality.
B. Conflicts of Interest
As fiduciaries to their clients, each Adviser puts the interests of its clients ahead of its own. In order to ensure that relevant personnel of the Advisers are able to identify potential material conflicts of interest, each Adviser will take the following steps:
·
Quarterly, the Eaton Vance Legal and Compliance Department will seek information from the department heads of each department of the Advisers and of Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. (EVD) (an affiliate of the Advisers and principal underwriter of certain Eaton Vance Funds). Each department head will be asked to provide a list of significant clients or prospective clients of the Advisers or EVD.
·
A representative of the Legal and Compliance Department will compile a list of the companies identified (the Conflicted Companies) and provide that list to the Proxy Administrator.
·
The Proxy Administrator will compare the list of Conflicted Companies with the names of companies for which he or she has been referred a proxy statement (the Proxy Companies). If a Conflicted Company is also a Proxy Company, the Proxy Administrator will report that fact to the Global Proxy Group.
·
If the Proxy Administrator expects to instruct the Agent to vote the proxy of the Conflicted Company strictly according to the Guidelines contained in these Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (the Policies) or the recommendation of the Agent, as applicable, he or she will (i) inform the Global Proxy Group of that fact, (ii) instruct the Agent to vote the proxies and (iii) record the existence of the material conflict and the resolution of the matter.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
96
SAI dated May 1, 2016
·
If the Proxy Administrator intends to instruct the Agent to vote in a manner inconsistent with the Guidelines, the Global Proxy Group will then determine if a material conflict of interest exists between the relevant Adviser and its clients (in consultation with the Legal and Compliance Department if needed). If the Global Proxy Group determines that a material conflict exists, prior to instructing the Agent to vote any proxies relating to these Conflicted Companies the Adviser will seek instruction on how the proxy should be voted from:
·
The client, in the case of an individual, corporate, institutional or benefit plan client;
·
In the case of a Fund, its board of directors, any committee, sub-committee or group of Independent Trustees (as long as such committee, sub-committee or group contains at least two or more Independent Trustees); or
·
The adviser, in situations where the Adviser acts as a sub-adviser to such adviser.
The Adviser will provide all reasonable assistance to each party to enable such party to make an informed decision.
If the client, Fund board or adviser, as the case may be, fails to instruct the Adviser on how to vote the proxy, the Adviser will generally instruct the Agent, through the Proxy Administrator, to abstain from voting in order to avoid the appearance of impropriety. If however, the failure of the Adviser to vote its clients proxies would have a material adverse economic impact on the Advisers clients securities holdings in the Conflicted Company, the Adviser may instruct the Agent, through the Proxy Administrator, to vote such proxies in order to protect its clients interests. In either case, the Proxy Administrator will record the existence of the material conflict and the resolution of the matter.
The Advisers shall also identify and address conflicts that may arise from time to time concerning the Agent. Upon the Advisers request, which shall be not less than annually, and within fifteen (15) calendar days of any material change to such information previously provided to an Adviser, the Agent shall provide the Advisers with such information as the Advisers deem reasonable and appropriate for use in determining material relationships of the Agent that may pose a conflict of interest with respect to the Agents proxy analysis or recommendations. Such information shall include, but is not limited to, a monthly report from the Agent detailing the Agents Corporate Securities Division clients and related revenue data. The Advisers shall review such information on a monthly basis. The Proxy Administrator shall instruct the Agent to refer any proxies for which a material conflict of the Agent is deemed to be present to the Proxy Administrator. Any such proxy referred by the Agent shall be referred to the Global Proxy Group for consideration accompanied by the Agents written analysis and voting recommendation. The Proxy Administrator will instruct the Agent to vote the proxy as recommended by the Global Proxy Group.
(1)
The Guidelines will prescribe how a proposal shall be voted or provide factors to be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Agent in recommending a vote pursuant to the Guidelines.
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
97
SAI dated May 1, 2016
STATEMENT OF
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
May 1,
2016
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
Class A Shares - EAGIX Class I Shares - EIGIX
Two International Place
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
1-800-262-1122
This Statement of Additional Information (
“
SAI
”
) provides general information about the Fund and
its corresponding
Portfolio. The Fund and Portfolio are diversified, open-end management investment companies. The Fund is a series of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust. Capitalized terms used in this SAI and not otherwise defined have the meanings given to them in the Prospectus.
This SAI contains additional information about:
|
Page |
|
|
Page |
Strategies and Risks |
2 |
|
Sales Charges |
21 |
Investment Restrictions |
4 |
|
Performance |
22 |
Management and Organization |
6 |
|
Taxes |
24 |
Investment Advisory and Administrative Services |
15 |
|
Portfolio Securities Transactions |
32 |
Other Service Providers |
18 |
|
Financial Statements |
34 |
Calculation of Net Asset Value |
19 |
|
Additional Information About Investment Strategies |
34 |
Purchasing and Redeeming Shares |
20 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Appendix A: Class A Fees, Performance and Ownership |
66 |
|
Appendix D: Eaton Vance Funds Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures |
78 |
Appendix B: Class I Performance and Ownership |
68 |
|
Appendix E: Adviser Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures |
80 |
Appendix C: Ratings |
69 |
|
|
|
This SAI is NOT a prospectus and is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only if preceded or accompanied by the Fund Prospectus dated May 1,
2016
, as supplemented from time to time, which is incorporated herein by reference. This SAI should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus, which may be obtained by calling 1-800-262-1122.
©
2016
Eaton Vance Management
Definitions
The following terms that may be used in this SAI have the meaning set forth below:
“ 1940 Act ” means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended;
“ 1933 Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended;
“ Board ” means Board of Trustees or Board of Directors, as applicable;
CEA means Commodity Exchange Act;
CFTC means the Commodity Futures Trading Commission;
Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;
Eaton Vance family of funds means all registered investment companies advised, administered and/or distributed by Eaton Vance or its affiliates;
Eaton Vance funds means the mutual funds sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization;
Exchange means the New York Stock Exchange;
FINRA means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority;
Fund means the Fund or Funds listed on the cover of this SAI unless stated otherwise;
investment adviser means the investment adviser identified in the prospectus and, with respect to the implementation of the Funds investment strategies (including as described under Taxes) and portfolio securities transactions, any sub-adviser identified in the prospectus;
IRS means the Internal Revenue Service;
Portfolio means a registered investment company (other than the Fund) sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization in which one or more Funds and other investors may invest substantially all or any portion of their assets as described in the prospectus, if applicable;
Subsidiary means a wholly-owned subsidiary that certain funds may have established to pursue their investment objective. The Fund described in this SAI has not established a Subsidiary;
SEC means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; and
Trust means Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust, of which the Fund is a series.
STRATEGIES AND RISKS
The Fund prospectus identifies the types of investments in which the Fund will principally invest in seeking its investment objective(s) and the principal risks associated therewith. The categories checked in the table below are all of the investments the Fund is permitted to make, including its principal investments and the investment practices the Fund (either directly or through one or more Portfolios as may be described in the prospectus) is permitted to engage in. To the extent that an investment type or practice listed below is not identified in the Fund prospectus as a principal investment
strategy
, the Fund generally expects to invest less than 5% of its total assets in such investment type. If a particular investment type
or practice
that is checked and listed below but not referred to in the prospectus becomes a more significant part of the Funds strategy, the prospectus may be amended to disclose that investment
type or practice.
Fund as used herein and under Additional Information About Investment Strategies refers to the Fund and its corresponding Portfolio. Information about the various investment types and practices and the associated risks checked below is included in alphabetical order in this SAI under Additional Information about Investment Strategies.
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
2
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Investment Type |
Permitted for or Relevant to the Fund |
Asset-Backed Securities (ABS) |
√ |
Auction Rate Securities |
√ |
Build America Bonds |
√ |
Call and Put Features on Securities |
√ |
Cash Equivalents |
√ |
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations ( “ CMOs ” ) |
√ |
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities ( “ CMBS ” ) |
√ |
Commodity-Related Investments |
|
Common Stocks |
√ |
Contingent Convertible Securities |
√ |
Convertible Securities |
√ |
Credit Linked Securities |
√ |
Derivative Instruments and Related Risks |
√ |
Derivative-Linked and Commodity-Linked Hybrid Instruments |
√ |
Direct Investments |
|
Emerging Market Investments |
√ |
Equity Investments |
√ |
Equity-Linked Securities |
|
Exchange-Traded Funds ( “ ETFs ” ) |
√ |
Exchange-Traded Notes ( “ ETNs ” ) |
|
Fixed-Income Securities |
√ |
Foreign Currency Transactions |
√ |
Foreign Investments |
√ |
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts |
√ |
Forward Rate Agreements |
√ |
Futures Contracts |
√ (1) |
High Yield Securities |
√ |
Hybrid Securities |
√ |
Illiquid Securities |
√ |
Indexed Securities |
|
Inflation-Indexed (or Inflation-Linked) Bonds |
√ |
Junior Loans |
|
Liquidity or Protective Put Agreements |
|
Loans |
|
Master Limited Partnerships ( “ MLPs ” ) |
√ |
Mortgage-Backed Securities ( “ MBS ” ) |
√ |
Mortgage Dollar Rolls |
√ |
Municipal Lease Obligations ( “ MLOs ” ) |
|
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
3
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Investment Type |
Permitted for or Relevant to the Fund |
Municipal Obligations |
√ |
Option Contracts |
√ (2) |
Pooled Investment Vehicles |
√ |
Preferred Stock |
√ |
Real Estate Investments |
√ |
Repurchase Agreements |
√ |
Residual Interest Bonds |
|
Restricted Securities |
√ |
Reverse Repurchase Agreements |
|
Rights and Warrants |
√ |
Royalty Bonds |
|
Senior Loans |
|
Short Sales |
√ |
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities ( “ SMBS ” ) |
√ |
Structured Notes |
√ |
Swap Agreements |
√ |
Swaptions |
√ |
Trust Certificates |
√ |
U.S. Government Securities |
√ |
Unlisted Securities |
|
Variable Rate Instruments |
√ |
When-Issued Securities, Delayed Delivery and Forward Commitments |
√ |
Zero Coupon Bonds |
√ |
Other Disclosures Regarding Investment Practices |
Permitted for or Relevant to the Fund |
Asset Coverage |
√ |
Average Effective Maturity |
√ |
Borrowing for Investment Purposes |
|
Borrowing for Temporary Purposes |
√ |
Cyber Security Risk |
√ |
Diversified Status |
√ |
Dividend Capture Trading |
|
Duration |
√ |
Investing in a Portfolio |
√ |
Investments in the Subsidiary |
|
Loan Facility |
|
Operational Risk |
√ |
Option Strategy |
|
Participation in the ReFlow Liquidity Program |
√ |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
4
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Other Disclosures Regarding Investment Practices |
Permitted for or Relevant to the Fund |
Portfolio Turnover |
√ |
Securities Lending |
√ |
Short-Term Trading |
√ |
Significant Exposure to Health Sciences Companies |
|
Significant Exposure to Smaller Companies |
|
Significant Exposure to Utility and Financial Services Companies |
|
Tax-Managed Investing |
|
(1)
Foreign exchange traded futures contracts and options thereon may be used only if the investment adviser determines that the trading on such foreign exchange does not entail risks, including credit and liquidity risks, that are materially greater than the risks associated with trading on CFTC-regulated exchanges.
(2)
A put option on a security may be written only if the investment adviser intends to acquire the security. Credit exposure on equity swaps to any one counterparty will be limited 5% or less of net assets. Call options written on securities will be covered by ownership of the securities subject to the call option or an offsetting option.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The following investment restrictions of the Fund are designated as fundamental policies and as such cannot be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Funds outstanding voting securities, which as used in this SAI means the lesser of: (a) 67% of the shares of the Fund 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 the outstanding shares of the Fund. Accordingly, the Fund may not:
(1)
With respect to 75% of its total assets, invest more than 5% of its total assets taken at market value in the securities of any one issuer or in more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer, except obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities and except securities of other investment companies;
(2)
Borrow money or issue senior securities, except as permitted by the 1940 Act;
(3)
Make loans to any person except by (a) the acquisition of debt securities and making portfolio investments, (b) entering into repurchase agreements or (c) lending portfolio securities;
(4)
Purchase securities on margin (but the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of securities);
(5)
Invest in real estate (although it may purchase and sell securities which are secured by real estate and securities of companies which invest or deal in real estate);
(6)
Invest in physical commodities or commodity contracts for the purchase and sale of physical commodities; or
(7)
Invest 25% or more of the value of its total assets at the time of acquisition in any one industry with public utility companies (being electric utility companies, natural gas producing companies, transmission companies, telephone companies, and water works companies) being considered separate industries.
In connection with Restriction (2) above, the 1940 Act currently permits investment companies to borrow money so long as there is 300% asset coverage of the borrowing (i.e., borrowings do not exceed one-third of the investment companys total assets after subtracting liabilities other than the borrowings). There is no current intent to borrow money, except for the limited purposes described in the Prospectus.
In connection with Restriction (7) above, more than 25% of the value of the Funds assets may be invested in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities.
Notwithstanding the investment policies and restrictions of the Fund, the Fund may invest (i) all of its investable assets in an open-end management investment company with substantially the same investment objective, policies and restrictions as the Fund; (ii) in more than one open-end management investment company sponsored by Eaton Vance or its affiliates, provided any such company has investment objectives, policies and restrictions that are consistent with those of the Fund. In addition, the Fund and its corresponding Portfolio may not underwrite securities of other issuers.
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
5
SAI dated May 1, 2016
The Portfolio has adopted substantially the same fundamental investment restrictions as the foregoing investment restrictions adopted by the Fund; such restrictions cannot be changed without the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Portfolio.
In addition, to the extent a registered open-end investment company acquires securities of a portfolio in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(G) under the 1940 Act, such portfolio shall not acquire any securities of a registered open-end investment company in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(G) under the 1940 Act.
The following nonfundamental investment policies have been adopted by the Fund and Portfolio. A nonfundamental investment policy may be changed by the Board with respect to the Fund without approval by the Funds shareholders or, with respect to the Portfolio, without approval of the Fund or its other investors. The Fund and Portfolio will not:
·
make short sales of securities or maintain a short position, unless at all times when a short position is open (i) it owns an equal amount of such securities or securities convertible into or exchangeable, without payment of any further consideration, for securities of the same issue as, and equal in amount to, the securities sold short or (ii) it holds in a segregated account cash or other liquid securities (to the extent required under the 1940 Act) in an amount equal to the current market value of the securities sold short, and unless not more than 25% of its net assets (taken at current value) is held as collateral for such sales at any one time; or
·
invest more than 15% of net assets in investments which are not readily marketable, including restricted securities and repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days. Restricted securities for the purposes of this limitation do not include securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act and commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of said Act that the members of the Board, or their delegate, determines to be liquid. Any such determination by a delegate will be made pursuant to procedures adopted by the Board. When investing in Rule 144A securities, the level of portfolio illiquidity may be increased to the extent that eligible buyers become uninterested in purchasing such securities.
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 acquisition by the Fund or Portfolio of such security or asset. Accordingly, unless otherwise noted, 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 investment adviser if the security is not rated by a rating agency), will not compel the Fund or Portfolio to dispose of such security or other asset. However, the Fund and Portfolio must always be in compliance with the borrowing policy and limitation on investing in illiquid securities set forth above. If a sale of securities is required to comply with the 15% limit on illiquid securities, such sales will be made in an orderly manner with consideration of the best interests of shareholders.
MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION
Fund Management. The Trustees of the Trust are responsible for the overall management and supervision of the affairs of the Trust. The Trustees of the Portfolio are responsible for the overall management and supervision of the Portfolio. The Board members and officers of the Trust and the Portfolio 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. Board members and officers of the Trust and the Portfolio hold indefinite terms of office. The noninterested Trustees consist of those Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust and the Portfolio, as that term is defined under the 1940 Act. The business address of each Board member and officer is Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. As used in this SAI, EVC refers to Eaton Vance Corp., EV refers to Eaton Vance, Inc., Eaton Vance refers to Eaton Vance Management , EVMI refers to Eaton Vance Management (International) Limited and EVD refers to Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. (see Principal Underwriter under Other Service Providers). EVC and EV are the corporate parent and trustee, respectively, of Eaton Vance and BMR. EVMI is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of EVC. Each officer affiliated with Eaton Vance may hold a position with other Eaton Vance affiliates that is comparable to his or her position with Eaton Vance listed below.
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
6
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Name and Year of Birth |
|
Trust/Portfolio
|
|
Term of Office and
|
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
|
|
Number of Portfolios
|
|
Other Directorships Held
|
Interested Trustee |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THOMAS E. FAUST JR.
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2007 |
|
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of EVC, Director and President of EV, Chief Executive Officer and President of Eaton Vance and BMR, and Director of EVD and EVMI. Trustee and/or officer of 179 registered investment companies. Mr. Faust is an interested person because of his positions with BMR, Eaton Vance, EVC, EVD, EVMI and EV, which are affiliates of the Trust and Portfolio. |
|
179 |
|
Director of EVC and Hexavest Inc. (investment management firm) . |
Noninterested Trustees |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SCOTT E. ESTON
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2011 |
|
Private investor. Formerly held various positions at Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo and Co., L.L.C. (investment management firm) (1997-2009), including Chief Operating Officer (2002-2009), Chief Financial Officer (1997-2009) and Chairman of the Executive Committee (2002-2008); President and Principal Executive Officer, GMO Trust (open-end registered investment company) (2006-2009). Former Partner, Coopers and Lybrand L.L.P. (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) ( an independent registered public accounting firm) (1987-1997). |
|
179 |
|
None |
CYNTHIA E. FROST
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2014 |
|
Private investor. Formerly, Chief Investment Officer of Brown University (university endowment) (2000-2012); Portfolio Strategist for Duke Management Company (university endowment manager) (1995-2000); Managing Director, Cambridge Associates (investment consulting company) (1989-1995); Consultant, Bain and Company (management consulting firm) (1987-1989); Senior Equity Analyst, BA Investment Management Company (1983-1985). |
|
179 |
|
None |
GEORGE J. GORMAN
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2014 |
|
Principal at George J. Gorman LLC (consulting firm). Formerly, Senior Partner at Ernst & Young LLP (public accounting firm) (1974-2009). |
|
179 |
|
Formerly, Trustee of the Bank of America Money Market Funds Series Trust (2011-2014) and of the Ashmore Funds (2010-2014). |
VALERIE A. MOSLEY
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2014 |
|
Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of Valmo Ventures (a consulting and investment firm). Former Partner and Senior Vice President, Portfolio Manager and Investment Strategist at Wellington Management Company, LLP (investment management firm) (1992-2012). Former Chief Investment Officer, PG Corbin Asset Management (1990-1992). Formerly worked in institutional corporate bond sales at Kidder Peabody (1986-1990). |
|
179 |
|
Director of Dynex Capital, Inc. (mortgage REIT) (since 2013). |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
7
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Name and Year of Birth |
|
Trust/Portfolio
|
|
Term of Office and
|
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
|
|
Number of Portfolios
|
|
Other Directorships Held
|
WILLIAM H. PARK
|
|
Vice-Chairperson of the Board and Trustee |
|
Vice-Chairperson of the Board since 2016 and Trustee since 2003 |
|
Private investor. Formerly, Consultant (management and transactional) (2012-2014). Formerly, Chief Financial Officer, Aveon Group, L.P. (investment management firm) (2010-2011). Formerly, Vice Chairman, Commercial Industrial Finance Corp. (specialty finance company) (2006-2010). Formerly, President and Chief Executive Officer, Prizm Capital Management, LLC (investment management firm) (2002-2005). Formerly, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, United Asset Management Corporation (investment management firm) (1982-2001). Formerly, Senior Manager, Price Waterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) (an independent registered public accounting firm) (1972-1981). |
|
179 |
|
None |
HELEN FRAME PETERS
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2008 |
|
Professor of Finance, Carroll School of Management, Boston College. Formerly, Dean, Carroll School of Management, Boston College (2000-2002). Formerly, Chief Investment Officer, Fixed Income, Scudder Kemper Investments (investment management firm) (1998-1999). Formerly, Chief Investment Officer, Equity and Fixed Income, Colonial Management Associates (investment management firm) (1991-1998). |
|
179 |
|
Formerly, Director of BJs Wholesale Club, Inc. (wholesale club retailer) (2004-2011). Formerly, Trustee of SPDR Index Shares Funds and SPDR Series Trust (exchange traded funds) (2000-2009). Formerly, Director of Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (a bank for banks) (2007-2009). |
SUSAN J. SUTHERLAND
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2015 |
|
Private investor. Formerly, Associate, Counsel and Partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (law firm) (1982-2013). |
|
179 |
|
Formerly, Director of Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd. (global provider of customized insurance and reinsurance products) (2013 -2015 ). |
HARRIETT TEE TAGGART
|
|
Trustee |
|
Since 2011 |
|
Managing Director, Taggart Associates (a professional practice firm). Formerly, Partner and Senior Vice President, Wellington Management Company, LLP (investment management firm) (1983-2006). |
|
179 |
|
Director of Albemarle Corporation (chemicals manufacturer) (since 2007) and The Hanover Group (specialty property and casualty insurance company) (since 2009). Formerly, Director of Lubrizol Corporation (specialty chemicals) (2007-2011). |
RALPH F. VERNI
|
|
Chairperson of the Board and Trustee |
|
Chairperson of the Board since 2007 and Trustee since 2005 |
|
Consultant and private investor. Formerly, Chief Investment Officer (1982-1992), Chief Financial Officer (1988-1990) and Director (1982-1992), New England Life. Formerly, Chairperson, New England Mutual Funds (1982-1992). Formerly, President and Chief Executive Officer, State Street Management & Research (1992-2000). Formerly, Chairperson, State Street Research Mutual Funds (1992-2000). Formerly, Director, W.P. Carey, LLC (1998-2004) and First Pioneer Farm Credit Corp. (financial services cooperative) (2002-2006). |
|
179 |
|
None |
(1)
Includes both master and feeder funds in a master-feeder structure.
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
8
SAI dated May 1, 2016
(2)
During their respective tenures, the Trustees (except for Mmes. Frost and Sutherland and Mr. Gorman) also served as Board members of one or more of the following funds (which operated in the years noted): eUnits
TM
2 Year U.S. Market Participation Trust: Upside to Cap / Buffered Downside (launched in 2012 and terminated in 2014); eUnits
TM
2 Year U.S. Market Participation Trust II: Upside to Cap / Buffered Downside (launched in 2012 and terminated in 2014);
and Eaton Vance National Municipal Income Trust (launched in 1998 and terminated in 2009). However, Ms. Mosley did not serve as a Board member of eUnits
TM
2 Year U.S. Market Participation Trust: Upside to Cap / Buffered Downside (launched in 2012 and terminated in 2014).
The Board has general oversight responsibility with respect to the business and affairs of the Trust and the Fund. The Board has engaged an investment adviser and (if applicable) a sub-adviser (collectively the adviser) to manage the Fund and an administrator to administer the Fund and is responsible for overseeing such adviser and administrator and other service providers to the Trust and the Fund. The Board is currently composed of
ten
Trustees, including
nine
Trustees who are not interested persons of the Fund, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (each a noninterested Trustee). In addition to
six
regularly scheduled meetings per year, the Board holds special meetings or informal conference calls to discuss specific matters that may require action prior to the next regular meeting. As discussed below, the Board has established five committees to assist the Board in performing its oversight responsibilities.
The Board has appointed a noninterested Trustee to serve in the role of
Chairperson
. The
Chairpersons
primary role is to participate in the preparation of the agenda for meetings of the Board and the identification of information to be presented to the Board with respect to matters to be acted upon by the Board. The
Chairperson
also presides at all meetings of the Board and acts as a liaison with service providers, officers, attorneys, and other Board members generally between meetings. The
Chairperson
may perform such other functions as may be requested by the Board from time to time.
In addition, the Board has appointed a noninterested Trustee to serve in the role of Vice-Chairperson. The Vice-Chairperson has the power and authority to perform any or all of the duties and responsibilities of the Chairperson in the absence of the Chairperson and/or as requested by the Chairperson.
Except for any duties specified herein or pursuant to the Trusts Declaration of Trust or By-laws, the designation of
Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson
does not impose on such noninterested Trustee any duties, obligations or liability that is greater than the duties, obligations or liability imposed on such person as a member of the Board, generally. The Portfolio has the same leadership structure as the Trust.
The Fund and the Trust are subject to a number of risks, including, among others, investment, compliance, operational, and valuation risks. Risk oversight is part of the Boards general oversight of the Fund and the Trust and is addressed as part of various activities of the Board and its Committees. As part of its oversight of the Fund and the Trust, the Board directly, or through a Committee, relies on and reviews reports from, among others, Fund management, the adviser, the administrator, the principal underwriter, the Chief Compliance Officer (the CCO), and other Fund service providers responsible for day-to-day oversight of Fund investments, operations and compliance to assist the Board in identifying and understanding the nature and extent of risks and determining whether, and to what extent, such risks can or should be mitigated. The Board also interacts with the CCO and with senior personnel of the adviser, administrator, principal underwriter and other Fund service providers and provides input on risk management issues during meetings of the Board and its Committees. Each of the adviser, administrator, principal underwriter and the other Fund service providers has its own, independent interest and responsibilities in risk management, and its policies and methods for carrying out risk management functions will depend, in part, on its individual
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
9
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priorities, resources and controls. It is not possible to identify all of the risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. Moreover, it is necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Funds goals.
The Board, with the assistance of management and with input from the Board's various committees, reviews investment policies and risks in connection with its review of Fund performance. The Board has appointed a Fund CCO who oversees the implementation and testing of the Fund compliance program and reports to the Board regarding compliance matters for the Fund and its principal service providers. In addition, as part of the Boards periodic review of the advisory, subadvisory (if applicable), distribution and other service provider agreements, the Board may consider risk management aspects of their operations and the functions for which they are responsible. With respect to valuation, the Board approves and periodically reviews valuation policies and procedures applicable to valuing the Funds shares. The administrator, the investment adviser and the sub-adviser (if applicable) are responsible for the implementation and day-to-day administration of these valuation policies and procedures and provides reports to the Audit Committee of the Board and the Board regarding these and related matters. In addition, the Audit Committee of the Board or the Board receives reports periodically from the independent public accounting firm for the Fund regarding tests performed by such firm on the valuation of all securities, as well as with respect to other risks associated with mutual funds. Reports received from service providers, legal counsel and the independent public accounting firm assist the Board in performing its oversight function. The Portfolio has the same risk oversight approach as the Fund and the Trust.
The Trusts Declaration of Trust does not set forth any specific qualifications to serve as a Trustee. The Charter of the Governance Committee also does not set forth any specific qualifications, but does set forth certain factors that the Committee may take into account in considering noninterested Trustee candidates. In general, no one factor is decisive in the selection of an individual to join the Board. Among the factors the Board considers when concluding that an individual should serve on the Board are the following: (i) knowledge in matters relating to the mutual fund industry; (ii) experience as a director or senior officer of public companies; (iii) educational background; (iv) reputation for high ethical standards and professional integrity; (v) specific financial, technical or other expertise, and the extent to which such expertise would complement the Board members existing mix of skills, core competencies and qualifications; (vi) perceived ability to contribute to the ongoing functions of the Board, including the ability and commitment to attend meetings regularly and work collaboratively with other members of the Board; (vii) the ability to qualify as a noninterested Trustee for purposes of the 1940 Act and any other actual or potential conflicts of interest involving the individual and the Fund; and (viii) such other factors as the Board determines to be relevant in light of the existing composition of the Board.
Among the attributes or skills common to all Board members are their ability to review critically, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, to interact effectively with the other members of the Board, management, sub-advisers, other service providers, counsel and independent registered public accounting firms, and to exercise effective and independent business judgment in the performance of their duties as members of the Board. Each Board members ability to perform his or her duties effectively has been attained through the Board members business, consulting, public service and/or academic positions and through experience from service as a member of the Boards of the Eaton Vance family of funds (Eaton Vance Fund Boards) (and/or in other capacities, including for any predecessor funds), public companies, or non-profit entities or other organizations as set forth below. Each Board members ability to perform his or her duties effectively also has been enhanced by his or her educational background, professional training, and/or other life experiences.
In respect of each current member of the Board, the individuals substantial professional accomplishments and experience, including in fields related to the operations of registered investment companies, were a significant factor in the determination that the individual should serve as a member of the Board. The following is a summary of each Board members particular professional experience and additional considerations that contributed to the Boards conclusion that he or she should serve as a member of the Board:
Scott E. Eston.
Mr. Eston has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2011 and is the Chairperson of the Contract Review Committee. He currently serves on the board and on the investment
committee of Michigan State University Foundation, and on the investment advisory
sub-
committee of Michigan State University. From 1997 through 2009, Mr. Eston served in several capacities at Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo and Co. (GMO), including as Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chief Operating
Officer
and Chief Financial Officer, and also as the President and Principal Executive officer of GMO Trust, an affiliated open-end registered investment company. From 1978 through 1997, Mr. Eston was employed at Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P. (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) (since 1987 as a Partner).
Thomas E. Faust Jr. Mr. Faust has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2007. He is currently Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of EVC, Director and President of EV, Chief Executive Officer and President of Eaton Vance and BMR, and Director of EVD and EVMI . Mr. Faust has served as a Director of Hexavest Inc. since 2012. Mr.
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Faust previously served as an equity analyst, portfolio manager, Director of Equity Research and Management and Chief Investment Officer of Eaton Vance (1985-2007). He holds B.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Mr. Faust has been a Chartered Financial Analyst since 1988.
Cynthia E. Frost
. Ms. Frost has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since May 29, 2014. From 2000 through 2012, Ms. Frost was the Chief Investment Officer of Brown University, where she oversaw the evaluation, selection and monitoring of the third party investment managers who managed the universitys endowment. From 1995-2000, Ms. Frost was a Portfolio Strategist for Duke Management Company, which oversaw Duke Universitys endowment. Ms. Frost also served in various investment and consulting roles at Cambridge Associates (1989-1995), Bain and Company (1987-1989) and BA Investment Management Company (1983-1985
). She serves as a member of an advisory board of Creciente Partners Investment Management, LLC, a manager of a multi-manager hedge fund,
and has additional experience as a member of the investment committee of several non-profit organizations.
George J. Gorman
. Mr. Gorman has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since May 29, 2014 and is the
Chairperson
of the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee. From 1974 through 2009, Mr. Gorman served in various capacities at Ernst & Young LLP, including as a Senior Partner in the Asset Management Group (from 1988) specializing in managing engagement teams responsible for auditing mutual funds registered with the SEC, hedge funds and private equity funds. Mr. Gorman also has experience serving as an independent trustee of other mutual fund complexes, including the Bank of America Money Market Funds Series Trust (2011-2014) and the Ashmore Funds (2010-2014).
Valerie A. Mosley.
Ms. Mosley has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since January 1, 2014. She currently owns and manages a consulting and investment firm, Valmo Ventures and is a Director of Progress Investment Management Company, a manager of emerging managers
.
From 1992 through 2012, Ms. Mosley served in several capacities at Wellington Management Company, LLP, an investment management firm, including as a Partner, Senior Vice President, Portfolio Manager and Investment Strategist. Ms. Mosley also served as Chief Investment Officer at PG Corbin Asset Management from 1990-1992 and worked in institutional corporate bond sales at Kidder Peabody from 1986-1990. Ms. Mosley is a Director of Dynex Capital, Inc., a mortgage REIT,
where she serves on the boards audit and investment committees. She
also serves as a trustee or board member of several major non-profit organizations and endowments, including Mass Ventures, a quasi-public early-stage investment corporation active in Massachusetts, and
New Profit, a non-profit venture philanthropy fund.
She is a member of the Risk Audit Committee of the United Auto Workers Retiree Medical Benefits Trust and a member of the Investment Advisory Committee of New York State Common Retirement Fund.
William H. Park. Mr. Park has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2003 , is the Independent Vice-Chairperson of the Board and is the Chairperson of the Audit Committee. Mr. Park was formerly a consultant (2012-2014) and formerly the Chief Financial Officer of Aveon Group, L.P. from 2010-2011. Mr. Park also served as Vice Chairman of Commercial Industrial Finance Corp. from 2006-2010, as President and Chief Executive Officer of Prizm Capital Management, LLC from 2002-2005, as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of United Asset Management Corporation from 1982-2001 and as Senior Manager of Price Waterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) from 1972-1981.
Helen Frame Peters.
Ms. Peters has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2008 and is the Chairperson of the Portfolio Management Committee. Ms. Peters is currently a Professor of Finance at Carroll School of Management, Boston College and was formerly Dean of Carroll School of Management from 2000-2002. Ms. Peters was previously a Director of BJs Wholesale Club, Inc. from 2004-2011. In addition, Ms. Peters was the Chief Investment Officer, Fixed Income at Scudder Kemper Investments from 1998-1999 and Chief Investment Officer, Equity and Fixed Income at Colonial Management Associates from 1991-1998. Ms. Peters also served as a Trustee of SPDR Index Shares Funds and SPDR Series Trust from 2000-2009 and as a Director of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston from 2007-2009.
Susan J. Sutherland.
Ms. Sutherland has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since May 1, 2015.
Ms. Sutherland also serves as a director of Hagerty Holding Corp., a leading provider of specialized automobile and marine insurance.
Ms. Sutherland was a Director of Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd., a global provider of customized reinsurance and insurance products, from 2013 until its sale in 2015.
From 1982 through 2013, Ms. Sutherland was an associate, counsel and then a partner in the Financial Institutions Group of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where she primarily represented U.S. and international insurance and reinsurance companies, investment banks and private equity firms in insurance-related corporate transactions. In addition, Ms. Sutherland is qualified as a Governance Fellow of the National Association of Corporate Directors and has also served as a board member of prominent non-profit organizations.
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Harriett Tee Taggart.
Ms. Taggart has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2011 and is the Chairperson of the Governance Committee. Ms. Taggart currently manages a professional practice, Taggart Associates. Since 2007, Ms. Taggart has been a Director of Albemarle Corporation, a specialty chemical company where she serves as a member of the
Executive Compensation Committee.
Since 2009 she has served as a Director of the Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. where she serves as member of the Nomination and Governance Committee. Ms. Taggart is also a trustee or member of several major non-profit boards, advisory committees and endowment investment companies. From 1983 through 2006, Ms. Taggart served in several capacities at Wellington Management Company, LLP, an investment management firm, including as a Partner, Senior Vice President and chemical industry sector portfolio manager. Ms. Taggart also served as a Director of the Lubrizol Corporation, a specialty chemicals manufacturer from 2007-2011.
Ralph F. Verni. Mr. Verni has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2005 and is the Independent Chairperson of the Board. Mr. Verni was formerly the Chief Investment Officer (from 1982-1992), Chief Financial Officer (from 1988-1990) and Director (from 1982-1992) of New England Life. Mr. Verni was also the Chairperson of the New England Mutual Funds from 1982-1992; President and Chief Executive Officer of State Street Management & Research from 1992-2000; Chairperson of the State Street Research Mutual Funds from 1992-2000; Director of W.P. Carey, LLC from 1998-2004; and Director of First Pioneer Farm Credit Corp. from 2002-2006. Mr. Verni has been a Chartered Financial Analyst since 1977.
The Board of the Trust and the Portfolio have several standing Committees, including the Governance Committee, the Audit Committee, the Portfolio Management Committee, the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee and the Contract Review Committee. Each of the Committees are comprised of only noninterested Trustees.
Mmes. Taggart (
Chairperson
), Frost, Mosley, Peters and Sutherland, and Messrs. Eston, Gorman, Park
and Verni are members of the Governance Committee. The purpose of the Governance Committee is to consider, evaluate and make recommendations to the Board with respect to the structure, membership and operation of the Board and the Committees thereof, including the nomination and selection of noninterested Trustees and a Chairperson of the Board and the compensation of such persons. During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the Governance Committee convened
five
times.
The Governance Committee will, when a vacancy exists, consider a nominee for Trustee recommended by a shareholder, provided that such recommendation is submitted in writing to the Funds Secretary at the principal executive office of the Fund. Such recommendations must be accompanied by biographical and occupational data on the candidate (including whether the candidate would be an interested person of the Fund), a written consent by the candidate to be named as a nominee and to serve as Trustee if elected, record and ownership information for the recommending shareholder with respect to the Fund, and a description of any arrangements or understandings regarding recommendation of the candidate for consideration.
Messrs. Park (
Chairperson
), Eston
and Verni, and Ms. Frost are members of the Audit Committee. The Board has designated Mr. Park, a noninterested Trustee, as audit committee financial expert. The Audit Committees purposes are to (i) oversee the Fund's and the Portfolio's accounting and financial reporting processes, its internal control over financial reporting, and, as appropriate, the internal control over financial reporting of certain service providers; (ii) oversee or, as appropriate, assist Board oversight of the quality and integrity of the Fund's and the Portfolio's financial statements and the independent audit thereof; (iii) oversee, or, as appropriate, assist Board oversight of, the Fund's and the Portfolio's compliance with legal and regulatory requirements that relate to the Fund's and the Portfolio's accounting and financial reporting, internal control over financial reporting and independent audits; (iv) approve prior to appointment the engagement and, when appropriate, replacement of the independent registered public accounting firm, and, if applicable, nominate the independent registered public accounting firm to be proposed for shareholder ratification in any proxy statement of the Fund; (v) evaluate the qualifications, independence and performance of the independent registered public accounting firm and the audit partner in charge of leading the audit; and (vi) prepare, as necessary, audit committee reports consistent with the requirements of applicable SEC and stock exchange rules for inclusion in the proxy statement of the Fund. During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the Audit Committee convened
sixteen
times.
Messrs. Eston (
Chairperson
), Gorman, Park and Verni, and Mmes. Mosley, Peters, Sutherland and Taggart are members of the Contract Review Committee. The purposes of the Contract Review Committee are to consider, evaluate and make recommendations to the Board concerning the following matters: (i) contractual arrangements with each service provider to the Fund and the Portfolio, including advisory, sub-advisory, transfer agency, custodial and fund accounting, distribution services and administrative services; (ii) any and all other matters in which any service provider (including Eaton Vance or any affiliated entity thereof) has an actual or potential conflict of interest with the interests of the Fund, the Portfolio or investors therein; and (iii) any other matter appropriate for review by the noninterested Trustees, unless the matter is within the responsibilities of the other Committees of the Board. During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the Contract Review Committee convened eight times.
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Mmes. Peters (
Chairperson
), Frost, Mosley and Taggart are members of the Portfolio Management Committee. The purposes of the Portfolio Management Committee are to: (i) assist the Board in its oversight of the portfolio management process employed by the Fund and the Portfolio and its investment adviser and sub-adviser(s), if applicable, relative to the Funds and the Portfolio's stated objective(s), strategies and restrictions; (ii) assist the Board in its oversight of the trading policies and procedures and risk management techniques applicable to the Fund and the Portfolio; and (iii) assist the Board in its monitoring of the performance results of all funds and portfolios, giving special attention to the performance of certain funds and portfolios that it or the Board identifies from time to time. During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the Portfolio Management Committee convened
nine
times.
Messrs.
Gorman (
Chairperson
) and Eston
,
and Ms. Sutherland are members of the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee. The purposes of the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee are to: (i) assist the Board in its oversight role with respect to compliance issues and certain other regulatory matters affecting the Fund and the Portfolio; (ii) serve as a liaison between the Board and the Funds and the Portfolio's CCO; and (iii) serve as a qualified legal compliance committee within the rules promulgated by the SEC. During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee convened
twelve
times.
Share Ownership.
The following table shows the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee in the Fund and in the Eaton Vance family of funds overseen by the Trustee as of December 31,
2015
. Interests in the Portfolio cannot be purchased by a Trustee.
As of December 31,
2015
, 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,
2014
and December 31,
2015
, 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 Fund; (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
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(3)
Any direct or indirect relationship with (i) the Trust or any Fund; (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,
2014
and December 31,
2015
, 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 the Portfolio or any of their immediate family members served as an officer.
Noninterested Trustees 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 Deferred Compensation Plan). Under the Deferred Compensation Plan, an eligible Board member may elect to have his or her deferred fees invested in the shares of one or more funds in the Eaton Vance family of funds, and the amount paid to the Board members under the Deferred Compensation Plan will be determined based upon the performance of such investments. Deferral of Board members fees in accordance with the Deferred Compensation Plan will have a negligible effect on the assets, liabilities, and net income of a participating fund or portfolio, and do not require that a participating Board member be retained. There is no retirement plan for Board members.
The fees and expenses of the Trustees of the Trust and the Portfolio are paid by the Fund (and other series of the Trust) and the Portfolio, respectively. (A Board member who is a member of the Eaton Vance organization receives no compensation from the Trust or the Portfolio.) During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the Trustees of the Trust and the Portfolio earned the following compensation in their capacities as Board members from the Trust and the Portfolio. For the year ended December 31,
2015
, the Board members earned the following compensation in their capacities as members of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards
(1)
:
(1)
As of May 1,
2016
, the Eaton Vance fund complex consists of
179
registered investment companies or series thereof. Ms. Sutherland began serving as a Trustee effective May 1, 2015, and thus the compensation figures listed for the Trust, Portfolio and the Trust and Fund Complex are estimated based on amounts she would have received if she had been a Trustee for the
full
fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
and for the full calendar year ended December 31,
2015. Ronald A. Pearlman retired as a Trustee effective July 1, 2015.
For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015, Mr. Pearlman
received Trustee fees of $
3,014
from the Trust and $
951
from the Portfolio. For the calendar year ended December 31,
2015
, he received $
235
,000 from the Trust and Fund Complex.
(2)
The Trust consisted of 16 Funds as of December 31,
2015
.
(3)
Includes $
779
of deferred compensation.
(4)
Includes $
1,202
of deferred compensation.
(5)
Includes $
180,000
of deferred compensation.
(6)
Includes $
277,490
of deferred compensation.
Fund Organization.
The Fund is a series of the Trust, which was organized under Massachusetts law on March 27, 1989
as a trust with transferable shares, commonly referred to as a Massachusetts business trust
and is operated as an open-end management investment company. Effective May 1, 2015,
Eaton Vance Investment Grade Income Fund
changed its name
to Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund. The Trust may issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest (no par value per share) in one or more series (such as the Fund). The Trustees of the Trust have divided the shares of the Fund into multiple classes. Each class represents an interest in the Fund, but is subject to different expenses, rights and privileges. The Trustees have the authority under the Declaration of Trust to create additional classes of shares with differing rights and privileges. When issued and outstanding, shares are fully paid and nonassessable by the Trust. Shareholders
of the Trust
are entitled to one vote for each full share held. Fractional shares may be voted proportionately. Shares of
all Funds in
the
Trust
will be voted together
with respect to the election or removal of Trustees and on other matters affecting all Funds similarly. On matters affecting only a particular Fund, all shareholders of the affected Fund will vote together as a single class,
except that only shareholders of a particular class
of a Fund
may vote on matters affecting only that class. Shares have no preemptive or conversion rights and are freely transferable. In the event of the liquidation of the Fund, shareholders of each class are entitled to share pro rata in the net assets attributable to that class available for distribution to shareholders.
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As permitted by Massachusetts law, there will normally be no meetings of shareholders for the purpose of electing Trustees unless and until such time as less than
a majority
of the Trustees of the Trust holding office have been elected by shareholders. In such an event the Trustees then in office will call a shareholders meeting for the election of Trustees. Except for the foregoing circumstances and unless removed by action of the shareholders in accordance with the Trusts By-laws, the Trustees shall continue to hold office and may appoint successor Trustees. The Trusts By-laws provide that any Trustee may be removed with or without cause, by (i) the affirmative vote of holders of two-thirds of the shares or, (ii) the affirmative vote of, or written instrument, signed by at least two-thirds of the remaining Trustees, provided however, that the removal of any noninterested Trustee shall additionally require the affirmative vote of, or a written instrument executed by, at least two-thirds of the remaining noninterested Trustees. No person shall serve as a Trustee if shareholders holding two-thirds of the outstanding shares have removed him or her from that office either by a written declaration filed with the Trusts custodian or by votes cast at a meeting called for that purpose. The By-laws further provide that under certain circumstances the shareholders may call a meeting to remove a Trustee and that the Trust is required to provide assistance in communication with shareholders about such a meeting.
The Trusts Declaration of Trust may be amended by the Trustees when authorized by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust, the financial interests of which are affected by the amendment. The Trustees may also amend the Declaration of Trust without the vote or consent of shareholders to change the name of the Trust or any series, if they deem it necessary to conform it to applicable federal or state laws or regulations, or to make such other changes (such as reclassifying series or classes of shares or restructuring the Trust) provided such changes do not have a materially adverse effect on the financial interests of shareholders. The Trusts By-laws provide that the Trust will indemnify its Trustees and officers against liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with any litigation or proceeding in which they may be involved because of their offices with the Trust. However, no indemnification will be provided to any Trustee or officer for any liability to the Trust or shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
The Trusts Declaration of Trust provides that any legal proceeding brought by or on behalf of a shareholder seeking to enforce any provision of, or based upon any matter arising out of, related to or in connection with, the Declaration of Trust, the Trust, any Fund or Class or the shares of any Fund must be brought exclusively in the United States District Court for Massachusetts or, if such court does not have jurisdiction for the matter, then in the Superior Court of Suffolk County for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. If a shareholder brings a claim in another venue and the venue is subsequently changed through legal process to the foregoing Federal or state court, then the shareholder will be required to reimburse the Trust and other persons for the expenses incurred in effecting the change in venue.
The Trusts Declaration of Trust also provides that, except to the extent explicitly permitted by Federal law, a shareholder may not bring or maintain a court action on behalf of the Trust or any Fund or class of shares (commonly referred to as a derivative claim) without first making demand on the Trustees requesting the Trustees to bring the action. Within 90 days of receipt of the demand, the Trustees will consider the merits of the claim and determine whether commencing or maintaining an action would be in the best interests of the Trust or the affected Fund or Class. Any decision by the Trustees to bring, maintain or settle, or to not bring, maintain or settle the action, will be final and binding upon shareholders and therefore no action may be brought or maintained after a decision is made to reject a demand. In addition, the Trusts Declaration of Trust provides that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, each shareholder acknowledges and agrees that any alleged injury to the Trusts property, any diminution in the value of a shareholders shares and any other claim arising out of or relating to an allegation regarding the actions, inaction or omissions of or by the Trustees, the officers of the Trust or the investment adviser of the Fund is a legal claim belonging only to the Trust and not to the shareholders individually and, therefore, that any such claim is subject to the demand requirement for derivative claims referenced above.
The Trust or any series or class thereof may be terminated by: (1) the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than two-thirds of the shares outstanding and entitled to vote at any meeting of shareholders of the Trust or the appropriate series or class thereof, or by an instrument or instruments in writing without a meeting, consented to by the holders of two-thirds of the shares of the Trust or a series or class thereof, provided, however, that, if such termination is recommended by the Trustees, the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust or a series or class thereof entitled to vote thereon shall be sufficient authorization; or (2) by the approval of a majority of the Trustees then in office, to be followed by a written notice to shareholders.
Under Massachusetts law, if certain conditions prevail, shareholders of a Massachusetts business trust (such as the Trust) could be deemed to have personal liability for the obligations of the Trust. Numerous investment companies registered under the 1940 Act have been formed as Massachusetts business trusts, and management is not aware of an instance where such liability has been imposed. The Trusts Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of liability on the part of Fund shareholders and
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the Trusts By-laws provide that the Trust shall assume the defense on behalf of any Fund shareholders. The Declaration of Trust also contains provisions limiting the liability of a series or class to that series or class. Moreover, the Trusts By-laws also provide for indemnification out of Fund property of any shareholder held personally liable solely by reason of being or having been a shareholder for all loss or expense arising from such liability. The assets of the Fund are readily marketable and will ordinarily substantially exceed its liabilities. In light of the nature of the Funds business and the nature of its assets, management believes that the possibility of the Funds liability exceeding its assets, and therefore the shareholders risk of personal liability, is remote.
Portfolio Organization.
The Portfolio was organized as a
trust with transferable interests, commonly referred to as a
“
Massachusetts
business trust
”
on December 14, 2009 and intends to be treated as a partnership for federal tax purposes. Prior to that date, the Portfolio was organized as a New York trust on February 28, 2000. Effective May 1, 2015
, Investment Grade Income
Portfolio changed its name to Core Bond Portfolio. In accordance with the Declaration of Trust of the Portfolio, there will normally be no meetings of the investors for the purpose of electing Trustees unless and until such time as less than
a majority
of the Trustees of the Portfolio holding office have been elected by investors. In such an event the Trustees of the Portfolio then in office will call an investors meeting for the election of Trustees. Except for the foregoing circumstances and unless removed by action of the investors in accordance with the Portfolios Declaration of Trust, the Trustees shall continue to hold office and may appoint successor Trustees.
The
Portfolios
Declaration of Trust
provides that any Trustee may be removed, with or without cause, by (i) the affirmative vote of investors holding two-thirds of the outstanding interests or, (ii) the affirmative vote of, or a written instrument executed by, at least two-thirds of the remaining Trustees, provided however, that the removal of any noninterested Trustee shall additionally require the affirmative vote of, or a written instrument executed by, at least two-thirds of the remaining noninterested Trustees. The Portfolios By-laws provide that the Portfolio will indemnify its Trustees and officers against liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with any litigation or proceeding in which they may be involved because of their offices with the Portfolio. However, no indemnification will be provided to any Trustee or officer for any liability to the Portfolio or interestholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
The Portfolios Declaration of Trust provides that any legal proceeding brought by or on behalf of an investor seeking to enforce any provision of, or based upon any matter arising out of, related to or in connection with, the Declaration of Trust, the Portfolio or the interests of the Portfolio must be brought exclusively in the United States District Court for Massachusetts or, if such court does not have jurisdiction for the matter, then in the Superior Court of Suffolk County for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. If an investor brings a claim in another venue and the venue is subsequently changed through legal process to the foregoing Federal or state court, then the investor will be required to reimburse the Portfolio and other persons for the expenses incurred in effecting the change in venue.
The Portfolios Declaration of Trust also provides that, except to the extent explicitly permitted by Federal law, an investor may not bring or maintain a court action on behalf of the Portfolio (commonly referred to as a derivative claim) without first making demand on the Trustees requesting the Trustees to bring the action. Within 90 days of receipt of the demand, the Trustees will consider the merits of the claim and determine whether commencing or maintaining an action would be in the best interests of the Portfolio. Any decision by the Trustees to bring, maintain or settle, or to not bring, maintain or settle the action, will be final and binding upon investors and therefore no action may be brought or maintained after a decision is made to reject a demand. In addition, the Portfolios Declaration of Trust provides that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, each investor acknowledges and agrees that any alleged injury to the Portfolios property, any diminution in the value of an investors interests and any other claim arising out of or relating to an allegation regarding the actions, inaction or omissions of or by the Trustees, the officers of the Portfolio or the investment adviser of the Portfolio is a legal claim belonging only to the Portfolio and not to the investors individually and, therefore, that any such claim is subject to the demand requirement for derivative claims referenced above.
Under Massachusetts law, if certain conditions prevail, shareholders of a Massachusetts business trust (such as the Portfolio) could be deemed to have personal liability for the obligations of the Portfolio. Numerous investment companies registered under the 1940 Act have been formed as Massachusetts business trusts, and management is not aware of an instance where such liability has been imposed. The Portfolios Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of liability on the part of Portfolio interestholders and the By-laws provide that the Portfolio shall assume the defense on behalf of any Portfolio interestholders. Moreover, the By-laws also provide for indemnification out of Portfolio property of any interestholder held personally liable solely by reason of being or having been an interestholder for all loss or expense arising from such liability. The assets of the Portfolio are readily marketable and will ordinarily substantially exceed its liabilities. In light of the nature of the Portfolios business and the nature of its assets, management believes that the possibility of the Portfolios liability exceeding its assets, and therefore the interestholders risk of personal liability, is remote.
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
The Fund may be required to vote on matters pertaining to the Portfolio. When required by law to do so, the Fund will hold a meeting of Fund shareholders and will vote its interest in the Portfolio for or against such matters proportionately to the instructions to vote for or against such matters received from Fund shareholders. The Fund shall vote shares for which it receives no voting instructions in the same proportion as the shares for which it receives voting instructions. Other investors in the Portfolio may alone or collectively acquire sufficient voting interests in the Portfolio to control matters relating to the operation of the Portfolio, which may require the Fund to withdraw its investment in the Portfolio or take other appropriate action. Any such withdrawal could result in a distribution in kind of portfolio securities (as opposed to a cash distribution from the Portfolio). If securities are distributed, the Fund could incur brokerage, tax or other charges in converting the securities to cash. In addition, the distribution in kind may result in a less diversified portfolio of investments or adversely affect the liquidity of the Fund. Notwithstanding the above, there are other means for meeting shareholder redemption requests, such as borrowing.
Proxy Voting Policy. The Board adopted a proxy voting policy and procedures (the Fund Policy), pursuant to which the Board has delegated proxy voting responsibility to the investment adviser and adopted the proxy voting policies and procedures of the investment adviser (the Adviser Policies). An independent proxy voting service has been retained to assist in the voting of Fund proxies through the provision of vote analysis, implementation and recordkeeping and disclosure services. The members of the Board will review the Funds and Portfolios proxy voting records from time to time and will annually consider approving the Adviser Policies for the upcoming year. For a copy of the Fund Policy and Adviser Policies, see Appendix D and Appendix E, respectively. Pursuant to certain provisions of the 1940 Act and certain exemptive orders relating to funds investing in other funds, a Fund or Portfolio may be required or may elect to vote its interest in another fund in the same proportion as the holders of all other shares of that fund. Information on how the Fund and Portfolio voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-262-1122, and (2) on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
Investment Advisory Services. The investment adviser manages the investments and affairs of the Portfolio and provides related office facilities and personnel subject to the supervision of the Portfolios Board of Trustees. The investment adviser furnishes investment research, advice and supervision, furnishes an investment program and determines what securities will be purchased, held or sold by the Portfolio and what portion, if any, of the Portfolios assets will be held uninvested. The Investment Advisory Agreement requires the investment adviser to pay the salaries and fees of all officers and Trustees of the Portfolio who are members of the investment adviser's organization and all personnel of the investment adviser performing services relating to research and investment activities.
For a description of the compensation that the Portfolio pays the investment adviser, see the Prospectus. The following table sets forth the net assets of the Portfolio and the advisory fees for the three fiscal years ended December 31,
2015
.
Net Assets at |
Advisory Fee for Fiscal Years Ended |
||
December 31, 2015 |
December 31, 2015 |
December 31, 2014 |
December 31, 2013 |
$342,683,998 |
$1,168,185 |
$856,042 |
$558,509 |
The Investment Advisory Agreement with the investment adviser continues in effect 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 Portfolio 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 Portfolio or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Portfolio. The Agreement may be terminated at any time without penalty on sixty (60) days written notice by the Board of either party, or by vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Portfolio, and the Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment. The Agreement provides that the investment adviser may render services to others. The Agreement also provides that the investment adviser shall not be liable for any loss incurred in connection with the performance of its duties, or action taken or omitted under the Agreement, in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations and duties thereunder, or for any losses sustained in the acquisition, holding or disposition of any security or other investment. The Agreement is not intended to, and does not, confer upon any person not a party to it any right, benefit or remedy of any nature.
Information About BMR and Eaton Vance. BMR and Eaton Vance are business trusts organized under the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. EV serves as trustee of BMR and Eaton Vance. EV and Eaton Vance are wholly-owned subsidiaries of EVC, a Maryland corporation and publicly-held holding company. BMR is an indirect subsidiary of EVC. EVC through its subsidiaries and affiliates engages primarily in investment management, administration and marketing activities. The Directors of EVC are Thomas E. Faust Jr., Ann E. Berman, Leo I. Higdon, Jr., Brian D. Langstraat, Dorothy E. Puhy, Winthrop H. Smith, Jr. and Richard A. Spillane, Jr. All shares of the outstanding Voting Common Stock of EVC are deposited in a Voting Trust, the Voting Trustees of which are Mr. Faust, Jeffrey P. Beale, Craig R. Brandon, Daniel C. Cataldo , Michael A. Cirami ,
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
17
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Cynthia J. Clemson, James H. Evans, Maureen A. Gemma, Laurie G. Hylton, Mr. Langstraat, Frederick S. Marius, David C. McCabe,
Scott H. Page, Edward J. Perkin,
Lewis R. Piantedosi,
Charles B. Reed,
Craig P. Russ, John L. Shea,
Eric A
. Stein, Payson F. Swaffield, Michael W. Weilheimer, R. Kelly Williams and Matthew J. Witkos (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 who may also be officers, or officers and Directors of EVC and EV. As indicated under Management and Organization, all of the officers of the Trust (as well as Mr. Faust who is also a Trustee) hold positions in the Eaton Vance organization.
Code of Ethics. The investment adviser, principal underwriter, and the Fund and Portfolio have adopted Codes of Ethics governing personal securities transactions pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. Under the Codes, employees of the investment adviser and the principal underwriter may purchase and sell securities (including securities held or eligible for purchase by the Fund or Portfolio) subject to the provisions of the Codes and certain employees are also subject to pre-clearance, reporting requirements and /or other procedures.
Portfolio Managers. The portfolio managers (each referred to as a portfolio manager) of the Portfolio are listed below. The following table shows, as of the Portfolios most recent fiscal year end, the number of accounts each portfolio manager managed in each of the listed categories and the total assets (in millions of dollars) in the accounts managed within each category. The table also shows the number of accounts with respect to which the advisory fee is based on the performance of the account, if any, and the total assets (in millions of dollars) in those accounts.
|
Number of
|
Total Assets of
|
Number of Accounts
|
Total Assets of Accounts
|
Thomas H. Luster (1) |
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
5 |
$482.1 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
2 |
$3,032.0 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Accounts |
9 |
$383.2 |
0 |
$0 |
Bernard Scozzafava |
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
2 |
$374.1 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Accounts |
12 |
$206.4 |
0 |
$0 |
(1)
This portfolio manager serves as portfolio manager of one or more registered investment companies that invests or may invest in one or more underlying registered investment companies in the Eaton Vance family of funds or other pooled investment vehicles sponsored by Eaton Vance. The underlying investment companies may be managed by this portfolio manager or another portfolio manager.
The following table shows the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned in the Fund by the portfolio manager(s) as of the Funds most recent fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
and in the Eaton Vance family of funds as of December 31,
2015
. Interests in the Portfolio cannot be purchased by a portfolio manager.
It is possible that conflicts of interest may arise in connection with a portfolio managers management of the Portfolios investments on the one hand and the investments of other accounts for which the portfolio manager is responsible on the other. For example, a portfolio manager may have conflicts of interest in allocating management time, resources and investment opportunities among the Portfolio and other accounts he advises. In addition, due to differences in the investment strategies or restrictions between the Portfolio and the other accounts, a portfolio manager may take action with respect to another account that differs from the action taken with respect to the Portfolio. In some cases, another account managed by a portfolio manager may compensate the investment adviser based on the performance of the securities held by that account. The existence of such a performance based fee may create additional conflicts of interest for the portfolio manager in the allocation of management time, resources and investment opportunities. Whenever conflicts of interest arise, the portfolio manager will endeavor to exercise his discretion in a manner that he believes is equitable to all interested persons. The investment adviser has adopted several policies and procedures designed to address these potential conflicts including a code of ethics and policies that govern the investment advisers trading practices, including among other things the aggregation and allocation of trades among clients, brokerage allocation, cross trades and best execution.
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
18
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Compensation Structure for BMR.
Compensation of the investment
adviser's
portfolio managers and other investment professionals has three primary components: (1) a base salary, (2) an annual cash bonus, and (3) annual stock-based compensation consisting of options to purchase shares of EVCs nonvoting common stock and restricted shares of EVCs nonvoting common stock. The investment advisers investment professionals also receive certain retirement, insurance and other benefits that are broadly available to the investment advisers employees. Compensation of the investment advisers investment professionals is reviewed primarily on an annual basis. Cash bonuses, stock-based compensation awards, and adjustments in base salary are typically paid or put into effect at or shortly after the October 31st fiscal year end of EVC.
Method to Determine Compensation.
The investment adviser compensates its portfolio managers based primarily on the scale and complexity of their portfolio responsibilities and the total return performance of managed funds and accounts versus the benchmark(s) stated in the prospectus, as well as an appropriate peer group (as described below). In addition to rankings within peer groups of funds on the basis of absolute performance, consideration may also be given to relative risk-adjusted performance. Risk-adjusted performance measures include, but are not limited to, the Sharpe ratio
(Sharpe ratio uses standard deviation and excess return to determine reward per unit of risk).
Performance is normally based on periods ending on the September 30th preceding fiscal year end. Fund performance is normally evaluated primarily versus peer groups of funds as determined by Lipper Inc. and/or Morningstar, Inc. When a funds peer group as determined by Lipper or Morningstar is deemed by the investment advisers management not to provide a fair comparison, performance may instead be evaluated primarily against a custom peer group or market index. In evaluating the performance of a fund and its manager, primary emphasis is normally placed on three-year performance, with secondary consideration of performance over longer and shorter periods.
A portion of the compensation payable to equity portfolio managers and investment professionals will be determined based on the ability of one or more accounts managed by such manager to achieve a specified target average annual gross return over a three year period in excess of the account benchmark. The cash bonus to be payable at the end of the three year term will be established at the inception of the term and will be adjusted positively or negatively to the extent that the average annual gross return varies from the specified target return.
For funds that are tax-managed or otherwise have an objective of after-tax returns, performance is measured net of taxes. For other funds, performance is evaluated on a pre-tax basis. For funds with an investment objective other than total return (such as current income), consideration will also be given to the funds success in achieving its objective. For managers responsible for multiple funds and accounts, investment performance is evaluated on an aggregate basis, based on averages or weighted averages among managed funds and accounts. Funds and accounts that have performance-based advisory fees are not accorded disproportionate weightings in measuring aggregate portfolio manager performance.
The compensation of portfolio managers with other job responsibilities (such as heading an investment group or providing analytical support to other portfolios) will include consideration of the scope of such responsibilities and the managers performance in meeting them.
The investment adviser seeks to compensate portfolio managers commensurate with their responsibilities and performance, and competitive with other firms within the investment management industry. The investment adviser participates in investment-industry compensation surveys and utilizes survey data as a factor in determining salary, bonus and stock-based compensation levels for portfolio managers and other investment professionals. Salaries, bonuses and stock-based compensation are also influenced by the operating performance of the investment adviser and its parent company. The overall annual cash bonus pool is generally based on a substantially fixed percentage of pre-bonus adjusted operating income. While the salaries of the investment advisers portfolio managers are comparatively fixed, cash bonuses and stock-based compensation may fluctuate significantly from year to year, based on changes in manager performance and other factors as described herein. For a high performing portfolio manager, cash bonuses and stock-based compensation may represent a substantial portion of total compensation.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission Registration. Effective December 31, 2012, the CFTC adopted certain regulatory changes that subject registered investment companies and advisers to regulation by the CFTC if a fund invests more than a prescribed level of its assets in certain CFTC-regulated instruments (including futures, certain options and swaps agreements) or markets itself as providing investment exposure to such instruments. The Fund has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term commodity pool operator under the Commodity Exchange Act. Accordingly neither the Fund nor the investment adviser with respect to the operation of the Fund is subject to CFTC regulation. Because of their management of other strategies, Eaton Vance and BMR are registered with the CFTC as commodity pool operators. Eaton Vance and BMR are also registered as commodity trading advisors. The CFTC has neither reviewed nor approved the Funds investment strategies or this SAI.
Administrative Services. As indicated in the Prospectus, Eaton Vance serves as administrator of the Fund, but currently receives no compensation for providing administrative services to the Fund. Under the Agreement, Eaton Vance has been engaged to administer the Funds affairs, subject to the supervision of the Board, and shall furnish office space and all necessary office facilities, equipment and personnel for administering the affairs of the Fund.
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
19
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Sub-Transfer Agency Support Services.
Eaton Vance provides sub-transfer agency and related services to Eaton Vance mutual funds pursuant to a Sub-Transfer Agency Support Services Agreement. Under the agreement, Eaton Vance provides: (1) specified sub-transfer agency services; (2) compliance monitoring services; and (3) intermediary oversight services. For the services it provides, Eaton Vance receives an aggregate annual fee equal to the lesser of $2.5 million or the actual expenses incurred by Eaton Vance in the performance of such services. The Fund pays a pro rata share of such fee. For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, Eaton Vance earned $
2,058
from the Fund pursuant to the agreement.
Expenses. The Fund and Portfolio are responsible for all expenses not expressly stated to be payable by another party (such as expenses required to be paid pursuant to an agreement with the investment adviser, the principal underwriter or the administrator). In the case of expenses incurred by the Trust, the Fund is responsible for its pro rata share of those expenses. Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Multiple Class Plan for Eaton Vance Funds, Fund expenses are allocated to each class on a pro rata basis, except that distribution and service fees are allocated exclusively to the class that incurs them.
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS
Principal Underwriter. Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. (EVD), Two International Place, Boston, MA 02110 is the principal underwriter of the Fund. The principal underwriter acts as principal in selling shares under a Distribution Agreement with the Trust. The expenses of printing copies of prospectuses used to offer shares and other selling literature and of advertising are borne by the principal underwriter. The fees and expenses of qualifying and registering and maintaining qualifications and registrations of the Fund and its shares under federal and state securities laws are borne by the Fund. The Distribution Agreement is renewable annually by the members of the Board (including a majority of the noninterested Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Distribution Agreement or any applicable Distribution Plan), may be terminated on sixty days notice either by such Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding Fund shares or on six months notice by the principal underwriter and is automatically terminated upon assignment. The principal underwriter distributes shares on a best efforts basis under which it is required to take and pay for only such shares as may be sold. EVD is a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of EVC. Mr. Faust is a Director of EVD. EVD also serves as placement agent for the Portfolio.
Custodian. State Street Bank and Trust Company (State Street), State Street Financial Center, One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111, serves as custodian to the Fund and the Portfolio. State Street has custody of all cash and securities representing the Funds interest in the Portfolio, has custody of the Portfolios assets, maintains the general ledger of the Portfolio and the Fund and computes the daily net asset value of interests in the Portfolio and the net asset value of shares of the Fund. In such capacity it attends to details in connection with the sale, exchange, substitution, transfer or other dealings with the Portfolios investments, receives and disburses all funds and performs various other ministerial duties upon receipt of proper instructions from the Trust and the Portfolio. State Street also provides services in connection with the preparation of shareholder reports and the electronic filing of such reports with the SEC. EVC and its affiliates and their officers and employees from time to time have transactions with various banks, including State Street. It is Eaton Vances 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 Fund or the Portfolio and such banks.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
Deloitte & Touche LLP, 200 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116,
independent registered public accounting firm
, audits
the
Fund's
and
Portfolio's financial statements and provides other
audit
, tax
and related services
.
Transfer Agent. BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc., P.O. Box 9653, Providence, RI 02940-9653, serves as transfer and dividend disbursing agent for the Fund.
CALCULATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
The net asset value of the Fund is determined by State Street (as agent and custodian) by subtracting the liabilities of the Fund from the value of its total assets. The Fund is closed for business and will not issue a net asset value on the following business holidays and any other business day that the Exchange is closed: New Years Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The Funds net asset value per share is readily accessible on the Eaton Vance website (www.eatonvance.com).
Each Portfolio investor may add to or reduce its investment in the Portfolio on each day the Exchange is open for trading (Portfolio Business Day) as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange (the Portfolio Valuation Time). The value of each investors interest in the Portfolio will be determined by multiplying the net asset value of the Portfolio by the percentage, determined on the prior Portfolio Business Day, which represented that investors share of the aggregate interests in the Portfolio on such prior day. Any additions or withdrawals for the current Portfolio Business Day will then be recorded. Each investors percentage of the aggregate interest in the Portfolio will then be recomputed as a percentage equal to a fraction (i) the numerator
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
20
SAI dated May 1, 2016
of which is the value of such investors investment in the Portfolio as of the Portfolio Valuation Time on the prior Portfolio Business Day plus or minus, as the case may be, the amount of any additions to or withdrawals from the investors investment in the Portfolio on the current Portfolio Business Day and (ii) the denominator of which is the aggregate net asset value of the Portfolio as of the Portfolio Valuation Time on the prior Portfolio Business Day plus or minus, as the case may be, the amount of the net additions to or withdrawals from the aggregate investment in the Portfolio on the current Portfolio Business Day by all investors in the Portfolio. The percentage so determined will then be applied to determine the value of the investors interest in the Portfolio for the current Portfolio Business Day.
The Board has approved procedures pursuant to which investments are valued for purposes of determining the Funds net asset value. Listed below is a summary of the methods generally used to value investments (some or all of which may be held by the Fund) under the procedures.
·
Equity securities (including common stock, exchange - traded funds, closed end funds, preferred equity securities, exchange - traded notes and other instruments that trade on recognized stock exchanges) are valued at the last sale, official close or if there are no reported sales at the mean between the bid and asked price on the primary exchange on which they are traded.
·
Most debt obligations are valued on the basis of market valuations furnished by a pricing service or at the mean of the bid and asked prices provided by recognized broker/dealers of such securities. The pricing service may use a pricing matrix to determine valuation.
·
Short-term obligations and money market securities maturing in sixty days or less typically are valued at amortized cost which approximates value.
·
Foreign securities and currencies are valued in U.S. dollars based on foreign currency exchange quotations supplied by a pricing service.
·
Senior and Junior Loans are valued on the basis of prices furnished by a pricing service. The pricing service uses transactions and market quotations from brokers in determining values.
·
Futures contracts are valued at the settlement or closing price on the primary exchange or board of trade on which they are traded.
·
Exchange-traded options are valued at the mean of the bid and asked prices. Over-the-counter options are valued based on quotations obtained from a pricing service or from a broker (typically the counterparty to the option).
·
Non-exchange traded derivatives (including swap agreements (other than those which have been centrally cleared), forward contracts and equity participation notes) are generally valued on the basis of valuations provided by a pricing service or using quotes provided by a broker/dealer (typically the counterparty). Swap agreements that have been cleared by a central counterparty (CCP) are valued at the daily settlement price provided by the CCP.
·
Precious metals are valued are valued at the New York Composite mean quotation.
·
Liabilities with a payment or maturity date of 364 days or less are stated at their principal value and longer dated liabilities generally will be carried at their fair value.
·
Valuations of foreign equity securities and exchange-traded futures contracts on non-North American equity indices may be adjusted from prices in effect at the close of trading on foreign exchanges to more accurately reflect their fair value as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange. Such fair valuations may be based on information provided by a pricing service.
Investments which are unable to be valued in accordance with the foregoing methodologies are valued at fair value using methods determined in good faith by or at the direction of the members of the Board. Such methods may include consideration of relevant factors, including but not limited to (i) the type of security, the existence of any contractual restrictions on the securitys disposition, (ii) the price and extent of public trading in similar securities of the issuer or of comparable companies or entities, (iii) quotations or relevant information obtained from broker-dealers or other market participants, (iv) information obtained from the issuer, analysts, and/or the appropriate stock exchange (for exchange-traded securities), (v) an analysis of the companys or entitys financial condition, (vi) an evaluation of the forces that influence the issuer and the market(s) in which the security is purchased and sold (vii) an analysis of the terms of any transaction involving the issuer of such securities; and (viii) any other factors deemed relevant by the investment adviser. The portfolio managers of one Eaton Vance fund that invests in Senior and Junior Loans may not possess the same information about a Senior or Junior Loan as the portfolio managers of another Eaton Vance fund. As such, at times the fair value of a Loan determined by certain Eaton Vance portfolio managers may vary from the fair value of the same Loan determined by other portfolio managers.
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
21
SAI dated May 1, 2016
PURCHASING AND REDEEMING SHARES
Additional Information About Purchases.
Fund shares are offered for sale only in states where they are registered. Fund shares are continuously offered through financial intermediaries which have entered into agreements with the principal underwriter.
Fund
shares
are sold at the public offering price, which is the net asset value plus the initial sales charge, if any. The Fund receives the net asset value. The principal underwriter receives the sales charge, all or a portion of which may be reallowed to the financial intermediaries responsible for selling Fund shares. The sales charge table in the Prospectus is applicable to purchases of the Fund alone or in combination with purchases of certain other funds offered by the principal underwriter, made at a single time by (i) an individual, or an individual, his or her spouse and their children under the age of twenty-one, purchasing shares for his or their own account, and (ii) a trustee or other fiduciary purchasing shares for a single trust estate or a single fiduciary account. The table is also presently applicable to (1) purchases of Class A shares pursuant to a written Statement of Intention; or (2) purchases of Class A shares pursuant to the Right of Accumulation and declared as such at the time of purchase. See Sales Charges.
In connection with employer sponsored retirement plans, the Fund may accept initial investments of less than the minimum investment amount on the part of an individual participant. In the event a shareholder who is a participant of such a plan terminates participation in the plan, his or her shares will be transferred to a regular individual account. However, such account will be subject to the right of redemption by the Fund as described below.
Class I Share Purchases.
Class I shares are available for purchase by clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class I shares through a no-load network or platform. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments, foundations and employer sponsored retirement plans. Class I shares also are offered to investment and institutional clients of Eaton Vance and its affiliates; certain persons affiliated with Eaton Vance
; current and retired members of Eaton Vance Fund Boards; employees of Eaton Vance and its affiliates and such persons spouses, parents, siblings and lineal descendants and their beneficial accounts.
Waiver of Investment Minimums. In addition to waivers described in the Prospectus, minimum investment amounts are waived for current and retired members of Eaton Vance Fund Boards, clients (including custodial, agency, advisory and trust accounts), current and retired officers and employees of Eaton Vance, its affiliates and other investment advisers and sub-advisers to the Eaton Vance family of funds, and for such persons spouses, parents, siblings and lineal descendants and their beneficial accounts. The minimum initial investment amount is also waived for officers and employees of the Funds custodian and transfer agent and in connection with the merger (or similar transaction) of an investment company (or series or class thereof) or personal holding company with the Fund (or class thereof). Investments in a Fund by ReFlow in connection with the Reflow liquidity program are also not subject to the minimum investment amount.
Suspension of Sales. The Trust may, in its absolute discretion, suspend, discontinue or limit the offering of one or more of its classes of shares at any time. In determining whether any such action should be taken, the Trusts management intends to consider all relevant factors, including (without limitation) the size of the Fund or class, the investment climate and market conditions and the volume of sales and redemptions of shares. The Class A Distribution Plan may continue in effect and payments may be made under the Plan following any such suspension, discontinuance or limitation of the offering of shares; however, there is no contractual obligation to continue the Plan for any particular period of time. Suspension of the offering of shares would not, of course, affect a shareholders ability to redeem shares.
Additional Information About Redemptions. The right to redeem shares of the Fund can be suspended and the payment of the redemption price deferred when the Exchange is closed (other than for customary weekend and holiday closings), during periods when trading on the Exchange is restricted as determined by the SEC, or during any emergency as determined by the SEC which makes it impracticable for the Portfolio to dispose of its securities or value its assets, or during any other period permitted by order of the SEC for the protection of investors.
Due to the high cost of maintaining small accounts, the Trust reserves the right to redeem accounts with balances of less than $750. Prior to such a redemption, shareholders will be given 60 days written notice to make an additional purchase. However, no such redemption would be required by the Trust if the cause of the low account balance was a reduction in the net asset value of shares. No CDSC or redemption fees, if applicable, will be imposed with respect to such involuntary redemptions.
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
22
SAI dated May 1, 2016
While normally payments will be made in cash for redeemed shares, the Trust, subject to compliance with applicable regulations, has reserved the right to pay the redemption price of shares of the Fund, either totally or partially, by a distribution in kind of readily marketable securities. The securities so distributed would be valued pursuant to the valuation procedures described in this SAI. If a shareholder received a distribution in kind, the shareholder could incur brokerage or other charges in converting the securities to cash.
Systematic Withdrawal Plan. The transfer agent will send to the shareholder regular monthly or quarterly payments of any permitted amount designated by the shareholder based upon the value of the shares held. The checks will be drawn from share redemptions and hence, may require the recognition of taxable gain or loss. Income dividends and capital gains distributions in connection with withdrawal plan accounts will be credited at net asset value as of the record date for each distribution. Continued withdrawals in excess of current income will eventually use up principal, particularly in a period of declining market prices. A shareholder may not have a withdrawal plan in effect at the same time he or she has authorized Bank Automated Investing or is otherwise making regular purchases of Fund shares. The shareholder, the transfer agent or the principal underwriter may terminate the withdrawal plan at any time without penalty.
Other Information. The Fund ’ s net asset value per share is normally rounded to two decimal places. In certain situations (such as a merger, share split or a purchase or sale of shares that represents a significant portion of a share class), the administrator may determine to extend the calculation of the net asset value per share to additional decimal places to ensure that neither the value of the Fund nor a shareholders shares is diluted materially as the result of a purchase or sale or other transaction.
SALES CHARGES
Dealer Commissions. The principal underwriter may, from time to time, at its own expense, provide additional incentives to financial intermediaries which employ registered representatives who sell Fund shares and/or shares of other funds distributed by the principal underwriter. In some instances, such additional incentives may be offered only to certain financial intermediaries whose representatives sell or are expected to sell significant amounts of shares. In addition, the principal underwriter may from time to time increase or decrease the sales commissions payable to financial intermediaries. The principal underwriter may allow, upon notice to all financial intermediaries with whom it has agreements, discounts up to the full sales charge during the periods specified in the notice. During periods when the discount includes the full sales charge, such financial intermediaries may be deemed to be underwriters as that term is defined in the 1933 Act.
Purchases at Net Asset Value.
Class A shares may be sold at net asset value
(without a sales charge) to clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class A shares through a no-load network or platform;
current and retired members of Eaton Vance Fund Boards; to clients (including custodial, agency, advisory and trust accounts) and current and former officers and employees of Eaton Vance, its affiliates and other investment advisers and sub-advisers of Eaton Vance sponsored funds; and to such persons spouses, parents, siblings and lineal descendants and their beneficial accounts. Such shares may also be issued at net asset value (1) in connection with the merger (or similar transaction) of an investment company (or series or class thereof) or personal holding company with the Fund (or class thereof), (2) to
HSAs (Health Savings Accounts
)
and to employer sponsored retirement plans and trusts used to fund those plans, (
3
) to officers and employees of the Funds custodian and transfer agent and (
4
) in connection with the ReFlow liquidity program. Class A shares may also be sold at net asset value to registered representatives and employees of financial intermediaries. Sales charges generally are waived because either (i) there is no sales effort involved in the sale of shares or (ii) the investor is paying a fee (other than the sales charge) to the financial intermediary involved in the sale. Any new or revised sales charge or CDSC waiver will be prospective only.
CDSC Waiver. CDSCs will be waived in connection with minimum required distributions from employer sponsored retirement plans and individual retirement accounts by applying the rate required to be withdrawn under the applicable rules and regulations of the IRS to the balance of shares in your account.
Statement of Intention. If it is anticipated that $50,000 or more of Class A shares and shares of other funds exchangeable for Class A shares of another Eaton Vance fund will be purchased within a 13-month period, the Statement of Intention section of the account application should be completed so that shares may be obtained at the same reduced sales charge as though the total quantity were invested in one lump sum. Shares eligible for the right of accumulation (see below) as of the date of the statement and purchased during the 13-month period will be included toward the completion of the statement. If you make a statement of intention, the transfer agent is authorized to hold in escrow sufficient shares (5% of the dollar amount specified in the statement) which can be redeemed to make up any difference in sales charge on the amount intended to be invested and the amount actually invested. A statement of intention does not obligate the shareholder to purchase or the Fund to sell the full amount indicated in the statement.
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
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If the amount actually purchased during the 13-month period is less than that indicated in the statement, the shareholder will be requested to pay the difference between the sales charge applicable to the shares purchased and the sales charge paid under the statement of intention. If the payment is not received in 20 days, the appropriate number of escrowed shares will be redeemed in order to realize such difference.
Shareholders will not receive a lower sales charge if
total purchases during the 13-month period are large enough to qualify for a lower sales charge than that applicable to the amount specified in the statement
.
If the sales charge rate changes during the 13-month period, all shares purchased or charges assessed after the date of such change will be subject to the then applicable sales charge.
Right of Accumulation.
Under the right of accumulation, the applicable sales charge level is calculated by aggregating the dollar amount of the current purchase and the value (calculated at the maximum current offering price) of shares owned by the shareholder.
The sales charge on the shares being purchased will then be applied at the rate applicable to the aggregate. Share purchases eligible for the right of accumulation are described under Sales Charges in the Prospectus. For any such discount to be made available at the time of purchase a purchaser or his or her financial intermediary must provide the principal underwriter (in the case of a purchase made through a financial intermediary) or the transfer agent (in the case of an investment made by mail) with sufficient information to permit verification that the purchase order qualifies for the accumulation privilege. Confirmation of the order is subject to such verification. The right of accumulation privilege may be amended or terminated at any time as to purchases occurring thereafter.
Distribution Plans
The Trust has in effect a compensation-type Distribution Plan for Class A shares (the Class A Plan) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Class A Plan is designed to (i) finance activities which are primarily intended to result in the distribution and sales of Class A shares and to make payments in connection with the distribution of such shares and (ii) pay service fees for personal services and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts to the principal underwriter, financial intermediaries and other persons. The distribution and service fees payable under the Class A Plan shall not exceed 0.25% of the average daily net assets attributable to Class A shares for any fiscal year. Class A distribution and service fees are paid monthly in arrears. For the distribution and service fees paid by Class A shares, see Appendix A.
The
Board believes
that the Plan will be a significant factor in the expected growth of the Funds assets, and will result in increased investment flexibility and advantages which have benefitted and will continue to benefit the Fund and its shareholders. The Eaton Vance organization may profit by reason of the operation of a Plan through an increase in Fund assets and if at any point in time the aggregate amounts received by the principal underwriter pursuant to a Plan exceeds the total expenses incurred in distributing Fund shares. For sales commissions and CDSCs, if applicable, see Appendix A.
A Plan continues in effect from year to year so long as such continuance is approved at least annually by the vote of both a majority of (i) the noninterested Trustees of the Trust who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plan or any agreements related to the Plan (the Plan Trustees) and (ii) all of the Trustees then in office. A Plan may be terminated at any time by vote of a majority of the Plan Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the applicable Class. Quarterly
Board member
review of a written report of the amount expended under the Plan and the purposes for which such expenditures were made is required. A Plan may not be amended to increase materially the payments described therein without approval of the shareholders of the affected Class and the
Board
. So long as a Plan is in effect, the selection and nomination of the noninterested Trustees shall be committed to the discretion of such Trustees. The Trustees, including the Plan Trustees, initially approved the current Plan(s) on April 22, 2013. Any
Board member
who is an interested person of the Trust has an indirect financial interest in a Plan because his or her employer (or affiliates thereof) receives distribution and/or service fees under the Plan or agreements related thereto.
PERFORMANCE
Performance Calculations. Average annual total return before deduction of taxes (pre-tax return) is determined by multiplying a hypothetical initial purchase order of $1,000 by the average annual compound rate of return (including capital appreciation/depreciation, and distributions paid and reinvested) for the stated period and annualizing the result. The calculation assumes (i) that all distributions are reinvested at net asset value on the reinvestment dates during the period, (ii) the deduction of the maximum of any initial sales charge from the initial $1,000 purchase, (iii) a complete redemption of the investment at the end of the period, and (iv) the deduction of any applicable CDSC at the end of the period.
Average annual total return after the deduction of taxes on distributions is calculated in the same manner as pre-tax return except the calculation assumes that any federal income taxes due on distributions are deducted from the distributions before they are reinvested. Average annual total return after the deduction of taxes on distributions and taxes on redemption also is calculated in the same manner as pre-tax return except the calculation assumes that (i) any federal income taxes due on distributions are
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deducted from the distributions before they are reinvested and (ii) any federal income taxes due upon redemption are deducted at the end of the period. After-tax returns are based on the highest federal income tax rates in effect for individual taxpayers as of the time of each assumed distribution and redemption (taking into account their tax character), and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. In calculating after-tax returns, the net value of any federal income tax credits available to shareholders is applied to reduce federal income taxes payable on distributions at or near year-end and, to the extent the net value of such credits exceeds such distributions, is then assumed to be reinvested in additional Fund shares at net asset value on the last day of the fiscal year in which the credit was generated or, in the case of certain tax credits, on the date on which the year-end distribution is paid. For pre-tax and after-tax total return information, see Appendix A and Appendix B.
In addition to the foregoing total return figures, the Fund may provide pre-tax and after-tax annual and cumulative total return, as well as the ending redeemable cash value of a hypothetical investment. If shares are subject to a sales charge, total return figures may be calculated based on reduced sales charges or at net asset value. These returns would be lower if the full sales charge was imposed. After-tax returns may also be calculated using different tax rate assumptions and taking into account state and local income taxes as well as federal taxes. The Funds performance may differ from that of other investors in the Portfolio, including other investment companies.
Yield is computed pursuant to a standardized formula by dividing the net investment income per share earned during a recent thirty-day period by the maximum offering price (including the maximum of any initial sales charge) per share on the last day of the period and annualizing the resulting figure. Net investment income per share is calculated from the yields to maturity of all debt obligations held based on prescribed methods, reduced by accrued expenses for the period with the resulting number being divided by the average daily number of shares outstanding and entitled to receive distributions during the period. Yield figures do not reflect the deduction of any applicable CDSC, but assume the maximum of any initial sales charge. Actual yield may be affected by variations in sales charges on investments.
