Eaton Vance Announces Filing of Third Amended Exemptive Application for Exchange-Traded Managed Funds

BOSTON, Sept. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Eaton Vance Management (Eaton Vance), a subsidiary of Eaton Vance Corp. (NYSE: EV), today announced the filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission of a third amendment to its application seeking exemptive relief to permit the offering of exchange-traded managed funds (ETMFs). The ETMF exemptive application was originally filed on March 27, 2013 and previously amended on September 12, 2013 and January 23, 2014.

ETMFs are a proposed new type of open-end fund that seek to provide the cost and tax efficiencies of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to investors in active fund strategies, while maintaining the confidentiality of current portfolio trading information. ETMFs would trade on an exchange at prices directly linked to the fund's next-determined daily net asset value (NAV), using a proposed new trading protocol called "NAV-based trading." In NAV-based trading, prices would vary from NAV by a market-determined premium or discount, which may be zero.  Because ETMFs would provide market makers with opportunities to earn reliable, low-risk profits without intraday hedging and because they would trade in a transparent manner on an exchange, ETMFs can be expected to trade at prices that are consistently close to NAV in the absence of daily portfolio holdings disclosure.

Sponsors of actively managed funds have to date largely avoided introducing their leading strategies as transparent ETFs because the required daily holdings disclosures can facilitate front-running of portfolio trades and enable other investors to replicate the fund's portfolio positioning and exploit its research insights.  By removing the requirement for portfolio transparency, ETMFs can potentially enable investors to access a broad range of active strategies in a structure that provides the investor benefits of an exchange-traded fund.

Aspects of ETMFs and NAV-based trading are protected intellectual property subject to issued and pending U.S. patents.  Eaton Vance seeks to license the underlying technology and provide related services to fund sponsors through its affiliate Navigate Fund Solutions LLC (Navigate).  For more information about Navigate, contact Stephen W. Clarke, President, at 617-672-8660 or [email protected].

Eaton Vance Corp. is one of the oldest investment management firms in the United States, with a history dating back to 1924. Eaton Vance and its affiliates managed $288.2 billion in assets as of July 31, 2014, offering individuals and institutions a broad array of investment strategies and wealth management solutions. Eaton Vance's long record of providing exemplary service, timely innovation and attractive returns through a variety of market conditions has made it the investment manager of choice for many of today's most discerning investors. For more information, visit eatonvance.com.

This press release is for information purposes only and is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, an offer to sell securities. The launch of ETMFs is conditional upon regulatory approval, the likelihood and timing of which cannot be predicted. Commercial success also requires completion of enabling implementation technology and acceptance by market participants, which cannot be assured. Like mutual funds, ETMFs will not offer investors the opportunity to buy and sell intraday based on current (versus end-of-day) determinations of fund value.  ETMF trade execution prices will fluctuate based on changes in NAV and may vary significantly from anticipated levels during periods of market volatility. Although limit orders may be used to control differences in trade price versus NAV, they cannot be used to control or limit trade execution prices. There can be no guarantee that an active trading market for an ETMF's shares will develop or be maintained, or that their listing will continue unchanged. Buying and selling ETMF shares may require payment of brokerage commissions and expose transacting shareholders to other trading costs. Market trading prices of ETMF shares may be above, at or below NAV, will fluctuate in relation to NAV based on supply and demand in the market for shares and other factors, and may vary significantly from NAV. The return on a shareholder's ETMF investment will be reduced if the shareholder sells shares at a greater discount or narrower premium to NAV than he or she acquired the shares.  Because ETMFs will be actively managed, their performance will depend on the portfolio managers' successful application of analytical skill and investment judgment. An ETMF is not a complete investment program and there is no guarantee that it will achieve its investment objective. It is possible to lose money on an investment in an ETMF. ETMF shareholders should have a long-term investment perspective and be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value.  An investment in an ETMF is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, entity or person. 

SOURCE Eaton Vance Management

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