Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Bond & Option Strategies Fund

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

Form N-CSR

 

 

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED

MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Investment Company Act File Number: 811-22380

 

 

Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

 

Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 

 

Maureen A. Gemma

Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110

(Name and Address of Agent for Services)

 

 

(617) 482-8260

(Registrant’s Telephone Number)

December 31

Date of Fiscal Year End

June 30, 2015

Date of Reporting Period

 

 

 


Item 1. Reports to Stockholders


LOGO

 

 

Eaton Vance

Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund (EXD)

Semiannual Report

June 30, 2015

 

 

 

 

LOGO


 

Commodity Futures Trading Commission Registration. Effective December 31, 2012, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) adopted certain regulatory changes that subject registered investment companies and advisers to regulation by the CFTC if a fund invests more than a prescribed level of its assets in certain CFTC-regulated instruments (including futures, certain options and swap agreements) or markets itself as providing investment exposure to such instruments. The Fund has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under the Commodity Exchange Act. Accordingly, neither the Fund nor the adviser with respect to the operation of the Fund is subject to CFTC regulation. Because of its management of other strategies, the Fund’s adviser is registered with the CFTC as a commodity pool operator and a commodity trading advisor.

Managed Distribution Plan. Pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (Order), the Fund is authorized to distribute long-term capital gains to shareholders more frequently than once per year. Pursuant to the Order, the Fund’s Board of Trustees approved a Managed Distribution Plan (MDP) pursuant to which the Fund makes quarterly cash distributions to common shareholders, stated in terms of a fixed amount per common share.

The Fund currently distributes quarterly cash distributions equal to $0.290 per share in accordance with the MDP. You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund’s investment performance from the amount of these distributions or from the terms of the MDP. The MDP will be subject to regular periodic review by the Fund’s Board of Trustees and the Board may amend or terminate the MDP at any time without prior notice to Fund shareholders. However, at this time there are no reasonably foreseeable circumstances that might cause the termination of the MDP.

The Fund may distribute more than its net investment income and net realized capital gains and, therefore, a distribution may include a return of capital. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund’s investment performance and should not be confused with “yield” or “income.” With each distribution, the Fund will issue a notice to shareholders and a press release containing information about the amount and sources of the distribution and other related information. The amounts and sources of distributions contained in the notice and press release are only estimates and are not provided for tax purposes. The amounts and sources of the Fund’s distributions for tax purposes will be reported to shareholders on Form 1099-DIV for each calendar year.

Fund shares are not insured by the FDIC and are not deposits or other obligations of, or guaranteed by, any depository institution. Shares are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of principal invested.


Semiannual Report June 30, 2015

Eaton Vance

Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

Table of Contents

Performance

     2   

Fund Profile

     2   

Endnotes and Additional Disclosures

     3   

Financial Statements

     4   

Annual Meeting of Shareholders

     16   

Board of Trustees’ Contract Approval

     17   

Officers and Trustees

     20   

Important Notices

     21   


Eaton Vance

Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

June 30, 2015

 

Performance1

 

Portfolio Managers Ken Everding, Ph.D. and Jonathan Orseck, each of Parametric Risk Advisors, LLC; James H. Evans, CFA

 

% Average Annual Total Returns    Inception Date      Six Months      One Year      Five Years     

Since

Inception

 

Fund at NAV

     06/29/2010         7.35      5.65      4.60      4.60

Fund at Market Price

             6.28         2.23         1.14         2.07   

BofA Merrill Lynch 3-Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index

             0.01      0.02      0.08      0.08
              
% Premium/Discount to NAV2                                        
                 –11.52
              
Distributions3                                        

Total Distributions per share for the period

               $ 0.580   

Distribution Rate at NAV

                 7.96

Distribution Rate at Market Price

                 8.99

Fund Profile

 

 

Credit Quality (% of bond holdings)4    

 

LOGO

    

 

 

See Endnotes and Additional Disclosures in this report.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value (NAV) or market price (as applicable) with all distributions reinvested and includes management fees and other expenses. Fund performance at market price will differ from its results at NAV due to factors such as changing perceptions about the Fund, market conditions, fluctuations in supply and demand for Fund shares, or changes in Fund distributions. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance less than one year is cumulative. Performance is for the stated time period only; due to market volatility, current Fund performance may be lower or higher than the quoted return. For performance as of the most recent month-end, please refer to eatonvance.com.

