As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 26, 2018
1933 Act File No. 333-197733
1940 Act File No. 811-22982
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION | ||
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 | ||
FORM N-1A | ||
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT of 1933 |
o | |
POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 5 | x | |
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 |
o | |
AMENDMENT NO. 10 | x | |
EATON VANCE NEXTSHARES TRUST | ||
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter) | ||
Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110 | ||
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) | ||
(617) 482-8260 | ||
(Registrant’s Telephone Number) | ||
MAUREEN A. GEMMA | ||
Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110 | ||
(Name and Address of Agent for Service) |
Global Income Builder Portfolio has also executed this Registration Statement.
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares
Ticker EVGBC
Listing Exchange: The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC
Prospectus Dated
March 1, 2018
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if 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 | 12 |
Investment Objective | 2 | Additional Information about NextShares | 23 |
Fees and Expenses of the Fund | 2 | Management and Organization | 25 |
Portfolio Turnover | 2 | How Net Asset Value is Determined | 27 |
Principal Investment Strategies | 2 | Buying and Selling Shares | 27 |
About NextShares | 3 | Distribution | 30 |
Principal Risks | 4 | Portfolio Holdings Disclosure | 30 |
Performance | 7 | Fund Distributions | 31 |
Management | 8 | Additional Tax Information | 31 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares | 8 | Financial Highlights | 33 |
Tax Information | 11 | ||
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries | 11 |
NextShares TM are a new type of actively managed fund that differ from traditional mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. Individual shares of a NextShares fund may be purchased and sold only on a national securities exchange or alternative trading system. Trading prices of NextShares are directly linked to the fund’s next-computed net asset value per share (“NAV”) and will vary from NAV by a market-determined trading cost (i.e., a premium or discount to NAV), which may be zero. Investing in NextShares involves certain risks as described in this Prospectus. NextShares funds began trading in February, 2016 and have a limited operating history.
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Fund Summary
Investment Objective
The Fund’s investment objective is to achieve total return for its investors.
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.
Investor Fees (fees paid directly from your investment): None
(1) | Expenses in the table above and the Example below reflect the expenses of the Fund and the Global Income Builder Portfolio (the “Portfolio”), the Fund’s master Portfolio. |
(2) | The investment adviser and administrator and sub-adviser have agreed to reimburse the Fund’s expenses to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 0.90%. This expense reimbursement will continue through February 28, 2019. 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 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 the Fund provides a return of 5% each year and that Fund operating expenses remain the same and that any expense reimbursement arrangement remains in place for the contractual period. Investors may pay brokerage commissions on their purchases and sales of Fund shares, which are not reflected in the example. 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 |
$93 | $412 | $754 | $1,720 |
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 Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 143% of the average value of its portfolio.
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 2 | Prospectus dated March 1, 2018 |
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund seeks to invest in common stocks, preferred stocks and other hybrid securities, and fixed and floating-rate securities and other debt (“income instruments”) of U.S. and foreign issuers. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest (i) at least 30% of its net assets in securities or other instruments issued by issuers located outside of the United States, which may include emerging market countries; and (ii) in issuers located in at least five different countries (including the United States). An issuer will be considered to be located outside the United States if it is domiciled in and tied economically to one or more non-U.S. countries and may include securities trading in the form of depositary receipts. The Fund may invest 25% or more of its assets in each of the utilities and financial services sectors.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund currently expects to invest 50-80% of its net assets in common stocks, 0-30% of its net assets in preferred stocks and other hybrid securities (which generally possess characteristics common to both equity and debt securities), and 10-40% of its net assets in income instruments including cash or money market instruments. The Fund’s investments may be of any maturity or perpetual. The Fund may invest in income instruments and preferred stocks and other hybrid securities of any rating category, or unrated, including those in default, with interest or dividends in arrears or not currently producing any income. The Fund’s investments in income instruments and preferred stocks and other hybrid securities are expected to be primarily rated below investment grade (i.e., rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”) or Fitch Ratings (“Fitch”), or below Baa- by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) or, if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality by the investment adviser or sub-adviser). Securities and other instruments rated below investment grade are also known as “high yield” or “junk.” Securities and other instruments rated BBB and Baa have speculative characteristics, while lower rated securities are predominantly speculative. The Fund expects to invest principally in income instruments that are issued by corporations or sovereign nations, convertible bonds and senior floating-rate loans (“Senior Loans”) and subordinated floating-rate loans (“Junior Loans”) (collectively “loans”). Some of the Fund’s investments may be subject to restrictions on resale, including “Rule 144A” or “Regulation S” securities. The Fund may invest in publicly traded real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). The Fund may invest in exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), a type of pooled investment vehicle, in order to manage cash positions or to 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, interest rates 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 and to seek to gain or limit exposure to certain markets through the use of futures contracts on securities indices, particularly in connection with engaging in the dividend capture trading strategy (as described below). 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; equity swap agreements; interest rate swaps; and credit derivatives including credit default swaps, total return swaps and credit options. 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). There is no stated limit on the Fund’s use of derivatives and the Fund’s use of derivatives may be extensive. To the extent the Fund holds cash as collateral for derivatives, the investment ranges described above may be exceeded.
To determine the percentage of the Fund’s assets that will be invested from time to time in each asset class, the portfolio managers meet periodically and, taking market and other factors into consideration, agree upon an allocation. The portfolio managers have broad discretion to allocate the Fund’s investments between common stocks, preferred stocks and other hybrid securities and income instruments within the ranges identified above. Investment decisions are made primarily on the basis of fundamental research. The portfolio managers utilize information provided by, and the expertise of, the investment adviser’s and sub-adviser’s research staff in making investment decisions.
In selecting securities, the Fund seeks common stocks, preferred stocks and other hybrid securities and income instruments of U.S. and foreign issuers that the portfolio managers believe may produce attractive levels of income. For its investments in common stocks, the Fund also seeks to invest in securities that the portfolio managers believe have the potential for growth of income and/or capital appreciation over time. For its investments in preferred stocks and other hybrid securities and income instruments, the Fund will also take into consideration the interest rate sensitivity of the investments. The Fund may seek to enhance the level of dividend income it receives by engaging in 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 Fund may enter into a series of these trades to augment the amount of dividend income it receives over time. In selecting stocks, the portfolio managers may consider (among other factors) a company’s earnings or cash flow capabilities, dividend prospects, the strength of the company’s business franchises and estimates of the company’s net value. The portfolio managers will normally consider selling or trimming securities when
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 3 | Prospectus dated March 1, 2018 |
they become overvalued, represent too large a position in the portfolio, when they identify other securities that may result in a better opportunity, or when fundamentals deteriorate and the original investment case is no longer valid. In addition, the buy and sell decisions for preferred stocks and other hybrid securities and income instruments are also affected to a larger degree by the structure and features of the securities, the current and expected interest rate environment and regulatory actions relating to any specific security or class of security.
The Fund currently invests its assets in the Portfolio, a separate registered investment company with substantially the same investment objective and policies as the Fund, but may also invest directly in securities and other instruments.
About NextShares
NextShares are a new type of actively managed exchange-traded product operating pursuant to an order issued by the SEC granting an exemption from certain provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). NextShares funds began trading in February 2016 and have a limited operating history. There can be no guarantee that an active trading market for NextShares will develop or be maintained, or that their listing will continue unchanged.
Individual shares of a NextShares fund may be purchased and sold only on a national securities exchange or alternative trading system through a broker-dealer that offers NextShares (“Broker”), and may not be directly purchased or redeemed from the fund. As a new type of fund, NextShares initially may be offered by a limited number of Brokers. Trading prices of NextShares are directly linked to the fund’s next-computed net asset value per share (“NAV”), which is normally determined as of the close of regular market trading each business day. Buyers and sellers of NextShares will not know the value of their purchases and sales until NAV is determined at the end of the trading day.
Trading prices of NextShares will vary from NAV by a market-determined trading cost (i.e., a premium or discount to NAV), which may be zero. The premium or discount to NAV at which NextShares trades are executed is locked in at the time of trade execution, and will depend on market factors, including the balance of supply and demand for shares among investors, transaction fees and other costs associated with creating and redeeming Creation Units (as defined below) of shares, competition among market makers, the share inventory positions and inventory strategies of market makers, and the volume of share trading. Reflecting these and other market factors, prices of shares in the secondary market may be above, at or below NAV. See “Purchases and Sales of Fund Shares” below for important information about how to buy and sell shares.
How NextShares Compare to Mutual Funds. Mutual fund shares may be purchased and redeemed directly from the issuing fund for cash at the fund’s next determined NAV. Shares of NextShares funds, by contrast, are purchased and sold primarily in the secondary market. Because trading prices of NextShares may vary from NAV and commissions may apply, NextShares may be more expensive to buy and sell than mutual funds. Like mutual funds, NextShares may be bought or sold in specified share or dollar quantities, although not all Brokers may accept dollar-based orders.
Relative to investing in mutual funds, the NextShares structure offers certain potential advantages that may translate into improved performance and higher tax efficiency. These potential advantages include: (a) a single class of shares with no sales loads or distribution and service (12b-1) fees; (b) lower fund transfer agency expenses; (c) reduced fund trading costs and cash drag in connection with investor inflows and outflows; and (d) lower fund capital gains distributions. Because NextShares do not pay sales loads or distribution and service (12b-1) fees, their appeal to financial intermediaries may be limited to distribution arrangements that do not rely upon such payments.
How NextShares Compare to ETFs. Similar to ETFs, NextShares are issued and redeemed only in specified large aggregations (“Creation Units”) and trade throughout the day on an exchange. Unlike ETFs, trading prices of NextShares are directly linked to the fund’s next end-of-day NAV rather than determined at the time of trade execution. Different from ETFs, NextShares do not offer opportunities to transact intraday at currently (versus end-of-day) determined prices.
Unlike actively managed ETFs, NextShares are not required to disclose their full holdings on a daily basis, thereby protecting fund investors against the potentially dilutive effects of other market participants front-running the fund’s trades. Because the mechanism that underlies efficient trading of NextShares does not involve portfolio instruments not used in creations and redemptions, the need for full portfolio holdings disclosure to achieve tight markets in NextShares is eliminated. The NAV-based trading employed for NextShares provides investors with built-in trade execution cost transparency and the ability to control their trading costs using limit orders. This feature of NextShares distinguishes them from ETFs, for which the variance between market prices and underlying portfolio values is not always known by individual investors and cannot be controlled by them. For more information, see “Additional Information about NextShares.”
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 4 | Prospectus dated March 1, 2018 |
Principal Risks
Market Trading Risk. Individual Fund shares may be purchased and sold only on a national securities exchange or alternative trading system through a Broker, and may not be directly purchased or redeemed from the Fund. There can be no guarantee that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained, or that their listing will continue unchanged. Buying and selling shares may require you to pay brokerage commissions and expose you to other trading costs. Due to brokerage commissions and other transaction costs that may apply, frequent trading may detract from realized investment returns. Trading prices of shares may be above, at or below the Fund’s NAV, will fluctuate in relation to NAV based on supply and demand in the market for shares and other factors, and may vary significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility. The return on your investment will be reduced if you sell shares at a greater discount or narrower premium to NAV than you acquired shares.
Contingent Pricing Risk. Trading prices of Fund shares are directly linked to the Fund’s next-computed NAV, which is normally determined as of the close of regular market trading each business day. Buyers and sellers of shares will not know the value of their purchases and sales until the Fund’s NAV is determined at the end of the trading day. Like mutual funds, the Fund does not offer opportunities to transact intraday at currently (versus end-of-day) determined prices. Trade prices are contingent upon the determination of NAV and may vary significantly from anticipated levels (including estimates based on intraday indicative values disseminated by the Fund) during periods of market volatility. Although limit orders can be used to control differences in trade prices versus NAV, they cannot be used to control or limit trade execution prices.
Market Risk. The value of investments held by the Fund may increase or decrease in response to economic, political and financial events (whether real, expected or perceived) in the U.S. and global markets. The frequency and magnitude of such changes in value cannot be predicted. Certain securities and other investments held by the Fund may experience increased volatility, illiquidity, or other potentially adverse effects in reaction to changing market conditions. Actions taken by the U.S. Federal Reserve or foreign central banks to stimulate or stabilize economic growth, such as decreases or increases in short-term interest rates, could cause high volatility in markets. No active trading market may exist for certain investments, which may impair the ability of the Fund to sell or to realize the current valuation of such investments in the event of the need to liquidate such assets. Fixed-income markets may experience periods of relatively high volatility in an environment where U.S. treasury yields are rising.
Equity Securities Risk. The value of equity securities and related instruments 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 in value, the value of the Fund’s equity securities will also likely decline. Although prices can rebound, there is no assurance that values will return to previous levels.
Foreign Investment Risk. Foreign investments can be adversely affected by political, economic and market 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.
Economic data as reported by sovereign entities 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.
Emerging Markets Investment Risk. Investment markets in emerging market countries are typically smaller, less liquid and more volatile than developed markets, and emerging market securities often involve greater risks than developed market securities.
Currency Risk. Exchange rates for currencies fluctuate daily. The value of foreign investments may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in currency exchange rates in relation to the U.S. dollar. Currency markets generally are not as regulated as securities markets and currency transactions are subject to settlement, custodial and other operational risks.
Income Risk. The Fund’s ability to distribute income to investors will depend on the yield available on the common and preferred stocks and other hybrid securities and income instruments 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.
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 5 | Prospectus dated March 1, 2018 |
Dividend Capture Trading Risk. The use of dividend capture strategies will expose 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.
Sector Risk. Because the Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in the utilities and financial services sectors, the value of Fund shares may be affected by events that adversely affect those sectors and may fluctuate more than that of a fund that invests more broadly.
Credit Risk. Investments in income instruments, including loans, and hybrid securities (referred to below as “debt instruments”) 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 debt instruments also may decline because of concerns about the issuer’s ability to make principal and interest payments. In addition, the credit ratings of debt instruments may be lowered if the financial condition of the party obligated to make payments with respect to such instruments deteriorates. In the event of bankruptcy of the issuer of a debt instrument, 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, which may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect net asset value.
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 maturities are more sensitive to changes in interest rates than shorter maturity securities, causing them to be more volatile. Conversely, fixed income securities with shorter maturities will be less volatile but generally provide lower returns than fixed income securities with longer maturities. In a rising interest rate environment, the maturities 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.
Convertible and Other Hybrid Securities Risk. Convertible and other hybrid securities generally possess characteristics common to both equity and debt securities. In addition to risks associated with investing in income securities, such as interest rate and credit risks, convertible and other hybrid securities may be subject to issuer-specific and market risks generally applicable to equity securities. Convertible securities may also react to changes in the value of the common stock into which they convert, and are thus subject to equity investing and market risks. A convertible security may be converted at an inopportune time, which may decrease the Fund’s return.
Preferred Stock Risk. 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 are subject to issuer-specific risks generally applicable to equity securities and credit and interest rate risks generally applicable to fixed-income securities. The value of preferred stock generally declines when interest rates rise and may react more significantly than bonds and other debt instruments to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects.
Additional Risks of Loans. Loans are traded in a private, unregulated inter-dealer or inter-bank resale market and are generally subject to contractual restrictions that must be satisfied before a loan can be bought or sold. These restrictions may impede the Fund’s ability to buy or sell loans (thus affecting their liquidity) and may negatively impact the transaction price. See also “Market Risk” above. It also may take longer than seven days for transactions in loans to settle. Due to the possibility of an extended loan settlement process, the Fund may hold cash, sell investments or temporarily borrow from banks or other lenders to meet short-term liquidity needs, such as to satisfy redemption requests from Fund investors. Loans may be structured such that they are not securities under securities law, 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. Loans are also subject to risks associated with other types of income investments as described herein.
Lower Rated Investments Risk. Investments rated below investment grade and comparable unrated investments (sometimes referred to as “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.
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 6 | Prospectus dated March 1, 2018 |
Restricted and Illiquid Securities Risk. Unless registered for sale to the public under applicable federal securities law, restricted securities can be sold only in private transactions to qualified purchasers pursuant to an exemption from registration. The sale price realized from a private transaction could be less than the Fund’s 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. 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. Restricted securities may also be difficult to value.
Real Estate Risk. Real estate investments are subject to risks associated with owning real estate, including declines in real estate values, increases in property taxes, fluctuations in interest rates, limited availability of mortgage financing, decreases in revenues from underlying real estate assets, declines in occupancy rates, changes in government regulations affecting zoning, land use, and rents, environmental liabilities, and risks related to 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 must satisfy specific requirements for favorable tax treatment and can involve unique risks in addition to the risks generally affecting the real estate industry. Changes in underlying real estate values may have an exaggerated effect to the extent that investments are concentrated in particular geographic regions or property types.
ETF Risk. ETFs are subject to the risks of investing in the underlying securities or other investments. 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. Other pooled investment vehicles generally are subject to risks similar to those of ETFs.
Derivatives Risk. The Fund’s exposure to derivatives involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other investments. 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 leverage in the Fund, which represents a non-cash exposure to the underlying asset, index, rate or instrument. Leverage can increase both the risk and return potential of the Fund. 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. 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 (including one used for hedging) may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate, index or instrument. 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 derivative’s 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 Fund’s use of derivatives. A derivative investment also involves the risks relating to the asset, index, rate or instrument underlying the investment.
Short Sale Risk. The Fund will incur a loss as a result of a short sale if the price of the security sold short increases in value between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Fund purchases the security to replace the borrowed security. 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.
Money Market Instrument Risk. Money market instruments 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 instruments; adverse economic, political or other developments affecting issuers of money market instruments; changes in the credit quality of issuers; and default by a counterparty.
Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves a possible delay in recovery of the loaned securities or a possible loss of rights in the collateral if the borrower fails financially. The Fund could also lose money if the value of the collateral decreases.
Portfolio Turnover Risk. 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 may involve greater expenses (which may reduce return) than a fund with a lower rate. Capital gains distributions will be made to investors if offsetting capital loss carry forwards do not exist.
Risks Associated with Active Management. The success of the Fund’s investment strategy depends on portfolio management’s successful application of analytical skills and investment judgment. Active management involves subjective decisions.
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 7 | Prospectus dated March 1, 2018 |
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. Purchase and redemption activities by Fund investors may impact the management of the Fund and its ability to achieve its investment objective(s). In addition, the redemption by one or more large investors or groups of investors of their holdings in the Fund could have an adverse impact on the remaining investors in the Fund. 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.
Performance
The returns in the bar chart and table for the period from March 28, 2016 (commencement of operations) to December 31, 2017 are for the Fund and for periods before the date the Fund commenced operations are for a mutual fund that invests in the Portfolio (the “Portfolio Investor”). The bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and how the Portfolio Investor/Fund’s average annual returns at NAV over time compare with those of two broad-based securities market indices and a blended index. The performance prior to March 28, 2016 does not represent the performance of the Fund. The investment performance of the Portfolio Investor (rather than the Portfolio itself) is shown because it reflects the expenses typically borne by a retail fund investing in the Portfolio. The Portfolio Investor returns are not adjusted to reflect differences between the total net operating expenses of the Fund and the Portfolio Investor during the periods shown. If such adjustment were made, the performance presented prior to March 28, 2016 would be higher, because the Fund’s total net operating expenses are lower than those of the Portfolio Investor. Past performance (both before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. The Fund’s performance reflects the effects of expense reductions. Absent these reductions, performance would have been lower. Current Fund performance information can be obtained by visiting www.eatonvance.com.
For the ten years ended December 31, 2017, the highest quarterly total return for the Portfolio Investor or the Fund was 12.80% for the quarter ended September 30, 2009, and the lowest quarterly return was -16.81% for the quarter ended December 31, 2008. For the 30 days ended October 31, 2017, the SEC yield for the Fund was 2.05%. Current yield information can be obtained by visiting www.eatonvance.com.
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 8 | Prospectus dated March 1, 2018 |
*The blended index consists of 65% MSCI World Index and 35% ICE BofAML Developed Markets High Yield Ex-Subordinated Financial Index, rebalanced monthly. The MSCI World Index reflects net dividends which includes the deduction of withholding taxes. The ICE BofAML Developed Markets High Yield Ex-Subordinated Financial Index reflects gross returns.
Prior to December 7, 2015, the Portfolio Investor invested at least 80% of net assets in dividend-paying common and preferred stocks. Effective December 7, 2015, the Portfolio Investor changed its principal investment strategies to invest in common stocks, preferred stocks and other hybrid securities and income instruments of U.S. and foreign issuers. As of such date, the Portfolio Investor is no longer required to invest at least 80% of its net assets in dividend-paying common and preferred stocks. (Source for MSCI World Index: MSCI) MSCI data may not be reproduced or used for any other purpose. MSCI provides no warranties, has not prepared or approved this data, and has no liability hereunder. ICE Data Indices, LLC indices not for redistribution or other uses; provided “as is,” without warranties, and with no liability. Eaton Vance has prepared this report, ICE Data Indices, LLC does not endorse it, or guarantee, review, or endorse Eaton Vance’s 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 an investor’s tax situation and the actual characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors 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 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.
Investment Sub-Adviser. Eaton Vance Advisers International Ltd. (“EVAIL”).
Portfolio Managers
Christopher Dyer (lead portfolio manager), Director and Vice President of EVAIL and Director of Global Equity for the Eaton Vance organization, has managed the Fund and the Portfolio since their inception in March 2016.
Michael A. Allison, Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR, has managed the Fund and the Portfolio since their inception in March 2016.
John H. Croft, Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR, has managed the Fund and the Portfolio since their inception in March 2016.
Jeffrey D. Mueller, Vice President of EVAIL, has managed the Fund and the Portfolio since their inception in March 2016.
Purchases and Sales of Fund Shares
Buying and Selling Shares in the Secondary Market. Shares of the Fund are listed and available for trading on The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (the “Listing Exchange”) during the Listing Exchange’s core trading session (generally 9:30 am to 4:00 pm eastern time). Shares may also be bought and sold on other national securities exchanges and alternative trading systems that have obtained appropriate licenses, adopted applicable rules and developed systems to support trading in Fund shares. Fund shares may be purchased and sold in the secondary market only through a Broker. When buying or selling shares, you may incur trading commissions or other charges determined by your Broker. The Fund does not impose any minimum investment for shares of the Fund purchased in the secondary market.
Buying and selling Fund shares is similar in most respects to buying and selling ETFs and listed stocks. Throughout each trading day, market makers post on an exchange bids to buy shares and offers to sell shares. Buyers and sellers submit trade orders through their Brokers. The executing trading venue matches orders received from Brokers against market maker quotes and other orders to execute trades, and reports the results of completed trades to the parties to the trade, member firms and market data services. Completed trades in Fund shares clear and settle just like ETF trades and listed stock trades, with settlement normally occurring on the second following business day (T+2). Orders to buy and sell Fund shares that are not executed on the day the order is submitted are automatically cancelled as of the close of trading that day.
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Trading in Fund shares differs from buying and selling ETFs and listed stocks in four respects:
· | how intraday prices of executed trades and bids and offers posted by market makers are expressed; |
· | how to determine the number of shares to buy or sell if you seek to transact in an approximate dollar amount; |
· | what limit orders mean and how limit prices are expressed; and |
· | how and when the final price of executed trades is determined. |
Intraday Prices and Quote Display Format. The intraday price of executed trades and bids and offers quoted for Fund shares are all expressed relative to the Fund’s next determined NAV, rather than as an absolute dollar price. As noted above, the Fund’s NAV is normally determined as of the close of regular market trading each business day. As an illustration, shares of the Fund may be quoted intraday at a best bid of “NAV -$0.01” and a best offer of “NAV +$0.02.” A buy order executed at the quoted offer price would, in this example, be priced at two cents over the Fund’s NAV on the trade date. If the last trade in Fund shares was priced at two cents over NAV (the current best offer), it would be displayed as “NAV +$0.02.”
Bid and offer quotes and prices of Fund shares in NAV-based format can be accessed intraday on Broker terminals using the Fund’s ticker symbol. Market data services may display bid and offer quotes and trade prices in NAV-based format or in “proxy price” format, in which NAV is represented as 100.00 and premiums/discounts to NAV are represented by the same difference from 100.00 (to illustrate, NAV-$0.01 would be shown as 99.99 and NAV+$0.02 as 100.02). Historical information about the Fund’s trading costs and trading spreads is provided on its webpage on www.eatonvance.com.
Sizing Buy and Sell Orders. NextShares may be purchased and sold in specified share or dollar quantities, although not all Brokers may accept dollar-based orders. In share-based orders, you specify the number of fund shares to buy or sell. Like share-based ETF and listed stock orders, determining the number of Fund shares to buy or sell if you seek to transact in an approximate dollar amount requires dividing the intended purchase or sale amount by the estimated price per share. To assist buyers and sellers in estimating transaction prices, the Fund makes available at intervals of not more than 15 minutes during the Listing Exchange’s regular trading session an indicative estimate of the Fund’s current portfolio value (“Intraday Indicative Value” or “IIV”). IIVs can be accessed on the Fund’s webpage at eatonvance.com and may also be available from Brokers and market data services.
The price of a transaction in Fund shares can be estimated as the sum of the most recent IIV and the current bid (for sales) or offer (for purchases). If, for example, you seek to buy approximately $15,000 of Fund shares when the current IIV is $19.98 and the current offer is NAV +$0.02, you should place an order to buy 750 shares (= $15,000 ÷ $20.00). And if you seek to sell approximately $15,000 of Fund shares when the current IIV is $19.98 and the current bid is NAV -$0.01, you should sell 751 shares (≈ $15,000 ÷ $19.97).
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Because IIVs are estimates and will generally differ from NAV, they cannot be used to calculate with precision the dollar value of a prescribed number of shares to be bought or sold. Investors should understand that share transaction prices are based on the Fund’s next determined NAV, and that NAVs may vary significantly from IIVs during periods of intraday market volatility.
Limit Orders. A “limit order” is an order placed with a Broker to buy or sell a prescribed number of shares at a specified price or better. In entering limit orders to buy or sell Fund shares, limit prices are expressed relative to NAV (i.e., NAV +$0.02, NAV -$0.01), rather than as an absolute dollar price. By using limit orders, buyers and sellers of NextShares can control their trading costs in a manner not available for ETFs.
Although limit orders can be used to control differences in trade price versus NAV, they cannot be used to control or limit absolute trade execution prices.
