Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

 

 

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form N-Q

QUARTERLY SCHEDULE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS OF REGISTERED

MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

811-22380

Investment Company Act File Number

Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

Two International Place Boston, MA 02110

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

Maureen A. Gemma

Two International Place Boston, MA 02110

(Name and Address of Agent for Services)

(617) 482-8260

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

December 31

Date of Fiscal Year End

September 30, 2012

Date of Reporting Period

 

 

 


Item 1. Schedule of Investments


Eaton Vance

Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

September 30, 2012

PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS (Unaudited)

 

                                                 
Tax-Exempt Municipal Securities — 91.4%

 

                                                 
Security   

Principal

Amount
(000’s omitted)

     Value  

Bond Bank — 2.0%

     

Vermont Municipal Bond Bank, 4.00%, 12/1/17

   $ 2,515       $ 2,921,600   

Vermont Municipal Bond Bank, 5.00%, 12/1/19

     705         883,513   
     

 

 

 
      $ 3,805,113   
     

 

 

 

Education — 2.2%

     

Massachusetts Development Finance Agency, (Harvard University), 5.00%, 10/15/20

   $ 2,000       $ 2,566,640   

New York State Dormitory Authority, 5.00%, 7/1/21

     1,000         1,256,810   

University of Arkansas, 3.00%, 11/1/19

     445         489,051   
     

 

 

 
      $ 4,312,501   
     

 

 

 

Electric Utilities — 4.9%

     

California Department of Water Resources System, Electric Revenue, 5.00%, 5/1/22

   $ 1,000       $ 1,236,650   

Energy Northwest, WA, (Bonneville Power Administration), 5.00%, 7/1/17

     4,200         5,032,818   

Energy Northwest, WA, (Columbia Generating Station), 5.00%, 7/1/19

     2,500         3,113,950   
     

 

 

 
      $ 9,383,418   
     

 

 

 

Escrowed/Prerefunded — 3.1%

     

Harris County, TX, Flood Control District, Prerefunded to 10/1/14, 5.25%, 10/1/20

   $ 2,545       $ 2,790,567   

New York, NY, Transitional Finance Authority, Prerefunded to 8/1/13, 5.00%, 8/1/21

     3,000         3,121,350   
     

 

 

 
      $ 5,911,917   
     

 

 

 

General Obligations — 38.2%

     

Alexandria, VA, 4.00%, 7/1/16

   $ 2,980       $ 3,381,555   

Beaufort County, SC, School District, 5.00%, 3/1/19

     5,370         6,651,389   

Bedford, MA, 4.00%, 8/15/16

     1,380         1,565,955   

Carrollton, TX, 3.00%, 8/15/15

     100         107,424   

Charleston County, SC, School District, 5.00%, 2/1/19

     7,020         8,728,036   

Dakota County, MN, Community Development Agency, 3.00%, 1/1/13

     150         151,050   

Dakota County, MN, Community Development Agency, 3.00%, 1/1/14

     500         516,525   

Florida Board of Education, 5.00%, 6/1/17

     2,010         2,404,864   

Frederick County, MD, 4.00%, 2/1/15

     555         601,820   

Georgia, 5.00%, 7/1/17

     600         724,440   

Georgia, 5.00%, 7/1/19

     3,070         3,871,669   

Hoover, AL, Board of Education Capital Outlay Warrants, 5.00%, 2/15/14

     2,815         2,992,204   

Hopkinton, MA, 4.00%, 7/15/16

     240         269,798   

Liberty Hill, TX, Independent School District, (PSF Guaranteed), 0.00%, 8/1/21

     515         432,930   

Loudoun County, VA, 5.00%, 12/1/17

     2,015         2,464,345   

Maricopa County, AZ, Community College District, 3.00%, 7/1/18

     1,605         1,781,791   

Maryland, 5.00%, 8/1/19

     5,750         7,264,205   

Massachusetts, 5.50%, 10/1/15

     400         460,488   

Mississippi, 5.00%, 10/1/21

     500         601,300   

Morris County, NJ, 5.00%, 2/15/14

     1,650         1,756,755   

New York, 5.00%, 4/15/15

     500         560,620   

Richardson, TX, 5.00%, 2/15/18

     2,790         3,390,771   

St. Louis County, MO, Parkway C-2 School District, 4.00%, 3/1/20

     1,700         2,026,519   

United Independent School District, TX, (PSF Guaranteed), 5.00%, 8/15/20

     2,000         2,532,340   

 

1

 

 


                                                 
Security   

Principal

Amount
(000’s omitted)

     Value  

Utah, 5.00%, 7/1/19(1)