 

  2  


Eaton Vance

Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

June 30, 2015

 

Endnotes and Additional Disclosures

 

 

1 

BofA Merrill Lynch 3-Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index is an unmanaged index of U.S. Treasury securities maturing in 90 days. BofA Merrill Lynch® indices not for redistribution or other uses; provided “as is”, without warranties, and with no liability. Eaton Vance has prepared this report, BofAML does not endorse it, or guarantee, review, or endorse Eaton Vance’s products. Unless otherwise stated, index returns do not reflect the effect of any applicable sales charges, commissions, expenses, taxes or leverage, as applicable. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Performance since inception for an index, if presented, is the performance since the Fund’s or oldest share class’ inception, as applicable.

 

2 

The shares of the Fund often trade at a discount or premium from their net asset value. The discount or premium of the Fund may vary over time and may be higher or lower than what is quoted in this report. For up-to-date premium/discount information, please refer to http://eatonvance.com/closedend.

 

3 

The Distribution Rate is based on the Fund’s last regular distribution per share in the period (annualized) divided by the Fund’s NAV or market price at the end of the period. The Fund’s distributions may be comprised of amounts characterized for federal income tax purposes as qualified and non-qualified ordinary dividends, capital gains and nondividend distributions, also known as return of capital. For additional information about nondividend distributions, please refer to Eaton Vance Closed-End Fund Distribution Notices (19a) posted on our website, eatonvance.com. The Fund will determine the federal income tax character of distributions paid to a shareholder after the end of the calendar year. This is reported on the IRS form 1099-DIV and provided to the shareholder shortly after each year-end. For information about the tax character of distributions made in prior calendar years, please refer to Performance-Tax Character of Distributions on the Fund’s webpage available at eatonvance.com. In recent years, a significant portion of the Fund’s distributions has been characterized as a return of capital. The Fund’s distributions are determined by the investment adviser based on its current assessment of the Fund’s long-term return potential. As portfolio and market conditions change, the rate of distributions paid by the Fund could change.

4 

Ratings are based on Moody’s, S&P or Fitch, as applicable. If securities are rated differently by the ratings agencies, the higher rating is applied. Ratings, which are subject to change, apply to the creditworthiness of the issuers of the underlying securities and not to the Fund or its shares. Credit ratings measure the quality of a bond based on the issuer’s creditworthiness, with ratings ranging from AAA, being the highest, to D, being the lowest based on S&P’s measures. Ratings of BBB or higher by S&P or Fitch (Baa or higher by Moody’s) are considered to be investment-grade quality. Credit ratings are based largely on the ratings agency’s analysis at the time of rating. The rating assigned to any particular security is not necessarily a reflection of the issuer’s current financial condition and does not necessarily reflect its assessment of the volatility of a security’s market value or of the liquidity of an investment in the security. Holdings designated as “Not Rated” are not rated by the national ratings agencies stated above.

 

   Fund profile subject to change due to active management.
 

 

  3  


Eaton Vance

Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

June 30, 2015

 

Portfolio of Investments (Unaudited)

 

 

Tax-Exempt Municipal Securities — 87.3%   
   
Security   Principal
Amount
(000’s omitted)
    Value  

Bond Bank — 2.4%

               

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

  $ 2,515      $ 2,708,479   

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

    705        816,277   
                 
    $ 3,524,756   
                 

Education — 5.5%

               

Alabama Public School and College Authority, 5.00%, 5/1/20

  $ 1,795      $ 2,083,977   

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

    2,000        2,359,020   

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

    1,000        1,184,770   

University of Virginia, 5.00%, 8/1/21

    2,000        2,389,100   
                 
    $ 8,016,867   
                 

Electric Utilities — 4.9%

               

California Department of Water Resources, Power Supply Revenue, 5.00%, 5/1/22

  $ 5,000      $ 6,007,100   

North Carolina Municipal Power Agency No. 1, (Catawba Electric), 5.00%, 1/1/20

    1,000        1,146,670   
                 
    $ 7,153,770   
                 

Escrowed/Prerefunded — 3.9%

               

Maryland, Prerefunded to 8/1/19, 5.00%, 8/1/20

  $ 5,000      $ 5,746,300   
                 
    $ 5,746,300   
                 

General Obligations — 43.6%

               