Final Prices of Executed Trades. The premium or discount to NAV at which Fund shares trade is locked in at the time of trade execution, with the final price contingent upon the determination of NAV at the end of the trading day. If, for example, an order to buy or sell shares executes at NAV +$0.02 and the Fund’s NAV on the day of the trade is $20.00, the final trade price is $20.02.
The premium or discount to NAV at which Fund shares trade depends on market factors, including the balance of supply and demand for shares among investors, transaction fees and other costs associated with creating and redeeming Creation Units, competition among market makers, the share inventory positions and inventory strategies of market makers, and the volume of share trading. NextShares do not offer investors the opportunity to buy and sell intraday at currently (versus end-of-day) determined prices. Buyers and sellers of shares will not know the final trade price of executed trades until the Fund’s NAV is determined at the end of the trading day. Trading prices of shares may be above, at or below NAV, and may vary significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility.
Transactions Directly with the Fund. The Fund issues and redeems shares only in Creation Unit blocks of 25,000 shares or multiples thereof. Creation Units may be purchased or redeemed only by or through “Authorized Participants,” which are broker-dealers or institutional investors that have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor for this purpose. The Fund issues and redeems Creation Units in return for the securities, other instruments and/or cash (the “Basket”) that the Fund specifies each business day. The Fund’s Basket is not intended to be representative of current holdings and may vary significantly from current portfolio positions. The Fund imposes transaction fees on Creation Units issued and redeemed to offset the estimated cost to the Fund of processing the transaction and converting the Basket to or from the desired portfolio composition. For more information, see “Buying and Selling Shares.”
Tax Information
If your shares are held in a taxable account, the Fund’s distributions will be taxed to you as ordinary income and/or capital gains, unless you are exempt from taxation. If your shares are held in a tax-advantaged account, you will generally be taxed only upon withdrawals from the account.
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Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund’s shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (collectively, “financial intermediaries”), you should be aware that the Fund’s investment adviser (or one of 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 intermediary’s website for more information.
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Investment Objective & Principal Policies and Risks
The investment objective and principal investment policies and risks of the Fund are described in its Fund Summary. Set forth below is additional information about such policies and risks, as well as information about other types of investments and practices in which the Fund may engage from time to time. The Fund seeks its objective by investing in the Portfolio and/or by investing directly in securities and other instruments. References to the Fund below are to the Fund and the Portfolio. See also “Strategies and Risks” in the Statement of Additional Information.
Definitions. As used herein, the following terms have the indicated meaning: “1940 Act” means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended; “1933 Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended; “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; and “investment adviser” means the Fund’s investment adviser but if the Fund is sub-advised, it refers to the sub-adviser providing day-to-day management with respect to the investments or strategies discussed.
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. The Fund cannot predict the income it might receive from equity securities because issuers generally have discretion as to the payment of any dividends or distributions.
The value of equity securities and related instruments 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.
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 issuer’s 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. Dividend payments on preferred stocks may be subordinate to interest payments on the issuer’s debt obligations. Certain preferred stocks may be convertible to common stock. 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. The value of preferred stock may react more strongly than bonds and other debt instruments to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects.
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 dividends paid until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities have characteristics similar to nonconvertible income securities.
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 debt-like. This is particularly true of convertible securities issued by companies in the financial services sector.
The value of a convertible security may 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 factors also may have an effect on the convertible security’s investment value. A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible security’s governing instrument.
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, trust preferred securities and certain debt obligations are types of hybrid securities. Hybrid securities generally have a preference over common stock in the event of the issuer’s liquidation and perpetual or near perpetual terms at time of issuance. Hybrid securities generally do not have voting rights or have limited voting rights. 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
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interest rates and the issuer’s 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 issuer’s outstanding common stock or subordinated debt instruments.
Because hybrid securities have both debt and equity characteristics, their values vary in response to many factors, including issuer-specific events, credit spreads and, for convertible securities, factors affecting the securities into which they convert. Trust preferred securities are issued by a special purpose trust that holds the subordinated debt of a company and, as such, are subject to the risks associated with such debt obligation.
Fixed-Income Securities and Other Debt Instruments. Fixed-income securities and other debt 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. Fixed-income securities and other debt 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. Fixed-income securities and other debt 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. For the purpose of the Fund's investment ranges, the foregoing instruments are income instruments, except certain types of convertible securities and other hybrid securities.
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 maturities are more sensitive to changes in interest rates than shorter maturity securities, causing them to be more volatile. Conversely, fixed income securities with shorter maturities will be less volatile but generally provide lower returns than fixed income securities with longer maturities. In a rising interest rate environment, the maturities 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.
Loans. Loans may be primary, direct investments or investments in loan assignments or participation interests. A loan assignment represents a portion of the entirety of a loan and a portion or 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. Most loans are rated below investment grade or, if unrated, are of similar credit quality.
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 borrower’s 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.
Certain loans (“senior loans”) hold a senior position in the capital structure of a business entity, are typically secured with specific collateral and have a claim on the assets and/or stock of the borrower that is senior to that held by subordinated
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debtholders and stockholders of the borrower. Junior loans may be secured or unsecured subordinated loans, second lien loans and subordinated bridge loans. Floating-rate loans typically have rates of interest which are re-determined daily, monthly, quarterly or semi-annually by reference to a base lending rate, plus a premium.
A lender’s 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 lender’s ability to enforce its rights under such documents. Bankruptcy laws in foreign jurisdictions, including emerging markets, may differ significantly from US bankruptcy law and the Fund's rights with respect to a loan governed by the laws of a foreign jurisdiction may be more limited.
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.
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 a private, 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 loans that also issue publicly traded securities. Therefore, the investment adviser may have less information than other investors about certain of the 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 (i) impede the Fund’s ability to buy or sell loans, (ii) negatively impact the transaction price, (iii) impact the counterparty and/or credit risks borne by the Fund, (iv) impede the Fund’s ability to timely vote or otherwise act with respect to loans, (v) expose the Fund to adverse tax or regulatory consequences and/or (vi) result in delayed settlement of loan transactions. It may take longer than seven days for a transaction in loans to settle, which may impact the Fund’s process for meeting redemptions. See “Liquidity Risk.” This is partly due to the nature of manner in which loans trade and the contractual restrictions noted above, which require a written assignment agreement and various ancillary documents for each transfer, and frequently require discretionary consents from both the borrower and the administrative agent. In light of the foregoing, the Fund may hold cash, sell investments or temporarily borrow to meet its cash needs, including satisfying redemption requests.
Assignments of loans 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. No active trading market may exist for certain loans, which may impair the ability of the Fund to realize full value in the event of the need to sell a loan and which may make it difficult to value the loan. To the extent that a secondary market does exist for certain loans, the market may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods.
In addition to the risks generally associated with debt instruments, such as credit, market, interest rate and liquidity risks, loans are also subject to the risk that the value of any collateral securing a loan may decline, be insufficient to meet the obligations of the borrower or be difficult to liquidate. The specific collateral used to secure a loan may decline in value or become illiquid, which would adversely affect the loan’s value. The Fund’s access to collateral may be limited by bankruptcy, other insolvency laws or by the type of loan the Fund has purchased. For example, if the Fund purchases a participation instead of an assignment, it would not have direct access to collateral of the borrower. As a result, a floating rate loan may not be fully collateralized and can decline significantly in value. Additionally, collateral on loan instruments may not be readily liquidated, and there is no assurance that the liquidation of such assets will satisfy a borrower’s obligations under the investment.
Loans are subject to the risk that a court, pursuant to fraudulent conveyance or other similar laws, could subordinate a loan to presently existing or future indebtedness of the borrower, or take other action detrimental to the holders of a loan including, in certain circumstances, invalidating the loans or causing interest previously paid to be refunded to the borrower. Any such actions by a court could negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Loans that are secured and senior
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to other debtholders of a borrower tend to have more favorable loss recovery rates as compared to more junior types of below investment grade debt obligations. Due to their lower place in the borrower’s capital structure and, in some cases, their unsecured status, junior loans involve a higher degree of overall risk than senior loans of the same borrower.
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.
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.
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 Fund’s assets. Evidence of ownership of certain foreign investments may be held outside the United States, and the Fund may be subject to the risks associated with the holding of such property overseas.
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 Fund’s ability to buy, sell, receive or deliver the securities. Trading in certain foreign markets is also subject to liquidity risks.
The Fund may invest in securities and other instruments (including loans) issued, guaranteed, or backed by sovereign or government entities. Economic data as reported by sovereign or government entities and other issuers may be delayed, inaccurate or fraudulent. In the event of a default by a sovereign or government entity, there are typically no assets to be seized or cash flows to be attached. Furthermore, the willingness or ability of a sovereign or government entity to renegotiate defaulted debt may be limited. Therefore, losses on sovereign or government defaults may far exceed the losses from the default of a similarly rated U.S. corporate debt issuer.
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, such as American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), which evidence 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 issuer’s country, as well as in the case of depositary receipts traded on foreign markets, currency 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 may be less liquid.
Emerging Markets Investments. The risks of foreign investments 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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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.
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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 Fund’s 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. 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. A devaluation of a currency by a country’s government or banking authority will have a significant impact on the value of any investments denominated in that currency. 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.
Derivatives. 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 consistent with the Fund’s investment strategy and may include the various types of exchange-traded and over-the-counter (“OTC”) instruments described herein and other instruments with substantially similar characteristics and risks.
Fund obligations created pursuant to derivative instruments may give rise to leverage, which would subject the Fund to the requirements described under “Asset Coverage” in the Fund’s SAI. The Fund may invest in a derivative transaction if it is permitted to own, invest in, or otherwise have economic exposure to the reference instrument. A reference instrument could be a security, instrument, index, currency, commodity, economic indicator or event (“reference instruments”). 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. The Fund may trade in the specific types and/or combinations of derivative transactions listed below.
Derivative instruments are subject to a number of risks, including adverse or unexpected movements in the price of the reference instrument, and counterparty, credit, interest rate, liquidity, market, tax and leverage risks. In addition, derivatives also involve the risk that changes in their value may not correlate perfectly with the assets, rates, indices or instruments they are designed to hedge or closely track. 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 Fund’s 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, an option or commodity exchange or swap execution facility or clearinghouse 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 day’s 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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The regulation of the U.S. and non-U.S. derivatives markets has undergone substantial change in recent years. In particular, the Dodd-Frank Act and related regulations require many derivatives to be cleared and traded on an exchange, expand entity registration requirements, impose business conduct requirements on counterparties, and impose other regulatory requirements that will continue to change derivatives markets as regulations are implemented. Additional future regulation of the derivatives markets may make the use of derivatives more costly, may limit the availability or reduce the liquidity of derivatives, and may impose limits or restrictions on the counterparties with which the Fund engages in derivative transactions. Fund management cannot predict the effects of any new governmental regulation that may be implemented, and future regulation may impair the effectiveness of the Fund’s derivative transactions and its ability to achieve its investment objectives.
Options. Options may be traded on an exchange and OTC. By buying a put option on a particular instrument, 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 may also write (i.e., sell) put options. The Fund will receive a premium for selling a put option, which may increase the Fund's return. In selling a put option on an underlying instrument, the Fund has the obligation to buy the instrument at an agreed upon price if the price of such instrument decreases below the exercise price. If the value of the underlying instrument on the option’s 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.
The Fund may purchase a call option on a particular instrument, which 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 may also write (i.e., sell) a call option in return for a premium, on an instrument in which it may invest and may enter into closing purchase transactions with respect to such options. A covered call option is an option in which the Fund gives another party a right to buy an underlying instrument owned by the Fund at a specified future date and price set at the time of the contract. The Fund may also sell an uncovered call option which has speculative characteristics because there is no underlying instrument held by the Fund that can act as a partial hedge.
The Fund’s options positions are marked to market daily. The value of options is affected by changes in the value and dividend rates of their underlying instruments, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived volatility of the relevant index or market and the remaining time to the options’ expiration, as well as trading conditions in the options market. The hours of trading for options may not conform to the hours during which the underlying instruments are traded. To the extent that the options markets close before markets for the underlying instruments, significant price and rate movements can take place in the markets that would not be reflected concurrently in the options markets.
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 seller of a covered call option or an index call option, the Fund foregoes, during the option’s life, the opportunity to profit from increases in the market value of the underlying instrument covering the call option above the sum of the premium received by the Fund and the exercise price of the call. The Fund also retains the risk of loss, minus the option premium received, should the price of the underlying instrument decline.
Participants in OTC markets are typically not subject to the same credit evaluation and regulatory oversight as are members of “exchange-based” markets. OTC option contracts generally carry greater liquidity risk than exchange-traded contracts. This risk may be increased in times of financial stress, if the trading market for OTC options becomes restricted. The ability of the Fund to transact business with any one or a number of counterparties may increase the potential for losses to the Fund, due to the lack of any independent evaluation of the counterparties or their financial capabilities, and the absence of a regulated market to facilitate settlement of the options.
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 Fund’s 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.
Credit Options. 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.
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.
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Futures Contracts. Futures are standardized, exchange-traded contracts. Futures contracts on securities obligate a purchaser to take delivery, and a seller to make delivery, of a specific amount of the financial instrument called for in the contract at a specified future date at a specified price. An index futures contract obligates the purchaser to take, and a seller to deliver, an amount of cash equal to a specific dollar amount times the difference between the value of a specific index at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the agreement is made. No physical delivery of the underlying securities in the index is made. It is the practice of holders of futures contracts to close out their positions on or before the expiration date by use of offsetting contract positions, and physical delivery of financial instruments or delivery of cash, as applicable, is thereby avoided. An option on a futures contract gives the holder the right to enter into a specified futures contract.
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts. A forward foreign currency exchange contract (“currency forward”) 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.
Certain currency forwards may be individually negotiated and privately traded, exposing them to credit and counterparty risks. The precise matching of the currency forward 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. Currency forwards 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 currency 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.
Total Return Swaps. A total return swap is a contract in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to another party based on the change in market value of a referenced asset during the specified period, in return for periodic payments from the other party that are based on a fixed or variable interest rate or the total return of the referenced asset or another referenced asset. 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.
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.
Under a CDS, 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. The Fund’s obligations under a CDS will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owed to the Fund).
In response to market events, federal and certain state regulators have proposed regulation of the CDS market. These regulations may limit the Fund’s ability to use CDS and/or the benefits of CDS. CDS may be difficult to value and generally pay a return to the party that has paid the premium only in the event of an actual default by the issuer of the underlying obligation (as opposed to a credit downgrade or other indication of financial difficulty). The Fund may have difficulty, be unable or may incur additional costs to acquire any securities or instruments it is required to deliver under a CDS. The Fund many have limited ability to eliminate its exposure under a CDS either by assignment or other disposition, or by entering into an offsetting swap agreement. The Fund also may have limited ability to eliminate its exposure under a CDS if the reference instrument has declined in value.
Counterparty Risk. A financial institution or other counterparty with whom the Fund does business (such as trading, securities lending or as a derivatives counterparty), or that underwrites, distributes or guarantees any instruments 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. Counterparty risk is increased for contracts with longer maturities.
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Leverage. Certain types of Fund transactions may give rise to economic leverage, which represents a non-cash exposure to the underlying asset, index, rate or instrument. Leverage can increase both the risk and return potential of the Fund.
The Fund is required to segregate liquid assets or otherwise cover the Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s portfolio securities. The loss on leveraged investments may substantially exceed the initial investment.
Short Sales. The Fund may engage in short sales on securities or a basket or index of securities. 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. 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. Generally, securities held in a segregated account cannot be sold unless they are replaced with other liquid assets. This may limit the Fund’s investment flexibility, as well as its ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations. The seller of a short position generally realizes a profit from the transaction if the proceeds it receives on the short sale exceed the cost of purchasing the securities sold short in the market, but will generally realize a loss if the cost of closing the short position exceeds the proceeds from the short sale. The Fund pays interest or dividend expense with respect to securities sold short.
If the Fund does not own the securities sold short, the short sale exposes the Fund to the risk that it will be required to purchase 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. There is no assurance that a security sold short will decline in value or make a profit for the Fund. In addition, there is no guarantee that any security needed to cover the short position will be available for purchase. Short selling carries a risk that the counterparty to the short sale may fail to honor its contract terms, causing a loss to the Fund. If the Fund invests the proceeds received for selling securities short in other investments, the Fund is employing a form of leverage.
Lower Rated Investments. Although the investment adviser considers security ratings when making investment decisions, it performs its own credit and investment analysis and does not rely primarily on the ratings assigned by the rating agencies. In evaluating the quality of a particular investment, whether rated or unrated, the investment adviser will normally take into consideration, among other things, the issuer’s financial resources and operating history, its sensitivity to economic conditions and trends, the ability of its management, its debt maturity schedules and borrowing requirements, and relative values based on anticipated cash flow, interest and asset coverage, and earnings prospects. Credit ratings are based largely on the issuer’s historical financial condition and a rating agency’s investment analysis at the time of rating: the rating assigned to any particular security is not necessarily a reflection of the issuer’s current financial condition. The rating assigned to a security or other instrument by a rating agency does not reflect assessment of the volatility of its market value or liquidity. Credit quality in the sectors of the market can change from time to time, and recently issued credit ratings may not fully reflect the actual risks posed by a particular investment.
Because of the greater number of investment considerations involved in investing in investments that receive lower ratings, investing in lower rated investments depends more on the investment adviser’s judgment and analytical abilities than may be the case for investing in investments with higher ratings. While the investment adviser will attempt to reduce the risks of investing in lower rated or unrated securities through active portfolio management, diversification, credit analysis and attention to current developments and trends in the economy and the financial markets, there can be no assurance that a broadly diversified portfolio of such securities would substantially lessen the risks of defaults brought about by an economic downturn or recession.
Investments in obligations rated below investment grade and comparable unrated securities (sometimes referred to as “junk”) generally entail greater economic, credit and liquidity risks than investment grade securities. Lower rated investments 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.
Credit Risk. Rating agencies are private services that provide ratings of the credit quality of certain investments. In evaluating creditworthiness, the investment adviser or (where applicable) sub-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 issuer’s financial condition and the rating agency’s 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 issuer’s current financial condition or the volatility or liquidity of the
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security. An issuer’s 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.
Smaller Companies. Securities of smaller 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 be more difficult to value these investments and may take longer to liquidate these positions at fair value than would be the case for publicly traded securities.
Utilities and Financial Services Sectors. The utilities sector generally includes companies engaged in the manufacture, production, generation, transmission, sale and distribution of water, gas and electric energy. Companies in the financial services sector include, for example, commercial banks, savings and loan associations, brokerage and investment companies, insurance companies, and consumer and industrial finance companies.
Companies in the utilities sector may be sensitive to changes in interest rates and other economic conditions, governmental regulation, uncertainties created by deregulation, power shortages and surpluses, the price and availability of fuel, environmental protection or energy conservation practices, the level and demand for services, the potential impact of natural or man-made disasters, and the cost and potential business disruption of technological developments. Companies in the financial services sector are also subject to extensive government regulation and can be significantly affected by the availability and cost of capital funds, changes in interest rates, the rate of corporate and consumer debt defaults, and price competition. Because the Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in the utilities and/or financial services sector, the value of Fund shares may be affected by events that adversely affect those sectors and may fluctuate more than that of a fund that invests more broadly.
Real Estate Investments. 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, and may include equity REITs and mortgage REITs. 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.
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.
Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the REIT, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. Further, equity and mortgage REITs are dependent upon management skills and generally may not be diversified. Equity and mortgage REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, and self-liquidations. In addition, equity and mortgage REITs could possibly fail to qualify for tax-free pass through of income or to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act. The above factors may also adversely affect a borrower’s or a lessee’s ability to meet its obligations to a REIT. In the event of a default by a borrower or lessee, a REIT may experience delays in enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor and may incur substantial costs associated with protecting its investments.
Shares of REITs may trade less frequently and, therefore, are subject to more erratic price movements than securities of larger issuers. REITs are also subject to credit, market, liquidity and interest rate risks.
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 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. If such fees exceed 0.01%, the costs associated with such investments will be reflected under Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses in the Fund’s Annual Fund Operating Expenses table(s) in its Fund Summary. Requirements of the 1940 Act may limit the Fund’s 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.
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Pooled investment vehicles are subject to the risks of investing in the underlying securities or other instruments that they own. The market for common shares of closed-end investment companies and ETFs, which are generally traded on an exchange and may be traded at a premium or discount to net asset value, is affected by the demand for those securities, regardless of the value of such fund’s underlying securities. In addition, the Fund will bear a pro rata portion of the operating expenses of a pooled investment vehicle in which it invests.
Restricted and Illiquid Securities. The Fund may not invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid 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 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 after considering factors such as trading activity, availability of market quotations and number of dealers willing to purchase the security. 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.
Restricted and illiquid securities may be difficult to value properly and may involve greater risks than liquid securities. It may be difficult to sell illiquid securities at a price representing fair value until such time as the securities may be sold publicly. 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 also may be more difficult to determine the fair value of such securities for purposes of computing the Fund’s net asset value. Even if determined to be liquid, holdings of restricted securities may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers become uninterested in purchasing them. Restricted securities may involve a high degree of business and financial risk which may result in substantial losses.
Municipal Obligations. Municipal obligations include general obligation 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 issuer’s 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.
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. Many municipal obligations permit the issuer at its option to “call”, or redeem, its securities. As such, the effective maturity of an obligation may be reduced as the result of call provisions and, if an investment is called in a declining interest rate environment, the proceeds from the called bond may have to be reinvested at a lower interest rate. The effective maturity of an obligation is its likely redemption date after consideration of any call or redemption features.
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. 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 firms while such loans are outstanding. Securities loans will only be made when the investment adviser believes that the expected returns, net of expenses, justify the attendant risks. 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 engage in securities lending for total return as well as income, and may invest the collateral received from loans in investments in which the Fund may invest. The Fund may pay lending fees to borrowers. 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.
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. 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. As such, securities lending may introduce leverage into the Fund. 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.
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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). Fund borrowings may be equal to as much as 33 1 / 3 % of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including such borrowings) less the Fund’s liabilities (other than borrowings). The Fund will not purchase additional investment securities while outstanding borrowings exceed 5% of the value of its total assets.
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.
Market Trading. Individual Fund shares may be purchased and sold only on a national securities exchange or alternative trading system through a broker-dealer, and may not be directly purchased or redeemed from the Fund. There can be no guarantee that an active trading market for Fund shares will develop or be maintained, or that the listing of Fund shares will continue unchanged. Buying and selling Fund shares may require the payment of brokerage commissions and expose the buyer or seller to other trading costs. Due to brokerage commissions and other trading costs, frequent trading may detract from realized investment returns. Trading prices of Fund shares may be above, at or below NAV, will fluctuate in relation to NAV based on supply and demand in the market for Fund shares and other factors, and may vary significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility. An investor’s realized investment returns will be reduced if the investor sells Fund shares at a greater discount or narrower premium than the one at which he or she acquired the Fund shares. Fund shares may be purchased or redeemed in transactions directly with the Fund only in Creation Unit quantities by or through Authorized Participants. The Fund may have a limited number of active Authorized Participants. To the extent that Authorized Participants withdraw and are not replaced, Fund shares may trade at wider premiums/discounts to NAV and may possibly face delisting.
Contingent Pricing Risk. Trading prices of Fund shares are directly linked to the Fund’s next determined NAV, which is normally calculated as of the close of regular market trading each business day. Buyers and sellers of shares will not know the value of their purchases and sales until the Fund’s NAV is determined at the end of the trading day. Like mutual funds, the Fund does not offer opportunities to transact intraday at currently (versus end-of-day) determined prices. Trade prices are contingent upon the determination of NAV and may vary significantly from anticipated levels (including estimates based on intraday indicative values as described below under “Buying and Selling Shares”) during periods of market volatility. Although limit orders can be used to control differences in trade price versus NAV, they cannot be used to control or limit trade execution prices.
Cash and Money Market Instruments. The Fund may invest in cash or money market instruments, including high quality short-term instruments or an affiliated investment company that invests in such instruments. During unusual market conditions, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash or money market instruments temporarily, which may be inconsistent with its investment objective(s) and other policies.
Money market instruments 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 instruments; adverse economic, political or other developments affecting issuers of money market instruments; changes in the credit quality of issuers; and default by a counterparty.
Use of Master-Feeder Structure. The Fund invests substantially all of its assets in the Portfolio, which has substantially the same investment objective and policies as the Fund. Use of this investment structure, called “master-feeder,” enables the Fund to pool its assets with other investors with substantially the same investment objective and policies that also invest in the same Portfolio, resulting in efficiencies in management and administration that can lower Fund costs and enhance investor returns.
The Portfolio seeks to transact with its investors on a basis that protects the Portfolio (and, indirectly, other 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 Portfolio investors, sized to cover the estimated cost to the 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 Portfolio holdings to cash and or/other instruments to be distributed. Portfolio Transaction Fees apply to all investors in the Portfolio in the same manner to avoid discrimination among Portfolio investors.
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The amount of Portfolio Transaction Fees may vary over time, depending on estimated trading costs, processing costs and other considerations. The Portfolio generally imposes higher Portfolio Transaction Fees on cash transactions than on in-kind contributions and distributions. 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 is 2% of the amount of the contribution or withdrawal.
The ability of the Fund to meet its investment objective is directly related to the ability of the associated Portfolio to meet its objective. Other investors in the Portfolio may have different expense structures, pay different total amounts of Portfolio Transaction Fees and may be offered and sold on different terms than the Fund. As a result, the Fund’s performance 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 the Portfolio and its ability to achieve its investment objective. A large withdrawal by one Portfolio investor could have an adverse effect on other Portfolio investors. The Fund's adviser or its affiliates also serves as investment adviser to the Portfolio. Therefore, conflicts may arise as the investment adviser fulfills its fiduciary responsibilities to the Fund and the 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 investors to consider Portfolio matters and then vote its interest in the Portfolio in proportion to the votes cast by its investors. The Fund can withdraw its Portfolio investment at any time without shareholder approval.
