424B3 1 evtsupps.htm TAX-ADVANTAGED DIVIDEND INCOME FUND PRO SUPP, SUPP TO PRO AND SAI SUPP DTD 3-1-2021

Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund

Supplement to Prospectus dated February 22, 2021 and Prospectus Supplement dated February 22, 2021

 

1. The following replaces corresponding disclosure under the heading “THE ADVISER” in the Prospectus Supplement:

 

Eaton Vance acts as the Fund’s investment adviser under an Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”). The Adviser’s principal office is located at Two International Place, Boston, MA 02110. Eaton Vance, its affiliates and predecessor companies have been managing assets of individuals and institutions since 1924 and of investment companies since 1931. Prior to March 1, 2021, Eaton Vance was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eaton Vance Corp. (“EVC”).

 

On March 1, 2021, Morgan Stanley acquired EVC (the “Transaction”) and Eaton Vance became an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Morgan Stanley.  In connection with the Transaction, the Fund entered into a new investment advisory agreement with Eaton Vance. The agreement was approved by shareholders prior to the consummation of the Transaction and was effective upon its closing. Effective March 1, 2021, any fee reduction agreement previously applicable to the Fund was incorporated into its new investment advisory agreement with Eaton Vance.

 

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS), whose principal offices are at 1585 Broadway, New York, New York 10036, is a preeminent global financial services firm engaged in securities trading and brokerage activities, as well as providing investment banking, research and analysis, financing and financial advisory services. As of December 31, 2020, after giving effect to the Transaction as described above, Morgan Stanley’s asset management operations had aggregate assets under management of approximately $1.4 trillion.

 

2. The following replaces corresponding disclosure under the heading “Investment Adviser” in the Prospectus:

 

The Fund’s investment adviser is Eaton Vance Management (“Eaton Vance” or the “Adviser”).  Prior to March 1, 2021, Eaton Vance was a wholly owned subsidiary of Eaton Vance Corp. (“EVC”).  On March 1, 2021, Morgan Stanley acquired EVC (the “Transaction”) and Eaton Vance became an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Morgan Stanley. 

 

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS), whose principal offices are at 1585 Broadway, New York, New York 10036, is a preeminent global financial services firm engaged in securities trading and brokerage activities, as well as providing investment banking, research and analysis, financing and financial advisory services. As of December 31, 2020, after giving effect to the Transaction as described above, Morgan Stanley’s asset management operations had aggregate assets under management of approximately $1.4 trillion.

 

3. The following replaces corresponding disclosure under the heading “INVESTMENT ADVISER AND ADMINISTRATOR” in the Prospectus:

 

Eaton Vance is the Fund’s investment adviser and administrator. Prior to March 1, 2021, Eaton Vance was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eaton Vance Corp. (“EVC”). On March 1, 2021, Morgan Stanley acquired EVC (the “Transaction”) and Eaton Vance became an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Morgan Stanley.  As of December 31, 2020, after giving effect to the Transaction, Morgan Stanley’s asset management operations had aggregate assets under management of approximately $1.4 trillion.

 

4. The following replaces corresponding disclosure under the heading “Management of the Fund—THE ADVISER” in the Prospectus:

 

Eaton Vance acts as the Fund’s investment adviser under an Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”). Eaton Vance has offices at Two International Place, Boston, MA 02110. Eaton Vance and its predecessor organizations have been managing assets since 1924 and managing investment funds since 1931. Prior to March 1, 2021, Eaton Vance was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eaton Vance Corp. (“EVC”).

 
 

On March 1, 2021, Morgan Stanley acquired EVC (the “Transaction”) and Eaton Vance became an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Morgan Stanley. In connection with the Transaction, the Fund entered into a new investment advisory agreement with Eaton Vance. The agreement was approved by shareholders prior to the consummation of the Transaction and was effective upon its closing. Effective March 1, 2021, any fee reduction agreement previously applicable to the Fund was incorporated into its new investment advisory agreement with Eaton Vance.

 

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS), whose principal offices are at 1585 Broadway, New York, New York 10036, is a preeminent global financial services firm engaged in securities trading and brokerage activities, as well as providing investment banking, research and analysis, financing and financial advisory services. As of December 31, 2020, after giving effect to the Transaction as described above, Morgan Stanley’s asset management operations had aggregate assets under management of approximately $1.4 trillion.

 

5. The following replaces corresponding disclosure under the heading “Management of the Fund—THE ADMINISTRATOR” in the Prospectus:

 

Eaton Vance serves as administrator of the Fund under an Administrative Services Agreement (the “Administration Agreement”), but currently receives no compensation for providing administrative services to the Fund. Under the Administration 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.

 

 

March 1, 2021  
 
 

Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund

Supplement to Statement of Additional Information dated February 22, 2021

 

1. The following replaces corresponding disclosure under the heading “TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS”:

 

The Board of Trustees of the Fund (the “Board”) is responsible for the overall management and supervision of the affairs of the Fund. The Board members and officers of the Fund 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. Each Trustee holds office until the annual meeting for the year in which his or her term expires and until his or her successor is elected and qualified, subject to a prior death, resignation, retirement, disqualification or removal. Under the terms of the Fund’s current Trustee retirement policy, an Independent Trustee must retire and resign as a Trustee on the earlier of: (i) the first day of July following his or her 74th birthday; or (ii), with limited exception, December 31st of the 20th year in which he or she has served as a Trustee. However, if such retirement and resignation would cause the Fund to be out of compliance with Section 16 of the 1940 Act, as amended (the “1940 Act”) or any other regulations or guidance of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), then such retirement and resignation will not become effective until such time as action has been taken for the Fund to be in compliance therewith. The “noninterested Trustees” consist of those Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Fund, as that term is defined under the 1940 Act. The business address of each Board member and officer is Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. As used in this SAI, “BMR” refers to Boston Management and Research, “EVC” refers to Eaton Vance Corp., “EV” refers to Eaton Vance, Inc., “Eaton Vance” or “EVM” refers to Eaton Vance Management and “EVD” refers to Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. EV is the trustee of each of Eaton Vance and BMR. Effective March 1, 2021, each of Eaton Vance, BMR, EVD and EV are indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries of Morgan Stanley. 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.