   $ 8,300       $     10,467,379   

Wake, NC, 5.00%, 3/1/21

     2,000         2,566,440   

Washington, 5.00%, 7/1/20

     2,145         2,694,635   

Wisconsin, 5.00%, 5/1/20

     2,255         2,829,394   
     

 

 

 
      $ 73,796,641   
     

 

 

 

Insured-Escrowed/Prerefunded — 4.2%

     

Anchorage, AK, (FGIC), Prerefunded to 9/1/13, 5.00%, 9/1/20

   $ 1,750       $ 1,827,717   

Benton County, WA, School District No. 400, (AGM),
Prerefunded to 6/1/13, 5.00%, 12/1/20

     6,055         6,251,848   
     

 

 

 
      $ 8,079,565   
     

 

 

 

Insured-General Obligations — 0.4%

     

Houston, TX, (NPFG), 5.25%, 3/1/14

   $ 785       $ 839,801   
     

 

 

 
      $ 839,801   
     

 

 

 

Insured-Transportation — 0.6%

     

New York State Thruway Authority, (AGM), 5.00%, 3/15/14

   $ 1,000       $ 1,069,410   
     

 

 

 
      $ 1,069,410   
     

 

 

 

Lease Revenue/Certificates of Participation — 0.6%

     

Orange County, FL, School Board, 5.00%, 8/1/16

   $ 500       $ 574,575   

Orange County, FL, School Board, 5.00%, 8/1/19

     500         599,805   
     

 

 

 
      $ 1,174,380   
     

 

 

 

Other Revenue — 4.6%

     

New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust, 4.00%, 9/1/19

   $ 1,000       $ 1,191,530   

Texas, 2.50%, 8/30/13

     7,500         7,658,400   
     

 

 

 
      $ 8,849,930   
     

 

 

 

Special Tax Revenue — 8.2%

     

Michigan Finance Authority, (Unemployment Obligation Assessment), 5.00%, 1/1/20

   $ 6,000       $ 7,390,260   

New York State Urban Development Corp., 5.00%, 1/1/15

     2,125         2,340,220   

New York State Urban Development Corp., 5.00%, 12/15/17

     5,000         6,073,100   
     

 

 

 
      $ 15,803,580   
     

 

 

 

Transportation — 20.4%

     

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Sales Tax Revenue, 5.25%, 7/1/21

   $ 1,350       $ 1,751,166   

New Jersey Turnpike Authority, 5.00%, 1/1/19

     11,800         12,222,794   

New York State Thruway Authority, 5.00%, 4/1/18(1)

     20,000         24,229,200   

Washington Federal Highway Grant Anticipation Revenue, 5.00%, 9/1/22

     1,000         1,263,180   
     

 

 

 
      $ 39,466,340   
     

 

 

 

Water and Sewer — 2.0%

     

Massachusetts Water Pollution Abatement Trust, 4.00%, 8/1/17

   $ 1,860       $ 2,159,869   

Seattle, WA, Solid Waste Revenue, 5.00%, 8/1/21

     1,415         1,788,447   
     

 

 

 
      $ 3,948,316   
     

 

 

 

Total Tax-Exempt Municipal Securities — 91.4%
(identified cost $167,700,704)

      $ 176,440,912   
     

 

 

 

 

2

 

 


                                                                                                   

Call Options Purchased — 0.0%(2)

           
Description    Number of
Contracts
     Strike
Price
     Expiration
Date
     Value  

S&P 500 Index

     230       $ 1540         10/5/12       $ 575   

S&P 500 Index

     230         1560         10/11/12         51   

S&P 500 Index

     228         1570         10/12/12         1,710   

S&P 500 Index

     224         1565         10/20/12         3,360   

S&P 500 Index

     227         1540         10/26/12         11,350   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     231         1520         10/3/12         1   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     231         1540         10/4/12         1   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     231         1545         10/9/12         48   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     227         1560         10/16/12         339   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     228         1570         10/17/12         284   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     224         1560         10/23/12         1,598   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     227         1545         10/25/12         4,105   
           

 

 

 

Total Call Options Purchased
(identified cost $92,849)

            $ 23,422   
           

 

 

 
                                                                                                   

Put Options Purchased — 0.1%

           
Description    Number of
Contracts
     Strike
Price
     Expiration
Date
     Value  