Arkansas, 5.00%, 6/15/21

  $ 5,000      $ 5,922,750   

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

    5,370        6,114,980   

Bedford, MA, 4.00%, 8/15/16

    1,380        1,435,021   

Birdville, TX, Independent School District, (PSF Guaranteed), 0.00%, 2/15/19

    635        597,135   

Carrollton, TX, 3.00%, 8/15/15

    100        100,353   

Florida Board of Education, Full Faith and Credit, Capital Outlay, 5.00%, 6/1/17

    2,010        2,176,830   

Florida Board of Education, Full Faith and Credit, Capital Outlay, 5.00%, 6/1/22

    3,050        3,542,056   

Georgia, 5.00%, 7/1/17

    600        651,978   

Georgia, 5.00%, 7/1/19

    3,070        3,531,083   

Hopkinton, MA, 4.00%, 7/15/16

    240        248,666   

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

    315        276,101   

Maryland, 5.00%, 3/1/22

    2,000        2,393,160   

Massachusetts, 5.50%, 10/1/15

    400        405,448   
Security   Principal
Amount
(000’s omitted)
    Value  

General Obligations (continued)

               

New Hampshire, 5.00%, 12/1/23

  $ 3,050      $ 3,715,876   

Pennsylvania Economic Development Financing Authority, (Unemployment Compensation Revenue), 5.00%, 7/1/18

    5,000        5,598,050   

Pennsylvania Economic Development Financing Authority, (Unemployment Compensation Revenue), 5.00%, 1/1/20

    875        997,570   

Richardson, TX, 5.00%, 2/15/18

    2,890        3,195,502   

SCAGO Educational Facilities Corp. for Pickens School District, SC, 5.00%, 12/1/22

    2,150        2,513,329   

St. Tammany Parish Wide School District No. 12, LA, 4.00%, 3/1/21

    1,070        1,190,653   

Texas Public Finance Authority, 5.00%, 10/1/20

    2,500        2,938,250   

Utah, Series 2011A, 5.00%, 7/1/19

    3,300        3,797,046   

Washington, 5.00%, 8/1/21

    5,000        5,916,800   

Washington Suburban Sanitary District, MD, (Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties), 5.00%, 6/1/20

    2,500        2,929,625   

Wisconsin, 5.00%, 5/1/20

    2,255        2,626,060   

Wisconsin, 5.00%, 5/1/21

    1,000        1,178,970   
                 
    $ 63,993,292   
                 

Hospital — 6.2%

               

Allen County, OH, Hospital Facilities, (Catholic Health Partners), 5.00%, 9/1/20(1)

  $ 6,500      $ 7,413,965   

Middlesex County, NJ, 2.00%, 6/1/21

    1,730        1,738,615   
                 
    $ 9,152,580   
                 

Lease Revenue/Certificates of Participation — 4.3%

  

California Public Works Board, 5.00%, 9/1/20

  $ 4,470      $ 5,227,486   

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

    500        524,615   

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

    500        573,020   
                 
    $ 6,325,121   
                 

Other Revenue — 2.1%

               

Texas Public Finance Authority, (Unemployment Compensation), 4.00%, 1/1/18

  $ 3,000      $ 3,108,450   
                 
    $ 3,108,450   
                 

Special Tax Revenue — 0.9%

               

New York Urban Development Corp., Personal Income Tax Revenue, 5.00%, 3/15/19

  $ 1,160      $ 1,316,438   
                 
    $ 1,316,438   
                 
 

 

  4   See Notes to Financial Statements.


Eaton Vance

Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

June 30, 2015

 

Portfolio of Investments (Unaudited) — continued

 

 

Security   Principal
Amount
(000’s omitted)
    Value  

Transportation — 8.7%

               

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

  $ 1,350      $ 1,624,995   

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

    10,000        11,094,900   
                 
    $ 12,719,895   
                 

Water and Sewer — 4.8%

               

Honolulu City and County, HI, Wastewater System Revenue, 5.00%, 7/1/22

  $ 2,985      $ 3,368,573   

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

    1,860        1,988,135   

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

    1,415        1,669,092   
                 
    $ 7,025,800   
                 

Total Tax-Exempt Municipal Securities — 87.3%
(identified cost $124,849,527)

   

  $ 128,083,269   
                 
Taxable Municipal Securities — 11.6%   
   
Security   Principal
Amount
(000’s omitted)
    Value  

Education — 5.2%

               

University of California, 3.154%, 5/15/21

  $ 2,395      $ 2,520,234   

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 0.759%, 12/1/16

    1,255        1,257,108   

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1.317%, 12/1/17

    625        632,419   

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1.798%, 12/1/18

    1,540        1,573,264   

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2.098%, 12/1/19

    1,135        1,151,628   

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2.355%, 12/1/20

    500        507,735   
                 
    $ 7,642,388   
                 

General Obligations — 5.4%

               