Liquidity Risk. The Fund is exposed to liquidity risk when trading volume, lack of a market maker, or legal restrictions impair the Fund’s ability to sell particular investments or close derivative positions at an advantageous market price. Funds that invest in foreign securities tend to have a greater exposure to liquidity risk. Trading opportunities are also more limited for securities and other instruments that are not widely held or are traded in less developed markets. These factors may make it more difficult to sell or buy a security at a favorable price or time. Consequently, the Fund may have to accept a lower price to sell an investment or continue to hold it or keep the position open, sell other investments to raise cash or give up an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on the Fund’s performance. These effects may be exacerbated during times of economic or political stress. Increased Fund redemption activity, which may occur in a rising interest rate environment or for other reasons, also may increase liquidity risk due to the need of the Fund to sell portfolio securities and may negatively impact Fund performance.
Cybersecurity Risk. With the increased use of technologies by Fund service providers to conduct business, such as the Internet, 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). Cybersecurity failures or breaches by the Fund’s 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 Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, impediments to trading, the inability of Fund investors to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. 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 cybersecurity plans and systems put in place by service providers to the Fund and issuers in which the Fund invests.
General. The Fund's investment objective and certain other policies may be changed without investor approval. 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 Fund’s annual operating expenses are expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets and may change as Fund assets increase and decrease over time. Purchase and redemption activities by Fund investors may impact the management of the Fund and its ability to achieve its investment objective. In addition, the redemption by one or more large investors or groups of investors of their holdings in the Fund could have an adverse impact on the remaining investors 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 Fund’s 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.
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Additional Information about NextShares
Description of NextShares. The Fund operates pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC granting Eaton Vance NextShares Trust (the “Trust”) and Eaton Vance an exemption from certain provisions of the 1940 Act. NextShares operate as follows:
· | NextShares are pooled investment funds that generally follow an active management style, seeking to outperform their designated benchmark and other funds with similar investment profiles; |
· | NextShares funds value their shares at the end of each business day by dividing the current value of fund assets, less liabilities by the number of shares outstanding (referred to as “net asset value per share” or “NAV”); |
· | Investors may purchase and sell shares of a NextShares fund on a national securities exchange or alternative trading system through a Broker. Individual shares may not be directly purchased or redeemed from the issuing fund; |
· | Trading prices of NextShares are directly linked to the fund’s next end-of-day NAV utilizing a patented trading approach called “NAV-based trading.” In NAV-based trading, all trades are executed at the fund’s next computed NAV plus or minus a trading cost (i.e., a premium or discount to NAV) determined at the time of trade execution. For each NextShares trade, the final transaction price is determined once NAV is computed. Buyers and sellers will not know the value of their purchases and sales until the end of the trading day. See “Buying and Selling Shares” below; |
· | The premium or discount to NAV at which NextShares transactions are executed will depend on market factors, including the balance of supply and demand for shares among investors, transaction fees and other costs associated with creating and redeeming Creation Units of shares, competition among market makers, the share inventory positions and inventory strategies of market makers, and the volume of share trading. Reflecting these and other market factors, prices of shares in the secondary market may be above, at or below NAV. NextShares do not offer the opportunity to transact intraday at prices determined at time of trade execution; |
· | NextShares issue and redeem shares only in transactions by or through Authorized Participants in designated Creation Unit blocks of shares in exchange for the Basket of securities, other instruments and/or cash currently specified by the fund. Transactions may be effected partially or entirely in cash when in-kind delivery is not practicable or deemed not in the best interests of investors. NextShares issue and redeem Creation Units of shares at NAV, plus or minus a transaction fee that is intended to cover the fund’s cost of processing the transaction and converting the Basket to or from the desired composition. See “Buying and Selling Shares” below; and |
· | Prior to the beginning of market trading each business day, each NextShares fund will disclose the Basket that it will accept from and deliver to Authorized Participants to settle purchases and redemptions of Creation Units on that day. See “Buying and Selling Shares” below. The Basket is not intended to represent current holdings and may vary significantly from the fund’s current portfolio positioning. |
NextShares funds seek to enhance their performance by utilizing a cost- and tax-efficient structure and by maintaining the confidentiality of current portfolio trading information. NextShares are designed to be long-term investment vehicles and are not suited for short-term trading. As described below, there are important differences between NextShares and ETFs and mutual funds.
Investors should be aware that the investments made, and performance results achieved by NextShares funds may differ from those of other funds for which Eaton Vance (or an affiliate) acts as investment adviser, including funds with similar names, investment objectives and policies.
How NextShares Compare to Mutual Funds. Mutual fund shares may be purchased and redeemed directly from the issuing fund for cash at the next determined NAV. NextShares, by contrast, cannot be directly purchased or redeemed except by or through Authorized Participants in Creation Unit quantities in exchange for the specified Basket. Unlike NextShares, mutual fund shares do not trade on an exchange. Because trading prices of NextShares may vary from NAV and commissions may apply, NextShares may be more expensive to buy and sell than mutual funds. Like mutual funds, NextShares may be bought or sold in specified share or dollar quantities, although not all Brokers may accept dollar-based orders.
Relative to investing in mutual funds, the NextShares structure offers certain potential advantages that may translate into improved performance and higher tax efficiency. More specifically:
· | NextShares have a single class of shares with no sales loads or distribution and service (12b-1) fees; |
· | Because they are set up to take advantage of the highly efficient share processing system of the Depositary Trust Company (“DTC”) used for publicly traded stocks and ETFs, NextShares are expected to operate with lower transfer agency expenses than incurred by most mutual funds; |
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· | Unlike most mutual funds, NextShares are designed to protect fund performance from dilution in connection with investor inflows and outflows. For mutual funds, the costs of accommodating investor flows include the incremental trading costs incurred by the fund to resize its portfolio positions in response to inflows and outflows, and the foregone returns on portfolio cash held for flow-related reasons. In the NextShares structure, flow-related fund costs can be minimized by issuing and redeeming shares in-kind, and substantially offset by imposing transaction fees on direct purchases and redemption of shares; and |
· | The Internal Revenue Code provides that a fund’s distributions of appreciated property to meet redemptions do not result in recognition by the fund of capital gains on the distributed property. NextShares funds generally meet redemptions by distributing securities and other instruments, while mutual funds typically meet redemptions with cash. To raise cash for redemptions, a mutual fund may be required to sell appreciated fund assets and thereby realize capital gains. By avoiding this adverse tax effect, NextShares that utilize in-kind redemptions may achieve higher tax efficiency than a mutual fund that meets redemptions with cash. Not all NextShares funds may meet redemptions in kind. NextShares funds that meet redemptions entirely in cash should not be expected to be more tax efficient than similar mutual funds. |
How NextShares Compare to ETFs. Similar to ETFs, NextShares are issued and redeemed in Creation Unit quantities and trade throughout the day on an exchange. Unlike ETFs, trading prices of NextShares are directly linked to the fund’s next end-of-day NAV using NAV-based trading. As described above, in NAV-based trading, all trades are executed at NAV plus or minus a trading cost (i.e., a premium or discount to NAV) determined at the time of trade execution. Different from ETFs, NextShares do not offer opportunities to transact intraday based on currently (versus end-of-day) determined prices. Buyers and Sellers of NextShares will not know the value of their purchases and sales until NAV is determined at the end of the trading day.
· | Different from ETFs, NextShares offer market makers a profit opportunity that does not require the management of intraday market risk. To realize profits from NextShares market making, a market maker holding positions in NextShares accumulated intraday need only transact with the fund to purchase (or redeem) a corresponding number of Creation Units, buy (sell) the equivalent quantities of Basket instruments at market-closing or better prices, and dispose of any remaining sub-Creation Unit share inventory through secondary market transactions prior to the close; |
· | Unlike actively managed ETFs, NextShares are not required to disclose their full holdings on a daily basis, thereby protecting fund investors against the potentially dilutive effects of other market participants front-running the fund’s trades. Because the mechanism that underlies efficient trading of NextShares does not involve non-Basket instruments, the need for portfolio holdings disclosure to achieve tight markets in NextShares is eliminated; |
· | Like ETFs, only an Authorized Participant may transact directly with a NextShares fund. A fund may have a limited number of institutions that act as Authorized Participants. To the extent that these institutions exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares may trade at a discount to NAV and possibly face delisting; and |
· | Different from conventional ETF trading, the NAV-based trading employed for NextShares provides built-in trade execution cost transparency and the ability to control transaction costs using limit orders. This feature of NextShares distinguishes them from ETFs, for which the variance between market prices and underlying portfolio values is not always known to individual investors and cannot be controlled by them. |
Management and Organization
Management. The Fund’s investment adviser is Eaton Vance Management (“Eaton Vance”), a registered investment adviser, and the Portfolio’s investment adviser is Boston Management and Research (“BMR”), an indirect subsidiary of Eaton Vance Corp. (“EVC”), both 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 $430 billion on behalf of mutual funds, institutional clients and individuals.
Each investment adviser manages investments pursuant to an investment advisory agreement. The Fund will be allocated its pro rata share of the advisory fee paid by the Portfolio.
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 26 | Prospectus dated March 1, 2018 |
Fund. Under its investment advisory and administrative agreement with the Fund, Eaton Vance receives a monthly advisory fee based on the average daily net assets of the Fund that are not invested in other investment companies for which Eaton Vance or its affiliates serves as investment adviser and receives an advisory fee (“Direct Assets”) as follows:
Direct Assets |
Annual Fee Rate
(for each level) |
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 October 31, 2017, the Fund incurred no advisory fee on Direct Assets.
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 fee of 0.15% of average daily net assets. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2017, the Fund paid Eaton Vance administration fees of 0.15% of average daily net assets.
Portfolio. Under its investment advisory agreement with the Portfolio, BMR receives a monthly advisory fee as follows:
Average Daily Net Assets for the Month |
Annual Fee Rate
(for each level) |
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 October 31, 2017 the effective annual rate of investment advisory fee paid to BMR based on average daily net assets of the Portfolio was 0.65%.
Pursuant to investment sub-advisory agreements, Eaton Vance has delegated a portion of the investment management of the Fund and BMR has delegated a portion of the investment management of the Portfolio to Eaton Vance Advisers International Ltd. (“EVAIL”), a registered investment adviser. EVAIL is located at 125 Old Broad Street, London, United Kingdom, EC2N 1AR. Eaton Vance pays EVAIL a portion of the advisory fee for sub-advisory services provided to the Fund and BMR pays EVAIL a portion of the advisory fee for sub-advisory services provided to the Portfolio. Prior to November 1, 2017, Eaton Vance Management (International) Limited (“EVMI”) served as sub-adviser to the Fund and Portfolio.
The Fund and Portfolio are managed by Christopher Dyer (lead portfolio manager), John H. Croft, Michael A. Allison and Jeffrey D. Mueller. Mr. Dyer has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund and Portfolio since they commenced operations in March 2016 and manages other Eaton Vance portfolios. Mr. Dyer is a Director and Vice President of EVAIL and Director of Global Equity for the Eaton Vance organization. Prior to joining EVAIL in November 2017, Mr. Dyer held similar positions at EVMI. Prior to joining EVMI in June 2015, Mr. Dyer was Head of European Equity at Goldman Sachs Asset Management (“GSAM”) in London, where he also served in various portfolio management roles during his fourteen-year tenure (2001-2015). Mr. Croft has served as portfolio manager of the Fund and Portfolio since they commenced operations in March 2016. Mr. Croft manages other Eaton Vance portfolios, has managed Eaton Vance portfolios for more than five years, and is a Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR. Mr. Allison has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund and Portfolio since they commenced operations in March 2016. Mr. Allison manages other Eaton Vance portfolios, has managed Eaton Vance portfolios for more than five years, and is a Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR. Mr. Mueller has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund and Portfolio since they commenced operations in March 2016 and is a Vice President of EVAIL. Prior to joining EVAIL in November 2017, Mr. Mueller held similar positions at EVMI. Prior to joining EVMI as a Vice President in March 2015, Mr. Mueller was a High Yield Portfolio Manager and Investment Analyst for Threadneedle Asset Management (2009-2015).
The Fund’s most recent semiannual report covering the fiscal period ending April 30 provides information regarding the basis for the Trustees’ approval of the Fund’s investment advisory and administrative agreement and sub-advisory agreement as well as the Portfolio’s investment advisory and sub-advisory agreements.
The Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about each portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by each portfolio manager, and each portfolio manager’s ownership of Fund shares with respect to which that portfolio manager has management responsibilities.
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NextShares Operations Agreement. The Fund has entered into an agreement with Eaton Vance pursuant to which Eaton Vance will provide the Fund with services required to operate NextShares in accordance with the exemptive order obtained by Eaton Vance and the Trust. Pursuant to the agreement, Eaton Vance will receive a monthly fee at a rate of 0.05% annually of the aggregate average net assets of the NextShares funds sponsored by Eaton Vance (“Covered Assets”), which is reduced for Covered Assets of $10 billion and above. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2017, the Fund paid Eaton Vance a fee of 0.05% of average daily net assets pursuant to the operations agreement.
Distributor. Foreside Fund Services, LLC, (the “Distributor”) is the Fund’s distributor. The Distributor distributes Creation Units of the Fund, but does not maintain a secondary market in shares of the Fund. The Distributor’s principal address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101.
Organization. The Fund is a series of Eaton Vance NextShares Trust, a Massachusetts business trust. The Fund does not hold annual investor meetings but may hold special meetings for matters that require investor approval (such as electing or removing trustees, approving management or advisory contracts or changing investment policies that may only be changed with investor approval).
How Net Asset Value is Determined
The Fund values its shares once each day that the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) is open for trading (typically Monday through Friday), as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m. eastern time). The net asset value is determined by dividing the current value of the Fund’s assets less liabilities by the number of Fund shares outstanding and rounding to the nearest cent. As described under “Buying and Selling Shares” below, Fund shares trade in the secondary market at the Fund’s next-computed NAV plus or minus a trading cost (i.e., a premium or discount to NAV) determined at the time of trade execution. Investors transacting in Fund shares will be informed of their final trade price after the Fund’s NAV is determined at the end of the trading day.
The Trustees have adopted procedures for valuing investments and has delegated to the investment adviser(s) the daily valuation of such investments. The investment adviser(s) has delegated certain Fund valuation functions of a portion of the Fund and the Portfolio to the sub-adviser, as described in the procedures. 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. The investment adviser and sub-adviser use independent pricing services to value most loans and other debt obligations at their market value. In determining market value, the pricing service for loans considers information obtained from broker-dealers and the pricing service for debt obligations considers various factors and market information relating to debt obligations. In certain situations, the investment adviser(s) or sub-adviser may use the fair value of a security or loan if a security or loan is not priced by a pricing service, if market prices or a pricing service’s price is 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 total return swaps 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.
Buying and Selling Shares
Trading in the Secondary Market. Shares of the Fund are listed and available for trading on the Listing Exchange during its core trading session (generally 9:30 am until 4:00 pm eastern time). Shares may also be bought and sold on other national securities exchanges and alternative trading systems that have obtained appropriate licenses, adopted applicable rules and developed systems to support trading in Fund shares. There can be no guarantee that an active trading market will develop or be maintained, or that the Fund’s listing will continue or remain unchanged. The Fund does not impose any minimum investment for shares of the Fund purchased in the secondary market.
Fund shares may be purchased and sold in the secondary market only through a Broker. When buying or selling shares, you may incur trading commissions or other charges determined by your Broker. Due to applicable brokerage charges and other trading costs, frequent trading may detract from realized investment returns. Trading commissions are frequently a fixed dollar amount, and therefore may be proportionately more costly when buying or selling small amounts of shares.
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When you buy or sell Fund shares in the secondary market, you will pay or receive the Fund’s next-computed NAV plus or minus a trading cost (i.e., premium or discount to NAV) determined at the time of trade execution. The final price of each purchase and sale of Fund shares is determined and confirmed after calculation of that day’s NAV.
The premium or discount to NAV at which the Fund’s share transactions are executed will depend on market factors, including the balance of supply and demand for shares among investors, transaction fees and other costs associated with creating and redeeming Creation Units of shares, competition among market makers, the share inventory positions and inventory strategies of market makers, and the volume of share trading. The cost to buy shares (i.e., premium to NAV) will generally increase when there is an imbalance of buyers over sellers and as the costs of creating Creation Units increase. The cost to sell shares (i.e., discount below NAV) will generally increase when there is an imbalance of sellers over buyers and as the costs of redeeming Creation Units increase. Reflecting these and other market factors, prices for Fund shares in the secondary market may be above, at or below NAV. Trading premiums and discounts to the Fund’s NAV may be significant. Different from how Fund shares trade, purchases and sales of mutual fund shares are made at the next determined NAV and transactions in shares of ETFs are priced intraday and not directly related to the ETF’s NAV.
Information regarding the trading history of Fund shares is available on the Fund’s website at www.eatonvance.com. Each business day, the website displays the prior business day’s NAV and the following trading information for such day:
· | intraday high, low, average and closing prices of shares in exchange trading, expressed as premiums/discounts to NAV; |
· | the midpoint of the highest bid and lowest offer prices as of the close of exchange trading, expressed as a premium/discount to NAV; |
· | the spread between highest bid and lowest offer prices as of the close of exchange trading; and |
· | volume of shares traded. |
The website also includes charts showing the frequency distribution and range of values of NAV-based trading prices, closing bid/ask midpoints and closing bid/ask spreads over time. This trading information is intended to provide useful information to current buyers and sellers of Fund shares.
Trading prices of shares are directly linked to the Fund’s next-computed NAV, which is normally determined as of the close of regular market trading each business day. Buyers and sellers of shares will not know the value of their purchases and sales until the Fund’s NAV is determined at the end of the trading day. Trade prices are contingent upon the determination of NAV and may vary significantly from anticipated levels (including estimates based on intraday indicative values as described below) during periods of market volatility. Although limit orders can be used to control differences in trade price versus NAV, they cannot be used to control or limit trade execution prices.
The Listing Exchange is generally open for trading Monday through Friday of each week, except that it is closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. A “Business Day” with respect to the Fund’s secondary market trading and transaction in Creation Units is each day the Listing Exchange is open. Orders from Authorized Participants to create or redeem Creation Units will only be accepted on a Business Day. On days when the Listing Exchange closes earlier than normal, the Fund may require orders to create or redeem Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. See the Statement of Additional Information for more information.
Shares of the Fund may be acquired from the Fund through the Distributor or redeemed from the Fund only in Creation Units or multiples thereof, as discussed in “Creations and Redemptions” below.
Intraday Indicative Values. At periodic intervals of not more than 15 minutes during the Listing Exchange’s regular trading session, an indicative estimate of the Fund’s current portfolio value will be disseminated. The IIV calculations are estimates of the real-time value of the Fund’s underlying holdings based on current market prices and should not be viewed as a projection of NAV, which is calculated only once a day. The purpose of IIVs is to help investors determine the number of shares to buy or sell if they want to transact in an approximate dollar amount. Because IIVs will generally differ from the end-of-day NAV of the Fund, they cannot be used to calculate with precision the dollar value of a prescribed number of shares to be bought or sold. IIVs may deviate from NAVs for various reasons, including use by the IIV agent of different pricing sources than used to calculate NAVs and/or difficulty pricing portfolio instruments on an intraday basis. Investors should understand that share transaction prices are based on closing NAVs, and that NAVs may vary significantly from IIVs during periods of market volatility. Neither the Fund, the Trust or any of their affiliates are involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of IIVs nor make any warranty as to their accuracy.
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Creations and Redemptions. The Fund issues and redeems shares only in Creation Unit blocks of 25,000 shares or multiples thereof. Creation Units may be purchased or redeemed only by or through Authorized Participants. Each Authorized Participant must enter into an Authorized Participant agreement with the Distributor. A creation transaction, which is subject to acceptance by the Fund’s Distributor, generally takes place when an Authorized Participant submits an order in proper form and deposits into the Fund the Basket of securities, other instruments and/or cash that the Fund specifies for that day.
To preserve the confidentiality of the Fund’s trading activities, the investment adviser anticipates that the Basket will normally not be a pro rata slice of the Fund’s portfolio positions and may vary significantly from the Fund’s current portfolio. Securities being acquired will generally be excluded from the Basket until their purchase is completed and securities being sold may not be removed from the Basket until the sale program is substantially completed. Further, when deemed by the investment adviser to be in the best interest of the Fund and its investors, other portfolio positions may be excluded from the Basket. The Fund’s Basket will be available on the Fund’s website each day. Whenever portfolio positions are excluded from the Basket, the Basket may (but is not required to) include proportionately more cash than is in the portfolio, with such additional cash substituting for the excluded portfolio positions. See “Buying and Selling Shares - Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units” in the Statement of Additional Information. By not disclosing its full holdings currently, the Fund can maintain the confidentiality of portfolio trading information and mitigate the potentially dilutive effects of other market participants front-running the Fund’s trades.
Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units in exchange for the current Basket as described above, provided that the Fund may permit an Authorized Participant to deliver or receive cash in lieu of some or all of the Basket instruments in limited circumstances as described under “Buying and Selling Shares – Payment” in the Statement of Additional Information. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares are not redeemable by the Fund. The prices at which creations and redemptions occur are based on the next calculation of NAV after an order is received in proper form, plus or minus the applicable transaction fee (see “Transaction Fees” below). Transactions in Creation Units are not subject to a sales charge.
A creation or redemption order is considered to be in proper form if all procedures set forth in this Prospectus, the Authorized Participant agreement, order form and Statement of Additional Information are properly followed. For an order to be in proper form, the order must be submitted by an authorized person of an Authorized Participant and include all required information prior to the designated cut-off time (e.g., identifying information of the Authorized Participant and authorized person, Fund the order relates to, type of order, number of Creation Units being issued or redeemed, and personal identification number, signature and/or other means of identification of the authorized person). See “Additional Tax Information” for information regarding taxation of transactions in Creation Units.
The Fund will comply with the U.S. federal securities laws in accepting securities for deposit and satisfying redemptions with securities, including that the securities accepted for deposit and the securities used to satisfy redemption requests will be sold in transactions that would be exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”). Further, an investor that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the 1933 Act, will not be able to receive Fund securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A.
An Authorized Participant must be either a member of the Continuous Net Settlement System of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) or a DTC participant, and must have executed an Authorized Participant agreement with the Distributor with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Units. Information about the procedures regarding creation and redemption of Creation Units (including the cut-off times for receipt of creation and redemption orders) is included in the Statement of Additional Information.
Because new shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, at any point during the life of the Fund a “distribution,” as such term is used in the 1933 Act, may occur. Brokers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner that could render them statutory underwriters and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the 1933 Act. Any determination of whether a party is an underwriter must take into account all the relevant facts and circumstances of each particular case. Brokers should also note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted to ordinary secondary transactions), and thus dealing with shares that are part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the 1933 Act, would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the 1933 Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery mechanism of Rule 153 under the 1933 Act is available only with respect to transactions on a national securities exchange.
The Fund does not impose any restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Creation Units; however, the Fund reserves the right to reject or limit purchases at any time. When considering that no restriction on frequent purchases and redemptions is necessary, the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) evaluated the risks posed by market timing activities, such as whether frequent purchases and redemptions would interfere with the efficient
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 30 | Prospectus dated March 1, 2018 |
implementation of the Fund’s investment strategy, or whether they would cause the Fund to experience increased transaction costs. The Board considered that, unlike most mutual funds, the Fund charges transaction fees on purchases and redemptions that are designed to protect the Fund from the associated dilution (see “Transaction Fees” below). Given the Fund’s structure and use of transaction fees, the Board has determined that it is unlikely that attempts to market time the Fund by investors will materially harm the Fund or its investors.
Transaction Fees. Purchasers and redeemers of Creation Units are charged a transaction fee to cover the estimated cost to the Fund of processing the purchase or redemption, including costs charged to it by NSCC or DTC, and the estimated transaction costs (i.e., brokerage commissions, bid-ask spread and market impact trading costs) incurred in converting the Basket to or from the desired portfolio composition. The transaction fee is determined daily and will be limited to amounts approved by the Board and determined by the investment adviser to be appropriate to defray the expenses that the Fund incurs in connection with the purchase or redemption. The Fund’s transaction fee will be available on the Fund’s website each day. The purpose of transaction fees is to protect the Fund’s existing investors from the dilutive costs associated with the purchase and redemption of Creation Units. The amount of transaction fees will differ among NextShares funds and may vary over time for the Fund depending on the estimated trading costs for its portfolio positions and Basket, processing costs and other considerations. Transaction fees may include fixed amounts per creation or redemption event, amounts varying with the number of Creation Units purchased or redeemed, and amounts varying based on the time an order is placed. Funds that substitute cash for Basket instruments may impose higher transaction fees on the substituted cash amount. Higher transaction fees may apply to purchases and redemptions through DTC than through the NSCC.
Book Entry. Fund shares are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. DTC serves as the securities depository for shares of the Fund. DTC, or its nominee, is the record owner of all outstanding shares of the Fund and is recognized as the owner of all shares for all purposes. Investors owning shares of the Fund are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or DTC participants. DTC participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of shares. To exercise any right as an owner of shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other exchange-traded securities that you hold in book-entry or “street name” form.
Investments by Registered Investment Companies. The Fund is a registered investment company under the 1940 Act. Accordingly, purchases of Fund shares by other registered investment companies and companies relying on Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act are subject to the restrictions set forth in Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, except as permitted by an exemptive order of the SEC. The Trust has received exemptive relief to permit registered investment companies to invest in Fund shares beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1)(A), of the 1940 Act, subject to certain terms and conditions, including that the registered investment company first enters into a written agreement with the Trust regarding the terms of the investment in Fund shares.
Distribution
The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and is the “principal underwriter” for the Trust in connection with the issuance of Creation Units of each Fund.
All orders to purchase Creation Units of the Fund must be placed with State Street Bank and Trust Company, the Transfer and Dividend Disbursing Agent (the “Transfer Agent”) by or through an Authorized Participant, and it is the responsibility of the Transfer Agent to transmit such orders to the Fund. The Transfer Agent furnishes to those placing such orders confirmation that the orders have been accepted, but the Transfer Agent may reject any order that is not submitted in proper form.
The Distributor is responsible for delivering a copy of the Fund's Prospectus to Authorized Participants purchasing Creation Units and the Transfer Agent and the Distributor are responsible for maintaining records of the orders placed and any confirmations of acceptance furnished. In addition, the Custodian will maintain a record of the instructions given to the Fund to implement the delivery of Creation Units.