S&P 500 Index

     230       $ 1310         10/5/12       $ 11,500   

S&P 500 Index

     230         1320         10/11/12         4,337   

S&P 500 Index

     228         1330         10/12/12         26,790   

S&P 500 Index

     224         1335         10/20/12         42,000   

S&P 500 Index

     227         1300         10/26/12         45,968   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     231         1270         10/3/12         1   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     231         1290         10/4/12         13   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     231         1300         10/9/12         983   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     227         1320         10/16/12         12,846   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     228         1340         10/17/12         25,913   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     224         1330         10/23/12         38,849   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     227         1295         10/25/12         23,115   
           

 

 

 

Total Put Options Purchased
(identified cost $518,539)

            $ 232,315   
           

 

 

 
                                                 

Short-Term Investments — 13.2%

     
Description    Interest
(000’s omitted)
     Value  

Eaton Vance Cash Reserves Fund, LLC, 0.12%(3)

   $ 25,474       $ 25,473,649   
     

 

 

 
      $ 25,473,649   
     

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Investments — 13.2%
(identified cost $25,473,649)

      $ 25,473,649   
     

 

 

 

Total Investments — 104.7%
(identified cost $193,785,741)

      $ 202,170,298   
     

 

 

 

 

3

 

 


                                                                                                   

Call Options Written — (0.3)%

           
Description    Number of
Contracts
     Strike
Price
     Expiration
Date
     Value  

S&P 500 Index

     230       $ 1470         10/5/12       $ (26,450

S&P 500 Index

     230         1490         10/11/12         (13,299

S&P 500 Index

     228         1500         10/12/12         (14,250

S&P 500 Index

     224         1495         10/20/12         (25,760

S&P 500 Index

     227         1470         10/26/12         (149,820

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     231         1450         10/3/12         (87,113

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     231         1470         10/4/12         (12,468

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     231         1475         10/9/12         (31,477

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     227         1490         10/16/12         (29,111

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     228         1500         10/17/12         (17,109

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     224         1490         10/23/12         (54,613

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     227         1475         10/25/12         (128,026
           

 

 

 

Total Call Options Written — (0.3)%
(premiums received $1,526,106)

            $ (589,496
           

 

 

 
                                                                                                   

Put Options Written — (0.5)%

           
Description    Number of
Contracts
     Strike
Price
     Expiration
Date
     Value  

S&P 500 Index

     230       $ 1380         10/5/12       $ (27,600

S&P 500 Index

     230         1390         10/11/12         (52,303

S&P 500 Index

     228         1400         10/12/12         (100,320

S&P 500 Index

     224         1405         10/20/12         (162,400

S&P 500 Index

     227         1370         10/26/12         (127,120

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     231         1340         10/3/12         (103

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     231         1360         10/4/12         (1,265

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     231         1370         10/9/12         (17,142

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     227         1390         10/16/12         (89,025

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     228         1410         10/17/12         (165,618

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     224         1400         10/23/12         (174,308

S&P 500 Index FLEX

     227         1365         10/25/12         (94,882
           

 

 

 

Total Put Options Written — (0.5)%
(premiums received $1,566,566)

            $ (1,012,086
           

 

 

 

Other Assets, Less Liabilities — (3.9)%

            $ (7,562,532
           

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

            $ 193,006,184   
           

 

 

 

The percentage shown for each investment category in the Portfolio of Investments is based on net assets.

 

AGM

  -   Assured Guaranty Municipal Corp.

FGIC

  -   Financial Guaranty Insurance Company

FLEX

  -   FLexible EXchange traded option, representing a customized option contract with negotiated contract terms.

NPFG

  -   National Public Finance Guaranty Corp.

PSF

  -   Permanent School Fund

At September 30, 2012, the concentration of the Fund’s investments in the various states, determined as a percentage of net assets, is as follows:

 

                        

New York

     20.0

Washington

     10.4

Others, representing less than 10% individually

     61.0

 

4

 

 


The Fund invests primarily in debt securities issued by municipalities. The ability of the issuers of the debt securities to meet their obligations may be affected by economic developments in a specific industry or municipality. In order to reduce the risk associated with such economic developments, at September 30, 2012, 4.9% of total investments are backed by bond insurance of various financial institutions and financial guaranty assurance agencies. The aggregate percentage insured by an individual financial institution ranged from 0.4% to 3.6% of total investments.

 

(1) Security (or a portion thereof) has been pledged as collateral for written option contracts.

 

(2) Amount is less than 0.05%.

 

(3) Affiliated investment company available to Eaton Vance portfolios and funds which invests in high quality, U.S. dollar denominated money market instruments. The rate shown is the annualized seven-day yield as of September 30, 2012. Net income allocated from the investment in Eaton Vance Cash Reserves Fund, LLC for the fiscal year to date ended September 30, 2012 was $15,060.