 

2. The following replaces the Thomas E. Faust Jr. row in the Trustees table and in his biographical narrative in “TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS”:

 

THOMAS E. FAUST JR.
1958
 

Class II

Trustee

 

Until 2023.

3 years.

Since 2007

  Chairman of Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc. (MSIM), Director and President of EV, Chief Executive Officer and President of Eaton Vance and BMR, and Director of EVD.  Formerly, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of EVC. Trustee and/or officer of 141 registered investment companies. Mr. Faust is an interested person because of his positions with MSIM, BMR, Eaton Vance, EVD and EV, which are affiliates of the Trust, and his former position with EVC, which was an affiliate of the Trust prior to March 1, 2021.   141   Formerly, Director of EVC (2007-2021) and Hexavest Inc. (2012-2021) (investment management firm).

 

Thomas E. Faust Jr. Mr. Faust has served as a member of the Eaton Vance Fund Boards since 2007. Effective March 1, 2021, he is Chairman of MSIM. He is also Director and President of EV, Chief Executive Officer and President of Eaton Vance and BMR, and Director of EVD. Mr. Faust previously served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of EVC from 2007 through March 1, 2021 and as President of EVC from 2006 through March 1, 2021. Mr. Faust served as a Director of Hexavest Inc. from 2012-2021. From 2016 through 2019, Mr. Faust served as a Director of SigFig Wealth Management LLC. Mr. Faust previously served as an equity analyst, portfolio manager, Director of Equity Research and Management and Chief Investment Officer of Eaton Vance from 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. He is a trustee and member of the executive committee of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc. and trustee emeritus of Wellesley College.

 

 
 

3. The following replaces the second paragraph under the heading “INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES—The Adviser”:

 

As described in the Prospectus, upon the closing of the transaction by which Morgan Stanley acquired EVC (the “Transaction”), the Fund entered into a new investment advisory agreement with Eaton Vance. The Fund will be responsible for all of its costs and expenses not expressly stated to be payable by Eaton Vance under the Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”) or the Administrative Services Agreement (the “Administration Agreement”). Effective March 1, 2021, any fee reduction agreement previously applicable to the Fund was incorporated into its new investment advisory agreement with Eaton Vance.

 

4. The following replaces the last paragraph under “INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES—The Adviser”:

 

The Advisory Agreement with the Adviser continues in effect through and including the second anniversary of its execution 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 vote of a majority of those Trustees of the Trust who are not interested persons of the Adviser or the Trust cast in person at a meeting specifically called for the purpose of voting on such approval and (ii) by the Trust’s Board or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust. The Administration Agreement continues in effect through and including the second anniversary of its execution 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 and (ii) by the vote of a majority of those Trustees of the Trust who are not interested persons of Eaton Vance or the Trust. Each Agreement may be terminated at any time without penalty on sixty (60) days’ written notice by either party, or by vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust, and the Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment. Each Agreement provides that the investment adviser may render services to others. Each Agreement also provides that Eaton Vance shall not be liable for any loss incurred in connection with the performance of its duties, or action taken or omitted under the Agreements, in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations and duties thereunder, and Eaton Vance shall not be liable 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.

 

5. The following replaces corresponding disclosure under the heading “INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES—Information About Eaton Vance”:

 

Eaton Vance is a business trust organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. EV serves as trustee of Eaton Vance. As described in the Prospectus, following the closing of the Transaction on March 1, 2021, EV and Eaton Vance became indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries of Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS), a preeminent global financial services firm engaged in securities trading and brokerage activities, as well as providing investment banking, research and analysis, financing and financial advisory services.

 

Prior to March 1, 2021, EV and Eaton Vance were wholly-owned subsidiaries of EVC, a Maryland corporation and publicly-held holding company, and BMR was an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of EVC. EVC, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, engaged primarily in investment management, administration and marketing activities. The Directors of EVC were Thomas E. Faust Jr., Ann E. Berman, Leo I. Higdon, Jr., Paula A. Johnson, 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 were deposited in a Voting Trust, the Voting Trustees of which were Mr. Faust, Paul W. Bouchey, Craig R. Brandon, Daniel C. Cataldo, Michael A. Cirami, Cynthia J. Clemson, James H. Evans, Maureen A. Gemma, Laurie G. Hylton, Mr. Langstraat, Thomas Lee, Frederick S. Marius, David C. McCabe, Scott H. Page, Edward J. Perkin, Lewis R. Piantedosi, Charles B. Reed, Craig P. Russ, Thomas C. Seto, John L. Shea, Eric A. Stein, John H. Streur, Andrew N. Sveen, Payson F. Swaffield, R. Kelly Williams and Matthew J. Witkos (all of whom are or were officers of Eaton Vance or its affiliates). The Voting Trustees had unrestricted voting rights for the election of Directors of EVC. Prior to March 1, 2021, all of the outstanding voting trust receipts issued under said Voting Trust were owned by certain of the officers of BMR and Eaton Vance who may also have been officers, or officers and Directors of EVC and EV. As indicated under “Trustees and Officers,” all of the officers of the Fund (as well as Mr. Faust who is also a Trustee) are employees of Eaton Vance and/or BMR.