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings and Related Information. The Board has adopted policies and procedures (the Policies) with respect to the disclosure of information about portfolio holdings of the Fund. See the Fund's Prospectus for information on disclosure made in filings with the SEC and/or posted on the Eaton Vance website (www.eatonvance.com) and disclosure of certain portfolio characteristics. Pursuant to the Policies, information about portfolio holdings of the Fund may also be disclosed as follows:
·
Confidential disclosure for a legitimate Fund purpose: Portfolio holdings may be disclosed, from time to time as necessary, for a legitimate business purpose of the Fund, believed to be in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders, provided there is a duty or an agreement that the information be kept confidential. Any such confidentiality agreement includes provisions intended to impose a duty not to trade on the non-public information. The Policies permit disclosure of portfolio holdings information to the following: 1) affiliated and unaffiliated service providers that have a legal or contractual duty to keep such information confidential, such as employees of the investment adviser (including portfolio managers and, in the case of a Portfolio, the portfolio manager of any account that invests in the Portfolio), the administrator, custodian, transfer agent, principal underwriter, etc. described herein and in the Prospectus; 2) other persons who owe a fiduciary or other duty of trust or confidence to the Fund (such as Fund legal counsel and independent registered public accounting firm); or 3) persons to whom the disclosure is made in advancement of a legitimate business purpose of the Fund and who have expressly agreed in writing to maintain the disclosed information in confidence and to use it only in connection with the legitimate business purpose underlying the arrangement. To the extent applicable to an Eaton Vance fund, such persons may include securities lending agents which may receive information from time to time regarding selected holdings which may be loaned by a Fund, in the event a Fund is rated, credit rating agencies (Moodys Investor Services, Inc. and Standard & Poors Ratings Group), analytical service providers engaged by the investment adviser (Advent, Bloomberg L.P., Evare, Factset, McMunn Associates, Inc., MSCI/Barra and The Yield Book, Inc.), proxy evaluation vendors (Institutional Shareholder Servicing Inc.), pricing services (TRPS Mark-to-Market Pricing Service, WM Company Reuters Information Services and Non-Deliverable Forward Rates Service, Markit Pricing Direct, FT Interactive Data Corp., Standard & Poors Securities Evaluation Service, Inc., SuperDerivatives and Stat Pro.), which receive information as needed to price a particular holding, translation services, third-party reconciliation services, lenders under Fund credit facilities (Citibank, N.A. and its affiliates), consultants and other product evaluators (Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC) and, for purposes of facilitating portfolio transactions, financial intermediaries and other intermediaries (national and regional municipal bond dealers and mortgage-backed securities dealers). These entities receive portfolio information on an as needed basis in order to perform the service for which they are being engaged. If required in order to perform their duties, this information will be provided in real time or as soon as practical thereafter. Additional categories of disclosure involving a legitimate business purpose may be added to this list upon the authorization of the Funds Board. In addition to the foregoing, disclosure of portfolio holdings may be made to the Funds investment adviser as a seed investor in a fund, in order for the adviser or its parent to satisfy certain reporting obligations and reduce its exposure to market risk factors
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associated with any such seed investment. Also, in connection with a redemption in kind, the redeeming shareholder may be required to agree to keep the information about the securities to be so distributed confidential, except to the extent necessary to dispose of the securities.
·
Historical portfolio holdings information: From time to time, the Fund may be requested to provide historic portfolio holdings information or certain characteristics of portfolio holdings that have not been made public previously. In such case, the requested information may be provided if: the information is requested for due diligence or another legitimate purpose; the requested portfolio holdings or portfolio characteristics are for a period that is no more recent than the date of the portfolio holdings or portfolio characteristics posted to the Eaton Vance website; and the dissemination of the requested information is reviewed and approved in accordance with the Policies.
The Fund, the investment adviser and principal underwriter will not receive any monetary or other consideration in connection with the disclosure of information concerning the Funds portfolio holdings.
The Policies may not be waived, or exception made, without the consent of the CCO of the Fund. The CCO may not waive or make exception to the Policies unless such waiver or exception is consistent with the intent of the Policies, which is to ensure that disclosure of portfolio information is in the best interest of Fund shareholders. In determining whether to permit a waiver of or exception to the Policies, the CCO will consider whether the proposed disclosure serves a legitimate purpose of the Fund, whether it could provide the recipient with an advantage over Fund shareholders or whether the proposed disclosure gives rise to a conflict of interest between the Funds shareholders and its investment adviser, principal underwriter or other affiliated person. The CCO will report all waivers of or exceptions to the Policies to the Board at their next meeting. The Board may impose additional restrictions on the disclosure of portfolio holdings information at any time.
The Policies are designed to provide useful information concerning the Fund to existing and prospective Fund shareholders while at the same time inhibiting the improper use of portfolio holdings information in trading Fund shares and/or portfolio securities held by the Portfolio. However, there can be no assurance that the provision of any portfolio holdings information is not susceptible to inappropriate uses (such as the development of market timing models), particularly in the hands of highly sophisticated investors, or that it will not in fact be used in such ways beyond the control of the Fund.
TAXES
The following is a summary of some of the tax consequences affecting the Fund and its shareholders. The summary does not address all of the special tax rules applicable to certain classes of investors, such as individual retirement accounts and employer sponsored retirement plans, tax-exempt entities, foreign investors, insurance companies and financial institutions. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors with respect to special tax rules that may apply in their particular situations, as well as the federal, state, local, and, where applicable, foreign tax consequences of investing in the Fund.
Taxation of the Fund. The Fund, as a series of the Trust, is treated as a separate entity for federal income tax purposes. The Fund has elected to be treated and intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company (RIC) under Subchapter M of the Code. Accordingly, the Fund intends to satisfy certain requirements relating to sources of its income and diversification of its assets and to distribute substantially all of its net investment income (including tax-exempt income, if any) 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 tax. Based on advice of counsel, the Fund will not recognize gain or loss on its distribution of appreciated securities in shareholder-initiated redemptions of its shares. If the Fund qualifies for treatment as a RIC and satisfies the above-mentioned distribution requirements, it will not be subject to federal income tax on income paid to its shareholders in the form of dividends or capital gain distributions. The Fund qualified as a RIC for its most recent fiscal year.
The Fund also seeks to avoid payment of federal excise tax. However, if the Fund fails to distribute in a calendar year substantially all of its ordinary income for such year and substantially all of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 (or later if the Fund is permitted to so elect and so elects), plus any retained amount from the prior year, the Fund will be subject to a 4% excise tax on the undistributed amounts. In order to avoid incurring a federal excise tax obligation, the Code requires that the Fund distributes (or be deemed to have distributed) by December 31 of each calendar year (i) at least 98% of its ordinary income (excluding tax-exempt income, if any) for such year, (ii) at least 98.2% of its capital gain net income (which is the excess of its realized capital gains over its realized capital losses), 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, and (iii) 100% of any income and capital gains from the prior year (as previously computed) that was not paid out during such year and on which the Fund paid no federal income tax. If the Fund fails to meet these requirements it will be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax on the undistributed amounts. Under current law, provided that the Fund qualifies as a RIC (and, where applicable, the Portfolio
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is treated as a partnership for Massachusetts and federal tax purposes), the Fund should not be liable for any income, corporate excise or franchise tax in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
If the Fund does not qualify as a RIC for any taxable year, the Funds taxable income will be subject to corporate income taxes, and all distributions from earnings and profits, including distributions of tax-exempt income and net capital gain (if any), will be taxable to the shareholder as dividend income. However, such distributions may be eligible (i) to be treated as qualified dividend income in the case of shareholders taxed as individuals and (ii) for the dividends-received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. In addition, in order to re-qualify for taxation as a RIC, the Fund may be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions.
In certain situations, the Fund may, for a taxable year, elect to defer all or a portion of its net capital losses (or if there is no net capital loss, then any net long-term or short-term capital loss) realized after October and its late-year ordinary losses (defined as the sum of the excess of post-October foreign currency and passive foreign investment company (PFIC) losses over post-October foreign currency and PFIC gains plus the excess of post-December ordinary losses over post-December ordinary income) realized after December until the next taxable year in computing its investment company taxable income and net capital gain, which will defer the recognition of such realized losses. Such deferrals and other rules regarding gains and losses realized after October (or December) may affect the tax character of shareholder distributions.
The Code contains a provision codifying the judicial economic substance doctrine, which has traditionally been used by courts to deny tax benefits for transactions that lack economic substance; a strict liability penalty is imposed for an understatement of tax liability due to a transactions lack of economic substance.
Taxation of the Portfolio. If the Fund invests its assets in the Portfolio, the Portfolio normally must satisfy the applicable source of income and asset diversification requirements in order for the Fund to also satisfy these requirements. For federal income tax purposes, the Portfolio intends to be treated as a partnership that is not a publicly traded partnership and, as a result, will not be subject to federal income tax. The Fund, as an investor in the Portfolio, will be required to take into account in determining its federal income tax liability its share of such Portfolios income, gains, losses, deductions and credits, without regard to whether it has received any distributions from such Portfolio. The Portfolio will allocate at least annually among its investors, including the Fund, the Portfolios net investment income, net realized capital gains and losses , and any other items of income, gain, loss, deduction or credit. For purposes of applying the requirements of the Code regarding qualification as a RIC, the Fund (i) will be deemed to own its proportionate share of each of the assets of the Portfolio and (ii) will be entitled to the gross income of the Portfolio attributable to such share. Under current law, provided that the Portfolio is treated as a partnership for Massachusetts and federal tax purposes, the Portfolio should not be liable for any income, corporate excise or franchise tax in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Taxation of the Subsidiary
.
See the definition of
“
Subsidiary
”
under
“
Definitions
”
at the front of this SAI for information about whether any Fund and/or Portfolio (if applicable) described herein has established a Subsidiary.
The Subsidiary is classified as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As described in the prospectus, the Fund has either applied for or received from the IRS a private letter ruling or has received advice from counsel relating to the treatment of the income allocated to the Fund from the Subsidiary for purposes of the Funds status as a RIC under the Code. Foreign corporations, such as the Subsidiary, will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation unless they are deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business. It is expected that the Subsidiary will conduct it activities in a manner so as to meet the requirements of a safe harbor under Section 864(b)(2) of the Code under which the Subsidiary may engage in trading in stocks or securities or certain commodities without being deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business. However, if certain of the Subsidiary's activities were determined not to be of the type described in the safe harbor (which is not expected), then the activities of the Subsidiary may constitute a U.S. trade or business, and would be taxed as such.
The Subsidiary is treated as a controlled foreign corporation (CFC) for tax purposes and the Fund is treated as a U.S. shareholder of the Subsidiary. As a result, the Fund is required to include in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes all of the Subsidiary's subpart F income, whether or not such income is distributed by the Subsidiary. It is expected that all of the Subsidiary's income will be subpart F income. The Funds recognition of the Subsidiary's subpart F income will increase the Funds tax basis in the Subsidiary. Distributions by the Subsidiary to the Fund will be tax-free, to the extent of its previously undistributed subpart F income, and will correspondingly reduce the Fund's tax basis in the Subsidiary. Subpart F income is generally treated as ordinary income, regardless of the character of the Subsidiary's underlying income. If a net loss is realized by the Subsidiary, such loss is not generally available to offset the income earned by the Fund.
Tax Consequences of Certain Investments. The following summary of the tax consequences of certain types of investments applies to the Fund and the Portfolio, as appropriate. References in the following summary to the Fund are to any Fund or Portfolio that can engage in the particular practice as described in the prospectus or SAI.
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Securities Acquired at Market Discount or with Original Issue Discount. Investment in securities acquired at a market discount, or in zero coupon, deferred interest, payment-in-kind and certain other securities with original issue discount, generally may cause the Fund to realize income prior to the receipt of cash payments with respect to these securities. Such income will be accrued daily by the Fund and, in order to avoid a tax payable by the Fund, the Fund may be required to liquidate securities that it might otherwise have continued to hold in order to generate cash so that the Fund may make required distributions to its shareholders. The Fund may elect to accrue market discount income on a daily basis.
Lower Rated or Defaulted Securities. Investments in securities that are at risk of, or are in, default present special tax issues for the Fund. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless securities and how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income.
Municipal Obligations. Any recognized gain or income attributable to market discount on long-term tax-exempt municipal obligations (i.e., obligations with a term of more than one year) purchased after April 30, 1993 (except to the extent of a portion of the discount attributable to original issue discount), 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.
From time to time proposals have been introduced before Congress for the purpose of restricting or eliminating the federal income tax exemption for interest on certain types of municipal obligations, and it can be expected that similar proposals may be introduced in the future. As a result of any such future legislation, the availability of municipal obligations for investment by the Fund and the value of the securities held by it may be affected. It is possible that events occurring after the date of issuance of municipal obligations, or after the Funds acquisition of such an obligation, may result in a determination that the interest paid on that obligation is taxable, even retroactively.
If the Fund seeks income exempt from state and/or local taxes, information about such taxes is contained in an appendix to this SAI (see the Table of Contents).
Tax Credit Bonds. If the Fund holds, directly or indirectly, one or more tax credit bonds (including Build America Bonds, clean renewable energy bonds and other qualified tax credit bonds) on one or more applicable dates during a taxable year and the Fund satisfies the minimum distribution requirement, the Fund may elect to permit its shareholders to claim a tax credit on their income tax returns equal to each shareholders proportionate share of tax credits from the applicable bonds that otherwise would be allowed to the Fund. In such a case, shareholders must include in gross income (as interest) their proportionate share of the income attributable to their proportionate share of those offsetting tax credits. A shareholders ability to claim a tax credit associated with one or more tax credit bonds may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code. Even if the Fund is eligible to pass through tax credits to shareholders, the Fund may choose not to do so.
Derivatives. The Funds investments in options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts (to the extent permitted) and certain other transactions may 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 Fund, defer Fund losses, cause adjustments in the holding periods of Fund securities, 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 Fund distributions.
Investments in so-called section 1256 contracts, such as regulated futures contracts, most foreign currency forward contracts traded in the interbank market and options on most stock indices, are subject to special tax rules. All section 1256 contracts held by the Fund at the end of its taxable year are required to be marked to their market value, and any unrealized gain or loss on those positions will be included in the Funds income as if each position had been sold for its fair market value at the end of the taxable year. The resulting gain or loss will be combined with any gain or loss realized by the Fund from positions in section 1256 contracts closed during the taxable year. Provided such positions were held as capital assets and were not part of a hedging transaction nor part of a straddle, 60% of the resulting net gain or loss will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and 40% of such net gain or loss will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss, regardless of the period of time the positions were actually held by the Fund. Unless an election is made, net 1256 gain or loss on forward currency contracts will be treated as ordinary income or loss.
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Fund positions in index options that do not qualify as section 1256 contracts under the Code generally will be treated as equity options governed by Code Section 1234. Pursuant to Code Section 1234, if a written option expires unexercised, the premium received is short-term capital gain to the Fund. If the Fund enters into a closing transaction with respect to a written option, the difference between the premium received and the amount paid to close out its position is short-term capital gain or loss. If an option written by the Fund that is not a section 1256 contract is cash settled, any resulting gain or loss will be short-term capital gain. For an option purchased by the Fund that is not a section 1256 contract, any gain or loss resulting from sale of the option will be a capital gain or loss, and will be short-term or long-term, depending upon the holding period for the option. If the option expires, the resulting loss is a capital loss and is short-term or long-term, depending upon the holding period for the option. If a put option written by the Fund is exercised and physically settled, the premium received is treated as a reduction in the amount paid to acquire the underlying securities, increasing the gain or decreasing the loss to be realized by the Fund upon sale of the securities. If a call option written by the Fund is exercised and physically settled, the premium received is included in the sale proceeds, increasing the gain or decreasing the loss realized by the Fund at the time of option exercise.
As a result of entering into swap contracts, the Fund may make or receive periodic net payments. The Fund may also make or receive a payment when a swap is terminated prior to maturity through an assignment of the swap or other closing transaction. Periodic net payments will generally constitute ordinary income or deductions, while termination of a swap will generally result in capital gain or loss (which will be a long-term capital gain or loss if the Fund has been a party to a swap for more than one year). With respect to certain types of swaps, the Fund may be required to currently recognize income or loss with respect to future payments on such swaps or may elect under certain circumstances to mark such swaps to market annually for tax purposes as ordinary income or loss.
Short Sales. In general, gain or loss on a short sale is recognized when the Fund closes the sale by delivering the borrowed property to the lender, not when the borrowed property is sold. Gain or loss from a short sale is generally considered to be capital gain or loss to the extent that the property used to close the short sale constitutes a capital asset in the Funds hands. Except with respect to certain situations where the property used to close a short sale has a long-term holding period on the date of the short sale, special rules generally treat the gains on short sales as short-term capital gains. These rules may also terminate the running of the holding period of substantially identical property held by the Fund. Moreover, a loss on a short sale will be treated as a long-term capital loss if, on the date of the short sale, substantially identical property has been held by the Fund for more than one year. In general, the Fund will not be permitted to deduct payments made to reimburse the lender of securities for dividends paid on borrowed stock if the short sale is closed on or before the 45th day after the short sale is entered.
Constructive Sales. The Fund may recognize gain (but not loss) from a constructive sale of certain appreciated financial positions if the Fund enters into a short sale, offsetting notional principal contract, or forward contract transaction with respect to the appreciated position or substantially identical property. Appreciated financial positions subject to this constructive sale treatment include interests (including options and forward contracts and short sales) in stock and certain other instruments. Constructive sale treatment does not apply if the transaction is closed out not later than thirty days after the end of the taxable year in which the transaction was initiated, and the underlying appreciated securities position is held unhedged for at least the next sixty days after the hedging transaction is closed.
Gain or loss on a short sale will generally not be realized until such time as the short sale is closed. However, as described above in the discussion of constructive sales, if the Fund holds a short sale position with respect to securities that have appreciated in value, and it then acquires property that is the same as or substantially identical to the property sold short, the Fund generally will recognize gain on the date it acquires such property as if the short sale were closed on such date with such property. Similarly, if the Fund holds an appreciated financial position with respect to securities and then enters into a short sale with respect to the same or substantially identical property, the Fund generally will recognize gain as if the appreciated financial position were sold at its fair market value on the date it enters into the short sale. The subsequent holding period for any appreciated financial position that is subject to these constructive sale rules will be determined as if such position were acquired on the date of the constructive sale.
Foreign Investments and Currencies. The Funds investments in foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes or other foreign taxes with respect to income (possibly including, in some cases, capital gains), which would decrease the Funds income on such securities. These taxes may be reduced or eliminated under the terms of an applicable U.S. income tax treaty. If more than 50% of Fund assets at year end consists of the debt and equity securities of foreign corporations, the Fund may elect to permit shareholders to claim a credit or deduction on their income tax returns for their pro rata portion of qualified taxes paid by the Fund to foreign countries. If the election is made, shareholders will include in gross income from foreign sources their pro rata share of such taxes. A shareholders ability to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by the Fund may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code (including a holding period requirement applied at both the Fund and shareholder level), as a result of which a shareholder may not get a full credit or deduction for the amount of such
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taxes. In particular, the Fund must own the dividend-paying stock for more than 15 days during the 31-day period beginning 15 days prior to the ex-dividend date. Likewise, shareholders must hold their Fund shares (without protection from risk or loss) on the ex-dividend date and for at least 15 additional days during the 31-day period beginning 15 days prior to the ex-dividend date to be eligible to claim the foreign tax with respect to a given dividend. Shareholders who do not itemize deductions on their federal income tax returns may claim a credit (but no deduction) for such taxes. Individual shareholders subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT) may not deduct such taxes for AMT purposes.
Transactions in foreign currencies, foreign currency-denominated debt securities and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts, forward contracts and similar instruments (to the extent permitted) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency. Under Section 988 of the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time the Fund accrues income or receivables or expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund actually collects such income or pays such liabilities are generally treated as ordinary income or ordinary loss.
Investments in PFICs could subject the Fund to U.S. federal income tax or other charges on certain distributions from such companies and on disposition of investments in such companies; however, the tax effects of such investments may be mitigated by making an election to mark such investments to market annually or treat the PFIC as a qualified electing fund. If the Fund were to invest in a PFIC and elect to treat the PFIC as a qualified electing fund under the Code, the Fund might be required to include in income each year a portion of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the qualified electing fund, even if not distributed to the Fund, and such amounts would be subject to the distribution requirements described above. In order to make this election, the Fund would be required to obtain certain annual information from the PFICs in which it invests, which may be difficult or impossible to obtain. Alternatively, if the Fund were to make a mark-to-market election with respect to a PFIC, the Fund would be treated as if it had sold and repurchased the PFIC stock at the end of each year. In such case, the Fund would report any such gains as ordinary income and would deduct any such losses as ordinary losses to the extent of previously recognized gains. This election must be made separately for each PFIC, and once made, would be effective for all subsequent taxable years unless revoked with the consent of the IRS. The Fund may be required to recognize income in excess of the distributions it receives from PFICs and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock in any particular year. As a result, the Fund may have to distribute this phantom income and gain to satisfy the distribution requirement and to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax.
U.S. Government Securities. Distributions paid by the Fund that are derived from interest on obligations of the U.S. Government and certain of its agencies and instrumentalities (but generally not distributions of capital gains realized upon the disposition of such obligations) may be exempt from state and local income taxes. The Fund generally intends to advise shareholders of the extent, if any, to which its distributions consist of such interest. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisers regarding the possible exclusion of such portion of their dividends for state and local income tax purposes.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Any investment by the Fund in equity securities of a REIT qualifying as such under Subchapter M of the Code may result in the Funds receipt of cash in excess of the REITs earnings; if the Fund distributes these amounts, these distributions could constitute a return of capital to Fund shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Investments in REIT equity securities also may require the Fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received. To generate sufficient cash to make the requisite distributions, the Fund may be required to sell securities in its portfolio (including when it is not advantageous to do so) that it otherwise would have continued to hold. Dividends received by the Fund from a REIT will not qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction and generally will not constitute qualified dividend income.
Inflation-Indexed Bonds. Periodic adjustments for inflation to the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond may give rise to original issue discount, which will be includable in the Funds gross income (see Securities Acquired at Market Discount or with Original Issue Discount above). Also, if the principal value of an inflation-indexed bond is adjusted downward due to inflation, amounts previously distributed in the taxable year may be characterized in some circumstances as a return of capital (see Taxation of Fund Shareholders below).
Taxation of Fund Shareholders. Subject to the discussion of distributions of tax-exempt income below, Fund distributions of investment income and net gains from investments held for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income. Fund distributions of any net gains from investments held for more than one year are taxable as long-term capital gains. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated the gains, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares in the Fund. Dividends and distributions on the Funds shares are generally subject to federal income tax as described herein to the extent they are made out of the Funds earnings and profits, even though such dividends and distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholders investment. Such
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distributions are likely to occur in respect of shares purchased at a time when the Funds 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 Funds net asset value also reflects unrealized losses.
Distributions paid by the Fund during any period may be more or less than the amount of net investment income and capital gains actually earned during the period. If the Fund makes a distribution to a shareholder in excess of the Funds current and accumulated earnings and profits in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital
.
A return of capital is not taxable, but it reduces a shareholders tax basis in its shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its shares. A shareholders tax basis cannot go below zero and any return of capital distributions in excess of a shareholders tax basis will be treated as capital gain.
Ordinarily, shareholders are required to take taxable distributions by the Fund into account in the year in which the distributions are made. However, for federal income tax purposes, dividends that are declared by the Fund in October, November or December as of a record date in such month and actually paid in January of the following year will be treated as if they were paid on December 31 of the year declared. Therefore, such dividends will generally be taxable to a shareholder in the year declared rather than in the year paid.
The amount of distributions payable by the Fund may vary depending on general economic and market conditions, the composition of investments, current management strategy and Fund operating expenses. The Fund will inform shareholders of the tax character of distributions annually to facilitate shareholder tax reporting.
The Fund may elect to retain its net capital gain, in which case the Fund will be taxed thereon (except to the extent of any available capital loss carryovers) at the 35% corporate tax rate. In such a case, it is expected that the Fund also will elect to have shareholders of record on the last day of its taxable year treated as if each received a distribution of its pro rata share of such gain, with the result that each shareholder will be required to report its pro rata share of such gain on its tax return as long-term capital gain, will receive a refundable tax credit for its pro rata share of tax paid by the Fund on the gain, and will increase the tax basis for its shares by an amount equal to the deemed distribution less the tax credit.
Any Fund distribution, other than dividends that are declared by the Fund on a daily basis, will have the effect of reducing the per share net asset value of Fund shares by the amount of the distribution. If a shareholder buys shares when the Fund has unrealized or realized but not yet distributed ordinary income or capital gains, the shareholder will pay full price for the shares and then may receive a portion back as a taxable distribution even though such distribution may economically represent a return of the shareholders investment.
Tax-Exempt Income. Distributions by the Fund of net tax-exempt interest income that are properly reported as exempt-interest dividends may be treated by shareholders as interest excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes under Section 103(a) of the Code. In order for the Fund to be entitled to pay the tax-exempt interest income as exempt-interest dividends to its shareholders, the Fund must satisfy certain requirements, including the requirement that, at the close of each quarter of its taxable year, at least 50% of the value of its total assets consists of obligations the interest on which is exempt from regular federal income tax under Code Section 103(a). Interest on certain municipal obligations may be taxable for purposes of the federal AMT and for state and local purposes. In addition, corporate shareholders must include the full amount of exempt-interest dividends in computing the preference items for the purposes of the AMT. Fund shareholders are required to report tax-exempt interest on their federal income tax returns.
Tax-exempt distributions received from the Fund are taken into account in determining, and may increase, the portion of social security and certain railroad retirement benefits that may be subject to federal income tax. Interest on indebtedness incurred by a shareholder to purchase or carry Fund shares that distributes exempt-interest dividends will not be deductible for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If a shareholder receives exempt interest dividends with respect to any Fund share and if the share is held by the shareholder for six months or less, then any loss on the sale or exchange of the share may, to the extent of the exempt-interest dividends, be disallowed. Furthermore, a portion of any exempt-interest dividend paid by the Fund that represents income derived from certain revenue or private activity bonds held by the Fund may not retain its tax-exempt status in the hands of a shareholder who is a substantial user of a facility financed by such bonds, or a related person thereof. In addition, the receipt of dividends and distributions from the Fund may affect a foreign corporate shareholders federal branch profits tax liability and the federal excess net passive income tax liability of a shareholder of a Subchapter S corporation. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors as to whether they are (i) substantial users with respect to a facility or related to such users within the meaning of the Code or (ii) subject to a federal alternative minimum tax, the federal branch profits tax, or the federal excess net passive income tax.
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Qualified Dividend Income. Qualified dividend income received by an individual is taxed at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain (currently at a maximum rate of 20% plus a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax). In order for a dividend received by Fund shareholders to be qualified dividend income, the Fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the dividend-paying stock in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Funds shares. A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (at either the Fund or shareholder level) (1) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning at the date which is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, in the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date), (2) to the extent that the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, (3) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment interest, or (4) if the dividend is received from a foreign corporation that is (a) not eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the U.S. (with the exception of dividends paid on stock of such a foreign corporation readily tradable on an established securities market in the U.S.) or (b) treated as a passive foreign investment company. Payments in lieu of dividends, such as payments pursuant to securities lending arrangements, also do not qualify to be treated as qualified dividend income. In general, distributions of investment income reported by the Fund as derived from qualified dividend income will be treated as qualified dividend income by a shareholder taxed as an individual provided the shareholder meets the holding period and other requirements described above with respect to the Funds shares. In any event, if the aggregate qualified dividends received by the Fund during any taxable year are 95% or more of its gross income, then 100% of the Funds dividends (other than properly reported capital gain dividends) will be eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income. For this purpose, the only gain with respect to the sale of stocks and securities included in the term gross income is the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss.
Dividends Received Deduction for Corporations. A portion of distributions made by the Fund which are derived from dividends from U.S. corporations may qualify for the dividends-received deduction (DRD) for corporations. The DRD is reduced to the extent the Fund shares with respect to which the dividends are received are treated as debt-financed under the Code and is eliminated if the shares are deemed to have been held for less than a minimum period, generally more than 45 days during the 91-day period beginning 45 days before the ex-dividend date or if the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property. Receipt of certain distributions qualifying for the DRD may result in reduction of the tax basis of the corporate shareholders shares. Distributions eligible for the DRD may give rise to or increase the alternative minimum tax for certain corporations. Payments in lieu of dividends, such as payments pursuant to securities lending arrangements, also do not qualify for the DRD.
Recognition of Unrelated Business Taxable Income by Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Under current law, tax-exempt investors generally will not recognize unrelated business taxable income (UBTI) from distributions from the Fund. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a tax-exempt shareholder could recognize UBTI if shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of a tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code section 514(b). In addition, certain types of income received by the Fund from REITs, real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs), taxable mortgage pools or other investments may cause the Fund to designate some or all of its distributions as excess inclusion income. To Fund shareholders such excess inclusion income may: (1) constitute taxable income as UBTI for those shareholders who would otherwise be tax-exempt such as individual retirement accounts, employer sponsored retirement plans and certain charitable entities; (2) not be offset by otherwise allowable deductions for tax purposes; (3) not be eligible for reduced U.S. withholding for non-U.S. shareholders even from tax treaty countries; and (4) cause the Fund to be subject to tax if certain disqualified organizations as defined by the Code are Fund shareholders.
Sale
or Exchange of Fund Shares.
Generally, upon
the
sale or
(if permitted)
exchange of Fund shares, a shareholder will realize a taxable gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized and the
shareholders
basis in the shares. Such gain or loss will be treated as capital gain or loss if the shares are capital assets in the shareholders hands, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for more than one year, and short-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for one year or less.
Any loss realized upon the sale or
other disposition
of Fund shares with a tax holding period of six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any
Fund
distributions treated as long-term capital gain with respect to such shares. In addition, all or a portion of a loss realized on a
sale
or other disposition of Fund shares may be disallowed under wash sale rules to the extent the shareholder acquired other shares of the same Fund (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 shareholders tax basis in some or all of the other shares acquired.
See the prospectus for information regarding any permitted exchange of Fund shares.
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Sales charges paid upon a purchase of shares subject to a front-end sales charge cannot be taken into account for purposes of determining gain or loss on a redemption or exchange 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 Fund shares (or shares of another fund) on or before January 31 of the following calendar year pursuant to the reinvestment or exchange privilege. Any disregarded amounts will result in an adjustment to the shareholders tax basis in some or all of any other shares acquired.
Applicability of Medicare Contribution Tax. The Code imposes a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on unearned income of certain U.S. individuals, estates and trusts. For individuals, the tax is on the lesser of the net investment income and the excess of modified adjusted gross income over $200,000 (or $250,000 if married filing jointly). Net investment income includes, among other things, interest, dividends, and gross income and capital gains derived from passive activities and trading in securities or commodities. Net investment income is reduced by deductions properly allocable to this income.
Back-Up Withholding for U.S. Shareholders. Amounts paid by the Fund to individuals and certain other shareholders who have not provided the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) and certain certifications required by the IRS as well as shareholders with respect to whom the Fund has received certain information from the IRS or a broker, may be subject to backup withholding of federal income tax arising from the Funds taxable dividends and other distributions as well as the proceeds of redemption transactions (including repurchases and exchanges), at a rate of 28%. An individuals TIN is generally his or her social security number. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against a shareholders U.S. federal income tax liability.
Taxation of Foreign Shareholders.
In general, dividends (other than capital gain dividends and exempt-interest dividends) paid to a shareholder that is not a U.S. person within the meaning of the Code (a foreign person or foreign shareholder) are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate). The withholding tax does not apply to regular dividends paid to a foreign person who provides
an IRS
Form W-8ECI, certifying that the dividends are effectively connected with the foreign persons conduct of a trade or business within the United States. Instead, the effectively connected dividends will be subject to regular U.S. income tax as if the foreign person were a U.S. shareholder. A non-U.S. corporation receiving effectively connected dividends may also be subject to additional branch profits tax imposed at a rate of 30% (or lower treaty rate). A foreign person who fails to provide an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E, or other applicable form may be subject to backup withholding at the appropriate rate. A foreign shareholder would generally be exempt from U.S. federal income tax, including withholding tax, on gains realized on the sale of shares of the Fund, net capital gain dividends, exempt interest dividends, and amounts retained by the Fund that are reported as undistributed capital gains.
Properly reported dividends are generally exempt from U.S. federal withholding tax where they (i) are paid in respect of the Funds qualified net interest income (generally, the Funds U.S. source interest income, other than certain contingent interest and interest from obligations of a corporation or partnership in which the Fund is at least a 10% shareholder, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income) or (ii) are paid in respect of the Funds qualified short-term capital gains (generally, the excess of the Funds net short-term capital gain over the Funds long-term capital loss for such taxable year). However, depending on its circumstances, the Fund may report all, some or none of its potentially eligible dividends as such qualified net interest income or as qualified short-term capital gains and/or treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible for this exemption from withholding. In order to qualify for this exemption from withholding, a non-U.S. shareholder would need to comply with applicable certification requirements relating to its non-U.S. status (including, in general, furnishing an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E, or substitute Form). In the case of shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary could withhold even if the Fund designates the payment as qualified net interest income or qualified short-term capital gain. Non-U.S. shareholders should contact their intermediaries with respect to the application of these rules to their accounts.
Distributions that the Fund reports as short-term capital gain dividends or long-term capital gain dividends will not be treated as such to a recipient foreign shareholder if the distribution is attributable to gain from the sale or exchange of U.S. real property or an interest in a U.S. real property holding corporation and the Funds direct or indirect interests in U.S. real property exceeded certain levels. Instead, if the foreign shareholder has not owned more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Fund at any time during the one year period ending on the date of distribution, such distributions will be subject to 30% withholding by the Fund and will be treated as ordinary dividends to the foreign shareholder; if the foreign shareholder owned more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Fund at any time during the one year period ending on the date of the distribution, such distribution will be treated as real property gain subject to 35% withholding tax and could subject the foreign shareholder to U.S. filing requirements. The rules described in this paragraph, other than the withholding rules, will apply notwithstanding the Funds participation or a foreign shareholders participation in a wash sale transaction or the payment of a substitute dividend.
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Additionally, if the Funds direct or indirect interests in U.S. real property were to exceed certain levels, a foreign shareholder realizing gains upon redemption from the Fund could be subject to the 35% withholding tax and U.S. filing requirements unless the foreign person had not held more than 5% of the Funds outstanding shares throughout either such persons holding period for the redeemed shares or, if shorter, the previous five years,
50% or more of the value of the Funds shares were held by U.S. entities.
The same rules apply with respect to distributions to a foreign shareholder from the Fund and redemptions of a foreign shareholders interest in the Fund attributable to a REITs distribution to the Fund of gain from the sale or exchange of U.S. real property or an interest in a U.S. real property holding corporation, if the Funds direct or indirect interests in U.S. real property were to exceed certain levels.
Provided that 50% or more of the value of the Funds stock is held by U.S. shareholders, distributions of U.S. real property interests (including securities in a U.S. real property holding corporation, unless such corporation is regularly traded on an established securities market and the Fund has held 5% or less of the outstanding shares of the corporation during the five-year period ending on the date of distribution
),
in redemption of a foreign shareholders shares of the Fund will cause the Fund to recognize gain. If the Fund is required to recognize gain, the amount of gain recognized will be equal to the fair market value of such interests over the Funds adjusted basis to the extent of the greatest foreign ownership percentage of the Fund during the five-year period ending on the date of redemption.
In the case of foreign non-corporate shareholders, the Fund may be required to backup withhold U.S. federal income tax on distributions that are otherwise exempt from withholding tax unless such shareholders furnish the Fund with proper notification of their foreign status.
Shares of the Fund held by a non-U.S. shareholder at death will be considered situated within the United States and subject to the U.S. estate tax.
Compliance with the HIRE Act.
A 30% withholding tax is imposed on U.S.-source dividends,
interest and other income items,
including those paid by the Fund and, after December 31,
2018
, will be imposed on proceeds from the sale of property producing U.S.-source dividends, including
shares
in the Fund,
paid
to (i) foreign financial institutions including non-U.S. investment funds unless they agree to collect and disclose to the IRS information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. account holders and (ii) certain other foreign entities, unless they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners. To avoid withholding, foreign financial institutions will need to either enter into agreements with the IRS that state that they will provide the IRS information, including the names, addresses and taxpayer identification numbers of direct and indirect U.S. account holders, comply with due diligence procedures with respect to the identification of U.S. accounts, report to the IRS certain information with respect to U.S. accounts maintained, agree to withhold tax on certain payments made to non-compliant foreign financial institutions or to account holders who fail to provide the required information, and determine certain other information as to their account holders or, in the event that an applicable intergovernmental agreement and implementing legislation are adopted, agree to provide certain information to other revenue authorities for transmittal to the IRS. Other foreign entities will need to either provide the name, address, and taxpayer identification number of each substantial U.S. owner or certifications of no substantial U.S. ownership unless certain exceptions apply or agree to provide certain information to other revenue authorities for transmittal to the IRS. Non-U.S. shareholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the possible implications of these requirements on their investment in the Fund.
Requirements of Form 8886. Under Treasury Regulations, if a shareholder realizes a loss on disposition of the Funds shares of at least $2 million in any single taxable year or $4 million in any combination of taxable years for an individual shareholder or at least $10 million in any single taxable year or $20 million in any combination of taxable years for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayers treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances. Under certain circumstances, certain tax-exempt entities and their managers may be subject to excise tax if they are parties to certain reportable transactions.
Other Taxes. Dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds may also be subject to additional state, local and foreign taxes depending on each shareholders particular situation.
Changes in Taxation. The taxation of the Fund, the Portfolio, the Subsidiary and shareholders may be adversely affected by future legislation, Treasury Regulations, IRS revenue procedures and/or guidance issued by the IRS.
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PORTFOLIO SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS
Decisions concerning the execution of portfolio security transactions, including the selection of the market and the broker-dealer firm, are made by the investment adviser. The Portfolio is responsible for the expenses associated with its portfolio transactions. The investment adviser is also responsible for the execution of transactions for all other accounts managed by it. The investment adviser places the portfolio security transactions for execution with one or more broker-dealer firms. The investment adviser uses its best efforts to obtain execution of portfolio security transactions at prices which in the investment advisers judgment are advantageous to the client and at a reasonably competitive spread or (when a disclosed commission is being charged) at reasonably competitive commission rates. In seeking such execution, the investment 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 broker-dealer firms services, responsiveness of the firm to the investment 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 broker-dealer 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 amount of the spread or commission, if any. In addition, the investment adviser may consider the receipt of Research Services (as defined below), provided it does not compromise the investment advisers obligation to seek best overall execution for the Portfolio
and is otherwise in compliance with applicable law.
The investment adviser may engage in portfolio brokerage transactions with a broker-dealer firm that sells shares of Eaton Vance funds, provided such transactions are not directed to that firm as compensation for the promotion or sale of such shares.
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 including transactions in fixed-income securities which are generally purchased and sold on a net basis (i.e., without commission) through broker-dealers and banks acting for their own account rather than as brokers. Such firms attempt to profit from such transactions by buying at the bid price and selling at the higher asked price of the market for such obligations, and the difference between the bid and asked price is customarily referred to as the spread. Fixed-income transactions may also be transactions directly with the issuer of the obligations. In an underwritten offering the price paid often includes a disclosed fixed commission or discount retained by the underwriter or dealer. Although spreads or commissions paid on portfolio security transactions will, in the judgment of the investment adviser, be reasonable in relation to the value of the services provided, commissions exceeding those which another firm might charge may be paid to broker-dealers who were selected to execute transactions on behalf of the investment advisers clients in part for providing brokerage and research services to the investment adviser as permitted by applicable law .
Pursuant to the safe harbor provided in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Section 28(e
)) and to the extent permitted by other applicable law,
a broker or dealer who executes a portfolio transaction on behalf of the investment adviser client 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 investment 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 either that particular transaction or on the basis of the overall responsibility which the investment adviser and its affiliates have for accounts over which they exercise investment discretion. Research Services as used herein includes any and all brokerage and research services to the extent permitted by Section 28(e
) and other applicable law.
Generally, Research Services may include, but are not limited to, such matters as research, analytical and quotation services, data, information and other services products and materials which assist the investment adviser in the performance of its investment responsibilities. More specifically, Research Services may include general economic, political, business and market information, industry and company reviews, evaluations of securities and portfolio strategies and transactions, technical analysis of various aspects of the securities markets, recommendations as to the purchase and sale of securities and other portfolio transactions, certain financial, industry and trade publications, certain news and information services, and certain research oriented computer software, data bases and services. Any particular Research Service obtained through a broker-dealer may be used by the investment adviser in connection with client accounts other than those accounts which pay commissions to such broker-dealer
, to the extent permitted by applicable law.
Any such Research Service may be broadly useful and of value to the investment 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 clients 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 investment adviser evaluates the nature and quality of the various Research Services obtained through broker-dealer firms and
, to the extent permitted by applicable law,
may attempt to allocate sufficient portfolio security transactions to such firms to ensure the continued receipt of Research Services which the investment
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adviser believes are useful or of value to it in rendering investment advisory services to its clients. The investment adviser may also receive brokerage and Research Services from underwriters and dealers in fixed-price offerings , when permitted under applicable law .
Research Services provided by (and produced by) broker-dealers that execute portfolio transactions or from affiliates of executing broker-dealers are referred to as Proprietary Research.
Except for trades executed in jurisdictions where such consideration is not permissible,
the investment adviser may and does consider the receipt of Proprietary Research Services as a factor in selecting broker dealers to execute client portfolio transactions, provided it does not compromise the investment advisers obligation to seek best overall execution.
In jurisdictions where permissible,
the investment adviser also may consider the receipt of Research Services under so called client commission arrangements or commission sharing arrangements (both referred to as CCAs) as a factor in selecting broker dealers to execute transactions, provided it does not compromise the investment advisers obligation to seek best overall execution. Under a CCA arrangement, the investment adviser may cause client accounts to effect transactions through a broker-dealer and request that the broker-dealer allocate a portion of the commissions paid on those transactions to a pool of commission credits that are paid to other firms that provide Research Services to the investment adviser. Under a CCA, the broker-dealer that provides the Research Services need not execute the trade. Participating in CCAs may enable the investment adviser to consolidate payments for research using accumulated client commission credits from transactions executed through a particular broker-dealer to periodically pay for Research Services obtained from and provided by other firms, including other broker-dealers that supply Research Services. The investment adviser believes that CCAs offer the potential to optimize the execution of trades and the acquisition of a variety of high quality Research Services that the investment adviser might not be provided access to absent CCAs. The investment adviser will only enter into and utilize CCAs to the extent permitted by Section 28(e
) and other applicable law.
Fund trades may implicate laws of the United Kingdom, including rules of the UK Financial Conduct Authority, which govern client trading commissions and Research Services (UK Law). Broadly speaking, under UK Law the investment adviser may not accept any good or service when executing an order unless that good or service either is directly related to the execution of trades on behalf of its clients/customers or amounts to the provision of substantive research (as defined under UK Law). These requirements may also apply with respect to orders in connection with which the investment adviser receives goods and services under a CCA or other bundled brokerage arrangement.
The investment companies sponsored by the investment adviser or its affiliates also may allocate brokerage commissions to acquire information relating to the performance, fees and expenses of such companies and other investment companies, which information is used by the members of the Board of such companies to fulfill their responsibility to oversee the quality of the services provided to various entities, including the investment adviser, to such companies. Such companies may also pay cash for such information.
Securities considered as investments for the Portfolio may also be appropriate for other investment accounts managed by the investment adviser or its affiliates. Whenever decisions are made to buy or sell securities by the Portfolio and one or more of such other accounts simultaneously, the investment adviser will allocate the security transactions (including new 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 Portfolio 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 investment 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 Portfolio from time to time, it is the opinion of the members of the Board that the benefits from the investment adviser organization outweigh any disadvantage that may arise from exposure to simultaneous transactions.
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
36
SAI dated May 1, 2016
The following table shows brokerage commissions paid during the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, as well as the amount of Portfolio security transactions for the most recent fiscal year (if any) that were directed to firms that provided some Research Services to the investment adviser or its affiliates (see above), and the commissions paid in connection therewith.
Fiscal Year
|
Brokerage
|
Amount of Transactions
|
Commissions Paid on
|
December 31, 2015 |
$82 |
$0 |
$0 |
December 31, 2014 |
$247 |
|
|
December 31, 2013 |
$0 |
|
|
During the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the Portfolio held securities of its or the Funds regular brokers or dealers, as that term is defined in Rule 10b-1 of the 1940 Act, the value of such securities as of the Portfolios fiscal year end was as follows:
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial statements of, and the report of the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund appear in its annual report to shareholders and are incorporated by reference into this SAI. A copy of the annual report accompanies this SAI.
Householding. Consistent with applicable law, duplicate mailings of shareholder reports and certain other Fund information to shareholders residing at the same address may be eliminated.
Registrant incorporates by reference the audited financial information and the reports of the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund and Portfolio for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, as previously filed electronically with the SEC (Accession No. 0001193125-16-480335).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Asset Coverage |
To the extent required by SEC guidance, if a transaction creates an obligation of the Trust to another party it will: (1) cover the obligation through entry into an offsetting position or transaction; and/or (2) segregate cash and/or liquid securities with a value marked-to-market at least equal (together with the collateral posted with respect to the transaction) to its obligations. Assets used as cover or segregated cannot be sold while the position(s) requiring coverage is open unless replaced with other appropriate assets. The types of transactions that may require asset coverage include (but are not limited to) reverse repurchase agreements, repurchase agreements, short sales, securities lending, forward contracts, options, forward commitments, futures contracts, when-issued securities, swap agreements and residual interest bonds. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
37
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
38
SAI dated May 1, 2016
|
Valuations of such securities is highly speculative, however, dividends on auction rate preferred securities issued by a closed-end fund may be reported, generally on Form 1099, as exempt from federal income tax to the extent they are attributable to tax-exempt interest income earned by the Fund on the securities and distributed to holders of the preferred securities, provided that the preferred securities are treated as equity securities for federal income tax purposes, and the closed-end fund complies with certain requirements under the Code. Investments in auction rate preferred securities of closed-end funds are subject to limitations on investments in other U.S. registered investment companies, which limitations are prescribed by the 1940 Act. |
Average Effective Maturity |
Average effective maturity is a weighted average of all the maturities of bonds owned by the Fund. Average effective maturity takes into consideration all mortgage payments, puts and adjustable coupons. In the event the Fund invests in multiple Portfolios, its average weighted maturity is the sum of its allocable share of the average weighted maturity of each of the Portfolios in which it invests, which is determined by multiplying the Portfolios average weighted maturity by the Funds percentage ownership of that Portfolio. |
Borrowing for Investment Purposes |
Successful use of a borrowing strategy depends on the investment advisers ability to predict correctly interest rates and market movements. There is no assurance that a borrowing strategy will be successful. Upon the expiration of the term of the Funds existing credit arrangement, the lender may not be willing to extend further credit to the Fund or may be willing to do so at an increased cost to the Fund. If the Fund is not able to extend its credit arrangement, it may be required to liquidate holdings to repay amounts borrowed from the lender. Borrowing to increase investments generally will magnify the effect on the Funds net asset value of any increase or decrease in the value of the security purchased with the borrowings. Successful use of a borrowing strategy depends on the investment advisers ability to predict correctly interest rates and market movements. There can be no assurance that the use of borrowings will be successful. In connection with its borrowings, the Fund will be required to maintain specified asset coverage with respect to such borrowings by both the 1940 Act and the terms of its credit facility with the lender. The Fund may be required to dispose of portfolio investments on unfavorable terms if market fluctuations or other factors reduce the required asset coverage to less than the prescribed amount. Borrowings involve additional expense to the Fund. |
Borrowing for Temporary Purposes |
The Fund may borrow for temporary purposes (such as to satisfy redemption requests, to remain fully invested in advance of the settlement of share purchases, and to settle transactions). The Funds ability to borrow is subject to its terms and conditions of its credit arrangements, which in some cases may limit the Funds ability to borrow under the arrangement. The Fund will be required to maintain a specified level of asset coverage with respect to all borrowings and may be required to sell some of its holdings to reduce debt and restore coverage at times when it may not be advantageous to do so. The rights of the lender to receive payments of interest and repayments of principal of any borrowings made by the Fund under a credit arrangement are senior to the rights of holders of shares, with respect to the payment of dividends or upon liquidation. In the event of a default under a credit arrangement, the lenders may have the right to cause a liquidation of the collateral (i.e., sell Fund assets) and, if any such default is not cured, the lenders may be able to control the liquidation as well. Credit arrangements are subject to annual renewal, which cannot be assured. If the Fund does not have the ability to borrow for temporary purposes, it may be required to sell securities at inopportune times to meet short-term liquidity needs. Because the Fund is a party to a joint credit arrangement, it may be unable to borrow some or all of its requested amounts at any particular time. Borrowings involve additional expense to the Fund. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
39
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Build America Bonds |
Build America Bonds are taxable municipal obligations issued pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Act) or other legislation providing for the issuance of taxable municipal debt on which the issuer receives federal support. Enacted in February 2009, the Act authorizes state and local governments to issue taxable bonds on which, assuming certain specified conditions are satisfied, issuers may either (i) receive reimbursement from the U.S. Treasury with respect to its interest payments on the bonds (direct pay Build America Bonds); or (ii) provide tax credits to investors in the bonds (tax credit Build America Bonds). Unlike most other municipal obligations, interest received on Build America Bonds is subject to federal income tax and may be subject to state income tax. Under the terms of the Act, issuers of direct pay Build America Bonds are entitled to receive reimbursement from the U.S. Treasury currently equal to 35% (or 45% in the case of Recovery Zone Economic Development Bonds) of the interest paid. Holders of tax credit Build America Bonds can receive a federal tax credit currently equal to 35% of the coupon interest received. The Fund may invest in principal only strips of tax credit Build America Bonds, which entitle the holder to receive par value of such bonds if held to maturity. The Fund does not expect to receive (or pass through to shareholders) tax credits as a result of its investments. The federal interest subsidy or tax credit continues for the life of the bonds. Build America Bonds are an alternative form of financing to state and local governments whose primary means for accessing the capital markets has been through issuance of tax-free municipal bonds. Build America Bonds can appeal to a broader array of investors than the high income U.S. taxpayers that have traditionally provided the market for municipal bonds. Build America Bonds may provide a lower net cost of funds to issuers. Pursuant to the terms of the Act, the issuance of Build America Bonds ceased on December 31, 2010. As a result, the availability of such bonds is limited and the market for the bonds and/or their liquidity may be affected. |
Call and Put Features on Securities |
Issuers of securities may reserve the right to call (redeem) the securities. If an issuer redeems a security with a call right during a time of declining interest rates, the holder of the security may not be able to reinvest the proceeds in securities providing the same investment return as provided by the securities redeemed. Some securities may have put or demand features that allow early redemption by the holder. Longer term fixed-rate securities may give the holder a right to request redemption at certain times (often annually after the lapse of an intermediate term). This put or demand feature enhances a securitys liquidity by shortening its effective maturity and enables the security to trade at a price equal to or very close to par. If a demand feature terminates prior to being exercised, the holder of the security would be subject to the longer maturity of the security, which could experience substantially more volatility. Securities with a put or demand feature are more defensive than conventional long term securities (protecting to some degree against a rise in interest rates) while providing greater opportunity than comparable intermediate term securities, because they can be retained if interest rates decline. |
Cash Equivalents |
Cash equivalents include short term, high quality, U.S. dollar denominated instruments such as commercial paper, certificates of deposit and bankers acceptances issued by U.S. or foreign banks, and Treasury bills and other obligations with a maturity of one year or less, including those issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies and instrumentalities. See U.S. Government Securities below. Certificates of deposit are certificates issued against funds deposited in a commercial bank, are for a definite period of time, earn a specified rate of return, and are normally negotiable. Bankers acceptances are short-term credit instruments used to finance the import, export, transfer or storage of goods. They are termed accepted when a bank guarantees their payment at maturity. |
|
The obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks may be general obligations of the parent bank in addition to the issuing branch, or may be limited by the terms of a specific obligation and by governmental regulation. Payment of interest and principal upon these obligations may also be affected by governmental action in the country of domicile of the branch (generally referred to as sovereign risk). In addition, evidence of ownership of portfolio securities may be held outside of the U.S. and generally will be subject to the risks associated with the holding of such property overseas. Various provisions of U.S. law governing the establishment and operation of domestic branches do not apply to foreign branches of domestic banks. The obligations of U.S. branches of foreign banks may be general obligations of the parent bank in addition to the issuing branch, or may be limited by the terms of a specific obligation and by federal and state regulation as well as by governmental action in the country in which the foreign bank has its head office. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
40
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
41
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Commodity-Related Investments |
The value of commodities investments will generally be affected by overall market movements and factors specific to a particular industry or commodity, which may include weather, embargoes, tariffs, and health, political, international and regulatory developments. Economic and other events (whether real or perceived) can reduce the demand for commodities, which may reduce market prices and cause the value of Fund shares to fall. The frequency and magnitude of such changes cannot be predicted. Exposure to commodities and commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. No active trading market may exist for certain commodities investments, which may impair the ability of the Fund to sell or to realize the full value of such investments in the event of the need to liquidate such investments. In addition, adverse market conditions may impair the liquidity of actively traded commodities investments. Certain types of commodities instruments (such as total return swaps and commodity-linked notes) are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the instrument will not perform or will be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument. To the extent commodity-related investments are held through the Subsidiary, the Subsidiary is not subject to U.S. laws (including securities laws) and their protections. The Subsidiary is subject to the laws of the Cayman Islands, a foreign jurisdiction, and can be affected by developments in that jurisdiction. |
|
Certain commodities are subject to limited pricing flexibility because of supply and demand factors. Others are subject to broad price fluctuations as a result of the volatility of the prices for certain raw materials and the instability of supplies of other materials. These additional variables may create additional investment risks and result in greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The commodities that underlie commodity futures contracts and commodity swaps may be subject to additional economic and non-economic variables, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs, and international economic, political and regulatory developments. Unlike the financial futures markets, in the commodity futures markets there are costs of physical storage associated with purchasing the underlying commodity. The price of the commodity futures contract will reflect the storage costs of purchasing the physical commodity, including the time value of money invested in the physical commodity. To the extent that the storage costs for an underlying commodity change while the Fund is invested in futures contracts on that commodity, the value of the futures contract may change proportionately. |
|
In the commodity futures markets, producers of the underlying commodity may decide to hedge the price risk of selling the commodity by selling futures contracts today to lock in the price of the commodity at delivery tomorrow. In order to induce speculators to purchase the other side of the same futures contract, the commodity producer generally must sell the futures contract at a lower price than the expected future spot price. Conversely, if most hedgers in the futures market are purchasing futures contracts to hedge against a rise in prices, then speculators will only sell the other side of the futures contract at a higher futures price than the expected future spot price of the commodity. The changing nature of the hedgers and speculators in the commodity markets will influence whether futures prices are above or below the expected future spot price, which can have significant implications for the Fund. If the nature of hedgers and speculators in futures markets has shifted when it is time for the Fund to reinvest the proceeds of a maturing contract in a new futures contract, the Fund might reinvest at higher or lower futures prices, or choose to pursue other investments. |
Common Stocks |
Common stock represents an equity ownership interest in the issuing corporation. Holders of common stock generally have voting rights in the issuer and are entitled to receive common stock dividends when, as and if declared by the corporations board of directors. Common stock normally occupies the most subordinated position in an issuers capital structure. Returns on common stock investments consist of any dividends received plus the amount of appreciation or depreciation in the value of the stock. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
42
SAI dated May 1, 2016
|
Although common stocks have historically generated higher average returns than fixed-income securities over the long term and particularly during periods of high or rising concerns about inflation, common stocks also have experienced significantly more volatility in returns and may not maintain their real value during inflationary periods. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of a particular common stock. Also, the prices of common stocks are sensitive to general movements in the stock market and a drop in the stock market may depress the price of common stocks. Common stock prices fluctuate for many reasons, including changes in investors perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant stock market, or when political or economic events affecting the issuer occur. In addition, common stock prices may be sensitive to rising interest rates as the costs of capital rise and borrowing costs increase. |
Contingent Convertible Securities |
Contingent convertible securities (sometimes referred to as CoCos) are convertible securities with loss absorption characteristics. These securities provide for mandatory conversion into common stock of the issuer under certain circumstances. The mandatory conversion may be automatically triggered, for instance, if a company fails to meet the capital minimum with respect to the security, the companys regulator makes a determination that the security should convert or the company receives specified levels of extraordinary public support. Since the common stock of the issuer may not pay a dividend, investors in these instruments could experience a reduced income rate, potentially to zero; and conversion would deepen the subordination of the investor, hence worsening standing in a bankruptcy. In addition, some such instruments have a set stock conversion rate that would cause an automatic write-down of capital if the price of the stock is below the conversion price on the conversion date. Under similar circumstances, the liquidation value of certain types of contingent convertible securities may be adjusted downward to below the original par value. The write down of the par value would occur automatically and would not entitle the holders to seek bankruptcy of the company. In certain circumstances, contingent convertible securities may write down to zero and investors could lose the entire value of the investment, even as the issuer remains in business. CoCos may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a predetermined price. See also Hybrid Securities. |
Convertible Securities |
A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred security, or other security that entitles the holder to acquire common stock or other equity securities of the same or a different issuer. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued or the dividend paid on such security until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities have characteristics similar to nonconvertible income securities in that they ordinarily provide a stable stream of income with generally higher yields than those of common stocks of the same or similar issuers, but lower yields than comparable nonconvertible securities. The value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline. The credit standing of the issuer and other factors also may have an effect on the convertible securitys investment value. A convertible security ranks senior to common stock in a corporations capital structure but is usually subordinated to comparable nonconvertible securities. Convertible securities may be purchased for their appreciation potential when they yield more than the underlying securities at the time of purchase or when they are considered to present less risk of principal loss than the underlying securities. Generally speaking, the interest or dividend yield of a convertible security is somewhat less than that of a non-convertible security of similar quality issued by the same company. A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible securitys governing instrument. |
|
Convertible securities are issued and traded in a number of securities markets. Even in cases where a substantial portion of the convertible securities held by the Fund are denominated in U.S. dollars, the underlying equity securities may be quoted in the currency of the country where the issuer is domiciled. As a result, fluctuations in the exchange rate between the currency in which the debt security is denominated and the currency in which the share price is quoted will affect the value of the convertible security. With respect to convertible securities denominated in a currency different from that of the underlying equity securities, the conversion price may be based on a fixed exchange rate established at the time the securities are issued, which may increase the effects of currency risk. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
43
SAI dated May 1, 2016
|
Holders of convertible securities generally have a claim on the assets of the issuer prior to the common stockholders but may be subordinated to other debt securities of the same issuer. Certain convertible debt securities may provide a put option to the holder, which entitles the holder to cause the securities to be redeemed by the issuer at a premium over the stated principal amount of the debt securities under certain circumstances. Certain convertible securities may include loss absorption characteristics that make the securities more equity-like. This is particularly true of convertible securities issued by companies in the financial services sector. See Contingent Convertible Securities. |
|
Synthetic convertible securities may include either cash-settled convertibles or manufactured convertibles. Cash-settled convertibles are instruments that are created by the issuer and have the economic characteristics of traditional convertible securities but may not actually permit conversion into the underlying equity securities in all circumstances. As an example, a private company may issue a cash-settled convertible that is convertible into common stock only if the company successfully completes a public offering of its common stock prior to maturity and otherwise pays a cash amount to reflect any equity appreciation. Manufactured convertibles are created by the investment adviser or another party by combining separate securities that possess one of the two principal characteristics of a convertible security, i.e. , fixed-income (fixed-income component) or a right to acquire equity securities (convertibility component). The fixed-income component is achieved by investing in nonconvertible fixed-income securities, such as nonconvertible bonds, preferred securities and money market instruments. The convertibility component is achieved by investing in call options, warrants, or other securities with equity conversion features (equity features) granting the holder the right to purchase a specified quantity of the underlying stocks within a specified period of time at a specified price or, in the case of a stock index option, the right to receive a cash payment based on the value of the underlying stock index. A manufactured convertible differs from traditional convertible securities in several respects. Unlike a traditional convertible security, which is a single security that has a unitary market value, a manufactured convertible is comprised of two or more separate securities, each with its own market value. Therefore, the total market value of such a manufactured convertible is the sum of the values of its fixed-income component and its convertibility component. More flexibility is possible in the creation of a manufactured convertible than in the purchase of a traditional convertible security. Because many corporations have not issued convertible securities, the investment adviser may combine a fixed-income instrument and an equity feature with respect to the stock of the issuer of the fixed-income instrument to create a synthetic convertible security otherwise unavailable in the market. The investment adviser may also combine a fixed-income instrument of an issuer with an equity feature with respect to the stock of a different issuer when the investment adviser believes such a manufactured convertible would better promote the Funds objective than alternative investments. For example, the investment adviser may combine an equity feature with respect to an issuers stock with a fixed-income security of a different issuer in the same industry to diversify the Funds credit exposure, or with a U.S. Treasury instrument to create a manufactured convertible with a higher credit profile than a traditional convertible security issued by that issuer. A manufactured convertible also is a more flexible investment in that its two components may be purchased separately and, upon purchasing the separate securities, combined to create a manufactured convertible. For example, the Fund may purchase a warrant for eventual inclusion in a manufactured convertible while postponing the purchase of a suitable bond to pair with the warrant pending development of more favorable market conditions. The value of a manufactured convertible may respond to certain market fluctuations differently from a traditional convertible security with similar characteristics. For example, in the event the Fund created a manufactured convertible by combining a short-term U.S. Treasury instrument and a call option on a stock, the manufactured convertible would be expected to outperform a traditional convertible of similar maturity that is convertible into that stock during periods when Treasury instruments outperform corporate fixed-income securities and underperform during periods when corporate fixed-income securities outperform Treasury instruments. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
44
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Credit Linked Securities |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Credit linked securities are issued by a limited purpose trust or other vehicle that, in turn, invests in a derivative instrument or basket of derivative instruments, such as credit default swaps, interest rate swaps, and other securities in order to provide exposure to certain fixed-income markets. Credit linked securities may be used as a cash management tool in order to gain exposure to a certain market and to remain fully invested when more traditional income producing securities are not available. Like an investment in a bond, investments in credit linked securities represent the right to receive periodic income payments (in the form of distributions) and payment of principal at the end of the term of the security. However, these payments are conditioned on the issuers receipt of payments from, and the issuers potential obligations to, the counterparties to the derivative instruments and other securities in which the issuer invests. An issuer may sell one or more credit default swaps, under which the issuer would receive a stream of payments over the term of the swap agreements provided that no event of default has occurred with respect to the referenced debt obligation upon which the swap is based. If a default occurs, the stream of payments may stop and the issuer would be obligated to pay the counterparty the par (or other agreed upon value) of the referenced debt obligation. This, in turn, would reduce the amount of income and principal that the holder of the credit linked security would receive. Credit linked securities generally will be exempt from registration under the 1933 Act. Accordingly, there may be no established trading market for the securities and they may constitute illiquid investments. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
45
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Cyber Security Risk |
With the increased use of technologies by Fund service providers, such as the Internet to conduct business, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through hacking or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber security failures or breaches by the Funds investment adviser or administrator
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Derivative Instruments and Related Risks |
Generally, derivatives can be characterized as financial instruments whose performance is derived at least in part from the performance of an underlying reference instrument. Derivative instruments may be acquired in the United States or abroad and include the various types of exchange-traded and over-the-counter (OTC) instruments described herein and other instruments with substantially similar characteristics and risks. Derivative instruments may be based on securities, indices, currencies, commodities, economic indicators and events (referred to as reference instruments). Fund obligations created pursuant to derivative instruments may be subject to the requirements described under Asset Coverage herein. |
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Derivative instruments are subject to a number of risks, including adverse or unexpected movements in the price of the reference instrument, and counterparty, liquidity, tax, correlation and leverage risks. Use of derivative instruments may cause the realization of higher amounts of short-term capital gains (generally taxed at ordinary income tax rates) than if such instruments had not been used. Success in using derivative instruments to hedge portfolio assets depends on the degree of price correlation between the derivative instruments and the hedged asset. Imperfect correlation may be caused by several factors, including temporary price disparities among the trading markets for the derivative instrument, the reference instrument and the Funds assets. To the extent that a derivative instrument is intended to hedge against an event that does not occur, the Fund may realize losses. |
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OTC derivative instruments involve an additional risk in that the issuer or counterparty may fail to perform its contractual obligations. Some derivative instruments are not readily marketable or may become illiquid under adverse market conditions. In addition, during periods of market volatility, a commodity exchange may suspend or limit trading in an exchange-traded derivative instrument, which may make the contract temporarily illiquid and difficult to price. Commodity exchanges may also establish daily limits on the amount that the price of a futures contract or futures option can vary from the previous days settlement price. Once the daily limit is reached, no trades may be made that day at a price beyond the limit. This may prevent the closing out of positions to limit losses. The staff of the SEC takes the position that certain purchased OTC options, and assets used as cover for written OTC options, are illiquid. The ability to terminate OTC derivative instruments may depend on the cooperation of the counterparties to such contracts. For thinly traded derivative instruments, the only source of price quotations may be the selling dealer or counterparty. In addition, certain provisions of the Code limit the use of derivative instruments. Derivatives permit the Fund to increase or decrease the level of risk, or change the character of the risk, to which its portfolio is exposed in much the same way as the Fund can increase or decrease the level of risk, or change the character of the risk, of its portfolio by making investments in specific securities. There can be no assurance that the use of derivative instruments will benefit the Fund. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
46
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Derivative-Linked and Commodity-Linked Hybrid Instruments |
A derivative-linked or commodity-linked hybrid instrument (referred to herein as a hybrid instrument) is a type of potentially high-risk derivative that combines a traditional stock, bond, or commodity with an option or forward contract. Generally, the principal amount, amount payable upon maturity or redemption, or interest rate of a hybrid instrument is tied (positively or negatively) to the price of some commodity, currency or securities index or another interest rate or some other economic factor (each a benchmark). The interest rate or (unlike most fixed-income securities) the principal amount payable at maturity of a hybrid instrument may be increased or decreased, depending on changes in the value of the benchmark. An example of a hybrid instrument is a bond issued by an oil company that pays a small base level of interest with additional interest that accrues in correlation to the extent to which oil prices exceed a certain predetermined level. Such a hybrid instrument would be a combination of a bond and a call option on oil. |
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The risks of investing in hybrid instruments reflect a combination of the risks of investing in securities, options, futures and currencies. An investment in a hybrid instrument may entail significant risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional debt instrument that has a fixed principal amount, is denominated in U.S. dollars or bears interest either at a fixed rate or a floating rate determined by reference to a common, nationally published benchmark. The risks of a particular hybrid instrument will depend upon the terms of the instrument, but may include the possibility of significant changes in the benchmark(s) or the prices of the underlying assets to which the instrument is linked. Such risks generally depend upon factors unrelated to the operations or credit quality of the issuer of the hybrid instrument, which may not be foreseen by the purchaser, such as economic and political events, the supply and demand of the underlying assets and interest rate movements. Hybrid instruments may be highly volatile and their use by the Fund may not be successful. Hybrid instruments may also carry liquidity risk since the instruments are often customized to meet the portfolio needs of a particular investor, and therefore, the number of investors that are willing and able to buy such instruments in the secondary market may be smaller than that for more traditional debt securities. |
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Hybrid instruments may bear interest or pay preferred dividends at below market (or even relatively nominal) rates. Alternatively, hybrid instruments may bear interest at above market rates but bear an increased risk of principal loss (or gain). The latter scenario may result if leverage is used to structure the hybrid instrument. Leverage risk occurs when the hybrid instrument is structured so that a given change in a benchmark or underlying asset is multiplied to produce a greater value change in the hybrid instrument, thereby magnifying the risk of loss as well as the potential for gain. |
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Hybrid instruments are potentially more volatile and carry greater market risks than traditional debt instruments. Depending on the structure of the particular hybrid instrument, changes in a benchmark may be magnified by the terms of the hybrid instrument and have an even more dramatic and substantial effect upon the value of the hybrid instrument. Also, the prices of the hybrid instrument and the benchmark or underlying asset may not move in the same direction or at the same time. |
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Hybrid instruments can be used as an efficient means of pursuing a variety of investment goals, including currency hedging, duration management, and increased total return and creating exposure to a particular market or segment of that market. The value of a hybrid instrument or its interest rate may be a multiple of a benchmark and, as a result, may be leveraged and move (up or down) more steeply and rapidly than the benchmark. These benchmarks may be sensitive to economic and political events, such as commodity shortages and currency devaluations, which cannot be readily foreseen by the purchaser of a hybrid instrument. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a hybrid instrument could be zero. The purchase of hybrid instruments also exposes the Fund to the credit risk of the issuer of the hybrids. These risks may cause significant fluctuations in the net asset value of the Fund. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
47
SAI dated May 1, 2016
|
Certain hybrid instruments may provide exposure to the commodities markets. These are derivative securities with one or more commodity-linked components that have payment features similar to commodity futures contracts, commodity options, or similar instruments. Commodity-linked hybrid instruments may be either equity or debt securities, leveraged or unleveraged, and are considered hybrid instruments because they have both security and commodity-like characteristics. A portion of the value of these instruments may be derived from the value of a commodity, futures contract, index or other economic variable. The Fund will invest only in commodity-linked hybrid instruments that qualify under applicable rules of the CFTC for an exemption from the provisions of the CEA. Certain issuers of structured products such as hybrid instruments may be deemed to be investment companies as defined in the 1940 Act. As a result, the Funds investments in these products may be subject to limits applicable to investments in investment companies and may be subject to restrictions contained in the 1940 Act. |
Direct Investments |
Direct investments include (i) the private purchase from an enterprise of an equity interest in the enterprise in the form of shares of common stock or equity interests in trusts, partnerships, joint ventures or similar enterprises, and (ii) the purchase of such an equity interest in an enterprise from a principal investor in the enterprise. At the time of making a direct investment, the Fund will enter into a shareholder or similar agreement with the enterprise and one or more other holders of equity interests in the enterprise. These agreements may, in appropriate circumstances, provide the ability to appoint a representative to the board of directors or similar body of the enterprise and for eventual disposition of the investment in the enterprise. Such a representative would be expected to monitor the investment and protect the Funds rights in the investment and would not be appointed for the purpose of exercising management or control of the enterprise. |
Diversified Status |
With respect to 75% of its total assets, an investment company that is registered with the SEC as a diversified fund: (1) may not invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of any one issuer (except obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities and securities of other investment companies); and (2) may not own more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer. |
Dividend Capture Trading |
In a typical dividend capture trade, the Fund would buy a stock prior to its ex-dividend date and sell the stock at a point either on or after the ex-dividend date. The use of a dividend capture trading strategy exposes the Fund to higher portfolio turnover, increased trading costs and potential for capital loss or gain, particularly in the event of significant short-term price movements of stocks subject to dividend capture trading. |
Duration |
Duration measures the time-weighted expected cash flows of a fixed-income security, which can determine its sensitivity to changes in the general level of interest rates. Securities with longer durations generally tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with shorter durations. A mutual fund with a longer dollar-weighted average duration generally can be expected to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than a fund with a shorter dollar-weighted average duration. Duration differs from maturity in that it considers a securitys coupon payments in addition to the amount of time until the security matures. Various techniques may be used to shorten or lengthen Fund duration. As the value of a security changes over time, so will its duration. The duration of a Fund that invests in multiple Portfolios is the sum of its allocable share of the duration of each of the Portfolios in which it invests, which is determined by multiplying the Portfolios duration by the Funds percentage ownership of that Portfolio. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
48
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Emerging Market Investments |
The risks described under Foreign Investments herein generally are heightened in connection with investments in emerging markets. Also, investments in securities of issuers domiciled in countries with emerging capital markets may involve certain additional risks that do not generally apply to investments in securities of issuers in more developed capital markets, such as (i) low or non-existent trading volume, resulting in a lack of liquidity and increased volatility in prices for such securities, as compared to securities of comparable issuers in more developed capital markets; (ii) uncertain national policies and social, political and economic instability, increasing the potential for expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxation, high rates of inflation or unfavorable diplomatic developments; (iii) possible fluctuations in exchange rates, differing legal systems and the existence or possible imposition of exchange controls, custodial restrictions or other foreign or U.S. governmental laws or restrictions applicable to such investments; (iv) national policies that may limit investment opportunities, such as restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests; and (v) the lack or relatively early development of legal structures governing private and foreign investments and private property. Trading practices in emerging markets also may be less developed, resulting in inefficiencies relative to trading in more developed markets, which may result in increased transaction costs. |
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Repatriation of investment income, capital and proceeds of sales by foreign investors may require governmental registration and/or approval in emerging market countries. There can be no assurance that repatriation of income, gain or initial capital from these countries will occur. In addition to withholding taxes on investment income, some countries with emerging markets may impose differential capital gains taxes on foreign investors. |
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Political and economic structures in emerging market countries may undergo significant evolution and rapid development, and these countries may lack the social, political and economic stability characteristic of more developed countries. In such a dynamic environment, there can be no assurance that any or all of these capital markets will continue to present viable investment opportunities. In the past, governments of such nations have expropriated substantial amounts of private property, and most claims of the property owners have never been fully settled. There is no assurance that such expropriations will not reoccur. In such an event, it is possible that the entire value of an investment in the affected market could be lost. In addition, unanticipated political or social developments may affect the value of investments in these countries and the availability of additional investments. The small size and inexperience of the securities markets in certain of these countries and the limited volume of trading in securities in these countries may make investments in the countries illiquid and more volatile than investments in developed markets. |
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Also, there may be less publicly available information about issuers in emerging markets than would be available about issuers in more developed capital markets, and such issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements comparable to those to which U.S. companies are subject. In certain countries with emerging capital markets, reporting standards vary widely. As a result, traditional investment measurements used in the United States, such as price/earnings ratios, may not be applicable. Certain emerging market securities may be held by a limited number of persons. This may adversely affect the timing and pricing of the acquisition or disposal of securities. The prices at which investments may be acquired may be affected by trading by persons with material non-public information and by securities transactions by brokers in anticipation of transactions in particular securities. |
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Practices in relation to settlement of securities transactions in emerging markets involve higher risks than those in developed markets, in part because brokers and counterparties in such markets may be less well capitalized, and custody and registration of assets in some countries may be unreliable. The possibility of fraud, negligence, undue influence being exerted by the issuer or refusal to recognize ownership exists in some emerging markets. As an alternative to investing directly in emerging markets, exposure may be obtained through derivative investments. |
Equity Investments |
Equity investments include common stocks; preferred stocks; depositary receipts; equity interests in trusts, partnerships, joint ventures and other unincorporated entities or enterprises; convertible and contingent convertible preferred stocks; rights and warrants and other securities that are treated as equity for U.S. federal income tax purposes (see Preferred Stock and Hybrid Securities). |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
49
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Equity-Linked Securities |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Equity-linked securities are privately issued securities whose investment results are designed to correspond generally to the performance of a specified stock index or basket of securities, or sometimes a single stock. These securities are used for many of the same purposes as derivative instruments and share many of the same risks. Equity-linked securities may be considered illiquid and thus subject to the Funds restrictions on investments in illiquid securities. |
Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) |
ETFs are pooled investment vehicles that are designed to provide investment results corresponding to an index. These indexes may be either broad-based, sector or international. ETFs usually are units of beneficial interest in an investment trust or represent undivided ownership interests in a portfolio of securities (or commodities), in each case with respect to a portfolio of all or substantially all of the component securities of, and in substantially the same weighting as, the relevant benchmark index. ETFs are designed to provide investment results that generally correspond to the price and yield performance of the component securities (or commodities) of the benchmark index. ETFs are listed on an exchange and trade in the secondary market on a per-share basis. The values of ETFs are subject to change as the values of their respective component securities (or commodities) fluctuate according to market volatility. Investments in ETFs may not exactly match the performance of a direct investment in the respective indices to which they are intended to correspond due to the temporary unavailability of certain index securities in the secondary market or other extraordinary circumstances, such as discrepancies with respect to the weighting of securities. Typically, the ETF bears its own operational expenses, which are deducted from its assets. To the extent that the Fund invests in ETFs, the Fund must bear these expenses in addition to the expenses of its own operation. |
Exchange-Traded Notes (ETNs) |
ETNs are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities whose returns are linked to the performance of a particular market benchmark or strategy minus applicable fees. ETNs are traded on an exchange during normal trading hours. However, investors can also hold the ETN until maturity. At maturity, the issuer pays to the investor a cash amount equal to the principal amount, subject to the days market benchmark or strategy factor. |
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ETNs do not make periodic coupon payments or provide principal protection. ETNs are subject to credit risk and the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuers credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged. The value of an ETN may also be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying assets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuers credit rating, and economic, legal, political, or geographic events that affect the referenced underlying asset. When the Fund invests in ETNs it will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. The Funds decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. In addition, although an ETN may be listed on an exchange, the issuer may not be required to maintain the listing and there can be no assurance that a secondary market will exist for an ETN. |
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ETNs are subject to tax risk. No assurance can be given that the IRS will accept, or a court will uphold, how the Fund characterizes and treats ETNs for tax purposes. Further, the IRS and Congress are considering proposals that would change the timing and character of income and gains from ETNs. |
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An ETN that is tied to a specific market benchmark or strategy may not be able to replicate and maintain exactly the composition and relative weighting of securities, commodities or other components in the applicable market benchmark or strategy. Some ETNs that use leverage can, at times, be relatively illiquid and, thus, they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs are subject to the same risk as other instruments that use leverage in any form. |
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The market value of ETN shares may differ from that of their market benchmark or strategy. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETN shares at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the securities, commodities or other components underlying the market benchmark or strategy that the ETN seeks to track. As a result, there may be times when an ETN share trades at a premium or discount to its market benchmark or strategy. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
50
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
51
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Other potential foreign market risks include exchange controls, difficulties in valuing securities, defaults on foreign government securities, and difficulties of enforcing favorable legal judgments in foreign courts. Moreover, individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, reinvestment of capital, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, and balance of payments position. Certain economies may rely heavily on particular industries or foreign capital and are more vulnerable to diplomatic developments, the imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, changes in international trading patterns, trade barriers, and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. Foreign securities markets, while growing in volume and sophistication, are generally not as developed as those in the United States. Foreign countries may not have the infrastructure or resources to respond to natural and other disasters that interfere with economic activities, which may adversely affect issuers located in such countries. |
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Settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets differ significantly from those in the United States. Payment for securities before delivery may be required and in some countries delayed settlements are customary, which increases the Funds risk of loss. The Fund generally holds its foreign securities and related cash in foreign banks and securities depositories. Some foreign banks and securities depositories may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In addition, there may be limited or no regulatory oversight over their operations. Also, the laws of certain countries may put limits on the Funds ability to recover its assets if a foreign bank, depository or issuer of a security or any of their agents goes bankrupt. Certain countries may require withholding on dividends paid on portfolio securities and on realized capital gains. |
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In addition, it is often more expensive to buy, sell and hold securities in certain foreign markets than in the United States. Foreign brokerage commissions are generally higher than commissions on securities traded in the United States and may be non-negotiable. The fees paid to foreign banks and securities depositories generally are higher than those charged by U.S. banks and depositories. The increased expense of investing in foreign markets reduces the amount earned on investments and typically results in a higher operating expense ratio for the Fund as compared to investment companies that invest only in the United States. |
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Depositary receipts (including American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) and Global Depositary Receipts GDRs)) are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer and are alternatives to directly purchasing 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 the political and economic risks of the underlying issuers country, as well as in the case of depositary receipts traded on foreign markets, exchange risk. Depositary receipts may be sponsored or unsponsored. Unsponsored depositary receipts are established without the participation of the issuer. As a result, available information concerning the issuer of an unsponsored depository receipt may not be as current as for sponsored depositary receipts, and the prices of unsponsored depositary receipts may be more volatile than if such instruments were sponsored by the issuer. Unsponsored depositary receipts may involve higher expenses, may not pass through voting or other shareholder rights and they may be less liquid. |
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Unless otherwise provided in the Prospectus, in determining the domicile of an issuer, the investment adviser may consider the domicile determination of the Funds benchmark index or a leading provider of global indexes and may take into account such factors as where the companys securities are listed, and where the company is legally organized, maintains principal corporate offices and/or conducts its principal operations. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
52
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. A forward foreign currency exchange contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts may be bought or sold to protect against an adverse change in the relationship between currencies or to increase exposure to a particular foreign currency. Cross-hedging may be done by using forward contracts in one currency (or basket of currencies) to hedge against fluctuations in the value of instruments denominated in a different currency (or the basket of currencies and the underlying currency). Use of a different foreign currency (for hedging or non-hedging purposes) magnifies exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are individually negotiated and privately traded so they are dependent upon the creditworthiness of the counterparty. The precise matching of the forward contract amounts and the value of the instruments denominated in the corresponding currencies will not generally be possible. In addition, it may not be possible to hedge against long-term currency changes. |
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When a currency is difficult to hedge or to hedge against the U.S. dollar, the Fund may enter into a forward contract to sell a currency whose changes in value are generally considered to be linked to such currency. Currency transactions can result in losses if the currency being hedged fluctuates in value to a degree or in a direction that is not anticipated. In addition, there is the risk that the perceived linkage between various currencies may not be present or may not be present during the particular time the hedge is in place. If the Fund purchases a bond denominated in a foreign currency with a higher interest rate than is available on U.S. bonds of a similar maturity, the additional yield on the foreign bond could be substantially reduced or lost if the Fund were to enter into a direct hedge by selling the foreign currency and purchasing the U.S. dollar. |
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Some of the forward foreign currency exchange contracts may be classified as non-deliverable forwards (NDFs). NDFs are cash-settled, forward contracts that may be thinly traded. NDFs are commonly quoted for time periods of one month up to two years, and are normally quoted and settled in U.S. dollars, but may be settled in other currencies. They are often used to gain exposure to or hedge exposure to foreign currencies that are not internationally traded. NDFs may also be used to gain or hedge exposure to gold. |
Forward Rate Agreements |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Under a forward rate agreement, the buyer locks in an interest rate at a future settlement date. If the interest rate on the settlement date exceeds the lock rate, the buyer pays the seller the difference between the two rates. If the lock rate exceeds the interest rate on the settlement date, the seller pays the buyer the difference between the two rates. Any such gain received by the Fund would be taxable. These instruments are traded in the OTC market. |
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Futures Contracts |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Futures contracts are standardized contracts that obligate a purchaser to take delivery, and a seller to make delivery, of a specific amount of the underlying reference instrument at a specified future date at a specified price. These contracts are traded on exchanges, so that, in most cases, either party can close out its position on the exchange for cash, without delivering the underlying asset. Upon purchasing or selling a futures contract, a purchaser or seller is required to deposit collateral (initial margin). Each day thereafter until the futures position is closed, the purchaser or seller will pay additional margin (variation margin) representing any loss experienced as a result of the futures position the prior day or be entitled to a payment representing any profit experienced as a result of the futures position the prior day. A public market exists in futures contracts covering a number of indexes as well as financial instruments and foreign currencies. It is expected that other futures contracts will be developed and traded in the future. In computing daily net asset value, the Fund will mark to market its open futures positions. The Fund is also required to deposit and maintain margin with respect to put and call options on futures contracts written by it. Futures contracts are traded on exchanges or boards of trade that are licensed by the CFTC and must be executed through a futures commission merchant or brokerage firm that is a member of the relevant exchange or board. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
53
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Although some futures contracts call for making or taking delivery of the underlying reference instrument, generally these obligations are closed out prior to delivery by offsetting purchases or sales of matching futures contracts (same exchange, underlying security or index, and delivery month). Closing a futures contract sale is effected by purchasing a futures contract for the same aggregate amount of the specific type of financial instrument or commodity with the same delivery date. If an offsetting purchase price is less than the original sale price, the Fund realizes a capital gain, or if it is more, the Fund realizes a capital loss. Conversely, if an offsetting sale price is more than the original purchase price, the Fund realizes a capital gain, or if it is less, the Fund realizes a capital loss. |
Health Sciences Companies |
To the extent described in the Prospectus, the Fund may concentrate its investments in health sciences companies. |
High Yield Securities |
High yield securities (commonly referred to as junk) are considered to be of below investment grade quality and generally provide greater income potential and/or increased opportunity for capital appreciation than investments in higher quality securities but they also typically entail greater potential price volatility and principal and income risk. High yield securities are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the entitys continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments. Also, their yields and market values may fluctuate more than higher rated securities. Fluctuations in value do not affect the cash income from the securities, but are reflected in the Funds net asset value. The greater risks and fluctuations in yield and value occur, in part, because investors generally perceive issuers of lower rated and unrated securities to be less creditworthy. The secondary market on which high yield securities are traded may be less liquid than the market for higher grade securities. |
Hybrid Securities |
Hybrid securities generally possess characteristics common to both equity and debt securities. These securities may at times behave more like equity than debt, or vice versa. Preferred stocks, convertible securities and certain debt obligations are types of hybrid securities. Hybrid securities generally have a preference over common stock and perpetual or near perpetual terms. Hybrid securities generally do not have voting rights or have limited voting rights. Because hybrid securities have both debt and equity characteristics, their values vary in response to many factors, including general market and economic conditions, issuer-specific events, changes in interest rates, credit spreads and the credit quality of the issuer, and, for convertible securities, factors affecting the securities into which they convert. Hybrid securities may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a predetermined price. Hybrid securities may pay a fixed or variable rate of interest or dividends. The prices and yields of nonconvertible hybrid securities generally move with changes in interest rates and the issuers credit quality, similar to the factors affecting debt securities. If the issuer of a hybrid security experiences financial difficulties, the value of such security may be adversely affected similar to the issuers outstanding common stock or subordinated debt instruments. See also Preferred Stock, Convertible Securities and Contingent Convertible Securities. |
Illiquid Securities |
Illiquid securities include securities legally restricted as to resale, and may include commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the 1933 Act and securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A thereunder. Section 4(a)(2) and Rule 144A securities may, however, be treated as liquid by the investment 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. Even if determined to be liquid, Rule 144A securities may increase the level of portfolio illiquidity if eligible buyers become uninterested in purchasing such securities. |