The investment adviser (or one of its affiliates) may make payments to financial intermediaries related to marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems, or for making shares of the Fund available to their customers. Such payments, which may be significant to the financial intermediary, are not made by the Fund. Rather, such payments are made by the investment adviser (or one of its affiliates) from its own resources. A financial intermediary may make decisions about which investment options it recommends or makes available, or the level of services provided, to its customers based on the payments it is eligible to receive. Therefore, such payments to a financial intermediary create conflicts of interest between such intermediary and its customers and may cause the intermediary to recommend the Fund over another investment.
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 31 | Prospectus dated March 1, 2018 |
To the extent permitted by applicable law or relevant exchange rules, the Fund may in the future, but is not required to, participate in certain market maker incentive programs of a national securities exchange pursuant to which Eaton Vance or one of its affiliates would pay a fee to the exchange to be used for the purpose of incentivizing one or more market makers to enhance the liquidity and quality of the secondary market for Fund shares. The fee would be credited by the exchange to one or more market makers that meet or exceed liquidity and market quality standards with respect to Fund shares. Each market maker incentive program is subject to approval by the SEC. Any such fee payments made to an exchange will be made by Eaton Vance or one of its affiliate from its own resources and will not be paid by the Fund.
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure
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 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.
A list of the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of each month end is posted to the Eaton Vance website (www.eatonvance.com) approximately one month after such month end. The Fund also posts information about certain portfolio characteristics (such as top ten holdings and asset allocation by market sector or geography) at least quarterly on the Eaton Vance website approximately ten Business Days after the period end. The Fund may also post performance attribution as of a month end or more frequently if deemed appropriate. In addition, the Fund files with the SEC annual and semiannual reports on Form N-CSR and reports on Form N-Q as of the end of the first and third fiscal quarters, each containing a list of the portfolio holdings. The Fund’s reports on Form N-CSR and Form N-Q may be viewed on the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov) and the Eaton Vance website approximately 60 days after quarter end.
The Fund’s actual holdings on a particular day may vary significantly from the most recent publicly disclosed portfolio composition. As described above under “Additional Information about NextShares – How NextShares Compare to ETFs,” the Fund does not disclose portfolio holdings daily. The Basket used in creations and redemptions of Fund shares is not intended to be representative of current portfolio holdings and may vary significantly from the Fund’s current holdings.
Fund Distributions
The Fund expects to declare distributions monthly, and to distribute any net realized capital gains (if any) annually. Dividend payments may not be paid if Fund expenses exceed Fund income for the period. 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. Dividend payments are made through DTC participants and indirect participants to beneficial owners then of record with proceeds received from the Fund.
No dividend reinvestment service is provided by the Trust. Financial intermediaries may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by beneficial owners of Fund shares for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Beneficial owners should contact their financial intermediary to determine the availability and costs of the service and the details of participation therein. Financial intermediaries may require beneficial owners to adhere to specific procedures and timetables. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions will generally be automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund purchased in the secondary market.
Additional Tax Information
The Fund intends to declare and pay distributions monthly, and to distribute any net realized capital gains (if any) annually. It may also be necessary, in order to qualify for favorable tax treatment and avoid any Fund-level tax, for the Fund to make a special income and/or capital gains distribution at the end of the calendar year. Distributions of income (other than qualified dividend income, which is described below) and net short-term capital gains generally will be taxable as ordinary income. Distributions of qualified dividend income and any net gains from investments held for more than one year are generally taxable at long-term capital gain rates. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the Portfolio or the Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long an investor has owned his or her shares in the Fund. Different classes may distribute different amounts. The Fund’s distributions will be taxable as described above whether they are paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares. A portion of the Fund’s income distributions may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporations.
Distributions of investment income properly reported by the Fund as derived from “qualified dividend income” will be taxed in the hands of individuals at rates applicable to long-term capital gains provided holding period and other requirements are met at both the investor and the Portfolio or Fund level.
Investors who purchase shares at a time when the Fund’s 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 investors as if received on December 31 of the prior year. A redemption of Fund shares is generally a taxable transaction.
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 32 | Prospectus dated March 1, 2018 |
Purchasers of Creation Units of shares on an in-kind basis will generally recognize a gain or loss on the purchase transaction equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units and the purchaser’s aggregate basis in the securities or other instruments exchanged plus (or minus) the cash amount paid (or received). Persons redeeming Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the redeeming investor’s basis in the Creation Units redeemed and the aggregate market value of the securities or other instruments received plus (or minus) the cash amount received (or paid).
The Internal Revenue Service may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities or other instruments for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales.” In such a case, the basis of the Creation Units will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. Persons exchanging securities or other instruments should consult their own tax advisors with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and whether a loss is deductible. Any capital gain or loss realized by an investor upon a redemption of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Creation Units have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if they have been held for one year or less. If you purchase or redeem Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how many shares you purchased or sold and at what price.
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 net investment 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 or loans 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 yield on such securities. These taxes may be reduced or eliminated under the terms of an applicable tax treaty. Investors generally will not be entitled to claim a credit or deduction with respect to foreign taxes paid by the Fund or the Portfolio. In addition, investments in foreign securities or loans or foreign currencies may increase or accelerate the Fund’s recognition of ordinary income and may affect the timing or amount of the Fund’s distributions.
Certain foreign entities may be subject to a 30% withholding tax on ordinary dividend income paid and, after December 31, 2018, on redemption proceeds and certain capital gain dividends 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 be required to withhold, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, a portion of the dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds payable to investors 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 investors are exempt from backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against an investor’s U.S. federal income tax liability.
Investors should consult with their tax advisors concerning the applicability of federal, state, local, foreign and other taxes to an investment.
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 33 | Prospectus dated March 1, 2018 |
Financial Highlights
The financial highlights are intended to help you understand the Fund’s 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 Fund’s financial statements are incorporated herein by reference and included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Year Ended October 31, 2017 | Period Ended October 31, 2016 (1) | |
Net asset value - Beginning of period | $20.280 | $20.000 |
Income (Loss) From Operations | ||
Net investment income (2) | $1.003 | $0.386 |
Net realized and unrealized gain | 2.147 | 0.181 |
Total income from operations | $3.150 | $0.567 |
Less Distributions | ||
From net investment income | $(1.038) | $(0.299) |
Total distributions | $(1.038) | $(0.299) |
Portfolio transaction fee, net (2) | $0.008 | $0.012 |
Net asset value - End of period | $22.400 | $20.280 |
Total Return on Net Asset Value (3)(5) | 15.89% | 2.90% (4) |
Ratios/Supplemental Data | ||
Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted) | $6,720 | $14,700 |
Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets): (6) | ||
Expenses (5) | 0.91% (9) | 0.90% (7) |
Net investment income | 4.71% | 3.22% (7) |
Portfolio Turnover of the Portfolio | 143% | 66% (4)(8) |
(1) | For the period from the start of business, March 30, 2016, to October 31, 2016. |
(2) | Computed using average shares outstanding. |
(3) | 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 a market- determined premium or discount. Investment returns assume that all distributions have been reinvested at net asset value. |
(4) | Not annualized. |
(5) | The administrator and sub-adviser reimbursed certain operating expenses (equal to 0.57% and 2.08% of average daily net assets for the year ended October 31, 2017 and the period ended October 31, 2016, respectively). Absent this reimbursement, total return would be lower. |
(6) | Includes the Fund’s share of the Portfolio’s allocated expenses. |
(7) | Annualized. |
(8) | For the period from the Portfolio’s start of business, March 28, 2016, to October 31, 2016. |
(9) | Includes interest expense including allocated from the Portfolio, of 0.01%. |
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 34 | Prospectus dated March 1, 2018 |
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 the Portfolio's investments is available in the annual and semiannual reports to investors. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during the past fiscal year. You may obtain free copies of the Statement of Additional Information and the reports on Eaton Vance’s website at www.eatonvance.com or by contacting the Fund:
Eaton Vance NextShares Trust
Two International Place
Boston, MA 02110
1-800-262-1122
You will find and may copy information about the Fund (including the Statement of Additional Information and reports): at the SEC’s 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 SEC’s website (www.sec.gov); or, upon payment of copying fees, by writing to the SEC’s Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549-1520, or by electronic mail at publicinfo@sec.gov.
The Fund's Investment Company Act No. is 811-22982. | |
21521 3.1.18 | © 2018 Eaton Vance Management |
Printed on recycled paper.
STATEMENT OF
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
March 1, 2018
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares
Ticker EVGBC
Listing Exchange: The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC
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 is a series of Eaton Vance NextShares 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 | Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings and Related Information | 26 | |
Investment Restrictions | 5 | Taxes | 27 | |
Management and Organization | 6 | Portfolio Securities Transactions | 36 | |
Investment Advisory and Administrative Services | 16 | Other Information | 38 | |
Other Service Providers | 20 | Financial Statements | 39 | |
Calculation of Net Asset Value | 20 | Additional Information About Investment Strategies | 39 | |
Buying and Selling Shares | 22 | |||
Appendix A: Bank and Exchange Holidays in World Markets | 70 | Appendix C: Eaton Vance Funds Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures | 84 | |
Appendix B: Ratings | 75 | Appendix D: Adviser Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures | 86 |
This SAI is NOT a prospectus and is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only if preceded or accompanied by the Fund Prospectus dated March 1, 2018, 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.
© 2018 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;
“Basket” means the basket of securities, other instruments and/or cash that the Fund specifies each Business Day and for which it issues and redeems Creation Units;
“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;
“Creation Units” means blocks of Fund shares (or multiples thereof) as described in the Prospectus;
“DTC” means the Depository Trust Company;
“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 Fund’s investment strategies (including as described under “Taxes”) and portfolio securities transactions, any sub-adviser identified in the prospectus;
“IRS” means the Internal Revenue Service;
“Listing Exchange” means The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC;
“NSCC” means the National Securities Clearing Corporation;
“NYSE” means the New York Stock Exchange;
“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 NextShares Trust.
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 Fund’s 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 Global Income Builder NextShares | 2 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
Investment Type |
Permitted for or Relevant to the
Fund and 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 | √ |
Derivative-Linked and Commodity-Linked Hybrid Instruments | |
Direct Investments | √ |
Emerging Market Investments | √ |
Equity Investments | √ |
Equity-Linked Securities | |
Event-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 | √ |
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 3 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
Investment Type |
Permitted for or Relevant to the
Fund and Portfolio |
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 Securities | |
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, Deep Discount Bonds and Payment In-Kind (“PIK”) Securities | √ |
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 4 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
Other Disclosures Regarding Investment Practices |
Permitted for or Relevant to the
Fund and Portfolio |
Asset Coverage | √ |
Average Effective Maturity | |
Borrowing for Investment Purposes | |
Borrowing for Temporary Purposes | √ |
Cybersecurity 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 | |
Portfolio Turnover | √ |
Securities Lending | √ |
Short-Term Trading | |
Significant Exposure to Health Sciences Companies | |
Significant Exposure to Smaller Companies | |
Significant Exposure to Utilities and Financial Service Sectors | √ |
Tax-Managed Investing |
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 Fund’s 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, 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 (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; |
(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; |
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 5 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
(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 or group of industries, but, if deemed appropriate for the Fund’s 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). For purposes of this restriction, electric utility companies, gas utility companies, integrated utility companies, telephone companies and water companies are considered separate industries. |
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. |
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.
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 party’s classification inappropriate. In such a case, the investment adviser will assign an industry classification to the issuer.
The Fund’s 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%.
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 Sections 12(d)(1)(F) or 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 Fund’s 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. |
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 6 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
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 and “EVD” refers to Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. EVC and EV are the corporate parent and trustee, respectively, of Eaton Vance and BMR. 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 Position(s) | Length of Service |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
and Other Relevant Experience |
Number of Portfolios
in Fund Complex Overseen By Trustee (1) |
Other Directorships Held
During Last Five Years (2) |
|||||
Interested Trustee | ||||||||||
THOMAS E. FAUST JR.
1958 |
Trustee | Of the Trust since 2015 and of the Portfolio since 2016 | 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. Trustee and/or officer of 177 registered investment companies. Mr. Faust is an interested person because of his positions with BMR, Eaton Vance, EVC, EVD and EV, which are affiliates of the Trust and Portfolio. | 177 | Director of EVC and Hexavest Inc. (investment management firm). |
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Name and Year of Birth | Trust/Portfolio Position(s) | Length of Service |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
and Other Relevant Experience |
Number of Portfolios
in Fund Complex Overseen By Trustee (1) |
Other Directorships Held
During Last Five Years (2) |
|||||
Noninterested Trustees | ||||||||||
MARK R. FETTING
1954 |
Trustee | Since 2016 | Private investor. Formerly held various positions at Legg Mason, Inc. (investment management firm) (2000-2012), including President, Chief Executive Officer, Director and Chairman (2008-2012), Senior Executive Vice President (2004-2008) and Executive Vice President (2001-2004). Formerly, President of Legg Mason family of funds (2001-2008). Formerly, Division President and Senior Officer of Prudential Financial Group, Inc. and related companies (investment management firm) (1991-2000). | 177 | None | |||||
CYNTHIA E. FROST
1961 |
Trustee | Of the Trust since 2015 and of the Portfolio since 2016 | Private investor. Formerly, Chief Investment Officer of Brown University (university endowment) (2000-2012); Formerly, Portfolio Strategist for Duke Management Company (university endowment manager) (1995-2000); Formerly, Managing Director, Cambridge Associates (investment consulting company) (1989-1995); Formerly, Consultant, Bain and Company (management consulting firm) (1987-1989); Formerly, Senior Equity Analyst, BA Investment Management Company (1983-1985). | 177 | None | |||||
GEORGE J. GORMAN
1952 |
Trustee | Of the Trust since 2015 and of the Portfolio since 2016 | Principal at George J. Gorman LLC (consulting firm). Formerly, Senior Partner at Ernst & Young LLP (a registered public accounting firm) (1974-2009). | 177 | Formerly, Trustee of the BofA Funds Series Trust (11 funds) (2011-2014) and of the Ashmore Funds (9 funds) (2010-2014). |
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Name and Year of Birth | Trust/Portfolio Position(s) | Length of Service |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
and Other Relevant Experience |
Number of Portfolios
in Fund Complex Overseen By Trustee (1) |
Other Directorships Held
During Last Five Years (2) |
|||||
VALERIE A. MOSLEY
1960 |
Trustee | Of the Trust since 2015 and of the Portfolio since 2016 | 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). | 177 | Director of Dynex Capital, Inc. (mortgage REIT) (since 2013). | |||||
WILLIAM H. PARK
1947 |
Chairperson of the Board and Trustee | Chairperson of the Board since 2016 and Trustee of the Trust since 2015 and of the Portfolio since 2016 | 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) (a registered public accounting firm) (1972-1981). | 177 | None | |||||
HELEN FRAME PETERS
1948 |
Trustee | Of the Trust since 2015 and of the Portfolio since 2016 | 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). | 177 | None | |||||
SUSAN J. SUTHERLAND
1957 |
Trustee | Of the Trust since 2015 and of the Portfolio since 2016 | Private investor. Formerly, Associate, Counsel and Partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (law firm) (1982-2013). | 177 | Formerly, Director of Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd. (global provider of customized insurance and reinsurance products) (2013-2015). |
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Name and Year of Birth | Trust/Portfolio Position(s) | Length of Service |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
and Other Relevant Experience |
Number of Portfolios
in Fund Complex Overseen By Trustee (1) |
Other Directorships Held
During Last Five Years (2) |
|||||
HARRIETT TEE TAGGART
1948 |
Trustee | Of the Trust since 2015 and of the Portfolio since 2016 | Managing Director, Taggart Associates (a professional practice firm). Formerly, Partner and Senior Vice President, Wellington Management Company, LLP (investment management firm) (1983-2006). Ms. Taggart has apprised the Board of Trustees that she intends to retire as a Trustee of all Eaton Vance Funds in 2018. | 177 | Director of Albemarle Corporation (chemicals manufacturer) (since 2007) and The Hanover Group (specialty property and casualty insurance company) (since 2009). | |||||
SCOTT E. WENNERHOLM
1959 |
Trustee | Since 2016 | Trustee at Wheelock College (postsecondary institution) (since 2012). Formerly, Consultant at GF Parish Group (executive recruiting firm) (2016-2017). Formerly, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President at BNY Mellon Asset Management (investment management firm) (2005-2011). Formerly, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at Natixis Global Asset Management (investment management firm) (1997-2004). Formerly, Vice President at Fidelity Investments Institutional Services (investment management firm) (1994-1997). | 177 | 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 Messrs. Fetting, Gorman and Wennerholm) 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); and eUnits TM 2 Year U.S. Market Participation Trust II: Upside to Cap / Buffered Downside (launched in 2012 and terminated in 2014). 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). |
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Name and Year of Birth | Trust/Portfolio Position(s) | Length of Service | Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years | |||
JAMES F. KIRCHNER
1967 |
Treasurer | Of the Trust since 2014 and of the Portfolio since 2016 | Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR. Officer of 177 registered investment companies managed by Eaton Vance or BMR. Also Vice President of CRM and officer of 39 registered investment companies advised or administered by CRM since 2016. | |||
RICHARD F. FROIO
1968 |
Chief Compliance Officer | Since 2017 | Vice President of Eaton Vance and BMR since 2017. Officer of 174 registered investment companies managed by Eaton Vance or BMR. Formerly, Deputy Chief Compliance Officer (Adviser/Funds) and Chief Compliance Officer (Distribution) at PIMCO (2012-2017) and Managing Director at BlackRock/Barclays Global Investors (2009-2012). |
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 Chairperson’s 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 may appoint 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 Trust’s 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 Board’s 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 Fund’s 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 Board’s 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 Fund’s 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
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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 Trust’s 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 member’s ability to perform his or her duties effectively has been attained through the Board member’s 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 member’s 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 individual’s 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 member’s particular professional experience and additional considerations that contributed to the Board’s conclusion that he or she should serve as a member of the Board:
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. Mr. Faust has served as a Director of Hexavest Inc. since 2012 and of SigFig Wealth Management LLC since 2016. 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.
Mark R. Fetting. Mr. Fetting has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since September 1, 2016. He has over 30 years of experience in the investment management industry as an executive and in various leadership roles. From 2000 through 2012, Mr. Fetting served in several capacities at Legg Mason, Inc., including most recently serving as President, Chief Executive Officer, Director and Chairman from 2008 to his retirement in 2012. He also served as a Director/Trustee and Chairman of the Legg Mason family of funds (2008-2012) and Director/Trustee of the Royce family of funds (2001-2012). From 2001 through 2008, Mr. Fetting also served as President of the Legg Mason family of funds. From 1991 through 2000, Mr. Fetting served as Division President and Senior Officer of Prudential Financial Group, Inc. and related companies. Early in his professional career, Mr. Fetting was a Vice President at T. Rowe Price and served in leadership roles within the firm’s mutual fund division from 1981 through 1987.
Cynthia E. Frost . Ms. Frost has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2014 and is the Chairperson of the Portfolio Management Committee. 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 university’s endowment. From 1995-2000, Ms. Frost was a Portfolio Strategist for Duke Management Company, which oversaw Duke University’s 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 hedge fund of funds, and has additional experience as a member of the investment committee of several non-profit organizations.
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George J. Gorman . Mr. Gorman has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2014 and is the Chairperson of the Audit 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 2014 and is the Chairperson of the Governance Committee. 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 board’s audit and investment committees. She also serves as a trustee or board member of several major non-profit organizations and endowments, including 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. She is also an advisor to New Technology Ventures, a venture capital firm, and to Auditchain, a decentralized audit and reporting ecosystem.
William H. Park. Mr. Park has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2003 and is the Independent Chairperson of the Board. Mr. Park was formerly a consultant from 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. Dr. Peters has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2008. Dr. 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. Dr. Peters was previously a Director of BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc. from 2004-2011. In addition, Dr. 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. Dr. 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 2015 and is the Chairperson of the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee. Ms. Sutherland also serves as a Director of Hagerty Holding Corp., a leading provider of specialized automobile and marine insurance, where she serves on the board’s audit and human resources and compensation committees. She is also a Director of Ascot Group Limited which, through its related businesses including Syndicate 1414 at Lloyd’s of London, is a leading global underwriter of specialty property and casualty insurance and reinsurance. 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. 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 Chair 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.
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Scott E. Wennerholm. Mr. Wennerholm has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since September 1, 2016 and is the Chairperson of the Contract Review Committee. He has over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry in various leadership and executive roles. Mr. Wennerholm served as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President at BNY Mellon Asset Management from 2005-2011. He also served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at Natixis Global Asset Management from 1997-2004 and was a Vice President at Fidelity Investments Institutional Services from 1994-1997. Mr. Wennerholm currently serves as a Trustee at Wheelock College, a postsecondary institution.
The Board(s) of the Trust and the Portfolio 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. Mosley (Chairperson), Frost, Peters, Sutherland and Taggart, and Messrs. Fetting, Gorman, Park and Wennerholm 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 October 31, 2017, the Governance Committee convened six times.
The Governance Committee will, when a vacancy exists, consider a nominee for Trustee recommended by an investor, provided that such recommendation is submitted in writing to the Trust’s Secretary at the principal executive office of the Trust. Such recommendations must be accompanied by biographical and occupational data on the candidate (including whether the candidate would be an “interested person” of the Trust), 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 investor with respect to the Trust, and a description of any arrangements or understandings regarding recommendation of the candidate for consideration.
Messrs. Gorman (Chairperson), Park and Wennerholm and Ms. Mosley are members of the Audit Committee. The Board has designated Messrs. Gorman and Park, each a noninterested Trustee, as audit committee financial experts. The Audit Committee’s 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 investor 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 October 31, 2017, the Audit Committee convened thirteen times.
Messrs. Wennerholm (Chairperson), Fetting, Gorman and Park, and Mmes. Frost, 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 October 31, 2017, the Contract Review Committee convened seven times.
Mmes. Frost (Chairperson), Mosley and Peters and Mr. Fetting 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 their investment adviser and sub-adviser(s), if applicable, relative to the Fund’s 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 October 31, 2017, the Portfolio Management Committee convened nine times.
Mmes. Sutherland (Chairperson) and Taggart and Messrs. Gorman and Wennerholm, are members of the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee. The purposes of the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee
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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 Fund’s 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 October 31, 2017, the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee convened ten 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, 2017. Interests in the Portfolio cannot be purchased by a Trustee.
As of December 31, 2017, no noninterested Trustee or any of their immediate family members owned beneficially or of record any class of securities of EVC, EVD, any sub-adviser, if applicable or any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with EVC or EVD, any sub-adviser, if applicable, collectively (“Affiliated Entity”)
During the calendar years ended December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2017, no noninterested Trustee (or their immediate family members) had:
(1) | Any direct or indirect interest in any Affiliated Entity; |
(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 or distributed by any Affiliated Entity; (iii) any Affiliated Entity; or (iv) 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 or distributed by any Affiliated Entity; (iii) any Affiliated Entity or (iv) an officer of any of the above. |
During the calendar years ended December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2017, no officer of any Affiliated Entity 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.
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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 October 31, 2017, 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, 2017, the Board members earned the following compensation in their capacities as members of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards (1) :
Source of Compensation |
Mark R.
Fetting |
Cynthia E.
Frost |
George J.
Gorman |
Valerie A.
Mosley |
William H.
Park |
Helen Frame
Peters |
Susan J.
Sutherland |
Harriett Tee
Taggart |
Scott E.
Wennerholm |
Trust (2) | $92 | $85 | $93 | $85 | $119 | $93 | $87 | $93 | $86 |
Portfolio | $2,006 | $1,858 | $2,035 | $1,858 (3) | $2,598 | $2,035 | $1,901 (4) | $2,035 | $1,862 (5) |
Trust and Fund Complex (1) | $338,333 | $313,750 | $343,750 | $313,750 (6) | $438,750 | $343,750 | $321,250 (7) | $343,750 | $316,250 (8) |
(1) | As of March 1, 2018, the Eaton Vance fund complex consists of 177 registered investment companies or series thereof. Ralph F. Verni retired as a Trustee effective July 1, 2017. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2017, Mr. Verni received Trustee fees of $69 from the Trust and $1,527 from the Portfolio. For the calendar year ended December 31, 2017, he received $256,250 from the Trust and Fund Complex. Scott E. Eston retired as a Trustee effective September 30, 2017. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2017, Mr. Eston received Trustee fees of $92 from the Trust and $2,021 from the Portfolio. For the calendar year ended December 31, 2017, he received $341,250 from the Trust and Fund Complex. |
(2) | The Trust consisted of 2 Funds as of October 31, 2017. |
(3) | Includes $566 of deferred compensation. |
(4) | Includes $1,901 of deferred compensation. |
(5) Includes $992 of deferred compensation.
(6) Includes $94,125 of deferred compensation.
(7) Includes $316,231 of deferred compensation.
(8) | Includes $164,858 of deferred compensation. |
Fund Organization. The Fund is a series of the Trust, which was organized under Massachusetts law on March 23, 2013 as a trust with transferrable shares, commonly referred to as a “Massachusetts business trust.” 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). When issued and outstanding, shares are fully paid and nonassessable by the Trust. Investors are entitled to one vote for each full share held. Fractional shares may be voted proportionately. Shares of 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 investors of the affected Fund will vote together. Shares have no preemptive or conversion rights and are freely transferable.
As permitted by Massachusetts law, there will normally be no meetings of investors 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 investors. In such an event the Trustees 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 Trust’s By-laws, the Trustees shall continue to hold office and may appoint successor Trustees. The Trust’s 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 investors holding two-thirds of the outstanding shares have removed him or her from that office either by a written declaration filed with the Trust’s custodian or by votes cast at a meeting called for that purpose. The By-laws further provide that under certain circumstances the investors may call a meeting to remove a Trustee and that the Trust is required to provide assistance in communication with investors about such a meeting.
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The Trust’s 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 investors 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 restructuring the Trust) provided such changes do not have a materially adverse effect on the financial interests of investors. The Trust’s 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 investors 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 Trust’s 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 Trust or any Fund 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 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 Trust and other persons for the expenses incurred in effecting the change in venue.
The Trust’s 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 Trust or any Fund (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. 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 Trust’s Declaration of Trust provides that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, each investor acknowledges and agrees that any alleged injury to the Trust’s property, any diminution in the value of an investor’s 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 investors individually and, therefore, that any such claim is subject to the demand requirement for derivative claims referenced above.