 
 

6. The following replaces corresponding disclosure under the heading “INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES”—“Compensation Structure for Eaton Vance” and “Method to Determine Compensation” under “Portfolio Managers.”:

 

Compensation Structure for Eaton Vance. Compensation of the Adviser’s portfolio managers and other investment professionals has the following primary components: (1) a base salary, (2) an annual cash bonus, and (3) annual non-cash compensation consisting of restricted shares of Morgan Stanley stock that are subject to a fixed vesting and distribution schedule. The Adviser’s investment professionals also receive certain retirement, insurance and other benefits that are broadly available to the Adviser’s employees. Compensation of the 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 December 31st fiscal year end of Morgan Stanley.

 

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, which 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. 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 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 Morgan Stanley. 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.

 

7. The following replaces corresponding disclosure under the heading “INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES—Administrative Services.”:

 

Under the Administration 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.

 

 
 

8. The following replaces corresponding disclosure under the heading “PORTFOLIO TRADING”:

 

Decisions concerning the execution of portfolio security transactions, including the selection of the market and the broker-dealer firm or other financial intermediary (each an “intermediary”), are made by the investment adviser. The Fund is responsible for the expenses associated with its portfolio transactions. The investment adviser is also responsible for the execution of transactions for all other accounts managed by it. The investment adviser places the portfolio security transactions for execution with one or more intermediaries. The investment adviser uses its best efforts to obtain execution of portfolio security transactions at prices that, 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, which may include, without limitation, the full range and quality of the intermediary’s services, responsiveness of the intermediary 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 intermediary the reputation, reliability, experience and financial condition of the intermediary, the value and quality of the services rendered by the intermediary 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 and is otherwise in compliance with applicable law. The investment adviser may engage in portfolio transactions with an intermediary that sells shares of Eaton Vance funds, provided such transactions are not directed to that intermediary as compensation for the promotion or sale of such shares.

 

As described in the Prospectus, following the closing of the Transaction on March 1, 2021, Eaton Vance became an “affiliated person,” as defined in the 1940 Act, of Morgan Stanley and its affiliates, including certain intermediaries (as previously defined). As a result, Eaton Vance is subject to certain restrictions regarding transactions with Morgan Stanley-affiliated intermediaries, as set forth in the 1940 Act. Under certain circumstances, such restrictions may limit Eaton Vance’s ability to place portfolio transactions on behalf of a Fund at the desired time or price. Any transaction Eaton Vance enters into with a Morgan Stanley-affiliated intermediary on behalf of a Fund will be done in compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations; will be subject to any restrictions contained in a Fund’s investment advisory agreement; will be subject to Eaton Vance’s duty to seek best execution; and will comply with any applicable Eaton Vance policies and procedures, as described below.

 

Subject to the overriding objective of obtaining the best execution of orders and applicable rules and regulations, as described above, a Fund may use an affiliated intermediary, including a Morgan Stanley-affiliated intermediary, to effect Fund portfolio transactions, including transactions in futures contracts and options on futures contracts, under procedures adopted by the Board. In order to use such affiliated intermediaries, the Fund’s Board must approve and periodically review procedures reasonably designed to ensure that commission rates and other remuneration paid to the affiliated intermediaries are fair and reasonable in comparison to those of other intermediaries for comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold during a comparable time period.

 

Pursuant to an order issued by the SEC, a Fund is permitted to engage in principal transactions in money market instruments, subject to certain conditions, with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, a broker-dealer affiliated with Morgan Stanley.

 

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 intermediaries acting for their own account rather than as brokers. Such intermediaries 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 transacted 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 intermediaries 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 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 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 may enter into CCA arrangements with a number of broker-dealers and other firms, including certain affiliates of the investment adviser. The investment adviser will only enter into and utilize CCAs to the extent permitted by Section 28(e) and other applicable law.

 

Fund trades executed by an affiliate of the investment adviser licensed in the United Kingdom 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 certain of its affiliates also may allocate brokerage commissions to acquire information relating to the performance, fees and expenses of such companies and other investment companies, which information is used by the members of the Board of such companies to fulfill their responsibility to oversee the quality of the services provided to various entities, including the investment adviser, to such companies. Such companies may also pay cash for such information.

 

Securities considered as investments for a Fund may also be appropriate for other investment accounts managed by the investment adviser or certain of its affiliates. Whenever decisions are made to buy or sell securities by a Fund and one or more of such other accounts simultaneously, the investment adviser will allocate the security transactions (including “new” issues) in a manner which it believes to be equitable under the circumstances. As a result of such allocations, there may be instances where a Fund will not participate in a transaction that is allocated among other accounts. If an aggregated order cannot be filled completely, allocations will generally be made on a pro rata basis. An order may not be allocated on a pro rata basis where, for example: (i) consideration is given to portfolio managers who have been instrumental in developing or negotiating a particular investment; (ii) consideration is given to an account with specialized investment policies that coincide with the particulars of a specific investment; (iii) pro rata allocation would result in odd-lot or de minimis amounts being allocated to a portfolio or other client; or (iv) where the investment adviser reasonably determines that departure from a pro rata allocation is advisable. While these aggregation and allocation policies could have a detrimental effect on the price or amount of the securities available to a Fund from time to time, it is the opinion of the members of the Board that the benefits from the investment adviser organization outweigh any disadvantage that may arise from exposure to simultaneous transactions.