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It may be difficult to sell illiquid securities at a price representing fair value until such time as the securities may be sold publicly. It also may be more difficult to determine the fair value of such securities for purposes of computing the Funds net asset value. Where registration is required, a considerable period of time may elapse between a decision to sell the securities and the time when the Fund would be permitted to sell. Thus, the Fund may not be able to obtain as favorable a price as that prevailing at the time of the decision to sell. The Fund may incur additional expense when disposing of illiquid securities, including all or a portion of the cost to register the securities. The Fund also may acquire securities through private placements under which it may agree to contractual restrictions on the resale of such securities that are in addition to applicable legal restrictions. Such restrictions might prevent the sale of such securities at a time when such sale would otherwise be desirable. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
54
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
55
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
56
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Loans |
Loans may be primary, direct investments or investments in loan assignments or participation interests. A loan assignment represents a portion or the entirety of a loan and a portion of the entirety of a position previously attributable to a different lender. The purchaser of an assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations under the loan agreement and has the same rights and obligations as the assigning investor. However, assignments through private negotiations may cause the purchaser of an assignment to have different and more limited rights than those held by the assigning investor. Loan participation interests are interests issued by a lender or other entity and represent a fractional interest in a loan. The Fund typically will have a contractual relationship only with the financial institution that issued the participation interest. As a result, the Fund may have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled only from the financial institution and only upon receipt by such entity of such payments from the borrower. In connection with purchasing a participation interest, the Fund 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 investors through set-off against the borrower and the Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the loan in which it has purchased the participation interest. As a result, the Fund may assume the credit risk of both the borrower and the financial institution issuing the participation interest. In the event of the insolvency of the entity issuing a participation interest, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of such entity. |
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Loans may be originated by a lending agent, such as a financial institution or other entity, on behalf of a group or syndicate of loan investors (the Loan Investors). In such a case, the agent administers the terms of the loan agreement and is responsible for the collection of principal, and interest payments from the borrower and the apportionment of these payments to the Loan Investors. Failure by the agent to fulfill its obligations may delay or adversely affect receipt of payment by the Fund. Furthermore, unless under the terms of a loan agreement or participation (as applicable) the Fund has direct recourse against the borrower, the Fund must rely on the Agent and the other Loan Investors to pursue appropriate remedies against the borrower. |
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Loan investments may be made at par or at a discount or premium to par. The interest payable on a loan may be fixed or floating rate, and paid in cash or in-kind. In connection with transactions in loans, the Fund may be subject to facility or other fees. Loans may be secured by specific collateral or other assets of the borrower, guaranteed by a third party, unsecured or subordinated. During the term of a loan, the value of any collateral securing the loan may decline in value, causing the loan to be under collateralized. 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 borrowers obligations under the loan. In addition, if a loan is foreclosed, the Fund could become part owner of the collateral and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of such collateral. |
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A lenders repayment and other rights primarily are determined by governing loan, assignment or participation documents, which (among other things) typically establish the priority of payment on the loan relative to other indebtedness and obligations of the borrower. In the event of bankruptcy, applicable law may impact a lenders ability to enforce its rights under such documents. Investing in loans involves the risk of default by the borrower or other party obligated to repay the loan. In the event of insolvency of the borrower or other obligated party, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of such entity unless it has rights that are senior to that of other creditors or secured by specific collateral or assets of the borrower. Fixed-rate loans are also subject to the risk that their value will decline in a rising interest rate environment. This risk is mitigated for floating-rate loans, where the interest rate payable on the loan resets periodically by reference to a base lending rate. The base lending rate usually is the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), the Federal Reserve federal funds rate, the prime rate or other base lending rates used by commercial lenders. LIBOR usually is an average of the interest rates quoted by several designated banks as the rates at which they pay interest to major depositors in the London interbank market on U.S. dollar-denominated deposits. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
57
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
58
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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There are currently four types of MBS: (1) those issued by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities, such as the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA), the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC); (2) those issued by private issuers that represent an interest in or are collateralized by pass through securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities; (3) those issued by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities without a government guarantee, such as credit risk transfer bonds; and (4) those issued by private issuers that represent an interest in or are collateralized by whole mortgage loans or pass through securities without a government guarantee but that usually have some form of private credit enhancement. Privately issued MBS are structured similar to GNMA, FNMA and FHLMC MBS, and are issued by originators or and investors in mortgage loans, including depositary institutions mortgage banks and special purpose subsidiaries of the foregoing. |
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GNMA Certificates and FNMA Mortgage-Backed Certificates are MBS representing part ownership of a pool of mortgage loans. GNMA loans (issued by lenders such as mortgage bankers, commercial banks and savings and loan associations) are either insured by the Federal Housing Administration or guaranteed by the Veterans Administration. A pool of such mortgages is assembled and, after being approved by GNMA, is offered to investors through securities dealers. Once such pool is approved by GNMA, the timely payment of interest and principal on the Certificates issued representing such pool is guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. GNMA is a wholly owned U.S. Government corporation within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. FNMA, a federally chartered corporation owned entirely by private stockholders, purchases both conventional and federally insured or guaranteed residential mortgages from various entities, including savings and loan associations, savings banks, commercial banks, credit unions and mortgage bankers, and packages pools of such mortgages in the form of pass-through securities generally called FNMA Mortgage-Backed Certificates, which are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by FNMA but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government; however, they are supported by the right of FNMA to borrow from the U.S. Treasury Department. |
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FHLMC, a corporate instrumentality of the U.S. Government created by Congress for the purposes of increasing the availability of mortgage credit for residential housing, issues participation certificates (PCs) representing undivided interest in FHLMCS mortgage portfolio. While FHLMC guarantees the timely payment of interest and ultimate collection of the principal of its PCs, its PCs are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. FHLMC PCs differ from GNMA Certificates in that the mortgages underlying the PCs are monthly conventional mortgages rather than mortgages insured or guaranteed by a federal agency or instrumentality. However, in several other respects, such as the monthly pass-through of interest and principal (including unscheduled prepayments) and the unpredictability of future unscheduled prepayments on the underlying mortgage pools, FHLMC PCs are similar to GNMA Certificates. |
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While it is not possible to accurately predict the life of a particular issue of MBS, the actual life of any such security is likely to be substantially less than the final maturities of the mortgage loans underlying the security. This is because unscheduled early prepayments of principal on MBS will result from the prepayment, refinancings or foreclosure of the underlying mortgage loans in the mortgage pool. Prepayments of MBS may not be able to be reinvested at the same interest rate. Because of the regular scheduled payments of principal and the early unscheduled prepayments of principal, MBS is less effective than other types of obligations as a means of locking-in attractive long-term interest rates. As a result, this type of security may have less potential for capital appreciation during periods of declining interest rates than other U.S. Government securities of comparable maturities, although many issues of MBS may have a comparable risk of decline in market value during periods of rising interest rates. If MBS is purchased at a premium above its par value, a scheduled payment of principal and an unscheduled prepayment of principal, which would be made at par, will accelerate the realization of a loss equal to that portion of the premium applicable to the payment or prepayment. If MBS has been purchased at a discount from its par value, both a scheduled payment of principal and an unscheduled prepayment of principal will increase current returns and will accelerate the recognition of income, which, when distributed to Fund shareholders, will be taxable as ordinary income. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
59
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Mortgage Dollar Rolls |
In a mortgage dollar roll, the Fund sells MBS for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts to repurchase substantially similar (same type, coupon and maturity) MBS on a specified future date. During the roll period, the Fund forgoes principal and interest paid on the MBS. The Fund is compensated by the difference between the current sales price and the lower forward price for the future purchase (often referred to as the drop) as well as by the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sales. Cash proceeds may be invested in instruments that are permissible investments for the Fund. The use of mortgage dollar rolls is a speculative technique involving leverage. A covered roll is a specific type of dollar roll for which there is an offsetting cash position or permissible liquid assets earmarked or in a segregated account to secure the obligation for the forward commitment to buy MBS, or a cash equivalent security position that matures on or before the forward settlement date of the dollar roll transaction. The Fund will enter into only covered rolls. Covered rolls are not treated as a borrowing or other senior security and will be excluded from the calculation of the Funds borrowings and other senior securities. |
Municipal Lease Obligations (MLOs) |
MLOs are obligations in the form of a lease, installment purchase or conditional sales contract (which typically provide for the title to the leased asset to pass to the governmental issuer) that is issued by state or local governments to acquire equipment and facilities. Interest income from MLOs is generally exempt from local and state taxes in the state of issuance. MLOs, like other municipal debt obligations, are subject to the risk of non-payment. Although MLOs do not constitute general obligations of the issuer for which the issuers unlimited taxing power is pledged, a lease obligation is frequently backed by the issuers covenant to budget for, appropriate and make the payments due under the lease obligation. However, certain lease obligations contain non-appropriation clauses, which provide that the issuer has no obligation to make lease or installment purchase payments in future years unless money is appropriated for such purpose on a yearly basis. Although non-appropriation lease obligations may be secured by the leased property, disposition of the property in the event of foreclosure might prove difficult. Participations in municipal leases are undivided interests in a portion of the total obligation. Participations entitle their holders to receive a pro rata share of all payments under the lease. |
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MLOs and participations therein represent a type of financing that may not have the depth of marketability associated with more conventional securities and, as such, they may be less liquid than conventional securities. Certain MLOs may be deemed illiquid for the purpose of the Funds limitation on investments in illiquid securities, unless determined by the investment adviser, pursuant to guidelines adopted by the Board, to be liquid securities. The investment adviser will consider an MLO to be liquid if it is rated investment grade (being an MLO rated BBB or Baa or higher) by a nationally recognized statistical ratings organization or is insured by an insurer rated investment grade. If an MLO or participation does not meet the foregoing criteria, then the investment adviser will consider the MLO to be illiquid unless it conducts an analysis of relevant factors and concludes that the MLO is liquid. In conducting such an analysis, the investment adviser will consider the factors it believes are relevant to the marketability of the obligation, to the extent that information regarding such factor is available to the investment adviser and pertinent to the liquidity determination, which may include: (1) the willingness of dealers to bid for the obligation; (2) the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the obligation and the number of other potential buyers; (3) the frequency of trades and quotes for the obligation; (4) the nature of the marketplace trades, including the time needed to dispose of the obligation, the method of soliciting offers, and the mechanics of transfer; (5) the willingness of the governmental issuer to continue to appropriate funds for the payment of the obligation; (6) how likely or remote an event of non-appropriation may be, which depends in varying degrees on a variety of factors, including those relating to the general creditworthiness of the governmental issuer, its dependence on its continuing access to the credit markets, and the importance to the issuer of the equipment, property or facility covered by the lease or contract; (7) an assessment of the likelihood that the lease may or may not be cancelled; and (8) other factors and information unique to the obligation in determining its liquidity. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
60
SAI dated May 1, 2016
|
The ability of issuers of MLOs to make timely lease payments may be adversely impacted in general economic downturns and as relative governmental cost burdens are allocated and reallocated among federal, state and local governmental units. Such non-payment would result in a reduction of income from and value of the obligation. Issuers of MLOs might seek protection under the bankruptcy laws. In the event of bankruptcy of such an issuer, holders of MLOs could experience delays and limitations with respect to the collection of principal and interest on such MLOs and may not, in all circumstances, be able to collect all principal and interest to which it is entitled. To enforce its rights in the event of a default in lease payments, the Fund might take possession of and manage the assets securing the issuers obligations on such securities or otherwise incur costs to protect its rights, which may increase the Funds operating expenses and adversely affect the net asset value of the Fund. When the lease contains a non-appropriation clause, however, the failure to pay would not be a default and the Fund would not have the right to take possession of the assets. Any income derived from the Funds ownership or operation of such assets may not be tax-exempt. |
Municipal Obligations |
Municipal obligations include debt obligations issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public facilities, refunding of outstanding obligations and obtaining funds for general operating expenses and loans to other public institutions and facilities. Certain types of bonds are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to finance various privately owned or operated facilities, including certain facilities for the local furnishing of electric energy or gas, sewage facilities, solid waste disposal facilities and other specialized facilities. Municipal obligations include bonds as well as tax-exempt commercial paper, project notes and municipal notes such as tax, revenue and bond anticipation notes of short maturity, generally less than three years. While most municipal bonds pay a fixed rate of interest semiannually in cash, there are exceptions. Some bonds pay no periodic cash interest, but rather make a single payment at maturity representing both principal and interest. Some bonds may pay interest at a variable or floating rate. Bonds may be issued or subsequently offered with interest coupons materially greater or less than those then prevailing, with price adjustments reflecting such deviation. Municipal obligations also include trust certificates representing interests in municipal securities held by a trustee. The trust certificates may evidence ownership of future interest payments, principal payments or both on the underlying securities. |
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In general, there are three categories of municipal obligations, the interest on which is exempt from federal income tax and is not a tax preference item for purposes of the alternative minimum tax (AMT): (i) certain public purpose obligations (whenever issued), which include obligations issued directly by state and local governments or their agencies to fulfill essential governmental functions; (ii) certain obligations issued before August 8, 1986 for the benefit of non-governmental persons or entities; and (iii) certain private activity bonds issued after August 7, 1986, which include qualified Section 501(c)(3) bonds or refundings of certain obligations included in the second category. Opinions relating to the validity of municipal bonds, exclusion of municipal bond interest from an investors gross income for federal income tax purposes and, where applicable, state and local income tax, are rendered by bond counsel to the issuing authorities at the time of issuance. |
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Interest on certain private activity bonds issued after August 7, 1986 is exempt from regular federal income tax, but such interest (including a distribution by the Fund derived from such interest) is treated as a tax preference item that could subject the recipient to or increase the recipients liability for the AMT. For corporate shareholders, the Funds distributions derived from interest on all municipal obligations (whenever issued) are included in adjusted current earnings for purposes of the AMT as applied to corporations (to the extent not already included in alternative minimum taxable income as income attributable to private activity bonds). |
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The two principal classifications of municipal bonds are general obligation and revenue bonds. Issuers of general obligation bonds include states, counties, cities, towns and regional districts. The proceeds of these obligations are used to fund a wide range of public projects, including the construction or improvement of schools, highways and roads, water and sewer systems and a variety of other public purposes. The basic security of general obligation bonds is the issuers pledge of its faith, credit, and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest. The taxes that can be levied for the payment of debt service may be limited or unlimited as to rate and amount. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
61
SAI dated May 1, 2016
|
Typically, the only security for a limited obligation or revenue bond is the net revenue derived from a particular facility or class of facilities financed thereby or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special tax or other special revenues. Revenue bonds have been issued to fund a wide variety of revenue-producing public capital projects including: electric, gas, water and sewer systems; highways, bridges and tunnels; port and airport facilities; colleges and universities; hospitals; and convention, recreational, tribal gaming and housing facilities. Although the security behind these bonds varies widely, many lower rated bonds provide additional security in the form of a debt service reserve fund that may also be used to make principal and interest payments on the issuer's obligations. In addition, some revenue obligations (as well as general obligations) are insured by a bond insurance company or backed by a letter of credit issued by a banking institution. Revenue bonds also include, for example, pollution control, health care and housing bonds, which, although nominally issued by municipal authorities, are generally not secured by the taxing power of the municipality but by the revenues of the authority derived from payments by the private entity that owns or operates the facility financed with the proceeds of the bonds. Obligations of housing finance authorities have a wide range of security features, including reserve funds and insured or subsidized mortgages, as well as the net revenues from housing or other public projects. Many of these bonds do not generally constitute the pledge of the credit of the issuer of such bonds. The credit quality of such revenue bonds is usually directly related to the credit standing of the user of the facility being financed or of an institution which provides a guarantee, letter of credit or other credit enhancement for the bond issue. The Fund may on occasion acquire revenue bonds that carry warrants or similar rights covering equity securities. Such warrants or rights may be held indefinitely, but if exercised, the Fund anticipates that it would, under normal circumstances, dispose of any equity securities so acquired within a reasonable period of time. Investing in revenue bonds may involve (without limitation) the following risks. |
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Hospital bond ratings are often based on feasibility studies that contain projections of expenses, revenues and occupancy levels. A hospitals income available to service its debt may be influenced by demand for hospital services, management capabilities, the service area economy, efforts by insurers and government agencies to limit rates and expenses, competition, availability and expense of malpractice insurance, and Medicaid and Medicare funding. |
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Education-related bonds are comprised of two types: (i) those issued to finance projects for public and private colleges and universities, charter schools and private schools, and (ii) those representing pooled interests in student loans. Bonds issued to supply educational institutions with funding are subject to many risks, including the risks of unanticipated revenue decline, primarily the result of decreasing student enrollment, decreasing state and federal funding, or changes in general economic conditions. Additionally, higher than anticipated costs associated with salaries, utilities, insurance or other general expenses could impair the ability of a borrower to make annual debt service payments. Student loan revenue bonds are generally offered by state (or sub-state) authorities or commissions and are backed by pools of student loans. Underlying student loans may be guaranteed by state guarantee agencies and may be subject to reimbursement by the United States Department of Education through its guaranteed student loan program. Others may be private, uninsured loans made to parents or students that may be supported by reserves or other forms of credit enhancement. Cash flows supporting student loan revenue bonds are impacted by numerous factors, including the rate of student loan defaults, seasoning of the loan portfolio, and student repayment deferral periods of forbearance. Other risks associated with student loan revenue bonds include potential changes in federal legislation regarding student loan revenue bonds, state guarantee agency reimbursement and continued federal interest and other program subsidies currently in effect. |
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Transportation debt may be issued to finance the construction of airports, toll roads, highways, or other transit facilities. Airport bonds are dependent on the economic conditions of the airports service area and may be affected by the business strategies and fortunes of specific airlines. They may also be subject to competition from other airports and modes of transportation. Air traffic generally follows broader economic trends and is also affected by the price and availability of fuel. Toll road bonds are also affected by the cost and availability of fuel as well as toll levels, the presence of competing roads and the general economic health of an area. Fuel costs, transportation taxes and fees, and availability of fuel also affect other transportation-related securities, as do the presence of alternate forms of transportation, such as public transportation. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
62
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Industrial development bonds are normally secured only by the revenues from the project and not by state or local government tax payments, they are subject to a wide variety of risks, many of which relate to the nature of the specific project. Generally, IDBs are sensitive to the risk of a slowdown in the economy. Electric utilities face problems in financing large construction programs in an inflationary period, cost increases and delay occasioned by safety and environmental considerations (particularly with respect to nuclear facilities), difficulty in obtaining fuel at reasonable prices, and in achieving timely and adequate rate relief from regulatory commissions, effects of energy conservation and limitations on the capacity of the capital market to absorb utility debt. Water and sewer revenue bonds are generally secured by the fees charged to each user of the service. The issuers of water and sewer revenue bonds generally enjoy a monopoly status and latitude in their ability to raise rates. However, lack of water supply due to insufficient rain, run-off, or snow pack can be a concern and has led to past defaults. Further, public resistance to rate increases, declining numbers of customers in a particular locale, costly environmental litigation, and federal environmental mandates are challenges faced by issuers of water and sewer bonds. |
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The obligations of any person or entity to pay the principal of and interest on a municipal obligation are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the Federal Bankruptcy Act, and laws, if any, that may be enacted by Congress or state legislatures extending the time for payment of principal or interest, or both, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations. Certain bond structures may be subject to the risk that a taxing authority may issue an adverse ruling regarding tax-exempt status. There is also the possibility that as a result of adverse economic conditions (including unforeseen financial events, natural disasters and other conditions that may affect an issuers ability to pay its obligations), litigation or other conditions, the power or ability of any person or entity to pay when due principal of and interest on a municipal obligation may be materially affected or interest and principal previously paid may be required to be refunded. There have been instances of defaults and bankruptcies involving municipal obligations that were not foreseen by the financial and investment communities. The Fund will take whatever action it considers appropriate in the event of anticipated financial difficulties, default or bankruptcy of either the issuer of any municipal obligation or of the underlying source of funds for debt service. Such action may include: (i) retaining the services of various persons or firms (including affiliates of the investment adviser) to evaluate or protect any real estate, facilities or other assets securing any such obligation or acquired by the Fund as a result of any such event; (ii) managing (or engaging other persons to manage) or otherwise dealing with any real estate, facilities or other assets so acquired; and (iii) taking such other actions as the adviser (including, but not limited to, payment of operating or similar expenses of the underlying project) may deem appropriate to reduce the likelihood or severity of loss on the funds investment. The Fund will incur additional expenditures in taking protective action with respect to portfolio obligations in (or anticipated to be in) default and assets securing such obligations. |
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Historically, municipal bankruptcies have been rare and certain provisions of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code governing such bankruptcy are unclear. Further, the application of state law to municipal obligation issuers could produce varying results among the states or among municipal obligation issuers within a state. These uncertainties could have a significant impact on the prices of the municipal obligations in which the Fund invests. There could be economic, business or political developments or court decisions that adversely affect all municipal obligations in the same sector. Developments such as changes in healthcare regulations, environmental considerations related to construction, construction cost increases and labor problems, failure of healthcare facilities to maintain adequate occupancy levels, and inflation can affect municipal obligations in the same sector. As the similarity in issuers of municipal obligations held by the Fund increases, the potential for fluctuations in the Funds share price also may increase. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
63
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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The secondary market for some municipal obligations issued within a state (including issues that are privately placed with the Fund) is less liquid than that for taxable debt obligations or other more widely traded municipal obligations. No established resale market exists for certain of the municipal obligations in which the Fund may invest. The market for obligations rated below investment grade is also likely to be less liquid than the market for higher rated obligations. As a result, the Fund may be unable to dispose of these municipal obligations at times when it would otherwise wish to do so at the prices at which they are valued. Municipal obligations that are rated below investment grade but that, subsequent to the assignment of such rating, are backed by escrow accounts containing U.S. Government obligations may be determined by the investment adviser to be of investment grade quality for purposes of the Funds investment policies. In the case of a defaulted obligation, the Fund may incur additional expense seeking recovery of its investment. Defaulted obligations are denoted in the Portfolio of Investments in the Financial Statements included in the Funds reports to shareholders. The yields on municipal obligations depend on a variety of factors, including purposes of the issue and source of funds for repayment, general money market conditions, general conditions of the municipal bond market, size of a particular offering, maturity of the obligation and rating of the issue. The ratings of Moodys, S&P and Fitch represent their opinions as to the quality of the municipal obligations which they undertake to rate, and in the case of insurers, other factors including the claims-paying ability of such insurer. It should be emphasized, however, that ratings are based on judgment and are not absolute standards of quality. Consequently, municipal obligations with the same maturity, coupon and rating may have different yields while obligations of the same maturity and coupon with different ratings may have the same yield. In addition, the market price of such obligations will normally fluctuate with changes in interest rates, and therefore the net asset value of the Fund will be affected by such changes. |
Operational Risk |
The Funds service providers, including the investment adviser, may experience disruptions or operating errors that could negatively impact the Fund. While service providers are expected to have appropriate operational risk management policies and procedures, their methods of operational risk management may differ from the Fund's in the setting of priorities, the personnel and resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. It also is not possible for Fund service providers to identify all of the operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. |
Option Contracts |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. An option contract is a contract that gives the holder of the option, in return for a premium, the right to buy from (in the case of a call) or sell to (in the case of a put) the writer of the option the reference instrument underlying the option (or the cash value of the index) at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option. The writer of an option on a security has the obligation upon exercise of the option to deliver the reference instrument (or the cash) upon payment of the exercise price or to pay the exercise price upon delivery of the reference instrument (or the cash). Upon exercise of an index option, the writer of an option on an index is obligated to pay the difference between the cash value of the index and the exercise price multiplied by the specified multiplier for the index option. Options may be covered, meaning that the party required to deliver the reference instrument if the option is exercised owns that instrument (or has set aside sufficient assets to meet its obligation to deliver the instrument). Options may be listed on an exchange or traded in the OTC market. In general, exchange-traded options have standardized exercise prices and expiration dates and may require the parties to post margin against their obligations, and the performance of the parties' obligations in connection with such options is guaranteed by the exchange or a related clearing corporation. OTC options have more flexible terms negotiated between the buyer and the seller, but generally do not require the parties to post margin and are subject to counterparty risk. OTC options also involve greater liquidity risk. The staff of the SEC takes the position that certain purchased OTC options, and assets used as cover for written OTC options, are illiquid. Derivatives on economic indicators generally are offered in an auction format and are booked and settled as OTC options. Options on futures contracts are discussed herein under Futures Contracts. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
64
SAI dated May 1, 2016
|
If a written option expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a capital gain equal to the premium received at the time the option was written. If a purchased option expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a capital loss equal to the premium paid. Prior to the earlier of exercise or expiration, an exchange traded option may be closed out by an offsetting purchase or sale of an option of the same series (type, exchange, reference instrument, exercise price, and expiration). A capital gain will be realized from a closing purchase transaction if the cost of the closing option is less than the premium received from writing the option, or, if it is more, a capital loss will be realized. If the premium received from a closing sale transaction is more than the premium paid to purchase the option, the Fund will realize a capital gain or, if it is less, the Fund will realize a capital loss. The principal factors affecting the market value of a put or a call option include supply and demand, the current market price of the reference instrument in relation to the exercise price of the option, the volatility of the reference instrument, and the time remaining until the expiration date. There can be no assurance that a closing purchase or sale transaction can be consummated when desired. |
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Straddles are a combination of a call and a put written on the same reference instrument. A straddle is deemed to be covered when sufficient assets are deposited to meet the Funds immediate obligations. The same liquid assets may be used to cover both the call and put options where the exercise price of the call and put are the same, or the exercise price of the call is higher than that of the put. The Fund may also buy and write call options on the same reference instrument to cover its obligations. Because such combined options positions involve multiple trades, they result in higher transaction costs and may be more difficult to open or close. In an equity collar, the Fund simultaneously writes a call option and purchases a put option on the same instrument. |
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To the extent that the Fund writes a call option on an instrument it holds and intends to use such instrument as the sole means of covering its obligation under the call option, the Fund has, in return for the premium on the option, given up the opportunity to profit from a price increase in the instrument above the exercise price during the option period, but, as long as its obligation under such call option continues, has retained the risk of loss should the value of the reference instrument decline. If the Fund were unable to close out such a call option, it would not be able to sell the instrument unless the option expired without exercise. Uncovered calls have speculative characteristics and are riskier than covered calls because there is no instrument or cover held by the Fund that can act as a partial hedge. |
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The writer of an option has no control over the time when it may be required to fulfill its obligation under the option. Once an option writer has received an exercise notice, it cannot effect a closing purchase transaction in order to terminate its obligation under the option and must deliver the underlying reference instrument at the exercise price. If a put or call option purchased by the Fund is not sold when it has remaining value, and if the market price of the underlying security remains equal to or greater than the exercise price (in the case of a put), or remains less than or equal to the exercise price (in the case of a call), the Fund will lose the premium it paid for the option. Furthermore, if trading restrictions or suspensions are imposed on options markets, the Fund may be unable to close out a position. |
Option Strategy |
The Fund implements the Option Strategy or Enhancement Strategy, as further described under Investment Objective & Principal Policies and Risks in the Prospectus, whereby it writes a series of call and put option spread combinations on the S&P 500 Composite Stock Price Index (S&P 500 Index) and/or a proxy for the S&P 500 Index (such as SPDR Trust Series I units (SPDRs)). |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
65
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Participation in the ReFlow Liquidity Program |
The Fund may participate in the ReFlow liquidity program, which is designed to provide an alternative liquidity source for mutual funds experiencing net redemptions of their shares. Pursuant to the program, ReFlow Fund, LLC (ReFlow) provides participating mutual funds with a source of cash to meet net shareholder redemptions by standing ready each business day to purchase fund shares up to the value of the net shares redeemed by other shareholders that are to settle the next business day. Following purchases of fund shares, ReFlow then generally redeems those shares when the fund experiences net sales, at the end of a maximum holding period determined by ReFlow (currently 28 days) or at other times at ReFlows discretion. While ReFlow holds fund shares, it will have the same rights and privileges with respect to those shares as any other shareholder. For use of the ReFlow service, a fund pays a fee to ReFlow each time it purchases fund shares, calculated by applying to the purchase amount a fee rate determined through an automated daily auction among participating mutual funds. Such fee is allocated among a funds share classes based on relative net assets. ReFlows purchases of fund shares through the liquidity program are made on an investment-blind basis without regard to the funds investment objective, policies or anticipated performance. In accordance with federal securities laws, ReFlow is prohibited from acquiring more than 3% of the outstanding voting securities of a fund. ReFlow will purchase Class I or Institutional Class shares (or, if applicable Class A or Investor Class shares) at net asset value and will not be subject to any sales charge (in the case of Class A shares), investment minimum or redemption fee applicable to such shares. ReFlow will periodically redeem its entire share position in the Fund and request that such redemption be met in kind in accordance with the Funds redemption-in-kind policies described under Redeeming Shares in the Prospectus. Investments in a fund by ReFlow in connection with the ReFlow liquidity program are not subject to the two round-trips within 90 days limitation described in Restrictions on Excessive Trading and Market Timing under Purchasing Shares in the Prospectus. The investment adviser believes that the program assists in stabilizing the Funds net assets to the benefit of the Fund and its shareholders. To the extent the Funds net assets do not decline, the investment adviser may also benefit. |
Pooled Investment Vehicles |
The Fund may invest in pooled investment vehicles including other open-end or closed-end investment companies affiliated or unaffiliated with the investment adviser, exchange-traded funds (described herein) and other collective investment pools in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act. Closed-end investment company securities are usually traded on an exchange. The demand for a closed-end funds securities is independent of the demand for the underlying portfolio assets, and accordingly, such securities can trade at a discount from, or a premium over, their net asset value. The Fund generally will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees paid by a pooled investment vehicle in which it invests in addition to the investment advisory fee paid by the Fund. |
Portfolio Turnover |
A change in the securities held by the Fund is known as portfolio turnover and generally involves expense to the Fund, including brokerage commissions or dealer markups and other transaction costs on both the sale of securities and the reinvestment of the proceeds in other securities. If sales of portfolio securities cause the Fund to realize net short-term capital gains, such gains will be taxable as ordinary income to taxable shareholders. The Funds portfolio turnover rate for a fiscal year is the ratio of the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities to the monthly average of the value of portfolio securities − excluding securities whose maturities at acquisition were one year or less. The Fund's portfolio turnover rate is not a limiting factor when the investment adviser considers a change in the Fund's portfolio holdings. The portfolio turnover rate(s) of the Fund for recent fiscal periods is included in the Financial Highlights in the Prospectus. |
Preferred Stock |
Preferred stock represents an equity interest in a corporation, company or trust that has a higher claim on the assets and earnings than common stock. Preferred stock usually has limited voting rights. Preferred stock involves credit risk, which is the risk that a preferred stock will decline in price, or fail to pay dividends when expected, because the issuer experiences a decline in its financial status. A companys preferred stock generally pays dividends after the company makes the required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt instruments but before dividend payments are made to common stockholders. However, preferred stock may not pay scheduled dividends or dividends payments may be in arrears. The value of preferred stock may react more strongly than bonds and other debt instruments to actual or perceived changes in the companys financial condition or prospects. Certain preferred stocks may be convertible to common stock. See Convertible Securities and Contingent Convertible Securities. Preferred stock may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a predetermined price. Because they may make regular income payments, preferred stocks may be considered fixed-income securities for purposes of a Funds investment restrictions. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
66
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Real Estate Investments |
Real estate investments, including real estate investment trusts (REITs) are sensitive to factors, such as changes in: real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, occupancy rates, government regulations affecting zoning, land use, and rents, and the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Companies in the real estate industry may also be subject to liabilities under environmental and hazardous waste laws, among others. Changes in underlying real estate values may have a magnified effect to the extent that investments concentrate in particular geographic regions or property types. Investments in REITs may also be adversely affected by rising interest rates. By investing in REITs, the Fund indirectly will bear REIT expenses in addition to its own expenses. Private REITs are unlisted, which may make them difficult to value and less liquid. Moreover, private REITs are generally exempt from 1933 Act registration and, as such, the amount of public information available with respect to private REITs may be less extensive than that available for publicly traded REITs. |
Repurchase Agreements |
Repurchase agreements involve the purchase of a security coupled with an agreement to resell at a specified date and price. In the event of the bankruptcy of the counterparty to a repurchase agreement, recovery of cash may be delayed. To the extent that, in the meantime, the value of the purchased securities may have decreased, a loss could result. Repurchase agreements that mature in more than seven days will be treated as illiquid. Unless the Prospectus states otherwise, the terms of a repurchase agreement 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. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
67
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Residual Interest Bonds |
The Fund may invest in residual interest bonds in a trust that holds municipal securities. The interest rate payable on a residual interest bond bears an inverse relationship to the interest rate on another security issued by the trust. Because changes in the interest rate on the other security inversely affect the interest paid on the residual interest bond, the value and income of a residual interest bond is generally more volatile than that of a fixed rate bond. Residual interest bonds have interest rate adjustment formulas that generally reduce or, in the extreme, eliminate the interest paid to the Fund when short-term interest rates rise, and increase the interest paid to the Fund when short-term interest rates fall. Residual interest bonds have varying degrees of liquidity, and the market for these securities is relatively volatile. These securities tend to underperform the market for fixed rate bonds in a rising long-term interest rate environment, but tend to outperform the market for fixed rate bonds when long-term interest rates decline. Although volatile, residual interest bonds typically offer the potential for yields exceeding the yields available on fixed rate bonds with comparable credit quality and maturity. These securities usually permit the investor to convert the floating rate to a fixed rate (normally adjusted downward), and this optional conversion feature may provide a partial hedge against rising rates if exercised at an opportune time. While residual interest bonds expose the Fund to leverage risk because they provide two or more dollars of bond market exposure for every dollar invested, they are not subject to the Funds restrictions on borrowings. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may enter into a so-called shortfall and forbearance agreement relating to a residual interest bond held by the Fund. Such agreements commit the Fund to reimburse the difference between the liquidation value of the underlying security (which is the basis of the residual interest bond) and the principal amount due to the holders of the floating rate security issued in conjunction with the residual interest bond upon the termination of the trust issuing the residual interest bond. Absent a shortfall and forbearance agreement, the Fund would not be required to make such a reimbursement. If the Fund chooses not to enter into such an agreement, the residual interest bond could be terminated and the Fund could incur a loss. The Funds investments in residual interest bonds and similar securities described in the Prospectus and this SAI will not be considered borrowing for purposes of the Funds restrictions on borrowing described herein and in the Prospectus. On December 10, 2013, five U.S. federal agencies published final rules implementing section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Volcker Rule). The Volcker Rule prohibits banking entities from engaging in proprietary trading of certain instruments and limits such entities investments in, and relationships with, covered funds, as defined in the rules. The compliance date for the Volcker Rule with respect to covered funds in place prior to December 31, 2013 is July 21, 2016. The Volcker Rule precludes banking entities and their affiliates from (i) sponsoring residual interest bond programs as presently structured and (ii) continuing relationships with or services for existing residual interest bond programs. Certain existing residual interest bonds were restructured in order to comply with the Volker Rule prior to July 2015 while other existing residual interest bonds must do so by July 2016. The effects of the Volcker Rule may make it more difficult for the Fund to maintain current or desired levels of income. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
68
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Restricted Securities |
Restricted securities cannot be sold to the public without registration under the 1933 Act. Unless registered for sale, restricted securities can be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or pursuant to an exemption from registration. Restricted securities may be considered illiquid and subject to the Funds limitation on illiquid securities. Restricted securities may involve a high degree of business and financial risk which may result in substantial losses. The securities may be less liquid than publicly traded securities. Although these securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales could be less than those originally paid by the Fund. The Fund may invest in restricted securities, including securities initially offered and sold without registration pursuant to Rule 144A (Rule 144A Securities) and securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers initially offered and sold outside the United States without registration with the SEC pursuant to Regulation S (Regulation S Securities) under the 1933 Act. Rule 144A Securities and Regulation S Securities generally may be traded freely among certain qualified institutional investors, such as the Fund, and non-U.S. persons, but resale to a broader base of investors in the United States may be permitted only in much more limited circumstances. The Fund also may purchase restricted securities that are not eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A or Regulation S. The Fund may acquire such securities through private placement transactions, directly from the issuer or from security holders, generally at higher yields or on terms more favorable to investors than comparable publicly traded securities. However, the restrictions on resale of such securities may make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of them at the time considered most advantageous and/or may involve expenses that would not be incurred in the sale of securities that were freely marketable. Risks associated with restricted securities include the potential obligation to pay all or part of the registration expenses in order to sell certain restricted securities. A considerable period of time may elapse between the time of the decision to sell a security and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell it under an effective registration statement and/or after an applicable waiting period. If adverse conditions were to develop during this period, the Fund might obtain a price that is less favorable than the price that was prevailing at the time it decided to sell. See also Illiquid Securities. |
Reverse Repurchase Agreements |
Under a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund 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 Fund agrees to repurchase the instrument at an agreed upon time (normally within seven days) and price, which reflects an interest payment. The Fund may enter into a reverse repurchase agreement for various purposes, including, but not limited to, when it is able to invest the cash acquired at a rate higher than the cost of the agreement or as a means of raising cash to satisfy redemption requests without the necessity of selling portfolio assets. In 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 Funds assets. As a result, such transactions may increase fluctuations in the value of the Fund. Because reverse repurchase agreements may be considered to be the practical equivalent of borrowing funds, they constitute a form of leverage. Such agreements will be treated as subject to investment restrictions regarding borrowings. If the Fund 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 Funds yield. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
69
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Rights and Warrants |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe for shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life, usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. Warrants are securities that are typically issued together with a debt security or preferred stock and that give the holder the right to buy a proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price. Warrants are freely transferable and are often traded on major exchanges. Unlike rights, warrants normally have a life that is measured in years and entitle the holder to buy common stock of a company at a price that is usually higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued. Corporations often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive. Warrants and rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. If the market price of the underlying stock does not exceed the exercise price during the life of the warrant or right, the warrant or right will expire worthless. (Canadian special warrants issued in private placements prior to a public offering are not considered warrants.) |
Royalty Bonds |
To the extent described in the Prospectus, the Fund may invest in royalty bonds. |
Securities Lending |
The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to major banks, broker-dealers and other financial institutions in compliance with the 1940 Act. No lending may be made with any companies affiliated with the investment adviser. These loans earn income and are collateralized by cash, securities or letters of credit. The Fund may realize a loss if it is not able to invest cash collateral at rates higher than the costs to enter into the loan. The Fund invests cash collateral in an unaffiliated money market fund that operates in compliance with the requirements of Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act and maintains a stable $1.00 net asset value per share. When the loan is closed, the lender is obligated to return the collateral to the borrower. The lender could suffer a loss if the value of the collateral is below the market value of the borrowed securities or if the borrower defaults on the loan. The lender may pay reasonable finders, lending agent, administrative and custodial fees in connection with its loans. The investment adviser may instruct the securities lending agent to terminate loans and recall securities with voting rights so that the securities may be voted in accordance with the Funds proxy voting policy and procedures if deemed appropriate to do so. See Taxes for information on the tax treatment of payments in lieu of dividends received pursuant to securities lending arrangements. |
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Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
70
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Senior Loans |
Senior Loans are loans that are senior in repayment priority to other debt of the borrower. Senior Loans generally pay interest that floats, adjusts or varies periodically based on benchmark indicators, specified adjustment schedules or prevailing interest rates. Senior Loans are often secured by specific assets or collateral, although they may not be secured by collateral. 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), generally referred to as a syndicate. The Agent typically administers and enforces the Senior Loan on behalf of the Loan Investors in the syndicate. In addition, an institution, typically but not always the Agent, holds any collateral on behalf of the Loan Investors. 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, or novations of, a Senior Loan. Senior Loans primarily include senior floating rate loans and secondarily senior floating rate debt obligations (including those issued by an asset-backed pool), and interests therein. |
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Loan Collateral. Borrowers generally will, for the term of the Senior Loan, pledge collateral to secure their obligation. In addition Senior Loans may be guaranteed by or secured by assets of the borrowers owners or affiliates. During the term of the Senior Loan, the value of collateral securing the Loan may decline in value, causing the Loan to be under-collateralized. 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 borrowers obligations under a Senior Loan. In addition, if a Senior Loan is foreclosed, the Fund could become part owner of the collateral and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of such collateral. |
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Fees. The Fund may receive a facility fee when it buys a Senior Loan, and pay a facility fee when it sells a Senior Loan. On an ongoing basis, the Fund 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 Fund may receive a prepayment penalty fee upon the prepayment of a Senior Loan by a borrower or an amendment fee. |
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Loan Administration. In a typical Senior Loan, the Agent administers the terms of the loan agreement and is responsible for the collection of principal, and interest payments from the borrower and the apportionment of these payments to the Loan Investors. Failure by the Agent to fulfill its obligations may delay or adversely affect receipt of payment by the Fund. Furthermore, unless under the terms of a loan agreement or participation (as applicable) the Fund has direct recourse against the borrower, the Fund must rely on the Agent and the other Loan Investors to use appropriate 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 typical practice of an Agent or a Loan Investor in relying exclusively or primarily on reports from the borrower may involve the risk of fraud by the borrower. It is unclear whether an investment in a Senior Loan offers the securities law protections against fraud and misrepresentation. |
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A financial institutions appointment as Agent may usually be terminated in the event that it fails to observe the requisite standard of care or becomes insolvent. 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 Fund were determined to be subject to the claims of the Agents general creditors, the Fund 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 other Interposed Persons, similar risks may arise. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
71
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Additional Information. The Fund may purchase and retain in its portfolio a Senior Loan where the borrower has 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. While such investments may provide opportunities for enhanced income as well as capital appreciation, they generally involve greater risk and may be considered speculative. The Fund may from time to time participate in ad-hoc committees formed by creditors to negotiate with the management of financially troubled borrowers. The Fund may incur legal fees as a result of such participation. In addition, such participation may restrict the Funds ability to trade in or acquire additional positions in a particular security when it might otherwise desire to do so. Participation by the Fund also may expose the Fund to potential liabilities under bankruptcy or other laws governing the rights of creditors and debtors. The Fund will participate in such committees only when the investment adviser believes that such participation is necessary or desirable to enforce the Funds rights as a creditor or to protect the value of a Senior Loan held by the Fund. |
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In some instances, other accounts managed by the investment adviser may hold other securities issued by borrowers the Senior Loans of which may be held by the Fund. These other securities may include, for example, debt securities that are subordinate to the Senior Loans held by the Fund, convertible debt or common or preferred equity securities. In certain circumstances, such as if the credit quality of the borrower deteriorates, the interests of holders of these other securities may conflict with the interests of the holders of the borrowers Senior Loans. In such cases, the investment adviser may owe conflicting fiduciary duties to the Fund and other client accounts. The investment adviser will endeavor to carry out its obligations to all of its clients to the fullest extent possible, recognizing that in some cases, certain clients may achieve a lower economic return, as a result of these conflicting client interests, than if the investment advisers client accounts collectively held only a single category of the issuers securities. |
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The Fund 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 Fund 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 investment adviser, may enhance the value of a Senior Loan or would otherwise be consistent with the Funds investment policies. |
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For Eaton Vance Floating Rate Portfolio, Senior Debt Portfolio and Eaton Vance VT Floating-Rate Income Fund only: The Fund will acquire participations only if the Loan Investor selling the participation, and any other persons interpositioned between the Fund and the Loan Investor (an Interposed Person), at the time of investment, has outstanding debt or deposit obligations rated investment grade (BBB or A-3 or higher by S&P or Baa or P- 3 or higher by Moodys or comparably rated by another nationally recognized statistical ratings organization) or determined by the investment adviser to be of comparable quality. |
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For additional disclosure relating to investing in loans (including Senior Loans), see Loans above. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
72
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Short Sales |
Short sales are transactions in which a party sells a security it does not own in anticipation of a decline in the market value of that security. To complete such a transaction, the party must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. When the party is required to return the borrowed security, it typically will purchase the security in the open market. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the party sold the security. Until the security is replaced, the party is required to repay the lender any dividends or interest, which accrues during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, it also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The net proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements, until the short position is closed out. Transaction costs are incurred in effecting short sales. A short seller will incur a loss as a result of a short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which it replaces the borrowed security. A gain will be realized if the price of the security declines in price between those dates. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount of the premium, dividends or interest the short seller may be required to pay, if any, in connection with a short sale. Short sales may be against the box or uncovered. In a short sale against the box, at the time of the sale, the short seller owns or has the immediate and unconditional right to acquire the identical security at no additional cost. In an uncovered short sale, the short seller does not own the underlying security and, as such, losses from uncovered short sales may be significant. The Fund may sell short securities representing an index or basket of securities whose constituents the Fund holds in whole or in part. A short sale of an index or basket of securities will be a covered short sale if the underlying index or basket of securities is the same or substantially identical to securities held by the Fund. Use of short sales is limited by the Funds non-fundamental restriction relating thereto. |
Short-Term Trading |
Fixed-income 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, such a security may be sold and another purchased at approximately the same time to take advantage of what is believed 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. |
Smaller Companies |
The investment risk associated with smaller companies is higher than that normally associated with larger, more established companies due to the greater business risks associated with small size, the relative age of the company, limited product lines, distribution channels and financial and managerial resources. Further, there is typically less publicly available information concerning smaller companies than for larger companies. The securities of small companies are often traded only over-the-counter and may not be traded in the volumes typical of trading on a national securities exchange. As a result, stocks of smaller companies are often more volatile than those of larger companies, which are often traded on a national securities exchange. |
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities (SMBS) |
SMBS are multiclass mortgage securities. SMBS commonly involve two classes of securities that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distributions on a pool of mortgage assets. A common type of SMBS will have one class receiving most of the interest from the mortgages, while the other class will receive most of the principal. In the most extreme case, the interest only class receives all of the interest while the principal only class receives the entire principal. The yield to maturity on an interest only class is extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including pre-payments) on the related underlying mortgage assets, and a rapid rate of principal payments may have a material adverse effect on the yield to maturity from these securities. If the underlying mortgages experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the initial investment in these securities may not be recouped. Although the market for such securities is increasingly liquid, certain SMBS may not be readily marketable and will be considered illiquid. The market value of the class consisting entirely of principal payments generally is unusually volatile in response to changes in interest rates. The yields on a class of SMBS that receives all or most of the interest from mortgages are generally higher than prevailing market yields on other MBS because their cash flow patterns are more volatile and there is a greater risk that the initial investment will not be fully recouped. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
73
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Structured Notes |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Structured notes are derivative debt instruments, the interest rate or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator (for example, a currency, security, commodity or index thereof). The terms of the instrument may be structured by the purchaser and the borrower issuing the note. Indexed securities may include structured notes as well as securities other than debt securities, the interest rate or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator. Indexed securities may include a multiplier that multiplies the indexed element by a specified factor and, therefore, the value of such securities may be very volatile. The terms of structured notes and indexed securities may provide that in certain circumstances no principal is due at maturity, which may result in a loss of invested capital. Structured notes and indexed securities may be positively or negatively indexed, so that appreciation of the unrelated indicator may produce an increase or a decrease in the interest rate or the value of the structured note or indexed security at maturity may be calculated as a specified multiple of the change in the value of the unrelated indicator. Structured notes and indexed securities may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types of investments because the investor bears the risk of the unrelated indicator. Structured notes or indexed securities also may be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities and instruments or more traditional debt securities. |
Swap Agreements |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a few weeks to more than one year. In a standard swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on a particular predetermined reference instrument or instruments, which can be adjusted for an interest rate factor. The gross returns to be exchanged or swapped between the parties are generally 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). Other types of swap agreements may calculate the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a net basis. Consequently, a partys current obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the net amount). |
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Whether the use of swap agreements will be successful will depend on the investment adviser's ability to predict correctly whether certain types of reference instruments are likely to produce greater returns than other instruments. Swap agreements may be subject to contractual restrictions on transferability and termination and they may have terms of greater than seven days. The Funds obligations under a swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owed to the Fund under the swap). Developments in the swaps market, including government regulation, could adversely affect the Funds ability to terminate existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements, as well as to participate in swap agreements in the future. If there is a default by the counterparty to a swap, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the swap agreement, but any recovery may be delayed depending on the circumstances of the default. |
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The swaps market was largely unregulated prior to the enactment of federal legislation known as the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Dodd-Frank Act), which was enacted in 2010 in response to turmoil in the financial markets and other market events. Among other things, the Dodd-Frank Act sets forth a new regulatory framework for certain OTC derivatives, such as swaps, in which the Fund may invest. The Dodd-Frank Act requires many swap transactions to be executed on registered exchanges or through swap execution facilities, cleared through a regulated clearinghouse, and publicly reported. In addition, many market participants are now regulated as swap dealers or major swap participants, and are, or will be, subject to certain minimum capital and margin requirements and business conduct standards. The statutory requirements of the Dodd-Frank Act are being implemented primarily through rules and regulations adopted by the SEC and/or the CFTC. There is a prescribed phase-in period during which most of the mandated rulemaking and regulations are being implemented, and temporary exemptions from certain rules and regulations have been granted so that current trading practices will not be unduly disrupted during the transition period. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
74
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Currently, central clearing is only required for certain market participants trading certain instruments, although central clearing for additional instruments is expected to be implemented by the CFTC until the majority of the swaps market is ultimately subject to central clearing. In addition, uncleared OTC swaps will be subject to regulatory collateral requirements that could adversely affect the Funds ability to enter into swaps in the OTC market. These developments could cause the Fund to terminate new or existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such instruments at an inopportune time. Until the mandated rulemaking and regulations are implemented completely, it will not be possible to determine the complete impact of the Dodd-Frank Act and related regulations on the Fund, and the establishment of a centralized exchange or market for swap transactions may not result in swaps being easier to value or trade. However, it is expected that swap dealers, major market participants, and swap counterparties will experience other new and/or additional regulations, requirements, compliance burdens, and associated costs. The legislation and rules to be promulgated may exert a negative effect on the Funds ability to meet its investment objective, either through limits or requirements imposed on the Fund or its counterparties. The swap market could be disrupted or limited as a result of the legislation, and the new requirements may increase the cost of the Funds investments and of doing business, which could adversely affect the ability of the Fund to buy or sell OTC derivatives. |
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Swap agreements include (but are not limited to): |
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Currency Swaps. Currency swaps involve the exchange of the rights of the parties to make or receive payments in specified currencies. Because currency swaps usually involve the delivery of the entire principal value of one designated currency in exchange for the other designated currency, the entire principal value of a currency swap is subject to the risk that the other party to the swap will default on its contractual delivery obligations. If the investment adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of market value and currency exchange rates, performance may be adversely affected. |
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Equity Swaps. An equity swap is an agreement in which at least one partys payments are based on the rate of return of an equity security or equity index, such as the S&P 500. The other partys payments can be based on a fixed rate, a non-equity variable rate, or even a different equity index. The Fund may enter into equity index swaps on a net basis pursuant to which the future cash flows from two reference instruments are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two. |
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Credit Default Swaps. Under a credit default swap agreement, the protection buyer in a credit default contract is generally obligated to pay the protection seller an upfront or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract, provided that no credit event, such as a default, on a reference instrument has occurred. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally must pay the buyer the par value (full notional value) of the reference instrument in exchange for an equal face amount of the reference instrument described in the swap, or the seller may be required to deliver the related net cash amount, if the swap is cash settled. If the Fund is a buyer and no credit event occurs, the Fund may recover nothing if the swap is held through its termination date. As a seller, the Fund generally receives an upfront payment or a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the swap provided that there is no credit event. As the seller, the Fund would effectively add leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. The determination of a credit event under the swap agreement will depend on the terms of the agreement and may rely on the decision of persons that are not a party to the agreement. The Funds obligations under a credit default swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owed to the Fund). |
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Inflation Swaps. Inflation swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, e.g., an exchange of fixed rate payments for floating rate payments or an exchange of floating rate payments based on two different reference indices. By design, one of the reference indices is an inflation index, such as the Consumer Price Index. Inflation swaps can be designated as zero coupon, where both sides of the swap compound interest over the life of the swap and then the accrued interest is paid out only at the swaps maturity. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
75
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Total Return Swaps. Total return swap agreements are contracts in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to another party based on the change in market value of the assets underlying the contract, which may include a specified security, basket of securities or securities indices during the specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or the total return from other underlying assets. Total return swap agreements may be used to obtain exposure to a security or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security or investing directly in such market. Total return swap agreements may effectively add leverage to the Funds portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. Generally, the Fund will enter into total return swaps on a net basis (i.e., the two payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments). The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Funds obligations over its entitlements with respect to each total return swap will be accrued on a daily basis. If the total return swap transaction is entered into on other than a net basis, the full amount of the Funds obligations will be accrued on a daily basis, and the full amount of the Funds obligations will be segregated by the Fund in an amount equal to or greater than the market value of the liabilities under the total return swap or the amount it would have cost the Fund initially to make an equivalent direct investment, plus or minus any amount the Fund is obligated to pay or is to receive under the total return swap agreement. |
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Interest Rate Swaps, Caps and Floors. Interest rate swaps are OTC contracts in which each party agrees to make a periodic interest payment based on an index or the value of an asset in return for a periodic payment from the other party based on a different index or asset. The purchase of an interest rate floor entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index falls below a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate floor. The purchase of an interest rate cap entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index rises above a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate cap. The Fund usually will enter into interest rate swap transactions on a net basis (i.e., the two payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments). The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Funds obligations over its entitlements with respect to each interest rate swap will be accrued on a daily basis. If the interest rate swap transaction is entered into on other than a net basis, the full amount of the Funds obligations will be accrued on a daily basis. Certain federal income tax requirements may limit the Funds ability to engage in certain interest rate transactions. |
Swaptions |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. A swaption is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation) in return for payment of a premium, to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement, at some designated future time on specified terms. The Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions. Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, the Fund will generally incur a greater degree of risk when it writes a swaption than it will incur when it purchases a swaption. When the Fund purchases a swaption, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when the Fund writes a swaption, upon exercise of the option the Fund will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement. |
Tax-Managed Investing |
Taxes are a major influence on the net returns that investors receive on their taxable investments. There are four components of the returns of a mutual fund that invests in equities that are treated differently for federal income tax purposes: price appreciation, distributions of qualified dividend income, distributions of other investment income, and distributions of realized short-term and long-term capital gains. Distributions of income other than qualified dividend income and distributions of net realized short-term gains (on stocks held for one year or less) are taxed as ordinary income. Distributions of qualified dividend income and net realized long-term gains (on stocks held for more than one year) are currently taxed at rates up to 20%. The Funds investment program and the tax treatment of Fund distributions may be affected by IRS interpretations of the Code and future changes in tax laws and regulations. Returns derived from price appreciation are untaxed until the shareholder disposes of his or her shares. Upon disposition, a capital gain (short-term, if the shareholder has held his or her shares for one year or less, otherwise long-term) equal to the difference between the net proceeds of the disposition and the shareholders adjusted tax basis is realized. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
76
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Trust Certificates |
Trust certificates are investments in a limited purpose trust or other vehicle formed under state law. Trust certificates in turn invest in instruments, such as credit default swaps, interest rate swaps, preferred securities and other securities, in order to customize the risk/return profile of a particular security. Like an investment in a bond, investments in trust certificates represent the right to receive periodic income payments (in the form of distributions) and payment of principal at the end of the term of the certificate. However, these payments are conditioned on the trusts receipt of payments from, and the trusts potential obligations to, the counterparties to the derivative instruments and other securities in which the trust invests. Investments in these instruments are indirectly subject to the risks associated with derivative instruments, including, among others, credit risk, default or similar event risk, counterparty risk, interest rate risk, leverage risk and management risk. It is expected that the trusts that issue credit-linked trust certificates will constitute private investment companies, exempt from registration under the 1940 Act. Although the trusts are typically private investment companies, they are generally not actively managed. It is also expected that the certificates will be exempt from registration under the 1933 Act. Accordingly, there may be no established trading market for the certificates and they may constitute illiquid investments. |
U.S. Government Securities |
U.S. Government securities include: (1) U.S. Treasury obligations, which differ in their interest rates, maturities and times of issuance, including: 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, which 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. U.S. Government securities also include 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: Farmers Home Administration, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Federal Housing Administration, Federal Land Banks, Federal Financing Bank, Central Bank for Cooperatives, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, Farm Credit Bank System, Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, Federal National Mortgage Association, General Services Administration, Government National Mortgage Association, Student Loan Marketing Association, United States Postal Service, Maritime Administration, Small Business Administration, Tennessee Valley Authority, Washington D.C. Armory Board and any other enterprise established or sponsored by the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government generally is not obligated to provide support to its instrumentalities. The principal of and/or interest on certain U.S. Government securities 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 denominated in foreign currencies may be affected favorably by changes in the exchange rate between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. |
Unlisted Securities |
Unlisted securities are neither listed on a stock exchange nor traded over-the-counter. Unlisted securities may include investments in new and early stage companies, which may involve a high degree of business and financial risk that can result in substantial losses and may be considered speculative. Such securities will generally be deemed to be illiquid. Because of the absence of any public trading market for these investments, it may take longer to liquidate these positions than would be the case for publicly traded securities. Although these securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales could be less than those originally paid or less than what may be considered the fair value of such securities. Furthermore, issuers whose securities are not publicly traded may not be subject to public disclosure and other investor protection requirements applicable to publicly traded securities. If such securities are required to be registered under the securities laws of one or more jurisdictions before being resold, the Fund may be required to bear the expenses of registration. In addition, in foreign jurisdictions any capital gains realized on the sale of such securities may be subject to higher rates of foreign taxation than taxes payable on the sale of listed securities. |
Utility and Financial
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To the extent described in the Prospectus, the Fund may concentrate its investments in utility and/or financial services companies. |
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
77
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
78
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX A
Class A Fees, Performance and Ownership
Sales Charges and Distribution and Service Fees.
For the fiscal year ended December 31,
2015
, the following table shows (1) total sales charges paid by the Fund, (2) sales charges paid to financial intermediaries, (3) sales charges paid to the principal underwriter, (4) approximate CDSC payments to the principal underwriter, (5) total distribution and service fees paid by the Fund, and (6) distribution and service fees paid to financial intermediaries. Distribution and service fees that were not paid to financial intermediaries were retained by the principal underwriter.
For the fiscal years ended December 31,
2014
and
2013
, total sales charges of
$(36,151) and $
86,796
, respectively, were paid on sales of Class A shares, of which the principal underwriter received $
3,934
and $
2,775
, respectively. The balance of such amounts was paid to financial intermediaries.
Performance Information. The table below indicates the average annual total return (both before and after taxes) on a hypothetical investment in shares of $1,000. Total return for the period prior to January 5, 2009 reflects the total return of Class I shares and, for the period prior to March 21, 2007, reflects the total return of the Core Bond Portfolio. The total return shown below has not been adjusted to reflect Fund expenses (such as distribution and/or service fees). If such an adjustment was made, the total return of this Class would be different. Any performance presented with an asterisk (*) includes the effect of subsidizing expenses. Performance would have been lower without subsidies.
Total returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value or public offering price with all distributions reinvested. The Funds past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of Fund shares will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance is for the stated time period only; due to market volatility, the Funds current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted return. For the Funds performance as of the most recent month-end, please refer to www.eatonvance.com.
About Returns After Taxes. After-tax returns are calculated using certain assumptions. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares. The tax treatment of a portion of the distributions made in the current year may be recharacterized as taxable after year-end.
|
Length of Period Ended December 31, 2015 |
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year* |
Five Years* |
Ten Years* |
Before Taxes and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
-0.31% |
2.99% |
4.11% |
Before Taxes and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
-5.06% |
2.00% |
3.60% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
-1.44% |
1.44% |
2.49% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
-6.14% |
0.47% |
1.99% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
-0.16% |
1.75% |
2.60% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
-2.86% |
0.99% |
2.19% |
Class A shares commenced operations on January 5, 2009. |
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
79
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities. At April 1, 2016, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned in the aggregate less than 1% of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund. In addition, as of the same date, the following person(s) held the share percentage indicated below, which was owned either (i) beneficially by such person(s) or (ii) of record by such person(s) on behalf of customers who are the beneficial owners of such shares and as to which such record owner(s) may exercise voting rights under certain limited circumstances:
Beneficial owners of 25% or more of this Class of the Fund are presumed to be in control of the Class for purposes of voting on certain matters submitted to shareholders.
To the knowledge of the Trust, no other person owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund as of such date.
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
80
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX B
Class I Performance and Ownership
Performance Information. The table below indicates the average annual total return (both before and after taxes) on a hypothetical investment in shares of $1,000. Total return for the period prior to March 21, 2007 reflects the total return of the Core Bond Portfolio. The total return shown below has not been adjusted to reflect Fund expenses (such as distribution and/or service fees). If such an adjustment was made, the total return of this Class would be different. Any performance presented with an asterisk (*) includes the effect of subsidizing expenses. Performance would have been lower without subsidies.
Total returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value or public offering price with all distributions reinvested. The Funds past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of Fund shares will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance is for the stated time period only; due to market volatility, the Funds current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted return. For the Funds performance as of the most recent month-end, please refer to www.eatonvance.com.
About Returns After Taxes. After-tax returns are calculated using certain assumptions. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares. The tax treatment of a portion of the distributions made in the current year may be recharacterized as taxable after year-end.
|
Length of Period Ended December 31, 2015 |
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year* |
Five Years* |
Ten Years* |
Before Taxes |
0.04% |
3.27% |
4.29% |
After Taxes on Distributions |
-1.21% |
1.61% |
2.60% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemptions |
0.03% |
1.91% |
2.70% |
Class I shares commenced operations on March 21, 2007. |
|
|
|
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities.
At April 1,
2016
, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned
approximately 5.4
% of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund. In addition, as of the same date, the following person(s) held the share percentage indicated below, which was owned either (i) beneficially by such person(s) or (ii) of record by such person(s) on behalf of customers who are the beneficial owners of such shares and as to which such record owner(s) may exercise voting rights under certain limited circumstances:
US Charitable Gift Trust DAF Growth & Income Fund c/o Eaton Vance Management |
Boston, MA |
20.2% |
EVTC Collective Investment Trust FBO EMP Benefit Plans Moderate Fund c/o Eaton Vance Management |
Boston, MA |
15.6% |
US Charitable Gift Trust DAF Gift Preservation Fund c/o Eaton Vance Management |
Boston, MA |
15.2% |
US Charitable Gift Trust DAF Income Fund c/o Eaton Vance Management |
Boston, MA |
12.7% |
US Charitable Gift Trust Income Pooled Income Fund |
Boston, MA |
6.6% |
To the knowledge of the Trust, no other person owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund as of such date.
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
81
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX C
RATINGS
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 which would be given to these securities on a particular date.
MOODYS INVESTORS SERVICE, INC. (Moodys)
Ratings assigned on Moodys global long-term and short-term rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities. Long-term ratings are assigned to issuers or obligations with an original maturity of one year or more and reflect both the likelihood of a default on contractually promised payments and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default. Short-term ratings are assigned to obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect the likelihood of a default on contractually promised payments.
GLOBAL LONG-TERM RATINGS SCALE
Aaa: Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.
Aa: Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low risk.
A: Obligations rated A are considered upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.
Baa: Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics
Ba: Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.
B: Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.
Caa: Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
Ca: Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.
C: Obligations rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.
Note: Moodys appends numerical modifiers, 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.
GLOBAL SHORT-TERM RATING SCALE
Moodys short term ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to honor short-term financial obligations. Ratings may be assigned to issuers, short-term programs or to individual short-term debt instruments. Such obligations generally have an original maturity not exceeding thirteen months, unless explicitly noted.
P-1: Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-2: Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-3: Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.
NP: Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime ratings categories.
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
82
SAI dated May 1, 2016
ISSUER RATINGS
Issuer Ratings are opinions of the ability of entities to honor senior unsecured financial counterparty obligations and contracts. As such, Issuer Ratings incorporate any external support that is expected to apply to all current and future issuance of senior unsecured financial obligations and contracts, such as explicit support stemming from a guarantee of all senior unsecured financial obligations and contracts, and/or implicit support for issuers subject to joint default analysis (e.g. banks and government-related issuers). Issuer Ratings do not incorporate support arrangements, such as guarantees, that apply only to specific (but not to all) senior unsecured financial obligations and contracts.
US MUNICIPAL SHORT-TERM OBLIGATION RATINGS AND DEMAND OBLIGATION RATINGS
SHORT-TERM OBLIGATION RATINGS
While the global short-term prime rating scale is applied to US municipal tax-exempt commercial paper, these programs are typically backed by external letters of credit or liquidity facilities and their short-term prime ratings usually map to the long-term rating of the enhancing bank or financial institution and not to the municipalitys rating. Other short-term municipal obligations, which generally have different funding sources for repayment, are rated using two additional short-term rating scales (i.e., the MIG and VMIG scales discussed below).
The Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) scale is used to rate US municipal bond anticipation notes of up to three years maturity. Municipal notes rated on the MIG scale may be secured by either pledged revenues or proceeds of a take-out financing received prior to note maturity. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation, and the issuers long-term rating is only one consideration in assigning the MIG rating. MIG ratings are divided into three levelsMIG 1 through MIG 3while speculative grade short-term obligations are designated SG.
MIG 1 This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.
MIG 2 This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.
MIG 3 This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.
SG This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.
Demand Obligation Ratings
In the case of variable rate demand obligations (VRDOs), a two-component rating is assigned; a long or short-term rating and demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moodys evaluation of the degree of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moodys evaluation of the degree of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand (demand feature), The second element uses a rating from a variation of the MIG scale called the Variable Municipal Investment Grade (VMIG) scale. The rating transitions on the VMIG scale, as shown in the diagram below, differ from those on the Prime scale to reflect the risk that external liquidity support generally will terminate if the issuers long-term rating drops below investment grade.
VMIG 1: This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
VMIG 2: This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
VMIG 3: This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
83
SAI dated May 1, 2016
SG: This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
STANDARD & POORS RATINGS SERVICES (S&P)
ISSUE CREDIT RATINGS DEFINITIONS
A Standard & Poor's issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects Standard & Poor's view of the obligor's capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.
Issue credit ratings can be either long-term or short-term. Short-term ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. In the U.S., for example, that means obligations with an original maturity of no more than 365 daysincluding commercial paper. Short-term ratings are also used to indicate the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to put features on long-term obligations. Medium-term notes are assigned long-term ratings.
LONG-TERM ISSUE CREDIT RATINGS:
Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on Standard & Poor's analysis of the following considerations:
· Likelihood of payment — capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation;
· Nature of and provisions of the obligation and the promise that is imputed;
· Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors' rights. Issue ratings are an assessment of default risk, but may incorporate an assessment of relative seniority or ultimate recovery in the event of default. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation may apply when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.)
AAA: An obligation rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by S&P. The obligors capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.
AA: An obligation rated AA differs from the highest-rated obligors only to a small degree. The obligors capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.
A: An obligation rated A is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligors capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong.
BBB: An obligation rated BBB 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.
BB, B, CCC, CC and C
Obligations rated BB, B, CCC, CC, and C are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
BB: An obligation rated BB is less vulnerable to non-payment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligors inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
84
SAI dated May 1, 2016
B: An obligation rated B is more vulnerable than obligations rated BB, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial or economic conditions will likely impair the obligors capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CCC: An obligation rated CCC 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. In the event of adverse business, financial or, economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CC: An obligation rated CC is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The 'CC' rating is used when a default has not yet occurred, but Standard & Poor's expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.
C: An obligation rated 'C' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared to obligations that are rated higher .
D: An obligation rated 'D' is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation's rating is lowered to 'D' if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.NR: This indicates that no rating has been requested, or that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that Standard & Poor's does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.
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.
SHORT-TERM ISSUE CREDIT RATINGS
A-1: A short-term obligation rated A-1 is rated in the highest category by S&P. The obligors 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 obligors capacity to meet its financial commitments on these obligation 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 obligors 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 commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments .
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 default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation's rating is lowered to 'D' if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.
ISSUER CREDIT RATINGS DEFINITIONS
Standard & Poor's issuer credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about an obligor's overall creditworthiness. This opinion focuses on the obligor's capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due. It does not apply to any specific financial obligation, as it does not take into account the nature of and provisions of the obligation, its standing in
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
85
SAI dated May 1, 2016
bankruptcy or liquidation, statutory preferences, or the legality and enforceability of the obligation. Counterparty credit ratings, corporate credit ratings and sovereign credit ratings are all forms of issuer credit ratings.
Issuer credit ratings can be either long-term or short-term.
LONG-TERM ISSUER CREDIT RATINGS
AAA: An obligor rated AAA has extremely strong capacity to meet its financial commitments. AAA is the highest issuer credit rating assigned by S&P.
AA: An obligor rated AA has very strong capacity to meet its financial commitments. It differs from the highest-rated obligors only to a small degree.
A: An obligor rated A has strong capacity to meet its financial commitments but is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligors in higher-rated categories.
BBB: An obligor rated BBB has adequate capacity to meet its financial commitments. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitments.
BB, B, CCC and CC
Obligors rated BB, B, CCC, and CC are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and CC the highest. While such obligors will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
BB: An obligor BB is less vulnerable in the near term than other lower-rated obligors. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties and exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligors inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.
B: An obligor rated B is more vulnerable than the obligors rated BB, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligors capacity or willingness to meets its financial commitments.
CCC: An obligor rated CCC is currently vulnerable, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions to meet its financial commitments.
CC: An obligor rated CC is currently highly vulnerable. The 'CC' rating is used when a default has not yet occurred, but Standard & Poor's expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.
R: An obligor rated 'R' is under regulatory supervision owing to its financial condition. During the pendency of the regulatory supervision the regulators may have the power to favor one class of obligations over others or pay some obligations and not others.
SD and D : An obligor rated 'SD' (selective default) or 'D' is in default on one or more of its financial obligations including rated and unrated financial obligations but excluding hybrid instruments classified as regulatory capital or in non-payment according to terms. An obligor is considered in default unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made within five business days of the due date in the absence of a stated grace period, or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. A 'D' rating is assigned when Standard & Poor's believes that the default will be a general default and that the obligor will fail to pay all or substantially all of its obligations as they come due. An 'SD' rating is assigned when Standard &
Poor's believes that the obligor has selectively defaulted on a specific issue or class of obligations but it will continue to meet its payment obligations on other issues or classes of obligations in a timely manner. An obligor's rating is lowered to 'D' or 'SD' if it is conducting a distressed exchange offer.
NR: An issuer designated as NR is not rated.
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.
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
86
SAI dated May 1, 2016
SHORT-TERM ISSUER CREDIT RATINGS
A-1: An obligor rated A-1 has strong capacity to meet its financial commitments. It is rated in the highest category by S&P. Within this category, certain obligors are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligors capacity to meet its financial commitments is extremely strong.
A-2: An obligor rated A-2 has satisfactory capacity to meet its financial commitments. However, it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligors in the highest rating category.
A-3: An obligor rated A-3 has adequate capacity to meet its financial obligations. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitments.
B: An obligor rated B is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. Ratings B-1, B-2, and B-3 may be assigned to indicate finer distinctions within the B category. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligors inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.
C: An obligor rated 'C' is currently vulnerable to nonpayment that would result in a 'SD' or 'D' issuer rating, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for it to meet its financial commitments.
R: An obligor rated R is under regulatory supervision owing to its financial condition. During the pendency of the regulatory supervision the regulators may have the power to favor one class of obligations over others or pay some obligations and not others.
SD and D: An obligor rated 'SD' (selective default) or 'D' has failed to pay one or more of its financial obligations (rated or unrated), excluding hybrid instruments classified as regulatory capital or in nonpayment according to terms, when it came due. An obligor is considered in default unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. A 'D' rating is assigned when Standard & Poor's believes that the default will be a general default and that the obligor will fail to pay all or substantially all of its obligations as they come due. An 'SD' rating is assigned when Standard & Poor's believes that the obligor has selectively defaulted on a specific issue or class of obligations, excluding hybrid instruments classified as regulatory capital, but it will continue to meet its payment obligations on other issues or classes of obligations in a timely manner. An obligor's rating is lowered to 'D' or 'SD' if it is conducting a distressed exchange offer.
NR: An issuer designated as NR is not rated.
MUNICIPAL SHORT-TERM NOTE RATINGS
SHORT-TERM NOTES: An S&P U.S. municipal note ratings reflects the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes maturing beyond three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, Standard & Poor's analysis will review the following considerations: Amortization schedule--the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and Source of payment--the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.
Municipal Short-Term Note rating symbols are as follows:
SP-1: Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt will be given a plus (+) designation.
SP-2: Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.
SP-3: Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
87
SAI dated May 1, 2016
FITCH RATINGS
LONG-TERM CREDIT RATINGS
Investment Grade
AAA: Highest credit quality AAA ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in case of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. The capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.
AA: Very high credit quality. AA ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
A: High credit quality. A ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. The capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to changes in circumstances or in economic conditions that is the case for higher ratings.
BBB: 'BBB' ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.
BB: Speculative. 'BB' ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time.
B: Highly speculative. B' ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment.
CCC: Substantial credit risk. Default is a real possibility.
CC: Very high levels of credit risk. Default of some kind appears probable.
C: Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. Default appears imminent or inevitable.
D: Indicates a default. Default generally is defined as one of the following:
· failure to make payment of principal and/or interest under the contractual terms of the rated obligation;
· the bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other winding-up or cessation of the business of an issuer/obligor; or
· the distressed exchange of an obligation, where creditors were offered securities with diminished structural or economic terms compared with the existing obligation to avoid a probable payment default.
Notes to Long-Term ratings:
The modifiers + or - may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the AAA Long-Term
IDR category, or to Long-Term IDR categories below B.
Short-Term Credit Ratings Assigned to Obligations in Corporate, Public and Structured Finance
A short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity or security stream and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-Term Ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as short term based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations, and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets.
F1: Highest short-term credit quality . Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added + to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.
F2: Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.
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F3: Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.
B: Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
C: High short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility.
RD: Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Typically applicable to entity ratings only.
D: Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.
DESCRIPTION OF INSURANCE FINANCIAL STRENGTH RATINGS
Moodys Investors Service, Inc. Insurance Financial Strength Ratings
Moodys Insurance Financial Strength Ratings are opinions of the ability of insurance companies to repay punctually senior policyholder claims and obligations and also reflect the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default . Specific obligations are considered unrated unless they are individually rated because the standing of a particular insurance obligation would depend on an assessment of its relative standing under those laws governing both the obligation and the insurance company.
Standard & Poors Insurance Financial Strength Ratings
A Standard & Poor's insurer financial strength rating is a forward-looking opinion about the financial security characteristics of an insurance organization with respect to its ability to pay under its insurance policies and contracts in accordance with their terms. Insurer financial strength ratings are also assigned to health maintenance organizations and similar health plans with respect to their ability to pay under their policies and contracts in accordance with their terms. This opinion is not specific to any particular policy or contract, nor does it address the suitability of a particular policy or contract for a specific purpose or purchaser. Furthermore, the opinion does not take into account deductibles, surrender or cancellation penalties, timeliness of payment, nor the likelihood of the use of a defense such as fraud to deny claims. Insurer financial strength ratings do not refer to an organization's ability to meet nonpolicy (i.e., debt) obligations. Assignment of ratings to debt issued by insurers or to debt issues that are fully or partially supported by insurance policies, contracts, or guarantees is a separate process from the determination of insurer financial strength ratings, and follows procedures consistent with those used to assign an issue credit rating. An insurer financial strength rating is not a recommendation to purchase or discontinue any policy or contract issued by an insurer.
Long-Term Insurer Financial Strength Ratings
Category Definition
AAA
An insurer rated 'AAA' has extremely strong financial security characteristics. 'AAA' is the highest insurer financial strength rating assigned by Standard & Poor's.
AA
An insurer rated 'AA' has very strong financial security characteristics, differing only slightly from those rated higher.
A
An insurer rated 'A' has strong financial security characteristics, but is somewhat more likely to be affected by adverse business conditions than are insurers with higher ratings.
BBB
An insurer rated 'BBB' has good financial security characteristics, but is more likely to be affected by adverse business conditions than are higher-rated insurers.
BB; CCC; and CC
An insurer rated 'BB' or lower is regarded as having vulnerable characteristics that may outweigh its strengths. 'BB' indicates the least degree of vulnerability within the range; 'CC' the highest.
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BB
An insurer rated 'BB' has marginal financial security characteristics. Positive attributes exist, but adverse business conditions could lead to insufficient ability to meet financial commitments.
B
An insurer rated 'B' has weak financial security characteristics. Adverse business conditions will likely impair its ability to meet financial commitments.
CCC
An insurer rated 'CCC' has very weak financial security characteristics, and is dependent on favorable business conditions to meet financial commitments.
CC
An insurer rated 'CC' has extremely weak financial security characteristics and is likely not to meet some of its financial commitments.
SD or D
An insurer rated 'SD' (selective default) or 'D' is in default on one or more of its insurance policy obligations but is not under regulatory supervision that would involve a rating of 'R'. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action if payments on a policy obligation are at risk. A 'D' rating is assigned when Standard & Poor's believes that the default will be a general default and that the obligor will fail to pay substantially all of its obligations in full in accordance with the policy terms. An 'SD' rating is assigned when Standard & Poor's believes that the insurer has selectively defaulted on a specific class of policies but it will continue to meet its payment obligations on other classes of obligations. A selective default includes the completion of a distressed exchange offer. Claim denials due to lack of coverage or other legally permitted defenses are not considered defaults.
R
An insurer rated 'R' is under regulatory supervision owing to its financial condition. During the pendency of the regulatory supervision, the regulators may have the power to favor one class of obligations over others or pay some obligations and not others. The rating does not apply to insurers subject only to non-financial actions such as market conduct violations.
NR
An insurer designated 'NR' is not rated, which implies no opinion about the insurer's financial security.
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.
Fitch Insurer Financial Strength Rating
The Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) Rating provides an assessment of the financial strength of an insurance organization. The IFS Rating is assigned to the insurance company's policyholder obligations, including assumed reinsurance obligations and contract holder obligations, such as guaranteed investment contracts. The IFS Rating reflects both the ability of the insurer to meet these obligations on a timely basis, and expected recoveries received by claimants in the event the insurer stops making payments or payments are interrupted, due to either the failure of the insurer or some form of regulatory intervention. In the context of the IFS Rating, the timeliness of payments is considered relative to both contract and/or policy terms but also recognizes the possibility of reasonable delays caused by circumstances common to the insurance industry, including claims reviews, fraud investigations and coverage disputes.
The IFS Rating does not encompass policyholder obligations residing in separate accounts, unit-linked products or segregated funds, for which the policyholder bears investment or other risks. However, any guarantees provided to the policyholder with respect to such obligations are included in the IFS Rating.
Expected recoveries are based on the agency's assessments of the sufficiency of an insurance company's assets to fund policyholder obligations, in a scenario in which payments have ceased or been interrupted. Accordingly, expected recoveries exclude the impact of recoveries obtained from any government sponsored guaranty or policyholder protection funds. Expected
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recoveries also exclude the impact of collateralization or security, such as letters of credit or trusteed assets, supporting select reinsurance obligations.
IFS Ratings can be assigned to insurance and reinsurance companies in any insurance sector, including the life & annuity, non-life, property/casualty, health, mortgage, financial guaranty, residual value and title insurance sectors, as well as to managed care companies such as health maintenance organizations.
The IFS Rating does not address the quality of an insurer's claims handling services or the relative value of products sold.
The IFS Rating uses the same symbols used by the agency for its International and National credit ratings of long-term or short-term debt issues. However, the definitions associated with the ratings reflect the unique aspects of the IFS Rating within an insurance industry context.
Obligations for which a payment interruption has occurred due to either the insolvency or failure of the insurer or some form of regulatory intervention will generally be rated between 'B' and 'C' on the Long-Term IFS Rating scales (both International and National). International Short-Term IFS Ratings assigned under the same circumstances will align with the insurer's International Long-Term IFS
Ratings
.
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APPENDIX D
Eaton Vance Funds
Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures
I. Overview
The Boards of Trustees (the “ Board ” ) of the Eaton Vance Funds 1 have determined that it is in the interests of the Funds shareholders to adopt these written proxy voting policy and procedures (the Policy). For purposes of this Policy:
·
Fund means each registered investment company sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization; and
·
Adviser means the adviser or sub-adviser responsible for the day-to-day management of all or a portion of the Funds assets.
II. Delegation of Proxy Voting Responsibilities
The Board hereby delegates to the Adviser responsibility for voting the Fund ’ s proxies as described in this Policy. In this connection, the Adviser is required to provide the Board with a copy of its proxy voting policies and procedures (Adviser Procedures) and all Fund proxies will be voted in accordance with the Adviser Procedures, provided that in the event a material conflict of interest arises with respect to a proxy to be voted for the Fund (as described in Section IV below) the Adviser shall follow the process for voting such proxy as described in Section IV below.
The Adviser is required to report any material change to the Adviser Procedures to the Board in the manner set forth in Section V below. In addition, the Board will review the Adviser Procedures annually.
III. Delegation of Proxy Voting Disclosure Responsibilities
Pursuant to Rule 30b1-4 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “ 1940 Act ” ), the Fund is required to file Form N-PX no later than August 31st of each year. On Form N-PX, the Fund is required to disclose, among other things, information concerning proxies relating to the Funds portfolio investments, whether or not the Fund (or its Adviser) voted the proxies relating to securities held by the Fund and how it voted on the matter and whether it voted for or against management.
To facilitate the filing of Form N-PX for the Fund:
·
The Adviser is required to record, compile and transmit in a timely manner all data required to be filed on Form N-PX for the Fund that it manages. Such data shall be transmitted to Eaton Vance Management, which acts as administrator to the Fund (the Administrator) or the third party service provider designated by the Administrator; and
·
the Administrator is required to file Form N-PX on behalf of the Fund with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission) as required by the 1940 Act. The Administrator may delegate the filing to a third party service party provided each such filing is reviewed and approved by the Administrator.
IV. Conflicts of Interest
The Board expects the Adviser, as a fiduciary to the Fund it manages, to put the interests of the Fund and its shareholders above those of the Adviser. When required to vote a proxy for the Fund, the Adviser may have material business relationships with the issuer soliciting the proxy that could give rise to a potential material conflict of interest for the Adviser. 2 In the event such a material conflict of interest arises, the Adviser, to the extent it is aware or reasonably should have been aware of the material conflict, will refrain from voting any proxies related to companies giving rise to such material conflict until it notifies and consults with the appropriate Board, or any committee, sub-committee or group of Independent Trustees identified by the Board (as long as such committee, sub-committee or group contains at least two or more Independent Trustees) (the Board Members), concerning the material conflict. 3 For ease of communicating with the Board Members, the Adviser is required to provide the foregoing notice to the Funds Chief Legal Officer who will then notify and facilitate a consultation with the Board Members.
Once the Board Members have been notified of the material conflict:
·
They shall convene a meeting to review and consider all relevant materials related to the proxies involved. This meeting shall be convened within 3 business days, provided that it an effort will be made to convene the meeting sooner if the proxy must be voted in less than 3 business days;
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·
In considering such proxies, the Adviser shall make available all materials requested by the Board Members and make reasonably available appropriate personnel to discuss the matter upon request.
·
The Board Members will then instruct the Adviser on the appropriate course of action with respect to the proxy at issue.
If the Board Members are unable to meet and the failure to vote a proxy would have a material adverse impact on the Fund(s) involved, the Adviser will have the right to vote such proxy, provided that it discloses the existence of the material conflict to the
Chairperson
of the Board as soon as practicable and to the Board at its next meeting. Any determination regarding the voting of proxies of the Fund that is made by the Board Members shall be deemed to be a good faith determination regarding the voting of proxies by the full Board.
V. Reports and Review
The Administrator shall make copies of each Form N-PX filed on behalf of the Fund available for the Boards review upon the Boards request. The Administrator (with input from the Adviser for the Fund) shall also provide any reports reasonably requested by the Board regarding the proxy voting records of the Fund.
The Adviser shall report any material changes to the Adviser Procedures to the Board as soon as practicable and the Boards will review the Adviser Procedures annually.