The Trust or any series 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 investors of the Trust or the appropriate series 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 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 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 investors.
Under Massachusetts law, if certain conditions prevail, investors 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 Trust’s Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of liability on the part of Fund investors and the Trust’s By-laws provide that the Trust shall assume the defense on behalf of any Fund investors. The Declaration of Trust also contains provisions limiting the liability of a series to that series. Moreover, the Trust’s By-laws also provide for indemnification out of Fund property of any investor held personally liable solely by reason of being or having been an investor 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 Fund’s business and the nature of its assets, management believes that the possibility of the Fund’s liability exceeding its assets, and therefore the investor’s 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 March 3, 2016 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 Portfolio’s Declaration of Trust, the Trustees shall continue to hold office and may appoint successor Trustees.
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The Portfolio’s 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 Portfolio’s 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 Portfolio’s 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 Portfolio’s 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 Portfolio’s Declaration of Trust provides that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, each investor acknowledges and agrees that any alleged injury to the Portfolio’s property, any diminution in the value of an investor’s 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 Portfolio’s 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 Portfolio’s business and the nature of its assets, management believes that the possibility of the Portfolio’s liability exceeding its assets, and therefore the interestholder’s 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 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 a fund’s or portfolio’s 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 C and Appendix D, respectively. Pursuant to certain provisions of the
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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 a fund or 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 SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
Investment Advisory Services. The investment adviser manages the investments and affairs of the Fund and the Portfolio and provides related office facilities and personnel subject to the supervision of the Trust's Board, in the case of the Fund, or thePortfolio’s Board of Trustees. The investment adviser and the sub-adviser furnish investment research, advice and supervision, furnish an investment program and determine what securities will be purchased, held or sold by the Fund or Portfolio and what portion, if any, of the Fund or Portfolio’s assets will be held uninvested. The Fund's Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreement and the Portfolio's Investment Advisory Agreement and the Fund and Portfolio’s Investment Sub-Advisory Agreements require the investment adviser or sub-adviser 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.
Eaton Vance serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. For a description of the compensation that the Fund pays to the investment adviser, see the Prospectus. BMR serves as the investment adviser to the Portfolio. 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 Fund and Portfolio at October 31, 2017 and the advisory fees paid for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2017 and the period ended October 31, 2016.
Advisory fee for the Fiscal Period Ended | |||
Fund/Portfolio | Net Assets at 10/31/17 | 10/31/17 | 10/31/16 |
Global Income Builder NextShares | $6,719,749 | $0 | $0 (1) |
Global Income Builder Portfolio | $364,476,216 | $2,450,256 | $1,509,749 (2) |
(1) For the period from the start of business, March 30, 2016, to October 31, 2016. (2) For the period from the start of business, March 28, 2016, to October 31, 2016. |
Pursuant to an expense reimbursement described in the Prospectus, Eaton Vance and EVMI were allocated for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2017 and the fiscal period ended October 31, 2016, $96,728 and $95,050, respectively, of the Fund’s operating expenses.
Pursuant to investment sub-advisory agreements between Eaton Vance and Eaton Vance Advisers International Ltd. (“EVAIL”) and BMR and EVAIL, Eaton Vance and BMR pay compensation to EVAIL for providing sub-advisory services to the Fund and the Portfolio. Prior to November 1, 2017, Eaton Vance Management (International) Limited (“EVMI”) served as sub-adviser to the Fund and the Portfolio. The following table sets forth the sub-advisory fees for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2017 and the fiscal period ended October 31, 2016:
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Administrative Services. As indicated in the Prospectus, Eaton Vance also serves as administrator of the Fund and the Fund is 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. Under the Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreement, Eaton Vance has been engaged to administer the Fund’s 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.
The following table sets forth the net assets of the Fund at October 31, 2017 and the administration fees paid or accrued during the fiscal period ended October 31, 2017.
Administration Fee Paid for Fiscal Period Ended | ||
Net Assets at 10/31/17 | 10/31/17 | 10/31/16* |
$6,719,749 | $24,895 | $6,812 |
* For the period from the start of business March 30, 2016 to October 31, 2016. |
Each Investment Advisory Agreement or Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreement, as applicable, 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, in the case of the Fund, or 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 Trust, in the case of the Fund, or the Portfolio or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund or 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 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.
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.
Information About EVAIL. EVAIL provides investment advice to institutional clients and pooled investment vehicles. EVAIL is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of EVC and was originally organized in 2015. As of October 31, 2017, EVAIL’s assets under management totaled approximately $7.6 billion.
Code of Ethics. The investment adviser, sub-adviser, Distributor, 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, sub-adviser and the Distributor 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.
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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 Fund’s 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
All Accounts |
Total Assets of
All Accounts |
Number of Accounts
Paying a Performance Fee |
Total Assets of Accounts
Paying a Performance Fee |
|
Michael A. Allison | ||||
Registered Investment Companies | 16 | $30,140.7 | 0 | $0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 14 | $17,256.2 (1) | 0 | $0 |
Other Accounts | 28 | $75.7 | 0 | $0 |
John H. Croft | ||||
Registered Investment Companies | 8 | $6,334.9 | 0 | $0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
Other Accounts | 3 | $28.4 | 0 | $0 |
Christopher Dyer | ||||
Registered Investment Companies | 10 | $6,845.6 | 0 | $0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
Other Accounts | 3 | $6.4 | 0 | $0 |
Jeffrey D. Mueller | ||||
Registered Investment Companies | 5 | $752.7 | 0 | $0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
Other Accounts | 1 | $12.5 | 0 | $0 |
(1) | 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. |
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The following table shows the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned in the Fund by its portfolio manager(s) as of the Fund’s most recent fiscal period ended October 31, 2017 and in the Eaton Vance family of funds as of December 31, 2017. Interests in the Portfolio cannot be purchased by a portfolio manager.
Portfolio Managers |
Dollar Range of Equity Securities
Beneficially Owned in the Fund |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity
Securities Beneficially Owned in the Eaton Vance Family of Funds |
Michael A. Allison | None | $500,001 - $1,000,000 |
John H. Croft | None | $100,001 - $500,000 |
Christopher Dyer | None | None |
Jeffrey D. Mueller | None | None |
It is possible that conflicts of interest may arise in connection with a portfolio manager’s management of the Portfolio's or Fund’s investments on the one hand and the investments of other accounts for which a 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 or Fund and other accounts he advises. In addition, due to differences in the investment strategies or restrictions between the Portfolio or Fund 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 or 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 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 adviser's and sub-adviser's trading practices, including among other things the aggregation and allocation of trades among clients, brokerage allocations, cross trades and best execution.
Compensation Structure for Eaton Vance, BMR and EVAIL. 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 non-cash compensation consisting of options to purchase shares of EVC nonvoting common stock, restricted shares of EVC’s nonvoting common stock and a Deferred Alpha Incentive Plan, which pays a deferred cash award tied to future excess returns in certain equity strategy portfolios. The investment adviser’s investment professionals also receive certain retirement, insurance and other benefits that are broadly available to the investment adviser’s employees. Compensation of the investment adviser’s 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 fund’s peer group as determined by Lipper or Morningstar is deemed by the investment adviser’s 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 fund’s 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
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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 adviser’s 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 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 Fund's investment strategies or this SAI.
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 and administrator, the sub-adviser or the Distributor). In the case of expenses incurred by the Fund, the Fund is responsible for its pro rata share of those expenses.
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS
Distributor. Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”) is the Fund’s distributor. The Distributor distributes Creation Units of the Fund, but does not maintain a secondary market in shares of the Fund. The Distributor’s principal address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101.
The Distributor has entered into an agreement with Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. (“EVD”) to provide marketing and sales support to the Fund. EVD is not compensated by the Distributor for such services. EVD also serves as placement agent for the Portfolio.
Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Trust has agreed to indemnify the Distributor for certain liabilities, including certain liabilities arising under the federal securities laws, unless such loss or liability results from the Distributor’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations under the Distribution Agreement.
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 Fund’s interest in the Portfolio, has custody of the Portfolio’s 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 Fund's and the Portfolio’s 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 investor 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 Vance’s opinion that the terms and conditions of such transactions were not and will not be influenced by existing or potential custodial or other relationships between the 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.
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Transfer and Dividend Disbursing Agent. State Street serves as the transfer and dividend disbursing agent for the Trust (“Transfer Agent”). As transfer and dividend disbursing agent, State Street is responsible for among other matters, receiving and processing orders for the purchase and redemptions of Creation Units. The principal business address for State Street is set forth above.
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 NYSE is closed: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Each Portfolio investor may add to or reduce its investment in the Portfolio on each day the NYSE is open for trading (“Portfolio Business Day”) as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE (the “Portfolio Valuation Time”). The value of each investor’s 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 investor’s 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 investor’s 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 investor’s 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 investor’s 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 investor’s 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 Fund’s 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 instruments with remaining maturities of less than 397 days are valued on the basis of market valuations furnished by a pricing service or based on dealer quotations. |
· | 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, 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). |
· | Precious metals 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 total return swaps 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. |
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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 security’s 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 company’s or entity’s 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.
As stated in the prospectus, Eaton Vance’s Valuation Committee oversees the implementation and administration of the Fund Valuation Procedures. This includes responsibility for approving all substantive amendments to the Procedures prior to consideration by the Board. Eaton Vance’s Valuation Committee includes investment personnel as well as persons involved in oversight of Fund valuations.
Intraday Indicative Values. The Trust will arrange for the continuous calculation by an independent third party and publication throughout the regular trading session of the Listing Exchange (generally 9:30 am to 4:00 pm eastern time) each Business Day of the intraday indicative value (“IIV”) of the Fund’s shares. IIVs are calculated based on the current market trading prices of the Fund’s underlying holdings and disseminated at periodic intervals of not more than 15 minutes. The purpose of IIVs is to help investors to estimate that day’s closing NAV so they can determine the number of shares to buy or sell if they want to trade an approximate dollar amount. Because IIVs will generally differ from the end-of-day NAV of the Fund, they cannot be used to calculate with precision the dollar value of a prescribed number of shares to be bought or sold. Investors should understand that Fund transaction prices are based on closing NAVs, and that NAVs may vary significantly from IIVs during periods of market volatility.
BUYING AND SELLING SHARES
Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units. The Trust issues and redeems Fund shares only in specified large aggregations of shares called “Creation Units.” A discussion of the purchase and redemption of Creation Units is contained in the Prospectus under “Fund Summary – Purchases and Sales of Fund Shares” and “Buying and Selling Shares.” The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, such sections of the Prospectus.
Authorized Participants. All orders to purchase or redeem Creation Units must be placed with the Fund by or through an “Authorized Participant,” which is either: (a) a “participating party” (i.e., a Broker or other participant in the Continuous Net Settlement (“CNS”) System of the NSCC) or (b) a participant in the DTC system (“DTC Participant”), which in any case has executed an agreement with the Distributor (“Participant Agreement”). An investor does not have to be an Authorized Participant to transact in Creation Units, but must place an order through and make appropriate arrangements with an Authorized Participant.
Timing. Fund shares are not authorized for sale outside of the United States, its territories and possessions without the prior written consent of the Fund. Creation Units are issued and redeemed each Business Day at the NAV per share next determined after an order in proper form is received by the Fund or its agent. Validly submitted orders to purchase or redeem Creation Units on each Business Day will be accepted until the NYSE market close (the “Order Cut-Off Time”), generally 4:00 p.m. eastern time, on the Business Day that the order is placed (the “Transmittal Date”). All orders must be received no later than the Order Cut-Off Time in order to receive the NAV determined on the Transmittal Date. Creation Units may be issued and redeemed through the delivery of cash, securities or other instruments specified by the Fund, or a combination thereof.
The Fund may require that Custom Orders (as defined below) be received no later than one hour prior to the Order Cut-Off Time. When the Listing Exchange or bond markets close earlier than normal, the Fund may require orders for Creation Units to be placed earlier in the Business Day. Orders to purchase Fund shares invested in fixed-income instruments may not be accepted on any day when the bond markets are closed.
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Investors must accumulate enough Fund shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit in order to have such shares redeemed by the Fund. There can be no assurance that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Fund shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit. All requests for redemption must be preceded or accompanied by the requisite number of Fund shares, which delivery will generally be made through the DTC Process.
As noted under “Taxes,” a Fund has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the creator (or group of creators) would, upon obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of a Fund and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, the Fund would have a basis in the deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. A Fund also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial Share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination.
Payment. To keep trading costs low and to enable the Fund to be as fully invested as possible, the Fund generally expects to issue and redeem Creation Units in kind through the delivery of securities and/or other portfolio instruments, rather than cash, to the extent practicable. Creations and redemptions may be effected partially or entirely in cash when in-kind delivery is not practicable or deemed not in the best interests of investors.
Subject to certain exceptions described below, the Basket instruments paid or received by the Fund will be the same for all purchasers and redeemers of Creation Units on a given Business Day. Basket instruments may include cash, securities and/or other transferable investment assets. Each security included in the Basket will be a current holding of the Fund. To the extent there is a difference between the NAV of a Creation Unit and the aggregate market value of the Basket instruments exchanged for the Creation Unit, the party conveying the lower value will pay to the other an amount in cash equal to that difference (the “Balancing Amount”).
To preserve the confidentiality of the Fund’s trading activities, the investment adviser anticipates that the Basket will normally not be a pro rata slice of the Fund’s portfolio positions. Rather, instruments being acquired will generally be excluded from the Basket until their purchase is completed and instruments being sold may not be removed from the Basket until the sale program is substantially completed. Further, when deemed by the investment adviser to be in the best interest of the Fund and its investors, other portfolio positions may be excluded from the Basket. Whenever portfolio positions are excluded from the Basket, the Basket may include proportionately more cash than is in the portfolio, with such additional cash substituting for the excluded portfolio positions.
The Fund may permit an Authorized Participant to deposit or receive, as applicable, cash in lieu of some or all of the Basket instruments, solely because: (a) such instruments are, in the case of the purchase of a Creation Unit, not available in sufficient quantity; (b) such instruments are not eligible for trading by the Authorized Participant or the investor on whose behalf the Authorized Participant is acting; or (c) a holder of Fund shares investing in foreign instruments would be subject to unfavorable income tax treatment if the holder received redemption proceeds in kind. No other Basket substitutions will be permitted. A “Custom Order” is any purchase or redemption of Shares made in whole or in part on a cash basis as described in clause (a) or (b) of this paragraph. In addition, the Fund may require purchases and redemptions on a given Business Day to be made entirely on a cash basis. In such an instance, the Fund will announce, before the open of trading on such day, that all purchases, all redemptions or all purchases and redemptions on that day will be made entirely in cash. The Fund may also determine, upon receiving a purchase or redemption order from an Authorized Participant, to require the purchase or redemption, as applicable, to be made entirely in cash.
Each Business Day, before the open of trading on the Listing Exchange, the investment adviser will cause the Basket, including the names and quantities of the securities, cash and other instruments in the Basket and the estimated Balancing Amount for that day to be disseminated through the NSCC, a clearing agency registered with the SEC and affiliated with DTC. The Basket will also be posted to the Fund’s website. The published Basket will apply until a new Basket is announced, and there will be no intraday changes to the Basket except to correct errors in the published Basket. The investment adviser will also make available on a daily basis information about the previous day’s Balancing Amount.
Clearance and Settlement. Orders for purchases and redemptions of Creation Units will be processed either through an enhanced clearing process or through a manual clearing process. The NSCC/CNS system for effecting in-kind purchases and redemptions of ETFs (the “NSCC Process”) simplifies the transfer of a basket of securities between two parties by treating all of the securities that constitute the basket as a single unit.
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There are limitations on investors’ ability to use the NSCC Process. First, it is available only to those DTC Participants that also are participants in the CNS System of the NSCC. Other DTC Participants must use a manual clearing process (the “DTC Process”), involving a line-by-line movement of each transferred position, which is available to all DTC Participants. Because the DTC Process involves the movement of individual positions, while the NSCC Process can act on instructions regarding the movement of one unitary basket that automatically processes the movement of multiple securities, DTC may charge the Fund more than NSCC to settle purchases and/or redemptions of Creation Units. Further, the NSCC Process is generally only available for transactions involving domestic equity securities and certain domestic income securities. Thus, it may only be used in connection with in-kind transactions for Fund Creation Units that include only eligible securities in their Basket.
Orders for purchases and redemptions of Creation Units that include foreign instruments in their Basket will not go through either the NSCC Process or the DTC Process. Rather, such transactions will go through the Fund’s custodian and its sub-custodian network. Once such a creation order has been placed with the Fund or its agent, the Transfer Agent will inform the investment adviser and the Fund’s custodian. The custodian will then inform the appropriate sub-custodians. In connection with a creation, the Authorized Participant will deliver to the appropriate sub-custodians, on behalf of itself or the beneficial owner on whose behalf it is acting, the Basket instruments as determined according to the procedures described above. The sub-custodians will confirm to the custodian that the purchase consideration has been delivered, and the custodian will notify the investment adviser and Distributor of the delivery. After shares have been instructed to be delivered, the Distributor will furnish the purchaser with a confirmation and a Prospectus (if necessary). For a redemption, the same process proceeds in reverse.
In-kind transactions in Creation Units involving fixed-income instruments that do not use the DTC Process will generally clear and settle as follows: Basket securities that are U.S. government or U.S. agency securities and any cash will settle via free delivery through the Federal Reserve System; Basket securities that are non-U.S. fixed-income securities will settle in accordance with the normal rules for settlement of such securities in the applicable non-U.S. market. Fund shares will settle through DTC. The custodian will monitor the movement of the underlying Basket instruments and will instruct the movement of shares only upon validation that such instruments have settled correctly. The settlement of Fund shares will be aligned with the settlement of the underlying Basket and, except as discussed below with respect to Basket instruments traded in foreign markets, will generally occur no later than the second Business Day following the day on which an order is deemed received by the Distributor.
Orders for purchases and redemptions of Creation Units that include foreign instruments in their Basket may be on a basis other than the second Business Day following receipt in good order in order to accommodate local holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates or under certain other circumstances. The ability of the Trust to effect in-kind purchases and redemptions within three Business Days of receipt of an order in good form is subject, among other things, to the condition that, within the time period from the date of the order to the date of delivery of the securities, there are no days that are holidays in the applicable foreign market. For every occurrence of one or more intervening holidays in the applicable foreign market that are not holidays observed in the U.S. equity market, the redemption settlement cycle will be extended by the number of such intervening holidays. In addition to holidays, other unforeseeable closings in a foreign market due to emergencies may also prevent the Trust from delivering securities within normal settlement periods. The securities delivery cycles currently practicable for transferring portfolio securities to redeeming investors, coupled with foreign market holiday schedules, will require a delivery process longer than seven calendar days for the funds, in certain circumstances. The holidays applicable to the Fund(s) that include foreign instruments in their basket during such periods are listed on Appendix A, as are instances where more than seven days will be needed to deliver redemption proceeds. Although certain holidays may occur on different dates in subsequent years, the number of days required to deliver redemption proceeds in any given year is not expected to exceed the maximum number of days listed on Appendix A. The proclamation of new holidays, the treatment by market participants of certain days as “informal holidays” (e.g., days on which no or limited securities transactions occur, as a result of substantially shortened trading hours), the elimination of existing holidays or changes in local securities delivery practices could affect the information set forth herein at some time in the future. Because the portfolio securities of the Fund(s) may trade on days that the Fund’s Listing Exchange is closed or on days that are not Business Days for the Fund, investors may not be able to redeem their shares of the Fund, or to purchase and sell shares of the Fund on the Listing Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.
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Delivery. The Transfer Agent will transmit all purchase orders received from Authorized Participants to the Fund. After the Fund has accepted a purchase order and received delivery of the purchase consideration, NSCC or DTC, as applicable, will instruct the Fund to initiate delivery of the appropriate number of shares to the book-entry account specified by the Authorized Participant. Delivery of Creation Units by the Fund is expected to occur within the normal settlement cycle, currently no later than the second Business Day following the day on which an order is deemed to be received by the Transfer Agent. The Transfer Agent will issue or cause the issuance of confirmations of acceptance. The Distributor will be responsible for delivering a Prospectus to Authorized Participants purchasing Creation Units. The Transfer Agent and Distributor will maintain records of both the orders placed with it and the confirmations of acceptance furnished by it.
Shares will not normally be issued to a purchasing Authorized Participant until after the transfer to the Fund of good title to the Basket instruments required to be delivered in connection with the purchase. However, shares may be transferred in advance of receipt by the Fund of all or a portion of the applicable Basket instrument(s) as described further below. In these circumstances, the Authorized Participant will be required to transfer to the Fund the available Basket instruments plus, cash in an amount equal to at least 115% of the market value of any undelivered Basket instrument(s) (the “Additional Cash Deposit”). Each Creation Unit order shall be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed, provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the Order Cut-Off Time on such date and cash in the appropriate amount is deposited with the Fund’s custodian by the time designated by the Fund’s custodian on settlement date. If the order is not placed in proper form by the Order Cut-Off Time or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received by the time designated by the Fund’s custodian on settlement date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom.
As noted above, an additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Fund pending delivery of the missing Basket instrument(s) in an amount equal to at least 115% of the daily marked to market value of the missing Basket instrument(s). In the event that additional cash is not paid, the Fund may use the cash on deposit to purchase the missing Basket instrument(s). The Authorized Participant will be liable to the Fund for the costs incurred by the Fund in connection with any such purchases and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for any shortfall between the cost to the Fund of purchasing any missing Basket instrument(s) and the value of the collateral. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Basket instrument(s) exceeds the market value of such Basket instruments on the day the Creation Unit order was deemed received by the Distributor plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Fund will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Basket instrument(s) have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Fund and deposited into the Fund’s account with the Fund’s Custodian.
In connection with taking delivery of shares of securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming investor or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such investor must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the securities are customarily traded, to which account such securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within three Business Days of the trade date.
Redemptions of shares for Fund securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the Fund reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering Fund securities under such laws. A redeeming investor that is subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund’s Basket instruments may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant through which such a redeeming investor transacts may request that the redeeming investor complete an order form or enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, a redeeming investor that is not a “qualified institutional buyer” (“QIB”), as such term is defined under Rule 144A under the 1933 Act, will not be able to receive Fund securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. A redeeming investor may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status in order to receive Fund securities.
The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Fund (i) for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (ii) for any period during which trading on the NYSE is suspended or restricted; (iii) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of Fund shares or determination of the NAV of the shares is not reasonably practicable; or (iv) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.
Transaction Fees. Orders for Creation Units are subject to transaction fees. See “Buying and Selling Shares – Transaction Fees” in the Prospectus.
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Order Rejection. The Fund and/or the Transfer Agent may reject any order that is not in proper form. Further, the Fund may reject a purchase order transmitted to it, if for example: (a) the purchaser or group of related purchasers, upon obtaining the Creation Units, would own 80% or more of outstanding Fund shares; (b) the acceptance of the Basket would have certain adverse tax consequences, such as causing the Fund to no longer meet the requirements of a regulated investment company under the Code; (c) the acceptance of the Basket would, in the opinion of the Trust, be unlawful, as in the case of a purchaser who is banned from trading in securities; (d) the acceptance of the Basket would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or the investment adviser, have an adverse effect on the Fund or its investors; or (e) there exist circumstances outside the control of the Fund that make it impossible to process purchases of Creation Units for all practical purposes. Examples of such circumstances include: acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Fund, the investment adviser, the transfer agent, the custodian, the Distributor, DTC, NSCC or any other participant in the purchase process; and similar extraordinary events.
Required Early Acceptance of Orders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Authorized Participants may be notified that the Order Cut-Off Time for an order may be earlier on a particular Business Day.
Exchange Listing and Trading. A discussion of exchange listing and trading matters associated with an investment in the Fund is contained in the Prospectus under “Fund Summary – Purchases and Sales of Fund Shares” and “Buying and Selling Shares.” The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, such sections of the Prospectus.
The Fund’s shares are listed for trading on the Listing Exchange, and trade thereon at prices that are directly linked to the Fund’s next end-of-day NAV (“NAV-Based Trading”). Shares may also be bought and sold on other national securities exchanges and alternative trading systems that have obtained appropriate licenses, adopted applicable rules and developed systems to support trading in Fund shares. In NAV-Based Trading, all trades are executed at the next NAV, plus or minus a trading cost (i.e., a premium or discount to NAV) determined at the time of trade execution. For each trade, the final transaction price is determined once NAV is computed. Buyers will not know the value of their purchases and sales until the end of the trading day.
Although share prices will be quoted throughout the day relative to NAV, there is not a fixed relationship between trading prices and NAV. Instead, the premium or discount to NAV at which Share transactions are executed is locked in at the time of trade execution, and will depend on market factors, including the balance of supply and demand for shares among investors, transaction fees and other costs associated with creating and redeeming Creation Units of shares, competition among market makers, the Share inventory positions and inventory strategies of market makers, and the volume of share trading. Reflecting these and other market factors, prices for shares in the secondary market may be above, at or below NAV. The Fund does not offer the opportunity to transact intraday at prices determined at time of trade execution.
There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Listing Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Fund shares will continue to be met.
The Listing Exchange may, but is not required to, remove Fund shares from listing if: (i) following the initial twelve-month period after commencement of trading of the Fund, there are fewer than 50 beneficial holders of the shares for 30 or more consecutive trading days; (ii) the Fund’s IIV or NAV is no longer calculated or its IIV, NAV or Basket composition is no longer available to all market participants at the same time; (iii) the Fund has failed to submit any filings required by the SEC or if the Listing Exchange is aware that the Fund is not in compliance with the conditions of any exemptive order or no-action relief granted by the SEC with respect to the Fund; or (iv) such other event shall occur or condition exists that, in the opinion of the Listing Exchange, makes further dealings on the Listing Exchange inadvisable. In addition, the Listing Exchange will remove the Fund shares from listing and trading upon termination of the Trust or the Fund.
Book Entry Only System. The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with “Buying and Selling Shares” in the Prospectus.
DTC acts as securities depositary for Fund shares. Fund shares are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Certificates will not be issued for Fund shares.