 

9. The following is added as a new section immediately prior to “FINANCIAL STATEMENTS”:

 

POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

 

As a diversified global financial services firm, Morgan Stanley engages in a broad spectrum of activities, including financial advisory services, investment management activities, lending, commercial banking, sponsoring and managing private investment funds, engaging in broker-dealer transactions and principal securities, commodities and foreign exchange transactions, research publication and other activities. In the ordinary course of its business, Morgan Stanley is a full-service investment banking and financial services firm and therefore engages in activities where Morgan Stanley’s interests or the interests of its clients may conflict with the interests of a Trust, Fund or Portfolio, if applicable, (collectively for the purposes of this section, “Fund” or “Funds”). Morgan Stanley advises clients and sponsors, manages or advises other investment funds and investment programs, accounts and businesses (collectively, together with the Funds, any new or successor funds, programs, accounts or businesses, the ‘‘Affiliated Investment Accounts’’) with a wide variety of investment objectives that in some instances may overlap or conflict with a Fund’s investment objectives and present conflicts of interest. In addition, Morgan Stanley may also from time to time create new or successor Affiliated Investment Accounts that may compete with a Fund and present similar conflicts of interest. The discussion below enumerates certain actual, apparent and potential conflicts of interest. There is no assurance that conflicts of interest will be resolved in favor of Fund shareholders and, in fact, they may not be. Conflicts of interest not described below may also exist.

 

 
 

Material Non-public and Other Information. It is expected that confidential or material non-public information regarding an investment or potential investment opportunity may become available to the investment adviser. If such information becomes available, the investment adviser may be precluded (including by applicable law or internal policies or procedures) from pursuing an investment or disposition opportunity with respect to such investment or investment opportunity.

 

The investment adviser may also from time to time be subject to contractual ‘‘stand-still’’ obligations and/or confidentiality obligations that may restrict its ability to trade in certain investments on a Fund’s behalf. In addition, the investment adviser may be precluded from disclosing such information to an investment team, even in circumstances in which the information would be beneficial if disclosed. Therefore, the investment team may not be provided access to material non-public information in the possession of Morgan Stanley that might be relevant to an investment decision to be made on behalf of a Fund, and the investment team may initiate a transaction or sell an investment that, if such information had been known to it, may not have been undertaken. In addition, certain members of the investment team may be recused from certain investment-related discussions so that such members do not receive information that would limit their ability to perform functions of their employment with the investment adviser or its affiliates unrelated to that of a Fund. Furthermore, access to certain parts of Morgan Stanley may be subject to third party confidentiality obligations and to information barriers established by Morgan Stanley in order to manage potential conflicts of interest and regulatory restrictions, including without limitation joint transaction restrictions pursuant to the 1940 Act. Accordingly, the investment adviser’s ability to source investments from other business units within Morgan Stanley may be limited and there can be no assurance that the investment adviser will be able to source any investments from any one or more parts of the Morgan Stanley network.

 

The investment adviser may restrict its investment decisions and activities on behalf of the Funds in various circumstances, including because of applicable regulatory requirements or information held by the investment adviser or Morgan Stanley. The investment adviser might not engage in transactions or other activities for, or enforce certain rights in favor of, a Fund due to Morgan Stanley’s activities outside the Funds. In instances where trading of an investment is restricted, the investment adviser may not be able to purchase or sell such investment on behalf of a Fund, resulting in the Fund’s inability to participate in certain desirable transactions. This inability to buy or sell an investment could have an adverse effect on a Fund’s portfolio due to, among other things, changes in an investment’s value during the period its trading is restricted. Also, in situations where the investment adviser is required to aggregate its positions with those of other Morgan Stanley business units for position limit calculations, the investment adviser may have to refrain from making investments due to the positions held by other Morgan Stanley business units or their clients. There may be other situations where the investment adviser refrains from making an investment due to additional disclosure obligations, regulatory requirements, policies, and reputational risk, or the investment adviser may limit purchases or sales of securities in respect of which Morgan Stanley is engaged in an underwriting or other distribution capacity.

 

Morgan Stanley has established certain information barriers and other policies to address the sharing of information between different businesses within Morgan Stanley. As a result of information barriers, the investment adviser generally will not have access, or will have limited access, to certain information and personnel in other areas of Morgan Stanley relating to business transactions for clients (including transactions in investing, banking, prime brokerage and certain other areas), and generally will not manage the Funds with the benefit of the information held by such other areas. Morgan Stanley, due to its access to and knowledge of funds, markets and securities based on its prime brokerage and other businesses, may make decisions based on information or take (or refrain from taking) actions with respect to interests in investments of the kind held (directly or indirectly) by the Funds in a manner that may be adverse to the Funds, and will not have any obligation or other duty to share information with the investment adviser.

 

In limited circumstances, however, including for purposes of managing business and reputational risk, and subject to policies and procedures, Morgan Stanley personnel, including personnel of the investment adviser, on one side of an information barrier may have access to information and personnel on the other side of the information barrier through “wall crossings.” The investment adviser faces conflicts of interest in determining whether to engage in such wall crossings. Information obtained in connection with such wall crossings may limit or restrict the ability of the investment adviser to engage in or otherwise effect transactions on behalf of the Funds (including purchasing or selling securities that the investment adviser may otherwise have purchased or sold for a Fund in

 
 

the absence of a wall crossing). In managing conflicts of interest that arise because of the foregoing, the investment adviser generally will be subject to fiduciary requirements. The investment adviser may also implement internal information barriers or ethical walls, and the conflicts described herein with respect to information barriers and otherwise with respect to Morgan Stanley and the investment adviser will also apply internally within the investment adviser. As a result, a Fund may not be permitted to transact in (e.g., dispose of a security in whole or in part) during periods when it otherwise would have been able to do so, which could adversely affect a Fund. Other investors in the security that are not subject to such restrictions may be able to transact in the security during such periods. There may also be circumstances in which, as a result of information held by certain portfolio management teams in the investment adviser, the investment adviser limits an activity or transaction for a Fund, including if the Fund is managed by a portfolio management team other than the team holding such information.