The Adviser also shall report any changes to the Adviser Procedures to the Fund Chief Legal Officer prior to implementing such changes in order to enable the Administrator to effectively coordinate the Funds disclosure relating to the Adviser Procedures.
To the extent requested by the Commission, the Policy and the Adviser Procedures shall be appended to the Funds statement of additional information included in its registration statement.
_____________________
1
The Eaton Vance Funds may be organized as trusts or corporations. For ease of reference, the Funds may be referred to herein as Trusts and the Funds Board of Trustees or Board of Directors may be referred to collectively herein as the Board.
2
An Adviser is expected to maintain a process for identifying a potential material conflict of interest. As an example only, such potential conflicts may arise when the issuer is a client of the Adviser and generates a significant amount of fees to the Adviser or the issuer is a distributor of the Advisers products.
3
If a material conflict of interest exists with respect to a particular proxy and the proxy voting procedures of the relevant Adviser require that proxies are to be voted in accordance with the recommendation of a third party proxy voting vendor, the requirements of this Section IV shall only apply if the Adviser intends to vote such proxy in a manner inconsistent with such third party recommendation.
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APPENDIX E
EATON VANCE MANAGEMENT
BOSTON MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH
EATON VANCE INVESTMENT COUNSEL
EATON VANCE TRUST COMPANY
EATON VANCE MANAGEMENT (INTERNATIONAL) LIMITED
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
I. Introduction
Eaton Vance Management, Boston Management and Research
,
Eaton Vance Investment Counsel
, Eaton Vance Management (International) Limited and Eaton Vance Trust Company
(each an Adviser and collectively the Advisers) have each adopted and implemented policies and procedures that each Adviser believes are reasonably designed to ensure that proxies are voted in the best interest of clients, in accordance with its fiduciary duties and, to the extent applicable, Rule 206(4)-6 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The Advisers authority to vote the proxies of their clients is established by their advisory contracts or similar documentation, such as the Eaton Vance Funds Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures. These proxy policies and procedures reflect the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requirements governing advisers and the long-standing fiduciary standards and responsibilities for ERISA accounts set out in the Department of Labor Bulletin 94-2 C.F.R. 2509.94-2 (July 29, 1994).
II. Overview
Each Adviser manages its clients assets with the overriding goal of seeking to provide the greatest possible return to such clients consistent with governing laws and the investment policies of each client. In pursuing that goal, each Adviser seeks to exercise its clients rights as shareholders of voting securities to support sound corporate governance of the companies issuing those securities with the principle aim of maintaining or enhancing the companies economic value.
The exercise of shareholder rights is generally done by casting votes by proxy at shareholder meetings on matters submitted to shareholders for approval (for example, the election of directors or the approval of a companys stock option plans for directors, officers or employees). Each Adviser
has established guidelines (
Guidelines
) as
described
below and
generally
will utilize such Guidelines in voting proxies on behalf of its clients.
The Guidelines are largely based on those developed by the Agent (defined below) but also reflect input from the Global Proxy Group (defined below) and other Adviser investment professionals and are believed to be consistent with the views of the Adviser on the various types of proxy proposals.
These Guidelines are designed to promote accountability of a companys management and board of directors to its shareholders and to align the interests of management with those of shareholders.
The Guidelines provide a framework for analysis and decision making but do not address all potential issues.
Except as noted below,
each Adviser will vote any proxies received by a client for which it has sole investment discretion through a third-party proxy voting service (Agent) in accordance with
the Guidelines
in a manner that is reasonably designed to eliminate any potential conflicts of interest, as described more fully below. The Agent is currently Institutional Shareholder Services Inc.
Where applicable,
proxies will be voted in accordance with client-specific guidelines
or, in the case of
an Eaton Vance
Fund that is sub-advised, pursuant to the
sub-advisers proxy voting policies and procedures
. Although an Adviser retains the services of the Agent for research and voting recommendations, the Adviser remains responsible for proxy voting decisions
.
III. Roles and Responsibilities
A. Proxy Administrator
The Proxy Administrator
coordinates
the
consideration
of
proxies referred back to the Adviser by the Agent,
and
otherwise administers these
Procedures
. In the Proxy Administrators absence, another employee of the Adviser may perform
the Proxy
Administrators responsibilities
as
deemed appropriate by the
Global
Proxy Group.
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B. Agent
The Agent is responsible for coordinating with the clients custodians and the Advisers to ensure that all proxy materials received by the custodians relating to the portfolio securities are processed in a timely fashion.
Each Adviser shall instruct the custodian for its clients
to
deliver proxy ballots and related materials to the Agent. The Agent shall
vote and/or refer all proxies in accordance with the Guidelines
. The Agent shall retain a record of all proxy votes handled by the Agent.
With respect to each Eaton Vance Fund memorialized therein,
such record must reflect all of the information required to be disclosed in
the
Funds Form N-PX pursuant to Rule 30b1-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, to the extent applicable. In addition, the Agent is responsible for maintaining copies of all proxy statements received by issuers and to promptly provide such materials to an Adviser upon request.
Subject to the oversight of the Advisers, the Agent shall establish and maintain adequate internal controls and policies in connection with the provision of proxy voting services to the Advisers, including methods to reasonably ensure that its analysis and recommendations are not influenced by a conflict of interest, and shall disclose such controls and policies to the Advisers when and as provided for herein. Unless otherwise specified, references herein to recommendations of the Agent shall refer to those in which no conflict of interest has been identified. The Advisers are responsible for the ongoing oversight of the Agent as contemplated by SEC Staff Legal Bulletin No. 20 (June 30, 2014). Such oversight currently may include one or more of the following:
periodic review of Agents proxy voting platform and reporting capabilities (including recordkeeping);
periodic review of a sample of ballots for accuracy and correct application of the Guidelines;
periodic meetings with Agents client services team;
periodic in-person and/or web-based due diligence meetings;
receipt and review of annual certifications received from the Agent; and/or
annual review of due diligence materials provided by the Agent, including review of procedures and practices regarding potential conflicts of interests.
C. Global Proxy Group
The Adviser shall establish a
Global
Proxy Group which
is responsible for establishing the Guidelines (described below) and reviewing such Guidelines at least annually. The Global Proxy Group
shall
also
review
recommendations
to vote proxies in a manner that is contrary to the Guidelines and
when
the
proxy
relates
to
a conflicted company of the Adviser or the Agent as described below.
The members of the Global Proxy Group shall include the Chief Equity Investment Officer of Eaton Vance Management (EVM) and selected members of the Equity Departments of EVM and Eaton Vance Management (International) Limited (EVMI).
The Proxy Administrator
is not a voting member of the Global Proxy Group.
Members of the
Global
Proxy Group
may be
changed
from time to time at the Advisers discretion.
Matters that require the approval of the Global Proxy Group may be acted upon by its member(s) available to consider the matter.
IV. Proxy Voting
A. The Guidelines
The Global Proxy Group shall establish recommendations for the manner in which proxy proposals shall be voted (the Guidelines). The Guidelines shall identify when ballots for specific types of proxy proposals shall be voted (1) or referred to the Adviser. The Guidelines shall address a wide variety of individual topics, including, among other matters, shareholder voting rights, anti-takeover defenses, board structures, the election of directors, executive and director compensation, reorganizations, mergers, issues of corporate social responsibility and other proposals affecting shareholder rights. In determining the Guidelines, the Global Proxy Group considers the recommendations of the Agent as well as input from the Advisers portfolio managers and analysts and/or other internally developed or third party research.
The Global Proxy Group shall review the Guidelines at least annually and, in connection with proxies to be voted on behalf of the Eaton Vance Funds, the Adviser will submit amendments to the Guidelines to the Fund Boards each year for approval.
With respect to the types of proxy proposals listed below, the Guidelines will generally provide as follows:
1 . Proposals Regarding Mergers and Corporate Restructurings /Disposition of Assets/Termination/Liquidation and Mergers
The Agent shall be directed to refer proxy proposals accompanied by its written analysis and voting recommendation to the Proxy Administrator for all proposals relating to Mergers and Corporate Restructurings.
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2
. Corporate Structure Matters/Anti-Takeover Defenses
As a general matter, the Advisers will normally vote against anti-takeover measures and other proposals designed to limit the ability of shareholders to act on possible transactions (except in the case of closed-end management investment companies).
3. Proposals Regarding Proxy Contests
The Agent shall be directed to refer contested proxy proposals accompanied by its written analysis and voting recommendation to the Proxy Administrator.
4 . Social and Environmental Issues
The Advisers generally support management on social and environmental proposals.
Interpretation and application of the Guidelines is not intended to supersede any law, regulation, binding agreement or other legal requirement to which an issuer or the Adviser may be or become subject. The Guidelines generally relate to the types of proposals that are most frequently presented in proxy statements to shareholders. In certain circumstances, an Adviser may determine to vote contrary to the Guidelines subject to the voting procedures set forth below.
B . Voting Procedures
Except as noted in Section V below
, the Proxy Administrator
shall instruct the Agent to vote proxies as follows:
1. Vote in Accordance with Guidelines
If the Guidelines prescribe the manner in which the proxy is to be voted, the Agent shall vote in accordance with the Guidelines, which for certain types of proposals, are recommendations of the Agent made on a case-by-case basis.
2. Seek Guidance for a Referred Item or a Proposal for which there is No Guideline
If (i) the Guidelines state that the proxy shall be referred to the Adviser to determine the manner in which it should be voted or (ii) a proxy is received for a proposal for which there is no Guideline, the Proxy Administrator shall consult with the analyst(s) covering the company subject to the proxy proposal and shall instruct the Agent to vote in accordance with the determination of the analyst. The Proxy Administrator will maintain a record of all proxy proposals that are referred by
the Agent, as well as
all applicable recommendations, analysis and research received and the resolution of the matter. Where more than one analyst covers a particular company and the recommendations of such analysts for voting a proposal subject to this Section IV.B.2 conflict, the Global Proxy Group shall review such recommendations and any other available information related to the proposal and determine the manner in which it should be voted, which may result in different recommendations for clients (including Funds).
3.
Votes
Contrary to
the Guidelines
or
Where
Agent
is Conflicted
In the event
an analyst with respect to companies
within
his or her coverage area may recommend a vote contrary to the Guidelines, the Proxy Administrator will provide the Global Proxy Group with the
Agents recommendation
for
the
Proposal along
with
any other
relevant
materials, including a description of the basis for the analysts
recommendation
via email and
the Proxy Administrator will
then
instruct the Agent to vote the proxy
in the manner determined
by the
Global
Proxy Group. The Adviser will provide a report to the Boards of Trustees of the Eaton Vance Funds reflecting any votes cast on behalf of the Eaton Vance Funds contrary to the Guidelines
, and shall do so quarterly. A similar process will be followed if the Agent has a conflict of interest with respect to a proxy as described in Section VI.B
.
4. Do Not Cast
a
Vote
It shall generally be the policy of the Advisers to take no action on a
proxy
for which no client holds a position or otherwise maintains an economic interest in the relevant security at the time the vote is to be cast. In addition, the Advisers may determine not to vote (i) if the economic effect on shareholders' interests or the value of the portfolio holding is indeterminable or insignificant (
e.g.,
proxies in connection with securities no longer held in the portfolio of a client or proxies being considered on behalf of a client that is no longer in existence); (ii) if the cost of voting a proxy outweighs the benefits (
e.g.,
certain international proxies, particularly in cases in which share blocking practices may impose trading restrictions on the relevant portfolio security); or (iii) in markets in which shareholders' rights are limited, and the Adviser is unable to timely access ballots or other proxy information. Non-Votes may also result in certain cases in which the Agent's recommendation has been deemed to be conflicted, as provided for herein.
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C. Securities on Loan
When a fund client participates in the lending of its securities and the securities are on loan at the record date for a shareholder meeting, proxies related to such securities generally will not be forwarded to the relevant Adviser
by the
funds custodian and therefore will not be voted. In the event that the Adviser determines that the matters involved would have a material effect on the
applicable
funds investment in the loaned securities, the Adviser will make reasonable efforts to terminate the loan in time to be able to cast such vote or exercise such consent. The Adviser shall instruct the funds security lending agent to refrain from lending the full position of
any
security held by a fund to ensure that the Adviser receives notice of proxy proposals impacting the loaned security
.
V. Recordkeeping
The Advisers will maintain records relating to the proxies they vote on behalf of their clients in accordance with Section 204-2 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. Those records will include:
·
A copy of the Advisers proxy voting policies and procedures;
·
Proxy statements received regarding client securities. Such proxy statements received from issuers are either in the SECs EDGAR database or are kept by the Agent and are available upon request;
·
A record of each vote cast;
·
A copy of any document created by the Advisers that was material to making a decision on how to vote a proxy for a client or that memorializes the basis for such a decision; and
·
Each written client request for proxy voting records and the Advisers written response to any client request (whether written or oral) for such records.
All records described above will be maintained in an easily accessible place for five years and will be maintained in the offices of the Advisers or their Agent for two years after they are created.
Notwithstanding anything contained in this Section V, Eaton Vance Trust Company shall maintain records relating to the proxies it votes on behalf of its clients in accordance with laws and regulations applicable to it and its activities. In addition, EVMI shall maintain records relating to the proxies it votes on behalf of its clients in accordance with UK law.
VI. Assessment of Agent and Identification and Resolution of Conflicts with Clients
A. Assessment of Agent
The Advisers shall establish that the Agent (i) is independent from the Advisers, (ii) has resources that indicate it can competently provide analysis of proxy issues, and (iii) can make recommendations in an impartial manner and in the best interests of the clients and, where applicable, their beneficial owners. The Advisers shall utilize, and the Agent shall comply with, such methods for establishing the foregoing as the Advisers may deem reasonably appropriate and shall do so not less than annually as well as prior to engaging the services of any new proxy voting service. The Agent shall also notify the Advisers in writing within fifteen (15) calendar days of any material change to information previously provided to an Adviser in connection with establishing the Agents independence, competence or impartiality.
B. Conflicts of Interest
As fiduciaries to their clients, each Adviser puts the interests of its clients ahead of its own. In order to ensure that relevant personnel of the Advisers are able to identify potential material conflicts of interest, each Adviser will take the following steps:
·
Quarterly, the Eaton Vance Legal and Compliance Department will seek information from the department heads of each department of the Advisers and of Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. (EVD) (an affiliate of the Advisers and principal underwriter of certain Eaton Vance Funds). Each department head will be asked to provide a list of significant clients or prospective clients of the Advisers or EVD.
·
A representative of the Legal and Compliance Department will compile a list of the companies identified (the Conflicted Companies) and provide that list to the Proxy Administrator.
·
The Proxy Administrator will compare the list of Conflicted Companies with the names of companies for which he or she has been referred a proxy statement (the Proxy Companies). If a Conflicted Company is also a Proxy Company, the Proxy Administrator will report that fact to the Global Proxy Group.
·
If the Proxy Administrator expects to instruct the Agent to vote the proxy of the Conflicted Company strictly according to the Guidelines contained in these Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (the Policies) or the recommendation of the
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Agent, as applicable, he or she will (i) inform the Global Proxy Group of that fact, (ii) instruct the Agent to vote the proxies and (iii) record the existence of the material conflict and the resolution of the matter.
·
If the Proxy Administrator intends to instruct the Agent to vote in a manner inconsistent with the Guidelines
, the Global Proxy Group
will then determine if a material conflict of interest exists between the relevant Adviser and its clients
(
in consultation with
the Legal and Compliance Department if needed). If the Global Proxy Group
determines that a material conflict exists, prior to instructing the Agent to vote any proxies relating to these Conflicted Companies the Adviser will seek instruction on how the proxy should be voted from:
·
The client, in the case of an individual, corporate, institutional or benefit plan client;
·
In the case of a Fund, its board of directors, any committee
,
sub-committee or group of Independent Trustees (as long as such committee, sub-committee or group contains at least two or more Independent Trustees); or
·
The adviser, in situations where the Adviser acts as a sub-adviser to such adviser.
The Adviser will provide all reasonable assistance to each party to enable such party to make an informed decision.
If the client, Fund board or adviser, as the case may be, fails to instruct the Adviser on how to vote the proxy, the Adviser will generally instruct the Agent, through the Proxy Administrator, to abstain from voting in order to avoid the appearance of impropriety. If however, the failure of the Adviser to vote its clients proxies would have a material adverse economic impact on the Advisers clients securities holdings in the Conflicted Company, the Adviser may instruct the Agent, through the Proxy Administrator, to vote such proxies in order to protect its clients interests. In either case, the Proxy Administrator will record the existence of the material conflict and the resolution of the matter.
The Advisers shall also identify and address conflicts that may arise from time to time concerning the Agent. Upon the Advisers request, which shall be not less than annually, and within fifteen (15) calendar days of any material change to such information previously provided to an Adviser, the Agent shall provide the Advisers with such information as the Advisers deem reasonable and appropriate for use in determining material relationships of the Agent that may pose a conflict of interest with respect to the Agents proxy analysis or recommendations. Such information shall include, but is not limited to, a monthly report from the Agent detailing the Agents Corporate Securities Division clients and related revenue data. The Advisers shall review such information on a monthly basis. The Proxy Administrator shall instruct the Agent to refer any proxies for which a material conflict of the Agent is deemed to be present to the Proxy Administrator. Any such proxy referred by the Agent shall be referred to the Global Proxy Group for consideration accompanied by the Agents written analysis and voting recommendation. The Proxy Administrator will instruct the Agent to vote the proxy as recommended by the Global Proxy Group.
(1)
The Guidelines will prescribe how a proposal shall be voted or provide factors to be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Agent in recommending a vote pursuant to the Guidelines.
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STATEMENT OF
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
May 1, 201
6
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
Class A Shares - ETGIX Class B Shares - EMGIX Class C Shares - ECGIX Class I Shares - EGIIX
Two International Place
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
1-800-262-1122
This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) provides general information about the Fund and
its corresponding
Portfolio. The Fund and the Portfolio are diversified, open-end management investment companies. The Fund is a series of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust. Capitalized terms used in this SAI and not otherwise defined have the meanings given to them in the Prospectus.
This SAI contains additional information about:
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Page |
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Page |
Strategies and Risks |
2 |
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Sales Charges |
21 |
Investment Restrictions |
4 |
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Performance |
23 |
Management and Organization |
6 |
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Taxes |
25 |
Investment Advisory and Administrative Services |
16 |
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Portfolio Securities Transactions |
33 |
Other Service Providers |
18 |
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Financial Statements |
35 |
Calculation of Net Asset Value |
19 |
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Additional Information About Investment Strategies |
35 |
Purchasing and Redeeming Shares |
20 |
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Appendix A: Class A Fees, Performance and Ownership |
66 |
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Appendix E: Country Information |
73 |
Appendix B: Class B Fees, Performance and Ownership |
68 |
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Appendix F: Eaton Vance Funds Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures |
76 |
Appendix C: Class C Fees, Performance and Ownership |
70 |
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Appendix G: LGM Investments Proxy Voting Procedures |
78 |
Appendix D: Class I Performance and Ownership |
72 |
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This SAI is NOT a prospectus and is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only if preceded or accompanied by the Fund Prospectus dated May 1, 201
6
, as supplemented from time to time, which is incorporated herein by reference. This SAI should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus, which may be obtained by calling 1-800-262-1122.
© 201
6
Eaton Vance Management
Definitions
The following terms that may be used in this SAI have the meaning set forth below:
“ 1940 Act ” means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended;
“ 1933 Act means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended;
Board means Board of Trustees or Board of Directors, as applicable;
CEA means Commodity Exchange Act;
CFTC means the Commodity Futures Trading Commission;
Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;
Eaton Vance family of funds means all registered investment companies advised, administered and/or distributed by Eaton Vance or its affiliates;
Eaton Vance funds means the mutual funds sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization;
Exchange means the New York Stock Exchange;
FINRA means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority;
Fund means the Fund or Funds listed on the cover of this SAI unless stated otherwise;
investment adviser means the investment adviser identified in the prospectus and, with respect to the implementation of the Funds investment strategies (including as described under Taxes) and portfolio securities transactions, any sub-adviser identified in the prospectus;
IRS means the Internal Revenue Service;
Portfolio means a registered investment company (other than the Fund) sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization in which one or more Funds and other investors may invest substantially all or any portion of their assets as described in the prospectus, if applicable;
Subsidiary means a wholly-owned subsidiary that certain funds may have established to pursue their investment objective. The Fund described in this SAI has not established a Subsidiary;
SEC means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; and
Trust means Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust, of which the Fund is a series.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
2
SAI dated May 1, 2016
STRATEGIES AND RISKS
The Fund prospectus identifies the types of investments in which the Fund will principally invest in seeking its investment objective(s) and the principal risks associated therewith. The categories checked in the table below are all of the investments the Fund is permitted to make, including its principal investments and the investment practices the Fund (either directly or through one or more Portfolios as may be described in the prospectus) is permitted to engage in. To the extent that an investment type or practice listed below is not identified in the Fund prospectus as a principal investment
strategy
, the Fund generally expects to invest less than 5% of its total assets in such investment type. If a particular investment type
or practice
that is checked and listed below but not referred to in the prospectus becomes a more significant part of the Funds strategy, the prospectus may be amended to disclose that investment
type or practice.
Fund as used herein and under Additional Information About Investment Strategies refers to the Fund and its corresponding Portfolio. Information about the various investment types and practices and the associated risks checked below is included in alphabetical order in this SAI under Additional Information about Investment Strategies.
Investment Type |
Permitted for or Relevant to the Portfolio : |
Asset-Backed Securities (ABS) |
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Auction Rate Securities |
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Build America Bonds |
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Call and Put Features on Securities |
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Cash Equivalents |
√ |
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations ( “ CMOs ” ) |
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Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities ( “ CMBS ” ) |
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Commodity-Related Investments |
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Common Stocks |
√ |
Contingent Convertible Securities |
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Convertible Securities |
√ (1) |
Credit Linked Securities |
|
Derivative Instruments and Related Risks |
√ |
Direct Investments |
|
Derivative-Linked and Commodity-Linked Hybrid Instruments |
√ (1) |
Emerging Market Investments |
√ (2) |
Equity Investments |
√ (3) |
Equity Linked Securities |
|
Exchange-Traded Funds ( “ ETFs ” ) |
√ |
Exchange-Traded Notes ( “ ETNs ” ) |
|
Fixed-Income Securities |
√ (1) |
Foreign Currency Transactions |
√ |
Foreign Investments |
√ |
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts |
√ |
Forward Rate Agreements |
|
Futures Contracts |
√ (4) |
High Yield Securities |
√ (1) |
Hybrid Securities |
|
Illiquid Securities |
√ |
Indexed Securities |
|
Inflation-Indexed (or Inflation-Linked) Bonds |
|
Junior Loans |
|
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
3
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Investment Type |
Permitted for or Relevant to the Portfolio : |
Liquidity or Protective Put Agreements |
|
Loans |
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Master Limited Partnerships ( “ MLPs ” ) |
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Mortgage-Backed Securities ( “ MBS ” ) |
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Mortgage Dollar Rolls |
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Municipal Lease Obligations ( “ MLOs ” ) |
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Municipal Obligations |
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Option Contracts |
√ |
Pooled Investment Vehicles |
√ |
Preferred Stock |
√ |
Real Estate Investments |
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Repurchase Agreements |
√ |
Residual Interest Bonds |
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Restricted Securities |
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Reverse Repurchase Agreements |
√ |
Rights and Warrants |
√ |
Royalty Bonds |
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Senior Loans |
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Short Sales |
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Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities ( “ SMBS ” ) |
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Structured Notes |
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Swap Agreements |
√ |
Swaptions |
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Trust Certificates |
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U.S. Government Securities |
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Unlisted Securities |
√ |
Variable Rate Instruments |
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When-Issued Securities, Delayed Delivery and Forward Commitments |
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Zero Coupon Bonds |
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Other Disclosures Regarding Investment Practices |
Permitted for or Relevant to the Portfolio : |
Asset Coverage |
√ |
Average Effective Maturity |
|
Borrowing for Investment Purposes |
|
Borrowing for Temporary Purposes |
√ |
Cyber Security Risk |
√ |
Diversified Status |
√ |
Dividend Capture Trading |
|
Duration |
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
4
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Other Disclosures Regarding Investment Practices |
Permitted for or Relevant to the Portfolio : |
Investing in a Portfolio |
√ |
Investments in the Subsidiary |
|
Loan Facility |
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Operational Risk |
√ |
Option Strategy |
|
Participation in the ReFlow Liquidity Program |
√ |
Portfolio Turnover |
√ |
Securities Lending |
√ |
Short-Term Trading |
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Significant Exposure to Health Sciences Companies |
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Significant Exposure to Smaller Companies |
√ |
Significant Exposure to Utility and Financial Service Companies |
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Tax-Managed Investing |
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(1)
Convertible securities in which the Fund will invest will generally not be rated, but will typically be equivalent in credit quality to securities rated below investment grade. Investments in such lower rated debt securities will not exceed 20% of total assets.
(2)
The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in issuers in India and the Indian subcontinent. For a discussion of the risks associated with such issuers, see Appendix E.
(3)
Equity securities, for purposes of the 80% policy, will be limited to common and preferred stocks; equity interests in trusts, partnerships, joint ventures and other unincorporated entities or enterprises; special classes of shares available only to foreign investors in markets that restrict ownership by foreign investors to certain classes of equity securities; depositary receipts; convertible preferred stocks; and other convertible instruments. When consistent with its investment objective, the Fund may also invest in equity securities of companies not in the Indian subcontinent.
(4)
The Fund limits investment in stock and index futures to not more than 20% of its total assets.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The following investment restrictions of the Fund are designated as fundamental policies and as such cannot be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Funds outstanding voting securities, which as used in this SAI means the lesser of: (a) 67% of the shares of the Fund 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 the outstanding shares of the Fund. Accordingly, the Fund may not:
(1)
Borrow money or issue senior securities except as permitted by the 1940 Act;
(2)
Purchase any securities on margin (but the Fund and Portfolio may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of securities);
(3)
Underwrite securities of other issuers;
(4)
Invest in real estate including interests in real estate limited partnerships (although it may purchase and sell securities which are secured by real estate and securities of companies which invest or deal in real estate) or in commodities or commodity contracts for the purchase or sale of physical commodities;
(5)
Make loans to any person except by (a) the acquisition of debt securities and making portfolio investments, (b) entering into repurchase agreements and (c) lending portfolio securities;
(6)
With respect to 75% of its total assets, invest more than 5% of its total assets (taken at current value) in the securities of any one issuer, or invest in more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer, except obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities and except securities of other investment companies; or
(7)
Concentrate its investments in any particular industry, but, if deemed appropriate for the Funds objective, up to (but less than) 25% of the value of its assets may be invested in securities of companies in any one industry (although more than 25% may be invested in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities).
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
5
SAI dated May 1, 2016
For purposes of determining industry classifications, the investment adviser considers an issuer to be in a particular industry if a third party has designated the issuer to be in that industry, unless the investment adviser is aware of circumstances that make the third partys classification inappropriate. In such a case, the investment adviser will assign an industry classification to the issuer.
In connection with Restriction (1) above, the 1940 Act currently permits investment companies to borrow money so long as there is 300% asset coverage of the borrowing (i.e., borrowings do not exceed one-third of the investment companys total assets after subtracting liabilities other than the borrowings). There is no current intent to borrow money, except for the limited purposes described in the Prospectus.
Notwithstanding its investment policies and restrictions, the Fund may, in compliance with the requirements of the 1940 Act, invest: (i) all of its investable assets in an open-end management investment company with substantially the same investment objective(s), policies and restrictions as the Fund; or (ii) in more than one open-end management investment company sponsored by Eaton Vance or its affiliates, provided any such company has investment objective(s), policies and restrictions that are consistent with those of the Fund.
The Portfolio has adopted substantially the same fundamental investment restrictions as the foregoing investment restrictions adopted by the Fund; such restrictions cannot be changed without the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Portfolio.
In addition, to the extent a registered open-end investment company acquires securities of a portfolio in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(G) under the 1940 Act, such portfolio shall not acquire any securities of a registered open-end investment company in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(G) under the 1940 Act.
The following nonfundamental investment policies have been adopted by the Fund and Portfolio. A nonfundamental investment policy may be changed by the Board with respect to the Fund without approval by the Funds shareholders or, with respect to the Portfolio, without approval of the Fund or its other investors. The Fund and Portfolio will not:
·
make short sales of securities or maintain a short position, unless at all times when a short position is open (i) it owns an equal amount of such securities or securities convertible into or exchangeable, without payment of any further consideration, for securities of the same issue as, and equal in amount to, the securities sold short or (ii) it holds in a segregated account cash or other liquid securities (to the extent required under the 1940 Act) in an amount equal to the current market value of the securities sold short, and unless not more than 25% of its net assets (taken at current value) is held as collateral for such sales at any one time; or
·
invest more than 15% of net assets in investments which are not readily marketable, including restricted securities and repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days. Restricted securities for the purposes of this limitation do not include securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act and commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of said Act that the members of the Board, or their delegate, determines to be liquid. Any such determination by a delegate will be made pursuant to procedures adopted by the Board. When investing in Rule 144A securities, the level of portfolio illiquidity may be increased to the extent that eligible buyers become uninterested in purchasing such securities.
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 acquisition by the Fund or Portfolio of such security or asset. Accordingly, unless otherwise noted, 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 investment adviser if the security is not rated by a rating agency), will not compel the Fund or Portfolio to dispose of such security or other asset. However, the Fund and Portfolio must always be in compliance with the borrowing policy and limitation on investing in illiquid securities set forth above. If a sale of securities is required to comply with the 15% limit on illiquid securities, such sales will be made in an orderly manner with consideration of the best interests of shareholders. If the Fund is required to reduce borrowings, it will do so within three days (excluding Sundays and holidays) or such longer period as the SEC may prescribe by rules and regulations.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
6
SAI dated May 1, 2016
MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION
Fund Management. The Trustees of the Trust are responsible for the overall management and supervision of the affairs of the Trust. The Trustees of the Portfolio are responsible for the overall management and supervision of the Portfolio. The Board members and officers of the Trust and the Portfolio 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. Board members and officers of the Trust and the Portfolio hold indefinite terms of office. The noninterested Trustees consist of those Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust and the Portfolio, as that term is defined under the 1940 Act. The business address of each Board member and officer is Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. As used in this SAI, EVC refers to Eaton Vance Corp., EV refers to Eaton Vance, Inc., Eaton Vance refers to Eaton Vance Management , EVMI refers to Eaton Vance Management (International) Limited and EVD refers to Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. (see Principal Underwriter under Other Service Providers). EVC and EV are the corporate parent and trustee, respectively, of Eaton Vance and BMR. EVMI is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of EVC. Each officer affiliated with Eaton Vance may hold a position with other Eaton Vance affiliates that is comparable to his or her position with Eaton Vance listed below.
Name and Year of Birth |
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Trust/Portfolio
|
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Term of Office and
|
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Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
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Number of Portfolios
|
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Other Directorships Held
|
Interested Trustee |
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THOMAS E. FAUST JR.
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Trustee |
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Since 2007 |
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Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of EVC, Director and President of EV, Chief Executive Officer and President of Eaton Vance and BMR, and Director of EVD and EVMI . Trustee and/or officer of 179 registered investment companies. Mr. Faust is an interested person because of his positions with BMR, Eaton Vance, EVC, EVD , EVMI and EV, which are affiliates of the Trust and Portfolio. |
|
179 |
|
Director of EVC and Hexavest Inc. (investment management firm). |
Noninterested Trustees |
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SCOTT E. ESTON
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Trustee |
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Since 2011 |
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Private investor. Formerly held various positions at Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo and Co., L.L.C. (investment management firm) (1997-2009), including Chief Operating Officer (2002-2009), Chief Financial Officer (1997-2009) and Chairman of the Executive Committee (2002-2008); President and Principal Executive Officer, GMO Trust (open-end registered investment company) (2006-2009). Former Partner, Coopers and Lybrand L.L.P. (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) ( an independent registered public accounting firm) (1987-1997). |
|
179 |
|
None |
CYNTHIA E. FROST
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Trustee |
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Since 2014 |
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Private investor. Formerly, Chief Investment Officer of Brown University (university endowment) (2000-2012); Portfolio Strategist for Duke Management Company (university endowment manager) (1995-2000); Managing Director, Cambridge Associates (investment consulting company) (1989-1995); Consultant, Bain and Company (management consulting firm) (1987-1989); Senior Equity Analyst, BA Investment Management Company (1983-1985). |
|
179 |
|
None |
GEORGE J. GORMAN
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Trustee |
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Since 2014 |
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Principal at George J. Gorman LLC (consulting firm). Formerly, Senior Partner at Ernst & Young LLP (public accounting firm) (1974-2009). |
|
179 |
|
Formerly, Trustee of the Bank of America Money Market Funds Series Trust (2011-2014) and of the Ashmore Funds (2010-2014). |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
7
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Name and Year of Birth |
|
Trust/Portfolio
|
|
Term of Office and
|
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
|
|
Number of Portfolios
|
|
Other Directorships Held
|
VALERIE A. MOSLEY
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Trustee |
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Since 2014 |
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Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of Valmo Ventures (a consulting and investment firm). Former Partner and Senior Vice President, Portfolio Manager and Investment Strategist at Wellington Management Company, LLP (investment management firm) (1992-2012). Former Chief Investment Officer, PG Corbin Asset Management (1990-1992). Formerly worked in institutional corporate bond sales at Kidder Peabody (1986-1990). |
|
179 |
|
Director of Dynex Capital, Inc. (mortgage REIT) (since 2013). |
WILLIAM H. PARK
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Vice-Chairperson of the Board and Trustee |
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Vice-Chairperson of the Board since 2016 and Trustee since 2003 |
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Private investor. Formerly, Consultant (management and transactional) (2012-2014). Formerly, Chief Financial Officer, Aveon Group, L.P. (investment management firm) (2010-2011). Formerly, Vice Chairman, Commercial Industrial Finance Corp. (specialty finance company) (2006-2010). Formerly, President and Chief Executive Officer, Prizm Capital Management, LLC (investment management firm) (2002-2005). Formerly, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, United Asset Management Corporation (investment management firm) (1982-2001). Formerly, Senior Manager, Price Waterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) (an independent registered public accounting firm) (1972-1981). |
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179 |
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None |
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HELEN FRAME PETERS
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Trustee |
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Since 2008 |
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Professor of Finance, Carroll School of Management, Boston College. Formerly, Dean, Carroll School of Management, Boston College (2000-2002). Formerly, Chief Investment Officer, Fixed Income, Scudder Kemper Investments (investment management firm) (1998-1999). Formerly, Chief Investment Officer, Equity and Fixed Income, Colonial Management Associates (investment management firm) (1991-1998). |
|
179 |
|
Formerly, Director of BJs Wholesale Club, Inc. (wholesale club retailer) (2004-2011). Formerly, Trustee of SPDR Index Shares Funds and SPDR Series Trust (exchange traded funds) (2000-2009). Formerly, Director of Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (a bank for banks) (2007-2009). |
SUSAN J. SUTHERLAND
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Trustee |
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Since 2015 |
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Private investor. Formerly, Associate, Counsel and Partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (law firm) (1982-2013). |
|
179 |
|
Formerly, Director of Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd. (global provider of customized insurance and reinsurance products) (2013 -2015 ). |
HARRIETT TEE TAGGART
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Trustee |
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Since 2011 |
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Managing Director, Taggart Associates (a professional practice firm). Formerly, Partner and Senior Vice President, Wellington Management Company, LLP (investment management firm) (1983-2006). |
|
179 |
|
Director of Albemarle Corporation (chemicals manufacturer) (since 2007) and The Hanover Group (specialty property and casualty insurance company) (since 2009). Formerly, Director of Lubrizol Corporation (specialty chemicals) (2007-2011). |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
8
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Name and Year of Birth |
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Trust/Portfolio
|
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Term of Office and
|
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
|
|
Number of Portfolios
|
|
Other Directorships Held
|
RALPH F. VERNI
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Chairperson of the Board and Trustee |
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Chairperson of the Board since 2007 and Trustee since 2005 |
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Consultant and private investor. Formerly, Chief Investment Officer (1982-1992), Chief Financial Officer (1988-1990) and Director (1982-1992), New England Life. Formerly, Chairperson, New England Mutual Funds (1982-1992). Formerly, President and Chief Executive Officer, State Street Management & Research (1992-2000). Formerly, Chairperson, State Street Research Mutual Funds (1992-2000). Formerly, Director, W.P. Carey, LLC (1998-2004) and First Pioneer Farm Credit Corp. (financial services cooperative) (2002-2006). |
|
179 |
|
None |
(1)
Includes both master and feeder funds in a master-feeder structure.
(2)
During their respective tenures, the Trustees (except for Mmes. Frost and Sutherland and Mr. Gorman) also served as Board members of one or more of the following funds (which operated in the years noted): eUnits
TM
2 Year U.S. Market Participation Trust: Upside to Cap / Buffered Downside (launched in 2012 and terminated in 2014); eUnits
TM
2 Year U.S. Market Participation Trust II: Upside to Cap / Buffered Downside (launched in 2012 and terminated in 2014);
and Eaton Vance National Municipal Income Trust (launched in 1998 and terminated in 2009). However, Ms. Mosley did not serve as a Board member of eUnits
TM
2 Year U.S. Market Participation Trust: Upside to Cap / Buffered Downside (launched in 2012 and terminated in 2014).
The Board has general oversight responsibility with respect to the business and affairs of the Trust and the Fund. The Board has engaged an investment adviser and (if applicable) a sub-adviser (collectively the adviser) to manage the Fund and an administrator to administer the Fund and is responsible for overseeing such adviser and administrator and other service providers to the Trust and the Fund. The Board is currently composed of
ten
Trustees, including
nine
Trustees who are not interested persons of the Fund, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (each a noninterested Trustee). In addition to
six
regularly scheduled meetings per year, the Board holds special meetings or informal conference calls to discuss specific matters that may require action prior to the next regular meeting. As discussed below, the Board has established five committees to assist the Board in performing its oversight responsibilities.
The Board has appointed a noninterested Trustee to serve in the role of Chair
perso
n. The Chair
perso
ns primary role is to participate in the preparation of the agenda for meetings of the Board and the identification of information to be presented to the Board with respect to matters to be acted upon by the Board. The Chair
perso
n also presides at all meetings of the Board and acts as a liaison with service providers, officers, attorneys, and other Board members generally between meetings. The Chair
perso
n may perform such other functions as may be requested by the Board from time to time.
In addition, the Board has appointed a noninterested Trustee to serve in the role of Vice-Chairperson. The Vice-Chairperson has the power and authority to perform any or all of the duties and responsibilities of the Chairperson in the absence of the Chairperson and/or as requested by the Chairperson.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
9
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Except for any duties specified herein or pursuant to the Trusts Declaration of Trust or By-laws, the designation of
Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson
does not impose on such noninterested Trustee any duties, obligations or liability that is greater than the duties, obligations or liability imposed on such person as a member of the Board, generally. The Portfolio has the same leadership structure as the Trust.
The Fund and the Trust are subject to a number of risks, including, among others, investment, compliance, operational, and valuation risks. Risk oversight is part of the Boards general oversight of the Fund and the Trust and is addressed as part of various activities of the Board and its Committees. As part of its oversight of the Fund and the Trust, the Board directly, or through a Committee, relies on and reviews reports from, among others, Fund management, the adviser, the administrator, the principal underwriter, the Chief Compliance Officer (the CCO), and other Fund service providers responsible for day-to-day oversight of Fund investments, operations and compliance to assist the Board in identifying and understanding the nature and extent of risks and determining whether, and to what extent, such risks can or should be mitigated. The Board also interacts with the CCO and with senior personnel of the adviser, administrator, principal underwriter and other Fund service providers and provides input on risk management issues during meetings of the Board and its Committees. Each of the adviser, administrator, principal underwriter and the other Fund service providers has its own, independent interest and responsibilities in risk management, and its policies and methods for carrying out risk management functions will depend, in part, on its individual priorities, resources and controls. It is not possible to identify all of the risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. Moreover, it is necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Funds goals.
The Board, with the assistance of management and with input from the Board's various committees, reviews investment policies and risks in connection with its review of Fund performance. The Board has appointed a Fund CCO who oversees the implementation and testing of the Fund compliance program and reports to the Board regarding compliance matters for the Fund and its principal service providers. In addition, as part of the Boards periodic review of the advisory, subadvisory (if applicable), distribution and other service provider agreements, the Board may consider risk management aspects of their operations and the functions for which they are responsible. With respect to valuation, the Board approves and periodically reviews valuation policies and procedures applicable to valuing the Funds shares. The administrator, the investment adviser and the sub-adviser (if applicable) are responsible for the implementation and day-to-day administration of these valuation policies and procedures and provides reports to the Audit Committee of the Board and the Board regarding these and related matters. In addition, the Audit Committee of the Board or the Board receives reports periodically from the independent public accounting firm for the Fund regarding tests performed by such firm on the valuation of all securities, as well as with respect to other risks associated with mutual funds. Reports received from service providers, legal counsel and the independent public accounting firm assist the Board in performing its oversight function. The Portfolio has the same risk oversight approach as the Fund and the Trust.
The Trusts Declaration of Trust does not set forth any specific qualifications to serve as a Trustee. The Charter of the Governance Committee also does not set forth any specific qualifications, but does set forth certain factors that the Committee may take into account in considering noninterested Trustee candidates. In general, no one factor is decisive in the selection of an individual to join the Board. Among the factors the Board considers when concluding that an individual should serve on the Board are the following: (i) knowledge in matters relating to the mutual fund industry; (ii) experience as a director or senior officer of public companies; (iii) educational background; (iv) reputation for high ethical standards and professional integrity; (v) specific financial, technical or other expertise, and the extent to which such expertise would complement the Board members existing mix of skills, core competencies and qualifications; (vi) perceived ability to contribute to the ongoing functions of the Board, including the ability and commitment to attend meetings regularly and work collaboratively with other members of the Board; (vii) the ability to qualify as a noninterested Trustee for purposes of the 1940 Act and any other actual or potential conflicts of interest involving the individual and the Fund; and (viii) such other factors as the Board determines to be relevant in light of the existing composition of the Board.
Among the attributes or skills common to all Board members are their ability to review critically, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, to interact effectively with the other members of the Board, management, sub-advisers, other service providers, counsel and independent registered public accounting firms, and to exercise effective and independent business judgment in the performance of their duties as members of the Board. Each Board members ability to perform his or her duties effectively has been attained through the Board members business, consulting, public service and/or academic positions and through experience from service as a member of the Boards of the Eaton Vance family of funds (Eaton Vance Fund Boards) (and/or in other capacities, including for any predecessor funds), public companies, or non-profit entities or other organizations as set forth below. Each Board members ability to perform his or her duties effectively also has been enhanced by his or her educational background, professional training, and/or other life experiences.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
10
SAI dated May 1, 2016
In respect of each current member of the Board, the individuals substantial professional accomplishments and experience, including in fields related to the operations of registered investment companies, were a significant factor in the determination that the individual should serve as a member of the Board. The following is a summary of each Board members particular professional experience and additional considerations that contributed to the Boards conclusion that he or she should serve as a member of the Board:
Scott E. Eston.
Mr. Eston has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2011 and is the Chairperson of the Contract Review Committee. He currently serves on the board and on the investment
committee of Michigan State University Foundation, and on the investment advisory
sub-
committee of Michigan State University. From 1997 through 2009, Mr. Eston served in several capacities at Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo and Co. (GMO), including as Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chief Operating
Officer
and Chief Financial Officer, and also as the President and Principal Executive officer of GMO Trust, an affiliated open-end registered investment company. From 1978 through 1997, Mr. Eston was employed at Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P. (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) (since 1987 as a Partner).
Thomas E. Faust Jr. Mr. Faust has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2007. He is currently Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of EVC, Director and President of EV, Chief Executive Officer and President of Eaton Vance and BMR, and Director of EVD and EVMI . Mr. Faust has served as a Director of Hexavest Inc. since 2012. Mr. Faust previously served as an equity analyst, portfolio manager, Director of Equity Research and Management and Chief Investment Officer of Eaton Vance (1985-2007). He holds B.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Mr. Faust has been a Chartered Financial Analyst since 1988.
Cynthia E. Frost
. Ms. Frost has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since May 29, 2014. From 2000 through 2012, Ms. Frost was the Chief Investment Officer of Brown University, where she oversaw the evaluation, selection and monitoring of the third party investment managers who managed the universitys endowment. From 1995-2000, Ms. Frost was a Portfolio Strategist for Duke Management Company, which oversaw Duke Universitys endowment. Ms. Frost also served in various investment and consulting roles at Cambridge Associates (1989-1995), Bain and Company (1987-1989) and BA Investment Management Company (1983-1985
). She serves as a member of an advisory board of Creciente Partners Investment Management, LLC, a manager of a multi-manager hedge fund,
and has additional experience as a member of the investment committee of several non-profit organizations.
George J. Gorman
. Mr. Gorman has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since May 29, 2014 and is the
Chairperson
of the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee. From 1974 through 2009, Mr. Gorman served in various capacities at Ernst & Young LLP, including as a Senior Partner in the Asset Management Group (from 1988) specializing in managing engagement teams responsible for auditing mutual funds registered with the SEC, hedge funds and private equity funds. Mr. Gorman also has experience serving as an independent trustee of other mutual fund complexes, including the Bank of America Money Market Funds Series Trust (2011-2014) and the Ashmore Funds (2010-2014).
Valerie A. Mosley.
Ms. Mosley has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since January 1, 2014. She currently owns and manages a consulting and investment firm, Valmo Ventures and is a Director of Progress Investment Management Company, a manager of emerging managers
.
From 1992 through 2012, Ms. Mosley served in several capacities at Wellington Management Company, LLP, an investment management firm, including as a Partner, Senior Vice President, Portfolio Manager and Investment Strategist. Ms. Mosley also served as Chief Investment Officer at PG Corbin Asset Management from 1990-1992 and worked in institutional corporate bond sales at Kidder Peabody from 1986-1990. Ms. Mosley is a Director of Dynex Capital, Inc., a mortgage REIT,
where she serves on the boards audit and investment committees. She
also serves as a trustee or board member of several major non-profit organizations and endowments, including Mass Ventures, a quasi-public early-stage investment corporation active in Massachusetts, and
New Profit, a non-profit venture philanthropy fund.
She is a member of the Risk Audit Committee of the United Auto Workers Retiree Medical Benefits Trust and a member of the Investment Advisory Committee of New York State Common Retirement Fund.
William H. Park. Mr. Park has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2003 , is the Independent Vice-Chairperson of the Board and is the Chairperson of the Audit Committee. Mr. Park was formerly a consultant (2012-2014) and formerly the Chief Financial Officer of Aveon Group, L.P. from 2010-2011. Mr. Park also served as Vice Chairman of Commercial Industrial Finance Corp. from 2006-2010, as President and Chief Executive Officer of Prizm Capital Management, LLC from 2002-2005, as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of United Asset Management Corporation from 1982-2001 and as Senior Manager of Price Waterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) from 1972-1981.
Helen Frame Peters.
Ms. Peters has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2008 and is the Chairperson of the Portfolio Management Committee. Ms. Peters is currently a Professor of Finance at Carroll School of Management, Boston College and was formerly Dean of Carroll School of Management from 2000-2002. Ms. Peters was previously a Director of BJs Wholesale Club, Inc. from 2004-2011. In addition, Ms. Peters was the Chief Investment Officer,
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
11
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Fixed Income at Scudder Kemper Investments from 1998-1999 and Chief Investment Officer, Equity and Fixed Income at Colonial Management Associates from 1991-1998. Ms. Peters also served as a Trustee of SPDR Index Shares Funds and SPDR Series Trust from 2000-2009 and as a Director of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston from 2007-2009.
Susan J. Sutherland.
Ms. Sutherland has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since May 1, 2015.
Ms. Sutherland also serves as a director of Hagerty Holding Corp., a leading provider of specialized automobile and marine insurance.
Ms. Sutherland was a Director of Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd., a global provider of customized reinsurance and insurance products, from 2013 until its sale in 2015.
From 1982 through 2013, Ms. Sutherland was an associate, counsel and then a partner in the Financial Institutions Group of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where she primarily represented U.S. and international insurance and reinsurance companies, investment banks and private equity firms in insurance-related corporate transactions. In addition, Ms. Sutherland is qualified as a Governance Fellow of the National Association of Corporate Directors and has also served as a board member of prominent non-profit organizations.
Harriett Tee Taggart.
Ms. Taggart has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2011 and is the Chairperson of the Governance Committee. Ms. Taggart currently manages a professional practice, Taggart Associates. Since 2007, Ms. Taggart has been a Director of Albemarle Corporation, a specialty chemical company where she serves as a member of the
Executive Compensation Committee.
Since 2009 she has served as a Director of the Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. where she serves as member of the Nomination and Governance Committee. Ms. Taggart is also a trustee or member of several major non-profit boards, advisory committees and endowment investment companies. From 1983 through 2006, Ms. Taggart served in several capacities at Wellington Management Company, LLP, an investment management firm, including as a Partner, Senior Vice President and chemical industry sector portfolio manager. Ms. Taggart also served as a Director of the Lubrizol Corporation, a specialty chemicals manufacturer from 2007-2011.
Ralph F. Verni. Mr. Verni has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2005 and is the Independent Chairperson of the Board. Mr. Verni was formerly the Chief Investment Officer (from 1982-1992), Chief Financial Officer (from 1988-1990) and Director (from 1982-1992) of New England Life. Mr. Verni was also the Chairperson of the New England Mutual Funds from 1982-1992; President and Chief Executive Officer of State Street Management & Research from 1992-2000; Chairperson of the State Street Research Mutual Funds from 1992-2000; Director of W.P. Carey, LLC from 1998-2004; and Director of First Pioneer Farm Credit Corp. from 2002-2006. Mr. Verni has been a Chartered Financial Analyst since 1977.
The Board of the Trust and the Portfolio have several standing Committees, including the Governance Committee, the Audit Committee, the Portfolio Management Committee, the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee and the Contract Review Committee. Each of the Committees are comprised of only noninterested Trustees.
Mmes. Taggart (Chair
person
), Frost, Mosley, Peters and Sutherland, and Messrs. Eston, Gorman, Park
and Verni are members of the Governance Committee. The purpose of the Governance Committee is to consider, evaluate and make recommendations to the Board with respect to the structure, membership and operation of the Board and the Committees thereof, including the nomination and selection of noninterested Trustees and a Chairperson of the Board and the compensation of such persons. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 201
5
, the Governance Committee convened
five
times.
The Governance Committee will, when a vacancy exists, consider a nominee for Trustee recommended by a shareholder, provided that such recommendation is submitted in writing to the Funds Secretary at the principal executive office of the Fund. Such recommendations must be accompanied by biographical and occupational data on the candidate (including whether the candidate would be an interested person of the Fund), a written consent by the candidate to be named as a nominee and to serve as Trustee if elected, record and ownership information for the recommending shareholder with respect to the Fund, and a description of any arrangements or understandings regarding recommendation of the candidate for consideration.
Messrs. Park (Chair
person
), Eston
and Verni, and Ms. Frost are members of the Audit Committee. The Board has designated Mr. Park, a noninterested Trustee, as audit committee financial expert. The Audit Committees purposes are to (i) oversee the Fund's and the Portfolio's accounting and financial reporting processes, its internal control over financial reporting, and, as appropriate, the internal control over financial reporting of certain service providers; (ii) oversee or, as appropriate, assist Board oversight of the quality and integrity of the Fund's and the Portfolio's financial statements and the independent audit thereof; (iii) oversee, or, as appropriate, assist Board oversight of, the Fund's and the Portfolio's compliance with legal and regulatory requirements that relate to the Fund's and the Portfolio's accounting and financial reporting, internal control over financial reporting and independent audits; (iv) approve prior to appointment the engagement and, when appropriate, replacement of the independent registered public accounting firm, and, if applicable, nominate the independent registered public accounting firm to be proposed for shareholder ratification in any proxy statement of the Fund; (v) evaluate the qualifications, independence and performance of the independent registered public accounting firm and the audit partner in charge of leading the audit; and (vi) prepare, as necessary, audit committee reports consistent with the requirements of applicable SEC and stock exchange rules for inclusion in the proxy statement of the Fund. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 201
5
, the Audit Committee convened s
ix
teen times.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
12
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Messrs. Eston (Chair
person
), Gorman, Park and Verni, and Mmes. Mosley, Peters, Sutherland and Taggart are members of the Contract Review Committee. The purposes of the Contract Review Committee are to consider, evaluate and make recommendations to the Board concerning the following matters: (i) contractual arrangements with each service provider to the Fund and the Portfolio, including advisory, sub-advisory, transfer agency, custodial and fund accounting, distribution services and administrative services; (ii) any and all other matters in which any service provider (including Eaton Vance or any affiliated entity thereof) has an actual or potential conflict of interest with the interests of the Fund, the Portfolio or investors therein; and (iii) any other matter appropriate for review by the noninterested Trustees, unless the matter is within the responsibilities of the other Committees of the Board. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 201
5
, the Contract Review Committee convened eight times.
Mmes. Peters (Chair
person
), Frost, Mosley and Taggart are members of the Portfolio Management Committee. The purposes of the Portfolio Management Committee are to: (i) assist the Board in its oversight of the portfolio management process employed by the Fund and the Portfolio and its investment adviser and sub-adviser(s), if applicable, relative to the Funds and the Portfolio's stated objective(s), strategies and restrictions; (ii) assist the Board in its oversight of the trading policies and procedures and risk management techniques applicable to the Fund and the Portfolio; and (iii) assist the Board in its monitoring of the performance results of all funds and portfolios, giving special attention to the performance of certain funds and portfolios that it or the Board identifies from time to time. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 201
5
, the Portfolio Management Committee convened
nine
times.
Messrs.
Gorman (
Chairperson
) and Eston
,
and Ms. Sutherland are members of the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee. The purposes of the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee are to: (i) assist the Board in its oversight role with respect to compliance issues and certain other regulatory matters affecting the Fund and the Portfolio; (ii) serve as a liaison between the Board and the Funds and the Portfolio's CCO; and (iii) serve as a qualified legal compliance committee within the rules promulgated by the SEC. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 201
5
, the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee convened
twelve
times.
Share Ownership.
The following table shows the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee in the Fund and in the Eaton Vance family of funds overseen by the Trustee as of December 31, 201
5
. Interests in the Portfolio cannot be purchased by a Trustee.
As of December 31, 201
5
, 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.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
13
SAI dated May 1, 2016
During the calendar years ended December 31, 201
4
and December 31, 201
5
, 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 Fund; (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 Fund; (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, 201
4
and December 31, 201
5
, 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 the Portfolio or any of their immediate family members served as an officer.
Noninterested Trustees 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 Deferred Compensation Plan). Under the Deferred Compensation Plan, an eligible Board member may elect to have his or her deferred fees invested in the shares of one or more funds in the Eaton Vance family of funds, and the amount paid to the Board members under the Deferred Compensation Plan will be determined based upon the performance of such investments. Deferral of Board members fees in accordance with the Deferred Compensation Plan will have a negligible effect on the assets, liabilities, and net income of a participating fund or portfolio, and do not require that a participating Board member be retained. There is no retirement plan for Board members.
The fees and expenses of the Trustees of the Trust and the Portfolio are paid by the Fund (and other series of the Trust) and the Portfolio, respectively. (A Board member who is a member of the Eaton Vance organization receives no compensation from the Trust or the Portfolio.) During the fiscal year ended December 31, 201
5
, the Trustees of the Trust and the Portfolio earned the following compensation in their capacities as Board members from the Trust and the Portfolio. For the year ended December 31, 201
5
, the Board members earned the following compensation in their capacities as members of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards
(1)
:
Source of Compensation |
Cynthia E.
|
George J.
|
Valerie A.
|
William H.
|
Helen Frame
|
Susan J.
|
Harriett Tee
|
Ralph F.
|
|
Trust (2) |
$3,800 |
$3,540 |
$3,618 |
$3,662 |
$3,858 |
$3,858 |
$3,540 |
$3,858 |
$5,090 |
Portfolio |
$1,637 |
$1,520 (3) |
$1,561 |
$1,572 |
$1,658 |
$1,658 |
$1,520 (4) |
$1,658 |
$2,177 |
Trust and Fund Complex (1) |
$312,083 |
$290,000 (5) |
$297,500 |
$300,000 |
$316,250 |
$316,250 |
$290,000 (6) |
$316,250 |
$415,833 |
(1)
As of May 1, 201
6
, the Eaton Vance fund complex consists of 17
9
registered investment companies or series thereof. Ms. Sutherland began serving as a Trustee effective May 1, 2015, and thus the compensation figures listed for the Trust, Portfolio and the Trust and Fund Complex are estimated based on amounts she would have received if she had been a Trustee for the
full
fiscal year ended December 31, 201
5
and for the full calendar year ended December 31,
2015. Ronald A. Pearlman retired as a Trustee effective July 1, 2015.
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 201
5
, Mr.
Pearlman
received Trustee
fees of $
3,014
from the Trust and $
1,211
from the Portfolio. For the calendar year ended December 31, 201
5
, he received $
235
,000 from the Trust and Fund Complex.
(2)
The Trust consisted of 16 Funds as of December 31, 201
5
.
(3)
Includes $
985
of deferred compensation.
(4)
Includes $1,
520
of deferred compensation.
(5)
Includes $
180,000
of deferred compensation.
(6)
Includes $
277,490
of deferred compensation.
Fund Organization.
The Fund is a series of the Trust, which was organized under Massachusetts law on March 27, 1989
as a trust with transferable shares, commonly referred to as a Massachusetts business trust
and is operated as an open-end management investment company. The Trust may issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest (no par value per share) in one or more series (such as the Fund). The Trustees of the Trust have divided the shares of the Fund into multiple classes. Each class represents an interest in the Fund, but is subject to different expenses, rights and privileges. The Trustees have the authority under the Declaration of Trust to create additional classes of shares with differing rights and privileges. When issued and outstanding, shares are fully paid and nonassessable by the Trust. Shareholders
of the Trust
are entitled to one vote for each full share held. Fractional shares may be voted proportionately. Shares of
all Funds in the Trust will be voted together with respect to the election or removal of Trustees and on other matters affecting all Funds
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
14
SAI dated May 1, 2016
similarly. On matters affecting only a particular Fund, all shareholders of the affecting Fund will vote together as a single class, except that only shareholders of a particular class may vote on matters affecting only that class. Shares have no preemptive or conversion rights and are freely transferable. In the event of the liquidation of the Fund, shareholders of each class are entitled to share pro rata in the net assets attributable to that class available for distribution to shareholders.
As permitted by Massachusetts law, there will normally be no meetings of shareholders for the purpose of electing Trustees unless and until such time as less than
a majority
of the Trustees of the Trust holding office have been elected by shareholders. In such an event the Trustees then in office will call a shareholders meeting for the election of Trustees. Except for the foregoing circumstances and unless removed by action of the shareholders in accordance with the Trusts By-laws, the Trustees shall continue to hold office and may appoint successor Trustees. The Trusts By-laws provide that any Trustee may be removed with or without cause, by (i) the affirmative vote of holders of two-thirds of the shares or, (ii) the affirmative vote of, or written instrument, signed by at least two-thirds of the remaining Trustees, provided however, that the removal of any noninterested Trustee shall additionally require the affirmative vote of, or a written instrument executed by, at least two-thirds of the remaining noninterested Trustees. No person shall serve as a Trustee if shareholders holding two-thirds of the outstanding shares have removed him or her from that office either by a written declaration filed with the Trusts custodian or by votes cast at a meeting called for that purpose. The By-laws further provide that under certain circumstances the shareholders may call a meeting to remove a Trustee and that the Trust is required to provide assistance in communication with shareholders about such a meeting.
The Trusts Declaration of Trust may be amended by the Trustees when authorized by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust, the financial interests of which are affected by the amendment. The Trustees may also amend the Declaration of Trust without the vote or consent of shareholders to change the name of the Trust or any series, if they deem it necessary to conform it to applicable federal or state laws or regulations, or to make such other changes (such as reclassifying series or classes of shares or restructuring the Trust) provided such changes do not have a materially adverse effect on the financial interests of shareholders. The Trusts By-laws provide that the Trust will indemnify its Trustees and officers against liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with any litigation or proceeding in which they may be involved because of their offices with the Trust. However, no indemnification will be provided to any Trustee or officer for any liability to the Trust or shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
The Trusts Declaration of Trust provides that any legal proceeding brought by or on behalf of a shareholder seeking to enforce any provision of, or based upon any matter arising out of, related to or in connection with, the Declaration of Trust, the Trust, any Fund or Class or the shares of any Fund must be brought exclusively in the United States District Court for Massachusetts or, if such court does not have jurisdiction for the matter, then in the Superior Court of Suffolk County for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. If a shareholder brings a claim in another venue and the venue is subsequently changed through legal process to the foregoing Federal or state court, then the shareholder will be required to reimburse the Trust and other persons for the expenses incurred in effecting the change in venue.
The Trusts Declaration of Trust also provides that, except to the extent explicitly permitted by Federal law, a shareholder may not bring or maintain a court action on behalf of the Trust or any Fund or class of shares (commonly referred to as a derivative claim) without first making demand on the Trustees requesting the Trustees to bring the action. Within 90 days of receipt of the demand, the Trustees will consider the merits of the claim and determine whether commencing or maintaining an action would be in the best interests of the Trust or the affected Fund or Class. Any decision by the Trustees to bring, maintain or settle, or to not bring, maintain or settle the action, will be final and binding upon shareholders and therefore no action may be brought or maintained after a decision is made to reject a demand. In addition, the Trusts Declaration of Trust provides that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, each shareholder acknowledges and agrees that any alleged injury to the Trusts property, any diminution in the value of a shareholders shares and any other claim arising out of or relating to an allegation regarding the actions, inaction or omissions of or by the Trustees, the officers of the Trust or the investment adviser of the Fund is a legal claim belonging only to the Trust and not to the shareholders individually and, therefore, that any such claim is subject to the demand requirement for derivative claims referenced above.
The Trust or any series or class thereof may be terminated by: (1) the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than two-thirds of the shares outstanding and entitled to vote at any meeting of shareholders of the Trust or the appropriate series or class thereof, or by an instrument or instruments in writing without a meeting, consented to by the holders of two-thirds of the shares of the Trust or a series or class thereof, provided, however, that, if such termination is recommended by the Trustees, the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust or a series or class thereof entitled to vote thereon shall be sufficient authorization; or (2) by the approval of a majority of the Trustees then in office, to be followed by a written notice to shareholders.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
15
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Under Massachusetts law, if certain conditions prevail, shareholders of a Massachusetts business trust (such as the Trust) could be deemed to have personal liability for the obligations of the Trust. Numerous investment companies registered under the 1940 Act have been formed as Massachusetts business trusts, and management is not aware of an instance where such liability has been imposed. The Trusts Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of liability on the part of Fund shareholders and the Trusts By-laws provide that the Trust shall assume the defense on behalf of any Fund shareholders. The Declaration of Trust also contains provisions limiting the liability of a series or class to that series or class. Moreover, the Trusts By-laws also provide for indemnification out of Fund property of any shareholder held personally liable solely by reason of being or having been a shareholder for all loss or expense arising from such liability. The assets of the Fund are readily marketable and will ordinarily substantially exceed its liabilities. In light of the nature of the Funds business and the nature of its assets, management believes that the possibility of the Funds liability exceeding its assets, and therefore the shareholders risk of personal liability, is remote.
Portfolio Organization.
The Portfolio was organized as a
trust with transferable interests, commonly referred to as a
“
Massachusetts
business trust
”
on December 14, 2009 and intends to be treated as a partnership for federal tax purposes. Prior to that date, the Portfolio was organized as a New York trust on January 18, 1994. In accordance with the Declaration of Trust of the Portfolio, there will normally be no meetings of the investors for the purpose of electing Trustees unless and until such time as less than
a majority
of the Trustees of the Portfolio holding office have been elected by investors. In such an event the Trustees of the Portfolio then in office will call an investors meeting for the election of Trustees. Except for the foregoing circumstances and unless removed by action of the investors in accordance with the Portfolios Declaration of Trust, the Trustees shall continue to hold office and may appoint successor Trustees.
The
Portfolios
Declaration of Trust
provides that any Trustee may be removed, with or without cause, by (i) the affirmative vote of investors holding two-thirds of the outstanding interests or, (ii) the affirmative vote of, or a written instrument executed by, at least two-thirds of the remaining Trustees, provided however, that the removal of any noninterested Trustee shall additionally require the affirmative vote of, or a written instrument executed by, at least two-thirds of the remaining noninterested Trustees. The Portfolios By-laws provide that the Portfolio will indemnify its Trustees and officers against liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with any litigation or proceeding in which they may be involved because of their offices with the Portfolio. However, no indemnification will be provided to any Trustee or officer for any liability to the Portfolio or interestholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
The Portfolios Declaration of Trust provides that any legal proceeding brought by or on behalf of an investor seeking to enforce any provision of, or based upon any matter arising out of, related to or in connection with, the Declaration of Trust, the Portfolio or the interests of the Portfolio must be brought exclusively in the United States District Court for Massachusetts or, if such court does not have jurisdiction for the matter, then in the Superior Court of Suffolk County for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. If an investor brings a claim in another venue and the venue is subsequently changed through legal process to the foregoing Federal or state court, then the investor will be required to reimburse the Portfolio and other persons for the expenses incurred in effecting the change in venue.
The Portfolios Declaration of Trust also provides that, except to the extent explicitly permitted by Federal law, an investor may not bring or maintain a court action on behalf of the Portfolio (commonly referred to as a derivative claim) without first making demand on the Trustees requesting the Trustees to bring the action. Within 90 days of receipt of the demand, the Trustees will consider the merits of the claim and determine whether commencing or maintaining an action would be in the best interests of the Portfolio. Any decision by the Trustees to bring, maintain or settle, or to not bring, maintain or settle the action, will be final and binding upon investors and therefore no action may be brought or maintained after a decision is made to reject a demand. In addition, the Portfolios Declaration of Trust provides that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, each investor acknowledges and agrees that any alleged injury to the Portfolios property, any diminution in the value of an investors interests and any other claim arising out of or relating to an allegation regarding the actions, inaction or omissions of or by the Trustees, the officers of the Portfolio or the investment adviser of the Portfolio is a legal claim belonging only to the Portfolio and not to the investors individually and, therefore, that any such claim is subject to the demand requirement for derivative claims referenced above.
Under Massachusetts law, if certain conditions prevail, shareholders of a Massachusetts business trust (such as the Portfolio) could be deemed to have personal liability for the obligations of the Portfolio. Numerous investment companies registered under the 1940 Act have been formed as Massachusetts business trusts, and management is not aware of an instance where such liability has been imposed. The Portfolios Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of liability on the part of Portfolio interestholders and the By-laws provide that the Portfolio shall assume the defense on behalf of any Portfolio interestholders. Moreover, the By-laws also provide for indemnification out of Portfolio property of any interestholder held personally liable solely by reason of being or having been an interestholder for all loss or expense arising from such liability. The assets of the Portfolio are readily marketable and will ordinarily substantially exceed its liabilities. In light of the nature of the Portfolios business and the nature of its assets, management believes that the possibility of the Portfolios liability exceeding its assets, and therefore the interestholders risk of personal liability, is remote.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
16
SAI dated May 1, 2016
The Fund may be required to vote on matters pertaining to the Portfolio. When required by law to do so, the Fund will hold a meeting of Fund shareholders and will vote its interest in the Portfolio for or against such matters proportionately to the instructions to vote for or against such matters received from Fund shareholders. The Fund shall vote shares for which it receives no voting instructions in the same proportion as the shares for which it receives voting instructions. Other investors in the Portfolio may alone or collectively acquire sufficient voting interests in the Portfolio to control matters relating to the operation of the Portfolio, which may require the Fund to withdraw its investment in the Portfolio or take other appropriate action. Any such withdrawal could result in a distribution in kind of portfolio securities (as opposed to a cash distribution from the Portfolio). If securities are distributed, the Fund could incur brokerage, tax or other charges in converting the securities to cash. In addition, the distribution in kind may result in a less diversified portfolio of investments or adversely affect the liquidity of the Fund. Notwithstanding the above, there are other means for meeting shareholder redemption requests, such as borrowing.
Proxy Voting Policy. The Board adopted a proxy voting policy and procedures (the Fund Policy), pursuant to which the Board has delegated proxy voting responsibility to the investment sub-adviser and adopted the proxy voting policies and procedures of the investment sub-adviser (the Adviser Policies). An independent proxy voting service has been retained to assist in the voting of Fund proxies through the provision of vote analysis, implementation and recordkeeping and disclosure services. The members of the Board will review the Funds and Portfolios proxy voting records from time to time and will annually consider approving the Adviser Policies for the upcoming year. For a copy of the Fund Policy and Adviser Policies, see Appendix F and Appendix G, respectively. Pursuant to certain provisions of the 1940 Act and certain exemptive orders relating to funds investing in other funds, a Fund or Portfolio may be required or may elect to vote its interest in another fund in the same proportion as the holders of all other shares of that fund. Information on how the Fund and Portfolio voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-262-1122, and (2) on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
Investment Advisory Services.
The investment adviser
manages
the investments and affairs of the Portfolio and provide related office facilities and personnel subject to the supervision of the Portfolios Board of Trustees. The investment sub-adviser furnishes investment research, advice and supervision, furnishes an investment program and determines what securities will be purchased, held or sold by the Portfolio and what portion, if any, of the Portfolios assets will be held uninvested. The Investment Advisory Agreement and Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement require the investment adviser or sub-adviser, as the case may be, to pay the salaries and fees of all officers and Trustees who are members of the investment adviser's or sub-adviser's organization and all personnel of the investment adviser or sub-adviser performing services relating to research and investment activities.
For a description of the compensation that the Portfolio pays the investment adviser under its investment advisory agreement, see the Prospectus. The following table sets forth the net assets of the Portfolio and the advisory fees for the three fiscal years ended December 31, 201
5
.
|
Advisory Fee for Fiscal Years Ended |
||
Net Assets at 12/31/15 |
12/31/15 |
12/31/14 |
12/31/13 |
$238,167,498 |
$3,081,204 |
$2,811,305 |
$3,082,670 |
Each
Investment Advisory Agreement and Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement with the investment adviser or sub-adviser continues in effect 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 Portfolio 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 Portfolio or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Portfolio. Each Agreement may be terminated at any time without penalty on sixty (60) days written notice by the Board of either party, or by vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Portfolio, and each Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment. Each Agreement provides that the investment adviser or sub-adviser may render services to others. Each Agreement also provides that the investment adviser or sub-adviser shall not be liable for any loss incurred in connection with the performance of its duties, or action taken or omitted under the Agreement, in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations and duties thereunder, or for any losses sustained in the acquisition, holding or disposition of any security or other investment.
Each Agreement is not intended to, and does not, confer upon any person not a party to it any right, benefit or remedy of any nature.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
17
SAI dated May 1, 2016
While the Portfolio is a Massachusetts business trust, the investment sub-adviser, together with certain officers of the Portfolio, are not residents of the United States, and substantially all of their respective assets may be located outside of the United States. It may be difficult for investors to effect service of process within the United States upon the individuals identified above, or to realize judgments of courts of the United States predicated upon civil liabilities of the investment adviser and such individuals under the federal securities laws of the United States. The Portfolio has been advised that there is substantial doubt as to the enforceability in the countries in which the investment sub-adviser and such individuals reside of such civil remedies and criminal penalties as are afforded by the federal securities laws of the United States.
Information About BMR and Eaton Vance.
BMR and Eaton Vance are business trusts organized under the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. EV serves as trustee of BMR and Eaton Vance. EV and Eaton Vance are wholly-owned subsidiaries of EVC, a Maryland corporation and publicly-held holding company. BMR is an indirect subsidiary of EVC. EVC through its subsidiaries and affiliates engages primarily in investment management, administration and marketing activities. The Directors of EVC are Thomas E. Faust Jr., Ann E. Berman, Leo I. Higdon, Jr., Brian D. Langstraat, Dorothy E. Puhy, Winthrop H. Smith, Jr. and Richard A. Spillane, Jr. All shares of the outstanding Voting Common Stock of EVC are deposited in a Voting Trust, the Voting Trustees of which are Mr. Faust, Jeffrey P. Beale,
Craig R. Brandon,
Daniel C. Cataldo
, Michael A. Cirami
, Cynthia J. Clemson, James H. Evans, Maureen A. Gemma, Laurie G. Hylton, Mr. Langstraat, Frederick S. Marius, David C. McCabe,
Scott H. Page, Edward J. Perkin,
Lewis R. Piantedosi,
Charles B. Reed,
Craig P. Russ, John L. Shea,
Eric A
. Stein, Payson F. Swaffield, Michael W. Weilheimer, R. Kelly Williams and Matthew J. Witkos (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 who may also be officers, or officers and Directors of EVC and EV. As indicated under Management and Organization, all of the officers of the Trust (as well as Mr. Faust who is also a Trustee) hold positions in the Eaton Vance organization.
Code of Ethics. The investment adviser, sub-adviser, principal underwriter, and the Fund and Portfolio have adopted Codes of Ethics governing personal securities transactions pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. Under the Codes, employees of the investment adviser, the sub-adviser and the principal underwriter may purchase and sell securities (including securities held or eligible for purchase by the Fund or Portfolio) subject to the provisions of the Codes and certain employees are also subject to pre-clearance, reporting requirements and /or other procedures.
Information About LGM Investments Limited.
LGM Investments Limited (LGM Ltd.) replaced BMO Global Asset Management (Asia) Limited (BMO GAM (Asia)) as the sub-adviser of the Portfolio effective December 15, 2014 pursuant to the Boards approval of a new sub-advisory agreement. LGM Ltd. and BMO GAM (Asia) are wholly-owned affiliates of Bank of Montreal and no material changes are expected to the nature or level of sub-advisory services provided to the Portfolio as a result of the new sub-advisory agreement with LGM Ltd. The Portfolio received advice from counsel that the transition of the sub-advisory agreement did not constitute an assignment of such agreement or require shareholder approval. The terms of the new sub-advisory agreement are identical to the prior agreement with BMO GAM (Asia), with the exception of the dates, parties and recitals to the agreement. Bank of Montreal, a publicly-traded Canadian banking institution, is a highly-diversified financial services organization involved in personal and commercial banking, capital markets and private client servicing. LGM Ltd. and its affiliates in relation to the
LGM Investments
business (together
LGM) act as investment adviser to various individual and institutional clients and currently manage approximately $3.
2
billion in assets. LGM Investments only business is portfolio management.
Portfolio Manager
.
The portfolio manager of the Portfolio is listed below. The following table shows, as of the Portfolios most recent fiscal year end, the number of accounts the portfolio manager managed in each of the listed categories and the total assets (in millions of dollars) in the accounts managed within each category. The table also shows the number of accounts with respect to which the advisory fee is based on the performance of the account, if any, and the total assets (in millions of dollars) in those accounts.
|
Number of
|
Total Assets of
|
Number of Accounts
|
Total Assets of Accounts
|
Rishikesh Patel |
|
|
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
1 |
$239.7 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
3 |
$34.6 |
0 |
$0 |
Other Accounts |
0 |
$0 |
0 |
$0 |
Mr. Patel did not beneficially own any shares in the Fund or in the Eaton Vance family of funds as of December 31, 201
5
. Interests in the Portfolio cannot be purchased by a portfolio manager.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
18
SAI dated May 1, 2016
It is possible that conflicts of interest may arise in connection with the portfolio managers management of the Portfolios investments on the one hand and the investments of other accounts for which the portfolio manager is responsible on the other. For example, the portfolio manager may have conflicts of interest in allocating management time, resources and investment opportunities among the Portfolio and other accounts he advises. In addition due to differences in the investment strategies or restrictions between the Portfolio and the other accounts, the portfolio manager may take action with respect to another account that differs from the action taken with respect to the Portfolio. In some cases, another account managed by the portfolio manager may compensate the investment adviser based on the performance of the securities held by that account. The existence of such a performance based fee may create additional conflicts of interest for the portfolio manager in the allocation of management time, resources and investment opportunities. Whenever conflicts of interest arise, the portfolio manager will endeavor to exercise his discretion in a manner that he believes is equitable to all interested persons. The investment adviser and sub-adviser have adopted several policies and procedures designed to address these potential conflicts including a code of ethics and policies that govern the investment advisers and sub-advisers trading practices, including among other things the aggregation and allocation of trades among clients, brokerage allocations, cross trades and best execution.
Compensation Structure for LGM.
All LGM staff receive a competitive base salary, together with a performance related
incentive opportunity reflecting both
the
performance of the individual and the company, against pre-agreed qualitative and quantitative
objectives
.
Incentives
are
awarded
in
both
cash and
deferred, BMO common share-linked instruments (
Restricted Share Units
RSUs) for senior employees.
Funding for both cash incentives and RSUs
is modified according to LGMs financial performance as well as individual performance relative to targets.
The incorporation of control function input into incentive funding approval ensures all risk objectives are passed before any incentive funding is provided. RSUs are also deferred over a three year (cliff) vesting period during which they are subject to malus and performance adjustment provisions, thereby aligning the interests of both Clients and Shareholders
.
These deferred rewards represent an important component of the total compensation structure, which helps reinforce a culture of employee retention and stability
and long-term client interest management.
LGMs investment professionals also receive certain retirement, insurance and other benefits that are broadly available to all the sub-advisers employees. Compensation of LGMs investment professionals is reviewed primarily on an annual basis. Cash bonuses and adjustments in base salary are typically paid or put into effect at or shortly after December 31st of each year.
Method to Determine Compensation.
LGMs compensates its portfolio managers based primarily on their portfolio responsibilities and the relative performance of funds and accounts managed.
Following the successful attainment of risk objectives and hurdles,
each portfolio manager is evaluated based on the composite performance of funds and accounts in each product for which the individual serves as a portfolio manager and for their contribution to the team and other strategies. Fund performance is evaluated primarily versus MSCI indices and peer groups of funds as determined by Lipper Inc. and/or Morningstar, Inc. In evaluating the performance of a fund and its manager, primary emphasis is normally placed on one-, three- and five-year performance. Funds and accounts that have performance-based advisory fees are not accorded disproportionate weightings in measuring aggregate portfolio manager performance. LGM seeks to compensate portfolio managers commensurate with their responsibilities and performance, and competitive with other firms within the investment management industry. While the salaries of LGMs portfolio managers are comparatively fixed,
incentives, both
cash
and RSU-based,
may fluctuate significantly from year to year, based on changes in performance of the investment professional and other factors, including the profitability of LGM as a unit of Bank of Montreal.
Analysts are broadly remunerated on the basis of the success of their stock recommendations, the rigor of their search for new ideas, and the effectiveness of communication of views to the portfolio managers.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission Registration. Effective December 31, 2012, the CFTC adopted certain regulatory changes that subject registered investment companies and advisers to regulation by the CFTC if a fund invests more than a prescribed level of its assets in certain CFTC-regulated instruments (including futures, certain options and swaps agreements) or markets itself as providing investment exposure to such instruments. The Fund has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term commodity pool operator under the Commodity Exchange Act. Accordingly neither the Fund nor the investment adviser or sub-adviser with respect to the operation of the Fund is subject to CFTC regulation. Because of their management of other strategies, Eaton Vance and BMR are registered with the CFTC as commodity pool operators. Eaton Vance and BMR are also registered as commodity trading advisors. The CFTC has neither reviewed nor approved the Funds investment strategies or this SAI.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
19
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Administrative Services. As indicated in the Prospectus, Eaton Vance serves as administrator of the Fund, and in return, the Fund is authorized to pay Eaton Vance an annual fee of 0.15% of its average daily net assets for providing administrative services to the Fund. Under the Agreement, Eaton Vance has been engaged to administer the Funds affairs, subject to the supervision of the Board, and shall furnish office space and all necessary office facilities, equipment and personnel for administering the affairs of the Fund.
As of December 31, 201
5
, the Fund and Portfolio had net assets of $
237,590,374
and $
238,167,498
, respectively. For the fiscal years ended December 31,
2015,
2014
and 201
3
, Eaton Vance earned administration fees from the Fund of $
419,610, $
382,711
and
$419,131
, respectively.
Pursuant to the expense reimbursement currently in effect as described in the Prospectus, BMR and the sub-advisers of the Portfolio (LGM Ltd. effective December 15, 2014 and BMO GAM (Asia), an affiliate of LGM Ltd., prior thereto) were allocated $
46,799, $
103,547
and
$383,459
of the Funds operating expenses for the fiscal years ended December 31,
2015,
2014
and 201
3
, respectively.
Sub-Transfer Agency Support Services.
Eaton Vance provides sub-transfer agency and related services to Eaton Vance mutual funds pursuant to a Sub-Transfer Agency Support Services Agreement. Under the agreement, Eaton Vance provides: (1) specified sub-transfer agency services; (2) compliance monitoring services; and (3) intermediary oversight services. For the services it provides, Eaton Vance receives an aggregate annual fee equal to the lesser of $2.5 million or the actual expenses incurred by Eaton Vance in the performance of such services. The Fund pays a pro rata share of such fee. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 201
5
, Eaton Vance earned $
27,696
from the Fund pursuant to the agreement.
Expenses. The Fund and Portfolio are responsible for all expenses not expressly stated to be payable by another party (such as expenses required to be paid pursuant to an agreement with the investment adviser, the sub-adviser, the principal underwriter or the administrator). In the case of expenses incurred by the Trust, the Fund is responsible for its pro rata share of those expenses. Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Multiple Class Plan for Eaton Vance Funds, Fund expenses are allocated to each class on a pro rata basis, except that distribution and service fees are allocated exclusively to the class that incurs them.
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS
Principal Underwriter. Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. (EVD), Two International Place, Boston, MA 02110 is the principal underwriter of the Fund. The principal underwriter acts as principal in selling shares under a Distribution Agreement with the Trust. The expenses of printing copies of prospectuses used to offer shares and other selling literature and of advertising are borne by the principal underwriter. The fees and expenses of qualifying and registering and maintaining qualifications and registrations of the Fund and its shares under federal and state securities laws are borne by the Fund. The Distribution Agreement is renewable annually by the members of the Board (including a majority of the noninterested Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Distribution Agreement or any applicable Distribution Plan), may be terminated on sixty days notice either by such Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding Fund shares or on six months notice by the principal underwriter and is automatically terminated upon assignment. The principal underwriter distributes shares on a best efforts basis under which it is required to take and pay for only such shares as may be sold. EVD is a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of EVC. Mr. Faust is a Director of EVD. EVD also serves as placement agent for the Portfolio.
Custodian. State Street Bank and Trust Company (State Street), State Street Financial Center, One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111, serves as custodian to the Fund and the Portfolio. State Street has custody of all cash and securities representing the Funds interest in the Portfolio, has custody of the Portfolios assets, maintains the general ledger of the Portfolio and the Fund and computes the daily net asset value of interests in the Portfolio and the net asset value of shares of the Fund. In such capacity it attends to details in connection with the sale, exchange, substitution, transfer or other dealings with the Portfolios investments, receives and disburses all funds and performs various other ministerial duties upon receipt of proper instructions from the Trust and the Portfolio. State Street also provides services in connection with the preparation of shareholder reports and the electronic filing of such reports with the SEC. EVC and its affiliates and their officers and employees from time to time have transactions with various banks, including State Street. It is Eaton Vances 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 Fund or the Portfolio and such banks.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
Deloitte & Touche LLP, 200 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116,
independent registered public accounting firm
, audits
the Fund
's
and
the Portfolio's financial statements and provides other
audit
, tax
and related services
.
Transfer Agent. BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc., P.O. Box 9653, Providence, RI 02940-9653, serves as transfer and dividend disbursing agent for the Fund.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
20
SAI dated May 1, 2016
CALCULATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
The net asset value of the Fund is determined by State Street (as agent and custodian) by subtracting the liabilities of the Fund from the value of its total assets. The Fund is closed for business and will not issue a net asset value on the following business holidays and any other business day that the Exchange is closed: New Years Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The Funds net asset value per share is readily accessible on the Eaton Vance website (www.eatonvance.com).
Each Portfolio investor may add to or reduce its investment in the Portfolio on each day the Exchange is open for trading (Portfolio Business Day) as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange (the Portfolio Valuation Time). The value of each investors interest in the Portfolio will be determined by multiplying the net asset value of the Portfolio by the percentage, determined on the prior Portfolio Business Day, which represented that investors share of the aggregate interests in the Portfolio on such prior day. Any additions or withdrawals for the current Portfolio Business Day will then be recorded. Each investors percentage of the aggregate interest in the Portfolio will then be recomputed as a percentage equal to a fraction (i) the numerator of which is the value of such investors investment in the Portfolio as of the Portfolio Valuation Time on the prior Portfolio Business Day plus or minus, as the case may be, the amount of any additions to or withdrawals from the investors investment in the Portfolio on the current Portfolio Business Day and (ii) the denominator of which is the aggregate net asset value of the Portfolio as of the Portfolio Valuation Time on the prior Portfolio Business Day plus or minus, as the case may be, the amount of the net additions to or withdrawals from the aggregate investment in the Portfolio on the current Portfolio Business Day by all investors in the Portfolio. The percentage so determined will then be applied to determine the value of the investors interest in the Portfolio for the current Portfolio Business Day.