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DTC, a limited-purpose trust company, was created to hold securities of DTC Participants and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of DTC Participants and by the NYSE and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others, such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the “Indirect Participants”).
Beneficial ownership of shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of shares.
Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial Owners is affected as follows. Pursuant to the Depositary Agreement between the Trust and DTC, DTC is required to make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Trust a listing of the Fund shares held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall inquire of each such DTC Participant as to the number of Beneficial Owners holding shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
Payment of Fund distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all Fund shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in Fund shares as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is the case for securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.
The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspects of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in such shares, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants. DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to shares at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Trust and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Trust shall take action either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such a replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Listing Exchange.
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 investors, 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 |
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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 (Moody’s Investor Services, Inc. and S&P Global Ratings), analytical service providers engaged by the investment adviser (SS&C 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 (The Thomas Reuters Pricing Service Mark-to-Market Pricing Service, WM/Reuters Information Services and Non-Deliverable Forward Rates Service, IHS Markit, FT Interactive Data Corp., Securities Evaluations, Inc., SuperDerivatives and StatPro.), 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 Fund’s Board. In addition to the foregoing, disclosure of portfolio holdings may be made to the Fund’s 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 investors 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 Distributor will not receive any monetary or other consideration in connection with the disclosure of information concerning the Fund’s 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 investors. 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 investors or whether the proposed disclosure gives rise to a conflict of interest between the Fund’s investors and its investment adviser 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 investors 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 or 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 investors. As used below, “the Fund” refers to each Fund listed on the cover of this SAI, except as otherwise noted. 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. Investors 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
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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 generally will not recognize gain or loss on its distribution of appreciated securities in investor-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 investors in the form of dividends or capital gain distributions. The Fund qualified as a RIC for its most recent taxable year.
The Fund also seeks to avoid the imposition of a federal excise tax on its ordinary income and capital gain net income. 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 distribute (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 were not distributed 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 applicable state income, corporate excise or franchise tax.
If the Fund does not qualify as a RIC for any taxable year, the Fund’s 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 investor as dividend income. However, such distributions may be eligible (i) to be treated as qualified dividend income in the case of investors taxed as individuals and (ii) for the dividends-received deduction in the case of corporate investors. 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 (which includes 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 investor distributions.
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 under Subchapter M of the Code 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 allocable share of such Portfolio’s 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 Portfolio’s 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. The Fund intends to take the position that income from its investments in the Subsidiary will constitute qualifying income for purposes of qualifying as a regulated investment company. The IRS has recently issued proposed regulations providing that “subpart F income” (as defined below) included in a RIC’s gross income constitutes “qualifying income” only to the extent such income is timely and currently repatriated to the RIC. If the regulations were finalized in their current form, annual net profit, if any, realized by a CFC (as defined below), such as the Subsidiary, and included in the income of the Fund will constitute “qualifying income” only to the extent it is timely and currently repatriated to the Fund (notwithstanding any previously issued private letter ruling or advice from counsel). The tax treatment of income from the Subsidiary may be adversely affected by future legislation,
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Treasury Regulations and/or guidance issued by the IRS, which could affect the character, timing and/or amount of the Fund’s taxable income or any gains and distributions made by the Fund. If the Fund were to earn non-qualifying income from any source including the Subsidiary in excess of 10% of its gross income for any taxable year, it would fail to qualify as a RIC for that year, unless the Fund were eligible to cure and cured such failure by paying a Fund-level tax equal to the full amount of such excess.
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. investor” 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 Fund’s recognition of the Subsidiary's “subpart F income” will increase the Fund’s 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 below 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 investors. 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 Fund’s 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 issued on or before December 31, 2017 (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 investors to claim a tax credit on their income tax returns equal to each investor ‘s proportionate share of tax credits from the applicable bonds that otherwise would be allowed to the Fund. In such a case, investors must include in gross income (as interest) their proportionate share of the income attributable to their proportionate share of those
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offsetting tax credits. An investor ‘s 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 investors, the Fund may choose not to do so.
Derivatives. The Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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 by the Fund 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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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 investors 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, investors will include in gross income from foreign sources their pro rata share of such taxes. An investor’s 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 the Fund level, investor level and, if applicable, Portfolio level), as a result of which an investor may not get a full credit or deduction for the amount of such taxes. In particular, the Fund or Portfolio, if applicable, must own a dividend-paying stock for more than 15 days during the 31-day period beginning 15 days prior to the ex-dividend date in order to pass through to shareholders a credit or deduction for any foreign withholding tax on a dividend paid with respect to such stock. Likewise, investors 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. Investors who do not itemize deductions on their federal income tax returns may claim a credit (but no deduction) for such taxes. Individual investors 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 investors of the extent, if any, to which its distributions consist of such interest. Investors are urged to consult their tax advisers regarding the possible exclusion of such portion of their dividends for state and local income tax purposes.
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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 Fund’s receipt of cash in excess of the REIT’s earnings; if the Fund distributes these amounts, these distributions could constitute a return of capital to Fund investors for U.S. federal income tax purposes. 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. Any distribution of income attributable to qualified REIT dividends or qualified publicly traded partnership income from the Fund's investment in a REIT or qualified publicly traded partnership, as applicable, will not qualify for the deduction that would be available to a non-corporate shareholder were the shareholder to own such REIT or qualified publicly traded partnership directly.
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 Fund’s 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 Investors” below).
Taxation of Fund Investors. 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 generally taxable as long-term capital gains. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the Fund or, if applicable, the Portfolio owned the investments that generated the gains, rather than how long an investor has owned his or her shares in the Fund. Dividends and distributions on the Fund’s shares are generally subject to federal income tax as described herein to the extent they are made out of the Fund’s earnings and profits, even though such dividends and distributions may economically represent a return of a particular investor’s investment. Such distributions are likely to occur in respect of shares purchased at a time when the Fund’s net asset value reflects gains that are either unrealized, or realized but not distributed. Such realized gains may be required to be distributed even when the Fund’s 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 an investor in excess of the Fund’s 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 an investor’s tax basis in its shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the investor of its shares. An investor’s tax basis cannot go below zero and any return of capital distributions in excess of an investor’s tax basis will be treated as capital gain.
Ordinarily, investors 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 an investor 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 investors of the tax character of distributions annually to facilitate investor 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 regular corporate tax rates. In such a case, it is expected that the Fund also will elect to have investors 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 investor 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 an investor buys shares when the Fund has unrealized or realized but not yet distributed ordinary income or capital gains, the investor 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 investor’s investment.
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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 investors 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 investors, 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 for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2018. Fund investors 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 an investor to purchase or carry Fund shares that distributes exempt-interest dividends will not be deductible for U.S. federal income tax purposes in proportion to the percentage that the Fund’s distributions of exempt interest dividends bears to all of the Fund’s distributions, excluding properly reported capital gain dividends. If an investor receives exempt interest dividends with respect to any Fund share and if the share is held by the investor 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 an investor 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 investor’s federal “branch profits” tax liability and the federal “excess net passive income” tax liability of an investor of a Subchapter S corporation. Investors 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 AMT, the federal “branch profits” tax, or the federal “excess net passive income” tax.
Qualified Dividend Income. “Qualified dividend income” received by an individual is generally 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 investors to be qualified dividend income, the Fund or, if applicable, the Portfolio must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the dividend-paying stock in its portfolio and the investor must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Fund’s shares. A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (at either the Fund or investor 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 properly reported by the Fund as derived from qualified dividend income will be treated as qualified dividend income by an investor taxed as an individual provided the investor meets the holding period and other requirements described above with respect to the Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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 (more than 90 days in the case of certain preferred stock) during the 91-day period beginning 45 days before the ex-dividend date (during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date in the case of certain preferred stock) 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 investor’s shares. For tax years beginning prior to January 1, 2018, 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 Investors. 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 investor could recognize UBTI if shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of a tax-exempt investor 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 investors such excess inclusion income may: (1) constitute income taxable as UBTI for those investors 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. investors 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 investors.
Taxes on Purchases and Redemptions of Creation Units. Purchasers of Creation Units of shares on an in-kind basis will generally recognize a gain or loss on the purchase transaction equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units, and the purchaser’s aggregate basis in the securities or other instruments exchanged plus (or minus) the cash amount paid (or received). Persons redeeming Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the redeeming investor’s basis in the Creation Units redeemed and the aggregate market value of the securities or other instruments received, if any, plus (or minus) the cash amount received (or paid). The IRS, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities or other instruments for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Persons exchanging securities or other instruments should consult their own tax advisors with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and whether a loss is deductible.
Any capital gain or loss realized upon the purchase of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will be treated as short-term capital gains or losses.
A Fund has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the creator (or group of creators) would, upon obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, the Fund would have a basis in the deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. A Fund also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial Share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination.
Sale, Redemption or Exchange of Fund Shares. Generally, upon the sale, redemption or (if permitted) exchange of Fund shares, an investor will realize a taxable gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized and the investor’s basis in the shares. Such gain or loss will be treated as capital gain or loss if the shares are capital assets in the investor’s hands, and generally 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 investor acquired other shares of the same Fund (whether through the reinvestment of distributions or otherwise) within the period beginning 30 days before the date of sale or other disposition of the loss shares and ending 30 days after such date. Any disallowed loss will result in an adjustment to the investor’s tax basis in some or all of the other shares acquired. See the prospectus for information regarding any permitted exchange of Fund shares.
Applicability of Medicare Contribution Tax. The Code imposes a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on net investment 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.
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Back-Up Withholding for U.S. Investors. Amounts paid by the Fund to individuals and certain other investors who have not provided the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number (“TIN”) and certain certifications required by the IRS as well as investors 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 Fund’s taxable dividends and other distributions as well as the proceeds of redemption transactions (including repurchases and exchanges). An individual’s TIN is generally his or her social security number. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against an investor’s U.S. federal income tax liability.
Taxation of Foreign Investors. In general, dividends (other than capital gain dividends and exempt-interest dividends) paid to an investor that is not a “U.S. person” within the meaning of the Code (a “foreign person” or “foreign investor”) 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 person’s 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. investor. 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 investor 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 Fund’s “qualified net interest income” (generally, the Fund’s 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% investor, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income) or (ii) are paid in respect of the Fund’s “qualified short-term capital gains” (generally, the excess of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain over the Fund’s 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. investor 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. investors 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 investor 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 Fund’s direct or indirect interests in U.S. real property exceeded certain levels. Instead, if the foreign investor 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 investor; if the foreign investor 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 investor to U.S. filing requirements. The rules described in this paragraph, other than the withholding rules, will apply notwithstanding the Fund’s participation or a foreign investor’s participation in a wash sale transaction or the payment of a substitute dividend.
Additionally, if the Fund’s direct or indirect interests in U.S. real property were to exceed certain levels, a foreign investor 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 Fund’s outstanding shares at any time during the one year period ending on the date of the redemption.
The same rules apply with respect to distributions to a foreign investor from the Fund and redemptions of a foreign investor’s interest in the Fund attributable to a REIT’s 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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s stock is held by U.S. investors, 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 investor’s 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 Fund’s 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 investors, the Fund may be required to backup withhold U.S. federal income tax on distributions that are otherwise exempt from withholding tax unless such investors furnish the Fund with proper notification of their foreign status.
Shares of the Fund held by a non-U.S. investor at death will be considered situated within the United States and subject to the U.S. estate tax.
Compliance with FATCA. 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. If a payment by the Fund is subject to withholding under FATCA, the Fund is required to withhold even if such payment would otherwise be exempt from withholding under the rules applicable to foreign investors described above (e.g., capital gain dividends, short-term capital gain dividends, dividends attributable to qualified net interest income and dividends attributable to tax-exempt interest income). 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. investors 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 an investor realizes a loss on disposition of the Fund’s shares of at least $2 million in any single taxable year or $4 million in any combination of taxable years for an individual investor or at least $10 million in any single taxable year or $20 million in any combination of taxable years for a corporate investor, the investor must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct investors of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, investors 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 taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Investors 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 investor’s particular situation.
Changes in Taxation. The taxation of the Fund, the Portfolio, the Subsidiary and investors 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 Fund or 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 adviser’s 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 firm’s 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 adviser’s obligation to seek best overall execution for the Fund or 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 adviser’s 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 client’s account or of a few clients’ accounts, or may be useful for the management of merely a segment of certain clients’ accounts, regardless of whether any such account or accounts paid commissions to the broker-dealer through which such Research Service was obtained. The 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
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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 adviser’s 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 adviser’s 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. Fund trades may also implicate UK Law requiring the investment adviser to direct any research portion of a brokerage commission to an account controlled by the investment adviser.
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 or 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 Fund or 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 Fund or 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 Fund or 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 the period, as well as the amount of Fund or Portfolio security transactions for the most recent fiscal period (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
Directed to Firms Providing Research |
Commissions Paid on
Transactions Directed to Firms Providing Research |
||
Fund/Portfolio | 10/31/17 | 10/31/16 (1) | 10/31/17 | 10/31/17 |
Global Income Builder NextShares | $0 | $0 (2) | $0 | $0 |
Global Income Builder Portfolio | $770,656 | $288,011 (3) | $746,962,811 | $641,133 |
(1) | Brokerage commissions paid for during the period were lower due to a lower number of portfolio transactions. |
(2) | For the period from the start of business March 30, 2016, to October 31, 2016. |
(3) | For the period from the start of business March 28, 2016, to October 31, 2016. |
During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2017, the Portfolio held 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 Fund’s fiscal year end was as follows:
OTHER INFORMATION
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities. At February 1, 2018, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned in the aggregate less than 1% of the outstanding shares 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:
Eaton Vance Management | Boston, MA | 99.99% |
Beneficial owners of 25% or more of a Class 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 the Fund as of such date.
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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 investors and are incorporated by reference into this SAI. A copy of the annual report accompanies this SAI.
Deloitte & Touche LLP (“D&T”), the Fund's and Portfolio's principal accountant, has informed the Audit Committee that certain relationships between D&T and its affiliates (“Deloitte Entities”) and one or more lenders who are record owners of more than 10% of the shares of one or more funds within the Eaton Vance family of funds implicate Rule 2-01(c)(1)(ii)(A) of Regulation S-X (the “Loan Rule”), calling into question D&T’s independence with respect to the Eaton Vance family of funds. The Loan Rule prohibits an accounting firm, such as D&T, from having certain financial relationships with its audit clients and affiliated entities. Specifically, the Loan Rule provides, in relevant part, that an accounting firm generally would not be independent if it or a “covered person” of the accounting firm (within the meaning of applicable SEC rules relating to auditor independence) receives a loan from a lender that is a “record or beneficial owner of more than ten percent of the audit client’s equity securities.” The Fund is providing this disclosure to explain the facts and circumstances as well as D&T’s conclusions concerning D&T’s objectivity and impartiality with respect to the audits of the Fund and Portfolio notwithstanding the existence of one or more breaches of the Loan Rule.
On June 20, 2016, the SEC issued no-action relief to another mutual fund complex (see Fidelity Management & Research Company et al., No-Action Letter (June 20, 2016) (the “No-Action Letter”)) related to an auditor independence issue arising under the Loan Rule. In the No-Action Letter, the SEC indicated that it would not recommend enforcement action against the fund group if the auditor is not in compliance with the Loan Rule provided that: (1) the auditor has complied with PCAOB Rule 3526(b)(1) and 3526(b)(2); (2) the auditor’s non-compliance under the Loan Rule is with respect to certain lending relationships; and (3) notwithstanding such non-compliance, the auditor has concluded that it is objective and impartial with respect to the issues encompassed within its engagement as auditor of the funds. Although the relief contained in the No-Action Letter was scheduled to expire eighteen months from issuance, it was extended via a subsequent no-action letter issued on September 22, 2017 (see Fidelity Management & Research Company et al., No-Action Letter (Sept. 22, 2017)).
Based on information provided by D&T to the Audit Committee, the requirements of the No-Action Letter appear to be met with respect to D&T’s lending relationships described above. Among other things, D&T has advised the Audit Committee of its conclusion that the consequences of the breach of the Loan Rule have been satisfactorily addressed, that D&T’s objectivity and impartiality in the planning and conduct of the audits of the Fund's and Portfolio's financial statements has not been compromised and that, notwithstanding the breach, D&T is in a position to continue as the auditor for the Fund and Portfolio and D&T does not believe any actions need to be taken with respect to previously issued reports by D&T. D&T has advised the Audit Committee that these conclusions were based in part on its consideration of the No-Action Letter and other relevant information communicated to the Audit Committee.
Householding. Consistent with applicable law, duplicate mailings of investor reports and certain other Fund information to investors residing at the same address may be eliminated.
Registrant incorporates by reference the audited financial information and the report of the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2017, as previously filed electronically with the SEC (Accession No. 0001193125-17-380309).
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
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Auction Rate Securities | Auction rate securities, such as auction preferred shares of closed-end investment companies, are preferred securities and debt securities with dividends/coupons based on a rate set at auction. The auction is usually held weekly for each series of a security, but may be held less frequently. The auction sets the rate, and securities may be bought and sold at the auction. Provided that the auction mechanism is successful, auction rate securities normally permit the holder to sell the securities in an auction at par value at specified intervals. The dividend is reset by a “Dutch” auction in which bids are made by broker-dealers and other institutions for a certain amount of securities at a specified minimum yield. The dividend rate set by the auction is the lowest interest or dividend rate that covers all securities offered for sale. While this process is designed to permit auction rate securities to be traded at par value, there is the risk that an auction will fail due to insufficient demand for the securities. Security holders that submit sell orders in a failed auction may not be able to sell any or all of the shares for which they have submitted sell orders. Security holders may sell their shares at the next scheduled auction, subject to the same risk that the subsequent auction will not attract sufficient demand for a successful auction to occur. Broker-dealers may also try to facilitate secondary trading in the auction rate securities, although such secondary trading may be limited and may only be available for shareholders willing to sell at a discount. Since mid-February 2008, existing markets for certain auction rate securities have become generally illiquid and investors have not been able to sell their securities through the regular auction process. It is uncertain, particularly in the near term, when or whether there will be a revival of investor interest in purchasing securities sold through auctions. In addition, there may be no active secondary markets for many auction rate securities. Moreover, auction rate securities that do trade in a secondary market may trade at a significant discount from the underlying liquidation or principal amount of the securities. Finally, there recently have been a number of governmental investigations and regulatory settlements involving certain broker-dealers with respect to their prior activities involving auction rate securities. |
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 Portfolio’s average weighted maturity by the Fund’s percentage ownership of that Portfolio. |
Borrowing for Investment Purposes | Successful use of a borrowing strategy depends on the investment adviser’s 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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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 adviser’s 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. |
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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 Fund’s ability to borrow is subject to its terms and conditions of its credit arrangements, which in some cases may limit the Fund’s 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 security’s 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. |
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. | |
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. |
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. |
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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 corporation’s board of directors. Common stock normally occupies the most subordinated position in an issuer’s 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. | |
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 company’s 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 security’s investment value. A convertible security ranks senior to common stock in a corporation’s 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 security’s 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. | |
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 Fund’s objective than alternative investments. For example, the investment adviser may combine an equity feature with respect to an issuer’s stock with a fixed-income security of a different issuer in the same industry to diversify the Fund’s 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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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, an option or commodity exchange or swap execution facility or clearinghouse 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 day’s 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. | |
The regulation of derivatives has undergone substantial change in recent years and such change may continue. In particular, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), and regulations proposed to be promulgated thereunder require many derivatives to be cleared and traded on an exchange, expand entity registration requirements, impose business conduct requirements on dealers that enter into swaps with a pension plan, endowment, retirement plan or government entity, and require banks to move some derivatives trading units to a non-guaranteed affiliate separate from the deposit-taking bank or divest them altogether. Although the CFTC has released final rules relating to clearing, reporting, recordkeeping, required margin and registration requirements under the legislation, many of the provisions are subject to further final rule making, and thus its ultimate impact remains unclear. See also “Swap Agreements” herein. New regulations and the implementation of existing regulations could, among other things, restrict the Fund’s ability to engage in derivatives transactions (for example, by making certain types of derivatives transactions no longer available to the Fund) and/or increase the costs of such derivatives transactions (for example, by increasing margin or capital requirements), and the Fund may be unable to fully execute its investment strategies as a result. Limits or restrictions applicable to the counterparties with which the Fund engages in derivative transactions also could prevent the Fund from using these instruments or affect the pricing or other factors relating to these instruments, or may change the availability of certain investments. | |
Likewise, the SEC has proposed regulations that, if adopted, would significantly change the manner in which a Fund must segregate assets to cover its future obligations. The proposed regulations would restrict its ability to enter into derivative transactions for speculative or hedging purposes and would require the Fund’s Board to adopt a derivative risk management and governance framework. These regulations could also limit the ability of a Fund to use these instruments as part of its investment management strategy, increase the costs of using these instruments or make them less effective. Limits or restrictions applicable to the counterparties with which a Fund engages in derivative transactions also could prevent the Fund from using these instruments or affect the pricing or other factors relating to these instruments, or may change the availability of certain investments. | |
Legislation may be enacted that could negatively affect the assets of the Fund. Legislation or regulation may also change the way in which the Fund itself is regulated. The effects of any new governmental regulation cannot be predicted and there can be no assurance that any new governmental regulation will not adversely affect the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective(s). |
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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. | |
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. | |
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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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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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 security’s 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 underlying funds is the sum of its allocable share of the duration of each of the underlying funds in which it invests, which is determined by multiplying the underlying fund’s duration by the Fund’s percentage ownership of that underlying fund. |
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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. |
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. | |
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. | |
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. | |
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. | |
The foregoing risks may be even greater in frontier markets. Frontier markets are countries with investable stock markets that are less established than those in the emerging markets. The economies of frontier market countries generally are smaller than those of traditional emerging market countries, and frontier capital markets and legal systems are typically less developed. |
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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”). |
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 Fund’s restrictions on investments in illiquid securities. |
Event-Linked Securities | The Fund may obtain event-linked exposure by investing in “event-linked bonds”, “event-linked swaps” or other “event-linked securities”. Event-linked securities are obligations for which the return of capital and dividend/interest payments are contingent on, or formulaically related to, the non-occurrence of a pre-defined “trigger” event. For some event-linked securities, the trigger event’s magnitude may be based on losses to a company or industry, industry indexes or readings of scientific instruments rather than specified actual losses. Examples of trigger events include hurricanes, earthquakes, weather-related phenomena, or statistics relating to such events. |
Some event-linked securities are referred to as “catastrophe bonds.” Catastrophe bonds entitle a Fund to receive principal and interest payments so long as no trigger event occurs of the description and magnitude specified by the instrument. If a trigger event occurs, the Fund may lose a portion of its entire principal invested in the bond. | |
Event-linked securities may be sponsored by government agencies, insurance companies or reinsurers and issued by special purpose corporations or other off-shore or on-shore entities (such special purpose entities are created to accomplish a narrow and well-defined objective, such as the issuance of a note in connection with a specific reinsurance transaction). Typically, event-linked securities are issued by off-shore entities and may be non-dollar denominated. As a result, the Fund may be subject to currency risk. | |
Often, event-linked securities provide for extensions of maturity that are mandatory or optional at the discretion of the issuer or sponsor, in order to process and audit loss claims in those cases where a trigger event has, or possibly has, occurred. In addition to the specified trigger events, event-linked securities also may expose a Fund to certain unanticipated risks including but not limited to issuer risk, credit risk, counterparty risk, adverse regulatory or jurisdictional interpretations, and adverse tax consequences. Event-linked securities are generally rated below investment grade or the unrated equivalent and have the same or similar risks as high yield debt securities (also known as junk bonds) and are subject to the risk that the Fund may lose some or all of its investment in such securities if the particular trigger occurs. Event-linked securities may be rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating agency, but are often unrated. Frequently, the issuer of an event-linked security will use an independent risk model to calculate the probability and economic consequences of a trigger event. | |
Event-linked securities are a relatively new type of financial instrument. As such, there is no significant trading history of these securities, and there can be no assurance that a liquid market in these instruments will develop. Lack of a liquid market may impose the risk of higher transaction costs and the possibility that the Fund may be forced to liquidate positions when it would not be advantageous to do so. | |
Event-linked securities typically are restricted to qualified institutional buyers and, therefore, are not subject to registration with the SEC or any state securities commission and are not always listed on any national securities exchange. The amount of public information available with respect to event-linked securities is generally less extensive than that which is available for issuers of registered or exchange listed securities. There can be no assurance that future regulatory determinations will not adversely affect the overall market for event-linked 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. |
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 day’s market benchmark or strategy factor. |
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 issuer’s 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 issuer’s 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 Fund’s 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. | |
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. | |
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. | |
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. |
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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 security’s market value or of the liquidity of an investment in the securities. Credit ratings are based largely on the issuer’s historical financial condition and a rating agency’s investment analysis at the time of rating, and the rating assigned to any particular security is not necessarily a reflection of the issuer’s current financial condition. Credit quality 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 Fund’s 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. 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. A devaluation of a currency by a country’s government or banking authority will have a significant impact on the value of any investments denominated in that currency. 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. |
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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 Fund’s ability to purchase or sell foreign securities, or transfer the Fund’s 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. |
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. | |
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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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. | |
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 issuer’s 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. | |
Unless otherwise provided in the Prospectus, in determining the domicile of an issuer, the investment adviser may consider the domicile determination of the Fund’s benchmark index or a leading provider of global indexes and may take into account such factors as where the company’s 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. |
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. | |
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. |
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. | |
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 entity’s 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 Fund’s 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, trust preferred securities and certain debt obligations are types of hybrid securities. Hybrid securities generally have a preference over common stock in the event of the issuer’s liquidation and perpetual or near perpetual terms at time of issuance. 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 issuer’s 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 issuer’s outstanding common stock or subordinated debt instruments. See also “Preferred Stock,” “Convertible Securities” and “Contingent Convertible Securities.” |
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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. |
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 Fund’s 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. | |
At times, a portion of the Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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. |
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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. |
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 bond’s inflation measure. | |
Investing in a Portfolio | The Board may discontinue the Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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. |
While the Subsidiary may be operated similarly to the Fund, it is not registered under the 1940 Act and, unless otherwise noted in the Prospectus and this SAI, is not subject to the investor protections of the 1940 Act and other U.S. regulations. Changes in the laws of the U.S. and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as described in the Prospectus and this SAI and could negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders. |
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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. |
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. | |
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 borrower’s 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. | |
