| Eaton Vance Floating-Rate Municipal Income Fund | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Investment Objective | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Fund’s investment objective is to provide current income exempt from regular federal income tax. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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. Investors may also pay commissions or other fees to their financial intermediary when they buy and hold shares of the Fund, which are not reflected below. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge on purchases of Class A shares if you invest, or agree to invest over a 13-month period, at least $100,000 in Eaton Vance funds. Certain financial intermediaries also may offer variations in Fund sales charges to their customers as described in Appendix A – Financial Intermediary Sales Charge Variations in this Prospectus. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary and in Sales Charges beginning on page 18 of this Prospectus and page 21 of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Example. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the operating expenses remain the same and that any expense reimbursement arrangement remains in place for the contractual period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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 Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 78% of the average value of its portfolio. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Principal Investment Strategies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Under normal market circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in municipal obligations that are exempt from regular federal income tax. Under normal market circumstances, the Fund also invests at least 80% of its total assets in (i) municipal floating-rate bonds or obligations and (ii) fixed-rate municipal obligations with respect to which the Fund enters into agreements to swap the fixed rate for a floating rate (the “80% Policy”). At least 75% of the Fund’s net assets normally will be invested in municipal obligations rated at least investment grade at the time of investment (which are those rated Baa or higher by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), or BBB or higher by either S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”) or Fitch Ratings (“Fitch”)) or, if unrated, determined by the investment adviser to be of at least investment grade quality. The balance of net assets may be invested in municipal obligations rated below investment grade and in unrated municipal obligations considered to be of comparable quality by the investment adviser (“junk bonds”). The Fund will not invest more than 10% of its net assets in obligations rated below B by Moody’s, S&P or Fitch, or in unrated obligations considered to be of comparable quality by the investment adviser. For purposes of rating restrictions, if securities are rated differently by two or more rating agencies, the highest rating is used. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in other debt obligations, including (but not limited to) taxable municipal obligations, U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities. The Fund may purchase or sell derivative instruments (such as residual interest bonds, futures contracts and options thereon, interest rate and total return swaps, and forward rate contracts) for hedging purposes, to seek total return or as a substitute for the purchase or sale of securities. There is no stated limit on the Fund’s use of derivatives. The Fund may invest 25% or more of its total assets in certain types of municipal obligations (such as general obligations, municipal leases, principal only municipal investments, revenue bonds and industrial development bonds) and in one or more states, territories and economic sectors (such as housing, hospitals, healthcare facilities or utilities). The Fund may invest in pooled investment vehicles and exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), a type of pooled investment vehicle, to seek exposure to the municipal markets or municipal market sectors. The investment adviser’s process for selecting obligations for purchase and sale emphasizes the creditworthiness of the issuer or other person obligated to repay the obligation and the relative value of the obligation in the market. In evaluating creditworthiness, the investment adviser considers ratings assigned by rating agencies and generally performs additional credit and investment analysis. The portfolio manager also may trade securities to minimize taxable capital gains to shareholders. The Fund expects up to 25% of its annual distributions to be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. The Fund may not be suitable for investors subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Principal Risks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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. Municipal Obligation Risk. The amount of public information available about municipal obligations is generally less than for corporate equities or bonds, meaning that the investment performance of municipal obligations may be more dependent on the analytical abilities of the investment adviser than stock or corporate bond investments. The secondary market for municipal obligations also tends to be less well-developed and less liquid than many other securities markets, which may limit the Fund’s ability to sell its municipal obligations at attractive prices. The differences between the price at which an obligation can be purchased and the price at which it can be sold may widen during periods of market distress. Less liquid obligations can become more difficult to value and be subject to erratic price movements. The increased presence of nontraditional participants (such as proprietary trading desks of investment banks and hedge funds) or the absence of traditional participants (such as individuals, insurance companies, banks and life insurance companies) in the municipal markets may lead to greater volatility in the markets because non-traditional participants may trade more frequently or in greater volume. Interest Rate Risk. In general, the value of income securities will fluctuate based on changes in interest rates. The value of these securities is likely to increase when interest rates fall and decline when interest rates rise. Generally, securities with longer durations or maturities are more sensitive to changes in interest rates than shorter duration or maturity securities, causing them to be more volatile. Conversely, fixed income securities with shorter durations or maturities will be less volatile but may provide lower returns than fixed income securities with longer durations or maturities. Because the Fund is managed toward an income objective, it may hold more longer duration or maturity obligations and thereby be more exposed to interest rate risk than municipal income funds that are managed with a greater emphasis on total return. However, the impact of interest rate changes on the value of floating rate instruments is typically reduced by periodic interest rate resets. In a rising interest rate environment, the durations or 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. Credit Risk. Investments in municipal obligations and other debt obligations (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 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. Municipal obligations may be insured as to principal and interest payments. If the claims-paying ability or other rating of the insurer is downgraded by a rating agency, the value of such obligations may be negatively affected. 