The Board has approved procedures pursuant to which investments are valued for purposes of determining the Funds net asset value. Listed below is a summary of the methods generally used to value investments (some or all of which may be held by the Fund) under the procedures.
·
Equity securities (including common stock, exchange - traded funds, closed end funds, preferred equity securities, exchange - traded notes and other instruments that trade on recognized stock exchanges) are valued at the last sale, official close or if there are no reported sales at the mean between the bid and asked price on the primary exchange on which they are traded.
·
Most debt obligations are valued on the basis of market valuations furnished by a pricing service or at the mean of the bid and asked prices provided by recognized broker/dealers of such securities. The pricing service may use a pricing matrix to determine valuation.
·
Short-term obligations and money market securities maturing in sixty days or less typically are valued at amortized cost which approximates value.
·
Foreign securities and currencies are valued in U.S. dollars based on foreign currency exchange quotations supplied by a pricing service.
·
Senior and Junior Loans are valued on the basis of prices furnished by a pricing service. The pricing service uses transactions and market quotations from brokers in determining values.
·
Futures contracts are valued at the settlement or closing price on the primary exchange or board of trade on which they are traded.
·
Exchange-traded options are valued at the mean of the bid and asked prices. Over-the-counter options are valued based on quotations obtained from a pricing service or from a broker (typically the counterparty to the option).
·
Non-exchange traded derivatives (including swap agreements (other than those which have been centrally cleared), forward contracts and equity participation notes) are generally valued on the basis of valuations provided by a pricing service or using quotes provided by a broker/dealer (typically the counterparty). Swap agreements that have been cleared by a central counterparty (CCP) are valued at the daily settlement price provided by the CCP.
·
Precious metals are valued are valued at the New York Composite mean quotation.
·
Liabilities with a payment or maturity date of 364 days or less are stated at their principal value and longer dated liabilities generally will be carried at their fair value.
·
Valuations of foreign equity securities and exchange-traded futures contracts on non-North American equity indices may be adjusted from prices in effect at the close of trading on foreign exchanges to more accurately reflect their fair value as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange. Such fair valuations may be based on information provided by a pricing service.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
21
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Investments which are unable to be valued in accordance with the foregoing methodologies are valued at fair value using methods determined in good faith by or at the direction of the members of the Board. Such methods may include consideration of relevant factors, including but not limited to (i) the type of security, the existence of any contractual restrictions on the securitys disposition, (ii) the price and extent of public trading in similar securities of the issuer or of comparable companies or entities, (iii) quotations or relevant information obtained from broker-dealers or other market participants, (iv) information obtained from the issuer, analysts, and/or the appropriate stock exchange (for exchange-traded securities), (v) an analysis of the companys or entitys financial condition, (vi) an evaluation of the forces that influence the issuer and the market(s) in which the security is purchased and sold (vii) an analysis of the terms of any transaction involving the issuer of such securities; and (viii) any other factors deemed relevant by the investment adviser. The portfolio managers of one Eaton Vance fund that invests in Senior and Junior Loans may not possess the same information about a Senior or Junior Loan as the portfolio managers of another Eaton Vance fund. As such, at times the fair value of a Loan determined by certain Eaton Vance portfolio managers may vary from the fair value of the same Loan determined by other portfolio managers.
PURCHASING AND REDEEMING SHARES
Additional Information About Purchases.
Fund shares are offered for sale only in states where they are registered. Fund shares are continuously offered through financial intermediaries which have entered into agreements with the principal underwriter.
Fund
shares
are sold at the public offering price, which is the net asset value plus the initial sales charge, if any. The Fund receives the net asset value. The principal underwriter receives the sales charge, all or a portion of which may be reallowed to the financial intermediaries responsible for selling Fund shares. The sales charge table in the Prospectus is applicable to purchases of the Fund alone or in combination with purchases of certain other funds offered by the principal underwriter, made at a single time by (i) an individual, or an individual, his or her spouse and their children under the age of twenty-one, purchasing shares for his or their own account, and (ii) a trustee or other fiduciary purchasing shares for a single trust estate or a single fiduciary account. The table is also presently applicable to (1) purchases of Class A shares pursuant to a written Statement of Intention; or (2) purchases of Class A shares pursuant to the Right of Accumulation and declared as such at the time of purchase. See Sales Charges.
In connection with employer sponsored retirement plans, the Fund may accept initial investments of less than the minimum investment amount on the part of an individual participant. In the event a shareholder who is a participant of such a plan terminates participation in the plan, his or her shares will be transferred to a regular individual account. However, such account will be subject to the right of redemption by the Fund as described below.
Class I Share Purchases.
Class I shares are available for purchase by clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class I shares through a no-load network or platform. Such clients may include individuals, corporations, endowments, foundations and employer sponsored retirement plans. Class I shares also are offered to investment and institutional clients of Eaton Vance and its affiliates; certain persons affiliated with Eaton Vance
; current and retired members of Eaton Vance Fund Boards; employees of Eaton Vance and its affiliates and such persons spouses, parents, siblings and lineal descendants and their beneficial accounts.
Waiver of Investment Minimums. In addition to waivers described in the Prospectus, minimum investment amounts are waived for current and retired members of Eaton Vance Fund Boards, clients (including custodial, agency, advisory and trust accounts), current and retired officers and employees of Eaton Vance, its affiliates and other investment advisers and sub-advisers to the Eaton Vance family of funds, and for such persons spouses, parents, siblings and lineal descendants and their beneficial accounts. The minimum initial investment amount is also waived for officers and employees of the Funds custodian and transfer agent and in connection with the merger (or similar transaction) of an investment company (or series or class thereof) or personal holding company with the Fund (or class thereof). Investments in a Fund by ReFlow in connection with the Reflow liquidity program are also not subject to the minimum investment amount.
Suspension of Sales. The Trust may, in its absolute discretion, suspend, discontinue or limit the offering of one or more of its classes of shares at any time. In determining whether any such action should be taken, the Trusts management intends to consider all relevant factors, including (without limitation) the size of the Fund or class, the investment climate and market conditions and the volume of sales and redemptions of shares. The Class A, Class B and Class C Distribution Plans may continue in effect and payments may be made under the Plans following any such suspension, discontinuance or limitation of the offering of shares; however, there is no contractual obligation to continue any Plan for any particular period of time. Suspension of the offering of shares would not, of course, affect a shareholders ability to redeem shares.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
22
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Additional Information About Redemptions. The right to redeem shares of the Fund can be suspended and the payment of the redemption price deferred when the Exchange is closed (other than for customary weekend and holiday closings), during periods when trading on the Exchange is restricted as determined by the SEC, or during any emergency as determined by the SEC which makes it impracticable for the Portfolio to dispose of its securities or value its assets, or during any other period permitted by order of the SEC for the protection of investors.
Due to the high cost of maintaining small accounts, the Trust reserves the right to redeem accounts with balances of less than $750. Prior to such a redemption, shareholders will be given 60 days written notice to make an additional purchase. However, no such redemption would be required by the Trust if the cause of the low account balance was a reduction in the net asset value of shares. No CDSC or redemption fees, if applicable, will be imposed with respect to such involuntary redemptions.
While normally payments will be made in cash for redeemed shares, the Trust, subject to compliance with applicable regulations, has reserved the right to pay the redemption price of shares of the Fund, either totally or partially, by a distribution in kind of readily marketable securities. The securities so distributed would be valued pursuant to the valuation procedures described in this SAI. If a shareholder received a distribution in kind, the shareholder could incur brokerage or other charges in converting the securities to cash.
Systematic Withdrawal Plan. The transfer agent will send to the shareholder regular monthly or quarterly payments of any permitted amount designated by the shareholder based upon the value of the shares held. The checks will be drawn from share redemptions and hence, may require the recognition of taxable gain or loss. Income dividends and capital gains distributions in connection with withdrawal plan accounts will be credited at net asset value as of the record date for each distribution. Continued withdrawals in excess of current income will eventually use up principal, particularly in a period of declining market prices. A shareholder may not have a withdrawal plan in effect at the same time he or she has authorized Bank Automated Investing or is otherwise making regular purchases of Fund shares. The shareholder, the transfer agent or the principal underwriter may terminate the withdrawal plan at any time without penalty.
Other Information. The Fund ’ s net asset value per share is normally rounded to two decimal places. In certain situations (such as a merger, share split or a purchase or sale of shares that represents a significant portion of a share class), the administrator may determine to extend the calculation of the net asset value per share to additional decimal places to ensure that neither the value of the Fund nor a shareholders shares is diluted materially as the result of a purchase or sale or other transaction.
SALES CHARGES
Dealer Commissions. The principal underwriter may, from time to time, at its own expense, provide additional incentives to financial intermediaries which employ registered representatives who sell Fund shares and/or shares of other funds distributed by the principal underwriter. In some instances, such additional incentives may be offered only to certain financial intermediaries whose representatives sell or are expected to sell significant amounts of shares. In addition, the principal underwriter may from time to time increase or decrease the sales commissions payable to financial intermediaries. The principal underwriter may allow, upon notice to all financial intermediaries with whom it has agreements, discounts up to the full sales charge during the periods specified in the notice. During periods when the discount includes the full sales charge, such financial intermediaries may be deemed to be underwriters as that term is defined in the 1933 Act.
Purchases at Net Asset Value.
Class A shares may be sold at net asset value
(without a sales charge) to clients of financial intermediaries who (i) charge such clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services, or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the principal underwriter to offer Class A shares through a no-load network or platform;
current and retired members of Eaton Vance Fund Boards; to clients (including custodial, agency, advisory and trust accounts) and current and former officers and employees of Eaton Vance, its affiliates and other investment advisers and sub-advisers of Eaton Vance sponsored funds; and to such persons spouses, parents, siblings and lineal descendants and their beneficial accounts. Such shares may also be issued at net asset value (1) in connection with the merger (or similar transaction) of an investment company (or series or class thereof) or personal holding company with the Fund (or class thereof), (2) to
HSAs (Health Savings Accounts
)
and to employer sponsored retirement plans and trusts used to fund those plans, (
3
) to officers and employees of the Funds custodian and transfer agent and (
4
) in connection with the ReFlow liquidity program. Class A shares may also be sold at net asset value to registered representatives and employees of financial intermediaries. Sales charges generally are waived because either (i) there is no sales effort involved in the sale of shares or (ii) the investor is paying a fee (other than the sales charge) to the financial intermediary involved in the sale. Any new or revised sales charge or CDSC waiver will be prospective only.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
23
SAI dated May 1, 2016
CDSC Waiver.
CDSCs
will be waived in connection with minimum required distributions from employer sponsored retirement plans and individual retirement accounts by applying the rate required to be withdrawn under the applicable rules and regulations of the IRS to the balance of
shares in your account.
Statement of Intention. If it is anticipated that $50,000 or more of Class A shares and shares of other funds exchangeable for Class A shares of another Eaton Vance fund will be purchased within a 13-month period, the Statement of Intention section of the account application should be completed so that shares may be obtained at the same reduced sales charge as though the total quantity were invested in one lump sum. Shares eligible for the right of accumulation (see below) as of the date of the statement and purchased during the 13-month period will be included toward the completion of the statement. If you make a statement of intention, the transfer agent is authorized to hold in escrow sufficient shares (5% of the dollar amount specified in the statement) which can be redeemed to make up any difference in sales charge on the amount intended to be invested and the amount actually invested. A statement of intention does not obligate the shareholder to purchase or the Fund to sell the full amount indicated in the statement.
If the amount actually purchased during the 13-month period is less than that indicated in the statement, the shareholder will be requested to pay the difference between the sales charge applicable to the shares purchased and the sales charge paid under the statement of intention. If the payment is not received in 20 days, the appropriate number of escrowed shares will be redeemed in order to realize such difference.
Shareholders will not receive a lower sales charge if
total purchases during the 13-month period are large enough to qualify for a lower sales charge than that applicable to the amount specified in the statement
.
If the sales charge rate changes during the 13-month period, all shares purchased or charges assessed after the date of such change will be subject to the then applicable sales charge.
Right of Accumulation.
Under the right of accumulation, the applicable sales charge level is calculated by aggregating the dollar amount of the current purchase and the value (calculated at the maximum current offering price) of shares owned by the shareholder.
The sales charge on the shares being purchased will then be applied at the rate applicable to the aggregate. Share purchases eligible for the right of accumulation are described under Sales Charges in the Prospectus. For any such discount to be made available at the time of purchase a purchaser or his or her financial intermediary must provide the principal underwriter (in the case of a purchase made through a financial intermediary) or the transfer agent (in the case of an investment made by mail) with sufficient information to permit verification that the purchase order qualifies for the accumulation privilege. Confirmation of the order is subject to such verification. The right of accumulation privilege may be amended or terminated at any time as to purchases occurring thereafter.
Conversion Feature. Class B shares held for eight years will automatically convert to Class A shares. For purposes of this conversion, all distributions paid on Class B shares which the shareholder elects to reinvest in Class B shares will be considered to be held in a separate sub-account. Upon the conversion of Class B shares not acquired through the reinvestment of distributions, a pro rata portion of the Class B shares held in the sub-account will also convert to Class A shares. This portion will be determined by the ratio that the Class B shares being converted bears to the total of Class B shares (excluding shares acquired through reinvestment) in the account. This conversion feature is subject to the continuing availability of a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service or an opinion of counsel that the conversion is not taxable for federal income tax purposes.
Distribution Plans
The Trust has in effect a compensation-type Distribution Plan for Class A shares (the Class A Plan) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Class A Plan is designed to (i) finance activities which are primarily intended to result in the distribution and sales of Class A shares and to make payments in connection with the distribution of such shares and (ii) pay service fees for personal services and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts to the principal underwriter, financial intermediaries and other persons. The distribution and service fees payable under the Class A Plan shall not exceed 0.30% of the average daily net assets attributable to Class A shares for any fiscal year. Class A distribution and service fees are paid monthly in arrears. For the distribution and service fees paid by Class A shares, see Appendix A.
The Trust also has in effect a compensation-type Distribution Plan for the Fund's Class B and Class C shares (the Class B and Class C Plans) adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. Pursuant to the Class B and Class C Plans, Class B and Class C pay the principal underwriter a distribution fee, accrued daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate not exceeding 0.75% of its average daily net assets to finance the distribution of its shares. Such fees compensate the principal underwriter for the sales commissions paid by it to financial intermediaries on the sale of shares, for other distribution expenses (such as personnel, overhead, travel, printing and postage) and for interest expense. The principal underwriter is entitled to receive all distribution fees and CDSCs paid or payable with respect to Class B and Class C shares, provided that no such payments will be made that would cause Class C shares to exceed the maximum sales charge permitted by FINRA's NASD Conduct Rules 2830(d) or Class B shares to exceed a maximum sales charge of 5% as determined in accordance with such Rule.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
The Class B and Class C Plans also authorize the payment of service fees to the principal underwriter, financial intermediaries and other persons in amounts not exceeding an annual rate of 0.25% of its average daily net assets for personal services, and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts. For Class B, this fee is paid monthly in arrears based on the value of shares sold by such persons. For Class C, financial intermediaries currently receive (a) a service fee (except on exchange transactions and reinvestments) at the time of sale equal to 0.25% of the purchase price of Class C shares sold by such intermediaries, and (b) monthly service fees approximately equivalent to 1/12 of 0.25% of the value of Class C shares sold by such intermediaries. During the first year after a purchase of Class C shares, the principal underwriter will retain the service fee as reimbursement for the service fee payment made to financial intermediaries at the time of sale. For the service fees paid, see Appendix B and Appendix C.
The
Board believes
that each Plan will be a significant factor in the expected growth of the Funds assets, and will result in increased investment flexibility and advantages which have benefitted and will continue to benefit the Fund and its shareholders. The Eaton Vance organization may profit by reason of the operation of a Plan through an increase in Fund assets and if at any point in time the aggregate amounts received by the principal underwriter pursuant to a Plan exceeds the total expenses incurred in distributing Fund shares. For sales commissions and CDSCs, if applicable, see Appendix A, Appendix B and Appendix C.
A Plan continues in effect from year to year so long as such continuance is approved at least annually by the vote of both a majority of (i) the noninterested Trustees of the Trust who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plan or any agreements related to the Plan (the Plan Trustees) and (ii) all of the Trustees then in office. A Plan may be terminated at any time by vote of a majority of the Plan Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the applicable Class. Quarterly
Board member
review of a written report of the amount expended under the Plan and the purposes for which such expenditures were made is required. A Plan may not be amended to increase materially the payments described therein without approval of the shareholders of the affected Class and the
Board
. So long as a Plan is in effect, the selection and nomination of the noninterested Trustees shall be committed to the discretion of such Trustees. The Trustees, including the Plan Trustees, initially approved the current Plan(s) on April 22, 2013. Any
Board member
who is an interested person of the Trust has an indirect financial interest in a Plan because his or her employer (or affiliates thereof) receives distribution and/or service fees under the Plan or agreements related thereto.
PERFORMANCE
Performance Calculations. Average annual total return before deduction of taxes (pre-tax return) is determined by multiplying a hypothetical initial purchase order of $1,000 by the average annual compound rate of return (including capital appreciation/depreciation, and distributions paid and reinvested) for the stated period and annualizing the result. The calculation assumes (i) that all distributions are reinvested at net asset value on the reinvestment dates during the period, (ii) the deduction of the maximum of any initial sales charge from the initial $1,000 purchase, (iii) a complete redemption of the investment at the end of the period, and (iv) the deduction of any applicable CDSC at the end of the period.
Average annual total return after the deduction of taxes on distributions is calculated in the same manner as pre-tax return except the calculation assumes that any federal income taxes due on distributions are deducted from the distributions before they are reinvested. Average annual total return after the deduction of taxes on distributions and taxes on redemption also is calculated in the same manner as pre-tax return except the calculation assumes that (i) any federal income taxes due on distributions are deducted from the distributions before they are reinvested and (ii) any federal income taxes due upon redemption are deducted at the end of the period. After-tax returns are based on the highest federal income tax rates in effect for individual taxpayers as of the time of each assumed distribution and redemption (taking into account their tax character), and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. In calculating after-tax returns, the net value of any federal income tax credits available to shareholders is applied to reduce federal income taxes payable on distributions at or near year-end and, to the extent the net value of such credits exceeds such distributions, is then assumed to be reinvested in additional Fund shares at net asset value on the last day of the fiscal year in which the credit was generated or, in the case of certain tax credits, on the date on which the year-end distribution is paid. For pre-tax and after-tax total return information, see Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix C and Appendix D.
In addition to the foregoing total return figures, the Fund may provide pre-tax and after-tax annual and cumulative total return, as well as the ending redeemable cash value of a hypothetical investment. If shares are subject to a sales charge, total return figures may be calculated based on reduced sales charges or at net asset value. These returns would be lower if the full sales charge was imposed. After-tax returns may also be calculated using different tax rate assumptions and taking into account state and local income taxes as well as federal taxes. The Funds performance may differ from that of other investors in the Portfolio, including other investment companies.
Yield is computed pursuant to a standardized formula by dividing the net investment income per share earned during a recent thirty-day period by the maximum offering price (including the maximum of any initial sales charge) per share on the last day of the period and annualizing the resulting figure. Yield figures do not reflect the deduction of any applicable CDSC, but assume the maximum of any initial sales charge. Actual yield may be affected by variations in sales charges on investments.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings and Related Information. The Board has adopted policies and procedures (the Policies) with respect to the disclosure of information about portfolio holdings of the Fund. See the Fund's Prospectus for information on disclosure made in filings with the SEC and/or posted on the Eaton Vance website (www.eatonvance.com) and disclosure of certain portfolio characteristics. Pursuant to the Policies, information about portfolio holdings of the Fund may also be disclosed as follows:
·
Confidential disclosure for a legitimate Fund purpose: Portfolio holdings may be disclosed, from time to time as necessary, for a legitimate business purpose of the Fund, believed to be in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders, provided there is a duty or an agreement that the information be kept confidential. Any such confidentiality agreement includes provisions intended to impose a duty not to trade on the non-public information. The Policies permit disclosure of portfolio holdings information to the following: 1) affiliated and unaffiliated service providers that have a legal or contractual duty to keep such information confidential, such as employees of the investment adviser (including portfolio managers and, in the case of a Portfolio, the portfolio manager of any account that invests in the Portfolio), the administrator, custodian, transfer agent, principal underwriter, etc. described herein and in the Prospectus; 2) other persons who owe a fiduciary or other duty of trust or confidence to the Fund (such as Fund legal counsel and independent registered public accounting firm); or 3) persons to whom the disclosure is made in advancement of a legitimate business purpose of the Fund and who have expressly agreed in writing to maintain the disclosed information in confidence and to use it only in connection with the legitimate business purpose underlying the arrangement. To the extent applicable to an Eaton Vance fund, such persons may include securities lending agents which may receive information from time to time regarding selected holdings which may be loaned by a Fund, in the event a Fund is rated, credit rating agencies (Moodys Investor Services, Inc. and Standard & Poors Ratings Group), analytical service providers engaged by the investment adviser (Advent, Bloomberg L.P., Evare, Factset, McMunn Associates, Inc., MSCI/Barra and The Yield Book, Inc.), proxy evaluation vendors (Institutional Shareholder Servicing Inc.), pricing services (TRPS Mark-to-Market Pricing Service, WM Company Reuters Information Services and Non-Deliverable Forward Rates Service, Markit Pricing Direct, FT Interactive Data Corp., Standard & Poors Securities Evaluation Service, Inc., SuperDerivatives and Stat Pro.), which receive information as needed to price a particular holding, translation services, third-party reconciliation services, lenders under Fund credit facilities (Citibank, N.A. and its affiliates), consultants and other product evaluators (Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC) and, for purposes of facilitating portfolio transactions, financial intermediaries and other intermediaries (national and regional municipal bond dealers and mortgage-backed securities dealers). These entities receive portfolio information on an as needed basis in order to perform the service for which they are being engaged. If required in order to perform their duties, this information will be provided in real time or as soon as practical thereafter. Additional categories of disclosure involving a legitimate business purpose may be added to this list upon the authorization of the Funds Board. In addition to the foregoing, disclosure of portfolio holdings may be made to the Funds investment adviser as a seed investor in a fund, in order for the adviser or its parent to satisfy certain reporting obligations and reduce its exposure to market risk factors associated with any such seed investment. Also, in connection with a redemption in kind, the redeeming shareholder may be required to agree to keep the information about the securities to be so distributed confidential, except to the extent necessary to dispose of the securities.
·
Historical portfolio holdings information: From time to time, the Fund may be requested to provide historic portfolio holdings information or certain characteristics of portfolio holdings that have not been made public previously. In such case, the requested information may be provided if: the information is requested for due diligence or another legitimate purpose; the requested portfolio holdings or portfolio characteristics are for a period that is no more recent than the date of the portfolio holdings or portfolio characteristics posted to the Eaton Vance website; and the dissemination of the requested information is reviewed and approved in accordance with the Policies.
The Fund, the investment adviser, sub-adviser and principal underwriter will not receive any monetary or other consideration in connection with the disclosure of information concerning the Funds portfolio holdings.
The Policies may not be waived, or exception made, without the consent of the CCO of the Fund. The CCO may not waive or make exception to the Policies unless such waiver or exception is consistent with the intent of the Policies, which is to ensure that disclosure of portfolio information is in the best interest of Fund shareholders. In determining whether to permit a waiver of or exception to the Policies, the CCO will consider whether the proposed disclosure serves a legitimate purpose of the Fund, whether it could provide the recipient with an advantage over Fund shareholders or whether the proposed disclosure gives rise to a conflict of interest between the Funds shareholders and its investment adviser, sub-adviser, principal underwriter or other affiliated person. The CCO will report all waivers of or exceptions to the Policies to the Board at their next meeting. The Board may impose additional restrictions on the disclosure of portfolio holdings information at any time.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
The Policies are designed to provide useful information concerning the Fund to existing and prospective Fund shareholders while at the same time inhibiting the improper use of portfolio holdings information in trading Fund shares and/or portfolio securities held by the Portfolio. However, there can be no assurance that the provision of any portfolio holdings information is not susceptible to inappropriate uses (such as the development of market timing models), particularly in the hands of highly sophisticated investors, or that it will not in fact be used in such ways beyond the control of the Fund.
TAXES
The following is a summary of some of the tax consequences affecting the Fund and its shareholders. The summary does not address all of the special tax rules applicable to certain classes of investors, such as individual retirement accounts and employer sponsored retirement plans, tax-exempt entities, foreign investors, insurance companies and financial institutions. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors with respect to special tax rules that may apply in their particular situations, as well as the federal, state, local, and, where applicable, foreign tax consequences of investing in the Fund.
Taxation of the Fund. The Fund, as a series of the Trust, is treated as a separate entity for federal income tax purposes. The Fund has elected to be treated and intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company (RIC) under Subchapter M of the Code. Accordingly, the Fund intends to satisfy certain requirements relating to sources of its income and diversification of its assets and to distribute substantially all of its net investment income (including tax-exempt income, if any) 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 tax. Based on advice of counsel, the Fund will not recognize gain or loss on its distribution of appreciated securities in shareholder-initiated redemptions of its shares. If the Fund qualifies for treatment as a RIC and satisfies the above-mentioned distribution requirements, it will not be subject to federal income tax on income paid to its shareholders in the form of dividends or capital gain distributions. The Fund qualified as a RIC for its most recent fiscal year.
The Fund also seeks to avoid payment of federal excise tax. However, if the Fund fails to distribute in a calendar year substantially all of its ordinary income for such year and substantially all of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 (or later if the Fund is permitted to so elect and so elects), plus any retained amount from the prior year, the Fund will be subject to a 4% excise tax on the undistributed amounts. In order to avoid incurring a federal excise tax obligation, the Code requires that the Fund distributes (or be deemed to have distributed) by December 31 of each calendar year (i) at least 98% of its ordinary income (excluding tax-exempt income, if any) for such year, (ii) at least 98.2% of its capital gain net income (which is the excess of its realized capital gains over its realized capital losses), 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, and (iii) 100% of any income and capital gains from the prior year (as previously computed) that was not paid out during such year and on which the Fund paid no federal income tax. If the Fund fails to meet these requirements it will be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax on the undistributed amounts. Under current law, provided that the Fund qualifies as a RIC (and, where applicable, the Portfolio is treated as a partnership for Massachusetts and federal tax purposes), the Fund should not be liable for any income, corporate excise or franchise tax in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
If the Fund does not qualify as a RIC for any taxable year, the Funds taxable income will be subject to corporate income taxes, and all distributions from earnings and profits, including distributions of tax-exempt income and net capital gain (if any), will be taxable to the shareholder as dividend income. However, such distributions may be eligible (i) to be treated as qualified dividend income in the case of shareholders taxed as individuals and (ii) for the dividends-received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. In addition, in order to re-qualify for taxation as a RIC, the Fund may be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions.
In certain situations, the Fund may, for a taxable year, elect to defer all or a portion of its net capital losses (or if there is no net capital loss, then any net long-term or short-term capital loss) realized after October and its late-year ordinary losses (defined as the sum of the excess of post-October foreign currency and passive foreign investment company (PFIC) losses over post-October foreign currency and PFIC gains plus the excess of post-December ordinary losses over post-December ordinary income) realized after December until the next taxable year in computing its investment company taxable income and net capital gain, which will defer the recognition of such realized losses. Such deferrals and other rules regarding gains and losses realized after October (or December) may affect the tax character of shareholder distributions.
The Code contains a provision codifying the judicial economic substance doctrine, which has traditionally been used by courts to deny tax benefits for transactions that lack economic substance; a strict liability penalty is imposed for an understatement of tax liability due to a transactions lack of economic substance.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
Taxation of the Portfolio. If the Fund invests its assets in the Portfolio, the Portfolio normally must satisfy the applicable source of income and asset diversification requirements in order for the Fund to also satisfy these requirements. For federal income tax purposes, the Portfolio intends to be treated as a partnership that is not a publicly traded partnership and, as a result, will not be subject to federal income tax. The Fund, as an investor in the Portfolio, will be required to take into account in determining its federal income tax liability its share of such Portfolios income, gains, losses, deductions and credits, without regard to whether it has received any distributions from such Portfolio. The Portfolio will allocate at least annually among its investors, including the Fund, the Portfolios net investment income, net realized capital gains and losses , and any other items of income, gain, loss, deduction or credit. For purposes of applying the requirements of the Code regarding qualification as a RIC, the Fund (i) will be deemed to own its proportionate share of each of the assets of the Portfolio and (ii) will be entitled to the gross income of the Portfolio attributable to such share. Under current law, provided that the Portfolio is treated as a partnership for Massachusetts and federal tax purposes, the Portfolio should not be liable for any income, corporate excise or franchise tax in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Taxation of the Subsidiary
.
See the definition of
“
Subsidiary
”
under
“
Definitions
”
at the front of this SAI for information about whether any Fund and/or Portfolio (if applicable) described herein has established a Subsidiary.
The Subsidiary is classified as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As described in the prospectus, the Fund has either applied for or received from the IRS a private letter ruling or has received advice from counsel relating to the treatment of the income allocated to the Fund from the Subsidiary for purposes of the Funds status as a RIC under the Code. Foreign corporations, such as the Subsidiary, will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation unless they are deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business. It is expected that the Subsidiary will conduct it activities in a manner so as to meet the requirements of a safe harbor under Section 864(b)(2) of the Code under which the Subsidiary may engage in trading in stocks or securities or certain commodities without being deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business. However, if certain of the Subsidiary's activities were determined not to be of the type described in the safe harbor (which is not expected), then the activities of the Subsidiary may constitute a U.S. trade or business, and would be taxed as such.
The Subsidiary is treated as a controlled foreign corporation (CFC) for tax purposes and the Fund is treated as a U.S. shareholder of the Subsidiary. As a result, the Fund is required to include in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes all of the Subsidiary's subpart F income, whether or not such income is distributed by the Subsidiary. It is expected that all of the Subsidiary's income will be subpart F income. The Funds recognition of the Subsidiary's subpart F income will increase the Funds tax basis in the Subsidiary. Distributions by the Subsidiary to the Fund will be tax-free, to the extent of its previously undistributed subpart F income, and will correspondingly reduce the Fund's tax basis in the Subsidiary. Subpart F income is generally treated as ordinary income, regardless of the character of the Subsidiary's underlying income. If a net loss is realized by the Subsidiary, such loss is not generally available to offset the income earned by the Fund.
Tax Consequences of Certain Investments. The following summary of the tax consequences of certain types of investments applies to the Fund and the Portfolio, as appropriate. References in the following summary to the Fund are to any Fund or Portfolio that can engage in the particular practice as described in the prospectus or SAI.
Securities Acquired at Market Discount or with Original Issue Discount. Investment in securities acquired at a market discount, or in zero coupon, deferred interest, payment-in-kind and certain other securities with original issue discount, generally may cause the Fund to realize income prior to the receipt of cash payments with respect to these securities. Such income will be accrued daily by the Fund and, in order to avoid a tax payable by the Fund, the Fund may be required to liquidate securities that it might otherwise have continued to hold in order to generate cash so that the Fund may make required distributions to its shareholders. The Fund may elect to accrue market discount income on a daily basis.
Lower Rated or Defaulted Securities. Investments in securities that are at risk of, or are in, default present special tax issues for the Fund. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless securities and how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income.
Municipal Obligations. Any recognized gain or income attributable to market discount on long-term tax-exempt municipal obligations (i.e., obligations with a term of more than one year) purchased after April 30, 1993 (except to the extent of a portion of the discount attributable to original issue discount), 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.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
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SAI dated May 1, 2016
From time to time proposals have been introduced before Congress for the purpose of restricting or eliminating the federal income tax exemption for interest on certain types of municipal obligations, and it can be expected that similar proposals may be introduced in the future. As a result of any such future legislation, the availability of municipal obligations for investment by the Fund and the value of the securities held by it may be affected. It is possible that events occurring after the date of issuance of municipal obligations, or after the Funds acquisition of such an obligation, may result in a determination that the interest paid on that obligation is taxable, even retroactively.
If the Fund seeks income exempt from state and/or local taxes, information about such taxes is contained in an appendix to this SAI (see the Table of Contents).
Tax Credit Bonds. If the Fund holds, directly or indirectly, one or more tax credit bonds (including Build America Bonds, clean renewable energy bonds and other qualified tax credit bonds) on one or more applicable dates during a taxable year and the Fund satisfies the minimum distribution requirement, the Fund may elect to permit its shareholders to claim a tax credit on their income tax returns equal to each shareholders proportionate share of tax credits from the applicable bonds that otherwise would be allowed to the Fund. In such a case, shareholders must include in gross income (as interest) their proportionate share of the income attributable to their proportionate share of those offsetting tax credits. A shareholders ability to claim a tax credit associated with one or more tax credit bonds may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code. Even if the Fund is eligible to pass through tax credits to shareholders, the Fund may choose not to do so.
Derivatives. The Funds investments in options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts (to the extent permitted) and certain other transactions may 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 Fund, defer Fund losses, cause adjustments in the holding periods of Fund securities, 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 Fund distributions.
Investments in so-called section 1256 contracts, such as regulated futures contracts, most foreign currency forward contracts traded in the interbank market and options on most stock indices, are subject to special tax rules. All section 1256 contracts held by the Fund at the end of its taxable year are required to be marked to their market value, and any unrealized gain or loss on those positions will be included in the Funds income as if each position had been sold for its fair market value at the end of the taxable year. The resulting gain or loss will be combined with any gain or loss realized by the Fund from positions in section 1256 contracts closed during the taxable year. Provided such positions were held as capital assets and were not part of a hedging transaction nor part of a straddle, 60% of the resulting net gain or loss will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and 40% of such net gain or loss will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss, regardless of the period of time the positions were actually held by the Fund. Unless an election is made, net 1256 gain or loss on forward currency contracts will be treated as ordinary income or loss.
Fund positions in index options that do not qualify as section 1256 contracts under the Code generally will be treated as equity options governed by Code Section 1234. Pursuant to Code Section 1234, if a written option expires unexercised, the premium received is short-term capital gain to the Fund. If the Fund enters into a closing transaction with respect to a written option, the difference between the premium received and the amount paid to close out its position is short-term capital gain or loss. If an option written by the Fund that is not a section 1256 contract is cash settled, any resulting gain or loss will be short-term capital gain. For an option purchased by the Fund that is not a section 1256 contract, any gain or loss resulting from sale of the option will be a capital gain or loss, and will be short-term or long-term, depending upon the holding period for the option. If the option expires, the resulting loss is a capital loss and is short-term or long-term, depending upon the holding period for the option. If a put option written by the Fund is exercised and physically settled, the premium received is treated as a reduction in the amount paid to acquire the underlying securities, increasing the gain or decreasing the loss to be realized by the Fund upon sale of the securities. If a call option written by the Fund is exercised and physically settled, the premium received is included in the sale proceeds, increasing the gain or decreasing the loss realized by the Fund at the time of option exercise.
As a result of entering into swap contracts, the Fund may make or receive periodic net payments. The Fund may also make or receive a payment when a swap is terminated prior to maturity through an assignment of the swap or other closing transaction. Periodic net payments will generally constitute ordinary income or deductions, while termination of a swap will generally result in capital gain or loss (which will be a long-term capital gain or loss if the Fund has been a party to a swap for more than one year). With respect to certain types of swaps, the Fund may be required to currently recognize income or loss with respect to future payments on such swaps or may elect under certain circumstances to mark such swaps to market annually for tax purposes as ordinary income or loss.
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Short Sales. In general, gain or loss on a short sale is recognized when the Fund closes the sale by delivering the borrowed property to the lender, not when the borrowed property is sold. Gain or loss from a short sale is generally considered to be capital gain or loss to the extent that the property used to close the short sale constitutes a capital asset in the Funds hands. Except with respect to certain situations where the property used to close a short sale has a long-term holding period on the date of the short sale, special rules generally treat the gains on short sales as short-term capital gains. These rules may also terminate the running of the holding period of substantially identical property held by the Fund. Moreover, a loss on a short sale will be treated as a long-term capital loss if, on the date of the short sale, substantially identical property has been held by the Fund for more than one year. In general, the Fund will not be permitted to deduct payments made to reimburse the lender of securities for dividends paid on borrowed stock if the short sale is closed on or before the 45th day after the short sale is entered.
Constructive Sales. The Fund may recognize gain (but not loss) from a constructive sale of certain appreciated financial positions if the Fund enters into a short sale, offsetting notional principal contract, or forward contract transaction with respect to the appreciated position or substantially identical property. Appreciated financial positions subject to this constructive sale treatment include interests (including options and forward contracts and short sales) in stock and certain other instruments. Constructive sale treatment does not apply if the transaction is closed out not later than thirty days after the end of the taxable year in which the transaction was initiated, and the underlying appreciated securities position is held unhedged for at least the next sixty days after the hedging transaction is closed.
Gain or loss on a short sale will generally not be realized until such time as the short sale is closed. However, as described above in the discussion of constructive sales, if the Fund holds a short sale position with respect to securities that have appreciated in value, and it then acquires property that is the same as or substantially identical to the property sold short, the Fund generally will recognize gain on the date it acquires such property as if the short sale were closed on such date with such property. Similarly, if the Fund holds an appreciated financial position with respect to securities and then enters into a short sale with respect to the same or substantially identical property, the Fund generally will recognize gain as if the appreciated financial position were sold at its fair market value on the date it enters into the short sale. The subsequent holding period for any appreciated financial position that is subject to these constructive sale rules will be determined as if such position were acquired on the date of the constructive sale.
Foreign Investments and Currencies. The Funds investments in foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes or other foreign taxes with respect to income (possibly including, in some cases, capital gains), which would decrease the Funds income on such securities. These taxes may be reduced or eliminated under the terms of an applicable U.S. income tax treaty. If more than 50% of Fund assets at year end consists of the debt and equity securities of foreign corporations, the Fund may elect to permit shareholders to claim a credit or deduction on their income tax returns for their pro rata portion of qualified taxes paid by the Fund to foreign countries. If the election is made, shareholders will include in gross income from foreign sources their pro rata share of such taxes. A shareholders ability to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by the Fund may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code (including a holding period requirement applied at both the Fund and shareholder level), as a result of which a shareholder may not get a full credit or deduction for the amount of such taxes. In particular, the Fund must own the dividend-paying stock for more than 15 days during the 31-day period beginning 15 days prior to the ex-dividend date. Likewise, shareholders must hold their Fund shares (without protection from risk or loss) on the ex-dividend date and for at least 15 additional days during the 31-day period beginning 15 days prior to the ex-dividend date to be eligible to claim the foreign tax with respect to a given dividend. Shareholders who do not itemize deductions on their federal income tax returns may claim a credit (but no deduction) for such taxes. Individual shareholders subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT) may not deduct such taxes for AMT purposes.
Transactions in foreign currencies, foreign currency-denominated debt securities and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts, forward contracts and similar instruments (to the extent permitted) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency. Under Section 988 of the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time the Fund accrues income or receivables or expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund actually collects such income or pays such liabilities are generally treated as ordinary income or ordinary loss.
Investments in PFICs could subject the Fund to U.S. federal income tax or other charges on certain distributions from such companies and on disposition of investments in such companies; however, the tax effects of such investments may be mitigated by making an election to mark such investments to market annually or treat the PFIC as a qualified electing fund. If the Fund were to invest in a PFIC and elect to treat the PFIC as a qualified electing fund under the Code, the Fund might be required to include in income each year a portion of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the qualified electing fund, even if not distributed to the Fund, and such amounts would be subject to the distribution requirements described above. In order to make this election, the Fund would be required to obtain certain annual information from the PFICs in which it invests, which may be difficult or impossible to obtain. Alternatively, if the Fund were to make a mark-to-market election with respect to a PFIC, the Fund would be treated as if it had sold and repurchased the PFIC stock at the end of each year. In such case, the Fund would report any such gains as ordinary income and would deduct any such losses as ordinary losses to the extent of previously
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recognized gains. This election must be made separately for each PFIC, and once made, would be effective for all subsequent taxable years unless revoked with the consent of the IRS. The Fund may be required to recognize income in excess of the distributions it receives from PFICs and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock in any particular year. As a result, the Fund may have to distribute this phantom income and gain to satisfy the distribution requirement and to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax.
U.S. Government Securities. Distributions paid by the Fund that are derived from interest on obligations of the U.S. Government and certain of its agencies and instrumentalities (but generally not distributions of capital gains realized upon the disposition of such obligations) may be exempt from state and local income taxes. The Fund generally intends to advise shareholders of the extent, if any, to which its distributions consist of such interest. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisers regarding the possible exclusion of such portion of their dividends for state and local income tax purposes.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Any investment by the Fund in equity securities of a REIT qualifying as such under Subchapter M of the Code may result in the Funds receipt of cash in excess of the REITs earnings; if the Fund distributes these amounts, these distributions could constitute a return of capital to Fund shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Investments in REIT equity securities also may require the Fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received. To generate sufficient cash to make the requisite distributions, the Fund may be required to sell securities in its portfolio (including when it is not advantageous to do so) that it otherwise would have continued to hold. Dividends received by the Fund from a REIT will not qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction and generally will not constitute qualified dividend income.
Inflation-Indexed Bonds. Periodic adjustments for inflation to the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond may give rise to original issue discount, which will be includable in the Funds gross income (see Securities Acquired at Market Discount or with Original Issue Discount above). Also, if the principal value of an inflation-indexed bond is adjusted downward due to inflation, amounts previously distributed in the taxable year may be characterized in some circumstances as a return of capital (see Taxation of Fund Shareholders below).
Taxation of Fund Shareholders. Subject to the discussion of distributions of tax-exempt income below, Fund distributions of investment income and net gains from investments held for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income. Fund distributions of any net gains from investments held for more than one year are taxable as long-term capital gains. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated the gains, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares in the Fund. Dividends and distributions on the Funds shares are generally subject to federal income tax as described herein to the extent they are made out of the Funds earnings and profits, even though such dividends and distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholders investment. Such distributions are likely to occur in respect of shares purchased at a time when the Funds 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 Funds net asset value also reflects unrealized losses.
Distributions paid by the Fund during any period may be more or less than the amount of net investment income and capital gains actually earned during the period. If the Fund makes a distribution to a shareholder in excess of the Funds current and accumulated earnings and profits in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital
.
A return of capital is not taxable, but it reduces a shareholders tax basis in its shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its shares. A shareholders tax basis cannot go below zero and any return of capital distributions in excess of a shareholders tax basis will be treated as capital gain.
Ordinarily, shareholders are required to take taxable distributions by the Fund into account in the year in which the distributions are made. However, for federal income tax purposes, dividends that are declared by the Fund in October, November or December as of a record date in such month and actually paid in January of the following year will be treated as if they were paid on December 31 of the year declared. Therefore, such dividends will generally be taxable to a shareholder in the year declared rather than in the year paid.
The amount of distributions payable by the Fund may vary depending on general economic and market conditions, the composition of investments, current management strategy and Fund operating expenses. The Fund will inform shareholders of the tax character of distributions annually to facilitate shareholder tax reporting.
The Fund may elect to retain its net capital gain, in which case the Fund will be taxed thereon (except to the extent of any available capital loss carryovers) at the 35% corporate tax rate. In such a case, it is expected that the Fund also will elect to have shareholders of record on the last day of its taxable year treated as if each received a distribution of its pro rata share of such gain, with the result that each shareholder will be required to report its pro rata share of such gain on its tax return as long-term capital gain, will receive a refundable tax credit for its pro rata share of tax paid by the Fund on the gain, and will increase the tax basis for its shares by an amount equal to the deemed distribution less the tax credit.
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Any Fund distribution, other than dividends that are declared by the Fund on a daily basis, will have the effect of reducing the per share net asset value of Fund shares by the amount of the distribution. If a shareholder buys shares when the Fund has unrealized or realized but not yet distributed ordinary income or capital gains, the shareholder will pay full price for the shares and then may receive a portion back as a taxable distribution even though such distribution may economically represent a return of the shareholders investment.
Tax-Exempt Income. Distributions by the Fund of net tax-exempt interest income that are properly reported as exempt-interest dividends may be treated by shareholders as interest excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes under Section 103(a) of the Code. In order for the Fund to be entitled to pay the tax-exempt interest income as exempt-interest dividends to its shareholders, the Fund must satisfy certain requirements, including the requirement that, at the close of each quarter of its taxable year, at least 50% of the value of its total assets consists of obligations the interest on which is exempt from regular federal income tax under Code Section 103(a). Interest on certain municipal obligations may be taxable for purposes of the federal AMT and for state and local purposes. In addition, corporate shareholders must include the full amount of exempt-interest dividends in computing the preference items for the purposes of the AMT. Fund shareholders are required to report tax-exempt interest on their federal income tax returns.
Tax-exempt distributions received from the Fund are taken into account in determining, and may increase, the portion of social security and certain railroad retirement benefits that may be subject to federal income tax. Interest on indebtedness incurred by a shareholder to purchase or carry Fund shares that distributes exempt-interest dividends will not be deductible for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If a shareholder receives exempt interest dividends with respect to any Fund share and if the share is held by the shareholder for six months or less, then any loss on the sale or exchange of the share may, to the extent of the exempt-interest dividends, be disallowed. Furthermore, a portion of any exempt-interest dividend paid by the Fund that represents income derived from certain revenue or private activity bonds held by the Fund may not retain its tax-exempt status in the hands of a shareholder who is a substantial user of a facility financed by such bonds, or a related person thereof. In addition, the receipt of dividends and distributions from the Fund may affect a foreign corporate shareholders federal branch profits tax liability and the federal excess net passive income tax liability of a shareholder of a Subchapter S corporation. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors as to whether they are (i) substantial users with respect to a facility or related to such users within the meaning of the Code or (ii) subject to a federal alternative minimum tax, the federal branch profits tax, or the federal excess net passive income tax.
Qualified Dividend Income. Qualified dividend income received by an individual is taxed at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain (currently at a maximum rate of 20% plus a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax). In order for a dividend received by Fund shareholders to be qualified dividend income, the Fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the dividend-paying stock in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Funds shares. A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (at either the Fund or shareholder level) (1) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning at the date which is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, in the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date), (2) to the extent that the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, (3) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment interest, or (4) if the dividend is received from a foreign corporation that is (a) not eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the U.S. (with the exception of dividends paid on stock of such a foreign corporation readily tradable on an established securities market in the U.S.) or (b) treated as a passive foreign investment company. Payments in lieu of dividends, such as payments pursuant to securities lending arrangements, also do not qualify to be treated as qualified dividend income. In general, distributions of investment income reported by the Fund as derived from qualified dividend income will be treated as qualified dividend income by a shareholder taxed as an individual provided the shareholder meets the holding period and other requirements described above with respect to the Funds shares. In any event, if the aggregate qualified dividends received by the Fund during any taxable year are 95% or more of its gross income, then 100% of the Funds dividends (other than properly reported capital gain dividends) will be eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income. For this purpose, the only gain with respect to the sale of stocks and securities included in the term gross income is the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss.
Dividends Received Deduction for Corporations. A portion of distributions made by the Fund which are derived from dividends from U.S. corporations may qualify for the dividends-received deduction (DRD) for corporations. The DRD is reduced to the extent the Fund shares with respect to which the dividends are received are treated as debt-financed under the Code and is eliminated if the shares are deemed to have been held for less than a minimum period, generally more than 45 days during the 91-day period beginning 45 days before the ex-dividend date or if the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property. Receipt of certain distributions qualifying for the DRD may result in reduction of the tax basis of the corporate shareholders shares. Distributions eligible for the DRD may give rise to or increase the alternative minimum tax for certain corporations. Payments in lieu of dividends, such as payments pursuant to securities lending arrangements, also do not qualify for the DRD.
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Recognition of Unrelated Business Taxable Income by Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Under current law, tax-exempt investors generally will not recognize unrelated business taxable income (UBTI) from distributions from the Fund. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a tax-exempt shareholder could recognize UBTI if shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of a tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code section 514(b). In addition, certain types of income received by the Fund from REITs, real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs), taxable mortgage pools or other investments may cause the Fund to designate some or all of its distributions as excess inclusion income. To Fund shareholders such excess inclusion income may: (1) constitute taxable income as UBTI for those shareholders who would otherwise be tax-exempt such as individual retirement accounts, employer sponsored retirement plans and certain charitable entities; (2) not be offset by otherwise allowable deductions for tax purposes; (3) not be eligible for reduced U.S. withholding for non-U.S. shareholders even from tax treaty countries; and (4) cause the Fund to be subject to tax if certain disqualified organizations as defined by the Code are Fund shareholders.
Sale
or Exchange of Fund Shares.
Generally, upon
the
sale or
(if permitted)
exchange of Fund shares, a shareholder will realize a taxable gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized and the
shareholders
basis in the shares. Such gain or loss will be treated as capital gain or loss if the shares are capital assets in the shareholders hands, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for more than one year, and short-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for one year or less.
Any loss realized upon the sale or
other disposition
of Fund shares with a tax holding period of six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any
Fund
distributions treated as long-term capital gain with respect to such shares. In addition, all or a portion of a loss realized on a
sale
or other disposition of Fund shares may be disallowed under wash sale rules to the extent the shareholder acquired other shares of the same Fund (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 shareholders tax basis in some or all of the other shares acquired.
See the prospectus for information regarding any permitted exchange of Fund shares.
Sales charges paid upon a purchase of shares subject to a front-end sales charge cannot be taken into account for purposes of determining gain or loss on a redemption or exchange 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 Fund shares (or shares of another fund) on or before January 31 of the following calendar year pursuant to the reinvestment or exchange privilege. Any disregarded amounts will result in an adjustment to the shareholders tax basis in some or all of any other shares acquired.
Applicability of Medicare Contribution Tax. The Code imposes a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on unearned income of certain U.S. individuals, estates and trusts. For individuals, the tax is on the lesser of the net investment income and the excess of modified adjusted gross income over $200,000 (or $250,000 if married filing jointly). Net investment income includes, among other things, interest, dividends, and gross income and capital gains derived from passive activities and trading in securities or commodities. Net investment income is reduced by deductions properly allocable to this income.
Back-Up Withholding for U.S. Shareholders. Amounts paid by the Fund to individuals and certain other shareholders who have not provided the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) and certain certifications required by the IRS as well as shareholders with respect to whom the Fund has received certain information from the IRS or a broker, may be subject to backup withholding of federal income tax arising from the Funds taxable dividends and other distributions as well as the proceeds of redemption transactions (including repurchases and exchanges), at a rate of 28%. An individuals TIN is generally his or her social security number. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against a shareholders U.S. federal income tax liability.
Taxation of Foreign Shareholders.
In general, dividends (other than capital gain dividends and exempt-interest dividends) paid to a shareholder that is not a U.S. person within the meaning of the Code (a foreign person or foreign shareholder) are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate). The withholding tax does not apply to regular dividends paid to a foreign person who provides
an IRS
Form W-8ECI, certifying that the dividends are effectively connected with the foreign persons conduct of a trade or business within the United States. Instead, the effectively connected dividends will be subject to regular U.S. income tax as if the foreign person were a U.S. shareholder. A non-U.S. corporation receiving effectively connected dividends may also be subject to additional branch profits tax imposed at a rate of 30% (or lower treaty rate). A foreign person who fails to provide an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E, or other applicable form may be subject to backup withholding at the appropriate rate. A foreign shareholder would generally be exempt from U.S. federal income tax, including withholding tax, on gains realized on the sale of shares of the Fund, net capital gain dividends, exempt interest dividends, and amounts retained by the Fund that are reported as undistributed capital gains.
Properly reported dividends are generally exempt from U.S. federal withholding tax where they (i) are paid in respect of the Funds qualified net interest income (generally, the Funds U.S. source interest income, other than certain contingent interest and interest from obligations of a corporation or partnership in which the Fund is at least a 10% shareholder, reduced by
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expenses that are allocable to such income) or (ii) are paid in respect of the Funds qualified short-term capital gains (generally, the excess of the Funds net short-term capital gain over the Funds long-term capital loss for such taxable year). However, depending on its circumstances, the Fund may report all, some or none of its potentially eligible dividends as such qualified net interest income or as qualified short-term capital gains and/or treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible for this exemption from withholding. In order to qualify for this exemption from withholding, a non-U.S. shareholder would need to comply with applicable certification requirements relating to its non-U.S. status (including, in general, furnishing an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E, or substitute Form). In the case of shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary could withhold even if the Fund designates the payment as qualified net interest income or qualified short-term capital gain. Non-U.S. shareholders should contact their intermediaries with respect to the application of these rules to their accounts.
Distributions that the Fund reports as short-term capital gain dividends or long-term capital gain dividends will not be treated as such to a recipient foreign shareholder if the distribution is attributable to gain from the sale or exchange of U.S. real property or an interest in a U.S. real property holding corporation and the Funds direct or indirect interests in U.S. real property exceeded certain levels. Instead, if the foreign shareholder has not owned more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Fund at any time during the one year period ending on the date of distribution, such distributions will be subject to 30% withholding by the Fund and will be treated as ordinary dividends to the foreign shareholder; if the foreign shareholder owned more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Fund at any time during the one year period ending on the date of the distribution, such distribution will be treated as real property gain subject to 35% withholding tax and could subject the foreign shareholder to U.S. filing requirements. The rules described in this paragraph, other than the withholding rules, will apply notwithstanding the Funds participation or a foreign shareholders participation in a wash sale transaction or the payment of a substitute dividend.
Additionally, if the Funds direct or indirect interests in U.S. real property were to exceed certain levels, a foreign shareholder realizing gains upon redemption from the Fund could be subject to the 35% withholding tax and U.S. filing requirements unless the foreign person had not held more than 5% of the Funds outstanding shares throughout either such persons holding period for the redeemed shares or, if shorter, the previous five years,
50% or more of the value of the Funds shares were held by U.S. entities.
The same rules apply with respect to distributions to a foreign shareholder from the Fund and redemptions of a foreign shareholders interest in the Fund attributable to a REITs distribution to the Fund of gain from the sale or exchange of U.S. real property or an interest in a U.S. real property holding corporation, if the Funds direct or indirect interests in U.S. real property were to exceed certain levels.
Provided that 50% or more of the value of the Funds stock is held by U.S. shareholders, distributions of U.S. real property interests (including securities in a U.S. real property holding corporation, unless such corporation is regularly traded on an established securities market and the Fund has held 5% or less of the outstanding shares of the corporation during the five-year period ending on the date of distribution
),
in redemption of a foreign shareholders shares of the Fund will cause the Fund to recognize gain. If the Fund is required to recognize gain, the amount of gain recognized will be equal to the fair market value of such interests over the Funds adjusted basis to the extent of the greatest foreign ownership percentage of the Fund during the five-year period ending on the date of redemption.
In the case of foreign non-corporate shareholders, the Fund may be required to backup withhold U.S. federal income tax on distributions that are otherwise exempt from withholding tax unless such shareholders furnish the Fund with proper notification of their foreign status.
Shares of the Fund held by a non-U.S. shareholder at death will be considered situated within the United States and subject to the U.S. estate tax.
Compliance with the HIRE Act.
A 30% withholding tax is imposed on U.S.-source dividends,
interest and other income items,
including those paid by the Fund and, after December 31, 201
8
, will be imposed on proceeds from the sale of property producing U.S.-source dividends, including
shares
in the Fund,
paid
to (i) foreign financial institutions including non-U.S. investment funds unless they agree to collect and disclose to the IRS information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. account holders and (ii) certain other foreign entities, unless they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners. To avoid withholding, foreign financial institutions will need to either enter into agreements with the IRS that state that they will provide the IRS information, including the names, addresses and taxpayer identification numbers of direct and indirect U.S. account holders, comply with due diligence procedures with respect to the identification of U.S. accounts, report to the IRS certain information with respect to U.S. accounts maintained, agree to withhold tax on certain payments made to non-compliant foreign financial institutions or to account holders who fail to provide the required information, and determine certain other information as to their account holders or, in the event that an applicable intergovernmental agreement and implementing legislation are adopted, agree to provide certain information to other revenue authorities for transmittal to the IRS. Other foreign entities will need to either provide the name, address, and taxpayer identification number of each substantial U.S. owner or certifications of no substantial U.S. ownership unless certain exceptions apply or agree to provide certain information to other
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revenue authorities for transmittal to the IRS. Non-U.S. shareholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the possible implications of these requirements on their investment in the Fund.
Requirements of Form 8886. Under Treasury Regulations, if a shareholder realizes a loss on disposition of the Funds shares of at least $2 million in any single taxable year or $4 million in any combination of taxable years for an individual shareholder or at least $10 million in any single taxable year or $20 million in any combination of taxable years for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayers treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances. Under certain circumstances, certain tax-exempt entities and their managers may be subject to excise tax if they are parties to certain reportable transactions.
Other Taxes. Dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds may also be subject to additional state, local and foreign taxes depending on each shareholders particular situation.
Changes in Taxation. The taxation of the Fund, the Portfolio, the Subsidiary and shareholders may be adversely affected by future legislation, Treasury Regulations, IRS revenue procedures and/or guidance issued by the IRS.
PORTFOLIO SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS
Decisions concerning the execution of portfolio security transactions, including the selection of the market and the broker-dealer firm, are made by the investment adviser. The Portfolio is responsible for the expenses associated with its portfolio transactions. The investment adviser is also responsible for the execution of transactions for all other accounts managed by it. The investment adviser places the portfolio security transactions for execution with one or more broker-dealer firms. The investment adviser uses its best efforts to obtain execution of portfolio security transactions at prices which in the investment advisers judgment are advantageous to the client and at a reasonably competitive spread or (when a disclosed commission is being charged) at reasonably competitive commission rates. In seeking such execution, the investment 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 broker-dealer firms services, responsiveness of the firm to the investment 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 broker-dealer 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 amount of the spread or commission, if any. In addition, the investment adviser may consider the receipt of Research Services (as defined below), provided it does not compromise the investment advisers obligation to seek best overall execution for the Portfolio
and is otherwise in compliance with applicable law.
The investment adviser may engage in portfolio brokerage transactions with a broker-dealer firm that sells shares of Eaton Vance funds, provided such transactions are not directed to that firm as compensation for the promotion or sale of such shares.
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 including transactions in fixed-income securities which are generally purchased and sold on a net basis (i.e., without commission) through broker-dealers and banks acting for their own account rather than as brokers. Such firms attempt to profit from such transactions by buying at the bid price and selling at the higher asked price of the market for such obligations, and the difference between the bid and asked price is customarily referred to as the spread. Fixed-income transactions may also be transactions directly with the issuer of the obligations. In an underwritten offering the price paid often includes a disclosed fixed commission or discount retained by the underwriter or dealer. Although spreads or commissions paid on portfolio security transactions will, in the judgment of the investment adviser, be reasonable in relation to the value of the services provided, commissions exceeding those which another firm might charge may be paid to broker-dealers who were selected to execute transactions on behalf of the investment advisers clients in part for providing brokerage and research services to the investment adviser as permitted by applicable law .
Pursuant to the safe harbor provided in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Section 28(e
)) and to the extent permitted by other applicable law,
a broker or dealer who executes a portfolio transaction on behalf of the investment adviser client 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 investment 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 either that particular transaction or on the basis of the overall responsibility which the investment adviser and its affiliates have for accounts over which they exercise investment discretion. Research Services as used herein includes any and all
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brokerage and research services to the extent permitted by Section 28(e
) and other applicable law.
Generally, Research Services may include, but are not limited to, such matters as research, analytical and quotation services, data, information and other services products and materials which assist the investment adviser in the performance of its investment responsibilities. More specifically, Research Services may include general economic, political, business and market information, industry and company reviews, evaluations of securities and portfolio strategies and transactions, technical analysis of various aspects of the securities markets, recommendations as to the purchase and sale of securities and other portfolio transactions, certain financial, industry and trade publications, certain news and information services, and certain research oriented computer software, data bases and services. Any particular Research Service obtained through a broker-dealer may be used by the investment adviser in connection with client accounts other than those accounts which pay commissions to such broker-dealer
, to the extent permitted by applicable law.
Any such Research Service may be broadly useful and of value to the investment 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 clients 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 investment adviser evaluates the nature and quality of the various Research Services obtained through broker-dealer firms and
, to the extent permitted by applicable law,
may attempt to allocate sufficient portfolio security transactions to such firms to ensure the continued receipt of Research Services which the investment adviser believes are useful or of value to it in rendering investment advisory services to its clients. The investment adviser may also receive brokerage and Research Services from underwriters and dealers in fixed-price offerings
, when permitted under applicable law
.
Research Services provided by (and produced by) broker-dealers that execute portfolio transactions or from affiliates of executing broker-dealers are referred to as Proprietary Research.
Except for trades executed in jurisdictions where such consideration is not permissible,
the investment adviser may and does consider the receipt of Proprietary Research Services as a factor in selecting broker dealers to execute client portfolio transactions, provided it does not compromise the investment advisers obligation to seek best overall execution.
In jurisdictions where permissible,
the investment adviser also may consider the receipt of Research Services under so called client commission arrangements or commission sharing arrangements (both referred to as CCAs) as a factor in selecting broker dealers to execute transactions, provided it does not compromise the investment advisers obligation to seek best overall execution. Under a CCA arrangement, the investment adviser may cause client accounts to effect transactions through a broker-dealer and request that the broker-dealer allocate a portion of the commissions paid on those transactions to a pool of commission credits that are paid to other firms that provide Research Services to the investment adviser. Under a CCA, the broker-dealer that provides the Research Services need not execute the trade. Participating in CCAs may enable the investment adviser to consolidate payments for research using accumulated client commission credits from transactions executed through a particular broker-dealer to periodically pay for Research Services obtained from and provided by other firms, including other broker-dealers that supply Research Services. The investment adviser believes that CCAs offer the potential to optimize the execution of trades and the acquisition of a variety of high quality Research Services that the investment adviser might not be provided access to absent CCAs. The investment adviser will only enter into and utilize CCAs to the extent permitted by Section 28(e
) and other applicable law.
The investment companies sponsored by the investment adviser or its affiliates also may allocate brokerage commissions to acquire information relating to the performance, fees and expenses of such companies and other investment companies, which information is used by the members of the Board of such companies to fulfill their responsibility to oversee the quality of the services provided to various entities, including the investment adviser, to such companies. Such companies may also pay cash for such information.
Securities considered as investments for the Portfolio may also be appropriate for other investment accounts managed by the investment adviser or its affiliates. Whenever decisions are made to buy or sell securities by the Portfolio and one or more of such other accounts simultaneously, the investment adviser will allocate the security transactions (including new 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 Portfolio 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 investment 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 Portfolio from time to time, it is the opinion of the members of the Board that the benefits from the investment adviser organization outweigh any disadvantage that may arise from exposure to simultaneous transactions.
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The following table shows brokerage commissions paid during three fiscal years ended December 31, 201
5
, as well as the amount of Portfolio security transactions for the most recent fiscal year (if any) that were directed to firms that provided some Research Services to the investment adviser or its affiliates (see above), and the commissions paid in connection therewith.
Fiscal Year End |
Brokerage Commissions Paid* |
Amount of Transactions
|
Commissions Paid on
|
December 31, 2015 |
$336,322 |
$44,122,879 |
$61,654 |
December 31, 2014 |
$347,816 |
|
|
December 31, 2013 |
$729,293 |
|
|
*
The change in brokerage commissions paid was due to
decreased trading activity
.
During the fiscal year ended December 31, 201
5
, the
Portfolio held securities of the Fund
’
s
“
regular brokers or dealers,
”
as that term is defined in Rule 10b-1 of the 1940 Act, and the value of such securities as of the Fund
’
s fiscal year end was as follows:
Regular Broker or Dealer (or Parent) |
Aggregate Value |
Kotak Mahindra Bank |
$7,248,260 |
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial statements of, and the report of the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund appear in its annual report to shareholders and are incorporated by reference into this SAI. A copy of the annual report accompanies this SAI.
Householding. Consistent with applicable law, duplicate mailings of shareholder reports and certain other Fund information to shareholders residing at the same address may be eliminated.
Registrant incorporates by reference the audited financial information and the reports of the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund and Portfolio for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 , as previously filed electronically with the SEC (Accession No. 0001193125- 16-480335 ).
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
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Commodity-Related Investments |
The value of commodities investments will generally be affected by overall market movements and factors specific to a particular industry or commodity, which may include weather, embargoes, tariffs, and health, political, international and regulatory developments. Economic and other events (whether real or perceived) can reduce the demand for commodities, which may reduce market prices and cause the value of Fund shares to fall. The frequency and magnitude of such changes cannot be predicted. Exposure to commodities and commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. No active trading market may exist for certain commodities investments, which may impair the ability of the Fund to sell or to realize the full value of such investments in the event of the need to liquidate such investments. In addition, adverse market conditions may impair the liquidity of actively traded commodities investments. Certain types of commodities instruments (such as total return swaps and commodity-linked notes) are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the instrument will not perform or will be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument. To the extent commodity-related investments are held through the Subsidiary, the Subsidiary is not subject to U.S. laws (including securities laws) and their protections. The Subsidiary is subject to the laws of the Cayman Islands, a foreign jurisdiction, and can be affected by developments in that jurisdiction. |
|
Certain commodities are subject to limited pricing flexibility because of supply and demand factors. Others are subject to broad price fluctuations as a result of the volatility of the prices for certain raw materials and the instability of supplies of other materials. These additional variables may create additional investment risks and result in greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The commodities that underlie commodity futures contracts and commodity swaps may be subject to additional economic and non-economic variables, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs, and international economic, political and regulatory developments. Unlike the financial futures markets, in the commodity futures markets there are costs of physical storage associated with purchasing the underlying commodity. The price of the commodity futures contract will reflect the storage costs of purchasing the physical commodity, including the time value of money invested in the physical commodity. To the extent that the storage costs for an underlying commodity change while the Fund is invested in futures contracts on that commodity, the value of the futures contract may change proportionately. |
|
In the commodity futures markets, producers of the underlying commodity may decide to hedge the price risk of selling the commodity by selling futures contracts today to lock in the price of the commodity at delivery tomorrow. In order to induce speculators to purchase the other side of the same futures contract, the commodity producer generally must sell the futures contract at a lower price than the expected future spot price. Conversely, if most hedgers in the futures market are purchasing futures contracts to hedge against a rise in prices, then speculators will only sell the other side of the futures contract at a higher futures price than the expected future spot price of the commodity. The changing nature of the hedgers and speculators in the commodity markets will influence whether futures prices are above or below the expected future spot price, which can have significant implications for the Fund. If the nature of hedgers and speculators in futures markets has shifted when it is time for the Fund to reinvest the proceeds of a maturing contract in a new futures contract, the Fund might reinvest at higher or lower futures prices, or choose to pursue other investments. |
Common Stocks |
Common stock represents an equity ownership interest in the issuing corporation. Holders of common stock generally have voting rights in the issuer and are entitled to receive common stock dividends when, as and if declared by the corporations board of directors. Common stock normally occupies the most subordinated position in an issuers capital structure. Returns on common stock investments consist of any dividends received plus the amount of appreciation or depreciation in the value of the stock. |
|
Although common stocks have historically generated higher average returns than fixed-income securities over the long term and particularly during periods of high or rising concerns about inflation, common stocks also have experienced significantly more volatility in returns and may not maintain their real value during inflationary periods. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of a particular common stock. Also, the prices of common stocks are sensitive to general movements in the stock market and a drop in the stock market may depress the price of common stocks. Common stock prices fluctuate for many reasons, including changes in investors perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant stock market, or when political or economic events affecting the issuer occur. In addition, common stock prices may be sensitive to rising interest rates as the costs of capital rise and borrowing costs increase. |
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Contingent Convertible Securities |
Contingent convertible securities (sometimes referred to as CoCos) are convertible securities with loss absorption characteristics. These securities provide for mandatory conversion into common stock of the issuer under certain circumstances. The mandatory conversion may be automatically triggered, for instance, if a company fails to meet the capital minimum with respect to the security, the companys regulator makes a determination that the security should convert or the company receives specified levels of extraordinary public support. Since the common stock of the issuer may not pay a dividend, investors in these instruments could experience a reduced income rate, potentially to zero; and conversion would deepen the subordination of the investor, hence worsening standing in a bankruptcy. In addition, some such instruments have a set stock conversion rate that would cause an automatic write-down of capital if the price of the stock is below the conversion price on the conversion date. Under similar circumstances, the liquidation value of certain types of contingent convertible securities may be adjusted downward to below the original par value. The write down of the par value would occur automatically and would not entitle the holders to seek bankruptcy of the company. In certain circumstances, contingent convertible securities may write down to zero and investors could lose the entire value of the investment, even as the issuer remains in business. CoCos may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a predetermined price. See also Hybrid Securities. |
Convertible Securities |
A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred security, or other security that entitles the holder to acquire common stock or other equity securities of the same or a different issuer. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued
|
|
Convertible securities are issued and traded in a number of securities markets. Even in cases where a substantial portion of the convertible securities held by the Fund are denominated in U.S. dollars, the underlying equity securities may be quoted in the currency of the country where the issuer is domiciled. As a result, fluctuations in the exchange rate between the currency in which the debt security is denominated and the currency in which the share price is quoted will affect the value of the convertible security. With respect to convertible securities denominated in a currency different from that of the underlying equity securities, the conversion price may be based on a fixed exchange rate established at the time the securities are issued, which may increase the effects of currency risk. |
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Synthetic convertible securities may include either cash-settled convertibles or manufactured convertibles. Cash-settled convertibles are instruments that are created by the issuer and have the economic characteristics of traditional convertible securities but may not actually permit conversion into the underlying equity securities in all circumstances. As an example, a private company may issue a cash-settled convertible that is convertible into common stock only if the company successfully completes a public offering of its common stock prior to maturity and otherwise pays a cash amount to reflect any equity appreciation. Manufactured convertibles are created by the investment adviser or another party by combining separate securities that possess one of the two principal characteristics of a convertible security, i.e. , fixed-income (fixed-income component) or a right to acquire equity securities (convertibility component). The fixed-income component is achieved by investing in nonconvertible fixed-income securities, such as nonconvertible bonds, preferred securities and money market instruments. The convertibility component is achieved by investing in call options, warrants, or other securities with equity conversion features (equity features) granting the holder the right to purchase a specified quantity of the underlying stocks within a specified period of time at a specified price or, in the case of a stock index option, the right to receive a cash payment based on the value of the underlying stock index. A manufactured convertible differs from traditional convertible securities in several respects. Unlike a traditional convertible security, which is a single security that has a unitary market value, a manufactured convertible is comprised of two or more separate securities, each with its own market value. Therefore, the total market value of such a manufactured convertible is the sum of the values of its fixed-income component and its convertibility component. More flexibility is possible in the creation of a manufactured convertible than in the purchase of a traditional convertible security. Because many corporations have not issued convertible securities, the investment adviser may combine a fixed-income instrument and an equity feature with respect to the stock of the issuer of the fixed-income instrument to create a synthetic convertible security otherwise unavailable in the market. The investment adviser may also combine a fixed-income instrument of an issuer with an equity feature with respect to the stock of a different issuer when the investment adviser believes such a manufactured convertible would better promote the Funds objective than alternative investments. For example, the investment adviser may combine an equity feature with respect to an issuers stock with a fixed-income security of a different issuer in the same industry to diversify the Funds credit exposure, or with a U.S. Treasury instrument to create a manufactured convertible with a higher credit profile than a traditional convertible security issued by that issuer. A manufactured convertible also is a more flexible investment in that its two components may be purchased separately and, upon purchasing the separate securities, combined to create a manufactured convertible. For example, the Fund may purchase a warrant for eventual inclusion in a manufactured convertible while postponing the purchase of a suitable bond to pair with the warrant pending development of more favorable market conditions. The value of a manufactured convertible may respond to certain market fluctuations differently from a traditional convertible security with similar characteristics. For example, in the event the Fund created a manufactured convertible by combining a short-term U.S. Treasury instrument and a call option on a stock, the manufactured convertible would be expected to outperform a traditional convertible of similar maturity that is convertible into that stock during periods when Treasury instruments outperform corporate fixed-income securities and underperform during periods when corporate fixed-income securities outperform Treasury instruments. |
Credit Linked Securities |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Credit linked securities are issued by a limited purpose trust or other vehicle that, in turn, invests in a derivative instrument or basket of derivative instruments, such as credit default swaps, interest rate swaps, and other securities in order to provide exposure to certain fixed-income markets. Credit linked securities may be used as a cash management tool in order to gain exposure to a certain market and to remain fully invested when more traditional income producing securities are not available. Like an investment in a bond, investments in credit linked securities represent the right to receive periodic income payments (in the form of distributions) and payment of principal at the end of the term of the security. However, these payments are conditioned on the issuers receipt of payments from, and the issuers potential obligations to, the counterparties to the derivative instruments and other securities in which the issuer invests. An issuer may sell one or more credit default swaps, under which the issuer would receive a stream of payments over the term of the swap agreements provided that no event of default has occurred with respect to the referenced debt obligation upon which the swap is based. If a default occurs, the stream of payments may stop and the issuer would be obligated to pay the counterparty the par (or other agreed upon value) of the referenced debt obligation. This, in turn, would reduce the amount of income and principal that the holder of the credit linked security would receive. Credit linked securities generally will be exempt from registration under the 1933 Act. Accordingly, there may be no established trading market for the securities and they may constitute illiquid investments. |
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Cyber Security Risk |
With the increased use of technologies by Fund service providers, such as the Internet to conduct business, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through hacking or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber security failures or breaches by the Funds investment adviser or administrator
|
Derivative Instruments and Related Risks |
Generally, derivatives can be characterized as financial instruments whose performance is derived at least in part from the performance of an underlying reference instrument. Derivative instruments may be acquired in the United States or abroad and include the various types of exchange-traded and over-the-counter (OTC) instruments described herein and other instruments with substantially similar characteristics and risks. Derivative instruments may be based on securities, indices, currencies, commodities, economic indicators and events (referred to as reference instruments). Fund obligations created pursuant to derivative instruments may be subject to the requirements described under Asset Coverage herein. |
|
Derivative instruments are subject to a number of risks, including adverse or unexpected movements in the price of the reference instrument, and counterparty, liquidity, tax, correlation and leverage risks. Use of derivative instruments may cause the realization of higher amounts of short-term capital gains (generally taxed at ordinary income tax rates) than if such instruments had not been used. Success in using derivative instruments to hedge portfolio assets depends on the degree of price correlation between the derivative instruments and the hedged asset. Imperfect correlation may be caused by several factors, including temporary price disparities among the trading markets for the derivative instrument, the reference instrument and the Funds assets. To the extent that a derivative instrument is intended to hedge against an event that does not occur, the Fund may realize losses. |
|
OTC derivative instruments involve an additional risk in that the issuer or counterparty may fail to perform its contractual obligations. Some derivative instruments are not readily marketable or may become illiquid under adverse market conditions. In addition, during periods of market volatility, a commodity exchange may suspend or limit trading in an exchange-traded derivative instrument, which may make the contract temporarily illiquid and difficult to price. Commodity exchanges may also establish daily limits on the amount that the price of a futures contract or futures option can vary from the previous days settlement price. Once the daily limit is reached, no trades may be made that day at a price beyond the limit. This may prevent the closing out of positions to limit losses. The staff of the SEC takes the position that certain purchased OTC options, and assets used as cover for written OTC options, are illiquid. The ability to terminate OTC derivative instruments may depend on the cooperation of the counterparties to such contracts. For thinly traded derivative instruments, the only source of price quotations may be the selling dealer or counterparty. In addition, certain provisions of the Code limit the use of derivative instruments. Derivatives permit the Fund to increase or decrease the level of risk, or change the character of the risk, to which its portfolio is exposed in much the same way as the Fund can increase or decrease the level of risk, or change the character of the risk, of its portfolio by making investments in specific securities. There can be no assurance that the use of derivative instruments will benefit the Fund. |
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Derivative-Linked and Commodity-Linked Hybrid Instruments |
A derivative-linked or commodity-linked hybrid instrument (referred to herein as a hybrid instrument) is a type of potentially high-risk derivative that combines a traditional stock, bond, or commodity with an option or forward contract. Generally, the principal amount, amount payable upon maturity or redemption, or interest rate of a hybrid instrument is tied (positively or negatively) to the price of some commodity, currency or securities index or another interest rate or some other economic factor (each a benchmark). The interest rate or (unlike most fixed-income securities) the principal amount payable at maturity of a hybrid instrument may be increased or decreased, depending on changes in the value of the benchmark. An example of a hybrid instrument is a bond issued by an oil company that pays a small base level of interest with additional interest that accrues in correlation to the extent to which oil prices exceed a certain predetermined level. Such a hybrid instrument would be a combination of a bond and a call option on oil. |
|
The risks of investing in hybrid instruments reflect a combination of the risks of investing in securities, options, futures and currencies. An investment in a hybrid instrument may entail significant risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional debt instrument that has a fixed principal amount, is denominated in U.S. dollars or bears interest either at a fixed rate or a floating rate determined by reference to a common, nationally published benchmark. The risks of a particular hybrid instrument will depend upon the terms of the instrument, but may include the possibility of significant changes in the benchmark(s) or the prices of the underlying assets to which the instrument is linked. Such risks generally depend upon factors unrelated to the operations or credit quality of the issuer of the hybrid instrument, which may not be foreseen by the purchaser, such as economic and political events, the supply and demand of the underlying assets and interest rate movements. Hybrid instruments may be highly volatile and their use by the Fund may not be successful. Hybrid instruments may also carry liquidity risk since the instruments are often customized to meet the portfolio needs of a particular investor, and therefore, the number of investors that are willing and able to buy such instruments in the secondary market may be smaller than that for more traditional debt securities. |
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Hybrid instruments may bear interest or pay preferred dividends at below market (or even relatively nominal) rates. Alternatively, hybrid instruments may bear interest at above market rates but bear an increased risk of principal loss (or gain). The latter scenario may result if leverage is used to structure the hybrid instrument. Leverage risk occurs when the hybrid instrument is structured so that a given change in a benchmark or underlying asset is multiplied to produce a greater value change in the hybrid instrument, thereby magnifying the risk of loss as well as the potential for gain. |
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Hybrid instruments are potentially more volatile and carry greater market risks than traditional debt instruments. Depending on the structure of the particular hybrid instrument, changes in a benchmark may be magnified by the terms of the hybrid instrument and have an even more dramatic and substantial effect upon the value of the hybrid instrument. Also, the prices of the hybrid instrument and the benchmark or underlying asset may not move in the same direction or at the same time. |
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Hybrid instruments can be used as an efficient means of pursuing a variety of investment goals, including currency hedging, duration management, and increased total return and creating exposure to a particular market or segment of that market. The value of a hybrid instrument or its interest rate may be a multiple of a benchmark and, as a result, may be leveraged and move (up or down) more steeply and rapidly than the benchmark. These benchmarks may be sensitive to economic and political events, such as commodity shortages and currency devaluations, which cannot be readily foreseen by the purchaser of a hybrid instrument. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a hybrid instrument could be zero. The purchase of hybrid instruments also exposes the Fund to the credit risk of the issuer of the hybrids. These risks may cause significant fluctuations in the net asset value of the Fund. |
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Certain hybrid instruments may provide exposure to the commodities markets. These are derivative securities with one or more commodity-linked components that have payment features similar to commodity futures contracts, commodity options, or similar instruments. Commodity-linked hybrid instruments may be either equity or debt securities, leveraged or unleveraged, and are considered hybrid instruments because they have both security and commodity-like characteristics. A portion of the value of these instruments may be derived from the value of a commodity, futures contract, index or other economic variable. The Fund will invest only in commodity-linked hybrid instruments that qualify under applicable rules of the CFTC for an exemption from the provisions of the CEA. Certain issuers of structured products such as hybrid instruments may be deemed to be investment companies as defined in the 1940 Act. As a result, the Funds investments in these products may be subject to limits applicable to investments in investment companies and may be subject to restrictions contained in the 1940 Act. |
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Direct Investments |
Direct investments include (i) the private purchase from an enterprise of an equity interest in the enterprise in the form of shares of common stock or equity interests in trusts, partnerships, joint ventures or similar enterprises, and (ii) the purchase of such an equity interest in an enterprise from a principal investor in the enterprise. At the time of making a direct investment, the Fund will enter into a shareholder or similar agreement with the enterprise and one or more other holders of equity interests in the enterprise. These agreements may, in appropriate circumstances, provide the ability to appoint a representative to the board of directors or similar body of the enterprise and for eventual disposition of the investment in the enterprise. Such a representative would be expected to monitor the investment and protect the Funds rights in the investment and would not be appointed for the purpose of exercising management or control of the enterprise. |
Diversified Status |
With respect to 75% of its total assets, an investment company that is registered with the SEC as a diversified fund: (1) may not invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of any one issuer (except obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities and securities of other investment companies); and (2) may not own more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer. |
Dividend Capture Trading |
In a
typical
dividend capture trade, the Fund
|
Duration |
Duration measures the time-weighted expected cash flows of a fixed-income security, which can determine its sensitivity to changes in the general level of interest rates. Securities with longer durations generally tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with shorter durations. A mutual fund with a longer dollar-weighted average duration generally can be expected to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than a fund with a shorter dollar-weighted average duration. Duration differs from maturity in that it considers a securitys coupon payments in addition to the amount of time until the security matures. Various techniques may be used to shorten or lengthen Fund duration. As the value of a security changes over time, so will its duration. The duration of a Fund that invests in multiple Portfolios is the sum of its allocable share of the duration of each of the Portfolios in which it invests, which is determined by multiplying the Portfolios duration by the Funds percentage ownership of that Portfolio. |
Emerging Market Investments |
The risks described under Foreign Investments herein generally are heightened in connection with investments in emerging markets. Also, investments in securities of issuers domiciled in countries with emerging capital markets may involve certain additional risks that do not generally apply to investments in securities of issuers in more developed capital markets, such as (i) low or non-existent trading volume, resulting in a lack of liquidity and increased volatility in prices for such securities, as compared to securities of comparable issuers in more developed capital markets; (ii) uncertain national policies and social, political and economic instability, increasing the potential for expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxation, high rates of inflation or unfavorable diplomatic developments; (iii) possible fluctuations in exchange rates, differing legal systems and the existence or possible imposition of exchange controls, custodial restrictions or other foreign or U.S. governmental laws or restrictions applicable to such investments; (iv) national policies that may limit investment opportunities, such as restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests; and (v) the lack or relatively early development of legal structures governing private and foreign investments and private property. Trading practices in emerging markets also may be less developed, resulting in inefficiencies relative to trading in more developed markets, which may result in increased transaction costs. |
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Repatriation of investment income, capital and proceeds of sales by foreign investors may require governmental registration and/or approval in emerging market countries. There can be no assurance that repatriation of income, gain or initial capital from these countries will occur. In addition to withholding taxes on investment income, some countries with emerging markets may impose differential capital gains taxes on foreign investors. |
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Political and economic structures in emerging market countries may undergo significant evolution and rapid development, and these countries may lack the social, political and economic stability characteristic of more developed countries. In such a dynamic environment, there can be no assurance that any or all of these capital markets will continue to present viable investment opportunities. In the past, governments of such nations have expropriated substantial amounts of private property, and most claims of the property owners have never been fully settled. There is no assurance that such expropriations will not reoccur. In such an event, it is possible that the entire value of an investment in the affected market could be lost. In addition, unanticipated political or social developments may affect the value of investments in these countries and the availability of additional investments. The small size and inexperience of the securities markets in certain of these countries and the limited volume of trading in securities in these countries may make investments in the countries illiquid and more volatile than investments in developed markets. |
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Also, there may be less publicly available information about issuers in emerging markets than would be available about issuers in more developed capital markets, and such issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements comparable to those to which U.S. companies are subject. In certain countries with emerging capital markets, reporting standards vary widely. As a result, traditional investment measurements used in the United States, such as price/earnings ratios, may not be applicable. Certain emerging market securities may be held by a limited number of persons. This may adversely affect the timing and pricing of the acquisition or disposal of securities. The prices at which investments may be acquired may be affected by trading by persons with material non-public information and by securities transactions by brokers in anticipation of transactions in particular securities. |
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Practices in relation to settlement of securities transactions in emerging markets involve higher risks than those in developed markets, in part because brokers and counterparties in such markets may be less well capitalized, and custody and registration of assets in some countries may be unreliable. The possibility of fraud, negligence, undue influence being exerted by the issuer or refusal to recognize ownership exists in some emerging markets. As an alternative to investing directly in emerging markets, exposure may be obtained through derivative investments. |
Equity Investments |
Equity investments include common
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Equity - Linked Securities |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Equity - linked securities are privately issued securities whose investment results are designed to correspond generally to the performance of a specified stock index or basket of securities, or sometimes a single stock. These securities are used for many of the same purposes as derivative instruments and share many of the same risks. Equity - linked securities may be considered illiquid and thus subject to the Funds restrictions on investments in illiquid securities. |
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Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) |
ETFs are pooled investment vehicles that are designed to provide investment results corresponding to an index. These indexes may be either broad-based, sector or international. ETFs usually are units of beneficial interest in an investment trust or represent undivided ownership interests in a portfolio of securities (or commodities), in each case with respect to a portfolio of all or substantially all of the component securities of, and in substantially the same weighting as, the relevant benchmark index. ETFs are designed to provide investment results that generally correspond to the price and yield performance of the component securities (or commodities) of the benchmark index. ETFs are listed on an exchange and trade in the secondary market on a per-share basis. The values of ETFs are subject to change as the values of their respective component securities (or commodities) fluctuate according to market volatility. Investments in ETFs may not exactly match the performance of a direct investment in the respective indices to which they are intended to correspond due to the temporary unavailability of certain index securities in the secondary market or other extraordinary circumstances, such as discrepancies with respect to the weighting of securities. Typically, the ETF bears its own operational expenses, which are deducted from its assets. To the extent that the Fund invests in ETFs, the Fund must bear these expenses in addition to the expenses of its own operation. |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
48
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Exchange-Traded Notes (ETNs) |
ETNs are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities whose returns are linked to the performance of a particular market benchmark or strategy minus applicable fees. ETNs are traded on an exchange during normal trading hours. However, investors can also hold the ETN until maturity. At maturity, the issuer pays to the investor a cash amount equal to the principal amount, subject to the days market benchmark or strategy factor. |
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ETNs do not make periodic coupon payments or provide principal protection. ETNs are subject to credit risk and the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuers credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged. The value of an ETN may also be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying assets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuers credit rating, and economic, legal, political, or geographic events that affect the referenced underlying asset. When the Fund invests in ETNs it will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. The Funds decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. In addition, although an ETN may be listed on an exchange, the issuer may not be required to maintain the listing and there can be no assurance that a secondary market will exist for an ETN. |
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ETNs are subject to tax risk. No assurance can be given that the IRS will accept, or a court will uphold, how the Fund characterizes and treats ETNs for tax purposes. Further, the IRS and Congress are considering proposals that would change the timing and character of income and gains from ETNs. |
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An ETN that is tied to a specific market benchmark or strategy may not be able to replicate and maintain exactly the composition and relative weighting of securities, commodities or other components in the applicable market benchmark or strategy. Some ETNs that use leverage can, at times, be relatively illiquid and, thus, they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs are subject to the same risk as other instruments that use leverage in any form. |
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The market value of ETN shares may differ from that of their market benchmark or strategy. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETN shares at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the securities, commodities or other components underlying the market benchmark or strategy that the ETN seeks to track. As a result, there may be times when an ETN share trades at a premium or discount to its market benchmark or strategy. |
Fixed-Income Securities |
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Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
49
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Foreign Currency Transactions |
As measured in U.S. dollars, the value of assets denominated in foreign currencies may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in foreign currency rates and exchange control regulations. Currency exchange rates can also be affected unpredictably by intervention by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks, or the failure to intervene, or by currency controls or political developments in the United States or abroad. Foreign currency exchange transactions may be conducted on a spot ( i.e. , cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the foreign currency exchange market or through entering into derivative currency transactions (see Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts, Option Contracts, Futures Contracts and Swap Agreements Currency Swaps herein). Currency transactions are subject to the risk of a number of complex political and economic factors applicable to the countries issuing the underlying currencies. Furthermore, unlike trading in most other types of instruments, there is no systematic reporting of last sale information with respect to the foreign currencies underlying the derivative currency transactions. As a result, available information may not be complete. In an over-the-counter trading environment, there are no daily price fluctuation limits. |
Foreign Investments |
Investing in securities issued by companies whose principal business activities are outside the United States may involve significant risks not present in domestic investments. For example, because foreign companies may not be subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements and regulatory measures 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. In addition, with respect to certain foreign countries, there is the possibility of nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, currency blockage, political or social instability, or diplomatic developments, which could affect investments in those countries. Any of these actions could adversely affect securities prices, impair the Funds ability to purchase or sell foreign securities, or transfer the Funds assets or income back to the United States, or otherwise adversely affect Fund operations. In the event of nationalization, expropriation or confiscation, the Fund could lose its entire investment in that country. |
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Other potential foreign market risks include exchange controls, difficulties in valuing securities, defaults on foreign government securities, and difficulties of enforcing favorable legal judgments in foreign courts. Moreover, individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, reinvestment of capital, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, and balance of payments position. Certain economies may rely heavily on particular industries or foreign capital and are more vulnerable to diplomatic developments, the imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, changes in international trading patterns, trade barriers, and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. Foreign securities markets, while growing in volume and sophistication, are generally not as developed as those in the United States. Foreign countries may not have the infrastructure or resources to respond to natural and other disasters that interfere with economic activities, which may adversely affect issuers located in such countries. |
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Settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets differ significantly from those in the United States. Payment for securities before delivery may be required and in some countries delayed settlements are customary, which increases the Funds risk of loss. The Fund generally holds its foreign securities and related cash in foreign banks and securities depositories. Some foreign banks and securities depositories may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In addition, there may be limited or no regulatory oversight over their operations. Also, the laws of certain countries may put limits on the Funds ability to recover its assets if a foreign bank, depository or issuer of a security or any of their agents goes bankrupt. Certain countries may require withholding on dividends paid on portfolio securities and on realized capital gains. |
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In addition, it is often more expensive to buy, sell and hold securities in certain foreign markets than in the United States. Foreign brokerage commissions are generally higher than commissions on securities traded in the United States and may be non-negotiable. The fees paid to foreign banks and securities depositories generally are higher than those charged by U.S. banks and depositories. The increased expense of investing in foreign markets reduces the amount earned on investments and typically results in a higher operating expense ratio for the Fund as compared to investment companies that invest only in the United States. |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
50
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Depositary receipts (including American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) and Global Depositary Receipts GDRs)) are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer and are alternatives to directly purchasing 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 the political and economic risks of the underlying issuers country, as well as in the case of depositary receipts traded on foreign markets, exchange risk. Depositary receipts may be sponsored or unsponsored. Unsponsored depositary receipts are established without the participation of the issuer. As a result, available information concerning the issuer of an unsponsored depository receipt may not be as current as for sponsored depositary receipts, and the prices of unsponsored depositary receipts may be more volatile than if such instruments were sponsored by the issuer. Unsponsored depositary receipts may involve higher expenses, may not pass through voting or other shareholder rights and they may be less liquid. |
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Unless otherwise provided in the Prospectus, in determining the domicile of an issuer, the investment adviser may consider the domicile determination of the Funds benchmark index or a leading provider of global indexes and may take into account such factors as where the companys securities are listed, and where the company is legally organized, maintains principal corporate offices and/or conducts its principal operations. |
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. A forward foreign currency exchange contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts may be bought or sold to protect against an adverse change in the relationship between currencies or to increase exposure to a particular foreign currency. Cross-hedging may be done by using forward contracts in one currency (or basket of currencies) to hedge against fluctuations in the value of instruments denominated in a different currency (or the basket of currencies and the underlying currency). Use of a different foreign currency (for hedging or non-hedging purposes) magnifies exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are individually negotiated and privately traded so they are dependent upon the creditworthiness of the counterparty. The precise matching of the forward contract amounts and the value of the instruments denominated in the corresponding currencies will not generally be possible. In addition, it may not be possible to hedge against long-term currency changes. |
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When a currency is difficult to hedge or to hedge against the U.S. dollar, the Fund may enter into a forward contract to sell a currency whose changes in value are generally considered to be linked to such currency. Currency transactions can result in losses if the currency being hedged fluctuates in value to a degree or in a direction that is not anticipated. In addition, there is the risk that the perceived linkage between various currencies may not be present or may not be present during the particular time the hedge is in place. If the Fund purchases a bond denominated in a foreign currency with a higher interest rate than is available on U.S. bonds of a similar maturity, the additional yield on the foreign bond could be substantially reduced or lost if the Fund were to enter into a direct hedge by selling the foreign currency and purchasing the U.S. dollar. |
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Some of the forward foreign currency exchange contracts may be classified as non-deliverable forwards (NDFs). NDFs are cash-settled, forward contracts that may be thinly traded. NDFs are commonly quoted for time periods of one month up to two years, and are normally quoted and settled in U.S. dollars, but may be settled in other currencies. They are often used to gain exposure to or hedge exposure to foreign currencies that are not internationally traded. NDFs may also be used to gain or hedge exposure to gold. |
Forward Rate Agreements |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Under a forward rate agreement, the buyer locks in an interest rate at a future settlement date. If the interest rate on the settlement date exceeds the lock rate, the buyer pays the seller the difference between the two rates. If the lock rate exceeds the interest rate on the settlement date, the seller pays the buyer the difference between the two rates. Any such gain received by the Fund would be taxable. These instruments are traded in the OTC market. |
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Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
51
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Futures Contracts |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Futures contracts are standardized contracts that obligate a purchaser to take delivery, and a seller to make delivery, of a specific amount of the underlying reference instrument at a specified future date at a specified price. These contracts are traded on exchanges, so that, in most cases, either party can close out its position on the exchange for cash, without delivering the underlying asset. Upon purchasing or selling a futures contract, a purchaser or seller is required to deposit collateral (initial margin). Each day thereafter until the futures position is closed, the purchaser or seller will pay additional margin (variation margin) representing any loss experienced as a result of the futures position the prior day or be entitled to a payment representing any profit experienced as a result of the futures position the prior day. A public market exists in futures contracts covering a number of indexes as well as financial instruments and foreign currencies. It is expected that other futures contracts will be developed and traded in the future. In computing daily net asset value, the Fund will mark to market its open futures positions. The Fund is also required to deposit and maintain margin with respect to put and call options on futures contracts written by it. Futures contracts are traded on exchanges or boards of trade that are licensed by the CFTC and must be executed through a futures commission merchant or brokerage firm that is a member of the relevant exchange or board. |
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Although some futures contracts call for making or taking delivery of the underlying reference instrument, generally these obligations are closed out prior to delivery by offsetting purchases or sales of matching futures contracts (same exchange, underlying security or index, and delivery month). Closing a futures contract sale is effected by purchasing a futures contract for the same aggregate amount of the specific type of financial instrument or commodity with the same delivery date. If an offsetting purchase price is less than the original sale price, the Fund realizes a capital gain, or if it is more, the Fund realizes a capital loss. Conversely, if an offsetting sale price is more than the original purchase price, the Fund realizes a capital gain, or if it is less, the Fund realizes a capital loss. |
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Health Sciences Companies |
To the extent described in the Prospectus, the Fund may concentrate its investments in health sciences companies. |
High Yield Securities |
High yield securities (commonly referred to as junk
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Hybrid Securities |
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Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
52
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Illiquid Securities |
Illiquid securities include securities legally restricted as to resale, and may include commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the 1933 Act and securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A thereunder. Section 4(a)(2) and Rule 144A securities may, however, be treated as liquid by the investment 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. Even if determined to be liquid, Rule 144A securities may increase the level of portfolio illiquidity if eligible buyers become uninterested in purchasing such securities. |
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It may be difficult to sell illiquid securities at a price representing fair value until such time as the securities may be sold publicly. It also may be more difficult to determine the fair value of such securities for purposes of computing the Funds net asset value. Where registration is required, a considerable period of time may elapse between a decision to sell the securities and the time when the Fund would be permitted to sell. Thus, the Fund may not be able to obtain as favorable a price as that prevailing at the time of the decision to sell. The Fund may incur additional expense when disposing of illiquid securities, including all or a portion of the cost to register the securities. The Fund also may acquire securities through private placements under which it may agree to contractual restrictions on the resale of such securities that are in addition to applicable legal restrictions. Such restrictions might prevent the sale of such securities at a time when such sale would otherwise be desirable. |
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At times, a portion of the Funds assets may be invested in securities as to which the Fund, by itself or together with other accounts managed by the investment adviser and its affiliates, holds a major portion or all of such securities. Under adverse market or economic conditions or in the event of adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer, the Fund could find it more difficult to sell such securities when the investment adviser believes it advisable to do so or may be able to sell such securities only at prices lower than if such securities were more widely held. It may also be more difficult to determine the fair value of such securities for purposes of computing the Funds net asset value. See also Restricted Securities. |
Indexed Securities |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Indexed securities are securities that fluctuate in value with an index. 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. Indexed securities may include interest only (IO) and principal only (PO) securities, floating rate securities linked to the Cost of Funds Index (COFI floaters), other lagging rate floating securities, floating rate securities that are subject to a maximum interest rate (capped floaters), leveraged floating rate securities (super floaters), leveraged inverse floating rate securities (inverse floaters), dual index floaters, range floaters, index amortizing notes and various currency indexed notes. Indexed securities may 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. |
Inflation-Indexed (or Inflation-Linked) Bonds |
Inflation-indexed bonds are fixed-income securities the principal value of which is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. Inflation-indexed bonds are issued by governments, their agencies or instrumentalities and corporations. Two structures are common: The U.S. Treasury and some other issuers use a structure that accrues inflation into the principal value of the bond. Most other issuers pay out the inflation accruals as part of a semiannual coupon. The principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond is adjusted in response to changes in the level of inflation. Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed in the case of U.S. Treasury inflation-indexed bonds, and therefore, the principal amount of such bonds cannot be reduced below par even during a period of deflation. However, the current market value of these bonds is not guaranteed and will fluctuate, reflecting the risk of changes in their yields. In certain jurisdictions outside the United States, the repayment of the original bond principal upon the maturity of an inflation-indexed bond is not guaranteed, allowing for the amount of the bond repaid at maturity to be less than par. The interest rate for inflation-indexed bonds is fixed at issuance as a percentage of this adjustable principal. Accordingly, the actual interest income may both rise and fall as the principal amount of the bonds adjusts in response to movements in the Consumer Price Index. |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
53
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
54
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Loan Facility |
Senior Debt Portfolio may employ borrowings and leverage as described in the Prospectus. The Portfolio has entered into a commercial paper program and liquidity facility subject to the terms of an Order of the SEC (Release No. 26320) granting an exemption from Section 18(f)(1) of the 1940 Act. The program, administered by Citicorp North America, Inc., is with certain conduit lenders who issue commercial paper, in an amount
currently
up to approximately $
1.