 

Investments by Morgan Stanley and its Affiliated Investment Accounts. In serving in multiple capacities to Affiliated Investment Accounts, Morgan Stanley, including the investment adviser and its investment teams, may have obligations to other clients or investors in Affiliated Investment Accounts, the fulfillment of which may not be in the best interests of a Fund or its shareholders. A Fund’s investment objectives may overlap with the investment objectives of certain Affiliated Investment Accounts. As a result, the members of an investment team may face conflicts in the allocation of suitable investment opportunities among a Fund and other investment funds, programs, accounts and businesses advised by or affiliated with the investment adviser. Certain Affiliated Investment Accounts may provide for higher management or incentive fees or greater expense reimbursements or overhead allocations, all of which may contribute to this conflict of interest and create an incentive for the investment adviser to favor such other accounts.

 

Morgan Stanley currently invests and plans to continue to invest on its own behalf and on behalf of its Affiliated Investment Accounts in a wide variety of investment opportunities globally. Morgan Stanley and its Affiliated Investment Accounts, to the extent consistent with applicable law and policies and procedures, will be permitted to invest in investment opportunities without making such opportunities available to a Fund beforehand. Subject to the foregoing, Morgan Stanley may offer investments that fall into the investment objectives of an Affiliated Investment Account to such account or make such investment on its own behalf, even though such investment also falls within a Fund’s investment objectives. A Fund may invest in opportunities that Morgan Stanley and/or one or more Affiliated Investment Accounts has declined, and vice versa. All of the foregoing may reduce the number of investment opportunities available to a Fund and may create conflicts of interest in allocating investment opportunities. Investors should note that the conflicts inherent in making such allocation decisions may not always be resolved to a Fund’s advantage. There can be no assurance that a Fund will have an opportunity to participate in certain opportunities that fall within their investment objectives.

 

To seek to reduce potential conflicts of interest and to attempt to allocate such investment opportunities in a fair and equitable manner, the investment adviser has implemented allocation policies and procedures. These policies and procedures are intended to give all clients of the investment adviser, including the Funds, fair access to investment opportunities consistent with the requirements of organizational documents, investment strategies, applicable laws and regulations, and the fiduciary duties of the investment adviser. Each client of the investment adviser that is subject to the allocation policies and procedures, including each Fund, is assigned an investment team and portfolio manager(s) by the investment adviser. The investment team and portfolio managers review investment opportunities and will decide with respect to the allocation of each opportunity considering various factors and in accordance with the allocation policies and procedures. The allocation policies and procedures are subject to change. Investors should note that the conflicts inherent in making such allocation decisions may not always be resolved to the advantage of a Fund.

 

It is possible that Morgan Stanley or an Affiliated Investment Account, including another Eaton Vance fund, will invest in or advise a company that is or becomes a competitor of a company of which a Fund holds an investment. Such investment could create a conflict between the Fund, on the one hand, and Morgan Stanley or the Affiliated Investment Account, on the other hand. In such a situation, Morgan Stanley may also have a conflict in the allocation of its own resources to the portfolio investment. Furthermore, certain Affiliated Investment Accounts will be focused primarily on investing in other funds which may have strategies that overlap and/or directly conflict and compete with a Fund.

 

 
 

In addition, certain investment professionals who are involved in a Fund’s activities remain responsible for the investment activities of other Affiliated Investment Accounts managed by the investment adviser and its affiliates, and they will devote time to the management of such investments and other newly created Affiliated Investment Accounts (whether in the form of funds, separate accounts or other vehicles), as well as their own investments. In addition, in connection with the management of investments for other Affiliated Investment Accounts, members of Morgan Stanley and its affiliates may serve on the boards of directors of or advise companies which may compete with a Fund’s portfolio investments. Moreover, these Affiliated Investment Accounts managed by Morgan Stanley and its affiliates may pursue investment opportunities that may also be suitable for a Fund.

 

It should be noted that Morgan Stanley may, directly or indirectly, make large investments in certain of its Affiliated Investment Accounts, and accordingly Morgan Stanley’s investment in a Fund may not be a determining factor in the outcome of any of the foregoing conflicts. Nothing herein restricts or in any way limits the activities of Morgan Stanley, including its ability to buy or sell interests in, or provide financing to, equity and/or debt instruments, funds or portfolio companies, for its own accounts or for the accounts of Affiliated Investment Accounts or other investment funds or clients in accordance with applicable law.

 

Different clients of the investment adviser, including a Fund, may invest in different classes of securities of the same issuer, depending on the respective clients’ investment objectives and policies. As a result, the investment adviser and its affiliates, at times, will seek to satisfy fiduciary obligations to certain clients owning one class of securities of a particular issuer by pursuing or enforcing rights on behalf of those clients with respect to such class of securities, and those activities may have an adverse effect on another client which owns a different class of securities of such issuer. For example, if one client holds debt securities of an issuer and another client holds equity securities of the same issuer, if the issuer experiences financial or operational challenges, the investment adviser and its affiliates may seek a liquidation of the issuer on behalf of the client that holds the debt securities, whereas the client holding the equity securities may benefit from a reorganization of the issuer. Thus, in such situations, the actions taken by the investment adviser or its affiliates on behalf of one client can negatively impact securities held by another client. These conflicts also exist as between the investment adviser’s clients, including the Funds, and the Affiliated Investment Accounts managed by Morgan Stanley.