Los Angeles, CA, Community College District, 1.758%, 8/1/18

  $ 1,940      $ 1,970,012   

Olentangy, OH, Local School District, Series A, 5.00%, 12/1/18

    1,000        1,120,660   

Olentangy, OH, Local School District, Series A, 5.00%, 12/1/19

    1,200        1,359,588   

Texas, 1.666%, 10/1/18

    3,500        3,546,200   
                 
    $ 7,996,460   
                 

Transportation — 1.0%

               

Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, 1.40%, 12/1/18

  $ 1,425      $ 1,413,415   
                 
    $ 1,413,415   
                 

Total Taxable Municipal Securities — 11.6%
(identified cost $16,818,376)

   

  $ 17,052,263   
                 
Call Options Purchased — 0.0%(2)     
       
Description   Number of
Contracts
    Strike
Price
    Expiration
Date
    Value  

S&P 500 Index

    116      $ 2,262        7/1/15      $ 0   

S&P 500 Index

    117        2,240        7/2/15        293   

S&P 500 Index

    117        2,235        7/10/15        293   

S&P 500 Index

    116        2,260        7/17/15        870   

S&P 500 Index

    115        2,255        7/24/15        1,437   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    117        2,235        7/6/15        1   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    117        2,240        7/8/15        6   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    118        2,235        7/13/15        114   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    117        2,240        7/15/15        192   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    113        2,260        7/20/15        391   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    114        2,260        7/22/15        606   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    117        2,225        7/27/15        3,282   
                                 

Total Call Options Purchased
(identified cost $28,695)

   

  $ 7,485   
                                 
Put Options Purchased — 0.3%   
       
Description   Number of
Contracts
    Strike
Price
    Expiration
Date
    Value  

S&P 500 Index

    116      $ 1,915        7/1/15      $ 0   

S&P 500 Index

    117        1,880        7/2/15        1,755   

S&P 500 Index

    117        1,900        7/10/15        28,080   

S&P 500 Index

    116        1,925        7/17/15        62,060   

S&P 500 Index

    115        1,905        7/24/15        71,300   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    117        1,885        7/6/15        1,743   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    117        1,900        7/8/15        6,554   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    118        1,885        7/13/15        14,723   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    117        1,895        7/15/15        23,563   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    113        1,930        7/20/15        62,843   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    114        1,925        7/22/15        68,992   

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    117        1,850        7/27/15        42,728   
                                 

Total Put Options Purchased
(identified cost $323,505)

   

  $ 384,341   
                                 
Short-Term Investments — 1.0%   
   
Description   Interest
(000’s omitted)
    Value  

Eaton Vance Cash Reserves Fund, LLC, 0.18%(3)

  $ 1,505      $ 1,505,271   
                 

Total Short-Term Investments — 1.0%
(identified cost $1,505,271)

    $ 1,505,271   
                 

Total Investments — 100.2%
(identified cost $143,525,374)

    $ 147,032,629   
                 
 

 

  5   See Notes to Financial Statements.


Eaton Vance

Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

June 30, 2015

 

Portfolio of Investments (Unaudited) — continued

 

 

Call Options Written — (0.2)%     
       
Description   Number of
Contracts
    Strike
Price
    Expiration
Date
    Value  

S&P 500 Index

    116      $ 2,157        7/1/15      $ 0   

S&P 500 Index

    117        2,135        7/2/15        (1,462

S&P 500 Index

    117        2,135        7/10/15        (10,822

S&P 500 Index

    116        2,155        7/17/15        (7,830

S&P 500 Index

    115        2,150        7/24/15        (18,688

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    117        2,135        7/6/15        (3,678

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    117        2,140        7/8/15        (5,245

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    118        2,135        7/13/15        (20,248

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    117        2,140        7/15/15        (20,371

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    113        2,155        7/20/15        (17,068

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    114        2,155        7/22/15        (20,930

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    117        2,125        7/27/15        (89,772
                                 

Total Call Options Written — (0.2)%
(premiums received $1,119,551)

   