2
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Loans |
Loans may be primary, direct investments or investments in loan assignments or participation interests. A loan assignment represents a portion or the entirety of a loan and a portion of the entirety of a position previously attributable to a different lender. The purchaser of an assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations under the loan agreement and has the same rights and obligations as the assigning investor. However, assignments through private negotiations may cause the purchaser of an assignment to have different and more limited rights than those held by the assigning investor. Loan participation interests are interests issued by a lender or other entity and represent a fractional interest in a loan. The Fund typically will have a contractual relationship only with the financial institution that issued the participation interest. As a result, the Fund may have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled only from the financial institution and only upon receipt by such entity of such payments from the borrower. In connection with purchasing a participation interest, the Fund 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 investors through set-off against the borrower and the Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the loan in which it has purchased the participation interest. As a result, the Fund may assume the credit risk of both the borrower and the financial institution issuing the participation interest. In the event of the insolvency of the entity issuing a participation interest, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of such entity. |
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Loans may be originated by a lending agent, such as a financial institution or other entity, on behalf of a group or syndicate of loan investors (the Loan Investors). In such a case, the agent administers the terms of the loan agreement and is responsible for the collection of principal, and interest payments from the borrower and the apportionment of these payments to the Loan Investors. Failure by the agent to fulfill its obligations may delay or adversely affect receipt of payment by the Fund. Furthermore, unless under the terms of a loan agreement or participation (as applicable) the Fund has direct recourse against the borrower, the Fund must rely on the Agent and the other Loan Investors to pursue appropriate remedies against the borrower. |
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Loan investments may be made at par or at a discount or premium to par. The interest payable on a loan may be fixed or floating rate, and paid in cash or in-kind. In connection with transactions in loans, the Fund may be subject to facility or other fees. Loans may be secured by specific collateral or other assets of the borrower, guaranteed by a third party, unsecured or subordinated. During the term of a loan, the value of any collateral securing the loan may decline in value, causing the loan to be under collateralized. 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 borrowers obligations under the loan. In addition, if a loan is foreclosed, the Fund could become part owner of the collateral and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of such collateral. |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
55
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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A lenders repayment and other rights primarily are determined by governing loan, assignment or participation documents, which (among other things) typically establish the priority of payment on the loan relative to other indebtedness and obligations of the borrower. In the event of bankruptcy, applicable law may impact a lenders ability to enforce its rights under such documents. Investing in loans involves the risk of default by the borrower or other party obligated to repay the loan. In the event of insolvency of the borrower or other obligated party, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of such entity unless it has rights that are senior to that of other creditors or secured by specific collateral or assets of the borrower. Fixed-rate loans are also subject to the risk that their value will decline in a rising interest rate environment. This risk is mitigated for floating-rate loans, where the interest rate payable on the loan resets periodically by reference to a base lending rate. The base lending rate usually is the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), the Federal Reserve federal funds rate, the prime rate or other base lending rates used by commercial lenders. LIBOR usually is an average of the interest rates quoted by several designated banks as the rates at which they pay interest to major depositors in the London interbank market on U.S. dollar-denominated deposits. |
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The Fund will take whatever action it considers appropriate in the event of anticipated financial difficulties, default or bankruptcy of the borrower or other entity obligated to repay a loan. Such action may include: (i) retaining the services of various persons or firms (including affiliates of the investment adviser) to evaluate or protect any collateral or other assets securing the loan or acquired as a result of any such event; (ii) managing (or engaging other persons to manage) or otherwise dealing with any collateral or other assets so acquired; and (iii) taking such other actions (including, but not limited to, payment of operating or similar expenses relating to the collateral) as the investment adviser may deem appropriate to reduce the likelihood or severity of loss on the Funds investment and/or maximize the return on such investment. The Fund will incur additional expenditures in taking protective action with respect to loans in (or anticipated to be in) default and assets securing such loans. In certain circumstances, the Fund may receive equity or equity-like securities from a borrower to settle the loan or may acquire an equity interest in the borrower. Representatives of the Fund also may join creditor or similar committees relating to loans. |
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Lenders can be sued by other creditors and the debtor and its shareholders. Losses could be greater than the original loan amount and occur years after the loans recovery. If a borrower becomes involved in bankruptcy proceedings, a court may invalidate the Funds security interest in any loan collateral or subordinate the Funds rights under the loan agreement to the interests of the borrowers unsecured creditors or cause interest previously paid to be refunded to the borrower. 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 Funds security interest in loan collateral. If any of these events occur, the Funds performance could be negatively affected. |
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Interests in loans generally are not listed on any national securities exchange or automated quotation system and no active market may exist for many loans, making them illiquid. As described below, a secondary market exists for many Senior Loans, but it may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods. |
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From time to time the investment adviser and its affiliates may borrow money from various banks in connection with their business activities. Such banks may also sell interests in loans to or acquire them from the Fund or may be intermediate participants with respect to loans in which the Fund owns interests. Such banks may also act as agents for loans held by the Fund. |
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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 loans for investment may be adversely affected. Further, such legislation or regulation could depress the market value of loans. |
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For additional disclosures relating to Junior and Senior Loans, see Junior Loans and Senior Loans herein. |
Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) |
MLPs are publicly-traded limited partnership interests or units. An MLP that invests in a particular industry (e.g., oil and gas) will be harmed by detrimental economic events within that industry. As partnerships, MLPs may be subject to less regulation (and less protection for investors) under state laws than corporations. In addition, MLPs may be subject to state taxation in certain jurisdictions, which may reduce the amount of income paid by an MLP to its investors. |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
56
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS) |
MBS are pass through securities, meaning that a pro rata share of regular interest and principal payments, as well as unscheduled early prepayments, on the underlying mortgage pool is passed through monthly to the holder. MBS may include conventional mortgage pass through securities, participation interests in pools of adjustable and fixed rate mortgage loans, stripped mortgage-backed securities (described herein), floating rate mortgage-backed securities and certain classes of multiple class CMOs. MBS pay principal to the holder over their term, which differs from other forms of debt securities that normally provide for principal payment at maturity or specified call dates. MBS are subject to the general risks associated with investing in real estate securities; that is, they may lose value if the value of the underlying real estate to which a pool of mortgages relates declines. In addition, investments in MBS involve certain specific risks, including the failure of a party to meet its commitments under the related operative documents, adverse interest rate changes and the effects of prepayments on mortgage cash flows. Certain MBS may be purchased on a when-issued basis subject to certain limitations and requirements. |
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There are currently
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GNMA Certificates and FNMA Mortgage-Backed Certificates are MBS representing part ownership of a pool of mortgage loans. GNMA loans (issued by lenders such as mortgage bankers, commercial banks and savings and loan associations) are either insured by the Federal Housing Administration or guaranteed by the Veterans Administration. A pool of such mortgages is assembled and, after being approved by GNMA, is offered to investors through securities dealers. Once such pool is approved by GNMA, the timely payment of interest and principal on the Certificates issued representing such pool is guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. GNMA is a wholly owned U.S. Government corporation within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. FNMA, a federally chartered corporation owned entirely by private stockholders, purchases both conventional and federally insured or guaranteed residential mortgages from various entities, including savings and loan associations, savings banks, commercial banks, credit unions and mortgage bankers, and packages pools of such mortgages in the form of pass-through securities generally called FNMA Mortgage-Backed Certificates, which are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by FNMA but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government; however, they are supported by the right of FNMA to borrow from the U.S. Treasury Department. |
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FHLMC, a corporate instrumentality of the U.S. Government created by Congress for the purposes of increasing the availability of mortgage credit for residential housing, issues participation certificates (PCs) representing undivided interest in FHLMCS mortgage portfolio. While FHLMC guarantees the timely payment of interest and ultimate collection of the principal of its PCs, its PCs are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. FHLMC PCs differ from GNMA Certificates in that the mortgages underlying the PCs are monthly conventional mortgages rather than mortgages insured or guaranteed by a federal agency or instrumentality. However, in several other respects, such as the monthly pass-through of interest and principal (including unscheduled prepayments) and the unpredictability of future unscheduled prepayments on the underlying mortgage pools, FHLMC PCs are similar to GNMA Certificates.
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Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
57
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
58
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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MLOs and participations therein represent a type of financing that may not have the depth of marketability associated with more conventional securities and, as such, they may be less liquid than conventional securities. Certain MLOs may be deemed illiquid for the purpose of the Funds limitation on investments in illiquid securities, unless determined by the investment adviser, pursuant to guidelines adopted by the Board, to be liquid securities. The investment adviser will consider an MLO to be liquid if it is rated investment grade (being an MLO rated BBB or Baa or higher) by a nationally recognized statistical ratings organization or is insured by an insurer rated investment grade. If an MLO or participation does not meet the foregoing criteria, then the investment adviser will consider the MLO to be illiquid unless it conducts an analysis of relevant factors and concludes that the MLO is liquid. In conducting such an analysis, the investment adviser will consider the factors it believes are relevant to the marketability of the obligation, to the extent that information regarding such factor is available to the investment adviser and pertinent to the liquidity determination, which may include: (1) the willingness of dealers to bid for the obligation; (2) the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the obligation and the number of other potential buyers; (3) the frequency of trades and quotes for the obligation; (4) the nature of the marketplace trades, including the time needed to dispose of the obligation, the method of soliciting offers, and the mechanics of transfer; (5) the willingness of the governmental issuer to continue to appropriate funds for the payment of the obligation; (6) how likely or remote an event of non-appropriation may be, which depends in varying degrees on a variety of factors, including those relating to the general creditworthiness of the governmental issuer, its dependence on its continuing access to the credit markets, and the importance to the issuer of the equipment, property or facility covered by the lease or contract; (7) an assessment of the likelihood that the lease may or may not be cancelled; and (8) other factors and information unique to the obligation in determining its liquidity. |
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The ability of issuers of MLOs to make timely lease payments may be adversely impacted in general economic downturns and as relative governmental cost burdens are allocated and reallocated among federal, state and local governmental units. Such non-payment would result in a reduction of income from and value of the obligation. Issuers of MLOs might seek protection under the bankruptcy laws. In the event of bankruptcy of such an issuer, holders of MLOs could experience delays and limitations with respect to the collection of principal and interest on such MLOs and may not, in all circumstances, be able to collect all principal and interest to which it is entitled. To enforce its rights in the event of a default in lease payments, the Fund might take possession of and manage the assets securing the issuers obligations on such securities or otherwise incur costs to protect its rights, which may increase the Funds operating expenses and adversely affect the net asset value of the Fund. When the lease contains a non-appropriation clause, however, the failure to pay would not be a default and the Fund would not have the right to take possession of the assets. Any income derived from the Funds ownership or operation of such assets may not be tax-exempt. |
Municipal Obligations |
Municipal obligations include debt obligations issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public facilities, refunding of outstanding obligations and obtaining funds for general operating expenses and loans to other public institutions and facilities. Certain types of bonds are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to finance various privately owned or operated facilities, including certain facilities for the local furnishing of electric energy or gas, sewage facilities, solid waste disposal facilities and other specialized facilities. Municipal obligations include bonds as well as tax-exempt commercial paper, project notes and municipal notes such as tax, revenue and bond anticipation notes of short maturity, generally less than three years. While most municipal bonds pay a fixed rate of interest semiannually in cash, there are exceptions. Some bonds pay no periodic cash interest, but rather make a single payment at maturity representing both principal and interest. Some bonds may pay interest at a variable or floating rate. Bonds may be issued or subsequently offered with interest coupons materially greater or less than those then prevailing, with price adjustments reflecting such deviation. Municipal obligations also include trust certificates representing interests in municipal securities held by a trustee. The trust certificates may evidence ownership of future interest payments, principal payments or both on the underlying securities. |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
59
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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In general, there are three categories of municipal obligations, the interest on which is exempt from federal income tax and is not a tax preference item for purposes of the alternative minimum tax (AMT): (i) certain public purpose obligations (whenever issued), which include obligations issued directly by state and local governments or their agencies to fulfill essential governmental functions; (ii) certain obligations issued before August 8, 1986 for the benefit of non-governmental persons or entities; and (iii) certain private activity bonds issued after August 7, 1986, which include qualified Section 501(c)(3) bonds or refundings of certain obligations included in the second category. Opinions relating to the validity of municipal bonds, exclusion of municipal bond interest from an investors gross income for federal income tax purposes and, where applicable, state and local income tax, are rendered by bond counsel to the issuing authorities at the time of issuance. |
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Interest on certain private activity bonds issued after August 7, 1986 is exempt from regular federal income tax, but such interest (including a distribution by the Fund derived from such interest) is treated as a tax preference item that could subject the recipient to or increase the recipients liability for the AMT. For corporate shareholders, the Funds distributions derived from interest on all municipal obligations (whenever issued) are included in adjusted current earnings for purposes of the AMT as applied to corporations (to the extent not already included in alternative minimum taxable income as income attributable to private activity bonds). |
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The two principal classifications of municipal bonds are general obligation and revenue bonds. Issuers of general obligation bonds include states, counties, cities, towns and regional districts. The proceeds of these obligations are used to fund a wide range of public projects, including the construction or improvement of schools, highways and roads, water and sewer systems and a variety of other public purposes. The basic security of general obligation bonds is the issuers pledge of its faith, credit, and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest. The taxes that can be levied for the payment of debt service may be limited or unlimited as to rate and amount. |
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Typically, the only security for a limited obligation or revenue bond is the net revenue derived from a particular facility or class of facilities financed thereby or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special tax or other special revenues. Revenue bonds have been issued to fund a wide variety of revenue-producing public capital projects including: electric, gas, water and sewer systems; highways, bridges and tunnels; port and airport facilities; colleges and universities; hospitals; and convention, recreational, tribal gaming and housing facilities. Although the security behind these bonds varies widely, many lower rated bonds provide additional security in the form of a debt service reserve fund that may also be used to make principal and interest payments on the issuer's obligations. In addition, some revenue obligations (as well as general obligations) are insured by a bond insurance company or backed by a letter of credit issued by a banking institution. Revenue bonds also include, for example, pollution control, health care and housing bonds, which, although nominally issued by municipal authorities, are generally not secured by the taxing power of the municipality but by the revenues of the authority derived from payments by the private entity that owns or operates the facility financed with the proceeds of the bonds. Obligations of housing finance authorities have a wide range of security features, including reserve funds and insured or subsidized mortgages, as well as the net revenues from housing or other public projects. Many of these bonds do not generally constitute the pledge of the credit of the issuer of such bonds. The credit quality of such revenue bonds is usually directly related to the credit standing of the user of the facility being financed or of an institution which provides a guarantee, letter of credit or other credit enhancement for the bond issue. The Fund may on occasion acquire revenue bonds that carry warrants or similar rights covering equity securities. Such warrants or rights may be held indefinitely, but if exercised, the Fund anticipates that it would, under normal circumstances, dispose of any equity securities so acquired within a reasonable period of time. Investing in revenue bonds may involve (without limitation) the following risks. |
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Hospital bond ratings are often based on feasibility studies that contain projections of expenses, revenues and occupancy levels. A hospitals income available to service its debt may be influenced by demand for hospital services, management capabilities, the service area economy, efforts by insurers and government agencies to limit rates and expenses, competition, availability and expense of malpractice insurance, and Medicaid and Medicare funding. |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
60
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Education-related bonds are comprised of two types: (i) those issued to finance projects for public and private colleges and universities, charter schools and private schools, and (ii) those representing pooled interests in student loans. Bonds issued to supply educational institutions with funding are subject to many risks, including the risks of unanticipated revenue decline, primarily the result of decreasing student enrollment, decreasing state and federal funding, or changes in general economic conditions. Additionally, higher than anticipated costs associated with salaries, utilities, insurance or other general expenses could impair the ability of a borrower to make annual debt service payments. Student loan revenue bonds are generally offered by state (or sub-state) authorities or commissions and are backed by pools of student loans. Underlying student loans may be guaranteed by state guarantee agencies and may be subject to reimbursement by the United States Department of Education through its guaranteed student loan program. Others may be private, uninsured loans made to parents or students that may be supported by reserves or other forms of credit enhancement. Cash flows supporting student loan revenue bonds are impacted by numerous factors, including the rate of student loan defaults, seasoning of the loan portfolio, and student repayment deferral periods of forbearance. Other risks associated with student loan revenue bonds include potential changes in federal legislation regarding student loan revenue bonds, state guarantee agency reimbursement and continued federal interest and other program subsidies currently in effect. |
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Transportation debt may be issued to finance the construction of airports, toll roads, highways, or other transit facilities. Airport bonds are dependent on the economic conditions of the airports service area and may be affected by the business strategies and fortunes of specific airlines. They may also be subject to competition from other airports and modes of transportation. Air traffic generally follows broader economic trends and is also affected by the price and availability of fuel. Toll road bonds are also affected by the cost and availability of fuel as well as toll levels, the presence of competing roads and the general economic health of an area. Fuel costs, transportation taxes and fees, and availability of fuel also affect other transportation-related securities, as do the presence of alternate forms of transportation, such as public transportation. |
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Industrial development bonds are normally secured only by the revenues from the project and not by state or local government tax payments, they are subject to a wide variety of risks, many of which relate to the nature of the specific project. Generally, IDBs are sensitive to the risk of a slowdown in the economy. Electric utilities face problems in financing large construction programs in an inflationary period, cost increases and delay occasioned by safety and environmental considerations (particularly with respect to nuclear facilities), difficulty in obtaining fuel at reasonable prices, and in achieving timely and adequate rate relief from regulatory commissions, effects of energy conservation and limitations on the capacity of the capital market to absorb utility debt. Water and sewer revenue bonds are generally secured by the fees charged to each user of the service. The issuers of water and sewer revenue bonds generally enjoy a monopoly status and latitude in their ability to raise rates. However, lack of water supply due to insufficient rain, run-off, or snow pack can be a concern and has led to past defaults. Further, public resistance to rate increases, declining numbers of customers in a particular locale, costly environmental litigation, and federal environmental mandates are challenges faced by issuers of water and sewer bonds. |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
61
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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The obligations of any person or entity to pay the principal of and interest on a municipal obligation are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the Federal Bankruptcy Act, and laws, if any, that may be enacted by Congress or state legislatures extending the time for payment of principal or interest, or both, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations. Certain bond structures may be subject to the risk that a taxing authority may issue an adverse ruling regarding tax-exempt status. There is also the possibility that as a result of adverse economic conditions (including unforeseen financial events, natural disasters and other conditions that may affect an issuers ability to pay its obligations), litigation or other conditions, the power or ability of any person or entity to pay when due principal of and interest on a municipal obligation may be materially affected or interest and principal previously paid may be required to be refunded. There have been instances of defaults and bankruptcies involving municipal obligations that were not foreseen by the financial and investment communities. The Fund will take whatever action it considers appropriate in the event of anticipated financial difficulties, default or bankruptcy of either the issuer of any municipal obligation or of the underlying source of funds for debt service. Such action may include: (i) retaining the services of various persons or firms (including affiliates of the investment adviser) to evaluate or protect any real estate, facilities or other assets securing any such obligation or acquired by the Fund as a result of any such event; (ii) managing (or engaging other persons to manage) or otherwise dealing with any real estate, facilities or other assets so acquired; and (iii) taking such other actions as the adviser (including, but not limited to, payment of operating or similar expenses of the underlying project) may deem appropriate to reduce the likelihood or severity of loss on the funds investment. The Fund will incur additional expenditures in taking protective action with respect to portfolio obligations in (or anticipated to be in) default and assets securing such obligations. |
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Historically, municipal bankruptcies have been rare and certain provisions of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code governing such bankruptcy are unclear. Further, the application of state law to municipal obligation issuers could produce varying results among the states or among municipal obligation issuers within a state. These uncertainties could have a significant impact on the prices of the municipal obligations in which the Fund invests. There could be economic, business or political developments or court decisions that adversely affect all municipal obligations in the same sector. Developments such as changes in healthcare regulations, environmental considerations related to construction, construction cost increases and labor problems, failure of healthcare facilities to maintain adequate occupancy levels, and inflation can affect municipal obligations in the same sector. As the similarity in issuers of municipal obligations held by the Fund increases, the potential for fluctuations in the Funds share price also may increase. |
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The secondary market for some municipal obligations issued within a state (including issues that are privately placed with the Fund) is less liquid than that for taxable debt obligations or other more widely traded municipal obligations. No established resale market exists for certain of the municipal obligations in which the Fund may invest. The market for obligations rated below investment grade is also likely to be less liquid than the market for higher rated obligations. As a result, the Fund may be unable to dispose of these municipal obligations at times when it would otherwise wish to do so at the prices at which they are valued. Municipal obligations that are rated below investment grade but that, subsequent to the assignment of such rating, are backed by escrow accounts containing U.S. Government obligations may be determined by the investment adviser to be of investment grade quality for purposes of the Funds investment policies. In the case of a defaulted obligation, the Fund may incur additional expense seeking recovery of its investment. Defaulted obligations are denoted in the Portfolio of Investments in the Financial Statements included in the Funds reports to shareholders. The yields on municipal obligations depend on a variety of factors, including purposes of the issue and source of funds for repayment, general money market conditions, general conditions of the municipal bond market, size of a particular offering, maturity of the obligation and rating of the issue. The ratings of Moodys, S&P and Fitch represent their opinions as to the quality of the municipal obligations which they undertake to rate, and in the case of insurers, other factors including the claims-paying ability of such insurer. It should be emphasized, however, that ratings are based on judgment and are not absolute standards of quality. Consequently, municipal obligations with the same maturity, coupon and rating may have different yields while obligations of the same maturity and coupon with different ratings may have the same yield. In addition, the market price of such obligations will normally fluctuate with changes in interest rates, and therefore the net asset value of the Fund will be affected by such changes. |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
62
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Operational Risk |
The Funds service providers, including the investment adviser, may experience disruptions or operating errors that could negatively impact the Fund. While service providers are expected to have appropriate operational risk management policies and procedures, their methods of operational risk management may differ from the Fund's in the setting of priorities, the personnel and resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. It also is not possible for Fund service providers to identify all of the operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. |
Option Contracts |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. An option contract is a contract that gives the holder of the option, in return for a premium, the right to buy from (in the case of a call) or sell to (in the case of a put) the writer of the option the reference instrument underlying the option (or the cash value of the index) at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option. The writer of an option on a security has the obligation upon exercise of the option to deliver the reference instrument (or the cash) upon payment of the exercise price or to pay the exercise price upon delivery of the reference instrument (or the cash). Upon exercise of an index option, the writer of an option on an index is obligated to pay the difference between the cash value of the index and the exercise price multiplied by the specified multiplier for the index option. Options may be covered, meaning that the party required to deliver the reference instrument if the option is exercised owns that instrument (or has set aside sufficient assets to meet its obligation to deliver the instrument). Options may be listed on an exchange or traded in the OTC market. In general, exchange-traded options have standardized exercise prices and expiration dates and may require the parties to post margin against their obligations, and the performance of the parties' obligations in connection with such options is guaranteed by the exchange or a related clearing corporation. OTC options have more flexible terms negotiated between the buyer and the seller, but generally do not require the parties to post margin and are subject to counterparty risk. OTC options also involve greater liquidity risk. The staff of the SEC takes the position that certain purchased OTC options, and assets used as cover for written OTC options, are illiquid. Derivatives on economic indicators generally are offered in an auction format and are booked and settled as OTC options. Options on futures contracts are discussed herein under Futures Contracts. |
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If a written option expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a capital gain equal to the premium received at the time the option was written. If a purchased option expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a capital loss equal to the premium paid. Prior to the earlier of exercise or expiration, an exchange traded option may be closed out by an offsetting purchase or sale of an option of the same series (type, exchange, reference instrument, exercise price, and expiration). A capital gain will be realized from a closing purchase transaction if the cost of the closing option is less than the premium received from writing the option, or, if it is more, a capital loss will be realized. If the premium received from a closing sale transaction is more than the premium paid to purchase the option, the Fund will realize a capital gain or, if it is less, the Fund will realize a capital loss. The principal factors affecting the market value of a put or a call option include supply and demand, the current market price of the reference instrument in relation to the exercise price of the option, the volatility of the reference instrument, and the time remaining until the expiration date. There can be no assurance that a closing purchase or sale transaction can be consummated when desired. |
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Straddles are a combination of a call and a put written on the same reference instrument. A straddle is deemed to be covered when sufficient assets are deposited to meet the Funds immediate obligations. The same liquid assets may be used to cover both the call and put options where the exercise price of the call and put are the same, or the exercise price of the call is higher than that of the put. The Fund may also buy and write call options on the same reference instrument to cover its obligations. Because such combined options positions involve multiple trades, they result in higher transaction costs and may be more difficult to open or close. In an equity collar, the Fund simultaneously writes a call option and purchases a put option on the same instrument. |
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To the extent that the Fund writes a call option on an instrument it holds and intends to use such instrument as the sole means of covering its obligation under the call option, the Fund has, in return for the premium on the option, given up the opportunity to profit from a price increase in the instrument above the exercise price during the option period, but, as long as its obligation under such call option continues, has retained the risk of loss should the value of the reference instrument decline. If the Fund were unable to close out such a call option, it would not be able to sell the instrument unless the option expired without exercise. Uncovered calls have speculative characteristics and are riskier than covered calls because there is no instrument or cover held by the Fund that can act as a partial hedge. |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
63
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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The writer of an option has no control over the time when it may be required to fulfill its obligation under the option. Once an option writer has received an exercise notice, it cannot effect a closing purchase transaction in order to terminate its obligation under the option and must deliver the underlying reference instrument at the exercise price. If a put or call option purchased by the Fund is not sold when it has remaining value, and if the market price of the underlying security remains equal to or greater than the exercise price (in the case of a put), or remains less than or equal to the exercise price (in the case of a call), the Fund will lose the premium it paid for the option. Furthermore, if trading restrictions or suspensions are imposed on options markets, the Fund may be unable to close out a position. |
Option Strategy |
The Fund implements the Option Strategy or Enhancement Strategy, as further described under Investment Objective & Principal Policies and Risks in the Prospectus, whereby it writes a series of call and put option spread combinations on the S&P 500 Composite Stock Price Index (S&P 500 Index) and/or a proxy for the S&P 500 Index (such as SPDR Trust Series I units (SPDRs)). |
Participation in the ReFlow Liquidity Program |
The Fund may participate in the ReFlow liquidity program, which is designed to provide an alternative liquidity source for mutual funds experiencing net redemptions of their shares. Pursuant to the program, ReFlow Fund, LLC (ReFlow) provides participating mutual funds with a source of cash to meet net shareholder redemptions by standing ready each business day to purchase fund shares up to the value of the net shares redeemed by other shareholders that are to settle the next business day. Following purchases of fund shares, ReFlow then generally redeems those shares when the fund experiences net sales, at the end of a maximum holding period determined by ReFlow (currently 28 days) or at other times at ReFlows discretion. While ReFlow holds fund shares, it will have the same rights and privileges with respect to those shares as any other shareholder. For use of the ReFlow service, a fund pays a fee to ReFlow each time it purchases fund shares, calculated by applying to the purchase amount a fee rate determined through an automated daily auction among participating mutual funds. Such fee is allocated among a funds share classes based on relative net assets. ReFlows purchases of fund shares through the liquidity program are made on an investment-blind basis without regard to the funds investment objective, policies or anticipated performance. In accordance with federal securities laws, ReFlow is prohibited from acquiring more than 3% of the outstanding voting securities of a fund. ReFlow will purchase Class I or Institutional Class shares (or, if applicable Class A or Investor Class shares) at net asset value and will not be subject to any sales charge (in the case of Class A shares), investment minimum or redemption fee applicable to such shares. ReFlow will periodically redeem its entire share position in the Fund and request that such redemption be met in kind in accordance with the Funds redemption-in-kind policies described under Redeeming Shares in the Prospectus. Investments in a fund by ReFlow in connection with the ReFlow liquidity program are not subject to the two round-trips within 90 days limitation described in Restrictions on Excessive Trading and Market Timing under Purchasing Shares in the Prospectus. The investment adviser believes that the program assists in stabilizing the Funds net assets to the benefit of the Fund and its shareholders. To the extent the Funds net assets do not decline, the investment adviser may also benefit. |
Pooled Investment Vehicles |
The Fund may invest in pooled investment vehicles including other open-end or closed-end investment companies affiliated or unaffiliated with the investment adviser, exchange-traded funds (described herein) and other collective investment pools in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act. Closed-end investment company securities are usually traded on an exchange. The demand for a closed-end funds securities is independent of the demand for the underlying portfolio assets, and accordingly, such securities can trade at a discount from, or a premium over, their net asset value. The Fund generally will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees paid by a pooled investment vehicle in which it invests in addition to the investment advisory fee paid by the Fund. |
Portfolio Turnover |
A change in the securities held by the Fund is known as portfolio turnover and generally involves expense to the Fund, including brokerage commissions or dealer markups and other transaction costs on both the sale of securities and the reinvestment of the proceeds in other securities. If sales of portfolio securities cause the Fund to realize net short-term capital gains, such gains will be taxable as ordinary income to taxable shareholders. The Fund ’ s portfolio turnover rate for a fiscal year is the ratio of the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities to the monthly average of the value of portfolio securities − excluding securities whose maturities at acquisition were one year or less. The Fund's portfolio turnover rate is not a limiting factor when the investment adviser considers a change in the Fund's portfolio holdings. The portfolio turnover rate(s) of the Fund for recent fiscal periods is included in the Financial Highlights in the Prospectus. |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
64
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Preferred
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Preferred
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Real Estate Investments |
Real estate investments, including real estate investment trusts (REITs) are sensitive to factors, such as changes in: real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, occupancy rates, government regulations affecting zoning, land use, and rents, and the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Companies in the real estate industry may also be subject to liabilities under environmental and hazardous waste laws, among others. Changes in underlying real estate values may have a magnified effect to the extent that
Private REITs are unlisted, which may make them difficult to value and less liquid. Moreover, private REITs are generally exempt from 1933 Act registration and, as such, the amount of public information available with respect to private REITs may be less extensive than that available for publicly traded REITs. |
Repurchase Agreements |
Repurchase agreements involve the purchase of a security coupled with an agreement to resell at a specified date and price. In the event of the bankruptcy of the counterparty to a repurchase agreement, recovery of cash may be delayed. To the extent that, in the meantime, the value of the purchased securities may have decreased, a loss could result. Repurchase agreements that mature in more than seven days will be treated as illiquid. Unless the Prospectus states otherwise, the terms of a repurchase agreement 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. |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
65
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Residual Interest Bonds |
The Fund may invest in residual interest bonds in a trust that holds municipal securities. The interest rate payable on a residual interest bond bears an inverse relationship to the interest rate on another security issued by the trust. Because changes in the interest rate on the other security inversely affect the interest paid on the residual interest bond, the value and income of a residual interest bond is generally more volatile than that of a fixed rate bond. Residual interest bonds have interest rate adjustment formulas that generally reduce or, in the extreme, eliminate the interest paid to the Fund when short-term interest rates rise, and increase the interest paid to the Fund when short-term interest rates fall. Residual interest bonds have varying degrees of liquidity, and the market for these securities is relatively volatile. These securities tend to underperform the market for fixed rate bonds in a rising long-term interest rate environment, but tend to outperform the market for fixed rate bonds when long-term interest rates decline. Although volatile, residual interest bonds typically offer the potential for yields exceeding the yields available on fixed rate bonds with comparable credit quality and maturity. These securities usually permit the investor to convert the floating rate to a fixed rate (normally adjusted downward), and this optional conversion feature may provide a partial hedge against rising rates if exercised at an opportune time. While residual interest bonds expose the Fund to leverage risk because they provide two or more dollars of bond market exposure for every dollar invested, they are not subject to the Funds restrictions on borrowings.
Under certain circumstances, the Fund may enter into a so-called shortfall and forbearance agreement
On December 10, 2013, five U.S. federal agencies published final rules implementing section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Volcker Rule). The Volcker Rule prohibits banking entities from engaging in proprietary trading of certain instruments and limits such entities investments in, and relationships with, covered funds, as defined in the rules. The compliance date for the Volcker Rule with respect to covered funds in place prior to December 31, 2013 is July 21, 2016. The Volcker Rule
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Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
66
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Restricted Securities |
Restricted securities cannot be sold to the public without registration under the 1933 Act. Unless registered for sale, restricted securities can be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or pursuant to an exemption from registration. Restricted securities may be considered illiquid and subject to the Funds limitation on illiquid securities. Restricted securities may involve a high degree of business and financial risk which may result in substantial losses. The securities may be less liquid than publicly traded securities. Although these securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales could be less than those originally paid by the Fund. The Fund may invest in restricted securities, including securities initially offered and sold without registration pursuant to Rule 144A (Rule 144A Securities) and securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers initially offered and sold outside the United States without registration with the SEC pursuant to Regulation S (Regulation S Securities) under the 1933 Act. Rule 144A Securities and Regulation S Securities generally may be traded freely among certain qualified institutional investors, such as the Fund, and non-U.S. persons, but resale to a broader base of investors in the United States may be permitted only in much more limited circumstances. The Fund also may purchase restricted securities that are not eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A or Regulation S. The Fund may acquire such securities through private placement transactions, directly from the issuer or from security holders, generally at higher yields or on terms more favorable to investors than comparable publicly traded securities. However, the restrictions on resale of such securities may make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of them at the time considered most advantageous and/or may involve expenses that would not be incurred in the sale of securities that were freely marketable. Risks associated with restricted securities include the potential obligation to pay all or part of the registration expenses in order to sell certain restricted securities. A considerable period of time may elapse between the time of the decision to sell a security and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell it under an effective registration statement and/or after an applicable waiting period. If adverse conditions were to develop during this period, the Fund might obtain a price that is less favorable than the price that was prevailing at the time it decided to sell. See also Illiquid Securities. |
Reverse Repurchase Agreements |
Under a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund 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 Fund agrees to repurchase the instrument at an agreed upon time (normally within seven days) and price, which reflects an interest payment. The Fund may enter into a reverse repurchase agreement for various purposes, including, but not limited to, when it is able to invest the cash acquired at a rate higher than the cost of the agreement or as a means of raising cash to satisfy redemption requests without the necessity of selling portfolio assets. In 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 Funds assets. As a result, such transactions may increase fluctuations in the value of the Fund. Because reverse repurchase agreements may be considered to be the practical equivalent of borrowing funds, they constitute a form of leverage. Such agreements will be treated as subject to investment restrictions regarding borrowings. If the Fund 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 Funds yield. |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
67
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Rights and Warrants |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe for shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life, usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. Warrants are securities that are typically issued together with a debt security or preferred stock and that give the holder the right to buy a proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price. Warrants are freely transferable and are often traded on major exchanges. Unlike rights, warrants normally have a life that is measured in years and entitle the holder to buy common stock of a company at a price that is usually higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued. Corporations often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive. Warrants and rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. If the market price of the underlying stock does not exceed the exercise price during the life of the warrant or right, the warrant or right will expire worthless. (Canadian special warrants issued in private placements prior to a public offering are not considered warrants.) |
Royalty Bonds |
To the extent described in the Prospectus, the Fund may invest in royalty bonds. |
Securities Lending |
The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to major banks, broker-dealers and other financial institutions in compliance with the 1940 Act. No lending may be made with any companies affiliated with the investment adviser. These loans earn income and are collateralized by cash, securities or letters of credit. The Fund may realize a loss if it is not able to invest cash collateral at rates higher than the costs to enter into the loan. The Fund invests cash collateral in an unaffiliated money market fund that operates in compliance with the requirements of Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act and maintains a stable $1.00 net asset value per share. When the loan is closed, the lender is obligated to return the collateral to the borrower. The lender could suffer a loss if the value of the collateral is below the market value of the borrowed securities or if the borrower defaults on the loan. The lender may pay reasonable finders, lending agent, administrative and custodial fees in connection with its loans. The investment adviser may instruct the securities lending agent to terminate loans and recall securities with voting rights so that the securities may be voted in accordance with the Funds proxy voting policy and procedures if deemed appropriate to do so. See Taxes for information on the tax treatment of payments in lieu of dividends received pursuant to securities lending arrangements. |
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Senior Loans |
Senior Loans are loans that are senior in repayment priority to other debt of the borrower. Senior Loans generally pay interest that floats, adjusts or varies periodically based on benchmark indicators, specified adjustment schedules or prevailing interest rates. Senior Loans are often secured by specific assets or collateral, although they may not be secured by collateral. 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), generally referred to as a syndicate. The Agent typically administers and enforces the Senior Loan on behalf of the Loan Investors in the syndicate. In addition, an institution, typically but not always the Agent, holds any collateral on behalf of the Loan Investors. 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, or novations of, a Senior Loan. Senior Loans primarily include senior floating rate loans and secondarily senior floating rate debt obligations (including those issued by an asset-backed pool), and interests therein. |
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Loan Collateral. Borrowers generally will, for the term of the Senior Loan, pledge collateral to secure their obligation. In addition Senior Loans may be guaranteed by or secured by assets of the borrowers owners or affiliates. During the term of the Senior Loan, the value of collateral securing the Loan may decline in value, causing the Loan to be under-collateralized. 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 borrowers obligations under a Senior Loan. In addition, if a Senior Loan is foreclosed, the Fund could become part owner of the collateral and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of such collateral. |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
68
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Fees. The Fund may receive a facility fee when it buys a Senior Loan, and pay a facility fee when it sells a Senior Loan. On an ongoing basis, the Fund 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 Fund may receive a prepayment penalty fee upon the prepayment of a Senior Loan by a borrower or an amendment fee. |
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Loan Administration. In a typical Senior Loan, the Agent administers the terms of the loan agreement and is responsible for the collection of principal, and interest payments from the borrower and the apportionment of these payments to the Loan Investors. Failure by the Agent to fulfill its obligations may delay or adversely affect receipt of payment by the Fund. Furthermore, unless under the terms of a loan agreement or participation (as applicable) the Fund has direct recourse against the borrower, the Fund must rely on the Agent and the other Loan Investors to use appropriate 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 typical practice of an Agent or a Loan Investor in relying exclusively or primarily on reports from the borrower may involve the risk of fraud by the borrower. It is unclear whether an investment in a Senior Loan offers the securities law protections against fraud and misrepresentation. |
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A financial institutions appointment as Agent may usually be terminated in the event that it fails to observe the requisite standard of care or becomes insolvent. 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 Fund were determined to be subject to the claims of the Agents general creditors, the Fund 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 other Interposed Persons, similar risks may arise. |
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Additional Information. The Fund may purchase and retain in its portfolio a Senior Loan where the borrower has 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. While such investments may provide opportunities for enhanced income as well as capital appreciation, they generally involve greater risk and may be considered speculative. The Fund may from time to time participate in ad-hoc committees formed by creditors to negotiate with the management of financially troubled borrowers. The Fund may incur legal fees as a result of such participation. In addition, such participation may restrict the Funds ability to trade in or acquire additional positions in a particular security when it might otherwise desire to do so. Participation by the Fund also may expose the Fund to potential liabilities under bankruptcy or other laws governing the rights of creditors and debtors. The Fund will participate in such committees only when the investment adviser believes that such participation is necessary or desirable to enforce the Funds rights as a creditor or to protect the value of a Senior Loan held by the Fund. |
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In some instances, other accounts managed by the investment adviser may hold other securities issued by borrowers the Senior Loans of which may be held by the Fund. These other securities may include, for example, debt securities that are subordinate to the Senior Loans held by the Fund, convertible debt or common or preferred equity securities. In certain circumstances, such as if the credit quality of the borrower deteriorates, the interests of holders of these other securities may conflict with the interests of the holders of the borrowers Senior Loans. In such cases, the investment adviser may owe conflicting fiduciary duties to the Fund and other client accounts. The investment adviser will endeavor to carry out its obligations to all of its clients to the fullest extent possible, recognizing that in some cases, certain clients may achieve a lower economic return, as a result of these conflicting client interests, than if the investment advisers client accounts collectively held only a single category of the issuers securities. |
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The Fund 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 Fund 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 investment adviser, may enhance the value of a Senior Loan or would otherwise be consistent with the Funds investment policies. |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
69
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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For Eaton Vance Floating Rate Portfolio, Senior Debt Portfolio and Eaton Vance VT Floating-Rate Income Fund only: The Fund will acquire participations only if the Loan Investor selling the participation, and any other persons interpositioned between the Fund and the Loan Investor (an Interposed Person), at the time of investment, has outstanding debt or deposit obligations rated investment grade (BBB or A-3 or higher by S&P or Baa or P- 3 or higher by Moodys or comparably rated by another nationally recognized statistical ratings organization) or determined by the investment adviser to be of comparable quality. |
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For additional disclosure relating to investing in loans (including Senior Loans), see Loans above. |
Short Sales |
Short sales are transactions in which a party sells a security it does not own in anticipation of a decline in the market value of that security. To complete such a transaction, the party must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. When the party is required to return the borrowed security, it typically will purchase the security in the open market. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the party sold the security. Until the security is replaced, the party is required to repay the lender any dividends or interest, which accrues during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, it also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The net proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements, until the short position is closed out. Transaction costs are incurred in effecting short sales. A short seller will incur a loss as a result of a short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which it replaces the borrowed security. A gain will be realized if the price of the security declines in price between those dates. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount of the premium, dividends or interest the short seller may be required to pay, if any, in connection with a short sale. Short sales may be against the box or uncovered. In a short sale against the box, at the time of the sale, the short seller owns or has the immediate and unconditional right to acquire the identical security at no additional cost. In an uncovered short sale, the short seller does not own the underlying security and, as such, losses from uncovered short sales may be significant. The Fund may sell short securities representing an index or basket of securities whose constituents the Fund holds in whole or in part. A short sale of an index or basket of securities will be a covered short sale if the underlying index or basket of securities is the same or substantially identical to securities held by the Fund. Use of short sales is limited by the Funds non-fundamental restriction relating thereto. |
Short-Term Trading |
Fixed-income 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, such a security may be sold and another purchased at approximately the same time to take advantage of what is believed 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. |
Smaller Companies |
The investment risk associated with smaller companies is higher than that normally associated with larger, more established companies due to the greater business risks associated with small size, the relative age of the company, limited product lines, distribution channels and financial and managerial resources. Further, there is typically less publicly available information concerning smaller companies than for larger companies. The securities of small companies are often traded only over-the-counter and may not be traded in the volumes typical of trading on a national securities exchange. As a result, stocks of smaller companies are often more volatile than those of larger companies, which are often traded on a national securities exchange. |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
70
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities (SMBS) |
SMBS are multiclass mortgage securities. SMBS commonly involve two classes of securities that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distributions on a pool of mortgage assets. A common type of SMBS will have one class receiving most of the interest from the mortgages, while the other class will receive most of the principal. In the most extreme case, the interest only class receives all of the interest while the principal only class receives the entire principal. The yield to maturity on an interest only class is extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including pre-payments) on the related underlying mortgage assets, and a rapid rate of principal payments may have a material adverse effect on the yield to maturity from these securities. If the underlying mortgages experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the initial investment in these securities may not be recouped. Although the market for such securities is increasingly liquid, certain SMBS may not be readily marketable and will be considered illiquid. The market value of the class consisting entirely of principal payments generally is unusually volatile in response to changes in interest rates. The yields on a class of SMBS that receives all or most of the interest from mortgages are generally higher than prevailing market yields on other MBS because their cash flow patterns are more volatile and there is a greater risk that the initial investment will not be fully recouped. |
Structured Notes |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Structured notes are derivative debt instruments, the interest rate or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator (for example, a currency, security, commodity or index thereof). The terms of the instrument may be structured by the purchaser and the borrower issuing the note. Indexed securities may include structured notes as well as securities other than debt securities, the interest rate or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator. Indexed securities may include a multiplier that multiplies the indexed element by a specified factor and, therefore, the value of such securities may be very volatile. The terms of structured notes and indexed securities may provide that in certain circumstances no principal is due at maturity, which may result in a loss of invested capital. Structured notes and indexed securities may be positively or negatively indexed, so that appreciation of the unrelated indicator may produce an increase or a decrease in the interest rate or the value of the structured note or indexed security at maturity may be calculated as a specified multiple of the change in the value of the unrelated indicator. Structured notes and indexed securities may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types of investments because the investor bears the risk of the unrelated indicator. Structured notes or indexed securities also may be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities and instruments or more traditional debt securities. |
Swap Agreements |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a few weeks to more than one year. In a standard swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on a particular predetermined reference instrument or instruments, which can be adjusted for an interest rate factor. The gross returns to be exchanged or swapped between the parties are generally 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). Other types of swap agreements may calculate the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a net basis. Consequently, a partys current obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the net amount). |
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Whether the use of swap agreements will be successful will depend on the investment adviser's ability to predict correctly whether certain types of reference instruments are likely to produce greater returns than other instruments. Swap agreements may be subject to contractual restrictions on transferability and termination and they may have terms of greater than seven days. The Funds obligations under a swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owed to the Fund under the swap). Developments in the swaps market, including government regulation, could adversely affect the Funds ability to terminate existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements, as well as to participate in swap agreements in the future. If there is a default by the counterparty to a swap, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the swap agreement, but any recovery may be delayed depending on the circumstances of the default. |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
71
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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The swaps market was largely unregulated prior to the enactment of federal legislation known as the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Dodd-Frank Act), which was enacted in 2010 in response to turmoil in the financial markets and other market events. Among other things, the Dodd-Frank Act sets forth a new regulatory framework for certain OTC derivatives, such as swaps, in which the Fund may invest. The Dodd-Frank Act requires many swap transactions to be executed on registered exchanges or through swap execution facilities, cleared through a regulated clearinghouse, and publicly reported. In addition, many market participants are now regulated as swap dealers or major swap participants, and are, or will be, subject to certain minimum capital and margin requirements and business conduct standards. The statutory requirements of the Dodd-Frank Act are being implemented primarily through rules and regulations adopted by the SEC and/or the CFTC. There is a prescribed phase-in period during which most of the mandated rulemaking and regulations are being implemented, and temporary exemptions from certain rules and regulations have been granted so that current trading practices will not be unduly disrupted during the transition period. |
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Currently, central clearing is only required for certain market participants trading certain instruments, although central clearing for additional instruments is expected to be implemented by the CFTC until the majority of the swaps market is ultimately subject to central clearing. In addition, uncleared OTC swaps will be subject to regulatory collateral requirements that could adversely affect the Funds ability to enter into swaps in the OTC market. These developments could cause the Fund to terminate new or existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such instruments at an inopportune time. Until the mandated rulemaking and regulations are implemented completely, it will not be possible to determine the complete impact of the Dodd-Frank Act and related regulations on the Fund, and the establishment of a centralized exchange or market for swap transactions may not result in swaps being easier to value or trade. However, it is expected that swap dealers, major market participants, and swap counterparties will experience other new and/or additional regulations, requirements, compliance burdens, and associated costs. The legislation and rules to be promulgated may exert a negative effect on the Funds ability to meet its investment objective, either through limits or requirements imposed on the Fund or its counterparties. The swap market could be disrupted or limited as a result of the legislation, and the new requirements may increase the cost of the Funds investments and of doing business, which could adversely affect the ability of the Fund to buy or sell OTC derivatives. |
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Swap agreements include (but are not limited to): |
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Currency Swaps. Currency swaps involve the exchange of the rights of the parties to make or receive payments in specified currencies. Because currency swaps usually involve the delivery of the entire principal value of one designated currency in exchange for the other designated currency, the entire principal value of a currency swap is subject to the risk that the other party to the swap will default on its contractual delivery obligations. If the investment adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of market value and currency exchange rates, performance may be adversely affected. |
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Equity Swaps. An equity swap is an agreement in which at least one partys payments are based on the rate of return of an equity security or equity index, such as the S&P 500. The other partys payments can be based on a fixed rate, a non-equity variable rate, or even a different equity index. The Fund may enter into equity index swaps on a net basis pursuant to which the future cash flows from two reference instruments are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two. |
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Credit Default Swaps. Under a credit default swap agreement, the protection buyer in a credit default contract is generally obligated to pay the protection seller an upfront or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract, provided that no credit event, such as a default, on a reference instrument has occurred. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally must pay the buyer the par value (full notional value) of the reference instrument in exchange for an equal face amount of the reference instrument described in the swap, or the seller may be required to deliver the related net cash amount, if the swap is cash settled. If the Fund is a buyer and no credit event occurs, the Fund may recover nothing if the swap is held through its termination date. As a seller, the Fund generally receives an upfront payment or a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the swap provided that there is no credit event. As the seller, the Fund would effectively add leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. The determination of a credit event under the swap agreement will depend on the terms of the agreement and may rely on the decision of persons that are not a party to the agreement. The Funds obligations under a credit default swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owed to the Fund). |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
72
SAI dated May 1, 2016
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Inflation Swaps. Inflation swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, e.g., an exchange of fixed rate payments for floating rate payments or an exchange of floating rate payments based on two different reference indices. By design, one of the reference indices is an inflation index, such as the Consumer Price Index. Inflation swaps can be designated as zero coupon, where both sides of the swap compound interest over the life of the swap and then the accrued interest is paid out only at the swaps maturity. |
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Total Return Swaps. Total return swap agreements are contracts in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to another party based on the change in market value of the assets underlying the contract, which may include a specified security, basket of securities or securities indices during the specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or the total return from other underlying assets. Total return swap agreements may be used to obtain exposure to a security or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security or investing directly in such market. Total return swap agreements may effectively add leverage to the Funds portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. Generally, the Fund will enter into total return swaps on a net basis (i.e., the two payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments). The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Funds obligations over its entitlements with respect to each total return swap will be accrued on a daily basis. If the total return swap transaction is entered into on other than a net basis, the full amount of the Funds obligations will be accrued on a daily basis, and the full amount of the Funds obligations will be segregated by the Fund in an amount equal to or greater than the market value of the liabilities under the total return swap or the amount it would have cost the Fund initially to make an equivalent direct investment, plus or minus any amount the Fund is obligated to pay or is to receive under the total return swap agreement. |
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Interest Rate Swaps, Caps and Floors. Interest rate swaps are OTC contracts in which each party agrees to make a periodic interest payment based on an index or the value of an asset in return for a periodic payment from the other party based on a different index or asset. The purchase of an interest rate floor entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index falls below a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate floor. The purchase of an interest rate cap entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index rises above a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate cap. The Fund usually will enter into interest rate swap transactions on a net basis (i.e., the two payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments). The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Funds obligations over its entitlements with respect to each interest rate swap will be accrued on a daily basis. If the interest rate swap transaction is entered into on other than a net basis, the full amount of the Funds obligations will be accrued on a daily basis. Certain federal income tax requirements may limit the Funds ability to engage in certain interest rate transactions. |
Swaptions |
See also Derivative Instruments and Related Risks herein. A swaption is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation) in return for payment of a premium, to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement, at some designated future time on specified terms. The Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions. Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, the Fund will generally incur a greater degree of risk when it writes a swaption than it will incur when it purchases a swaption. When the Fund purchases a swaption, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when the Fund writes a swaption, upon exercise of the option the Fund will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement. |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
73
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Tax-Managed Investing |
Taxes are a major influence on the net returns that investors receive on their taxable investments. There are four components of the returns of a mutual fund that invests in equities that are treated differently for federal income tax purposes: price appreciation, distributions of qualified dividend income, distributions of other investment income, and distributions of realized short-term and long-term capital gains. Distributions of income other than qualified dividend income and distributions of net realized short-term gains (on stocks held for one year or less) are taxed as ordinary income. Distributions of qualified dividend income and net realized long-term gains (on stocks held for more than one year) are currently taxed at rates up to 20%. The Funds investment program and the tax treatment of Fund distributions may be affected by IRS interpretations of the Code and future changes in tax laws and regulations. Returns derived from price appreciation are untaxed until the shareholder disposes of his or her shares. Upon disposition, a capital gain (short-term, if the shareholder has held his or her shares for one year or less, otherwise long-term) equal to the difference between the net proceeds of the disposition and the shareholders adjusted tax basis is realized. |
Trust Certificates |
Trust certificates are investments in a limited purpose trust or other vehicle formed under state law. Trust certificates in turn invest in instruments, such as credit default swaps, interest rate swaps, preferred securities and other securities, in order to customize the risk/return profile of a particular security. Like an investment in a bond, investments in trust certificates represent the right to receive periodic income payments (in the form of distributions) and payment of principal at the end of the term of the certificate. However, these payments are conditioned on the trusts receipt of payments from, and the trusts potential obligations to, the counterparties to the derivative instruments and other securities in which the trust invests. Investments in these instruments are indirectly subject to the risks associated with derivative instruments, including, among others, credit risk, default or similar event risk, counterparty risk, interest rate risk, leverage risk and management risk. It is expected that the trusts that issue credit-linked trust certificates will constitute private investment companies, exempt from registration under the 1940 Act. Although the trusts are typically private investment companies, they are generally not actively managed. It is also expected that the certificates will be exempt from registration under the 1933 Act. Accordingly, there may be no established trading market for the certificates and they may constitute illiquid investments. |
U.S. Government Securities |
U.S. Government securities include: (1) U.S. Treasury obligations, which differ in their interest rates, maturities and times of issuance, including: 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, which 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. U.S. Government securities also include 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: Farmers Home Administration, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Federal Housing Administration, Federal Land Banks, Federal Financing Bank, Central Bank for Cooperatives, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, Farm Credit Bank System, Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, Federal National Mortgage Association, General Services Administration, Government National Mortgage Association, Student Loan Marketing Association, United States Postal Service, Maritime Administration, Small Business Administration, Tennessee Valley Authority, Washington D.C. Armory Board and any other enterprise established or sponsored by the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government generally is not obligated to provide support to its instrumentalities. The principal of and/or interest on certain U.S. Government securities 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 denominated in foreign currencies may be affected favorably by changes in the exchange rate between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar.
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Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
74
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Unlisted Securities |
Unlisted securities are neither listed on a stock exchange nor traded over-the-counter. Unlisted securities may include investments in new and early stage companies, which may involve a high degree of business and financial risk that can result in substantial losses and may be considered speculative. Such securities will generally be deemed to be illiquid. Because of the absence of any public trading market for these investments, it may take longer to liquidate these positions than would be the case for publicly traded securities. Although these securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales could be less than those originally paid or less than what may be considered the fair value of such securities. Furthermore, issuers whose securities are not publicly traded may not be subject to public disclosure and other investor protection requirements applicable to publicly traded securities. If such securities are required to be registered under the securities laws of one or more jurisdictions before being resold, the Fund may be required to bear the expenses of registration. In addition, in foreign jurisdictions any capital gains realized on the sale of such securities may be subject to higher rates of foreign taxation than taxes payable on the sale of listed securities. |
Utility and Financial Service s Companies |
To the extent described in the Prospectus, the Fund may concentrate its investments in utility and/or financial services companies. |
Variable Rate
|
Variable rate instruments provide for adjustments in the interest
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When-Issued Securities, Delayed Delivery and Forward Commitments |
Securities may be purchased on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed delivery basis (meaning securities are purchased or sold with payment and delivery taking place in the future beyond normal settlement times ) in order to secure what is considered to be an advantageous price and yield at the time of entering into the transaction. When the Fund agrees to purchase such securities, it assumes the risk of any decline in value of the security from the date of the agreement to purchase. The Fund does not earn interest on the securities it has committed to purchase until they are paid for and delivered on the settlement date. |
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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, when-issued or delayed delivery 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. However, no payment or delivery is made until payment is received or delivery is made from the other party to the transaction. |
Zero Coupon 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 purchase. The effect of owning debt obligations that do not make current interest payments is that a fixed yield is earned not only on the original investment but also, in effect, on all discount accretion during the life of the debt obligation. This implicit reinvestment of earnings at a fixed rate eliminates the risk of being unable to invest distributions at a rate as high as the implicit yield on the zero coupon bond, but at the same time eliminates the holders ability to reinvest at higher rates in the future. For this reason, zero coupon bonds may be subject to substantially greater price fluctuations during periods of changing market interest rates than are comparable securities that pay interest currently. The Fund 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 Fund is required to distribute that income for each taxable year. Thus, the Fund may have to sell other investments to obtain cash needed to make income distributions. |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
75
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX A
Class A Fees, Performance & Ownership
Sales Charges and Distribution and Service Fees.
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 201
5
, the following table shows (1) total sales charges paid by the Fund, (2) sales charges paid to financial intermediaries, (3) sales charges paid to the principal underwriter, (4) CDSC payments to the principal underwriter, (5) distribution and service fees paid to the principal underwriter under the Distribution Plan and (6) service fees paid to financial intermediaries. Distribution and service fees that were not paid to financial intermediaries were retained by the principal underwriter.
Total Sales
|
Sales Charges to
|
Sales Charges to
|
CDSC Paid to
|
Total Distribution
|
Service Fees Paid
|
$301,267 |
$257,027 |
$44,240 |
$400 |
$596,633 |
$452,195 |
For the fiscal years ended December 31, 201
4
and December 31, 201
3
, total sales charges of $
284,447 and $
82,483
, respectively, were paid on sales of Class A, of which the principal underwriter received $
38,201 and $
13,779
, respectively. The balance of such amounts was paid to financial intermediaries.
Performance Information. The table below indicates the average annual total return (both before and after taxes) on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 in this Class of shares for the periods shown in the table. Any performance presented with an asterisk (*) includes the effect of subsidizing expenses. Performance would have been lower without subsidies.
Total returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value or public offering price with all distributions reinvested. The Funds past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of Fund shares will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance is for the stated time period only; due to market volatility, the Funds current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted return. For the Funds performance as of the most recent month-end, please refer to www.eatonvance.com.
About Returns After Taxes. After-tax returns are calculated using certain assumptions. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
|
Length of Period Ended December 31, 2015 |
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year* |
Five Years* |
Ten Years* |
Before Taxes and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
-4.96% |
-1.25% |
4.91% |
Before Taxes and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
-10.44% |
-2.41% |
4.29% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
-5.12% |
-1.40% |
4.58% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
-10.59% |
-2.56% |
3.97% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
-2.65% |
-0.96% |
4.11% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
-5.76% |
-1.83% |
3.60% |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
76
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities.
At April 1, 201
6
, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned in the aggregate less than 1% of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund. In addition, as of the same date, the following person(s) held the share percentage indicated below, which was owned either (i) beneficially by such person(s) or (ii) of record by such person(s) on behalf of customers who are the beneficial owners of such shares and as to which such record owner(s) may exercise voting rights under certain limited circumstances:
To the knowledge of the Trust, no other person owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund as of such date.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
77
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX B
Class B Fees, Performance and Ownership
Distribution and Service Fees.
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 201
5
, the following table shows (1) sales commissions paid by the principal underwriter to financial intermediaries on sales of Class B shares, (2) distribution fees paid to the principal underwriter under the Distribution Plan, (3) approximate CDSC payments to the principal underwriter, (4) service fees paid under the Distribution Plan, and (5) service fees paid to financial intermediaries. The service fees paid by the Fund that were not paid to financial intermediaries were retained by the principal underwriter.
Commission Paid
|
Distribution Fee
|
CDSC Paid to
|
Service
|
Service Fees
|
$0 |
$87,385 |
$5,000 |
$29,128 |
$27,952 |
Performance Information. The table below indicates the average annual total return (both before and after taxes) on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 in this Class of shares for the periods shown in the table. Any performance presented with an asterisk (*) includes the effect of subsidizing expenses. Performance would have been lower without subsidies.
Total returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value or public offering price with all distributions reinvested. The Funds past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of Fund shares will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance is for the stated time period only; due to market volatility, the Funds current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted return. For the Funds performance as of the most recent month-end, please refer to www.eatonvance.com.
About Returns After Taxes. After-tax returns are calculated using certain assumptions. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
|
Length of Period Ended December 31, 2015 |
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year* |
Five Years* |
Ten Years* |
Before Taxes and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
-5.62% |
-1.94% |
4.28% |
Before Taxes and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
-10.30% |
-2.33% |
4.28% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
-5.80% |
-2.04% |
3.96% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
-10.48% |
-2.43% |
3.96% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
-3.01% |
-1.47% |
3.63% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
-5.66% |
-1.75% |
3.63% |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
78
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities.
At April 1, 201
6
, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned in the aggregate less than 1% of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund. In addition, as of the same date, the following person(s) held the share percentage indicated below, which was owned either (i) beneficially by such person(s) or (ii) of record by such person(s) on behalf of customers who are the beneficial owners of such shares and as to which such record owner(s) may exercise voting rights under certain limited circumstances:
Pershing LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
19.25% |
National Financial Services LLC |
Jersey City, NJ |
18.73% |
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. |
Jacksonville, FL |
12.31% |
American Enterprise Investment Services |
Minneapolis, MN |
10.11% |
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney |
Jersey City, NJ |
7.38% |
First Clearing LLC |
St. Louis, MO |
5.33% |
To the knowledge of the Trust, no other person owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund as of such date.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
79
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX C
Class C Fees, Performance and Ownership
Distribution and Service Fees.
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 201
5
, the following table shows (1) sales commissions paid by the principal underwriter to financial intermediaries on sales of Class C shares, (2) distribution fees paid to the principal underwriter under the Distribution Plan, (3) approximate CDSC payments to the principal underwriter, (4) service fees paid under the Distribution Plan, and (5) service fees paid to financial intermediaries. The service fees paid by the Fund that were not paid to financial intermediaries were retained by the principal underwriter.
Commission Paid by
|
Distribution Fee Paid
|
CDSC Paid
|
Service Fees |
Service Fees Paid
|
$237,910 |
$250,355 |
$6,000 |
$83,452 |
$77,045 |
Performance Information. The table below indicates the average annual total return (both before and after taxes) on a hypothetical investment in shares of $1,000. Total return for the period prior to July 7, 2006 reflects the total return of the Fund's Class B shares, adjusted to reflect the Class C CDSC. The total return shown below has not been adjusted to reflect Fund expenses (such as distribution and/or service fees). If such an adjustment was made, the total return of this Class would be different. Any performance presented with an asterisk (*) includes the effect of subsidizing expenses. Performance would have been lower without subsidies.
Total returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value or public offering price with all distributions reinvested. The Funds past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of Fund shares will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance is for the stated time period only; due to market volatility, the Funds current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted return. For the Funds performance as of the most recent month-end, please refer to www.eatonvance.com.
About Returns After Taxes. After-tax returns are calculated using certain assumptions. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
|
Length of Period Ended December 31, 2015 |
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year* |
Five Years* |
Ten Years* |
Before Taxes and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
-5.63% |
-1.95% |
4.29% |
Before Taxes and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
-6.57% |
-1.95% |
4.29% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
-5.81% |
-2.08% |
3.96% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
-6.74% |
-2.08% |
3.96% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Excluding Maximum Sales Charge |
-3.01% |
-1.47% |
3.64% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption and Including Maximum Sales Charge |
-3.54% |
-1.47% |
3.64% |
Class C commenced operations July 7, 2006. |
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
80
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities.
At April 1, 201
6
, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned in the aggregate less than 1% of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund. In addition, as of the same date, the following person(s) held the share percentage indicated below, which was owned either (i) beneficially by such person(s) or (ii) of record by such person(s) on behalf of customers who are the beneficial owners of such shares and as to which such record owner(s) may exercise voting rights under certain limited circumstances:
To the knowledge of the Trust, no other person owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund as of such date.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
81
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX D
Class I Performance and Ownership
Performance Information. The table below indicates the average annual total return (both before and after taxes) on a hypothetical investment in shares of $1,000. Total return for the period prior to October 1, 2009 reflects the total return of the Fund's Class A shares, adjusted to reflect the fact that Class I does not impose a sales charge . The total return shown below has not been adjusted to reflect Fund expenses (such as distribution and/or service fees). If such an adjustment was made, the total return of this Class would be different. Any performance presented with an asterisk (*) includes the effect of subsidizing expenses. Performance would have been lower without subsidies.
Total returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value or public offering price with all distributions reinvested. The Funds past performance (both before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of Fund shares will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance is for the stated time period only; due to market volatility, the Funds current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted return. For the Funds performance as of the most recent month-end, please refer to www.eatonvance.com.
About Returns After Taxes. After-tax returns are calculated using certain assumptions. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholders tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and the sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares.
|
Length of Period Ended December 31, 2015 |
||
Average Annual Total Return: |
One Year* |
Five Years* |
Ten Years* |
Before Taxes |
-4.70% |
-0.96% |
5.12% |
After Taxes on Distributions |
-4.86% |
-1.12% |
4.79% |
After Taxes on Distributions and Redemption |
-2.51% |
-0.74% |
4.28% |
Class I shares commenced operation on October 1, 2009 |
|
|
|
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities. At April 1, 2016 , the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned approximately 2.4% of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund . In addition, as of the same date, the following person(s) held the share percentage indicated below, which was owned either (i) beneficially by such person(s) or (ii) of record by such person(s) on behalf of customers who are the beneficial owners of such shares and as to which such record owner(s) may exercise voting rights under certain limited circumstances:
Beneficial owners of 25% or more of this Class of the Fund are presumed to be in control of the Class for purposes of voting on certain matters submitted to shareholders.
To the knowledge of the Trust, no other person owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of this Class of the Fund as of such date.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
82
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX E
COUNTRY INFORMATION
The information set forth in this Appendix has been extracted from various government and private publications. The Trusts Board of Trustees makes no representation as to the accuracy of the information, nor has the Board of Trustees attempted to verify it. Moreover, the information is as of the date of this SAI (or such other date as set forth below). This information is expected to change substantially during the period in which this SAI is in use. No representation is made that any correlation will exist between the economies or stock markets of REE (The Rupee Region) countries and the Funds performance.
The following is a general discussion of certain features of the economies of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. There can be no assurance that the Portfolio will be able to capitalize on the factors described herein. Opinions expressed herein are the good faith opinions of the Portfolios investment adviser. Unless otherwise indicated, all monetary amounts are expressed in United States dollars.
INDIA
India is the seventh largest country in the world, covering an area of approximately 3.3 mn square kilometers. It is situated in South Asia and is bordered by Nepal, Bhutan and China in the north, Myanmar and Bangladesh in the east, Pakistan in the west and Sri Lanka in the south.
Indias current population is estimated at 1,210 mn according to the census of 2011. Most of the population lives in rural areas. Approximately 80.5 percent are Hindus, 13.4 percent Muslims, 1.9 percent Sikhs, 2.2 percent Christians and 1.1 percent Buddhists. Hindi is one of the major languages, with English also being used widely in official and business communications. With a middle class of approximately 400 million people, India constitutes one of the largest markets in the world.
Unlike certain other emerging market countries, India has a long tradition of trade and markets, despite the central planning of the economy carried out by the Indian government in the first decades after Indias independence. For example the Bombay Stock Exchange was founded in 1875 making it the oldest stock exchange in Asia and currently lists over
4,700
companies. In 1994, the National Stock Exchange was set up by leading institutions to provide a modern, fully automated screen-based trading with national reach. The National Stock Exchange has become Indias leading stock exchange covering 1500 cities and towns across the country. Trading volumes in the equity segment have grown rapidly with average daily turnover increasing from USD3.7 million during 1994-95 to around USD 3.
1
billion during the fiscal year 201
6
.
India became independent from the United Kingdom in 1947. It is governed by a parliamentary democracy under the Constitution of India, under which the executive, legislative and judicial functions are separated. India has been engaged in a policy of gradual economic reform since the mid-1980s. In 1991, the Prime Minister Narasimha Rao introduced far-reaching measures with the goal of reducing government intervention in the economy, strengthening Indias industrial base, expanding exports and increasing economic efficiency. The main focus of the policy was to place more authority for making business decisions in the hands of those who operate the businesses. The system of industrial licences known as the Licence Raj, by means of which the government controlled many private sector investment decisions, was substantially modified. Government approvals required to increase, reduce or change production have been greatly reduced.
Modern economic development in India began in the mid-1940s with the publication of the Bombay Plan. The Planning Commission was established in 1950 to assess the countrys available resources and to identify growth areas. A centrally planned economic model was adopted, and in order to control the direction of private investment, most investment and major economic decisions required government approval. Foreign investment was allowed only selectively. This protectionist regime held back development of Indias economy until the mid-1980s when a gradual move began towards the liberalization and market orientation of the economy. After the liberalization measures, which began in 1985, the annual growth of the countrys real gross domestic product rose from an average 3-4% in the 1940s to an average 5.7% between 1994 and 2003 and further to 8% plus between 2004 and 2011. However, since then, the GDP growth rate has slowed due to limited policy action by the
previous
government and higher inflation.
After bottoming out in 2013, Indias GDP accelerated in 2014 and
2015
to
6.9%
and
7.
3% respectively.
Since 1991, successive governments have continued to adopt measures to open the economy further to private investment, attract foreign capital and speed up the countrys industrial growth rate. For example, the banking and insurance industry has been opened to the private sector, including to foreign investors. Most banks were nationalized in 1969, and at that time no new privately owned banks were permitted. The Government is now granting new banking and insurance licences.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
83
SAI dated May 1, 2016
In another move, the administered price mechanism in the petroleum sector was dismantled in April 2002; with this the pricing of petroleum products became determined by the market. Further, the government has recently decontrolled the pricing of petrol and diesel; however the government still controls the certain fuels like cooking gas and kerosene. The Government also permitted foreign brokerage firms to operate in India on behalf of Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs), and has permitted foreign investors to own majority stakes in Indian asset management companies. In 1992, it was announced that FIIs would be able to invest directly in the Indian capital markets. In September 1992, the guidelines for FIIs were published and a number of such investors have been registered by the Securities and Exchange Board of India, including the Adviser.
Subs
e
qu
ently, restrictions on maximum investment limits applicable to FIIs investing in Indian companies
were
liberalized. In 1995, FII regulations were supplemented and the Parliament approved the establishment of central share depositories. Beginning in September 1995, several measures have been adopted to establish securities depositories and permit trading without share certificates. Dematerialization (paperless) trading began in 1997 and since then all companies have joined the National Securities Depository Ltd. Derivatives trading commenced in India in June 2000 on two stock exchanges. To begin with the Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) approved trading on index futures contracts based on BSE-30 Index and S&P CNX Nifty Index, followed by trading in options based on the above indices and in individual securities. Currently the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) has futures and options activity in 10 indices and 136 stocks (March 2014). Commodity exchanges have started in India and two such exchanges, Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) and National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX), are in operation today and of which MCX is now listed.
Foreign investors have responded to these trends by investing
capital
into the Indian economy. India received US$
19.8 bn in CY 2013
,
US$ 16 bn in CY 2014
and US$ 3.3bn in CY 2015
. While the domestic mutual funds remained sellers of Indian stocks in CY 2012 and CY 2013, they turned net buyers in CY 2014 with US$ 4,792 mn
and CY 2015 with US$ 10.8bn
net inflows. Indias foreign exchange reserves, which had fallen to about US$1 bn in 1991, were US$
328bn
as on 31
December
2015.
In May 2014 Indias 16th Parliamentary elections were held: about 543 mn out of the registered 814 mn electorate voted for the first single party majority government in some 30 years. The election results surpassed all expectations with the BJP (Bhartiya Janta Party) led by its Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi securing 282 seats, 10 more than the halfway mark of 272. Its allies contributed with additional 54 seats taking their tally to 336 seats out of 543 seats.
The Indian population is comprised of diverse religious and linguistic groups. Despite this diversity, India has one of the more stable political systems among the worlds developing nations. However, periodic sectarian conflict among Indias religious and linguistic groups could adversely affect Indian businesses, temporarily halting work of institutions, or undermine or distract from government efforts to liberalize the Indian economy. Indias Central Bank is conservative and proactive. It has protected Indian banking system from the recent global financial crisis.
PAKISTAN
Pakistan, occupying an area of about 800,000 square kilometers, is bounded in the south by the Arabian Sea and India and in the north by China and Afghanistan. To the west and northwest are Iran and Afghanistan and to the east is India. The capital is Islamabad. Karachi is the biggest commercial and industrial city.