 

The investment adviser and its affiliates may give advice and recommend securities to other clients which may differ from advice given to, or securities recommended or bought for, a Fund even though such other clients’ investment objectives may be similar to those of the Fund.

 

The investment adviser and its affiliates manage long and short portfolios. The simultaneous management of long and short portfolios creates conflicts of interest in portfolio management and trading in that opposite directional positions may be taken in client accounts managed by the same investment team, and creates risks such as: (i) the risk that short sale activity could adversely affect the market value of long positions in one or more portfolios (and vice versa) and (ii) the risks associated with the trading desk receiving opposing orders in the same security simultaneously. The investment adviser and its affiliates have adopted policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to mitigate these conflicts. In certain circumstances, the investment adviser invest on behalf of itself in securities and other instruments that would be appropriate for, held by, or may fall within the investment guidelines of its clients, including a Fund. At times, the investment adviser will give advice or take action for its own accounts that differs from, conflicts with, or is adverse to advice given or action taken for any client.

 

From time to time, conflicts also arise due to the fact that certain securities or instruments maybe held in some client accounts, including a Fund, but not in others, or the client accounts may have different levels of holdings in certain securities or instruments, and because the accounts pay different levels of fees to the investment adviser. In addition, at times an investment adviser investment team will give advice or take action with respect to the investments of one or more clients that is not given or taken with respect to other clients with similar investment programs, objectives, and strategies. Accordingly, clients with similar strategies will not always hold the same securities or instruments or achieve the same performance. The investment adviser’s investment teams also advise clients with conflicting programs, objectives or strategies. These conflicts also exist as between the investment adviser’s clients, including the Funds, and the Affiliated Investment Accounts managed by Morgan Stanley.

 

The investment adviser maintains separate trading desks by investment team and generally based on asset class, including two trading desks trading equity securities. These trading desks operate independently of one another. The two equity trading desks do not share information. The separate equity trading desks may result in

 
 

one desk competing against the other desk when implementing buy and sell transactions, possibly causing certain accounts to pay more or receive less for a security than other accounts. In addition, Morgan Stanley and its affiliates maintain separate trading desks that operate independently of each other and do not share information with the investment adviser. The Morgan Stanley and affiliate trading desks may compete against the investment adviser trading desks when implementing buy and sell transactions, possibly causing certain Affiliated Investment Accounts to pay more or receive less for a security than other Affiliated Investment Accounts.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries. The investment adviser and/or EVD may pay compensation, out of their own funds and not as an expense of the Funds, to certain financial intermediaries (which may include affiliates of the investment adviser and EVD), including recordkeepers and administrators of various deferred compensation plans, in connection with the sale, distribution, marketing and retention of shares of the Funds and/or shareholder servicing. For example, the investment adviser or EVD may pay additional compensation to a financial intermediary for, among other things, promoting the sale and distribution of Fund shares, providing access to various programs, mutual fund platforms or preferred or recommended mutual fund lists that may be offered by a financial intermediary, granting EVD access to a financial intermediary’s financial advisors and consultants, providing assistance in the ongoing education and training of a financial intermediary’s financial personnel, furnishing marketing support, maintaining share balances and/or for sub-accounting, recordkeeping, administrative, shareholder or transaction processing services. Such payments are in addition to any distribution fees, shareholder servicing fees and/or transfer agency fees that may be payable by the Funds. The additional payments may be based on various factors, including level of sales (based on gross or net sales or some specified minimum sales or some other similar criteria related to sales of the Funds and/or some or all other Eaton Vance funds), amount of assets invested by the financial intermediary’s customers (which could include current or aged assets of the Funds and/or some or all other Eaton Vance funds), a Fund’s advisory fee, some other agreed upon amount or other measures as determined from time to time by the investment adviser and/or EVD. The amount of these payments may be different for different financial intermediaries.

 

The prospect of receiving, or the receipt of, additional compensation, as described above, by financial intermediaries may provide such financial intermediaries and their financial advisors and other salespersons with an incentive to favor sales of shares of the Funds over other investment options with respect to which these financial intermediaries do not receive additional compensation (or receives lower levels of additional compensation). These payment arrangements, however, will not change the price that an investor pays for shares of the Funds or the amount that the Funds receive to invest on behalf of an investor. Investors may wish to take such payment arrangements into account when considering and evaluating any recommendations relating to Fund shares and should review carefully any disclosures provided by financial intermediaries as to their compensation.

 

Morgan Stanley Trading and Principal Investing Activities. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, Morgan Stanley will generally conduct its sales and trading businesses, publish research and analysis, and render investment advice without regard for a Fund’s holdings, although these activities could have an adverse impact on the value of one or more of the Fund’s investments, or could cause Morgan Stanley to have an interest in one or more portfolio investments that is different from, and potentially adverse to that of a Fund. Furthermore, from time to time, the investment adviser or its affiliates may invest “seed” capital in a Fund, typically to enable the Fund to commence investment operations and/or achieve sufficient scale. The investment adviser and its affiliates may hedge such seed capital exposure by investing in derivatives or other instruments expected to produce offsetting exposure. Such hedging transactions, if any, would occur outside of a Fund.

 

Morgan Stanley’s sales and trading, financing and principal investing businesses (whether or not specifically identified as such, and including Morgan Stanley’s trading and principal investing businesses) will not be required to offer any investment opportunities to a Fund. These businesses may encompass, among other things, principal trading activities as well as principal investing.