  $ (216,114
                                 
Put Options Written — (1.0)%     
       
Description   Number of
Contracts
    Strike
Price
    Expiration
Date
    Value  

S&P 500 Index

    116      $ 2,020        7/1/15      $ (2,072

S&P 500 Index

    117        1,985        7/2/15        (7,897

S&P 500 Index

    117        2,000        7/10/15        (119,340

S&P 500 Index

    116        2,030        7/17/15        (241,280

S&P 500 Index

    115        2,010        7/24/15        (229,425

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    117        1,985        7/6/15        (27,576

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    117        2,000        7/8/15        (60,339

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    118        1,985        7/13/15        (80,163

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    117        1,995        7/15/15        (109,171

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    113        2,035        7/20/15        (239,307

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    114        2,030        7/22/15        (241,995

S&P 500 Index FLEX

    117        1,950        7/27/15        (123,674

Total Put Options Written — (1.0)%
(premiums received $1,048,405)

   

  $ (1,482,239
                                 

Other Assets, Less Liabilities — 1.0%

  

  $ 1,474,720   
                                 

Net Assets — 100.0%

  

  $ 146,808,996   
                                 

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

 

FLEX     FLexible EXchange traded option, representing a customized option contract with negotiated contract terms.
PSF     Permanent School Fund

 

At June 30, 2015, the concentration of the Fund’s investments in the various states, determined as a percentage of net assets, is as follows:

 

California      10.7%   
New York      10.2%   
Others, representing less than 10% individually      78.0%   

 

(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 June 30, 2015.

 

 

  6   See Notes to Financial Statements.


Eaton Vance

Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

June 30, 2015

 

Statement of Assets and Liabilities (Unaudited)

 

 

Assets   June 30, 2015  

Unaffiliated investments, at value (identified cost, $142,020,103)

  $ 145,527,358   

Affiliated investment, at value (identified cost, $1,505,271)

    1,505,271   

Interest receivable

    1,668,409   

Interest receivable from affiliated investment

    617   

Receivable for premiums on written options

    210,268   

Total assets

  $ 148,911,923   
Liabilities        

Written options outstanding, at value (premiums received, $2,167,956)

  $ 1,698,353   

Due to custodian

    210,268   

Payable to affiliates:

 

Investment adviser and administration fee

    152,119   

Trustees’ fees

    1,908   

Accrued expenses

    40,279   

Total liabilities

  $ 2,102,927   

Net Assets

  $ 146,808,996   
Sources of Net Assets        

Common shares, $0.01 par value, unlimited number of shares authorized

  $ 100,668   

Additional paid-in capital

    151,218,688   

Accumulated net realized gain

    604,099   

Accumulated distributions in excess of net investment income

    (9,091,317

Net unrealized appreciation

    3,976,858   

Net Assets

  $ 146,808,996   
Common Shares Outstanding     10,066,786   
Net Asset Value        

Net assets ÷ common shares issued and outstanding

  $ 14.58   

 

  7   See Notes to Financial Statements.


Eaton Vance

Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

June 30, 2015

 

Statement of Operations (Unaudited)

 

 

Investment Income   Six Months Ended
June 30, 2015
 

Interest

  $ 1,538,006   

Interest income allocated from affiliated investment

    6,489   

Expenses allocated from affiliated investment

    (558

Total investment income

  $ 1,543,937   
Expenses        

Investment adviser and administration fee

  $ 927,269   

Trustees’ fees and expenses

    3,808   

Custodian fee

    58,379   

Transfer and dividend disbursing agent fees

    9,234   

Legal and accounting services

    29,363   

Printing and postage

    16,773   

Miscellaneous

    17,119   

Total expenses

  $ 1,061,945   

Deduct —

 

Reduction of custodian fee

  $ 2   

Total expense reductions

  $ 2   

Net expenses

  $ 1,061,943   

Net investment income

  $ 481,994   
Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss)        

Net realized gain (loss) —

 

Investment transactions

  $ (2,045,166

Investment transactions allocated from affiliated investment

    2   

Written options

    12,210,088   

Net realized gain

  $ 10,164,924   

Change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) —

 

Investments

  $ (1,175,818

Written options

    (95,588

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

  $ (1,271,406

Net realized and unrealized gain

  $ 8,893,518   

Net increase in net assets from operations

  $ 9,375,512   

 

  8   See Notes to Financial Statements.


Eaton Vance

Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

June 30, 2015

 

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

 

Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets   Six Months Ended
June 30, 2015
(Unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31, 2014
 

From operations —

   

Net investment income

  $ 481,994      $ 920,619   

Net realized gain (loss) from investment transactions and written options

    10,164,924        (535,901

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) from investments and written options