A lender’s 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 lender’s 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 Fund’s 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. | |
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 loan’s recovery. If a borrower becomes involved in bankruptcy proceedings, a court may invalidate the Fund’s security interest in any loan collateral or subordinate the Fund’s rights under the loan agreement to the interests of the borrower’s 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 Fund’s security interest in loan collateral. If any of these events occur, the Fund’s performance could be negatively affected. | |
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. | |
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. | |
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. | |
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. |
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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 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 and that any guarantee or other structural feature, if present, is insufficient to enable the timely payment of interest and principal on the MBS. Although certain MBS are guaranteed as to timely payment of interest and principal by a government-sponsored enterprise, the market price for such securities is not guaranteed and will fluctuate. Certain MBS may be purchased on a when-issued basis subject to certain limitations and requirements. |
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 of, or and investors in, mortgage loans, including depositary institutions, mortgage banks and special purpose subsidiaries of the foregoing. | |
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. | |
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 FHLMC’S 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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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 Fund’s 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. | |
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 issuer’s obligations on such securities or otherwise incur costs to protect its rights, which may increase the Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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 investor’s 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. | |
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 recipient’s liability for the AMT. For corporate shareholders, the Fund’s 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). | |
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 issuer’s 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. | |
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. | |
Hospital bond ratings are often based on feasibility studies that contain projections of expenses, revenues and occupancy levels. A hospital’s 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. | |
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 airport’s 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. | |
Industrial development bonds (“IDBs”) 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 issuer’s 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 fund’s 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. | |
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 Fund’s share price also may increase. |
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 73 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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 Moody’s, 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. |
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Operational Risk | The Fund’s 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. The ability of the Fund to transact business with any one or any number of counterparties, the lack of any independent evaluation of the counterparties or their financial capabilities, and the absence of a regulated market to facilitate settlement, may increase the potential for losses to the Fund. OTC options also involve greater liquidity risk. This risk may be increased in times of financial stress, if the trading market for OTC derivative contracts becomes limited. 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 Global Income Builder NextShares | 74 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
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. | |
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 Fund’s 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. | |
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. | |
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. | |
Options positions are marked to market daily. The value of options is affected by changes in the value and dividend rates of the securities underlying the option or represented in the index underlying the option, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived volatility of the relevant index or market and the remaining time to the options’ expiration, as well as trading conditions in the options market. The hours of trading for options may not conform to the hours during which the underlying securities are traded. To the extent that the options markets close before the markets for the underlying securities, significant price and rate movements can take place in the underlying markets that would not be reflected concurrently in the options markets. | |
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 Global Income Builder NextShares | 75 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
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 ReFlow’s 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 fund’s share classes based on relative net assets. ReFlow’s purchases of fund shares through the liquidity program are made on an investment-blind basis without regard to the fund’s 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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s net assets to the benefit of the Fund and its shareholders. To the extent the Fund’s 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 fund’s 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 Global Income Builder NextShares | 76 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
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 company’s 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 company’s 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 Fund’s investment restrictions. |
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. Shares of REITs may trade less frequently and, therefore, are subject to more erratic price movements than securities of larger issuers. REITs are also subject to credit, market, liquidity and interest rate risks. |
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 Global Income Builder NextShares | 77 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s investments in residual interest bonds and similar securities described in the Prospectus and this SAI will not be considered borrowing for purposes of the Fund’s 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 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. All existing residual interest bonds were restructured in order to comply with the Volcker Rule prior to 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 Global Income Builder NextShares | 78 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s yield. |
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 79 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
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 finder’s, 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 Fund’s 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. |
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 borrower’s 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 borrower’s 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 Global Income Builder NextShares | 80 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
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. | |
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. | |
A financial institution’s appointment as Agent may usually be terminated in the event that it fails to observe the requisite standard of care or becomes insolvent. 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 Agent’s 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. | |
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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s rights as a creditor or to protect the value of a Senior Loan held by the Fund. | |
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 borrower’s 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 adviser’s client accounts collectively held only a single category of the issuer’s securities. | |
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 Fund’s investment policies. |
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 81 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
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 Moody’s 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 Fund’s 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. |
Significant Exposure to Health Sciences Companies | Because the Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, life sciences, and health care equipment and services companies, the value of Fund shares may be affected by developments that adversely affect such companies and may fluctuate more than that of a fund that invests more broadly. Many health sciences companies are subject to substantial governmental regulations that can affect their prospects. Changes in governmental policies, such as reductions in the funding of third-party payment programs, may have a material effect on the demand for particular health care products and services. Regulatory approvals (often entailing lengthy application and testing procedures) are also generally required before new drugs and certain medical devices and procedures may be introduced. Many of the products and services of companies engaged in medical research and health care are also subject to relatively high risks of rapid obsolescence caused by progressive scientific and technological advances. Additionally, such products are subject to risks such as the appearance of toxic effects following commercial introduction and manufacturing difficulties. The enforcement of patent, trademark and other intellectual property laws will affect the value of many such companies. Health sciences companies include companies that offer limited products or services or that are at the research and developmental stage with no marketable or approved products or technologies. |
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 82 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
Significant Exposure to 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, may be more difficult and may take longer to liquidate at fair value than would be the case for the publicly traded securities of a large company. |
Significant Exposure to Utilities and Financial Services Sectors | Because the Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in the utilities and financial services sectors, the value of Fund shares may be affected by events that adversely affect those sectors and may fluctuate more than that of a fund with broader exposure. The utilities sector includes companies engaged in the manufacture, production, generation, transmission, sale and distribution of water, gas and electric energy. Companies in the financial services sector include, for example, commercial banks, savings and loan associations, brokerage and investment companies, insurance companies, and consumer and industrial finance companies. Companies in the utilities sector may be sensitive to changes in interest rates and other economic conditions, governmental regulation, uncertainties created by deregulation, power shortages and surpluses, the price and availability of fuel, environmental protection or energy conservation practices, the level and demand for services, and the cost and potential business disruption of technological developments. Companies in the financial services sector are also subject to extensive government regulation and can be significantly affected by the availability and cost of capital funds, changes in interest rates, the rate of corporate and consumer debt defaults, and price competition. |
Stripped Securities | Stripped Securities (“Strips”) may be issued by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, and may also be issued by private originators or investors, including depository institutions, banks, investment banks and special purpose subsidiaries of these entities. Strips are usually structured with classes that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distributions from an underlying asset or pool of underlying assets. Strips are particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, which may impact the frequency of principal payments (including prepayments) on the underlying assets or pool of underlying assets. Some structures may have a class that receives only interest from the underlying assets, an interest-only (“IO”) class, while another class may receive only principal, a principal-only (“PO”) class. IO and PO Strips may be purchased for their return and/or hedging characteristics. Because of their structure, IO Strips may move differently than typical fixed-income securities in relation to changes in interest rates. IO Strips tend to decrease in value if prepayments are greater than anticipated and increase in value if prepayments are less than anticipated. Conversely, PO Strips tend to increase in value if prepayments are greater than anticipated and decline if prepayments are less than anticipated. While the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities may guarantee the full repayment of principal on Strips they issue, repayment of interest is guaranteed only while the underlying assets or pools of assets are outstanding. To the extent the Fund invests in Strips, rapid changes in the rate of prepayments may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s performance. In addition, the secondary market for Strips may be less liquid than that for other securities. Certain Strips may also present certain operational and/or valuation risks. |
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 83 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
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 party’s 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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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. To limit the counterparty risk involved in swap agreements, the Fund will only enter into swap agreements with counterparties that meet certain criteria. 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. |
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 84 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
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 Fund’s 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 yet to be promulgated and/or implemented may exert a negative effect on the Fund’s 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 implementation of this legislation, and the new requirements may increase the cost of the Fund’s 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 party’s payments are based on the rate of return of an equity security or equity index, such as the S&P 500. The other party’s 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 Global Income Builder NextShares | 85 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
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 Fund’s 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 swap’s 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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s obligations will be accrued on a daily basis, and the full amount of the Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s obligations will be accrued on a daily basis. Certain federal income tax requirements may limit the Fund’s ability to engage in certain interest rate transactions. |
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 86 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
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 Fund’s 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 shareholder’s 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 trust’s receipt of payments from, and the trust’s 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 Global Income Builder NextShares | 87 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
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. |
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 issuer’s 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 Global Income Builder NextShares | 88 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
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, Deep Discount Bonds and Payment-In-Kind (“PIK”) Securities | 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 holder’s ability to reinvest at higher rates in the future. 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. |
Bonds and preferred stocks that make “in-kind” payments and other securities that do not pay regular income distributions may experience greater volatility in response to interest rate changes and issuer developments. PIK securities generally carry higher interest rates compared to bonds that make cash payments of interest to reflect their payment deferral and increased credit risk. PIK securities generally involve significantly greater credit risk than coupon loans because the Fund receives no cash payments until the maturity date or a specified cash payment date. Even if accounting conditions are met for accruing income payable at a future date under a PIK bond, the issuer could still default when the collection date occurs at the maturity of or payment date for the PIK bond. PIK bonds may be difficult to value accurately because they involve ongoing judgments as to the collectability of the deferred payments and the value of any associated collateral. If the issuer of a PIK security defaults, the Fund may lose its entire investment. PIK interest has the effect of generating investment income and increasing the incentive fees, if any, payable at a compounding rate. Generally, the deferral of PIK interest increases the loan to value ratio. |
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 89 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
APPENDIX A
Listed below are the dates in calendar year 2017 in which the regular holidays in non-U.S. markets may impact Fund settlement. This list is based on information available to the Funds. The list may not be accurate or complete and is subject to change.
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 90 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 91 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 92 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 93 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 94 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
APPENDIX B
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.
MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE, INC. (“Moody’s”)
Ratings assigned on Moody’s 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 and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of a default.
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 credit 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: Moody’s 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
Moody’s 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.
ISSUER RATINGS
Issuer Ratings are opinions of the ability of entities to honor senior unsecured debt and debt like instruments. 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.
Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares | 95 | SAI dated March 1, 2018 |
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 municipality’s 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 issuer’s long-term rating is only one consideration in assigning the MIG rating. MIG ratings are divided into three levels—MIG 1 through MIG 3—while 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 Moody’s evaluation of the degree of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moody’s 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. VMIG ratings of demand obligations with unconditional liquidity support are mapped from the short-term debt rating (or counterparty assessment) of the support provider, or the underlying obligor in the absence of third party liquidity support, with VMIG 1 corresponding to P-1, VMIG 2 to P-2, VMIG 3 to P-3 and SG to not prime. Transitions of VMIG ratings of demand obligations with conditional liquidity support, as shown in the diagram below, differ from transitions on the Prime scale to reflect the risk that external liquidity support will terminate if to reflect the risk that external liquidity support will terminate if the issuer’s 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.
S&P GLOBAL RATINGS (“S&P”)
ISSUE CREDIT RATINGS DEFINITIONS
S&P’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 S&P’s view of the obligor's capacity and willingness to meet its financial
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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. 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 S&P’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 financial obligation and the promise that it is imputed; and
· Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the financial 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 obligor’s 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 obligor’s 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 obligor’s 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 that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B: An obligation rated ‘B’ is more vulnerable to nonpayment 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 obligor’s 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 S&P’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 S&P’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.
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NR: This indicates that no rating has been requested, or that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that S&P’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 obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the 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 obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory.
A-3: A short-term obligation rated ‘A-3’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B: A short-term obligation rated ‘B’ is regarded as vulnerable and has 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 S&P’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
S&P’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.
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 that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.
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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 obligor’s 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 S&P’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 ’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 S&P’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 S&P’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 obligor’s 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. 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: 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 S&P’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 S&P’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 S&P’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.
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MUNICIPAL SHORT-TERM NOTE RATINGS
SHORT-TERM NOTES: An S&P U.S. municipal note ratings reflects S&P opinions about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to notes.
Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P’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.
BBB: Good credit quality. '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; however, business or financial flexibility exist that supports the servicing of financial commitments.
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: Near default. A default or default-like process has begun, or the issuer is in standstill, or for a closed funding vehicle, payment capacity is irrevocably impaired. Conditions that are indicative of a ‘C’ category rating for an issuer include:
• The issuer has entered into a grace or cure period following non-payment of a material financial obligation;
• The issuer had entered into a temporary negotiated waiver or standstill agreement following a payment default on a material financial obligation;
• The formal announcement by the issuer or their agent of distressed debt exchange;
• A closed financing vehicle where payment capacity is irrevocably impaired such that it is not expected to pay interest and/or principal in full during the life of the transaction, but where no payment default is imminent.
RD: Restricted Default. ‘RD’ ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch’s opinion has experienced:
• An uncured payment default on a bond, loan or other material financial obligation, but
• Has not entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation, or other formal winding-up procedure, and
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• Has not otherwise ceased operating.
This would include:
• The selective payment default on specific class or currency of debt;
• The uncured expiry of any applicable grace period, cure period or default forbearance period following a payment default on a bank loan, capital markets security or other material financial obligation;
• The extension of multiple waivers of forbearance periods upon a payment default on one or more material financial obligations, either in series or in parallel; ordinary execution of a distressed debt exchange on one or more material financial obligations.
D: Default. ‘D’ ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch’s opinion has entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure or that has otherwise ceased business.
• Default ratings are not assigned prospectively to entities or their obligations; within this context, non-payment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will generally not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period, unless a default is otherwise driven by bankruptcy or other similar circumstance, or by a distressed debt exchange.
• In all cases, the assignment of default rating reflects the agency’s opinion as to the most appropriate rating category consistent with the rest of its universe of ratings and may differ from the definition of default under the terms of an issuer’s financial obligations or local commercial practice.
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
Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. Insurance Financial Strength Ratings
Moody’s 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.
S&P Insurer Financial Strength Ratings
An S&P 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 S&P.
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.
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.
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 S&P’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 S&P’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.
NR
An insurer designated '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.
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 C
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 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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s disclosure relating to the Adviser Procedures.
To the extent requested by the Commission, the Policy and the Adviser Procedures shall be appended to the Fund’s 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 Adviser’s 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 D
EATON VANCE MANAGEMENT
BOSTON MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH
EATON VANCE INVESTMENT COUNSEL
EATON VANCE TRUST COMPANY
EATON VANCE MANAGEMENT (INTERNATIONAL) LIMITED
EATON VANCE ADVISERS INTERNATIONAL LTD.
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
I. Introduction
Eaton Vance Management, Boston Management and Research, Eaton Vance Investment Counsel, Eaton Vance Management (International) Limited, Eaton Vance Advisers International Ltd. 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 company’s 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 company’s 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-adviser’s 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 and/or her designee coordinate the consideration of proxies referred back to the Adviser by the Agent, and otherwise administers these Procedures. In the Proxy Administrator’s absence, another employee of the Adviser may perform the Proxy Administrator’s responsibilities as deemed appropriate by the Global Proxy Group. The Proxy Administrator also may designate another employee to perform certain of the Proxy Administrator’s duties hereunder, subject to the oversight of the Proxy Administrator.
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 Fund’s Form N-PX pursuant to Rule 30b1-4 under the Investment
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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 Agent’s 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 Agent’s 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 Advisers International Ltd. (“EVAIL”) and EVM’s Global Income Department. 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 and/or her designee 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 and/or her designee.
4. Social and Environmental Issues
The Advisers will vote social and environmental proposals on a “case-by-case” basis taking into consideration industry best practices and existing management policies and practices.
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 and/or her designee 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 and/or her designee 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 and/or her designee 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 and/or her designee will provide the Global Proxy Group with the Agent’s recommendation for the Proposal along with any other relevant materials, including a description of the basis for the analyst’s recommendation via email and the Proxy Administrator and/or designee will then instruct the Agent to vote the proxy in the manner determined by the Global Proxy Group. Should the vote by the Global Proxy Group concerning one or more recommendations result in a tie, EVM’s Chief Equity Investment Officer will determine the manner in which the proxy will be voted. 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 fund’s 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 fund’s 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 fund’s 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 SEC’s 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, EVAIL 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. A ssessment 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 Agent’s 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. |
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· | 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 Agent’s proxy analysis or recommendations. Such information shall include, but is not limited to, a monthly report from the Agent detailing the Agent’s 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 Agent’s 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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PART C - OTHER INFORMATION
Item 28. Exhibits (with inapplicable items omitted)
(a) | Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of Eaton Vance NextShares Trust (the “Registrant”) dated April 26, 2016 filed as Exhibit (a) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 filed February 27, 2017 (Accession No. 0000940394-17-000340) and incorporated herein by reference. | |||
(b) | Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Registrant adopted January 30, 2015 filed as Exhibit (b) to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 filed April 9, 2015 (Accession No. 0000940394-15-000488) and incorporated herein by reference. | |||
(c) | Reference is made to Item 28(a) and 28(b) above. | |||
(d) | (1) | Form of Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreement with Eaton Vance Management for Eaton Vance Balanced NextShares filed as Exhibit (d)(1) to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 4 filed November 23, 2015 (Accession No. 0000940394-15-001352) and incorporated herein by reference. | ||
(2) | Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreement between Eaton Vance NextShares Trust, on behalf of Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares and Eaton Vance Management dated March 28, 2016 filed as Exhibit (d)(2) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 filed February 27, 2017 (Accession No. 0000940394-17-000340) and incorporated herein by reference. | |||
(3) | Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Eaton Vance NextShares Trust, on behalf of Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares and Eaton Vance Advisers International Ltd. dated November 1, 2017 filed herewith. | |||
(4) | Form of Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreement with Eaton Vance Management for Eaton Vance Growth NextShares filed as Exhibit (d)(3) to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 4 filed November 23, 2015 (Accession No. 0000940394-15-001352) and incorporated herein by reference. | |||
(5) | Form of Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreement with Eaton Vance Management for Eaton Vance Large-Cap Value NextShares filed as Exhibit (d)(4) to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 4 filed November 23, 2015 (Accession No. 0000940394-15-001352) and incorporated herein by reference. | |||
(6) | Form of Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreement with Eaton Vance Management for Eaton Vance Richard Bernstein All Asset Strategy NextShares filed as Exhibit (d)(5) to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 4 filed November 23, 2015 (Accession No. 0000940394-15-001352) and incorporated herein by reference. | |||
(7) | Form of Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement with Eaton Vance Management and Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC for Eaton Vance Richard Bernstein All Asset Strategy NextShares filed as Exhibit (d)(6) to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 4 filed November 23, 2015 (Accession No. 0000940394-15-001352) and incorporated herein by reference. | |||
(8) | Form of Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreement with Eaton Vance Management for Eaton Vance Richard Bernstein Equity Strategy NextShares filed as Exhibit (d)(7) to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 4 filed November 23, 2015 (Accession No. 0000940394-15-001352) and incorporated herein by reference. | |||
(9) | Form of Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Eaton Vance Management and Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC for Eaton Vance Richard Bernstein Equity Strategy NextShares filed as Exhibit (d)(8) to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 4 filed November 23, 2015 (Accession No. 0000940394-15-001352) and incorporated herein by reference. |
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(10) | Form of Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreement with Eaton Vance Management for Eaton Vance Small-Cap NextShares filed as Exhibit (d)(9) to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 4 filed November 23, 2015 (Accession No. 0000940394-15-001352) and incorporated herein by reference. | |||
(11) | Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreement between Eaton Vance NextShares Trust, on behalf of Eaton Vance Stock NextShares and Eaton Vance Management dated February 24, 2016 filed as Exhibit (d)(11) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 filed February 27, 2017 (Accession No. 0000940394-17-000340) and incorporated herein by reference. | |||
(12) | Form of Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreement with Eaton Vance Management for Parametric Emerging Markets NextShares filed as Exhibit (d)(11) to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 4 filed November 23, 2015 (Accession No. 0000940394-15-001352) and incorporated herein by reference. | |||
(13) | Form of Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement with Eaton Vance Management and Parametric Portfolio Associates, LLC for Parametric Emerging Markets NextShares filed as Exhibit (d)(12) to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 4 filed November 23, 2015 (Accession No. 0000940394-15-001352) and incorporated herein by reference. | |||
(14) | Form of Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreement with Eaton Vance Management for Parametric International Equity NextShares filed as Exhibit (d)(13) to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 4 filed November 23, 2015 (Accession No. 0000940394-15-001352) and incorporated herein by reference. | |||
(15) | Form of Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement with Eaton Vance Management and Parametric Portfolio Associates, LLC for Parametric International Equity NextShares filed as Exhibit (d)(14) to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 4 filed November 23, 2015 (Accession No. 0000940394-15-001352) and incorporated herein by reference. | |||
(e) | (1) | (a) | Distribution Agreement between each Trust listed on Exhibit A and Foreside Fund Services, LLC filed as Exhibit (e)(1)(a) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 3 filed August 8, 2017 (Accession No. 0000940394-17-001537) and incorporated herein by reference. | |
(b) | Amended Exhibit A dated November 1, 2017 to Distribution Agreement dated May 31, 2017 filed as Exhibit (e)(1)(b) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 of Eaton Vance NextShares Trust II (File Nos. 333-197734, 811-22983) filed November 1, 2017 (Accession No. 0000940394-17-002157) and incorporated herein by reference. | |||
(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 Matter of Capital Exchange Fund, Inc., Release No. IC-20671 (November 1, 1994). | |||
(g) | Master Custodian Agreement between Eaton Vance NextShares Trusts and State Street Bank and Trust Company dated July 28, 2015 filed as Exhibit (g) to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 filed July 30, 2015 (Accession No. 0000940394-15-000981) and incorporated herein by reference. | |||
(h) | (1) | Amended and Restated Transfer Agency and Service Agreement dated November 1, 2015 filed as Exhibit (h)(1) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 filed February 27, 2017 (Accession No. 0000940394-17-000340) and incorporated herein by reference. | ||
(2) | Form of Authorized Participant Agreement filed as Exhibit (h)(2) to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 filed July 30, 2015 (Accession No. 0000940394-15-000981) and incorporated herein by reference. | |||
(3) | Form of Operations Agreement between the Registrant and Eaton Vance Management filed as Exhibit (h)(3) to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 filed July 30, 2015 (Accession No. 0000940394-15-000981) and incorporated herein by reference. |
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(4) | (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 July 31, 2016 filed as Exhibit (h)(4)(a) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 193 of Eaton Vance Growth Trust (File Nos. 002-22019, 811-01241) filed December 22, 2016 (Accession No. 0000940394-16-003368) and incorporated herein by reference. |
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(4) | (b) |
Amended Schedule A dated February 28, 2018 to the Expense Waivers/Reimbursements Agreement dated July 31, 2016 filed as Exhibit (h)(5)(b) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 177 of Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust (File Nos. 002-27962, 811-01545) filed February 26, 2018 (Accession No. 0000940394-18-000331) and incorporated herein by reference. |
(i) | (1) | Opinion of Internal Counsel filed as Exhibit (i) to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 filed July 30, 2015 (Accession No. 0000940394-15-000981) and incorporated herein by reference. | ||
(2) | Consent of Internal Counsel dated February 26, 2018 filed herewith. | |||
(j) | Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares and its corresponding portfolio dated February 26, 2018 filed herewith. | |||
(m) | Not applicable. | |||
(p) | (1) | Code of Ethics adopted by the Eaton Vance Entities and the Eaton Vance Funds effective September 1, 2000, as revised February 8, 2017 filed as Exhibit (r) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 on Form N-2 of Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust (File Nos. 333-207589, 811-21411) filed February 23, 2017 (Accession No. 0000940394-17-000321) and incorporated herein by reference. | ||
(2) | Code of Ethics adopted August, 2010 by Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC updated March, 2012 filed as Exhibit (p)(6) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 139 filed August 28, 2012 (Accession No. 0000940394-12-000912) and incorporated herein by reference. | |||
(3) | Code of Ethics adopted by Parametric Portfolio Associates effective March 2006 as revised September 15, 2015 filed as Exhibit (p)(2) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 99 of Eaton Vance Series Trust II (File Nos. 002-42722, 811-02258) filed October 26, 2015 (Accession No. 0000940394-15-001269) and incorporated herein by reference. | |||
(q) | Power of Attorney for Eaton Vance NextShares Trust dated October 17, 2017 filed herewith. |
Item 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control
Not applicable
Item 30. Indemnification
Article IV of the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust permits Trustee and officer indemnification by By-Law, contract and vote. Article XI of the Registrant’s Amended and Restated By-Laws contains indemnification provisions. Registrant’s 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.
Item 31. Business and other Connections of Investment Adviser
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), Eaton Vance Advisers International Ltd. (801-111772) and Eaton Vance Management (International) Limited (File No. 801-106753) filed with the Commission, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
C- 3 |
Item 32. Principal Underwriters
(a) | (2) | Registrant’s principal underwriter for its series Calvert Ultra-Short Income NextShares is Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”). Foreside Fund Services, LLC also serves as principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended: |
ABS Long/Short Strategies Fund | ||
Absolute Shares Trust | ||
Active Weighting Funds ETF Trust | ||
AdvisorShares Trust | ||
AmericaFirst Quantitative Funds |
C- 4 |
Infinity Core Alternative Fund | ||
Innovator IBD ® 50 ETF, Series of Innovator ETFs Trust | ||
Innovator IBD ® ETF Leaders ETF, Series of Innovator ETFs Trust | ||
Ironwood Institutional Multi-Strategy Fund LLC | ||
Ironwood Multi-Strategy Fund LLC |
John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust | ||
Manor Investment Funds | ||
Miller/Howard Funds Trust | ||
Miller/Howard High Income Equity Fund | ||
Moerus Worldwide Value Fund, Series of Northern Lights Fund Trust IV | ||
MProved Systematic Long-Short Fund, Series Portfolios Trust | ||
MProved Systematic Merger Arbitrage Fund, Series Portfolios Trust | ||
MProved Systematic Multi-Strategy Fund, Series Portfolios Trust | ||
OSI ETF Trust | ||
Palmer Square Opportunistic Income Fund | ||
Partners Group Private Income Opportunities, LLC | ||
PENN Capital Funds | ||
Performance Trust Mutual Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers | ||
Pine Grove Alternative Institutional Fund | ||
Plan Investment Fund, Inc. | ||
PMC Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers | ||
Point Bridge GOP Stock Tracker ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions | ||
Quaker Investment Trust | ||
Ranger Funds Investment Trust | ||
Renaissance Capital Greenwich Funds | ||
RMB Investors Trust (f/k/a Burnham Investors Trust) | ||
Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust | ||
Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust | ||
Salient MF Trust | ||
SharesPost 100 Fund | ||
Sound Shore Fund, Inc. | ||
Steben Alternative Investment Funds | ||
Steben Select Multi-Strategy Fund | ||
Strategy Shares | ||
The 504 Plan (f/k/a The Pennant 504 Fund) | ||
The Chartwell Funds | ||
The Community Development Fund | ||
The Relative Value Fund | ||
C- 5 |
Third Avenue Trust | ||
Third Avenue Variable Series Trust | ||
TIFF Investment Program | ||
Transamerica ETF Trust | ||
U.S. Global Investors Funds | ||
VictoryShares Developed Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II |
VictoryShares Dividend Accelerator ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II | ||
VictoryShares Emerging Market High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II | ||
VictoryShares Emerging Market Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II | ||
VictoryShares International High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II | ||
VictoryShares International Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II | ||
VictoryShares US 500 Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II | ||
VictoryShares US 500 Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II | ||
VictoryShares US Discovery Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II | ||
VictoryShares US EQ Income Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II | ||
VictoryShares US Large Cap High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II | ||
VictoryShares US Multi-Factor Minimum Volatility ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II | ||
VictoryShares US Small Cap High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II | ||
VictoryShares US Small Cap Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II | ||
Vivaldi Opportunities Fund | ||
West Loop Realty Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust (f/k/a Chilton Realty Income & Growth Fund) | ||
Wintergreen Fund, Inc. | ||
WisdomTree Trust | ||
WST Investment Trust |
C- 6 |
(c) | Not applicable. |
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 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. Foreside Fund Services, LLC maintains all applicable accounts, books and documents relating to its services as Distributor of the Registrant at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.