 

Morgan Stanley’s sales and trading, financing and principal investing businesses have acquired or invested in, and in the future may acquire or invest in, minority and/or majority control positions in equity or debt instruments of diverse public and/or private companies. Such activities may put Morgan Stanley in a position to exercise contractual, voting or creditor rights, or management or other control with respect to securities or loans of portfolio investments or other issuers, and in these instances Morgan Stanley may, in its discretion and subject to applicable law, act to protect its own interests or interests of clients, and not a Fund’s interests.

Subject to the limitations of applicable law, a Fund may purchase from or sell assets to, or make investments in, companies in which Morgan Stanley has or may acquire an interest, including as an owner, creditor or counterparty.

 

Morgan Stanley’s Investment Banking Activities. Morgan Stanley advises clients on a variety of mergers, acquisitions, restructuring, bankruptcy and financing transactions. Morgan Stanley may act as an advisor to clients, including other investment funds that may compete with a Fund and with respect to investments that a Fund may hold. Morgan Stanley may give advice and take action with respect to any of its clients or proprietary accounts that may differ from the advice given, or may involve an action of a different timing or nature than the action taken, by a Fund. Morgan Stanley may give advice and provide recommendations to persons competing with a Fund and/or any of a Fund’s investments that are contrary to the Fund’s best interests and/or the best interests of any of its investments.

 

Morgan Stanley could be engaged in financial advising, whether on the buy-side or sell-side, or in financing or lending assignments that could result in Morgan Stanley’s determining in its discretion or being required to act exclusively on behalf of one or more third parties, which could limit a Fund’s ability to transact with respect to one or more existing or potential investments. Morgan Stanley may have relationships with third-party funds, companies or investors who may have invested in or may look to invest in portfolio companies, and there could be conflicts between a Fund’s best interests, on the one hand, and the interests of a Morgan Stanley client or counterparty, on the other hand.

 

To the extent that Morgan Stanley advises creditor or debtor companies in the financial restructuring of companies either prior to or after filing for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or similar laws in other jurisdictions, the investment adviser’s flexibility in making investments in such restructurings on a Fund’s behalf may be limited. Morgan Stanley could provide investment banking services to competitors of portfolio companies, as well as to private equity and/or private credit funds; such activities may present Morgan Stanley with a conflict of interest vis-a-vis a Fund’s investment and may also result in a conflict in respect of the allocation of investment banking resources to portfolio companies.

 

To the extent permitted by applicable law, Morgan Stanley may provide a broad range of financial services to companies in which a Fund invests, including strategic and financial advisory services, interim acquisition financing and other lending and underwriting or placement of securities, and Morgan Stanley generally will be paid fees (that may include warrants or other securities) for such services. Morgan Stanley will not share any of the foregoing interest, fees and other compensation received by it (including, for the avoidance of doubt, amounts received by the investment adviser) with a Fund, and any advisory fees payable will not be reduced thereby.

 

Morgan Stanley may be engaged to act as a financial advisor to a company in connection with the sale of such company, or subsidiaries or divisions thereof, may represent potential buyers of businesses through its mergers and acquisition activities and may provide lending and other related financing services in connection with such transactions. Morgan Stanley’s compensation for such activities is usually based upon realized consideration and is usually contingent, in substantial part, upon the closing of the transaction. Under these circumstances, a Fund may be precluded from participating in a transaction with or relating to the company being sold or participating in any financing activity related to merger or acquisition.

 

To meet applicable regulatory requirements, there are periods when the investment adviser will not engage in certain types of transactions in the securities of companies for which a broker-dealer affiliated with Morgan Stanley is performing investment banking services. Fund shareholders will not receive notice of such instances. In particular, when a broker-dealer affiliated with Morgan Stanley is engaged in an underwriting or other distribution of securities of a company, the investment adviser may be prohibited from purchasing such securities on behalf of a Fund. In addition, under certain circumstances, the investment adviser generally will not initiate transactions in the securities of companies with respect to which affiliates of the investment adviser may have controlling interests or are affiliated.

 

 
 

The investment adviser believes that the nature and range of clients to whom Morgan Stanley and its subsidiaries render investment banking and other services is such that it would be inadvisable to exclude these companies from the Fund’s portfolio.

 

Morgan Stanley’s Marketing Activities. Morgan Stanley is engaged in the business of underwriting, syndicating, brokering, administering, servicing, arranging and advising on the distribution of a wide variety of securities and other investments in which a Fund may invest. Subject to the restrictions of the 1940 Act, including Sections 10(f) and 17(e) thereof, a Fund may invest in transactions in which Morgan Stanley acts as underwriter, placement agent, syndicator, broker, administrative agent, servicer, advisor, arranger or structuring agent and receives fees or other compensation from the sponsors of such products or securities. Any fees earned by Morgan Stanley in such capacity will not be shared with the investment adviser or the Funds. Certain conflicts of interest, in addition to the receipt of fees or other compensation, would be inherent in these transactions. Moreover, the interests of one of Morgan Stanley’s clients with respect to an issuer of securities in which a Fund has an investment may be adverse to the investment adviser’s or a Fund’s best interests. In conducting the foregoing activities, Morgan Stanley will be acting for its other clients and will have no obligation to act in the investment adviser’s or a Fund’s best interests.