The cost and unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments of the Fund at September 30, 2012, as determined on a federal income tax basis, were as follows:

 

Aggregate cost

   $     192,497,937   
  

 

 

 

Gross unrealized appreciation

   $ 10,030,211   

Gross unrealized depreciation

     (357,850
  

 

 

 

Net unrealized appreciation

   $ 9,672,361   
  

 

 

 

Written call and put options activity for the fiscal year to date ended September 30, 2012 was as follows:

 

     Number of
Contracts
    Premiums
Received
 
Outstanding, beginning of period      6,432      $ 4,921,623   
Options written      56,574        36,534,978   
Options terminated in closing purchase transactions      (13,726     (9,320,379
Options expired      (43,804     (29,043,550
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
Outstanding, end of period      5,476      $ 3,092,672   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

At September 30, 2012, the Fund had sufficient cash and/or securities to cover commitments under these contracts.

The Fund is subject to equity price risk in the normal course of pursuing its investment objective. The Fund enters into a series of S&P 500 written call and put option spread transactions to enhance return while limiting any potential loss. A written call option spread on a stock index consists of selling call options on the index and buying an equal number of call options on the same index and with the same expiration, but with a higher exercise price. A written put option spread on a stock index consists of selling put options on an index and buying an equal number of put options on the same index and with the same expiration, but with a lower exercise price. Any net premiums received are reduced by the premiums paid on the purchased options. The risk of loss if written options expire in the money is limited to the difference in exercise price of the written and purchased option positions. The Fund’s use of option spreads rather than stand alone options, staggering roll dates across the option position portfolio, and utilizing exchange-traded options guaranteed by the Options Clearing Corporation, a market clearinghouse, serve to mitigate risk in its option strategy.

At September 30, 2012, the aggregate fair value of derivative instruments (not considered to be hedging instruments for accounting disclosure purposes) in an asset position and in a liability position and whose primary underlying risk exposure is equity price risk was $255,737 and $1,601,582, respectively.

Under generally accepted accounting principles for fair value measurements, a three-tier hierarchy to prioritize the assumptions, referred to as inputs, is used in valuation techniques to measure fair value. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized in the three broad levels listed below.

 

 

Level 1 — quoted prices in active markets for identical investments

 

 

Level 2 — other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar investments, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

 

 

Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs (including a fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

 

5

 

 


In cases where the inputs used to measure fair value fall in different levels of the fair value hierarchy, the level disclosed is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

At September 30, 2012, the hierarchy of inputs used in valuing the Fund’s investments and open derivative instruments, which are carried at value, were as follows:

 

Asset Description    Level 1     Level 2     Level 3      Total  

Tax-Exempt Municipal Securities

   $      $     176,440,912      $       $     176,440,912   

Call Options Purchased

     17,046        6,376                23,422   

Put Options Purchased

     130,595        101,720                232,315   

Short-Term Investments

            25,473,649                25,473,649   

Total

   $ 147,641      $ 202,022,657      $       $ 202,170,298   
Liability Description                              

Call Options Written

   $ (229,579   $ (359,917   $       $ (589,496

Put Options Written

     (469,743     (542,343             (1,012,086

Total

   $     (699,322   $ (902,260   $     —       $ (1,601,582

The Fund held no investments or other financial instruments as of December 31, 2011 whose fair value was determined using Level 3 inputs. At September 30, 2012, there were no investments transferred between Level 1 and Level 2 during the fiscal year to date then ended.

For information on the Fund’s policy regarding the valuation of investments and other significant accounting policies, please refer to the Fund’s most recent financial statements included in its semiannual or annual report to shareholders.

 

6

 

 


Item 2. Controls and Procedures

(a) It is the conclusion of the registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer that the effectiveness of the registrant’s current disclosure controls and procedures (such disclosure controls and procedures having been evaluated within 90 days of the date of this filing) provide reasonable assurance that the information required to be disclosed by the registrant on this Form N-Q has been recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time period specified in the Commission’s rules and forms and that the information required to be disclosed by the registrant on this Form N-Q has been accumulated and communicated to the registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer in order to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

(b) There have been no changes in the registrant’s internal controls over financial reporting during the fiscal quarter for which the report is being filed that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.


Signatures

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

 

By:   /s/ Payson F. Swaffield
  Payson F. Swaffield
  President
Date:   November 26, 2012

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

By:   /s/ Payson F. Swaffield
  Payson F. Swaffield
  President
Date:   November 26, 2012

 

By:   /s/ Barbara E. Campbell
  Barbara E. Campbell
  Treasurer
Date:   November 26, 2012