Item 34. Management Services
Not applicable
Item 35. Undertakings
None.
C- 7 |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, 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, as amended, 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 February 26, 2018.
EATON VANCE NEXTSHARES TRUST | |||||||
By: | /s/ Edward J. Perkin | ||||||
Edward J. Perkin, President |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities indicated on February 26, 2018.
C- 8 |
SIGNATURES
Global Income Builder Portfolio (the “Portfolio”) has duly caused this Amendment to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on February 26, 2018.
GLOBAL INCOME BUILDER PORTFOLIO | ||
By: | /s/ Edward J. Perkin | |
Edward J. Perkin, President |
This Amendment to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust has been signed below on behalf of the Portfolio by the following persons in the capacities indicated on February 26, 2018.
C- 9 |
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 |
(d) | (3) | Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Eaton Vance NextShares Trust, on behalf of Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares and Eaton Vance Advisers International Ltd. dated November 1, 2017 | |
(i) | (2) | Consent of Internal Counsel dated February 26, 2018 | |
(j) | Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares and its corresponding portfolio dated February 26, 2018 | ||
(q) | Power of Attorney for Eaton Vance NextShares Trust dated October 17, 2017 |
C- 10 |
EXHIBIT (d)(3)
INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT
between
EATON VANCE MANAGEMENT
and
EATON VANCE ADVISERS INTERNATIONAL LTD.
for
EATON VANCE GLOBAL INCOME BUILDER NEXTSHARES (the “Fund”)
AGREEMENT made this 1 st day of November, 2017, between Eaton Vance Management, a Massachusetts business trust (the “Adviser”), and Eaton Vance Advisers International Ltd., a private limited company incorporated in England and Wales (the “Sub-Adviser”).
WHEREAS, the Adviser has entered into an Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”) with Eaton Vance NextShares Trust, a Massachusetts business trust (the “Trust”) on behalf of Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares (the “Fund”), relating to the provision of portfolio management services to the Fund; and
WHEREAS, the Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser may delegate any or all of its portfolio management responsibilities under the Advisory Agreement to one or more sub-investment advisers; and
WHEREAS, the Adviser and the Trustees of the Trust desire to retain the Sub-Adviser to render portfolio management services to the Fund in the manner and on the terms set forth in this Agreement;
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth herein, the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser agree as follows:
1. Duties of the Sub-Adviser . The Adviser hereby employs the Sub-Adviser to act as investment adviser for and to manage the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Fund and to administer its investment affairs, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Trustees of the Trust, for the period and on the terms set forth in this Agreement.
(a) The Sub-Adviser hereby accepts such employment and undertakes to afford to the Fund the advice and assistance of the Sub-Adviser’s organization in the choice of investments and in the purchase and sale of securities for the Fund and to furnish, for the use of the Fund, office space and all necessary office facilities, equipment and personnel for servicing the investments of the Fund and for administering its affairs and to pay the salaries and fees of all officers and Trustees of the Trust who are members of the Sub-Adviser’s organization and all personnel of the Sub-Adviser performing services relating to research and investment activities. The Sub-Adviser shall for all purposes herein be deemed to be an independent contractor and shall, except as otherwise expressly provided or authorized, have no authority to act for or represent the Adviser or the Fund in any way or otherwise be deemed an agent of the Adviser or the Fund.
(b) The Sub-Adviser shall provide the Fund with such investment management and supervision as the Fund may, from time to time, consider necessary for the proper supervision of the Fund. As investment adviser to the Fund, the Sub-Adviser shall furnish continuously an investment program and shall determine, from time to time, what securities and other investments shall be acquired, disposed of or exchanged and what portion of the Fund’s assets shall be held uninvested, subject always to the applicable restrictions of the Trust’s Declaration of Trust, By-Laws and Registration Statement under the Investment Company Act of 1940, all as from time to time amended. The Sub-Adviser is authorized, in its discretion and without prior consultation with
the Adviser or the Fund, to buy, sell, and otherwise trade in any and all types of securities and investment instruments on behalf of the Fund. Should the Trustees of the Trust at any time, however, make any specific determination as to investment policy for the Fund and notify the Sub-Adviser thereof in writing, the Sub-Adviser shall be bound by such determination for the period, if any, specified in such notice or until similarly notified that such determination has been revoked. The Sub-Adviser shall take, on behalf of the Fund, all actions that it deems necessary or desirable to implement the investment policies of the Fund.
(c) The Sub-Adviser shall place all orders for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities for the account of the Fund either directly with the issuer or with brokers or dealers selected by the Sub-Adviser, and, to that end, the Sub-Adviser is authorized as the agent of the Fund to give instructions to the custodian of the Fund as to deliveries of securities and payments of cash for the account of the Fund. In connection with the selection of such brokers or dealers and the placing of such orders, the Sub-Adviser shall use its best efforts to seek to execute security transactions at prices that are advantageous to the Fund and (when a disclosed commission is being charged) at reasonably competitive commission rates, and in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust.
(d) The Sub-Adviser shall furnish such reports, evaluations, information or analyses to the Fund and the Adviser as the Trust’s Board of Trustees or the Adviser may reasonably request from time to time, or as the Sub-Adviser may deem to be desirable.
2. Compensation of the Sub-Adviser . For the services, payments and facilities to be furnished hereunder by the Sub-Adviser, to the extent the Adviser receives at least such amount from the Fund pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Sub-Adviser shall be entitled to receive from the Adviser an annual fee equal to the amount specified in Schedule A hereto, payable monthly in arrears on the last business day of each month. The Fund’s daily net assets shall be computed in accordance with the Declaration of Trust of the Trust and any applicable votes and determinations of the Trustees of the Trust. In case of initiation or termination of the Agreement during any month with respect to the Fund, the fee for that month shall be based on the number of calendar days during which it is in effect. The Sub-Adviser may, from time to time, waive all or a part of the above compensation.
3. Allocation of Charges and Expenses . It is understood that, pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Fund will pay all expenses other than those expressly stated to be payable by the Sub-Adviser hereunder or by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement, which expenses payable by the Fund shall include, without limitation, (i) expenses of maintaining the Fund and continuing its existence; (ii) registration of the Trust under the Investment Company Act of 1940; (iii) commissions, spreads, fees and other expenses connected with the acquisition, holding and disposition of securities and other investments; (iv) auditing, accounting and legal expenses; (v) taxes and interest; (vi) governmental fees; (vii) expenses of issue, sale and redemption of shares; (viii) expenses of registering and qualifying the Fund and its shares under federal and state securities laws and of preparing and printing registration statements or other offering statements or memoranda for such purposes, including amendments, and for distributing the same to shareholders and investors, and fees and expenses of registering and maintaining registrations of the Fund and of the Fund’s principal underwriter as broker-dealer or agent under state securities laws; (ix) expenses of reports and notices to shareholders and of meetings of shareholders and proxy solicitations therefor; (x) expenses of reports to governmental officers and commissions; (xi) insurance expenses; (xii) association membership dues; (xiii) fees, expenses and disbursements of custodians and subcustodians for all services to the Fund (including without limitation safekeeping of funds, securities and other investments, keeping of books, accounts and records, and determination of net asset values, book capital account balances and tax capital account balances); (xiv) fees, expenses and disbursements of transfer agents, dividend disbursing agents, shareholder servicing agents and registrars for all services to the Fund; (xv) expenses for servicing shareholder accounts; (xvi) any direct charges to shareholders approved by the Trustees of the Trust; (xvii) compensation and expenses of Trustees of the Trust who are not members of the Adviser’s or the Sub-Adviser’s organizations; and (xviii) such non-recurring items as may arise, including expenses incurred in connection with litigation, proceedings and claims and the obligation of the Trust to indemnify its Trustees, officers, and shareholders with respect thereto.
4. Other Interests . It is understood that Trustees and officers of the Trust and shareholders of the Fund are or may be or become interested in the Sub-Adviser as trustees, officers, employees, shareholders or otherwise and that trustees, officers, employees and shareholders of the Sub-Adviser are or may be or become similarly interested in the Fund, and that the Sub-Adviser may be or become interested in the Fund as a shareholder or otherwise. It is also understood that trustees, officers, employees and shareholders of the Sub-Adviser may be or become interested (as directors, trustees, officers, employees, shareholders or otherwise) in other companies or entities (including, without limitation, other investment companies) that the Sub-Adviser may organize, sponsor, or acquire, or with which it may merge or consolidate, and which may include the words “Eaton Vance Advisers International Ltd.” or any combination thereof as part of their name, and that the Sub-Adviser or its subsidiaries or affiliates may enter into advisory or management agreements or other contracts or relationships with such other companies or entities.
5. Limitation of Liability of the Sub-Adviser . The services of the Sub-Adviser to the Adviser for the benefit of the Fund are not to be deemed to be exclusive, the Sub-Adviser being free to render services to others and engage in other business activities. In the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of obligations or duties hereunder on the part of the Sub-Adviser, the Sub-Adviser shall not be subject to liability to the Adviser or the Fund or any shareholder in the Fund for any act or omission in the course of, or connected with, rendering services hereunder or for any losses that may be sustained in the acquisition, holding, or disposition of any security or other investment.
6. Duration and Termination of this Agreement . This Agreement shall become effective upon the date of its execution, and, unless terminated as herein provided, shall remain in full force and effect through and including the second anniversary of the execution of this Agreement and shall continue in full force and effect indefinitely thereafter, but only so long as such continuance after such second anniversary is specifically approved at least annually (i) by the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund and (ii) by the vote of a majority of those Trustees of the Trust who are not interested persons of the Sub-Adviser, the Adviser, or the Trust cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
This Agreement may be terminated as to the Fund without the payment of any penalty by (i) the Adviser, subject to the approval of the Trustees of the Trust; (ii) the vote of the Trustees of the Trust; (iii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund at any annual or special meeting; or (iv) the Sub-Adviser, in each case on sixty (60) days’ written notice. This Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment or in the event that the Advisory Agreement shall have terminated for any reason.
7. Amendments of the Agreement . This Agreement may be amended by a writing signed by both parties hereto, provided that no amendment to this Agreement shall be effective until approved (i) by the vote of a majority of those Trustees of the Trust who are not interested persons of the Sub-Adviser, the Adviser, or the Trust cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, and (ii) by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.
8. Limitation of Liability . The Sub-Adviser expressly acknowledges the provision in the Declarations of Trust of the Trust and of the Adviser limiting the personal liability of trustees, officers, and shareholders of the Fund and the Adviser, respectively, and the Sub-Adviser hereby agrees that it shall have recourse to the Fund or the Adviser, respectively, for payment of claims or obligations as between the Fund or the Adviser, respectively, and the Sub-Adviser arising out of this Agreement and shall not seek satisfaction from the trustees, officers, or shareholders of the Fund or the Adviser.
9. No Third Party Beneficiaries. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to or shall confer upon any person not a party hereto any right, benefit or remedy of any nature whatsoever under or by reason of this Agreement.
10. Certain Definitions . The terms “assignment” and “interested persons” when used herein shall
have the respective meanings specified in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as now in effect or as hereafter amended subject, however, to such exemptions as may be granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission by any rule, regulation or order. The term “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities” shall mean the vote, at a meeting of shareholders, of the lesser of (a) 67 per centum or more of shares of the Fund present or represented by proxy at the meeting if the holders of more than 50 per centum of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present or represented by proxy at the meeting, or (b) more than 50 per centum of the outstanding shares of the Fund.
11. Miscellaneous .
(a) If any term or provision of this Agreement or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held to be invalid or unenforceable to any extent, the remainder of this Agreement or the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby and shall be enforced to the fullest extent permitted by law.
(b) This Agreement shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
(c) This Agreement may be executed by the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument.
[Signature page follows.]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the day and year first above written.
EATON VANCE MANAGEMENT
By: /s/ Maureen A. Gemma
Name: Maureen A. Gemma
Title: Vice President and not individually
EATON VANCE ADVISERS INTERNATIONAL LTD.
A private limited company incorporated in England and Wales, authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority of the United Kingdom
By: /s/ Frederick S. Marius
Name: Frederick S. Marius
Title: Director and not individually
Acknowledged and agreed to as of the day
and year first above written:
EATON VANCE NEXTSHARES TRUST
(on behalf of Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares)
By: /s/ Edward J. Perkin
Name: Edward J. Perkin
Title: President and not individually
EXHIBIT (i)(2)
CONSENT OF COUNSEL
I consent to the incorporation by reference in this Post-Effective Amendment No. 5 to the Registration Statement of Eaton Vance NextShares Trust (1933 Act File No. 333-197733) of my opinion dated July 30, 2015 which was filed as Exhibit (i) to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3.
/s/ Katy D. Burke | |
Katy D. Burke, Esq. |
February 26, 2018
Boston, Massachusetts
EXHIBIT (j)
C ONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Post-Effective Amendment No. 5 to Registration Statement No. 333-197733 on Form N-1A of our reports dated December 21, 2017 relating to the financial statements and financial highlights of the Eaton Vance Global Income Builder NextShares, one of the funds constituting Eaton Vance NextShares Trust (the “Trust”), and Global Income Builder Portfolio, appearing in the Annual Report on Form N-CSR of the Trust for the year ended October 31, 2017, 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
February 26, 2018
EXHIBIT (q)
POWER OF ATTORNEY
We, the undersigned officers and Trustees/Directors of the Trusts, Corporations and Portfolios listed on Schedule A attached hereto (collectively, the “Entities”), do hereby severally constitute and appoint Thomas E. Faust Jr., Maureen A. Gemma, James F. Kirchner or Deidre E. Walsh, or any of them, to be true, sufficient and lawful attorneys, or attorney for each of us, to sign for each of us, in the name of each of us in the capacities indicated below, any Registration Statement on the prescribed form (including, but not limited to, Form N-1A, Form N-2 or Form N-14) and any and all amendments (including pre-effective and post-effective amendments) to a Registration Statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on behalf of each of the respective Entities listed on Schedule A, in respect of shares or units of beneficial interest or common stock and other documents and papers relating thereto:
IN WITNESS WHEREOF we have hereunto set our hands on the date set forth opposite our respective signatures.
Signature | Title | Date |
/s/ Edward J. Perkin Edward J. Perkin |
President and Principal Executive Officer of Enhanced Equity Income Fund, Enhanced Equity Income Fund II, NextShares Trust, Risk-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund, Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund, Tax-Advantaged Global Dividend Income Fund, Tax-Advantaged Global Dividend Opportunities Fund, Tax-Managed Buy-Write Income Fund, Tax-Managed Buy-Write Opportunities Fund, Tax-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund, Tax-Managed Global Buy-Write Opportunities Fund, Tax-Managed Global Diversified Equity Income Fund, Dividend Builder Portfolio, Global Income Builder Portfolio, Greater India Portfolio, Growth Portfolio, Large-Cap Value Portfolio, SMID-Cap Portfolio, Stock Portfolio, Tax-Managed Global Small-Cap Portfolio, Tax-Managed Growth Portfolio, Tax-Managed International Equity Portfolio, Tax-Managed Multi-Cap Growth Portfolio, Tax-Managed Small-Cap Portfolio, Tax-Managed Value Portfolio and Worldwide Health Sciences Portfolio |
October 17, 2017 |
/s/ Payson F. Swaffield Payson F. Swaffield |
President and Principal Executive Officer of California Municipal Bond Fund, California Municipal Bond Fund II, California Municipal Income Trust, Floating-Rate 2022 Target Term Trust, Floating-Rate Income Plus Fund, Floating-Rate Income Trust, Growth Trust, Investment Trust, High Income 2021 Target Term Trust, Limited Duration Income Fund, Massachusetts Municipal Bond Fund, Massachusetts Municipal Income Trust, Michigan Municipal Bond Fund, Michigan Municipal Income Trust, Municipal Bond Fund, Municipal Bond Fund II, Municipal Income 2028 Term Trust, Municipal Income Trust, Municipals Trust, Municipals Trust II, Mutual Funds Trust, National Municipal Opportunities Trust, New Jersey Municipal Bond Fund, New Jersey Municipal Income Trust, New York Municipal Bond Fund, New York Municipal Bond Fund II, New York Municipal Income Trust, NextShares Trust II, Ohio Municipal Bond Fund, Ohio Municipal Income Trust, Pennsylvania Municipal Bond Fund, Pennsylvania Municipal Income Trust, Senior Floating-Rate Trust, Senior Income Trust, Series Fund, Inc., Series Trust, Series Trust II, Short Duration Diversified Income Fund, Special Investment Trust, Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund, Variable Trust, 5-to-15 Year Laddered Municipal Bond Portfolio, Boston Income Portfolio, Core Bond Portfolio, Emerging Markets Local Income Portfolio, Eaton Vance Floating Rate Portfolio, Global Macro Absolute Return Advantage Portfolio, Global Macro Capital Opportunities Portfolio, Global Macro Portfolio, Global Opportunities Portfolio, Government Obligations Portfolio, High Income Opportunities Portfolio, High Yield Municipal Income Portfolio, International Income Portfolio, Multisector Income Portfolio, MSAR Completion Portfolio, Senior Debt Portfolio, Short Duration High Income Portfolio and Short-Term U.S. Government Portfolio |
October 17, 2017 |
/s/ James F. Kirchner James F. Kirchner |
Treasurer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer |
October 17, 2017 |
Signature | Title | Date |
/s/ Thomas E. Faust Jr. Thomas E. Faust Jr. |
Trustee/Director |
October 17, 2017 |
/s/ Mark R. Fetting Mark R. Fetting |
Trustee/Director |
October 17, 2017 |
/s/ Cynthia E. Frost Cynthia E. Frost |
Trustee/Director |
October 17, 2017 |
/s/ George J. Gorman George J. Gorman |
Trustee/Director |
October 17, 2017 |
/s/ Valerie A. Mosley Valerie A. Mosley |
Trustee/Director |
October 17, 2017 |
/s/ William H. Park William H. Park |
Trustee/Director |
October 17, 2017 |
/s/ Helen Frame Peters Helen Frame Peters |
Trustee/Director |
October 17, 2017 |
/s/ Susan J. Sutherland Susan J. Sutherland |
Trustee/Director |
October 17, 2017 |
/s/ Harriett Tee Taggart Harriett Tee Taggart |
Trustee/Director |
October 17, 2017 |
/s/ Scott E. Wennerholm Scott E. Wennerholm |
Trustee/Director |
October 17, 2017 |
POWER OF ATTORNEY
SCHEDULE A
Eaton Vance Growth Trust (“Growth Trust”)
Eaton Vance Investment Trust (“Investment Trust”)
Eaton Vance Municipals Trust (“Municipals Trust”)
Eaton Vance Municipals Trust II (“Municipals Trust II”)
Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust (“Mutual Funds Trust”)
Eaton Vance NextShares Trust (“NextShares Trust”)
Eaton Vance NextShares Trust II (“NextShares Trust II”)
Eaton Vance Series Fund, Inc. (“Series Fund, Inc.”)
Eaton Vance Series Trust (“Series Trust”)
Eaton Vance Series Trust II (“Series Trust II”)
Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust (“Special Investment Trust”)
Eaton Vance Variable Trust (“Variable Trust”)
Eaton Vance California Municipal Bond Fund (“California Municipal Bond Fund”)
Eaton Vance California Municipal Bond Fund II (“California Municipal Bond Fund II”)
Eaton Vance California Municipal Income Trust (“California Municipal Income Trust”)
Eaton Vance Enhanced Equity Income Fund (“Enhanced Equity Income Fund”)
Eaton Vance Enhanced Equity Income Fund II (“Enhanced Equity Income Fund II”)
Eaton Vance Floating-Rate 2022 Target Term Trust (“Floating-Rate 2022 Target Term Trust”)
Eaton Vance Floating-Rate Income Plus Fund (“Floating-Rate Income Plus Fund”)
Eaton Vance Floating-Rate Income Trust (“Floating-Rate Income Trust”)
Eaton Vance High Income 2021 Target Term Trust (“High Income 2021 Target Term Trust”)
Eaton Vance Limited Duration Income Fund (“Limited Duration Income Fund”)
Eaton Vance Massachusetts Municipal Bond Fund (“Massachusetts Municipal Bond Fund”)
Eaton Vance Massachusetts Municipal Income Trust (“Massachusetts Municipal Income Trust”)
Eaton Vance Michigan Municipal Bond Fund (“Michigan Municipal Bond Fund”)
Eaton Vance Michigan Municipal Income Trust (“Michigan Municipal Income Trust”)
Eaton Vance Municipal Bond Fund (“Municipal Bond Fund”)
Eaton Vance Municipal Bond Fund II (“Municipal Bond Fund II”)
Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust (“Municipal Income Trust”)
Eaton Vance Municipal Income 2028 Term Trust (“Municipal Income 2028 Term Trust”)
Eaton Vance National Municipal Opportunities Trust (“National Municipal Opportunities Trust”)
Eaton Vance New Jersey Municipal Bond Fund (“New Jersey Municipal Bond Fund”)
Eaton Vance New Jersey Municipal Income Trust (“New Jersey Municipal Income Trust”)
Eaton Vance New York Municipal Bond Fund (“New York Municipal Bond Fund”)
Eaton Vance New York Municipal Bond Fund II (“New York Municipal Bond Fund II”)
Eaton Vance New York Municipal Income Trust (“New York Municipal Income Trust”)
Eaton Vance Ohio Municipal Bond Fund (“Ohio Municipal Bond Fund”)
Eaton Vance Ohio Municipal Income Trust (“Ohio Municipal Income Trust”)
Eaton Vance Pennsylvania Municipal Bond Fund (“Pennsylvania Municipal Bond Fund”)
Eaton Vance Pennsylvania Municipal Income Trust (“Pennsylvania Municipal Income Trust”)
Eaton Vance Risk-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund (“Risk-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund”)
Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust (“Senior Floating-Rate Trust”)
Eaton Vance Senior Income Trust (“Senior Income Trust”)
Eaton Vance Short Duration Diversified Income Fund (“Short Duration Diversified Income Fund”)
Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund (“Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund”)
Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund (“Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund”)
Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Global Dividend Income Fund (“Tax-Advantaged Global Dividend Income Fund”)
Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Global Dividend Opportunities Fund (“Tax-Advantaged Global Dividend Opportunities Fund”)
Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Buy-Write Income Fund (“Tax-Managed Buy-Write Income Fund”)
Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Buy-Write Opportunities Fund (“Tax-Managed Buy-Write Opportunities Fund”)
Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund (“Tax-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund”)
Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Global Buy-Write Opportunities Fund (“Tax-Managed Global Buy-Write Opportunities Fund”)
Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Global Diversified Equity Income Fund (“Tax-Managed Global Diversified Equity Income Fund”)
Portfolio Name | Trust Name |
---|---|
5-to-15 Year Laddered Municipal Bond Portfolio | Eaton Vance Municipals Trust II |
Eaton Vance NextShares Trust II | |
Boston Income Portfolio | Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
Eaton Vance Series Trust II | |
Core Bond Portfolio | Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust |
Dividend Builder Portfolio | Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust |
Eaton Vance Floating Rate Portfolio | Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust |
|
Emerging Markets Local Income Portfolio |
Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
Global Income Builder Portfolio | Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
Eaton Vance NextShares Trust |
|
Global Macro Absolute Return Advantage Portfolio | Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
Global Macro Capital Opportunities Portfolio | Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
Global Macro Portfolio | Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
Global Opportunities Portfolio | Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
Government Obligations Portfolio | Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
Greater India Portfolio |
Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust |
Growth Portfolio |
Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust |
High Income Opportunities Portfolio |
Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
High Yield Municipal Income Portfolio | Eaton Vance Municipals Trust II |
Eaton Vance NextShares Trust II | |
International Income Portfolio | Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
Large-Cap Value Portfolio | Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust |
Multisector Income Portfolio | Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust |
MSAR Completion Portfolio | Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
Senior Debt Portfolio | Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust | |
Short Duration High Income Portfolio | Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
Short-Term U.S. Government Portfolio | Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust | |
SMID-Cap Portfolio | Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
Stock Portfolio | Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
Eaton Vance NextShares Trust | |
Eaton Vance Special Investment Trust | |
Tax-Managed Global Small-Cap Portfolio | Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
Tax-Managed Growth Portfolio |
Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
Eaton Vance Series Trust | |
Tax-Managed International Equity Portfolio | Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
Tax-Managed Multi-Cap Growth Portfolio | Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
Tax-Managed Small-Cap Portfolio | Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
Tax-Managed Value Portfolio | Eaton Vance Mutual Funds Trust |
Worldwide Health Sciences Portfolio | Eaton Vance Growth Trust |