 

Client Relationships. Morgan Stanley has existing and potential relationships with a significant number of corporations, institutions and individuals. In providing services to its clients, Morgan Stanley may face conflicts of interest with respect to activities recommended to or performed for such clients, on the one hand, and a Fund, its shareholders or the entities in which the Fund invests, on the other hand. In addition, these client relationships may present conflicts of interest in determining whether to offer certain investment opportunities to a Fund.

 

In acting as principal or in providing advisory and other services to its other clients, Morgan Stanley may engage in or recommend activities with respect to a particular matter that conflict with or are different from activities engaged in or recommended by the investment adviser on a Fund’s behalf.

 

Principal Investments. To the extent permitted by applicable law, there may be situations in which a Funds’ interests may conflict with the interests of one or more general accounts of Morgan Stanley and its affiliates or accounts managed by Morgan Stanley or its affiliates. This may occur because these accounts hold public and private debt and equity securities of many issuers which may be or become portfolio companies, or from whom portfolio companies may be acquired.

 

Transactions with Portfolio Companies of Affiliated Investment Accounts. The companies in which a Fund may invest may be counterparties to or participants in agreements, transactions or other arrangements with portfolio companies or other entities of portfolio investments of Affiliated Investment Accounts (for example, a company in which a Fund invests may retain a company in which an Affiliated Investment Account invests to provide services or may acquire an asset from such company or vice versa). Certain of these agreements, transactions and arrangements involve fees, servicing payments, rebates and/or other benefits to Morgan Stanley or its affiliates. For example, portfolio entities may, including at the encouragement of Morgan Stanley, enter into agreements regarding group procurement and/or vendor discounts. Morgan Stanley and its affiliates may also participate in these agreements and may realize better pricing or discounts as a result of the participation of portfolio entities. To the extent permitted by applicable law, certain of these agreements may provide for commissions or similar payments and/or discounts or rebates to be paid to a portfolio entity of an Affiliated Investment Account, and such payments or discounts or rebates may also be made directly to Morgan Stanley or its affiliates. Under these arrangements, a particular portfolio company or other entity may benefit to a greater degree than the other participants, and the funds, investment vehicles and accounts (which may or may not include a Fund) that own an interest in such entity will receive a greater relative benefit from the arrangements than the Eaton Vance funds, investment vehicles or accounts that do not own an interest therein. Fees and compensation received by portfolio companies of Affiliated Investment Accounts in relation to the foregoing will not be shared with a Fund or offset advisory fees payable.

 

Investments in Portfolio Investments of Other Funds. To the extent permitted by applicable law, when a Fund invests in certain companies or other entities, other funds affiliated with the investment adviser may have made or may be making an investment in such companies or other entities. Other funds that have been or may be managed by the investment adviser may invest in the companies or other entities in which a Fund has made an investment. Under such circumstances, a Fund and such other funds may have conflicts of interest (e.g., over the

 
 

terms, exit strategies and related matters, including the exercise of remedies of their respective investments). If the interests held by a Fund are different from (or take priority over) those held by such other funds, the investment adviser may be required to make a selection at the time of conflicts between the interests held by such other funds and the interests held by a Fund.

 

Allocation of Expenses. Expenses may be incurred that are attributable to a Fund and one or more other Affiliated Investment Accounts (including in connection with issuers in which a Fund and such other Affiliated Investment Accounts have overlapping investments). The allocation of such expenses among such entities raises potential conflicts of interest. The investment adviser and its affiliates intend to allocate such common expenses among a Fund and any such other Affiliated Investment Accounts on a pro rata basis or in such other manner as the investment adviser deems to be fair and equitable or in such other manner as may be required by applicable law.

 

Temporary Investments. To more efficiently invest short-term cash balances held by a Fund, the investment adviser may invest such balances on an overnight “sweep” basis in shares of one or more money market funds or other short-term vehicles. It is anticipated that the investment adviser to these money market funds or other short-term vehicles may be the investment adviser (or an affiliate) to the extent permitted by applicable law, including Rule 12d1-1 under the 1940 Act. The Fund currently invests in Eaton Vance Cash Reserves Fund, LLC (Cash Reserves Fund), an affiliated investment company managed by Eaton Vance for this purpose. Eaton Vance does not currently receive a fee for advisory services provided to Cash Reserves Fund.

 

Transactions with Affiliates. The investment adviser and any investment sub-adviser might purchase securities from underwriters or placement agents in which a Morgan Stanley affiliate is a member of a syndicate or selling group, as a result of which an affiliate might benefit from the purchase through receipt of a fee or otherwise. Neither the investment adviser nor any investment sub-adviser will purchase securities on behalf of a Fund from an affiliate that is acting as a manager of a syndicate or selling group. Purchases by the investment adviser on behalf of a Fund from an affiliate acting as a placement agent must meet the requirements of applicable law. Furthermore, Morgan Stanley may face conflicts of interest when the Funds use service providers affiliated with Morgan Stanley because Morgan Stanley receives greater overall fees when they are used.

 

General Process for Potential Conflicts. All of the transactions described above involve the potential for conflicts of interest between the investment adviser, related persons of the investment adviser and/or their clients. The Advisers Act, the 1940 Act and ERISA impose certain requirements designed to decrease the possibility of conflicts of interest between an investment adviser and its clients. In some cases, transactions may be permitted subject to fulfillment of certain conditions. Certain other transactions may be prohibited. In addition, the investment adviser has instituted policies and procedures designed to prevent conflicts of interest from arising and, when they do arise, to ensure that it effects transactions for clients in a manner that is consistent with its fiduciary duty to its clients and in accordance with applicable law. The investment adviser seeks to ensure that potential or actual conflicts of interest are appropriately resolved taking into consideration the overriding best interests of the client.

 

 

March 1, 2021