Pakistan is the worlds sixth most populous country with an estimated population at approximately 176 million. Urdu is the national language (though only 8% Urdu speaking population) and English is considered as the official language. 44% of the population speaks Punjabi as the first language. Some 96% of the population are Muslims.
Pakistan was created in 1947, in response to the demands of Indian Muslims for an independent homeland, by the partition from British India of two Muslim majority areas. In 1971, a civil war in East Pakistan culminated in independence for East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Over the past 50 years, Pakistan and India have gone to war twice, and intermittent border exchanges occur at times. In particular, relations with India remain unfriendly over the disputed territory of Kashmir, with its majority Muslim population.
In earlier decades, Pakistan had a federal parliamentary system. Economic development since 1955 has taken place within the framework of successive five-year plans which established growth targets and allocations of public sector investment. However, the lack of realistic targets, plans and successful policy implementation has caused problems for many years.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
84
SAI dated May 1, 2016
Pakistan has experienced significant political unrest since November 2007 when the National Assembly completed its tenure and new elections were called. The exiled political leaders Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif were permitted to return to Pakistan. However, the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December during election campaign led to postponement of elections and nationwide riots. Bhuttos Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) won most seats in the elections held in February 2008 and its member Yousaf Raza Gillani was sworn in as Prime Minister. In August 2008, Pervez Musharraf resigned as President of Pakistan. In the presidential election that followed, Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan Peoples Party won by a landslide majority and became President of Pakistan.
Following the general elections in 2013
Nawaz Sharif
became
the Prime Minister of Pakistan
for the third time returning to the position after 14 years in
June 2013
.
Mamnoon Hussain is the President
of Pakistan
.
Revival in construction and expansion in manufacturing and services aided GDP growth of 4.
2
% in fiscal 201
5
from 3.7% in fiscal 2013.
SRI LANKA
A former British Colony, Sri Lanka became a Dominion of the British Commonwealth in 1948 and became a Democratic Socialist Republic in 1972.
In August 2005, the Supreme Court ruled that presidential elections would be held in November 2005, resolving a long-running dispute on the length of President Kumaratungas term. In the elections held in November 2005, Mahinda Rajapaksa was elected the fifth Executive President of Sri Lanka and is credited for defeating separatist rebels in May 2009 and bringing an end to the islands 30 year long civil war. Since then Sri Lanka has shown strong economic growth boosted by increases in tourism, high levels of foreign direct investment and large scale investments in infrastructure.
In January 2015 Sri Lanka concluded a presidential election in which the island's incumbent president Mahinda Rajapakse lost to the former Health Minister, Maithripala Sirisena who defected to the opposition from the ruling party. The new president has stated that he would abolish the executive presidency, remaining with limited powers, and return to a Westminster-style parliamentary government.
In this context, the Presidents term has been reduced to 5 years making it same as the parliament. There is further focus on constitutional reform and changes in the style of governance.
No major shifts in economic policy or business are expected from the new regime
.
While the volatile political situation took its toll on growth in 2009, the economy recovered
averaging
growth
of 7.7% between
2010
to 2014on
account of improvement in manufacturing and construction activity, post-war rehabilitation efforts and pick-up in tourism. Per capital GDP has increased from US$
2,057
in 2009 to US$ 3,654 in
2014
The government is continuing to pursue its planned infrastructure program to accelerate the pace of economic growth. The island stands to benefit from its favorable geographic location and well educated workforce. The strategic location of the country enables it to be a regional hub for air and sea based transport. The proximity to one of the largest emerging markets in the world, India, and the growing trade between the two countries makes Sri Lanka an ideal base.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
85
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX F
Eaton Vance Funds
Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures
I. Overview
The Boards of Trustees (the “ Board ” ) of the Eaton Vance Funds 1 have determined that it is in the interests of the Funds ’ shareholders to adopt these written proxy voting policy and procedures (the “ Policy ” ). For purposes of this Policy:
·
“ Fund ” means each registered investment company sponsored by the Eaton Vance organization; and
·
“ Adviser ” means the adviser or sub-adviser responsible for the day-to-day management of all or a portion of the Fund ’ s assets.
II. Delegation of Proxy Voting Responsibilities
The Board hereby delegates to the Adviser responsibility for voting the Funds proxies as described in this Policy. In this connection, the Adviser is required to provide the Board with a copy of its proxy voting policies and procedures (Adviser Procedures) and all Fund proxies will be voted in accordance with the Adviser Procedures, provided that in the event a material conflict of interest arises with respect to a proxy to be voted for the Fund (as described in Section IV below) the Adviser shall follow the process for voting such proxy as described in Section IV below.
The Adviser is required to report any material change to the Adviser Procedures to the Board in the manner set forth in Section V below. In addition, the Board will review the Adviser Procedures annually.
III. Delegation of Proxy Voting Disclosure Responsibilities
Pursuant to Rule 30b1-4 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “ 1940 Act ” ), the Fund is required to file Form N-PX no later than August 31st of each year. On Form N-PX, the Fund is required to disclose, among other things, information concerning proxies relating to the Funds portfolio investments, whether or not the Fund (or its Adviser) voted the proxies relating to securities held by the Fund and how it voted on the matter and whether it voted for or against management.
To facilitate the filing of Form N-PX for the Fund:
·
The Adviser is required to record, compile and transmit in a timely manner all data required to be filed on Form N-PX for the Fund that it manages. Such data shall be transmitted to Eaton Vance Management, which acts as administrator to the Fund (the Administrator) or the third party service provider designated by the Administrator; and
·
the Administrator is required to file Form N-PX on behalf of the Fund with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission) as required by the 1940 Act. The Administrator may delegate the filing to a third party service party provided each such filing is reviewed and approved by the Administrator.
IV. Conflicts of Interest
The Board expects the Adviser, as a fiduciary to the Fund it manages, to put the interests of the Fund and its shareholders above those of the Adviser. When required to vote a proxy for the Fund, the Adviser may have material business relationships with the issuer soliciting the proxy that could give rise to a potential material conflict of interest for the Adviser. 2 In the event such a material conflict of interest arises, the Adviser, to the extent it is aware or reasonably should have been aware of the material conflict, will refrain from voting any proxies related to companies giving rise to such material conflict until it notifies and consults with the appropriate Board, or any committee, sub-committee or group of Independent Trustees identified by the Board (as long as such committee, sub-committee or group contains at least two or more Independent Trustees) (the Board Members), concerning the material conflict. 3 For ease of communicating with the Board Members, the Adviser is required to provide the foregoing notice to the Funds Chief Legal Officer who will then notify and facilitate a consultation with the Board Members.
Once the Board Members have been notified of the material conflict:
·
They shall convene a meeting to review and consider all relevant materials related to the proxies involved. This meeting shall be convened within 3 business days, provided that it an effort will be made to convene the meeting sooner if the proxy must be voted in less than 3 business days;
·
In considering such proxies, the Adviser shall make available all materials requested by the Board Members and make reasonably available appropriate personnel to discuss the matter upon request.
·
The Board Members will then instruct the Adviser on the appropriate course of action with respect to the proxy at issue.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
86
SAI dated May 1, 2016
If the Board Members are unable to meet and the failure to vote a proxy would have a material adverse impact on the Fund(s) involved, the Adviser will have the right to vote such proxy, provided that it discloses the existence of the material conflict to the Chair
perso
n of the Board as soon as practicable and to the Board at its next meeting. Any determination regarding the voting of proxies of the Fund that is made by the Board Members shall be deemed to be a good faith determination regarding the voting of proxies by the full Board.
V. Reports and Review
The Administrator shall make copies of each Form N-PX filed on behalf of the Fund available for the Boards ’ review upon the Boards ’ request. The Administrator (with input from the Adviser for the Fund) shall also provide any reports reasonably requested by the Board regarding the proxy voting records of the Fund.
The Adviser shall report any material changes to the Adviser Procedures to the Board as soon as practicable and the Boards will review the Adviser Procedures annually.
The Adviser also shall report any changes to the Adviser Procedures to the Fund Chief Legal Officer prior to implementing such changes in order to enable the Administrator to effectively coordinate the Funds disclosure relating to the Adviser Procedures.
To the extent requested by the Commission, the Policy and the Adviser Procedures shall be appended to the Funds statement of additional information included in its registration statement.
_____________________
1
The Eaton Vance Funds may be organized as trusts or corporations. For ease of reference, the Funds may be referred to herein as Trusts and the Funds Board of Trustees or Board of Directors may be referred to collectively herein as the Board.
2
An Adviser is expected to maintain a process for identifying a potential material conflict of interest. As an example only, such potential conflicts may arise when the issuer is a client of the Adviser and generates a significant amount of fees to the Adviser or the issuer is a distributor of the Advisers products.
3
If a material conflict of interest exists with respect to a particular proxy and the proxy voting procedures of the relevant Adviser require that proxies are to be voted in accordance with the recommendation of a third party proxy voting vendor, the requirements of this Section IV shall only apply if the Adviser intends to vote such proxy in a manner inconsistent with such third party recommendation.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
87
SAI dated May 1, 2016
APPENDIX G
LGM INVESTMENTS LIMITED
PROXY VOTING PROCEDURES
I Introduction
As the investment adviser, investment manager or any other roles which are to that effect, LGM Investments
Limited
(LGM) and its affiliates are responsible (unless clients
have
specified to the contrary in the
relevant investment management
agreement) for the proxy voting of stocks held in the accounts on behalf of the clients. These clients include mutual funds,
separate accounts
and other investment advisory accounts.
LGM has
implemented
certain
procedures (and the proxy voting policies
referred to below
and incorporated as part of these procedures) that LGM believes
are
reasonably designed to ensure that proxies are voted in the best interest of its clients, and in accordance with
their
fiduciary duties, with the Rule 206(4)-6 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended and with the long-standing fiduciary standards and responsibilities for ERISA accounts set out in the Department of Labor Bulletin 94-2 C.F.R. 2509.94-2 (July 29, 1994) of the United States of America.
II Voting Authority
Proxy voting for most of the portfolios managed by LGM, including the EV Greater India Fund, is carried out on behalf of LGM through the Proxy Voting Team (PA) of its affiliate BMO Global Asset Management EMEA (BMO GAM (EMEA)). The PA uses the electronic platform of an established proxy services provider (PSP).
All client accounts of LGM are categorized into three different levels of voting authority, and such records will be kept up-to-date and amended accordingly when required, by the
PA:
Category 0
:
if the client or some other part
y
besides LGM is to vote the proxies
; or if the client requires some other proxy voting arrangement;
Category 1
:
if LGM is to vote the proxies according to LGMs standard proxy voting policies
;
Category 2
:
if the account has special voting objectives and for which LGM has voting responsibility
.
III
Voting
LGM follows the proxy voting policies and procedures of its affiliate BMO GAM (EMEA), and has adopted these as standard, but maintains a level of discretion over the execution of votes. BMO GAM (EMEA) sets out expectations of investee companies in terms of good corporate governance in publicly available Corporate Governance Guidelines (CGG) which are updated annually and available upon request or at http://www.bmogam.com/documents/global-corporate-governance-guidelines/. In addition to these guidelines, general and country-specific voting guidelines are maintained and applied within the voting process by the PA. Where permitted by the client agreement, voting instructions are generally processed electronically via the PSP. Securities are voted where market, custodian and company-level processes allow the casting of votes. Where shareblocking exists, client policy will be followed but votes may not be cast due to concerns about failed trade settlements and the extraordinary cost to clients.
The PA determines, in consultation with the appropriate
portfolio managers
/analysts
as necessary, how LGM will vote on each matter contained in the proxy statement in accordance with the
CGG
for all category 1 accounts, and in accordance with the accounts special voting objectives for all category 2 accounts. When there are factors causing an issue to fall outside the usual voting practices indicated by the
CGG
, the relevant
portfolio managers
/analysts
will be consulted and the voting decision reached
. Where applicable, all votes
will be recorded
by
the
PA
or
appropriate staff.
In the spirit of transparency, BMO GAM (EMEA) also makes available to both institutional and retail fund customers, and to the public a comprehensive record of its voting by publishing its voting record and comments on its website at http://vds.issproxy.com/SearchPage.php?CustomerID=3660. A summary of its voting statistics can be found in its annual Responsible Investment report.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
88
SAI dated May 1, 2016
IV Recordkeeping
The PSP platform has functionality to record all voting activity for subsequent reporting purposes. All records
and any other documents that are material in reaching the voting decision are
retained.
Client written request
s
and all written responses by LGM to written or oral requests for proxy voting information are also maintained. These records are retained for seven years and in accordance with the recordkeeping requirements stated in Section 204-2 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
89
SAI dated May 1, 2016
PART C - OTHER INFORMATION
Item 28. Exhibits (with inapplicable items omitted)
|
(a) |
|
|
Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust dated April 26, 2016 filed herewith. |
|
(b) |
|
|
Amended and Restated By-Laws of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust adopted April 23, 2012 filed as Exhibit (b) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 123 filed September 27, 2012 (Accession No. 0000940394-12-000998) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
(c) |
|
|
Reference is made to Item 28(a) and 28(b) above. |
|
(d) |
(1) |
(a) |
Investment Advisory Agreement between Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust, on behalf of Eaton Vance Small-Cap Value Fund (now Eaton Vance Global Small-Cap Fund), and Boston Management and Research dated April 13, 2004 filed as Exhibit (d)(3) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 70 filed April 28, 2004 (Accession No. 0000940394-04-000434) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
|
(b) |
Fee Reduction Agreement dated March 1, 2014 between Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust on behalf of Eaton Vance Small-Cap Value Fund (now Eaton Vance Global Small-Cap Fund) and Eaton Vance Management filed as Exhibit (d)(1)(b) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 134 filed February 26, 2014 (Accession No. 0000940394-14-000268) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
(2) |
|
Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Boston Management and Research and Eaton Vance Management (International) Limited for Eaton Vance Global Small-Cap Fund dated November 16, 2015 filed as Exhibit (d)(2)to Post-Effective Amendment No. 157 filed February 26, 2016 (Accession No. 0000940394-16-001998) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
(3) |
|
Investment Advisory Agreement between Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust, on behalf of Eaton Vance Real Estate Fund, and Eaton Vance Management dated February 13, 2006 filed as Exhibit (d)(5) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 75 filed February 14, 2006 (Accession No. 0000940394-06-000187) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
(4) |
(a) |
Investment Advisory Agreement between Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust, on behalf of Eaton Vance Risk-Managed Equity Option Income Fund (now Eaton Vance Hedged Stock Fund), and Eaton Vance Management dated February 11, 2008 filed as Exhibit (d)(10) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 87 filed February 28, 2008 (Accession No. 0000940394-08-000203) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
|
(b) |
Fee Reduction Agreement dated June 16, 2008 between Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust on behalf of Eaton Vance Risk-Managed Equity Option Income Fund (now Eaton Vance Hedged Stock Fund) and Eaton Vance Management filed as Exhibit (a)(10)(b) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 90 filed August 28, 2008 (Accession No. 0000940394-08-001208) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
(5) |
(a) |
Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Eaton Vance Management and Parametric Risk Advisors LLC for Eaton Vance Risk-Managed Equity Option Income Fund (now Eaton Vance Hedged Stock Fund) dated February 11, 2008 filed as Exhibit (d)(11) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 89 filed April 25, 2008 (Accession No. 0000940394-08-000678) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
|
(b) |
Fee Reduction Agreement dated June 16, 2008 between Eaton Vance Management and Parametric Risk Advisors LLC for Eaton Vance Risk-Managed Equity Option Income Fund (now Eaton Vance Hedged Stock Fund) filed as Exhibit (d)(11)(b) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 90 filed August 28, 2008 (Accession No. 0000940394-08-001208) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
(6) |
|
Investment Advisory and Administrative Services Agreement between Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust, on behalf of Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund, and Eaton Vance Management dated April 7, 2010 filed as Exhibit (d)(12) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 105 filed April 29, 2010 (Accession No. 0000940394-10-000423) and incorporated herein by reference. |
C-1
|
|
(7) |
|
Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Eaton Vance Management and Armored Wolf, LLC relating to Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund dated April 7, 2010 filed as Exhibit (d)(13) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 105 filed April 29, 2010 (Accession No. 0000940394-10-000423) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
(8) |
(a) |
Investment Advisory Agreement between Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust, on behalf of Eaton Vance Short Term Real Return Fund (now Eaton Vance Short Duration Real Return Fund), and Eaton Vance Management dated March 30, 2010 filed as Exhibit (d)(14) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 103 filed April 7, 2010 (Accession No. 0000940394-10-000357) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
|
(b) |
Fee Reduction Agreement dated August 12, 2013 between Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust on behalf of Eaton Vance Short Term Real Return Fund (now Eaton Vance Short Duration Real Return Fund) and Eaton Vance Management filed as Exhibit (d)(8)(b) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 134 filed February 26, 2014 (Accession No. 0000940394-14-000268) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
(9) |
|
Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreement between Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust, on behalf of Eaton Vance Option Absolute Return Strategy Fund (now Parametric Absolute Return Fund), and Eaton Vance Management dated August 9, 2010 filed as Exhibit (d)(15) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 108 filed September 27, 2010 (Accession No. 0000940394-10-001000) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
(10) |
|
Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust, on behalf of Eaton Vance Option Absolute Return Strategy Fund (now Parametric Absolute Return Fund), and Parametric Risk Advisors LLC dated August 9, 2010 filed as Exhibit (d)(16) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 108 filed September 27, 2010 (Accession No. 0000940394-10-001000) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
(11) |
|
Investment Advisory Agreement between Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust, on behalf of Eaton Vance Small-Cap Fund, and Boston Management and Research dated April 30, 2012 filed as Exhibit (d)(17) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 121 filed April 26, 2012 (Accession No. 0000940394-12-000429) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
(12) |
|
Investment Advisory Agreement between Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust, on behalf of Eaton Vance Special Equities Fund, and Boston Management and Research dated April 30, 2012 filed as Exhibit (d)(18) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 121 filed April 26, 2012 (Accession No. 0000940394-12-000429) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
(13) |
|
Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreement between Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust, on behalf of Eaton Vance Bond Fund, and Eaton Vance Management dated January 31, 2013 filed as Exhibit (d)(14) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 126 filed January 29, 2013 (Accession No. 0000940394-13-000205) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
(14) |
|
Investment Advisory Agreement between Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust, on behalf of Eaton Vance Bond Fund II, and Eaton Vance Management dated November 3, 2014 filed as Exhibit (d)(14) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 146 filed November 3, 2014 (Accession No. 0000940394-14-001449) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
(e) |
(1) |
(a) |
Amended and Restated Master Distribution Agreement effective as of May 1, 2014 between each Trust identified on Schedule A on behalf of each of its series listed on Schedule A, and Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. filed as Exhibit (e)(1) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 139 filed April 28, 2014 (Accession No. 0000940394-14-000655) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
|
(b) |
Amended Schedule A dated May 1, 2016 to Amended and Restated Master Distribution Agreement effective as of May 1, 2014 filed herewith. |
|
|
(2) |
|
Selling Group Agreement between Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. and Authorized Dealers filed as Exhibit (e)(2) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 85 filed April 26, 2007 (Accession No. 0000940394-07-000430) and incorporated herein by reference. |
C-2
|
(f) |
|
|
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). |
|
(g) |
(1) |
|
Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement between Eaton Vance Funds and State Street Bank & Trust Company dated September 1, 2013 filed as Exhibit (g)(1) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 211 of Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust (File Nos. 002-90946, 811-04015) filed September 24, 2013 (Accession No. 0000940394-13-001073) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
(2) |
|
Amended and Restated Services Agreement with State Street Bank & Trust Company dated September 1, 2010 filed as Exhibit (g)(2) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 108 filed September 27, 2010 (Accession No. 0000940394-10-001000) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
(3) |
|
Amendment Number 1 dated May 16, 2012 to Amended and Restated Services Agreement with State Street Bank & Trust Company dated September 1, 2010 filed as Exhibit (g)(3) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 39 of Eaton Vance Municipals Trust II (File Nos. 033-71320, 811-08134) filed May 29, 2012 (Accession No. 0000940394-12-000641) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
(4) |
|
Amendment dated September 1, 2013 to Amended and Restated Services Agreement with State Street Bank & Trust Company dated September 1, 2010 filed as Exhibit (g)(4) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 211 of Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust (File Nos. 002-90946, 811-04015) filed September 24, 2013 (Accession No. 0000940394-13-001073) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
(h) |
(1) |
(a) |
Amended and Restated Administrative Services Agreement between Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust (on behalf of each of its series listed on Appendix A) and Eaton Vance Management dated June 11, 2012 filed as Exhibit (h)(3) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 123 filed September 27, 2012 (Accession No. 0000940394-12-000998) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
|
(b) |
Amendment dated August 10, 2014 to the Amended and Restated Administrative Services Agreement between Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust (on behalf of each of its series listed on Appendix A) and Eaton Vance Management dated June 11, 2012 filed as Exhibit (h)(2) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 146 filed November 3, 2014 (Accession No. 0000940394-14-001449) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
|
(c) |
Amendment dated October 31, 2014 to the Amended and Restated Administrative Services Agreement between Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust (on behalf of each of its series listed on Appendix A) and Eaton Vance Management dated June 11, 2012 filed as Exhibit (h)(1)(c) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 147 filed November 12, 2014 (Accession No. 0000940394-14-001493) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
|
(d) |
Amended Appendix A effective November 3, 2014, as revised November 7, 2014 to the Amended and Restated Administrative Services Agreement filed as Exhibit (h)(1)(d) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 150 filed February 26, 2015 (Accession No. 0000940394-15-000260) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
(2) |
(a) |
Transfer Agency and Shareholder Services Agreement effective September 1, 2011 filed as Exhibit (h)(4) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 121 of Eaton Vance Growth Trust (File Nos. 02-22019, 811-1241) filed September 29, 2011 (Accession No. 0000940394-11-001076) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
|
(b) |
Amendment dated January 1, 2014 to Transfer Agency and Shareholder Services Agreement effective September 1, 2011 filed as Exhibit (h)(2)(b) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 159 of Eaton Vance Growth Trust (File Nos. 002-22019, 811-01241) filed January 27, 2014 (Accession No. 0000940394-14-000132) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
|
(c) |
Amendment dated March 1, 2015 to Transfer Agency and Shareholder Services Agreement effective September 1, 2011 filed as Exhibit (h)(2)(c) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 153 filed March 26, 2015 (Accession No. 0000940394-15-000437) and incorporated herein by reference. |
C-3
|
|
(3) |
|
Sub-Transfer Agency Support Services Agreement effective January 1, 2014 between BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. and Eaton Vance Management filed as Exhibit (h)(3) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 159 of Eaton Vance Growth Trust (File Nos. 002-22019, 811-01241) filed January 27, 2014 (Accession No. 0000940394-14-000132) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
(4) |
|
Fee Reduction Agreement dated October 15, 2007 between Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust on behalf of Eaton Vance Balanced Fund and Eaton Vance Management filed as Exhibit (h)(9) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 86 filed December 14, 2007 (Accession No. 0000940394-07-002080) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
(5) |
(a) |
Expense Waivers/Reimbursements Agreement between Eaton Vance Management and each of the entities (on behalf of certain of their series) listed on Schedule A dated October 31, 2012 filed as Exhibit (h)(4) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 63 of Eaton Vance Investment Trust (File Nos. 033-01121, 811-04443) filed July 26, 2013 (Accession No. 0000940394-13-000938) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
|
(b) |
Amended Schedule A dated April 30, 2016 to the Expense Waivers/Reimbursements Agreement dated October 31, 2012 filed herewith. |
|
(i) |
|
|
Opinion of Internal Counsel dated April 28, 2016 filed herewith. |
|
(j) |
(1) |
|
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for Eaton Vance Balanced Fund, Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund, Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund, Eaton Vance Dividend Builder Fund, Eaton Vance Global Small-Cap Fund, Eaton Vance Greater India Fund, Eaton Vance Growth Fund, Eaton Vance Large-Cap Value Fund, Eaton Vance Real Estate Fund, Eaton Vance Small-Cap Fund, Eaton Vance Special Equities Fund, Parametric Absolute Return Fund and any corresponding Portfolios dated April 28, 2016 filed herewith. |
|
|
(2) |
|
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm dated April 28, 2016 for certain series of Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust which are included in this Post-Effective Amendment filed herewith. |
|
(m) |
(1) |
(a) |
Master Distribution Plan for Class A, Advisers Class and Investor Class shares adopted May 1, 2013 on behalf of each Trust and their respective series listed on Schedule A filed as Exhibit (m)(1) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 41 of Eaton Vance Municipals Trust II (File Nos. 033-71320, 811-08134) filed May 30, 2013 (Accession No. 0000940394-13-000754) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
|
(b) |
Amended Schedule A dated December 15, 2015 to Master Distribution Plan for Class A, Advisers Class and Investor Class shares adopted May 1, 2013 filed as Exhibit (e)(1)(b) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 182 of Eaton Vance Growth Trust (File Nos. 002-22019, 811-01241) filed December 14, 2015 (Accession No. 0000940394-15-001533) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
(2) |
|
Master Distribution Plan for Class B shares adopted May 1, 2013 on behalf of each Trust and their respective series listed on Schedule A filed as Exhibit (m)(2) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 41 of Eaton Vance Municipals Trust II (File Nos. 033-71320, 811-08134) filed May 30, 2013 (Accession No. 0000940394-13-000754) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
(3) |
(a) |
Master Distribution Plan for Class C shares adopted May 1, 2013 on behalf of each Trust and their respective series listed on Schedule A filed as Exhibit (m)(3) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 41 of Eaton Vance Municipals Trust II (File Nos. 033-71320, 811-08134) filed May 30, 2013 (Accession No. 0000940394-13-000754) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
|
(b) |
Amended Schedule A dated May 3, 2015 to Master Distribution Plan for Class C shares adopted May 1, 2013 filed as Exhibit (e)(1)(b) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 47 of Eaton Vance Municipals Trust II (File Nos. 033-71320, 811-08134) filed April 30, 2015 (Accession No. 0000940394-15-000628) and incorporated herein by reference. |
|
|
(4) |
(a) |
Master Distribution Plan for Class R shares adopted May 1, 2013 on behalf of each Trust and their respective series listed on Schedule A filed as Exhibit (m)(4) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 204 of Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust (File Nos. 002-90946, 811-04015) filed May 30, 2013 (Accession No. 0000940394-13-000762) and incorporated herein by reference. |
C-4
Item 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control
Not applicable
Item 30. Indemnification
Article IV of the Registrant ’ s Declaration of Trust permits Trustee and officer indemnification by By-Law, contract and vote. Article XI of the By-Laws contains indemnification provisions. Registrants Trustees and officers are insured under a standard mutual fund errors and omissions insurance policy covering loss incurred by reason of negligent errors and omissions committed in their capacities as such.
The distribution agreement of the Registrant also provides for reciprocal indemnity of the principal underwriter, on the one hand, and the Trustees and officers, on the other.
Item 31. Business and other Connections of Investment Advisers
Reference is made to: (i) the information set forth under the caption “ Management and Organization ” in the Statement of Additional Information; (ii) the Eaton Vance Corp. Form 10-K filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (File No. 1-8100); and (iii) the Form ADV of Eaton Vance Management (File No. 801-15930), Boston Management and Research (File No. 801-43127), LGM Investments Limited (File No. 801-74649) and Parametric Risk Advisors LLC (File No. 801-67738) filed with the Commission, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Item 32. Principal Underwriters
|
(a) |
Registrant ’ s principal underwriter, Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eaton Vance Corp., is the principal underwriter for each of the registered investment companies named below: |
C-5
C-6
Thomas E. Faust Jr. |
Director |
Trustee |
||
Scott Firth |
Vice President |
None |
||
James Foley |
Vice President |
None |
||
Kathleen Fryer |
Vice President |
None |
||
Jonathan Futterman |
Vice President |
None |
||
Anne Marie Gallagher |
Vice President |
None |
||
Gregory Gelinas |
Vice President |
None |
||
Patrick Gill |
Vice President |
None |
||
Bradford Godfrey |
Vice President |
None |
||
Seth Goldzweig |
Vice President |
None |
||
David Gordon |
Vice President |
None |
||
John Greenway |
Vice President |
None |
||
Daniel Grzywacz |
Vice President |
None |
||
Peter Hartman |
Vice President |
None |
||
Steven Heck |
Vice President |
None |
||
Richard Hein |
Vice President |
None |
||
Joseph Hernandez |
Vice President |
None |
||
Dori Hetrick |
Vice President |
None |
||
Toebe Hinckle |
Vice President |
None |
||
Suzanne Hingel |
Vice President |
None |
||
Perry D. Hooker |
Vice President |
None |
||
Christian Howe |
Vice President |
None |
||
Laurie G. Hylton |
Director |
None |
||
Jonathan Isaac |
Vice President |
None |
||
Adrian Jackson |
Vice President |
None |
||
Ryan Jenkins |
Vice President |
None |
||
Brian Johnson |
Vice President |
None |
||
Elizabeth Johnson |
Vice President |
None |
||
Steve Jones |
Vice President |
None |
||
Doug Keagle |
Vice President |
None |
||
Sean Kelly |
Senior Vice President |
None |
||
William Kennedy |
Vice President |
None |
||
Joseph Kosciuszek |
Vice President |
None |
||
Kathleen Krivelow |
Vice President |
None |
||
David Lefcourt |
Vice President |
None |
||
Benjamin LeFevre |
Vice President |
None |
||
Andrew Leimenstoll |
Vice President |
None |
||
Paul Leonardo |
Vice President |
None |
||
John Loy |
Vice President |
None |
||
Coleen Lynch |
Vice President |
None |
C-7
John Macejka |
Vice President |
None |
||
James Maki |
Vice President |
None |
||
Christopher Marek |
Vice President |
None |
||
Frederick S. Marius |
Vice President, Secretary, Clerk and Chief Legal Officer |
None |
||
Geoff Marshall |
Vice President |
None |
||
Christopher Mason |
Vice President |
None |
||
Daniel J. McCarthy |
Vice President |
None |
||
Don McCaughey |
Vice President |
None |
||
James McCuddy |
Vice President |
None |
||
Dave McDonald |
Vice President |
None |
||
Tim McEwen |
Vice President |
None |
||
Ian McGinn |
Vice President |
None |
||
Shannon McHugh-Price |
Vice President |
None |
||
David Michaud |
Vice President |
None |
||
Mark Milan |
Vice President |
None |
||
John Moninger |
Senior Vice President |
None |
||
Meghan Moses |
Vice President |
None |
||
Matthew Navins |
Vice President |
None |
||
Christopher Nebons |
Vice President |
None |
||
Paul Nicely |
Vice President |
None |
||
David Oliveri |
Vice President |
None |
||
Philip Pace |
Vice President |
None |
||
Steven Perlmutter |
Vice President |
None |
||
Steve Pietricola |
Vice President |
None |
||
John Pumphrey |
Vice President |
None |
||
James Putman |
Vice President |
None |
||
Henry Rehberg |
Vice President |
None |
||
Christopher Remington |
Vice President |
None |
||
David Richman |
Vice President |
None |
||
Christopher Rohan |
Vice President |
None |
||
Kevin Rookey |
Vice President |
None |
||
John Santoro |
Vice President |
None |
||
Rocco Scanniello |
Vice President |
None |
||
Michael Shea |
Vice President |
None |
||
Alan Simeon |
Vice President |
None |
||
Randy Skarda |
Vice President |
None |
||
David Smith |
Chief Compliance Officer |
None |
||
Jamie Smoller |
Vice President |
None |
||
Elaine Sullivan |
Vice President |
None |
||
Michael Sullivan |
Vice President |
None |
C-8
Item 33. 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 Registrants custodian, State Street Bank and Trust Company, State Street Financial Center, One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111, and its transfer agent, BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) 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 the administrator and investment adviser or sub-adviser. 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 and Boston Management and Research, both located at Two International Place, Boston, MA 02110, LGM Investments Limited, located at 95 Wigmore Street, London, England and Parametric Risk Advisors, LLC located at 518 Riverside Avenue, Westport, CT 06880.
Item 34. Management Services
Not applicable
Item 35. Undertakings
The Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund (the “ Fund ” ) and its wholly-owned subsidiary Eaton Vance CSF Commodity Subsidiary, Ltd. (the “ Subsidiary ” ) undertake that the Subsidiary's books and records will be subject to inspection by the Commission to the same extent as the Fund's books and records are subject to inspection by the Commission.
C-9
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment to its 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 April 28, 2016.
|
|
|
|
EATON VANCE SPECIAL INVESTMENT TRUST |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Payson F. Swaffield |
|
|
Payson F. Swaffield, President |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities indicated on April 28, 2016.
C-10
SIGNATURES
Core Bond Portfolio (the Portfolio) has duly caused this Amendment to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on April 28, 2016.
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CORE BOND PORTFOLIO |
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|
By: |
/s/ Thomas H. Luster |
|
|
Thomas H. Luster, President |
This Amendment to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust has been signed below on behalf of the Portfolio by the following persons in the capacities indicated on April 28, 2016.
C-11
SIGNATURES
Dividend Builder Portfolio (the Portfolio) has duly caused this Amendment to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on April 28, 2016.
|
DIVIDEND BUILDER PORTFOLIO |
|
|
By: |
/s/ Charles B. Gaffney |
|
|
Charles B. Gaffney, President |
This Amendment to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust has been signed below on behalf of the Portfolio by the following persons in the capacities indicated on April 28, 2016.
C-12
SIGNATURES
Greater India Portfolio (the Portfolio) has duly caused this Amendment to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on April 28, 2016.
|
GREATER INDIA PORTFOLIO |
|
|
By: |
Thomas Vester* |
|
|
Thomas Vester, President |
This Amendment to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust has been signed below on behalf of the Portfolio by the following persons in the capacities indicated on April 28, 2016.
C-13
SIGNATURES
Growth Portfolio (the Portfolio) has duly caused this Amendment to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on April 28, 2016.
|
GROWTH PORTFOLIO |
|
|
By: |
/s/ Lewis R. Piantedosi |
|
|
Lewis R. Piantedosi, President |
This Amendment to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust has been signed below on behalf of the Portfolio by the following persons in the capacities indicated on April 28, 2016.
C-14
SIGNATURES
Large-Cap Value Portfolio (the Portfolio) has duly caused this Amendment to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on April 28, 2016.
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LARGE-CAP VALUE PORTFOLIO |
|
|
By: |
/s/ Edward J. Perkin |
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|
Edward J. Perkin, President |
This Amendment to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust has been signed below on behalf of the Portfolio by the following persons in the capacities indicated on April 28, 2016.
C-15
SIGNATURES
Stock Portfolio (the Portfolio) has duly caused this Amendment to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on April 28, 2016.
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STOCK PORTFOLIO |
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By: |
/s/ Charles B. Gaffney |
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Charles B. Gaffney, President |
This Amendment to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust has been signed below on behalf of the Portfolio by the following persons in the capacities indicated on April 28, 2016.
C-16
EXHIBIT INDEX
The following exhibits are filed as part of this Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 483 of Regulation C.
Exhibit No. |
Description |
(a) |
|
|
Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust dated April 26, 2016 |
(e) |
(1) |
(b) |
Amended Schedule A dated May 1, 2016 to Amended and Restated Master Distribution Agreement effective as of May 1, 2014 |
(h) |
(5) |
(b) |
Amended Schedule A dated April 30, 2016 to the Expense Waivers/Reimbursements Agreement dated October 31, 2012 |
(i) |
|
|
Opinion of Internal Counsel dated April 28, 2016 |
(j) |
(1) |
|
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for Eaton Vance Balanced Fund, Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund, Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund, Eaton Vance Dividend Builder Fund, Eaton Vance Global Small-Cap Fund, Eaton Vance Greater India Fund, Eaton Vance Growth Fund, Eaton Vance Large-Cap Value Fund, Eaton Vance Real Estate Fund, Eaton Vance Small-Cap Fund, Eaton Vance Special Equities Fund, Parametric Absolute Return Fund and any corresponding Portfolios dated April 28, 2016 |
|
(2) |
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Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm dated April 28, 2016 for certain series of Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust which are included in this Post-Effective Amendment |
(n) |
|
|
Amended and Restated Multi-Class Plan for Eaton Vance Funds dated April 26, 2016 |
(p) |
(2) |
|
Code of Ethics adopted by LGM Investments Limited and its subsidiaries effective November 2015 |
C-17
Exhibit (a)
EATON VANCE SPECIAL INVESTMENT TRUST
AMENDED AND RESTATED DECLARATION OF TRUST
Dated as of April 26, 2016
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ARTICLE I - NAME AND DEFINITIONS
1
Section 1.1.
Name
1
Section 1.2.
Definitions
1
ARTICLE II - TRUSTEES
3
Section 2.1.
Management of the Trust
3
Section 2.2.
General Powers
3
Section 2.3.
Investments
4
Section 2.4.
Legal Title
5
Section 2.5.
By-Laws
5
Section 2.6.
Distribution and Repurchase of Shares
5
Section 2.7.
Delegation
5
Section 2.8.
Collection and Payment
6
Section 2.9.
Expenses
6
Section 2.10.
Manner of Acting
6
Section 2.11.
Miscellaneous Powers
6
Section 2.12.
Litigation
6
Section 2.13
No Implied Duties of Liability
7
ARTICLE III - CONTRACTS
7
Section 3.1.
Principal Underwriter
7
Section 3.2.
Investment Adviser
7
Section 3.3.
Administrator
7
Section 3.4.
Other Service Providers
7
Section 3.5.
Transfer Agents
8
Section 3.6.
Custodian
8
Section 3.7.
Plans of Distribution
8
Section 3.8
Affiliations
8
ARTICLE IV - LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY OF SHAREHOLDERS, TRUSTEES AND OTHERS
8
Section 4.1.
No Personal Liability of Shareholders, Trustees, Officers and Employees
8
Section 4.2.
Trustees Good Faith Action; Advice of Others; No Bond or Surety
8
Section 4.3.
Indemnification
9
Section 4.4.
No Duty of Investigation
9
Section 4.5.
Reliance on Records and Experts
9
Section 4.6
Good Faith Reliance
9
ARTICLE V - SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST
10
Section 5.1.
Beneficial Interest
10
Section 5.2.
Rights of Shareholders
10
Section 5.3.
Trust Only
10
Section 5.4.
Issuance of Shares
10
Section 5.5.
Establishment of Series and Classes of Shares
11
Section 5.6.
Assent to Declaration of Trust and By-Laws
12
i
ARTICLE VI - REDEMPTION AND REPURCHASE OF SHARES . ... 12
Section 6.1.
Redemption of Shares
12
Section 6.2.
Price
13
Section 6.3.
Payment
13
Section 6.4.
Effect of Suspension of Determination of Net Asset Value
13
Section 6.5.
Repurchase by Agreement
13
Section 6.6.
Redemption of Shareholders Interest
13
Section 6.7.
Redemption of Shares in Order to Qualify as Regulated Investment Company; Disclosure of Holding 13
Section 6.8.
Reduction in Number of Outstanding Shares Pursuant to
Net Asset Value Formula
14
Section 6.9.
Suspension of Right of Redemption
14
ARTICLE VII - DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE, NET INCOME AND DISTRIBUTIONS
14
Section 7.1.
Net Asset Value
14
Section 7.2.
Dividends and Distributions
15
Section 7.3.
Constant Net Asset Value; Reduction of Outstanding Shares
15
Section 7.4.
Power to Modify Foregoing Procedures
16
ARTICLE VIII - DURATION; TERMINATION OF TRUST OR A SERIES OR CLASS; MERGERS; AMENDMENTS 16
Section 8.1.
Duration
16
Section 8.2.
Merger or Termination of the Trust or a Series or a Class
16
Section 8.3.
Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets of a Series
17
Section 8.4.
Amendments
17
ARTICLE IX - MISCELLANEOUS
18
Section 9.1.
Use of the Words Eaton Vance
18
Section 9.2.
Filing of Copies, References, Headings and Counterparts
18
Section 9.3.
Applicable Law
18
Section 9.4.
Provisions in Conflict with Law or Regulations
19
Section 9.5
Derivative Actions
19
Section 9.6
Exclusive Right of Action.
20
ii
AMENDED AND RESTATED DECLARATION OF TRUST
OF
EATON VANCE SPECIAL INVESTMENT TRUST
Dated: April 26, 2016
AMENDED AND RESTATED DECLARATION OF TRUST, made April 26, 2016 by the undersigned Trustees being a majority of the Trustees in office on such date, hereinafter referred to collectively as the "Trustees" and individually as a "Trustee", which terms shall include any successor Trustees or Trustee and any present Trustees who are not signatories to this instrument.
WHEREAS, on March 27, 1989, the initial Trustees established a trust under a Declaration of Trust as amended and restated on September 27, 1993 and February 10, 2016, for the investment and reinvestment of funds contributed thereto; and
WHEREAS, a majority of the Trustees desire to amend and restate said Declaration of Trust pursuant to the provisions thereof;
NOW, THEREFORE, the Trustees declare that all money and property contributed to the trust established hereunder shall be held and managed under this Declaration of Trust as so amended and restated for the benefit of the holders, from time to time, of the shares of beneficial interest issued hereunder and subject to the provisions set forth below.
ARTICLE I
NAME AND DEFINITIONS
Section 1.1. Name. The name of the trust created hereby is Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust (the "Trust").
Section 1.2. Definitions. Wherever they are used herein, the following terms have the following respective meanings:
(a)
"Administrator" means the party, other than the Trust, to a contract described in Section 3.3 hereof.
(b) "By-Laws" means the By-Laws referred to in Section 2.5 hereof, as from time to time amended.
(c) "Class" means any division or Class of Shares within a Series or Fund, which Class is or has been established within such Series or Fund in accordance with the provisions of Article V.
(d) The term "Commission" has the meaning given it in the 1940 Act.
(e) "Custodian" means any person other than he Trust who has custody of any Trust Property as required by Section 17(f) of the 1940 Act, but does not include a system for the central handling of securities described in said Section 17(f)").
(f) Declaration" means this Declaration of Trust as amended from time to time. Reference in this Declaration of Trust to "Declaration," "hereof," "herein," and "hereunder" shall be deemed to refer to this Declaration rather than exclusively to the article or section in which such words appear.
1
(g) "Fund" or "Funds," individually or collectively, means the separate Series of Shares of the Trust, together with the assets and liabilities belonging and allocated thereto.
(h) "His" shall include the feminine and neuter, as well as the masculine, genders.
(i) The term "Interested Person" has the meaning specified in the 1940 Act subject, however, to such exceptions and exemptions as may be granted by the Commission in any rule, regulation or order.
(j) "Investment Adviser" means the party, other than the Trust, to an agreement described in Section 3.2 hereof.
(k) The "1940 Act" means the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Rules and Regulations thereunder, as amended from time to time.
(l) "Person" means and includes individuals, corporations, partnerships, trusts, associations, firms joint ventures and other entities, whether or not legal entities, as well as governments instrumentalities, and agencies and political subdivisions thereof, and quasi-governmental agencies and instrumentalities.
(m) "Principal Underwriter" means the party, other than the Trust, to a contract described in Section 3.1 hereof.
(n) "Prospectus" means the Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information included in the Registration Statement of the Trust under the Securities Act of 1933 as such Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information may be amended or supplemented and filed with the Commission from time to time.
(o) "Series" individually or collectively means the separately managed component(s) of Fund(s) of the Trust (or, if the Trust shall have only one such component of Fund then that one) referenced in, or established under or in accordance with, the provisions of Article V.
(p) "Shareholder" means a record owner of Outstanding Shares. A shareholder of Shares of a Series shall be deemed to own a proportionate undivided beneficial interest in such Series equal to the number of Shares of such Series of which he is the record owner divided by the total number of Outstanding Shares of such Series. A Shareholder of Shares of a Class within a Series shall be deemed to own a proportionate undivided beneficial interest in such Class equal to the number of Shares of such Class of which he is the record owner divided by the total number of Outstanding Shares of such Class. As used herein the term "Shareholder" shall, when applicable to one or more Series of Funds or to one or more Classes thereof, refer to the record owners of Outstanding Shares of such Series, Fund or Funds or of such Class or Classes of shares.
(q) "Shares" means the equal proportionate units of interest into which the beneficial interest in the Trust shall be divided from time to time, including the Shares of any and all Series or of any Class within any and all Series of any Class within any Series (as the context may require) which may be established by the Trustees, and includes fractions of Shares as well as whole Shares. "Outstanding Shares" means those Shares shown from time to time on the books of the Trust or its Transfer Agent as then issued and outstanding, but shall not include Shares which have been redeemed or repurchased by the Trust and which are at the time held in the treasury of the Trust.
(r) "Transfer Agent" means any Person other than the Trust who maintains the Shareholder records of the Trust, such as the list of Shareholders, the number of Shares credited to each account, and the like.
(s) "Trust" means Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust. As used herein the term Trust shall, when applicable to one or more Series or Funds, refer to such series or Funds.
2
(t) The "Trustees" means the persons who have signed this Declaration, so long as they shall continue in office in accordance with the terms hereof, and all other persons who now serve or may from time to time be duly elected, qualified and serving as Trustees in accordance with the provisions of Article II hereof and the By-Laws of the Trust, and reference herein to a Trustee of the Trustees shall refer to such person or persons in this capacity or their capacities as trustees hereunder.
(u) "Trust Property" means any and all property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, which is owned or held by or for the account of the Trust or the Trustees including any and all assets of or allocated to any Series or Class, as the context may require.
(v) Except as such term may be otherwise defined by the Trustees in connection with any meeting or other action of Shareholders or in conjunction with the establishment of any Series or Class of Shares, the term "vote" when used in connection with an action of Shareholders shall include a vote taken at a meeting of Shareholders or the consent or consents of Shareholders taken without such a meeting. Except as such term may be otherwise defined by the Trustees in connection with any meeting or other action of Shareholders or in conjunction with the establishment of any Series or Class of Shares, the term "vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities" as used in Sections 8.2 and 8.4 shall have the same meaning as is assigned to that term in the 1940 Act.
ARTICLE II
TRUSTEES
Section 2.1. Management of the Trust. The business and affairs of the Trust shall be managed by the Trustees and they shall have all powers and authority necessary, appropriate or desirable to perform that function. The number, term of office, manner of election, resignation, filling of vacancies and procedures with respect to meetings and actions of the Trustees shall be as prescribed in the By-Laws of the Trust.
Section 2.2. General Powers. The Trustees in all instances shall act as principals for and on behalf of the Trust and the applicable Series thereof, and their acts shall bind the Trust and the applicable Series. The Trustees shall have full power and authority to do any and all acts and to make and execute any and all contracts and instruments that they may consider necessary, appropriate or desirable in connection with the management of the Trust. The Trustees shall not be bound or limited in any way by present or future laws, practices or customs in regard to trust investments or to other investments which may be made by fiduciaries, but shall have full authority and power to make any and all investments which they, in their uncontrolled discretion, shall deem proper to promote, implement or accomplish the various objectives and interests of the Trust and of its Series of Shares. The Trustees shall have full power and authority to adopt such accounting and tax accounting practices as they consider appropriate for the Trust and for any Series or Class of Shares. The Trustees shall have exclusive and absolute control over the Trust Property and over the business of the Trust to the same extent as if the Trustees were the sole owners of the Trust Property and business in their own right, and with such full powers of delegation as the Trustees may exercise from time to time. The Trustees shall have power to conduct the business of the Trust and carry on its operations in any and all of its branches and maintain offices both within and without the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in any and all states of the United States of America, in the District of Columbia, and in any and all commonwealths, territories, dependencies, colonies, possessions, agencies of instrumentalities of the United States of America and of foreign governments, and to do all such other things as they deem necessary, appropriate or desirable in order to promote or implement the interests of the Trust or of any Series or Class of Shares although such things are not herein specifically mentioned. Any determinations to what is in the interests of the Trust or of any Series or Class of Shares made by the Trustees in good faith shall be conclusive and binding upon all Shareholders. In construing the provisions of this Declaration, the presumption shall be in favor of a grant of plenary power and authority to the Trustees.
3
The enumeration of any specific power in this Declaration shall not be construed as limiting the aforesaid general and plenary powers.
Section 2.3. Investments. The Trustees shall have full power and authority:
(a) To operate as and carry on the business of an investment company, and exercise all the powers necessary and appropriate to the conduct of such operations.
(b) To acquire or buy, and invest Trust Property in, own, hold for investment or otherwise, and to sell or otherwise dispose of, all types and kinds of securities including, but not limited to, stocks, profit-sharing interests or participations and all other contracts for or evidences of equity interests, bonds, debentures, warrants and rights to purchase securities, certificates of beneficial interest, bills, notes and all other contracts for or evidences of indebtedness, money market instruments including bank certificates of deposit, finance paper, commercial paper, bankers' acceptances and other obligations, and all other negotiable and non-negotiable securities and instruments, however named or described, issued by corporations, trusts, associations or any other Persons, domestic or foreign, or issued or guaranteed by the United States of America or any agency or instrumentality thereof, by the government of any foreign country, by any State, territory or possession of the United States, by any political subdivision or agency or instrumentality of any State or foreign country, or by any other government or other governmental or quasi-governmental agency or instrumentality, domestic or foreign; to acquire and dispose of interests in domestic or foreign loans made by banks and other financial institutions; to deposit any assets of the Trust in any bank, trust company or banking institution or retain any such assets in domestic or foreign cash or currency; to purchase and sell gold and silver bullion, precious or strategic metals, coins and currency of all countries; to engage in "when issued" and delayed delivery transactions; to enter into repurchase agreements, reverse repurchase agreements and firm commitment agreements; to employ all types and kinds of hedging techniques and investment management strategies; and to change the investments of the Trust and of each Series.
(c) To acquire (by purchase, subscription or otherwise), to hold, to trade in and deal in, to acquire any rights or options to purchase or sell, to sell or otherwise dispose of, to lend and to pledge any Trust Property or any of the foregoing securities, instruments or investments; to purchase and sell (or write) options on securities, currency, precious metals and other commodities, indices, futures contracts and other financial instruments and assets and inter into closing and other transactions in connection therewith; to enter into all types of commodities contracts, including without limitation the purchase and sale of futures contracts on securities, currency, precious metals and other commodities, indices and other financial instruments and assets; to enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts and other foreign exchange and currency transactions of all types and kinds; to enter into interest rate, currency and other swap transactions; and to engage in all types and kinds of hedging and risk management transactions.
(d) To exercise all rights, powers and privileges of ownership or interest in all securities and other assets included in the Trust Property, including without limitation the right to vote thereon and otherwise act with respect thereto; and to do all acts and things for the preservation, protection, improvement and enhancement in value of all such securities and assets.
(e) To acquire (by purchase, lease or otherwise) and to hold, use, maintain, lease, develop and dispose of (by sale or otherwise) any type or kind of property, real or personal, including domestic or foreign currency, and any right or interest therein.
(f) To borrow money and in this connection issue notes, commercial paper or other evidence of indebtedness; to secure borrowings by mortgaging, pledging or otherwise subjecting as security all or any part of the Trust Property; to endorse, guarantee, or undertake the performance of any obligation or engagement of any other Person; and to lend all or any part of the Trust Property to other Persons.
4
(g) To aid, support or assist by further investment or other action any Person, any obligation of or interest in which is included in the Trust Property or in the affairs of which the Trust or any Series has any direct or indirect interest; to do all acts and things designed to protect, preserve, improve or enhance the value of such obligation or interest; and to guarantee or become surety on any or all of the contracts, securities and other obligations of any such Person.
(h) To carry on any other business in connection with or incidental to any of the foregoing powers referred to in this Declaration, to do everything necessary, appropriate or desirable for the accomplishment of any purpose or the attainment of any object or the furtherance of any power referred to in this Declaration, either alone or in association with others, and to do every other act or thing incidental or appurtenant to or arising out of or connected with such business or purposes, objects or powers. The foregoing clauses shall be construed both as objects and powers, and shall not be held to limit or restrict in any manner the general and plenary powers of the Trustees.
Notwithstanding any other provision herein, the Trustees shall have full power in their discretion, without any requirement of approval by Shareholders, to invest part or all of the Trust Property (or part or all of the assets of any Fund), or to dispose of part or all of the Trust Property (or part or all of the assets of any Fund) and invest the proceeds of such disposition, in securities issued by one or more other investment companies registered under the 1940 Act. Any such other investment company may (but need not) be a trust (formed under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or of any other state) which is classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes.
Section 2.4. Legal Title. Legal title to all the Trust Property shall be vested in the Trustees who from time to time shall be in office. The Trustees may hold any security or other Trust Property in a form not indicating any trust, whether in bearer, unregistered or other negotiable form, and may cause legal title to any security or other Trust Property to be held by or in the name of one or more of the Trustees, or in the name of the Trust or any Series, or in the name of a custodian, subcustodian, agent, securities depository, clearing agency, system for the central handling of securities or other book-entry system, or in the name of a nominee or nominees of the Trust of a Series, or in the name of a nominee or nominees of a custodian, subcustodian, agent, securities depository, clearing agent, system for the central handling of securities or other book-entry system, or in the name of any other Person as nominee. The right, title and interest of the Trustees in the Trust Property shall vest automatically in each Person who may hereafter become a Trustee. Upon the termination of the term of office, resignation, removal or death of a Trustee he shall automatically cease to have any right, title or interest in any of the Trust Property, and the right, title and interest of such Trustee in the Trust Property shall vest automatically in the remaining Trustees.
Section 2.5. By-Laws. The Trustees shall have full power and authority to adopt By-Laws providing for the conduct of the business of the Trust and containing such other provisions as they deem necessary, appropriate or desirable, and to amend and repeal such By-Laws. Unless the By-Laws specifically require that Shareholders authorize or approve the amendment or repeal of a particular provision of the By-Laws, any provision of the By-Laws may be amended or repealed by the Trustees without Shareholder authorization or approval.
Section 2.6. Distribution and Repurchase of Shares. The Trustees shall have full power and authority to issue, sell, repurchase, redeem, retire, cancel, acquire, hold, resell, reissue, dispose of, transfer, and otherwise deal in Shares. Shares may be sold for cash or property or other consideration whenever and in such amounts and manner as the Trustees deem desirable. The Trustees shall have full power to provide for the distribution of Shares either through one or more principal underwriters or by the Trust itself, or both. The Trustees shall have full power and authority to cause the Trust and any Series and Class or Shares to finance distribution activities in the manner described in Section 3.7, and to authorize the Trust, on behalf of one or more Series or Classes of Shares, to adopt or enter into one or more plans or arrangements whereby multiple Series and Classes of Shares may be issued and sold to various types of investors.
5
Section 2.7. Delegation. The Trustees shall have full power and authority to delegate from time to time to such of their number or to officers, employees or agents of the Trust or to other Persons the doing of such things and the execution of such agreements or other instruments either in the name of the Trust or any Series of the Trust of the names of the Trustees or otherwise as the Trustees may deem desirable or expedient.
Section 2.8. Collection and Payment. The Trustees shall have full power and authority to collect all property due to the Trust; to pay all claims, including taxes, against the Trust or Trust Property; to prosecute, defend, compromise, settle or abandon any claims relating to the Trust or Trust Property; to foreclose any security interest securing any obligations, by virtue of which any property is owed to the Trust; and to enter into releases, agreements and other instruments.
Section 2.9. Expenses. The Trustees shall have full power and authority to incur on behalf of the Trust or any Series or Class of Shares and pay any costs or expenses which the Trustees deem necessary, appropriate, desirable or incidental to carry out, implement or enhance the business or operations of the Trust or any Series thereof, and to pay compensation from the funds of the Trust to themselves as Trustees. The Trustees shall determine the compensation of all officers, employees and Trustees of the Trust. The Trustees shall have full power and authority to cause the Trust to charge all or any part of any cost, expense or expenditure (including without limitation any expense of selling or distributing Shares) or tax against the principal or capital of the Trust or any Series or Class of Shares, and to credit all or any part of the profit, income or receipt (including without limitation any deferred sales charge or fee, whether contingent or otherwise, paid or payable to the Trust or any Series or Class of Shares on any redemption or repurchase of Shares) to the principal or capital of the Trust or any Series or Class of Shares.
Section 2.10. Manner of Acting. Except as otherwise provided herein or in the By-Laws, the Trustees and committees of the Trustees shall have full power and authority to act in any manner which they deem necessary, appropriate or desirable to carry out, implement or enhance the business or operations of the Trust or any Series thereof.
Section 2.11. Miscellaneous Powers. The Trustees shall have full power and authority to: (a) distribute to Shareholders all or any part of the earnings or profits, surplus (including paid-in surplus), capital (including paid-in capital) or assets of the Trust or of any Series or Class of Shares, the amount of such distributions and the manner of payment thereof to be solely at the discretion of the Trustees; (b) employ, engage or contract with such Persons as the Trustees may deem desirable for the transaction of the business or operations of the Trust or any Series thereof; (c) enter into or cause the Trust or any Series thereof to enter into joint ventures, partnerships (whether as general partner, limited partner or otherwise) and any other combinations or associations; (d) remove Trustees or fill vacancies in or add to their number, elect and remove such officers and appoint and terminate such agents or employees or other Persons as the consider appropriate, and appoint from their own number, and terminate, any one or more committees which may exercise some or all of the power and authority of the Trustees as the Trustees may determine; (e) purchase, and pay for out of Trust Property, insurance policies which may insure such of the Shareholders, Trustees, officers, employees, agents, investment advisers, administrators, principal underwriters, distributors or independent contractors of the Trust as the Trustees deem appropriate against loss or liability arising by reason of holding any such position or by reason of any action taken or omitted by any such Person in such capacity, whether or not constituting negligence, or whether or not the Trust would have the power to indemnify such Person against such loss or liability; (f) establish pension, profit-sharing, share purchase, and other retirement, incentive and benefit plans for any Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Trust; (g) indemnify or reimburse any Person with whom the Trust or any Series thereof has dealings, including without limitation the Investment Adviser, Administrator, Principal Underwriter, Transfer Agent and financial service firms, to such extent as the Trustees shall determine; (h) guarantee the indebtedness or contractual obligations of other Persons; (i) determine and change the fiscal year of the Trust or any Series thereof and the methods by which its and their books, accounts and records shall be kept; and (j) adopt a seal for the Trust, but the absence of such seal shall not impair the validity of any instrument executed on behalf of the Trust or any Series thereof.
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Section 2.12. Litigation. The Trustees shall have full power and authority, in the name and on behalf of the Trust, to engage in and to prosecute, defend, compromise, settle, abandon, or adjust by arbitration or otherwise, any actions, suits proceedings, disputes, claims and demands relating to the Trust or arising out of or relating to the Trustees service to the Trust, and out of the assets of the Trust or any Series thereof to pay or to satisfy any liabilities, losses, debts, claims or expenses (including without limitation attorneys' fees) incurred in connection therewith, including those of litigation, and such power shall include without limitation the power of the Trustees or any committee thereof, in the exercise of their or its good faith business judgment, to dismiss or terminate any action, suit, proceeding, dispute, claim or demand, derivative or otherwise, brought by any Person, including a Shareholder in his own name or in the name of the Trust or any Series thereof, whether or not the Trust or any Series thereof or any of the Trustees may be named individually therein or the subject matter arises by reason of business for or on behalf of the Trust or any Series thereof. To the maximum extent permitted by law, any exercise of power described in this Section 2.12 shall be final, and binding on all Persons (including Shareholders).
Section 2.13. No Implied Duties of Liabilities. Except to the extent required by applicable law or expressly stated herein, nothing in this Declaration shall be deemed to create any fiduciary duty or other legal obligation (a) on the part of the Trustees or Trust officers to the Trust, the Shareholders, or any other Person; or (b) on the part of the Trust to any Person.
ARTICLE III
CONTRACTS
Section 3.1. Principal Underwriter. The Trustees may in their discretion from time to time authorize the Trust to enter into one or more contracts providing for the sale of the Shares. Pursuant to any such contract the Trust may either agree to sell the Shares to the other party to the contractor appoint such other party its sales agent for such Shares. In either case, any such contract shall be on such terms and conditions as the Trustees may in their discretion determine; and any such contract may also provide for the repurchase or sale of Shares by such other party as principal or as agent of the Trust.
Section 3.2. Investment Adviser. The Trustees may in their discretion from time to time authorize the Trust to enter into one or more investment advisory agreements, or, if the Trustees establish multiple Series, separate investment advisory agreements, with respect to one or more Series whereby the other party or parties to any such agreements shall undertake to furnish the Trust or such Series investment advisory and research facilities and services and such other facilities and services, if any, as the Trustees shall consider desirable and all upon such terms and conditions as the Trustees may in their discretion determine. Notwithstanding any provisions of this Declaration, the Trustees may authorize the Investment Adviser, in its discretion and without any prior consultation with the Trust, to buy, sell, lend and otherwise trade and deal in any and all securities, commodity contracts and other investments and assets of the Trust and of each Series and to engage in and employ all types of transactions and strategies in connection therewith. Any such action take pursuant to such agreement shall be deemed to have been authorized by all of the Trustees.
The Trustees may also authorize the Trust to employ, or authorize the Investment Adviser to employ, one or more sub-investment advisers from time to time to perform such of the acts and services of the Investment Adviser and upon such terms and conditions as ma be agreed upon between the Investment Adviser and such sub-investment adviser and approved by the Trustees.
Section 3.3. Administrator. The Trustees may in their discretion from time to time authorize the Trust to enter into an administration agreement or, if the Trustees establish multiple Series or Classes, separate administration agreements with respect to one or more Series or Classes, whereby the other party to such agreement shall undertake to furnish to the Trust or a Series or a Class thereof with such administrative facilities and services and such other facilities and services, if any, as the Trustees consider desirable and all upon such terms and conditions as the Trustees may in their discretion determine.
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Section 3.4. Other Service Providers. The Trustees may in their discretion from time to time authorize the Trust to enter into one or more agreements with respect to one or more Series or Classes of Shares whereby the other party or parties to any such agreements will undertake to provide to the Trust or Series or Class or Shareholders or beneficial owners of Shares such services as the Trustees consider desirable and all upon such terms and conditions as the Trustees in their discretion may determine.
Section 3.5. Transfer Agents. The Trustees may in their discretion from time to time appoint one or more transfer agents for the Trust or any Series thereof. Any contract with a transfer agent shall be on such terms and conditions as the Trustees may in their discretion determine.
Section 3.6. Custodian. The Trustees may appoint a bank or trust company having an aggregate capital, surplus and undivided profits (as shown in its last published report) of at least $2,000,000 as the principal custodian of the Trust (the "Custodian") with authority as its agent to hold cash and securities owned by the Trust and to release and deliver the same upon such terms and conditions as may be agreed upon between the Trust and Custodian.
Section 3.7. Plans of Distribution. The Trustees may in their discretion authorize the Trust, on behalf of one or more Series or Classes of Shares, to adopt or enter into a plan or plans of distribution and any related agreements whereby the Trust or Series or Class may finance directly or indirectly any activity which is primarily intended to result in sales of Shares or any distribution activity within the meaning of Rule 12b-1 (or successor rule) under the 1940 Act. Such plan or plans of distribution and any related agreements may contain such terms and conditions as the Trustees may in their discretion determine, subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act and any other applicable rules and regulations.
Section 3.8. Affiliations. The fact that:
(i) any of the Shareholders, Trustees or officers of the Trust is a shareholder, creditor, director, officer, partner, trustee or employee of or has any interest in any Person or any parent or affiliate of any such Person, with which a contract or agreement of the character described in Sections 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5 or 3.6 above has been or will be made or to which payments have been or will be made pursuant to a plan or related agreement described in Section 3.7 above, or that any such Person, or any parent or affiliate thereof, is a Shareholder of or has an interest in the Trust, or that
(ii) any such Person also has similar contracts, agreements or plans with other investment companies (including, without limitation, the investment companies referred to in the last paragraph of Section 2.3) or organization, or has other business activities or interests, shall not affect in any way the validity of any such contract, agreement or plan or disqualify any Shareholder, Trustee or officer of the Trust from authorizing, voting upon or executing the same or create any liability or accountability to the Trust or its Shareholders.
ARTICLE IV
LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY OF SHAREHOLDERS, TRUSTEES AND OTHERS
Section 4.1. No Personal Liability of Shareholders, Trustees, Officers and Employees. No Shareholder shall be subject to any personal liability whatsoever to any Person in connection with Trust Property or the acts, obligations or affairs of the Trust or any Series thereof. All Persons dealing or contracting with the Trustees as such or with the Trust or any Series thereof shall have recourse only to the Trust or such Series for the payment of their claims or for the payment or satisfaction of claims, obligations or liabilities arising out of such dealings or contracts. No Trustee, officer or employee of the Trust, whether past, present or future, shall be subject to any personal liability whatsoever to any such Person, and all such Persons shall look solely to the Trust Property, or the assets of one or more specific Series of the Trust if the claim arises from the act, omission or other conduct of such Trustee, officer or employee with respect to only such Series, for satisfaction of claims of any nature arising in connection with the affairs of the Trust or such Series. If any Shareholder, Trustee, officer or employee, as such, of the Trust or any Series thereof, is made a party to any suit or
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proceeding to enforce any such liability of the Trust or any Series thereof, he shall not, on account thereof, be held to any personal liability.
Section 4.2. Trustees Good Faith Action; Advice of Others; No Bond or Surety. The exercise by the Trustees of their powers and discretions hereunder shall be binding upon everyone interested. A Trustee shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrongdoing of any officer, agent, employee, consultant, investment adviser or other adviser, administrator, distributor or principal underwriter, custodian or transfer, dividend disbursing, shareholder servicing or accounting agent of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee. The Trustees may take advice of counsel or other experts with respect to the meaning and operation of this Declaration and their duties as Trustees, and shall be under no liability for any act or omission in accordance with such advice or for failing to follow such advice. In discharging their duties, the Trustees, when acting in good faith, shall be entitled to rely upon the provisions of this Declaration of Trust, the records, books and accounts of the Trust and upon reports made to the Trustees by any officer, employee, agent, consultant, accountant, attorney, investment adviser or other adviser, principal underwriter, expert, professional firm or independent contractor. The Trustees as such shall not be required to give any bond or surety or any other security for the performance of their duties. No provision of this Declaration shall protect any Trustee or officer of the Trust against any liability to the Trust of its Shareholders to which he would otherwise be subject by reason of his own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office.
Section 4.3. Indemnification. The Trustees may provide, whether in the By-Laws or by contract, vote or other action, for the indemnification by the Trust or by any Series thereof of the Shareholders, Trustees, officers and employees of the Trust and of such other Persons as the Trustees in the exercise of their discretion my deem appropriate or desirable. Any such indemnification may be mandatory of permissive, and may be insured against by policies maintained by the Trust.
Section 4.4. No Duty of Investigation. No purchaser, lender or other Person dealing with the Trustees or any officer, employee or agent of the Trust or a Series thereof shall be bound to make any inquiry concerning the validity of any transaction purporting to be made by the Trustees or by said officer, employee or agent or be liable for the application of money or property paid, loaned, or delivered to or on the order of the Trustees or of said officer, employee or agent. Every obligation, contract, instrument, certificate, Share, other security of the Trust of a Series thereof or undertaking, and every other act or thing whatsoever executed in connection with the Trust shall be conclusively presumed to have been executed or done by the executors thereof only in their capacity as Trustees under this Declaration or in their capacity as officers, employees or agents of the Trust or a Series thereof. Every written obligation, contract, instrument, certificate, Share, other security of the Trust or a Series thereof or undertaking made or issued by the Trustees may recite that the same is executed or made by them not individually, but as Trustees under the Declaration, and that the obligations of the Trust of a Series thereof under any such instrument are not binding upon any of the Trustees or Shareholders individually, but bind only the Trust Property or the Trust Property of the applicable Series, and may contain any further recital which they may deem appropriate, but the omission of any such recital shall not operate to bind the Trustees or Shareholders individually.
Section 4.5. Reliance on Records and Experts. Each Trustee, officer or employee of the Trust or a Series thereof shall, in the performance of his duties, be fully and completely justified and protected with regard to any act or any failure to act resulting from reliance in good faith upon the records, books and accounts of the Trust or a Series thereof, upon an opinion or other advice of legal counsel, or upon reports made or advice given to the Trust or a Series thereof by any Trustee or any of its officers employees or by the Investment Adviser, the Administrator, The Custodian, The Principal Underwriter, Transfer Agent, accountants, appraisers or other experts, advisers, consultants or professionals selected with reasonable care by the Trustees or officers of the Trust, regardless of whether the person rendering such report or advice may also be a Trustee, officer or employee of the Trust.
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Section 4.6. Good Faith Reliance. To the extent that, at law or in equity, a Trustee is found to have duties and liabilities relating thereto to the Trust, the Shareholders or any other person, a Trustee acting under this Declaration of Trust shall not be liable to the Trust, to the Shareholders or to any other Person if the Trustee has relied in good faith on the provisions of this Declaration of Trust.
ARTICLE V
SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST
Section 5.1. Beneficial Interest. The interest of the beneficiaries hereunder shall be divided into transferable Shares of beneficial interest without par value. The number of such Shares of beneficial interest authorized hereunder is unlimited, and the number of Shares of each Series or Class thereof that may be issued hereunder is unlimited. The Trustees shall have the exclusive authority without the requirement of Shareholder authorization or approval to establish and designate one or more Series of Shares and one or more Classes thereof as the Trustees deem necessary, appropriate or desirable. Each Share of any series shall represent a beneficial interest only in the assets of that Series. Subject to the provisions of Section 5.5 hereof, the Trustees may also authorize the creation of additional Series of Shares (the proceeds of which may be invested in separate and independent investment portfolios) and additional Classes of Shares within any Series. All Series issued hereunder including, without limitation, Shares issued in connection with a dividend or distribution in Shares or a split in Shares, shall be fully paid and nonassessable.
Section 5.2. Rights of Shareholders. The ownership of the Trust property of every description and the right to conduct any business of the Trust are vested exclusively in the Trustees, and the Shareholders shall have no interest therein other than the beneficial interest conferred by their Shares, and they shall have no right to call for any partition or division of any property, profits, rights or interests of the Trust or on any Fund nor can they be called upon to share or assume any losses of the Trust or of any Fund or suffer an assessment of any kind by virtue of their ownership of Shares. The Shares shall be personal property giving only the rights specifically set forth in this Declaration. The Shares shall not entitle the holder to preference, preemptive, appraisal, conversion or exchange rights, except as the Trustees may specifically determine with respect to any Series of Class of Shares. Every Shareholder by having become a Shareholder shall be bound by the terms of this Declaration and the Bylaws.
Section 5.3. Trust Only. It is the intention of the Trustees to create a voluntary association with transferable shares (commonly known as a business trust) of the type referred to in Chapter 182 of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is not the intention of the Trustees to create a general partnership, limited partnership, joint stock association, corporation, bailment or any form of legal relationship other than a Massachusetts business trust. Nothing in this Declaration shall be construed to make the Shareholders, either by themselves or with the Trustees, partners or members of a joint stock association.
Section 5.4. Issuance of Shares. The Trustees in their discretion may, from time to time and without any authorization or vote of the Shareholders, issue Shares, in addition to the then issued and outstanding Shares and Shares held in the treasury, to such party or parties and for such amount and type of consideration, including cash or property, a such time or times and on such terms as the Trustees may deem appropriate or desirable, except that only Shares previously contracted to be sold may be issued during any period when the right of redemption is suspended pursuant to Section 6.9 hereof, and may in such manner acquire other assets (including the acquisition of assets subject to, and in connection with the assumption of, liabilities) and businesses. In connection with any issuance of Shares, the Trustees may issue fractional Shares and reissue and resell full and fractional Shares held in the treasury. The Trustees may from time to time divide or combine the Shares of the Trust or, if the Shares be divided into Series or Classes, of any Series or any Class thereof of the Trust, into a greater or lesser number without thereby changing the proportionate beneficial interests in the Trust or in the Trust Property allocated or belonging to such Series or Class. Contributions to the Trust or Series thereof may be accepted for, and Shares shall be redeemed as, whole Shares and/or fractional Shares as the Trustees may in their discretion determine. The Trustees may authorize the issuance of certificates of beneficial
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interest to evidence the ownership of Shares. Shares held in the treasury shall not be voted nor shall such shares be entitled to any dividends or other distributions declared with respect thereto.
Section 5.5. Establishment of Series and Classes of Shares. The establishment of any Series or Class of Shares shall be effective upon the adoption by the Trustees of a resolution that sets forth the establishment and designation of, or otherwise identifies, such Series or Class, whether directly in such resolution or by reference to, or approval of another document that sets forth the designation of, or otherwise identifies, such Series or Class, any amendment and/or restatement of this Declaration of Trust and/or as otherwise provided in such resolution. The relative rights and preferences of each Series and each Class shall be as set forth herein, unless otherwise provided in the resolution establishing such Series or Class. Any action that may be taken by the Trustees with respect to any Series or Class, including any addition, modification, division, combination, classification, reclassification, change of name or termination may be made in the same manner as the establishment of such Series or Class.
Shares of each Series or Class established pursuant to this Section 5.5 (unless otherwise provided in the resolution establishing such additional Series or Class), shall have the following relative rights and preferences:
(i) The number of authorized Shares and the number of Shares of each Series or Class thereof that may be issued shall be unlimited. The Trustees may classify or reclassify any unissued Shares or any Shares previously issued and reacquired of any Series or Class into one or more other Series or one or more other classes that may be established and designated from time to time. The Trustees may hold as treasury shares (of the same or some other Series or Class), reissue for such consideration and on such terms as they may determine, or cancel any Shares of any Series or Class reacquired by the Trust at their discretion from time to time.
(ii) All consideration received by the Trust for the issue or sale of Shares of a particular Series, together with all assets in which such consideration is invested or reinvested, all income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof, including any proceeds derived from the sale, exchange or liquidation of such assets, and any funds or payments derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds in whatever form the same may be, shall irrevocably belong to that Series for all purposes, subject only to the rights of creditors of such Series and except as may otherwise be required by applicable tax laws, and shall be so recorded upon the books of account of the Trust. In the event that there are any assets, income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof, funds, or payments which are not readily identifiable as belonging to any particular Series, the Trustees or their delegate shall allocate them among any one or more of the Series established and designated from time to time in such manner and on such basis as the Trustees in their sole discretion deem fair and equitable. Each such allocation by the Trustees or their delegate shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders of all Series for all purposes. No holder of Shares of any Series shall have any claim on or right to any assets allocated or belonging to any other Series.
(iii) Any general liabilities, expenses, costs, charges or reserves of the Trust which are not readily identifiable as belonging to any particular Series shall be allocated and charged by the Trustees or their delegate to and among any one or more of the Series established and designated from time to time in such manner and on such basis as the Trustees in their sole discretion deem fair and equitable. The assets belonging to each particular Series shall be charged with the liabilities, expenses, costs, charges and reserves of the Trust so allocated to that Series and all liabilities, expenses, costs, charges and reserves attributable to that Series which are not readily identifiable as belonging to any particular Class thereof. Each allocation of liabilities, expenses, costs, charges and reserves by the Trustees or their delegate shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders of all Series and Classes for all purposes. The Trustees shall have full discretion to determine which items are capital; and each such determination shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders. The assets of a particular Series of the Trust shall, under no circumstances, be charged with liabilities, expenses, costs, charges and reserves attributable to any other Series or Class thereof of the Trust. All Persons extending credit to, or contracting with or having any claim against a particular Series of the Trust shall look only to the assets of that particular series for payment of such credit, contract or claim.
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(iv) Dividends and distributions on Shares of a particular Series or Class may be paid or credited in such manner and with such frequency as the Trustees may determine, to the holders of Shares of that Series or Class, from such of the earnings or profits, surplus (including paid-in surplus), capital (including paid-in capital) or assets belonging to that Series, as the Trustees may deem appropriate or desirable, after providing for actual and accrued liabilities, expenses, costs, charges and reserves belonging and allocated to that Series or Class. Such dividends and distributions may be paid daily or otherwise pursuant to the offering prospectus relating to the Shares or pursuant to a standing vote or votes of the Trustees adopted only once or from time to time or pursuant to other authorization or instruction of the Trustees. All dividends and distributions on Shares of a particular Series or Class shall be distributed pro rata to the Shareholders of that Series or class in proportion to the number of Shares of that Series or Class held by such Shareholders at the time of record established for the payment or crediting of such dividends or distributions.
(v) Each Share of a Series of the Trust shall represent a beneficial interest in the net assets of such Series. Each holder of Shares of a Series or Class thereof shall be entitled to receive his pro rata share of distributions of income and capital gains made with respect to such Series or Class net of liabilities, expenses, costs, charges and reserves belonging and allocated to such Series or Class. Upon redemption of his Shares of indemnification for liabilities incurred by reason of his being or having been a Shareholder of a Series or Class, such Shareholder shall be paid solely out of the funds and property of such Series of the Trust. Upon liquidation or termination of a Series or Class thereof of the Trust, a Shareholder of such Series or Class thereof shall be entitled to receive a pro rata share of the net assets of such Series based on the net asset value of his Shares. A Shareholder of a particular Series of the Trust shall not be entitled to commence or participate in a derivative or class action on behalf of any other Series or the Shareholders of any other Series of the Trust.
(vi) On any matter submitted to a vote of Shareholder, the Shares entitled to vote thereon and the manner in which such Shares shall be voted shall be as set forth in the By-Laws or proxy materials for the meeting or other solicitation materials or as otherwise determined by the Trustees, subject to any applicable requirements of the 1940 Act. The Trustees shall have full power and authority to call meetings of the Shareholder of a particular Class of Classes of Shares or of one or more particular Series of Shares, or otherwise call for the action of such Shareholders on any particular matter.
(vii) Except as otherwise provided in this Article V, the Trustees shall have full power and authority to determine the designations, preferences, privileges, sales charges, purchase prices, assets, liabilities, expenses, costs, charges and reserves belonging or allocated thereto, limitations and rights, including without limitation voting, dividend, distribution and liquidation rights, of each Class and Series of Shares. Subject to any applicable requirements of the 1940 Act, the Trustees shall have the authority to provide that Shares of one Class shall be automatically converted into Shares of another Class of the same Series or that the holders of Shares of any Series or Class shall have the right to convert or exchange such Shares into shares of one or more other Series or Classes of Shares, all in accordance with such requirements, conditions and procedures as may be established by the Trustees.
(viii) The Trustees may by approval of a majority of their number amend, restate or rescind any prior establishment referred to in Section 5.5 hereof.
Section 5.6. Assent to Declaration of Trust and By-Laws. Every Shareholder, by virtue of having become a Shareholder, shall be held to have expressly assented and agreed to all the terms and provisions of this Declaration and of the By-Laws of the Trust.
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ARTICLE VI
REDEMPTION AND REPURCHASE OF SHARES
Section 6.1. Redemption of Shares. (a) Shares of the Trust shall be redeemable, at such times and in such manner as may be permitted by the Trustees from time to time. The trustees shall have full power and authority to vary and change the right of redemption applicable to the various Series and Classes of Shares established by the Trustees. Redeemed or repurchased shares may be resold by the Trust. The Trust may require any shareholder to pay a sales charge to the Trust, the Principal Underwriter or any other Person designated by the Trustees upon redemption or repurchase of Shares in such amount and upon such conditions as shall be determined from time to time by the Trustees.
(b) The Trust shall redeem the Shares of the Trust or any Series or Class thereof at the price determined as hereinafter set forth, upon the appropriately verified written application of the record holder thereof (or upon such other form of request as the Trust may use for the purpose) deposited at such office or agency as may be designated from time to time for that purpose by the Trustees. The Trust may from time to time establish additional requirements, terms, conditions and procedures, not inconsistent with the 1940 Act, relating to the redemption of Shares.
Section 6.2. Price. Shares shall be redeemed at a price based on their net asset value determined as set forth in Section 7.1 hereof as of such time as the Trustees shall prescribe. The amount of any sales charge or redemption fee payable upon redemption of shares may be deducted from the proceeds of such redemption.
Section 6.3. Payment. Payment of the redemption price of Shares thereof shall be made in cash or in property to the Shareholder at such time and in the manner, not inconsistent with the 1940 Act, as may be specified from time to time in the then effective prospectus relating to such shares, subject to the provisions of Sections 6.4 and 6.9 hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust or its agent may withhold from such redemption proceeds any amount arising (i) from a liability of the redeeming Shareholder to the Trust or (ii) in connection with any federal or state tax withholding requirements.
Section 6.4. Effect of Suspension of Determination of Net Asset Value. If, pursuant to Section 7.1 hereof, the Trust shall declare a suspension of the determination of net asset value with respect to Shares of the Trust or of any Series or Class thereof, the rights of Shareholders (including those who shall have applied for redemption pursuant to Section 6.1 hereof but who shall not yet received payment) to have Shares redeemed and paid for by the Trust or a Series shall be suspended until the termination of such suspension is declared. Any record holder who shall have his redemption right so suspended may, during the period of such suspension, by appropriate written notice at the office or agency where his application or request for redemption was made, withdraw his application or request and withdraw any Share certificates on deposit.
Section 6.5. Repurchase by Agreement. The Trust may repurchase Shares directly, or through the Principal Underwriter or another agent designated for the purpose, by agreement with the owner thereof at a price not exceeding the net asset value per share determined as of such time as the Trustees shall prescribe. The Trust may from time to time establish the requirements, terms, conditions and procedures relating to such repurchases, and the amount of any sales charge or repurchase fee payable on any repurchase of shares may be deducted from the proceeds of such repurchase.
Section 6.6. Redemption of Shareholders Interest. The Trustees, in their sole discretion, may cause the Trust to redeem all of the shares of one or more Series or Class thereof held by any Shareholder if the value of such Shares held by such Shareholder is less than the minimum amount established from time to time by the Trustees.
Section 6.7. Redemption of Shares in Order to Qualify as Regulated Investment Company; Disclosure of Holding. (a) If the Trustees shall, at any time and in good faith, be of the opinion that direct or indirect ownership of Shares or other securities of the Trust has or may become concentrated in any Person to
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an extent which would disqualify the Trust or any Series of the Trust as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, then the Trustees shall have the power by lot or other means deemed equitable by them (i) to call for redemption by any such Person a number, or principal amount, of Shares or other securities of the Trust or any Series of the Trust sufficient to maintain or bring the direct or indirect ownership of Shares or other securities of the Trust or any Series of the Trust into conformity with the requirements for such qualification and (ii) to refuse to transfer or issue Shares or other securities of the Trust or any Series of the Trust to any Person whose acquisition of the Shares or other securities of the Trust or any Series of the Trust in question would result in such disqualification. The redemption shall be effected in the manner provided in Section 6.1 and at the redemption price referred to in Section 6.2.
(b) The holders of Shares or other securities of the Trust shall upon demand disclose to the Trustees in writing such information with respect to direct and indirect ownership of shares or other securities of the Trust as the Trustees deem necessary to comply with the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or to comply with the requirements of any other taxing authority.
Section 6.8. Reduction in Number of Outstanding Shares Pursuant to Net Asset Value Formula. The Trust may also reduce the number of outstanding Shares of the Trust or of any Series or Class thereof pursuant to the provisions of Section 7.3.
Section 6.9. Suspension of Right of Redemption. The Trust may declare a suspension of the right of redemption or postpone the date of payment or redemption for the whole or any part of any period (i) during which the New York Stock Exchange is closed other than customary weekend and holiday closings, (ii) during which trading on the New York Stock Exchange is restricted, (iii) during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal by the Trust of a Fund of securities owned by it is not reasonably practicably or it is not reasonable practicable for the Trust or a Fund fairly to determine the value of its net assets, of (iv) as the Commission may by order permit for the protection of security holders of the Trust. Such suspension shall take effect at such time as the Trust shall specify but not later than the close of business on the business day next following the declaration of suspension, and thereafter there shall be no right of redemption or payment on redemption until the Trust shall declare the suspension at an end, except that the suspension shall terminate in any event on the first day on which said stock exchange shall have reopened or the period specified in (ii) or (iii) shall have expired (as to which in the absence of an official ruling by the Commission, the determination of the Trust shall be conclusive). In the case of a suspension of the right of redemption, a Shareholder may either withdraw his application or request for redemption or receive payment based on the net asset value existing after the termination of the suspension.
ARTICLE VII
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE, NET INCOME AND DISTRIBUTIONS
Section 7.1. Net Asset Value. The net asset value of each outstanding Share of the Trust or of each Series or class thereof shall be determined on such days and at or as of such time or times as the Trustees may determine. Any reference in this Declaration to the time at which a determination of net asset value is made shall mean the time as of which the determination is made. The power and duty to determine net asset value may be delegated by the Trustees from time to time to the Investment Adviser, the Administrator, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent or such other Person or Persons as the Trustees may determine. The value of the assets of the Trust or any Series thereof shall be determined in a manner authorized by the Trustees. From the total value of said assets, there shall be deducted all indebtedness, interest, taxes, payable or accrued, including estimated taxes on unrealized book profits, expenses and management charges accrued to the appraisal date, amounts determined and declared as a dividend or distribution and all other items in the nature of liabilities which shall be deemed appropriate, as incurred by or allocated to the Trust or any series or Class thereof. The resulting amount, which shall represent the total net assets of the Trust or Series or Class thereof, shall be divided by the number of Shares of the Trust or series or Class thereof outstanding at the time and the quotient so obtained shall be deemed to be the net asset value of the Shares of the Trust or Series or Class thereof. The trust may declare a suspension of the determination of net asset value to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act.