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. 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. Leverage Risk. Certain fund transactions may give rise to leverage. Leverage can result from a non-cash exposure to an 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. Risk of Residual Interest Bonds. The Fund may enter into residual interest bond transactions, which expose the Fund to leverage and greater risk than an investment in a fixed-rate municipal bond. The interest payments that the Fund receives on the residual interest bonds acquired in such transactions vary inversely with short-term interest rates, normally decreasing when short-term rates increase. The value and market for residual interest bonds are volatile and such bonds may have limited liquidity. As required by applicable accounting standards, the Fund records interest expense as a liability with respect to floating-rate notes and also records offsetting interest income in an amount equal to this expense. Sector and Geographic Risk. Because the Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in obligations issued in one or more states and/or U.S. territories and in certain types of municipal obligations and/or in certain sectors, the value of Fund shares may be affected by events that adversely affect a state, U.S. territory, sector or type of obligation and may fluctuate more than that of a more broadly diversified fund. General obligation bonds issued by municipalities are adversely affected by economic downturns and the resulting decline in tax revenues. Risks of Principal Only Investments. Principal only investments entitle the Fund to receive the stated value of such investment when held to maturity. The values of principal only investments are subject to greater fluctuation in response to changes in market interest rates than obligations that pay interest currently. The Fund will accrue income on these investments and distribute that income each year. The Fund may be required to sell other investments to obtain cash needed for such income distributions. Pooled Investment Vehicles Risk. Pooled investment vehicles are open- and closed-end investment companies and exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”). Pooled investment vehicles are subject to the risks of investing in the underlying securities or other investments. Shares of closed-end investment companies and ETFs 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 a pooled investment vehicle in which it invests. U.S. Government Securities Risk. Although certain U.S. Government-sponsored agencies (such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation and the Federal National Mortgage Association) may be chartered or sponsored by acts of Congress, their securities are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury. U.S. Treasury securities generally have a lower return than other obligations because of their higher credit quality and market liquidity. Tax Risk. Income from tax-exempt municipal obligations could be declared taxable because of changes in tax laws, adverse interpretations by the relevant taxing authority or the non-compliant conduct of the issuer of an obligation. The Fund's investment in fixed-rate municipal obligations with respect to which the Fund enters into agreements to swap the fixed rate for a floating rate may also create taxable income in certain interest rate environments. 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. 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 shareholders 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 shareholders or groups of shareholders of their holdings in the Fund could have an adverse impact on the remaining shareholders in the Fund. The Fund relies on various service providers, including the investment adviser, in its operations and is susceptible to operational, information security and related events (such as cyber or hacking attacks) that may affect them or the services that they provide to 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 following 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 Fund’s average annual returns over time compare with those of a broad-based securities market index. The returns in the bar chart are for Class A shares and do not reflect a sales charge. If the sales charge was reflected, the returns would be lower. Past performance (both before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. The Fund’s performance for certain periods reflects the effects of expense reductions. Absent these reductions, performance for certain periods would have been lower. Updated Fund performance information can be obtained by visiting www.eatonvance.com. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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For the ten years ended December 31, 2017, the highest quarterly total return for Class A was 7.38% for the quarter ended September 30, 2009, and the lowest quarterly return was -4.83% for the quarter ended December 31, 2010. The year-to-date total return through the end of the most recent calendar quarter (December 31, 2017 to June 30, 2018) was 0.82%. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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These returns reflect the maximum sales charge for Class A (2.25%). The Class I performance shown above for the period prior to August 3, 2010 (commencement of operations) is the performance of Class A shares at net asset value without adjustment for any differences in the expenses of the two classes. If adjusted for such differences, returns would be different. Effective August 19, 2013, the Fund changed its objective and investment strategy to invest at least 80% of its total assets in (i) municipal floating-rate bonds or obligations and (ii) fixed-rate municipal obligations with respect to which the Fund enters into agreements to swap the fixed rate for a floating rate. Investors cannot invest directly in an Index. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal income tax rate and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on a shareholder’s tax situation and the characterization of distributions, and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to shareholders who hold shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. After-tax returns for other Classes of shares will vary from the after-tax returns presented for Class A shares. Return After Taxes on Distributions for a period may be the same as Return Before Taxes for that period because no taxable distributions were made during that period. Also, Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares for a period may be greater than or equal to Return After Taxes on Distributions for the same period because of losses realized on the sale of Fund shares. |