14
It shall not be a violation of any provision of this Declaration if Shares are sold, redeemed or repurchased by the Trust at a price other than one based on net asset value if the net asset value is affected by one or more errors inadvertently made in the pricing of portfolio securities or other investments or in accruing or allocating income, expenses, reserves or liabilities. No provision of this Declaration shall be construed to restrict or affect the right or ability of the Trust to employ or authorize the use of pricing services, appraisers or any other means, methods, procedures, or techniques in valuing the assets or calculating the liabilities of the Trust or any Series or Class thereof.
Section 7.2. Dividends and Distributions. (a) The Trustees may from time to time distribute ratably among the Shareholders of the Trust or of a Series or Class thereof such proportion of the net earnings or profits, surplus (including paid-in surplus), capital (including paid-in capital), or assets of the Trust or such Series held by the Trustees as they may deem appropriate or desirable. Such distributions may be made in cash, additional Shares or property (including without limitation any type of obligations of the Trust or Series or Class or any assets thereof), and the Trustees may distribute ratably among the Shareholders of the Trust or Series or Class thereof additional Shares of the Trust or Series or Class thereof issuable hereunder in such manner, at such times, and on such terms as the Trustees may deem appropriate or desirable. Such distributions may be among the Shareholders of the Trust or Series or Class thereof at the time of declaring a distribution or among the Shareholders of the Trust or Series or Class thereof at such other date or time or dates or times as the Trustees shall determine. The Trustees may in their discretion determine that, solely for the purposes of such distributions, Outstanding Shares shall exclude Shares for which orders have been placed subsequent to a specified time. The Trustees may always retain from the earnings or profits such amounts as they may deem appropriate or desirable to pay the expenses and liabilities of the Trust or a Series or Class thereof or to meet obligations of the Trust or a Series or Class thereof, together with such amounts as they may deem desirable to use in the conduct of its affairs or to retain for future requirements or extensions of the business or operations of the Trust or such Series. The Trust may adopt and offer to Shareholders such dividend reinvestment plans, cash dividend payout plans or other distribution plans as the Trustees may deem appropriate or desirable. The Trustees may in their discretion determine that an account administration fee or other similar charge may be deducted directly from the income and other distributions paid on Shares to a Shareholder's account in any Series or Class.
(b) The Trustees may prescribe, in their absolute discretion, such bases and times for determining the amounts for the declaration and payment of dividends and distributions as they may deem necessary, appropriate or desirable.
(c) Inasmuch as the computation of net income and gains for federal income tax purposes may vary from the computation thereof on the books of account, the above provisions shall be interpreted to give the Trustees full power and authority in their absolute discretion to distribute for any fiscal year as dividends and as capital gains distributions, respectively, additional amounts sufficient to enable the Trust or a Series thereof to avoid or reduce liability for taxes.
Section 7.3. Constant Net Asset Value; Reduction of Outstanding Shares. The Trustees may determine to maintain the net asset value per Share of any Series or Class at a designated constant amount and in connection therewith may adopt procedures not inconsistent with the 1940 Act for the continuing declarations of income attributable to that Series or Class as dividends payable in additional Shares of that Series or Class or in cash or in any combination thereof and for the handling of any losses attributable to that Series or Class. Such procedures may provide that, if, for any reason, the income of any such Series or Class determined at any time is a negative amount, the Trust may with respect to such Series or Class (i) offset each Shareholder's pro rata share of such negative amount from the accrued dividend account of such Shareholder, or (ii) reduce the number of Outstanding Shares of such Series or Class by reducing the number of Shares in the account of such Shareholder by that number of full and fractional Shares which represents the amount of such excess negative income, or (iii) cause to be recorded on the books of the Trust an asset account in the amount of such negative income, which account may be reduced by the amount, provided that the same shall thereupon become the property of the Trust with respect to such Series or Class and shall not be paid to any Shareholder, of dividends declared thereafter upon the Outstanding Shares of such Series or Class on the day
15
such negative income is experienced, until such asset account is reduced to zero, or (iv) combine the methods described in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of this sentence, in order to cause the net asset value per Share of such Series or Class to remain at a constant amount per Outstanding Share immediately after such determination and declaration. The Trust may also fail to declare a dividend out of income for the purpose of causing the net asset value of any such Share to be increased. The Trustees shall have full discretion to determine whether any cash or property received shall be treated as income or as principal and whether any item expense shall be charged to the income or the principal account, and their determination made in good faith shall be conclusive upon all Shareholders. In the case of stock dividends or similar distributions received, the Trustees shall have full discretion to determine, in the light of the particular circumstances, how much if any of the value thereof shall be treated as income, the balance, if any, to be treated as principal.
Section 7.4. Power to Modify Foregoing Procedures. Notwithstanding any provision contained in this Declaration, the Trustees may prescribe, in their absolute discretion, such other means, methods, procedures or techniques for determining the per Share net asset value of a Series or Class thereof or the income of the Series or Class thereof, or for the declaration and payment of dividends and distributions on any Series or Class of Shares.
ARTICLE VIII
DURATION; TERMINATION OF TRUST OR A
SERIES OR CLASS; MERGERS; AMENDMENTS
Section 8.1. Duration. The Trust shall continue without limitation of time but subject to the provisions of this Article VIII. The death, declination, resignation, retirement, removal or incapacity of the Trustees, or any one of them, shall not operate to terminate or annul the Trust or to revoke any existing agency or delegation of authority pursuant to the terms of this Declaration or of the By-Laws.
Section 8.2. Termination of the Trust or a Series or a Class. (a) The Trust or any Series or Class thereof may be terminated by: (1) the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than two-thirds of the Shares outstanding and entitled to vote at any meeting of Shareholders of the Trust or the appropriate Series or Class thereof, or by an instrument or instruments in writing without a meeting, consented to by the holders of two-thirds of the Shares of the Trust or a Series or Class thereof, provided, however, that, if such termination is recommended by the Trustees, the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust or a Series or Class thereof entitled to vote thereon shall be sufficient authorization; or (2) by the approval of a majority of the Trustees then in office to be followed by a written notice to the Shareholders.. Such Trustee approval may (but need not) be based on factors or events adversely affecting the ability of the Trust, such Series or Class to conduct its business and operations in an economically viable manner. Such factors and events may include (but are not limited to) the inability of a Series or Class or the Trust to maintain its assets at an appropriate size, changes in laws or regulations governing the Series or Class or the Trust or affecting assets of the type in which such Series or Class or the Trust invest, or political, social, legal, or economic developments or trends having an adverse impact on the business or operations of such Series or Class or the Trust invests, or political, social, legal or economic developments or trends having an adverse impact on the business or operations of such Series or Class or the Trust. Upon the termination of the Trust or the Series or Class,
(i) The Trust, Series or Class shall carry on no business except for the purpose of winding up its affairs.
(ii) The Trustees shall proceed to wind up the affairs of the Trust, Series or Class and all of the powers of the Trustees under this Declaration shall continue until the affairs of the Trust, Series or Class shall have been wound up, including the power to fulfill or discharge the contracts of the Trust, Series or Class, collect its assets, sell, convey, assign, exchange, transfer or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the remaining Trust Property or assets allocated or belonging to such Series or Class to one or more persons at public or private sale for consideration which may consist in whole or in part of cash, securities or other property of any kind, discharge or pay its liabilities, and do all other acts appropriate to liquidate its business.
16
(iii) After paying or adequately providing for the payment of all liabilities, and upon receipt of such releases, indemnities and refunding agreements as they deem necessary for their protection, the Trustees may distribute the remaining Trust Property or the remaining property of the terminated Series or Class, in cash or in kind or in any combination thereof, among the Shareholders of the Trust or the Series or Class according to their respective rights.
(b) After termination of the Trust, Series or Class and distribution to the Shareholders as herein provided, a Trustee or an officer of the Trust shall execute and lodge among the records of the Trust and file with the Massachusetts Secretary of State an instrument and a certificate (which may be part of such instrument) in writing setting forth the fact of such termination and that it has been duly adopted by the Trustees, and Trustees shall thereupon be discharged from all further liabilities and duties with respect to the Trust or the terminated Series or Class, and the rights and interests of all Shareholders of the Trust or the terminated Series or Class shall thereupon cease.
Section 8.3. Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets of a Series. A particular Series may merge or consolidate with any other corporation, association, trust or other organization or may sell, lease or exchange all or substantially all of its property, including its good will, upon such terms and conditions and for such consideration when and as authorized by the Trustees and without any authorization, vote or consent of the Shareholders; and any such merger, consolidation, sale, lease or exchange shall be deemed for all purposes to have been accomplished under and pursuant to the statutes of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Trustees may also at any time sell and convert into money all the assets of a particular Series. Upon making provision for the payment of all outstanding obligations, taxes, and other liabilities, accrued or contingent, of the particular Series, the Trustees shall distribute the remaining assets of such Series among the Shareholders of such Series according to their respective rights. Upon completion of the distribution of the remaining proceeds or the remaining assets, the Series shall terminate and the Trustees shall take the action provided in Section 8.2(b) hereof and they shall thereupon be discharged from all further liabilities and duties with respect to such Series, and the rights and interests of all Shareholders of the terminated Series shall thereupon cease.
Section 8.4. Amendments. Except as otherwise provided in this Section 8.4, if authorized by a majority of the Trustees and by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust the financial interests of which are affected by the amendment and which are entitled to vote thereon (which securities shall, unless otherwise provided by the Trustees, vote together on such amendment as a single class), the Trustees may amend this Declaration by the approval of a majority of the Trustees then in office. No Shareholder not so affected by any such amendment shall be entitled to vote thereon. The Trustees may also amend or otherwise supplement this Declaration of Trust, without any authorization, consent or vote of the Shareholders, to change the name of the Trust or any Fund or to make such other changes as do not have a materially adverse effect on the financial interests of Shareholders hereunder or if they deem it necessary or desirable to conform this Declaration to the requirements of applicable federal or state laws or regulations or the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, but the Trustees shall not be liable for failing to do so. Any amendment of or supplement to this Declaration of Trust shall be effective as provided by its terms or, if there is no provision therein with respect to effectiveness, upon (i) the signing of an instrument by a majority of the Trustees then in office or (ii) upon the execution of an instrument and a certificate (which may be part of such instrument) executed by a Trustee or officer of the Trust to the effect that such amendment has been duly adopted. Copies of any amendment or of any supplement to this Declaration of Trust shall be filed as specified in Section 9.2 hereof. Nothing contained in this Declaration shall permit the amendment of this Declaration to impair the exemption from personal liability of the Shareholders, Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Trust or to permit assessments upon Shareholders. The Trusts filings with the Commission (including but not limited to: registration statements and supplements thereto, proxy statements, annual and semi-annual shareholder reports, Form N-Q, Form N-PX and related filings and disclosures) shall not be deemed to modify the provisions of this Declaration.
Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, until such time as Shares are issued and sold, this Declaration may be terminated or amended in any respect by an instrument signed by a majority of the Trustees then in office.
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ARTICLE IX
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 9.1. Use of the Words "Eaton Vance". Eaton Vance Corp. (hereinafter referred to as "EVC"), which owns (either directly or through subsidiaries) all of the capital shares of the Investment Adviser of the Trust and the Funds (or of the investment adviser or each of the investment companies referred to in the last paragraph of Section 2.3), has consented to the use by the Trust and the Funds of the identifying words "Eaton Vance" in the name of the Trust and in the name of each Fund. Such consent is conditioned upon the continued employment of EVC or a subsidiary or affiliate of EVC as Investment Adviser of the Trust and of each such Fund or as the investment adviser of each of the investment companies referred to in the last paragraph of Section 2.3. As between the Trust and itself, EVC shall control the use of the name of the Trust and the name of any Fund insofar as such name contains the identifying words "Eaton Vance". EVC may from time to time use the identifying words "Eaton Vance' in other connections and for other purposes, including, without limitation, in the names of other investment companies, trusts corporations or businesses which it may manage, advise, sponsor or own or in which it may have a financial interest. EVC may require the Trust to cease using the identifying words "Eaton Vance" in the name of the Trust or any Fund if EVC or a subsidiary or affiliate of EVC ceases to act as investment adviser of the Trust or such Fund or as the investment adviser of each of the investment companies referred to in the last paragraph of Section 2.3.
Section 9.2. Filing of Copies, References, Headings and Counterparts. The original or a copy of this instrument, of any amendment hereto and of each declaration of trust supplemental hereto, shall be kept at the office of the Trust. A copy of this instrument, of any amendment hereto, and of each supplemental declaration of trust shall be filed with the Massachusetts Secretary of State and with any other governmental office where such filing may from time to time be required. Anyone dealing with the Trust may rely on a certificate by a Trustee or an officer of the Trust as to whether or not any such amendments or supplemental declarations of trust have been made and as to any matters in connection with the Trust hereunder, and with the same effect as if it were the original, may rely on a copy certified by a Trustee or an officer of the Trust to be a copy of this instrument or of any such amendment hereto or supplemental declaration of trust.
In this instrument or in any such amendment or supplemental declaration of trust, references to this instrument, and all expressions such as "herein", "hereof", and "hereunder", shall be deemed to refer to this instrument as amended or affected by any such supplemental declaration of trust. Headings are placed herein for convenience of reference only and in case of any conflict, the text of this instrument, rather than the headings, shall control. This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts each of which shall be deemed an original, but such counterparts shall constitute one instrument. A restated Declaration, integrating into a single instrument all of the provisions of the Declaration which are then in effect and operative, may be executed from time to time by a majority of the Trustees then in office and filed with the Massachusetts Secretary of State. A restated Declaration shall, upon execution, be conclusive evidence of all amendments and supplemental declarations contained therein and may hereafter be referred to in lieu of the original Declaration and the various amendments and supplements thereto.
Section 9.3. Applicable Law. The Trust set forth in this instrument is made in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and it is created under and is to be governed by and construed and administered according to the laws of said Commonwealth. The Trust shall be of the type commonly called a Massachusetts business trust, and without limiting the provisions hereof, the Trust may exercise all powers which are ordinarily exercised by such a trust. Any suit, action or proceeding brought by or in the right of any Shareholder or any Person claiming any interest in any Shares seeking to enforce any provision of, or based on any matter arising out of, related to, or in connection with, this Declaration of Trust or the Trust, any Series or Class or any Shares, including without limitation any claim (whether direct, derivative or otherwise) of any nature against or on behalf of the Trust, any Series or Class, the Trustees or officers of the Trust, or the Investment Adviser, shall be brought exclusively in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, or to the extent such court does not have jurisdiction than such actions and/or claims, shall be brought in the Superior Court of Suffolk County for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. If a Shareholder or group of Shareholders bring a
18
claim in a jurisdiction other than as specified above, and venue for such claim is subsequently changed through legal process to the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts or the Superior Court of Suffolk County for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, such Shareholder(s) shall reimburse all expenses incurred by the Trust or any other Person in effecting such change of venue.
Section 9.4. Provisions in Conflict with Law or Regulations. (a) The provisions of this Declaration are severable, and if the Trustees shall determine, with the advice of legal counsel, that any of such provisions is in conflict with the 1940 Act, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or with other applicable laws and regulations, the conflicting provision shall be deemed never to have constituted a part of this Declaration; provided, however, that such determination shall not affect any of the remaining provisions of this Declaration or render invalid or improper any action taken or omitted prior to such determination
(b) If any provision of this Declaration shall be held invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall attach only to such provision in such jurisdiction and shall not in any manner affect such provisions in any other jurisdiction or any other provision of this Declaration in any jurisdiction.
Section 9.5. Derivative Actions.
(a) The purpose of this Section 9.5 is to protect the interests of the Trust and the Shareholders by establishing a process that will permit legitimate inquiries and claims to be made and considered while avoiding the time, expense, distraction and other harm that can be caused to the Trust and Shareholders as a result of spurious shareholder demands and derivative actions. In addition to any requirements applicable to shareholders of a Massachusetts business corporation that are not inconsistent with the terms of this Declaration, a Shareholder or Shareholders may bring a derivative action on behalf of the Trust only in accordance with the terms of this Section 9.5.
(b) Except to the extent explicitly permitted under the federal securities laws, no Shareholder or group of Shareholders shall have the right to bring or maintain any court action, proceeding or claim on behalf of the Trust or any series or class of Shares without first making demand on the Trustees requesting the Trustees to bring or maintain such action, proceeding or claim. Such demand shall not be excused under any circumstances, including claims of alleged interest on the part of the Trustees, unless the demanding Shareholder(s) make a specific showing that irreparable nonmonetary injury to the Trust or Series or Class of Shares that the Shareholder(s) could not reasonably have prevented would otherwise result. Such demand shall be mailed to the Secretary of the Trust at the Trusts principal office and shall set forth with particularity the nature of the proposed court action, proceeding or claim and the essential facts relied upon by the Shareholder(s) to support the allegations made in the demand. Within 90 days of receipt of any such demand, the Trustees shall consider the merits of the claim and determine whether commencing or maintaining a suit would be in the best interests of the Trust or the affected Series or Class, as applicable. In their sole discretion, the Trustees may submit the question of whether to proceed with the claim to a vote of Shareholders of the Trust or a Series or Class of Shares, as appropriate. To the maximum extent permitted by law, any decision by the Trustees to bring, maintain or settle (or not to bring, maintain or settle) such court action, proceeding or claim, or to submit the matter to a vote of Shareholders, shall be final and binding upon the Shareholders.
(c) Any Trustee acting in connection with any demand or any proceeding relating to a claim on behalf of or for the benefit of the Trust or any Series or Class thereof who is not an Interested Person of the Trust shall be deemed to be independent and disinterested with respect to any actions taken in connection with any such demand, proceeding, or claim. Without limiting the foregoing, a Trustee otherwise independent for purposes of considering the demand shall not be considered not to be independent and disinterested by virtue of (i) the fact that such Trustee receives remuneration for his service as a Trustee of the Trust or as a trustee or director of one or more investment companies with the same or an affiliated investment adviser or underwriter, (ii) the amount of such remuneration, (iii) the fact that such Trustee was identified in the demand as a potential defendant or witness or was named as a defendant in any derivative action, or (iv) the fact that the Trustee approved or participated in the act being challenged in the demand if the act resulted in no material personal benefit to the
19
Trustee or, if the Trustee is also a Shareholder, no material personal benefit that is not shared pro rata with other Shareholders of the Series or Class of which the Trustee is a Shareholder.
(d) For purposes of this Section 9.5, the Trustees may designate a committee to consider a demand by Shareholders. Such committee (or the Trustees in the absence of a committee) shall be entitled to retain counsel or other advisers in considering the merits of the demand.
Section 9.6. Exclusive Right of Action. To the maximum extent permitted by law, each Shareholder acknowledges and agrees that any alleged injury to the Trusts property, any diminution in the value of the Shareholders shares, or any other claim arising out of or relating to an allegation regarding the actions, inaction, or omissions of or by the Trustees, the Trusts officers, or the Investment Adviser is a legal claim belonging only to the Trust and not to the Shareholders individually. Accordingly, all Shareholders shall be bound to bring any and all such claims pursuant only to the provisions of Section 9.5. The Shareholders acknowledge that, for these purposes, the Trust is deemed to be a separate and distinct legal entity.
[THIS PAGE ENDS HERE]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed this instrument as of the day and year first above written.
/s/ Scott E. Eston
/s/ William H. Park
Scott E. Eston
William H. Park
/s/ Thomas E. Faust Jr.
/s/ Helen Frame Peters
Thomas E. Faust Jr.
Helen Frame Peters
/s/ Cynthia E. Frost
/s/ Susan J. Sutherland
Cynthia E. Frost
Susan J. Sutherland
/s/ George J. Gorman
/s/ Harriett Tee Taggart
George J. Gorman
Harriett Tee Taggart
/s/ Valerie A. Mosley
/s/ Ralph F. Verni
Valerie A. Mosley
Ralph F. Verni
The names and addresses of all the Trustees of the Trust are as follows:
Scott E. Eston 18105 SE Village Circle Tequesta, FL 34469 |
William H. Park 3 Fort Sewall Terrace Marblehead, MA 01945 |
|
|
Thomas E. Faust Jr. 199 Winding River Road Wellesley, MA 02482 |
Helen F. Peters 133 South Street Needham, MA 02492-2705 |
|
|
Cynthia E. Frost 212 Colvard Park Drive Durham, NC 27713 |
Susan J. Sutherland 45 Gramercy Park North - Apartment 3B New York, NY 10010 |
|
|
George J. Gorman 17 Sunset Path Sudbury, MA 01776 |
Harriett Tee Taggart 93 Larch Road Cambridge, MA 02138 |
|
|
Valerie E. Mosley 130 Summer Street Weston, MA 02493 |
Ralph F. Verni 2 Battery Wharf, Unit 2310 Boston, MA 02109-1099 |
|
|
Trust Address Two International Place Boston, MA 02110 |
|
21
EXHIBIT (e)(1)(b)
|
Trust and Funds |
Classes (b) |
||||||||||
|
|
A (c) |
Advisers (c) |
Investor (c) |
B |
C |
R (1) |
R6 |
I |
Institutional |
||
|
Eaton Vance Investment Trust (2) |
Fees |
Fees |
Fees |
Fees |
Fee Cap (d) |
Fees |
Fee Cap (d) |
Fees |
Fees |
Fees |
Fees |
|
Eaton Vance Floating-Rate Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Massachusetts Limited Maturity Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance National Limited Maturity Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
3.00 |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance New York Municipal Opportunities Fund (formerly Eaton Vance New York Limited Maturity Municipal Income Fund) |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Municipals Trust (3) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Arizona Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
5.00 |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance California Municipal Opportunities Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Connecticut Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
5.00 |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Georgia Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
5.00 |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Maryland Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
5.00 |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Massachusetts Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Minnesota Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
5.00 |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Missouri Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
5.00 |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Municipal Opportunities Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance National Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
5.00 |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance New Jersey Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance New York Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
5.00 |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance North Carolina Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
5.00 |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Ohio Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Oregon Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
5.00 |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Pennsylvania Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
5.00 |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance South Carolina Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
5.00 |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Virginia Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
5.00 |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Trust and Funds |
Classes (b) |
||||||||||
|
|
A (c) |
Advisers (c) |
Investor (c) |
B |
C |
R (1) |
R6 |
I |
Institutional |
||
|
Eaton Vance Municipals Trust II (3) |
Fees |
Fees |
Fees |
Fees |
Fee Cap (d) |
Fees |
Fee Cap (d) |
Fees |
Fees |
Fees |
Fees |
|
Eaton Vance High Yield Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
5.00 |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance TABS 1-to-10 Year Laddered Municipal Bond Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
FINRA |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance TABS 5-to-15 Year Laddered Municipal Bond Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
FINRA |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance TABS 10-to-20 Year Laddered Municipal Bond Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
FINRA |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance TABS Intermediate-Term Municipal Bond Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
FINRA |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance TABS Short-Term Municipal Bond Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
FINRA |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance AMT-Free Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
5.00 |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Core Plus Bond Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Currency Income Advantage Fund |
0.30 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Diversified Currency Income Fund |
0.30 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
FINRA |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Emerging Markets Local Income Fund |
0.30 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
FINRA |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Floating-Rate Advantage Fund |
0.25 |
0.25 |
N/A |
0.40/.0.20 |
FINRA |
0.60/0.15 |
FINRA |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Floating-Rate Fund |
0.25 |
0.25 |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Floating-Rate & High Income Fund |
0.25 |
0.25 |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
None |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
0.50/0.25 |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Global Macro Absolute Return Advantage Fund |
0.30 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
FINRA |
0.50/0.25 |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Global Macro Absolute Return Fund |
0.30 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
0.50/0.25 |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Global Macro Capital Opportunities Fund |
0.30 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Government Obligations Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
5.00 |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
0.50/0.25 |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance High Income Opportunities Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
5.00 |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Multi-Strategy Absolute Return Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Multi-Strategy All Market Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Short Duration Government Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
0.60/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Short Duration High Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Trust and Funds |
Classes (b) |
||||||||||
|
|
A (c) |
Advisers (c) |
Investor (c) |
B |
C |
R (1) |
R6 |
I |
Institutional |
||
|
Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust |
Fees |
Fees |
Fees |
Fees |
Fee Cap (d) |
Fees |
Fee Cap (d) |
Fees |
Fees |
Fees |
Fees |
|
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
5.00 |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
0.50/0.25 |
None |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Bond Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
FINRA |
0.50/0.25 |
None |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
FINRA |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Dividend Builder Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Global Small-Cap Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund |
0.30 |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
5.00 |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Growth Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
0.50/0.25 |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Hedged Stock Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Large-Cap Value Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
0.50/0.25 |
None |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Real Estate Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Short Duration Real Return Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
FINRA |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Small-Cap Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
0.50/0.25 |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Special Equities Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75/0.25 |
6.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
|
Parametric Absolute Return Fund |
N/A |
N/A |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FOOTNOTES: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
(a) |
Compliance with the Fee Cap shall be determined in accordance with NASD Conduct Rule 2830(d). |
||||||||||||
|
(b) |
Distribution or Service Plans have not been adopted for Class R6, Class I and Institutional shares and such Classes do not pay Fees. |
||||||||||||
|
(c) |
Pursuant to the Master Distribution Plan for Class A, Advisers Class and Investor Class Shares, fees payable pursuant to such Plan are referred to as "distribution and service fees". |
||||||||||||
|
(d) |
If the Fee Cap is listed as "FINRA", then the Fund is subject to the maximum amount permitted under NASD Conduct Rule 2830(d), which is 6.25% as of the date hereof. |
||||||||||||
|
(1) |
The Master Distribution Plan for Class R Shares authorizes distribution and service fee payments of up to 0.75% annually. The Board of Trustees has authorized distribution and service fees equal to 0.50% annually. |
||||||||||||
|
(2) |
The Master Distribution Plans for Class A, Advisers Class and Investor Class Shares, Class B Shares and Class C Shares (as applicable) authorize distribution and service fees of up to 0.25% annually. The Board of Trustees has authorized distribution and service fees of 0.15% annually. |
||||||||||||
|
(3) |
The Master Distribution Plans for Class A, Advisers Class and Investor Class Shares, Class B Shares and Class C Shares (as applicable) authorize service fees (or in the case of Class A shares, distribution and service fees) of up to 0.25% annually. In the case of each Fund (except the Eaton Vance California and Municipal Opportunities Funds, the Eaton Vance National and High Yield Municipal Income Funds, the Eaton Vance TABS 1-to-10, 5-to-15 and 10-to-20 Year Laddered Municipal Bond Funds and the Eaton Vance TABS Intermediate-Term and Short-Term Municipal Bond Funds), the Board of Trustees has authorized the payment of such fees in the amount of 0.20% annually. |
||||||||||||
|
(4) |
Although a Maryland corporation, Eaton Vance Series Fund, Inc. (the "Corporation") is referred to herein as "Trust" for convenience. References in the Agreement to Trustees are deemed to refer to the Directors of the Corporation. |
||||||||||||
|
Dated: May 1, 2016 |
Page 6 of 6
Exhibit (h)(5)(b)
Schedule A
As of April 30, 2016
Trust, Series and Class |
Contractual
|
Effective
|
Termination
|
Eaton Vance Growth Trust |
|
|
|
Greater China Growth Fund Class A |
1.95% |
4/28/2011 |
12/31/2016 |
Greater China Growth Fund Class B |
2.65% |
4/28/2011 |
12/31/2016 |
Greater China Growth Fund Class C |
2.65% |
4/28/2011 |
12/31/2016 |
Greater China Growth Fund Class I |
1.65% |
4/28/2011 |
12/31/2016 |
|
|
|
|
Richard Bernstein Market Opportunities Fund Class A |
1.75% |
9/2/2014 |
12/31/2016 |
Richard Bernstein Market Opportunities Fund Class C |
2.50% |
9/2/2014 |
12/31/2016 |
Richard Bernstein Market Opportunities Fund Class I |
1.50% |
9/2/2014 |
12/31/2016 |
|
|
|
|
Atlanta Capital Select Equity Fund Class A |
1.20% |
12/30/2011 |
1/31/2017 |
Atlanta Capital Select Equity Fund Class C |
1.95% |
3/19/2013 |
1/31/2017 |
Atlanta Capital Select Equity Fund Class I |
0.95% |
12/30/2011 |
1/31/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Focused Growth Opportunities Fund Class A |
1.05% |
6/30/2014 |
6/30/2016 |
Focused Growth Opportunities Fund Class C |
1.80% |
6/30/2014 |
6/30/2016 |
Focused Growth Opportunities Fund Class I |
0.80% |
6/30/2014 |
6/30/2016 |
|
|
|
|
Focused Value Opportunities Fund Class A |
1.05% |
6/30/2014 |
6/30/2016 |
Focused Value Opportunities Fund Class C |
1.80% |
6/30/2014 |
6/30/2016 |
Focused Value Opportunities Fund Class I |
0.80% |
6/30/2014 |
6/30/2016 |
|
|
|
|
Hexavest Emerging Markets Equity Fund Class A |
1.45% |
4/1/2015 |
11/30/2016 |
Hexavest Emerging Markets Equity Fund Class I |
1.20% |
4/1/2015 |
11/30/2016 |
|
|
|
|
Hexavest Global Equity Fund Class A |
1.23% |
4/1/2016 |
11/30/2016 |
Hexavest Global Equity Fund Class I |
0.98% |
4/1/2016 |
11/30/2016 |
|
|
|
|
Hexavest International Equity Fund Class A |
1.20% |
4/1/2015 |
11/30/2016 |
Hexavest International Equity Fund Class I |
0.95% |
4/1/2015 |
11/30/2016 |
|
|
|
|
Focused Global Opportunities Fund Class I |
0.95% |
12/15/2015 |
3/31/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Focused International Opportunities Fund Class I |
1.00% |
12/15/2015 |
3/31/2017 |
|
|
|
|
International Small-Cap Fund Class A |
1.40% |
12/15/2015 |
3/31/2017 |
International Small-Cap Fund Class I |
1.15% |
12/15/2015 |
3/31/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Investment Trust |
|
|
|
Floating-Rate Municipal Income Fund Class A |
0.65% |
8/1/2013 |
7/31/2016 |
Floating-Rate Municipal Income Fund Class I |
0.50% |
8/1/2013 |
7/31/2016 |
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance NextShares Trust |
|
|
|
Global Income Builder NextShares |
0.90% |
3/28/2016 |
2/28/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Stock NextShares |
0.65% |
2/25/2016 |
4/30/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance NextShares Trust II |
|
|
|
TABS 5-to-15 Year Laddered Municipal Bond NextShares |
0.35% |
3/28/2016 |
5/31/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Municipals Trust |
|
|
|
Municipal Opportunities Fund Class A |
1.00% |
7/10/2014 |
11/30/2016 |
Municipal Opportunities Fund Class C |
1.75% |
8/18/2014 |
11/30/2016 |
Municipal Opportunities Fund Class I |
0.75% |
7/10/2014 |
11/30/2016 |
Trust, Series and Class |
Contractual
|
Effective
|
Termination
|
Eaton Vance Municipals Trust II |
|
|
|
TABS Intermediate-Term Municipal Bond Fund Class A |
0.90% |
6/1/2014 |
5/31/2016 |
TABS Intermediate-Term Municipal Bond Fund Class C |
1.65% |
6/1/2014 |
5/31/2016 |
TABS Intermediate-Term Municipal Bond Fund Class I |
0.65% |
6/1/2014 |
5/31/2016 |
|
|
|
|
TABS 1-to-10 Year Laddered Municipal Bond Fund Class A |
0.65% |
5/3/2015 |
5/31/2016 |
TABS 1-to-10 Year Laddered Municipal Bond Fund Class C |
1.40% |
5/3/2015 |
5/31/2016 |
TABS 1-to-10 Year Laddered Municipal Bond Fund Class I |
0.40% |
5/3/2015 |
5/31/2016 |
|
|
|
|
TABS 5-to-15 Year Laddered Municipal Bond Fund Class A |
0.65% |
4/15/2015 |
5/31/2016 |
TABS 5-to-15 Year Laddered Municipal Bond Fund Class C |
1.40% |
4/15/2015 |
5/31/2016 |
TABS 5-to-15 Year Laddered Municipal Bond Fund Class I |
0.40% |
4/15/2015 |
5/31/2016 |
|
|
|
|
TABS 10-to-20 Year Laddered Municipal Bond Fund Class A |
0.65% |
5/3/2015 |
5/31/2016 |
TABS 10-to-20 Year Laddered Municipal Bond Fund Class C |
1.40% |
5/3/2015 |
5/31/2016 |
TABS 10-to-20 Year Laddered Municipal Bond Fund Class I |
0.40% |
5/3/2015 |
5/31/2016 |
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
|
|
|
Emerging Markets Local Income Fund Class A |
1.25% |
3/1/2009 |
2/28/2017 |
Emerging Markets Local Income Fund Class C |
1.95% |
8/1/2010 |
2/28/2017 |
Emerging Markets Local Income Fund Class I |
0.95% |
11/30/2009 |
2/28/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Diversified Currency Income Fund Class A |
1.10% |
3/1/2008 |
2/28/2017 |
Diversified Currency Income Fund Class C |
1.80% |
3/1/2011 |
2/28/2017 |
Diversified Currency Income Fund Class I |
0.80% |
3/1/2011 |
2/28/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Stock Fund Class A |
0.98% |
1/1/2016 |
4/30/2017 |
Stock Fund Class I |
1.73% |
1/1/2016 |
4/30/2017 |
Stock Fund Class C |
0.73% |
1/1/2016 |
4/30/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Parametric Commodity Strategy Fund Investor Class |
0.95% |
7/10/2014 |
4/30/2017 |
Parametric Commodity Strategy Fund Institutional Class |
0.70% |
7/10/2014 |
4/30/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Parametric International Equity Fund Investor Class |
0.90% |
7/10/2014 |
8/10/2016 |
Parametric International Equity Fund Institutional Class |
0.65% |
7/10/2014 |
8/10/2016 |
Parametric International Equity Fund Class R |
1.15% |
8/10/2015 |
8/10/2016 |
Parametric International Equity Fund Class R6 |
0.62% |
8/10/2015 |
8/10/2016 |
|
|
|
|
Core Plus Bond Fund Class A |
0.80% |
2/1/2015 |
1/31/2017 |
Core Plus Bond Fund Class C |
1.55% |
2/1/2015 |
1/31/2017 |
Core Plus Bond Fund Class I |
0.55% |
2/1/2015 |
1/31/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Tax-Managed Global Small-Cap Fund Class A |
1.40% |
1/1/2016 |
2/28/2017 |
Tax-Managed Global Small-Cap Fund Class C |
2.15% |
1/1/2016 |
2/28/2017 |
Tax-Managed Global Small-Cap Fund Class I |
1.15% |
1/1/2016 |
2/28/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Tax-Managed Multi-Cap Growth Fund Class A |
1.40% |
3/1/2013 |
2/28/2017 |
Tax-Managed Multi-Cap Growth Fund Class B |
2.15% |
3/1/2013 |
2/28/2017 |
Tax-Managed Multi-Cap Growth Fund Class C |
2.15% |
3/1/2013 |
2/28/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Multi-Strategy All Market Fund Class A |
1.35% |
11/1/2011 |
2/28/2017 |
Multi-Strategy All Market Fund Class C |
2.10% |
11/1/2011 |
2/28/2017 |
Multi-Strategy All Market Fund Class I |
1.10% |
11/1/2011 |
2/28/2017 |
|
|
|
|
CMBS Portfolio |
0.65% |
8/6/2012 |
2/28/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Parametric Global Small-Cap Fund Institutional Class |
0.85% |
12/19/2012 |
5/31/2016 |
Trust, Series and Class |
Contractual
|
Effective
|
Termination
|
Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust (continued) |
|
|
|
Parametric Tax-Managed International Equity Fund Investor Class |
1.50% |
12/1/2012 |
2/28/2017 |
Parametric Tax-Managed International Equity Fund Class C |
2.25% |
12/1/2012 |
2/28/2017 |
Parametric Tax-Managed International Equity Fund Institutional Class |
1.25% |
12/1/2012 |
2/28/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Currency Income Advantage Fund Class A |
1.40% |
8/28/2013 |
2/28/2017 |
Currency Income Advantage Fund Class I |
1.10% |
8/28/2013 |
2/28/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Short Duration High Income Fund Class A |
1.05% |
11/1/2013 |
2/28/2017 |
Short Duration High Income Fund Class I |
0.80% |
11/1/2013 |
2/28/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Parametric Emerging Markets Core Fund Investor Class |
1.15 % |
9/24/2013 |
12/31/2016 |
Parametric Emerging Markets Core Fund Institutional Class |
0.90% |
9/24/2013 |
12/31/2016 |
|
|
|
|
Parametric Dividend Income Fund Investor Class |
0.85% |
7/10/2014 |
6/30/2016 |
Parametric Dividend Income Fund Institutional Class |
0.60% |
7/10/2014 |
6/30/2016 |
|
|
|
|
Global Macro Capital Opportunities Fund Class A |
1.65% |
11/3/2014 |
2/28/2017 |
Global Macro Capital Opportunities Fund Class I |
1.40% |
11/3/2014 |
2/28/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Series Fund, Inc. |
|
|
|
Emerging Markets Debt Opportunities Fund Class A |
1.15% |
9/3/2015 |
11/30/2016 |
Emerging Markets Debt Opportunities Fund Class I |
0.90% |
9/3/2015 |
11/30/2016 |
Emerging Markets Debt Opportunities Fund Class R6 |
0.85% |
9/3/2015 |
11/30/2016 |
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust |
|
|
|
Short Duration Real Return Fund Class A |
0.90% |
7/16/2013 |
2/28/2017 |
Short Duration Real Return Fund Class C |
1.65% |
7/16/2013 |
2/28/2017 |
Short Duration Real Return Fund Class I |
0.65% |
7/16/2013 |
2/28/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Hedged Stock Fund Class A |
1.15% |
10/31/2014 |
3/31/2017 |
Hedged Stock Fund Class C |
1.90% |
10/31/2014 |
3/31/2017 |
Hedged Stock Fund Class I |
0.90% |
10/31/2014 |
3/31/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Core Bond Fund Class I |
0.50% |
12/1/2011 |
4/30/2017 |
Core Bond Fund Class A |
0.75% |
12/1/2011 |
4/30/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Real Estate Fund Class I |
1.00% |
5/1/2007 |
4/30/2017 |
Real Estate Fund Class A |
1.25% |
6/8/2010 |
4/30/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Growth Fund Class A |
1.05% |
7/10/2014 |
4/30/2017 |
Growth Fund Class C |
1.80% |
7/10/2014 |
4/30/2017 |
Growth Fund Class I |
0.80% |
7/10/2014 |
4/30/2017 |
Growth Fund Class R |
1.30% |
7/10/2014 |
4/30/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Commodity Strategy Fund Class A |
1.35% |
11/6/2015 |
4/30/2017 |
Commodity Strategy Fund Class C |
2.10% |
11/6/2015 |
4/30/2017 |
Commodity Strategy Fund Class I |
1.10% |
11/6/2015 |
4/30/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Parametric Absolute Return Fund Investor Class |
1.45% |
12/1/2012 |
4/30/2017 |
Parametric Absolute Return Fund Institutional Class |
1.20% |
12/1/2012 |
4/30/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Greater India Fund Class A |
1.88% |
4/28/2011 |
4/30/2017 |
Greater India Fund Class B |
2.58% |
4/28/2011 |
4/30/2017 |
Greater India Fund Class C |
2.58% |
4/28/2011 |
4/30/2017 |
Greater India Fund Class I |
1.58% |
4/28/2011 |
4/30/2017 |
Trust, Series and Class |
Contractual
|
Effective
|
Termination
|
Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust (continued) |
|
|
|
Global Small-Cap Fund Class A |
1.40% |
1/1/2016 |
4/30/2017 |
Global Small-Cap Fund Class C |
2.15% |
1/1/2016 |
4/30/2017 |
Global Small-Cap Fund Class I |
1.15% |
1/1/2016 |
4/30/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Bond Fund II Class A |
0.95% |
11/3/2014 |
2/28/2017 |
Bond Fund II Class C |
1.70% |
11/3/2014 |
2/28/2017 |
Bond Fund II Class I |
0.70% |
11/3/2014 |
2/28/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Balanced Fund Class A |
0.98% |
1/1/2016 |
4/30/2017 |
Balanced Fund Class B |
1.73% |
1/1/2016 |
4/30/2017 |
Balanced Fund Class C |
1.73% |
1/1/2016 |
4/30/2017 |
Balanced Fund Class I |
0.73% |
1/1/2016 |
4/30/2017 |
Balanced Fund Class R |
1.23% |
5/1/2016 |
4/30/2017 |
Balanced Fund Class R6 |
0.69% |
5/1/2016 |
4/30/2017 |
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Variable Trust |
|
|
|
VT Large-Cap Value Fund Initial Class |
1.20% |
5/1/2015 |
5/1/2017 |
VT Large-Cap Value Fund ADV Class |
0.95% |
5/1/2015 |
5/1/2017 |
VT Large-Cap Value Fund Institutional Class |
0.70% |
5/1/2016 |
5/1/2017 |
|
|
|
|
VT Bond Fund Initial Class |
1.20% |
9/15/2014 |
5/1/2017 |
VT Bond Fund ADV Class |
0.95% |
9/15/2014 |
5/1/2017 |
VT Bond Fund Institutional Class |
0.70% |
5/1/2016 |
5/1/2017 |
Eaton Vance Management
Two International Place
Boston, MA 02110
(617) 482-8260
www.eatonvance.com
EXHIBIT (i)
April 28, 2016
Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust
Two International Place
Boston, MA 02110
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust (the Trust) is a voluntary association (commonly referred to as a business trust) established under Massachusetts law with the powers and authority set forth under its Declaration of Trust dated March 27, 1989, as amended and restated September 27, 1993, as amended (the Declaration of Trust).
I am of the opinion that all legal requirements have been complied with in the creation of the Trust, and that said Declaration of Trust is legal and valid.
The Trustees of the Trust have the powers set forth in the Declaration of Trust, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions therein provided. As provided in the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees may authorize one or more series or classes of shares, without par value, and the number of shares of each series or class authorized is unlimited. The series and classes of shares established and designated as of the date hereof and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission are identified on Appendix A hereto.
Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees may from time to time issue and sell or cause to be issued and sold shares of the Trust for cash or for property. All such shares, when so issued, shall be fully paid and nonassessable by the Trust.
I have examined originals, or copies, certified or otherwise identified to my satisfaction, of such certificates, records and other documents as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for the purpose of this opinion.
Based upon the foregoing, and with respect to Massachusetts law (other than the Massachusetts Uniform Securities Act), only to the extent that Massachusetts law may be applicable and without reference to the laws of the other several states or of the United States of America, I am of the opinion that under existing law:
1.
The Trust is a trust with transferable shares of beneficial interest organized in compliance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the Declaration of Trust is legal and valid under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust
April 28, 2016
Page 2
2.
Shares of beneficial interest of the Trust registered by Form N-1A may be legally and validly issued in accordance with the Declaration of Trust upon receipt of payment in compliance with the Declaration of Trust and, when so issued and sold, will be fully paid and nonassessable by the Trust.
I am a member of the Massachusetts bar and have acted as internal legal counsel to the Trust in connection with the registration of shares.
I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 162 to the Trusts Registration Statement on Form N-1A pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Katy D. Burke
Katy D. Burke, Esq.
Vice President
Eaton Vance Management
Appendix A
Established and Designated Series of the Trust
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund (7)
Eaton Vance Bond Fund (6)
Eaton Vance Bond Fund II (4)
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund (4)
Eaton Vance Dividend Builder Fund (4)
Eaton Vance Global Small-Cap Fund (4)
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund (1)
Eaton Vance Growth Fund (2)
Eaton Vance Hedged Stock Fund (4)
Eaton Vance Investment Grade Income Fund (3)
Eaton Vance Large-Cap Value Fund (6)
Eaton Vance Real Estate Fund (3)
Eaton Vance Short Duration Real Return Fund (4)
Eaton Vance Small-Cap Fund (2)
Eaton Vance Special Equities Fund (1)
Parametric Absolute Return Fund (5)
____________________________
Authorized Classes are as follows:
(1) Classes A, B, C and I
(2) Classes A, B, C, I and R
(3) Classes A and I
(4) Classes A, C and I
(5) Investor Class and Institutional Class
(6) Classes A, C, I, R and R6
(7) Classes A, B, C, I, R and R6
EXHIBIT (j)(1)
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Post-Effective Amendment No. 162 to Registration Statement No. 002-27962 on Form N-1A of our reports dated as indicated on the attached Appendix A, relating to the financial statements and financial highlights of the Funds listed on the attached Appendix A, certain of the funds constituting Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust (the Trust), and the Portfolios listed on the attached Appendix A, appearing in the Annual Report on Form N-CSR of the Trust for the year ended December 31, 2015, and to the references to us under the headings Financial Highlights in the Prospectuses and Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm and Financial Statements in the Statements of Additional Information, which are part of such Registration Statement.
/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
April 28, 2016
Appendix A
Report Date
Funds
February 18, 2016
Eaton Vance Growth Fund
February 19, 2016
Eaton Vance Core Bond Fund
February 19, 2016
Eaton Vance Dividend Builder Fund
February 19, 2016
Eaton Vance Global Small-Cap Fund
February 19, 2016
Eaton Vance Large-Cap Value Fund
February 19, 2016
Eaton Vance Small-Cap Fund
February 19, 2016
Eaton Vance Special Equities Fund
February 23, 2016
Eaton Vance Balanced Fund
February 23, 2016
Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund
February 23, 2016
Eaton Vance Greater India Fund
February 23, 2016
Eaton Vance Real Estate Fund
February 23, 2016
Parametric Absolute Return Fund
Portfolio whose financial statements for the year ended October 31, 2015 are included in one or more of the above Funds annual reports for the year ended December 31, 2015:
Report Date
Portfolio
December 23, 2015
Global Macro Absolute Return Advantage Portfolio
Portfolio whose financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2015 are included in one or more of the above Funds annual reports for the year ended December 31, 2015:
Report Date
Portfolio
February 18, 2016 Growth Portfolio
February 19, 2016
Core Bond Portfolio
February 19, 2016
Dividend Builder Portfolio
February 19, 2016
Large Cap-Value Portfolio
February 19, 2016
Stock Portfolio
February 23, 2016 Greater India Portfolio
EXHIBIT (j)(2)
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Post-Effective Amendment No. 162 to Registration Statement No. 002-27962 on Form N-1A of our report dated February 23, 2016, relating to the financial statements and financial highlights of the Parametric Commodity Strategy Fund, one of the funds constituting Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust (the Trust), appearing in the Annual Report on Form N-CSR of the Trust for the year ended December 31, 2015, and to the references to us under the headings Financial Highlights in the Prospectus and Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm and Financial Statements in the Statement of Additional Information, which are part of such Registration Statement.
/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
April 28, 2016
EXHIBIT (n)
AMENDED AND RESTATED MULTIPLE CLASS PLAN FOR EATON VANCE FUNDS
Dated April 26, 2016
WHEREAS, each trust (each a Trust) listed on Schedule A engages in business as an open-end investment company and is registered as such under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the Act);
WHEREAS, the Trustees (hereafter the Trustees) of each Trust have established and designated one or more series of the Trust as shown on Schedule A hereto (each a Fund);
WHEREAS, the Trustees of each Trust have established one or more class of shares of certain Funds as shown on Schedule A (the Classes);
WHEREAS, each Fund is established in accordance with Section 18(f)(2) of the Act, its shares are registered on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and/or the Act, and it is entitled to have a multiple class plan adopted on its behalf by the Trust pursuant to Rule 18f-3 under the Act (the Rule);
WHEREAS, the Trustees of the Trust desire to amend and replace the currently effective multiple class plan dated March 17, 2014 by amending and restating such plan to (i) identify each Fund and Classes thereof on Schedule A; and (ii) restate the separate arrangements, expense allocations, and any related conversion features or exchange privileges of the Classes; and
WHEREAS, the Trustees of the Trust (including a majority of those Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust) have determined that adoption of this Amended and Restated Multiple Class Plan (the Plan), including the Class expense allocations set forth herein, is in the best interests of each Class individually and each Fund as a whole.
NOW, THEREFORE, each Trust hereby adopts this Plan on behalf of each Fund in accordance with the Rule.
I.
IDENTIFICATION OF FUNDS AND CLASSES
The Funds of each Trust and any Classes thereof are set forth on Schedule A. Each Fund and Class shall have the rights and preferences as set forth in the Trusts Declaration of Trust and as indicated in Section II below or by the adoption by the Trustees of a resolution that sets forth or otherwise identifies, such rights and preferences.
II.
MULTIPLE CLASS STRUCTURE
Each Fund may continuously offer the Classes of shares identified on Schedule A.
Shares of each Class shall represent an equal pro rata interest in such Fund and shall have the voting, dividend, liquidation, and other rights, preferences, powers, restrictions, limitations, qualifications and terms and conditions set forth in the Declaration of Trust, as amended, subject to the following:
A.
Designation and Manner of Offering
Each Class shall have a different designation as set forth below and shall be offered subject to the following:
1.
Class A Shares . Class A shares are offered at net asset value (NAV) subject to a sales charge on the terms described in each Funds prospectus. Class A shares are subject to distribution and service fees payable pursuant to a plan adopted in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the Act (the Distribution Plan);
2.
Class B Shares . Class B shares are currently closed to investment, but were formerly offered at NAV generally subject to a contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) on the terms described in each Funds prospectus. Class B shares are subject to distribution fees and service fees payable pursuant to the Distribution Plan;
3.
Class C Shares . Class C shares are offered at NAV generally subject to a CDSC on the terms described in each Funds prospectus. Class C shares are subject to distribution fees and service fees payable pursuant to the Distribution Plan;
4.
Institutional Class Shares/Class I Shares . Institutional Class shares and Class I shares are offered at NAV without the imposition of a sales charge on the terms described in each Funds prospectus. Institutional Class and Class I shares are not subject to distribution and service fees.
5.
Investor Class Shares . Investor Class shares are offered at NAV without the imposition of a sales charge on the terms described in each Funds prospectus. Investor Class shares are subject to distribution and service fees payable pursuant to the Distribution Plan;
6.
Advisers Class Shares . Advisers Class shares are offered at NAV without the imposition of a sales charge on the terms described in each Funds prospectus. Advisers Class shares are subject to distribution and service fees payable pursuant to the Distribution Plan;
7.
Class R Shares . Class R shares are offered at NAV without the imposition of a sales charge on the terms described in each Funds prospectus. Class R shares are subject to distribution fees and service fees payable pursuant to the Distribution Plan; and
8.
Class R6 Shares . Class R6 shares are offered at NAV without the imposition of a sales charge on the terms described in each Funds prospectus. Class R6 shares are not subject to distribution and service fees.
B.
Exchange Privileges and Conversion Features
1.
Class B shares of a Fund automatically convert to such Class A shares of such Fund as described in the Funds prospectus and statement of additional information. Such conversion will occur during the month following the expiration of the holding period provided in each relevant Funds prospectus. Such conversion shall be effected on the basis of the relative NAVs per share of the two Classes without the imposition of any sales charge, fee or other charge. For purposes of this conversion, all distributions paid on such Class B shares which the shareholder elects to reinvest in Class B shares will be considered to be held in a separate sub-account. Upon the conversion of such Class B shares not acquired through the reinvestment of distributions, a pro rata portion of the Class B shares held in the sub-account will also convert to such Class A shares. This portion will be determined by the ratio that such Class B shares being converted bear to the total of Class B shares (excluding shares acquired through reinvestment) in the account.
2.
Shares of one Class of a Fund may be voluntarily exchanged for another Class of the same Fund at the discretion of a shareholder in accordance with the terms of the Funds prospectus.
2
3.
Each Class of a Fund may be exchanged for shares of a Class offered on the same terms of another Fund in accordance with the terms of the relevant Funds prospectus.
C.
Allocations
Fund allocations shall be made as follows:
1.
Realized and unrealized capital gains and losses shall be allocated to each Class proportionately based on the NAV of that Class in relation to the NAV of the Fund.
2.
Income and Fundwide Expenses (as defined below) shall be allocated to each Class proportionately based on the NAV of that Class in relation to the NAV of the Fund subject to the following:
a.
Fundwide Expenses are all expenses other than (i) distribution and service fees and (ii) authorized sub-accounting, recordkeeping and similar administrative fees payable to financial intermediaries (sub-accounting fees), which shall be allocated as follows:
i.
Distribution fees and services fees shall be allocated only to the Class to which they relate; and
ii.
Sub-accounting fees shall be allocated only to Classes that are not prohibited by prospectus from paying such fees and such fees shall be allocated in relation to the NAV of all such Classes.
b.
Daily Dividend Funds (as defined in the Rule) shall allocate income, Fundwide Expenses and sub-accounting fees based on the Settled Shares Method (as defined in the Rule).
III.
BOARD REVIEW
1.
The Plan shall not take effect until after it has been approved by both a majority of Trustees and a majority of those Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust.
2.
The Plan shall continue indefinitely, unless terminated or amended. All material amendments to the Plan shall be approved by the Trustees in the manner provided for in Section III.1. above. Additional Funds may become subject to the Plan upon Trustee approval as provided for in Section III.1. above and amendment of Schedule A.
IV.
MISCELLANOUS
The Trustees and the shareholders of each Fund shall not be liable for any obligations of the respective Trust or any Fund under the Plan, and the principal underwriter or any other person, in asserting any rights or claims under the Plan, shall look only to the assets of the respective Trust or such Fund in settlement of such right or claim, and not to such Trustees or shareholders.
* * *
3
Schedule A
Schedule of Share Classes and Annual 12b-1 Distribution and Service Fees
(as a % of average daily net assets)
|
A |
B |
C |
I |
Investor |
Instl* |
Advisers |
R (1) |
R6 |
|
Eaton Vance Growth Trust |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Atlanta Capital Focused Growth Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Atlanta Capital Select Equity Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Atlanta Capital SMID-Cap Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75 |
None |
|
Eaton Vance Focused Global Opportunities Fund |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Focused Growth Opportunities Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Focused International Opportunities Fund |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Focused Value Opportunities Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Greater China Growth Fund |
0.30 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Hexavest Emerging Markets Equity Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Hexavest Global Equity Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Hexavest International Equity Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance International Small-Cap Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Richard Bernstein All Asset Strategy Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Richard Bernstein Equity Strategy Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Richard Bernstein Market Opportunities Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Worldwide Health Sciences Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75 |
N/A |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Investment Trust (2) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Floating-Rate Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Massachusetts Limited Maturity Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance National Limited Maturity Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance New York Municipal Opportunities Fund (formerly Eaton Vance New York Limited Maturity Municipal Income Fund) |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Municipals Trust (3) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Arizona Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance California Municipal Opportunities Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Connecticut Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Georgia Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Maryland Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Massachusetts Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Minnesota Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Missouri Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Municipal Opportunities Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance National Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance New Jersey Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance New York Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance North Carolina Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Ohio Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Oregon Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Pennsylvania Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance South Carolina Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance Virginia Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Municipals Trust II (3) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance High Yield Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance TABS 1-to-10 Year Laddered Municipal Bond Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance TABS 5-to-15 Year Laddered Municipal Bond Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance TABS 10-to-20 Year Laddered Municipal Bond Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance TABS Intermediate-Term Municipal Bond Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Eaton Vance TABS Short-Term Municipal Bond Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
A |
B |
C |
I |
Investor |
Instl* |
Advisers |
R (1) |
R6 |
Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance AMT-Free Municipal Income Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Core Plus Bond Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Currency Income Advantage Fund |
0.30 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Diversified Currency Income Fund |
0.30 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Emerging Markets Local Income Fund |
0.30 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Floating-Rate Advantage Fund |
0.25 |
0.60 |
0.75 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Floating-Rate Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Floating-Rate & High Income Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
0.25 |
N/A |
None |
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75 |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Global Macro Absolute Return Advantage Fund |
0.30 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75 |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Global Macro Absolute Return Fund |
0.30 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75 |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Global Macro Capital Opportunities Fund |
0.30 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Government Obligations Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75 |
N/A |
Eaton Vance High Income Opportunities Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Multi-Strategy Absolute Return Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Multi-Strategy All Market Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Short Duration Government Income Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
0.85 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Short Duration High Income Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Short Duration Strategic Income Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75 |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Stock Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Equity Asset Allocation Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Global Dividend Income Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Global Small-Cap Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Growth Fund 1.1 |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Growth Fund 1.2 |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Multi-Cap Growth Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Small-Cap Fund |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Value Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Parametric Commodity Strategy Fund |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Parametric Dividend Income Fund |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Parametric Emerging Markets Core Fund |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Parametric Emerging Markets Fund |
N/A |
N/A |
1.00 |
N/A |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
Parametric Global Small-Cap Fund |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Parametric International Equity Fund |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75 |
None |
Parametric Tax-Managed International Equity Fund |
N/A |
N/A |
1.00 |
N/A |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance NextShares Trust |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Balanced NextShares |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Growth NextShares |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Large-Cap Value NextShares |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Small-Cap NextShares |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Stock NextShares |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Richard Bernstein All Asset Strategy NextShares |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Richard Bernstein Equity Strategy NextShares |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Parametric Emerging Markets NextShares |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Parametric International Equity NextShares |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance NextShares Trust II |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Bond NextShares |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Floating-Rate NextShares |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Global Macro Absolute Return NextShares |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance Government Obligations NextShares |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance High Income Opportunities NextShares |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance High Yield Municipal Income NextShares |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance National Municipal Income NextShares |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Eaton Vance TABS 5-to-15 Year Laddered Municipal Bond NextShares |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Series Fund, Inc. (4) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Emerging Markets Debt Opportunities Fund |
0.25 |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
None |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Series Trust |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Growth Fund 1.0 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Series Trust II |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eaton Vance Income Fund of Boston |
0.25 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
None |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.75 |
None |
* Institutional Class Shares
(1)
The distribution plan for Class R shares authorized distribution and service fee payments of up to 0.75% annually. The Funds Board of Trustees has authorized distribution and service fees equal to 0.50% annually.
(2)
The distribution plans for Class A, Class B and Class C shares (as applicable) authorize distribution and service fees of up to 0.25% annually. The Funds Board of Trustees has authorized distribution and service fees of 0.15% annually.
(3)
The distribution plans for Class A, Class B and Class C shares (as applicable) authorize distribution and service fees of up to 0.25% annually. The Funds (except the Eaton Vance California and Municipal Opportunities Funds, the Eaton Vance National and High Yield Municipal Income Funds, the Eaton Vance TABS 1-to-10, 5-to-15 and 10-to-20 Year Laddered Municipal Bond Funds and the Eaton Vance TABS Intermediate-Term and Short-Term Municipal Bond Funds) Board of Trustees has authorized distribution and service fees of 0.20% annually.
(4)
Although a Maryland corporation, Eaton Vance Series Fund, Inc. (the "Corporation") is referred to herein as "Trust" for convenience. References in the Plan to Trustees are deemed to refer to the Directors of the Corporation.
A-3
exhibitn_ex-99zn.doc
EXHIBIT (p)(2)
Code of Ethics
FirstPrinciples is BMOs Code of Conduct; the seven principles that reflect BMOs commitment to high standards of business conduct and ethics. These principles give us a framework for ethical behaviour and decision-making. BMO Global Asset Management (EMEA) holds a unique place of trust in the lives of our clients. BMO Global Asset Management (EMEA) has adopted this Code of Ethics, in support of FirstPrinciples, to safeguard this position. The Code aims to ensure that BMO Global Asset Management (EMEA) Employees place the interests of clients and BMO Global Asset Management (EMEA)s reputation above their own. The Code sets out procedures in relation to personal account dealing and provision and receipt of gifts and entertainment to meet this objective. Employees should comply with the spirit as well as the letter of this Code.
Strictly for Internal Use only.
This document should not be forwarded or copied or its content disclosed in part or in full to any person or to any party external to the BMO Financial Group without first having the permission of the Head of Compliance, BMO Global Asset Management (EMEA).
Definitions
Access Person
|
An Access Person is any supervised person who has access to non-public information regarding clients securities or transactions, or regarding the portfolio holdings of any fund; or is involved in making securities recommendations to clients or has access to such recommendations. Access Person will include portfolio management personnel and all other Employees who have information about investment recommendations whose effect may not yet be felt in the Market place; as such they may be in a position to take advantage of their Inside Information. Access Persons may include contractors, temporary staff and interns. |
Anti- Corruption Corporate Policy |
The BMO Policy that sets out the key principles to ensure compliance with Anti- Corruption legislation and regulation in jurisdictions |
Approved Indices |
Approved Indices are FTSE 350, Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 Index, PSI All-Share Index, NYSE Composite Index, NASDAQ Composite Index, S&P/Toronto Stock Exchange Index, Euro Stoxx 50 Index, CAC 40 Index, DAX Index, AEX Index, Euronext Top 100 Index, Topix, Nikkei 225, Hang Seng Index. |
BMO GAM |
BMO Global Asset Management is the trading name of the regulated businesses of the F&C Group |
BMO GAM EMEA |
BMO Global Asset Management (EMEA). This is the Group of businesses made up of F&C Asset Management plc and all its subsidiaries and LGM Investments Limited. |
Bribery |
The act of giving, promising, offering, soliciting or receiving, directly or indirectly, a benefit of something of value in order to influence the judgement or conduct of any person who owes a duty of good faith, impartiality or trust. Something of value includes but is not limited to, money or cash equivalents, charitable donations, travel expenses or entertainment. |
Business Associate |
Business Associate means a person who has a business relationship with a Director, officer or Employee such that the Director, officer or Employee has influence over that persons judgement as to how to invest his/her property or exercise any rights attaching to his/her investments. |
Connected Persons |
Includes immediate family members such as spouse or civil partner, a child or step child under the age of 18 and any other relative sharing the same household. It also includes Business Associates and any other relationships where the Access Person has direct or indirect influence or control over the personal dealings of the connected person e.g. investment clubs. |
Corporate Hospitality (the BMO Policy uses the equivalent term Business Entertainment for Corporate Hospitality) |
Corporate Hospitality/Business Entertainment includes offering to or accepting from an existing or prospective client or supplier relationship any of the following: social, hospitality, charitable, sporting, investor or leisure events, conferences, seminars, site visits, or other events of a similar nature of purpose; meals; or any transportation related to such activity or events. For an activity to be considered Corporate Hospitality, someone representing the providing party must be present at the event, irrespective of whether any business is conducted. Otherwise, entertainment activities or events are to be considered Gifts. |
Corruption |
The abuse of public or private office for personal gain. It involves behaviour on the part of individuals in which they improperly and unlawfully enrich themselves and/or those close to them, or induce other to do so, by misusing the position in which they are placed. |
Covered Securities |
Investment instruments which are not permitted or require pre-clearance request through the Compliance ELF system as described in the personal account dealing rules of this Code of Ethics. |
Employee |
Employees are partners, officers, directors, contractors, employees, and Access Persons of BMO GAM EMEA, including full-time and part-time employees. |
Gift |
Anything of value given to or received from, voluntarily or without recompense, an existing or prospective customer or supplier that does not qualify as Corporate Hospitality. |
G7 Governments |
G7 Governments are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK and US. |
F&C |
F&C Asset Management plc and all its subsidiaries |
FCAM |
F&C Asset Management plc |
FirstPrinciples |
The BMO Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. It details the seven principles that reflect BMOs commitment to high standards of business conduct and ethics |
Inside Information |
Inside Information is information of a Precise nature which: is not generally available, relates, directly or indirectly, to an issuer(s), and would, if generally available, be likely to have a Significant Effect on the Price of the investments or on the price of related investments. In relation to a person charged with the execution of orders, Inside Information includes information conveyed by a client and related to the clients pending orders which: is of a Precise nature; is not generally available; relates, directly or indirectly, to an issuer(s); and • would, if generally available, be likely to have a Significant Effect on the Price of the investments or the price of related investments. |
Insider |
An Insider is any person who has Inside Information as a result of his membership in the administrative, management or supervisory bodies of an issuer of qualifying investments; as a result of his holding in the capital of an issuer of qualifying investments; as a result of having access to the information through the exercise of his employment; profession or duties; as a result of his criminal activities; or • which he has obtained by other means and which he knows, or could reasonably be expected to know, is Inside Information. |
Intermediaries |
In the context of anti-bribery and corruption, an Intermediary Includes supplies that provide goods and services to BMO GAM EMEA (such as consultants, external lawyers, outsourcers) and other third parties, including but not limited to agents, lobbyists, representatives, joint ventures and legal entities where BMO GAM EMEA has a business interest but does not exercise control, and business parties working with or on behalf of BMO GAM EMEA. |
LGM |
LGM Investments Limited. |
Precise |
Information is Precise if it: indicates circumstances that exist or may reasonably be expected to come into existence or an event that has occurred or may reasonably be expected to occur; and is specific enough to enable a conclusion to be drawn as to the possible effect of those circumstances or that event on the price of investments or related investments.
|
Public Officials |
An officer, employee, representative or other person acting on behalf of: a government department or agency a political party or candidate a regulatory, judicial or law enforcement body state owned enterprises (e.g., Crown corporations, sovereign wealth funds, export development agencies) a company or other business entity in which a governmental body has an ownership interest. Such persons can qualify as a Public Official even if engaged in commercial, rather than governmental, activities • employees and representatives of public international organizations. |
Significant Effect on the Price |
Information would be likely to have a significant effect on price if and only if it is information of that kind which a reasonable investor would be likely to use as part of the basis of his investment decisions. |
Supervised Person |
Any partner, officer, director, contractor or Employee of BMO GAM EMEA. |
Application
The Code of Ethics (the Code) applies to all Employees of BMO GAM EMEA wherever located and any other persons as designated from time to time. The Code is issued in support of FirstPrinciples: Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. The BMO GAM EMEA Compliance Department administers this Code and should be contacted in the event of any questions concerning the meaning or interpretation of any provision of this Code.
All jurisdictions in which BMO GAM EMEA operates have regulatory requirements relating to the management of conflicts of interest. This policy therefore applies to Employees across BMO GAM EMEA locations. However if local requirements are more stringent than this Code those local requirements will apply.
Statement of General Principles
BMO GAM EMEA owes an overriding duty of care to its customers to treat them fairly and to exercise its business with integrity. The following general principles must be applied in the conduct of our business:
at all times, avoid placing personal interest ahead of the interests of the clients of BMO GAM EMEA;
avoid actual and potential conflicts of interests between personal activities and the BMO GAM EMEAs clients activities;
do not misappropriate investment opportunities from clients;
all Employees must familiarise themselves with and abide by the Financial Conduct Authoritys eleven principles of business as noted in the Group Compliance Manual;
all Employees should at all times exercise honesty, objectivity and diligence in performing their duties and fulfilling their responsibilities;
all Employees must be loyal to the firm and its clients;
no Employee should act in a manner which will discredit any client or the firm;
all Employees should avoid any conflicts of interest with clients or the firm and, if such a conflict arises, declare it and involve an independent third party from within BMO GAM EMEA to ensure that fair treatment is applied to all parties;
no Employee should place himself or herself in a position where he/she contravenes any law, or regulation relevant to the firms business or in connection with his/her employment with the firm;
no Employee should use confidential information for personal gain nor should confidential information be divulged to persons that are not authorized to receive such confidential information, including without limitation, third parties;
no Employee should personally accept any gift of significant 1 value from a Business Associate except in accordance with this Code. Items received should be dealt with in accordance with this Code;
no Employee should offer, request, persuade or otherwise induce another person to offer a bribe to any third party which the Employee intends will obtain or retain an advantage in the conduct of business for BMO GAM EMEA;
all Employees should at all times maintain the highest standards of dignity and competence and should encourage all others with whom they have dealings to adopt the same standards; and
the firm and its Employees should seek to do business with third parties who place a high degree of importance on ethics and integrity in respect of their business dealings 2 .
Where, for any reason, an Employee breaks or believes he / she may have broken one of these general principles, he / she must immediately report the issue to his or her line manager and BMO GAM EMEA Compliance. Deliberate breaches may result in the imposition of sanctions on the Employee, including suspension or dismissal.
SEC registration
Both F&C Management Limited and LGM Investments Limited are registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser. As such all Employees must comply with US federal laws regulating the securities industry to the extent applicable to them in particular, relevant provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as well as with applicable rules of the Financial Conduct Authority. Specifically, Employees are not permitted to:
defraud a client in any manner;
mislead a client, including making a statement that omits material facts;
engage in any act, practice or course of conduct which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon a client;
engage in any manipulative practice with respect to a client; or
engage in any manipulative practice with respect to securities, including price manipulation.
Personal Account Dealing Rules
The reputation of BMO GAM EMEA could be put at risk by a personal investment transaction of an employee. For this reason BMO GAM EMEA has adopted the following Personal Account Dealing Rules.
The overriding principle in all our dealings for clients is that we place their interests first. To assist in ensuring compliance with this principle, BMO GAM EMEA has adopted these Personal Account Dealing Rules which set out the procedures to be followed in respect of personal account dealing. They have been designed to ensure that:
the personal dealings of Employees do not disadvantage clients;
personal account deals are undertaken in a manner which avoids actual or potential conflicts of interest;
personal account deals conform with regulatory and legal requirements and best practice;
Employees do not take inappropriate advantage of their position or abuse their position of trust and responsibility;
Employees are fully informed of what is expected of them;
the highest standards of ethics and integrity are maintained; and
appropriate controls and monitoring arrangements are implemented and maintained.
1 The term significant is not quantified, but judgment needs to be exercised as based on the Self testing Principles noted in the Gifts and Corporate Hospitality section.
2 The test here is hard to quantify. However, when entering any new relationship the individual and the approving Group Management Committee member needs to be mindful of the reputation of the third party as well as any issues that have come to light during the interactions with them. Consideration should also be given to ongoing relationships
Employees are permitted to undertake personal dealing subject to the requirements, limitations and restrictions set out in this Code. All Employees who wish to deal for their own account should familiarise themselves with these rules and abide by them.
These Personal Account Dealing Rules also apply to persons who are Connected Persons of Employees.
Investment Clubs
Investment Clubs can be for the purpose of sharing of investment ideas or the pooling of assets for investment purposes.
Investment Clubs, where an Employee inputs into the decision making process of that Club, fall under the Connected Person definition and as such all deals carried out by the Investment Club are required to be carried out in accordance with this Code. In the event of any uncertainty about whether your participation in an investment group falls within the category of an investment club, please seek compliance advice. If you receive any Inside Information, through participation in an investment club, please contact compliance immediately so any relevant stocks can be restricted from dealing.
Full disclosure of investment transactions can help mitigate any perceived conflicts of interest created through personal account dealing activity.
Initial Certification and Recording of Holdings
During the first week of employment, each new Employee must certify that they (i) have read, understand and will comply with the Code (ii) will promptly report breaches or possible breaches (iii) recognize that a breach of the Code may be grounds for disciplinary action. All new Employees must record holdings in Covered Securities held either by themselves or by Connected Persons within the first week of employment at BMO GAM EMEA.
Employee share options that have not yet vested or been exercised do not need to be disclosed.
All certifications are to be done through the Compliance ELF system. All initial requirements will show on your Action Items Dashboard once you log-in to the system.
Annual Certification
On an annual basis, Employees are required to make an annual update of all holdings in Covered Securities within 30 calendar days following calendar year end. Each Employee shall certify that the Covered Securities listed in the report are the only Covered Securities in which they have any direct or indirect beneficial ownership.
All certifications are to be submitted through the Compliance ELF system. All annual requirements will be shown on your Action Items Dashboard once you log-in to the system.
Quarterly Transaction Reports
Each Employee is required to submit a quarterly transaction report and certify to transactions in all Covered Securities through the Compliance ELF system (under the Personal Trading menu) within 30 calendar days of calendar quarter end, even if they had no transactions in Covered Securities during the quarter. Each Employee shall also certify that the accounts listed in the transaction report are the only accounts in which Covered Securities were traded during the quarter for their direct or indirect benefit.
Consult with the Compliance team at complianceethics@bmogam.com if you are in doubt whether a personal transaction needs approval or is not permitted.
Transactions in Covered Securities
The Personal Account Dealing rules apply to transactions in Covered Securities which are classified as either:
(a)
not permitted;
(b)
pre-clearance request required;
(c)
) exempt.
(A)
Not permitted
Transactions in the following investments are not permitted from a personal account dealing perspective:
dealing in futures, options, forwards or contracts for differences;
spread betting on any investment detailed in this Code of Ethics;
participation in new public issues which are not genuinely open to the public and the potential allocations to the Employee would affect any proposed client orders;
dealing in US IPOs or US private placement offerings;
dealing in stocks on the BMO GAM EMEA restricted list.
(B)
Pre-clearance request required
Transactions in the following investments require a pre- clearance request to be submitted via the Compliance ELF system (by clicking the Submit Pre-Clear button on your Dashboard):
shares in listed companies, including shares of listed investment trusts and close ended Exchange Traded Funds;
government bonds, corporate bonds and convertible bonds;
warrants;
commencing payments into or selling out of an BMO GAM EMEA managed closed ended savings scheme (e.g. F&C investment trust related Individual Savings Account (ISA)) and/or changing funds within that savings scheme;
dealing in open ended funds managed by BMO GAM EMEA, including through a savings scheme;
exercise of discretion over exercise of share scheme options;
dealing in nil-paid-rights;
selling shares awarded under the Long Term Reward Plan;
shares in unlisted companies;
transactions in Self Invested Personal Pension Schemes or similar pension schemes, where staff have discretion over the individual underlying investments of the pension scheme.
Equity trades in stocks from Approved Indices below £25,000 and G7 Government bond trades below £50,000 are automatically approved by the Compliance ELF system.
(C)
Exempt
Transactions in the following investments are exempt from the personal account dealing rules and require no pre- clearance request to be completed:
spot foreign exchange transactions of an investment nature;
commodities (physical as opposed to funds or derivatives);
transactions in open ended funds or savings plan that are not managed by BMO GAM EMEA;
increasing or decreasing a regular savings payment into any open or closed ended fund savings scheme whether managed by BMO GAM EMEA or not;
regular and lump sum payments into cash backed investments (e.g. cash ISA);
commencing, continuing or ceasing regular payments into Employee Share Schemes;
transactions in index tracking open ended exchange traded funds (where no one particular stock in the fund is more than 35% of the total fund);
transactions in life and pensions policies, where the Employee does not exercise discretion as to the individual underlying investments which can be included in the policy or where the Employee can select from a range of available funds, including funds managed by BMO GAM EMEA;
Corporate actions in existing holdings.
Third Party Discretionary Managed Portfolios
Where an Employee has appointed a reputable, independent fund manager or other person to act on their behalf under a full discretionary management agreement and the Employee does not initiate or influence individual investment decisions within a broad policy or strategy, prior approval to deal is not required. The Employee will still however be required to provide an annual declaration of their investments. In addition, the Employee may be required to provide information on and copies of any discretionary investment management contract entered into with a third party.
Fund Manager Commitments
Where a fund manager is expected as part of his/her role as manager, to make a personal commitment to a fund, this is exempt from the personal account dealing rules.
Timing Limit on Pre-clearance
Pre-clearance is valid for a period of twenty-four hours after it has been obtained. If the deal has not been submitted for execution before this period expires, pre-clearance must be obtained again.
Rules Prior to Seeking Consent
No Employee may deal on their own behalf or on behalf of a connected person if they know or ought reasonably to know that:
BMO GAM EMEA has an unexecuted client order in relation to the investment concerned or any other investment whose price is likely to be influenced by the price of that investment e.g. warrants or convertibles;
the relevant Employee has in their possession any Inside Information regarding the investment;
BMO GAM EMEA has in its possession results of research and analysis relating to an investment or any other investment whose price is likely to be influenced by the price of that investment e.g. warrants or convertibles and BMO GAM EMEA is to publish those results or recommendations based on them;
a client or any other party to the deal (if known at the time) is prohibited from dealing in an investment, or any other investment whose price is likely to be influenced by the price of that investment, by any applicable law, and the deal would involve the person wishing to deal, facing a conflict of interest with any BMO GAM EMEA client or with their duty to any BMO GAM EMEA client.
Dealings by Connected Persons
Employees shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that Connected Persons, when they are dealing on their own account, observe the above requirements. However, this Code does not apply to a Connected Person who is a director, officer or employee of another firm or company which is authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act, 2000, when that Connected Person is acting on their own account. This is because such a director, officer or employee will be subject to the personal account dealing rules of their respective employer. In the event of any uncertainty as to whether a person is a Connected Person under the Code, please seek advice from Compliance.
Execution and Disclosure
All personal account transactions must be placed through an external bank/broker. Where Employees choose not to use Broker electronic feeds to the Compliance ELF system, contract notes relating to executed deals must be uploaded into Compliance ELF in a timely manner (within 5 days unless otherwise agreed with Compliance). If not received promptly, approval for further personal account trading will be withheld until records are up to date.
Where contract notes are not provided by the executing bank or broker, Employees must provide some other form of confirmation within Compliance ELF that the transaction has completed and the terms under which it has completed on (e.g. screen print if dealt over internet, copy of confirmation email, copy monthly transaction statement etc).
Confirmations must at least contain details of the stock, price, monetary value, date and time of the execution.
If the contract note differs from the original personal account pre-clearance request (e.g. where the deal is traded over two days or the amount traded differs from the personal account deal request) the Employee should account for this difference to Compliance. Whilst not a requirement, to minimise the impact on Employees we would recommend that prior to any dealing, Employees notify their broker of their requirements under this Code and send a copy of this notification to the Compliance team at complianceethics@bmogam.com .
Employees personal account dealing activity should not put at risk the integrity of the capital markets in any way.
Dealing after a Client Deal (Piggy Backing)
No Employee is permitted to deal if a client order has been executed in the previous 5 business days unless dealing in
(i)
companies in Approved Indices for an amount less than or equal to a value of £25,000 or local equivalent, or
(ii)
G7 Government Bonds for an amount less than or equal to a value of £50,000
For example, if a client order is executed on a Monday, as long as no further client orders in that stock are executed, an Employee would have to wait until the following Monday before approval to deal is given, unless when dealing in companies of the prescribed indices within the de minimis amount, as described above.
Dealing Before a Client Order (Front Running)
No Employee is permitted to deal where a client order is outstanding. In addition, no Employee is permitted to deal before a client order is placed or where they are aware that an order is under consideration for a client fund (e.g. front running a personal account deal in front of a large programme trade and therefore benefiting from any resultant price uplift). It should be noted that such action could be perceived as market abuse.
Excessive trading can jeopardise the good judgement necessary to maintain independence and objectivity in professional activities.
Short-term, speculative trading
Short-term, speculative trading typically involves a quick trading pattern to capitalise on a short-lived market impact of a particular client trade or series of trades. Short term, speculative personal account trading, which is defined as the purchase and then the sale (or the sale and then the purchase) of the same Covered Security within 30 calendar days is not permitted by BMO GAM EMEA Employees.
Where the price of a security undergoes a significant fall, exceptions to the 30-day holding requirement may be granted by compliance in extreme situations. Dealing within 30 days of a bonus issue is also permitted, subject to making a pre- clearance request.
Initial Public Offerings
Employees outside Hong Kong are permitted to participate in IPOs. Authorisation from Compliance is required through Compliance ELF for participation in an initial public offering of any equity stock. No minimum holding period applies to shares acquired through an Initial Public Offering. The personal account dealing rules apply to any subsequent purchase of shares, which have been subject to an Initial Public Offering.
Excessive Trading
Excessive or inappropriate trading that interferes with job performance or compromises the duty BMO GAM EMEA owe to its clients will not be permitted. More than 25 trades a quarter or 100 trades a year constitutes excessive trading. A breach of this limit may lead to disciplinary action under the Code.
Dealing
Employees must not engage in dealings as a result of being an Insider, market abuse or activities that may contravene the provisions of any relevant local law. If in any doubt, these personal account dealing rules should be read in conjunction with the BMO GAM EMEA Market Abuse Handbook and the BMO GAM EMEA Restricted Dealing Policy.
Short Selling
Neither selling short nor purchasing, where an Employee has insufficient funds for settlement, are permitted.
Unquoted and Illiquid Stocks
Illiquidity of stocks significantly increases the potential risk of conflict of interest between personal dealing and BMO GAM EMEAs investment activities. Employees are discouraged from dealing in unquoted or illiquid stocks. Employees should be aware that there may be significant delays in realising investments in illiquid stock, resulting in holding such stocks for periods longer than desirable.
Price Limits
Employees are urged not to request price limits on personal deals. Where price limits are requested, Employees must remember that pre-clearance to deal is only valid for a period of twenty-four hours after it has been obtained. Deals with price limits not executed within these timeframes must be cancelled and pre-clearance obtained again.
Encouraging Others
If an Employee is prohibited from dealing due to any of the circumstances described in this Code, they must not:
encourage any other person to carry out the deal in question, or
communicate any confidential information to any third party.
Closed Periods
Where particular funds managed by the BMO GAM EMEA are also listed on a local stock exchange, Employees must ensure that they comply with restrictions on dealing in closed periods prescribed by local Stock Exchange rules which are calculated by reference to expected results announcement dates (e.g. prior to the issue of the annual and interim accounts).
Employees cannot deal in an F&C investment trust, either directly or via a savings scheme, during the funds closed periods except where those transactions are regular ongoing savings transactions initiated by the savings plan administrator. Any closed period restrictions are included in the BMO GAM EMEA restricted list. Compliance will check this restricted list on behalf of an Employee prior to authorising their personal account deal.
Personal account dealing in an F&C investment trust during a buy back may be permitted. Approval to deal at such times must be authorised by the respective trusts company secretary.
Restricted List
The nature of our business as a fund management company means that, from time to time Inside Information will come into BMO GAM EMEAs possession. When Employees receive Inside Information, it is imperative that Employees within BMO GAM EMEA do not deal for their own account in a security for which Inside Information has been received. To ensure this does not occur, a group dealing restriction is effected until either the information is out of date, or is publicly announced. All restricted stocks are maintained in the BMO GAM EMEA restricted list, and the policy is detailed in the BMO GAM EMEA Restricted Dealing Policy .
Restricted Dealing in Bank of Montreal securities
All Directors of FCAM and its Company Secretary are restricted from trading Bank of Montreal securities for four periods of approximately 30 days. These periods are called the Trading Windows and commence on the third business day following the release of the quarterly results of BMO Financial Group.
This restriction includes:
exercising options or selling other Bank of Montreal Securities granted under any Employee or Directors stock option plan;
selling shares of Bank of Montreal acquired through any Employee Share Ownership Plan (ESOP) or Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRIP); and
enrolling, making changes or terminating participation in any such plan.
This restriction does not apply to purchases made under an ESOP or DRIP. Trading in securities of Bank of Montreal by employees of BMO GAM EMEA, other than the Directors of FCAM and its Company Secretary, are subject to the normal Personal Account Dealing rules of this Code of Ethics.
Prohibited Transactions
All Directors of FCAM and its Company Secretary are prohibited from engaging in transactions in Bank of Montreal Securities or related financial instruments (such as stock options, deferred share units, restricted share units or other similar instruments) that are:
Call or put options or short selling (selling directly or indirectly, Bank of Montreal Securities or related financial instruments that you do not own); or
Transactions (e.g., monetization transactions, forward sale contracts, equity swaps, collars, purchases of units of exchange funds, entering into exchange contracts or limited recourse loans secured primarily by Bank of Montreal Securities, etc.) if those transactions are designed to hedge or offset the economic risk of holding Bank of Montreal Securities or related financial instruments.
Compliance and Enforcement
Disciplinary action may result from breaches of this Code.
Supervised Persons must report any breach of the Code to BMO GAM EMEAs Compliance team at complianceethics@bmogam.com. Once a year, the Compliance Department will seek confirmation from Employees that they have complied in full with the Code of Ethics and other regulatory policies in the previous 12-month period.
Compliance with these rules forms part of the Employees contract of employment. An annual certification via the Cordium ELF system is required from each supervised person confirming that he or she has read and received a copy of this Code of Ethics. This includes certifying that they
have complied with the Code during the course of their association with BMO GAM EMEA;
will continue to comply with the Code in the future;
will promptly report breaches or possible breaches;
recognize that a breach of the Code may be grounds for disciplinary action.
Any employee whose personal dealings breach the letter or spirit of these rules may, at the discretion of the Head of Compliance, be prohibited from dealing on their own account, and such behaviour will be taken into consideration during the annual performance review.
Any abuse or attempt to circumvent this Code will be considered as grounds for disciplinary action in accordance with the normal BMO GAM EMEA procedures. Failure to comply with the Code is a serious disciplinary offence and may result in dismissal.
Reporting breaches of the Code
Employees are often the first to know when something goes wrong or is inappropriate in an organisation. It is recognised that Employees can be reluctant to report any wrongdoing in the workplace, or raise matters of genuine concern, for fear of reprisal or victimisation. However, BMO GAM EMEA maintains a Group Error and Incident Policy and Procedure and a Whistle Blowing Procedure which apply to all Employees. The latter procedure reinforces the importance of openness and ensures that Employees are protected from being victimised for bringing issues and problems to the attention of management. BMO GAM EMEA management supports this procedure and believes it:
will encourage a culture of openness, accountability and integrity;
will contribute to the efficient running of the organisation and the delivery of services; and
will help uphold the reputation of the organisation, and maintain public confidence.
All breaches of the general principles of this Code of Ethics must be reported to the Compliance team at complianceethics@bmogam.com . All persons who report breaches are protected under the Whistle Blowing Procedure .