    (1,271,406     2,575,306   

Net increase in net assets from operations

  $ 9,375,512      $ 2,960,024   

Distributions to common shareholders —

   

From net investment income

  $ (5,934,436 )*    $ (921,107

Tax return of capital

           (13,753,393

Total distributions to common shareholders

  $ (5,934,436   $ (14,674,500

Capital share transactions —

   

Cost of shares repurchased (see Note 5)

  $ (4,266,801   $ (2,321,821

Net decrease in net assets from capital share transactions

  $ (4,266,801   $ (2,321,821

Net decrease in net assets

  $ (825,725   $ (14,036,297
Net Assets                

At beginning of period

  $ 147,634,721      $ 161,671,018   

At end of period

  $ 146,808,996      $ 147,634,721   
Accumulated distributions in excess of net investment income
included in net assets
               

At end of period

  $ (9,091,317   $ (3,638,875

 

* A portion of the distributions may be deemed a tax return of capital at year-end. See Note 2.

 

  9   See Notes to Financial Statements.


Eaton Vance

Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

June 30, 2015

 

Financial Highlights

 

 

     Six Months Ended
June 30, 2015
(Unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2014
    Year Ended
December 31,
2013
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
    Period Ended
December 31,
2011
    Year Ended
December 31,
2010(1)
 

Net asset value—Beginning of period

  $ 14.200      $ 15.300      $ 18.290      $ 18.430      $ 17.890      $ 19.100 (2) 
Income (Loss) From Operations                                                

Net investment income(3)

  $ 0.047      $ 0.088      $ 0.073      $ 0.038      $ 0.060      $ 0.016   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

    0.860        0.184        (1.363     1.522        2.180        (0.336

Total income (loss) from operations

  $ 0.907      $ 0.272      $ (1.290   $ 1.560      $ 2.240      $ (0.320
Less Distributions                                                

From net investment income

  $ (0.580 )*    $ (0.088   $ (0.074   $ (0.037   $ (0.060   $ (0.671

From net realized gain

                         (1.525     (0.898     (0.179

Tax return of capital

           (1.312     (1.626     (0.138     (0.742       

Total distributions

  $ (0.580   $ (1.400   $ (1.700   $ (1.700   $ (1.700   $ (0.850

Anti-dilutive effect of share repurchase program (see Note 5)(3)

  $ 0.053      $ 0.028      $      $      $      $   

Offering costs charged to paid-in capital(3)

  $      $      $      $      $      $ (0.040

Net asset value — End of period

  $ 14.580      $ 14.200      $ 15.300      $ 18.290      $ 18.430      $ 17.890   

Market value — End of period

  $ 12.900      $ 12.690      $ 14.200      $ 17.670      $ 16.550      $ 16.730   

Total Investment Return on Net Asset Value(4)

    7.35 %(5)      2.67     (6.81 )%      9.23     13.69     (1.86 )%(5)(6)(7) 

Total Investment Return on Market Value(4)

    6.28 %(5)      (1.14 )%      (10.47 )%      17.45     9.23     (8.22 )%(5)(6)(7) 
Ratios/Supplemental Data                                                

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

  $ 146,809      $ 147,635      $ 161,671      $ 193,069      $ 194,508      $ 188,852   

Ratios (as a percentage of average daily net assets):

           

Expenses(8)

    1.43 %(9)      1.42     1.43     1.42     1.43     1.44 %(9) 

Net investment income

    0.65 %(9)      0.58     0.44     0.21     0.33     0.17 %(9) 

Portfolio Turnover

    17 %(5)      52     51     14     59     11 %(5) 

 

(1) 

For the period from the start of business, June 29, 2010, to December 31, 2010.

 

(2) 

Net asset value at beginning of period reflects the deduction of the sales load of $0.90 per share paid by the shareholder from the $20.00 offering price.

 

(3) 

Computed using average shares outstanding.

 

(4) 

Returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in net asset value or market value with all distributions reinvested. Distributions are assumed to be reinvested at prices obtained under the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan.

 

(5) 

Not annualized.

 

(6) 

Included in the calculation is a distribution that was declared prior to the end of the period and paid in January 2011, which was assumed to be reinvested at the price obtained on or after the payable date pursuant to the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan.

 

(7) 

Total investment return on net asset value is calculated assuming a purchase at the offering price of $20.00 less the sales load of $0.90 per share paid by the shareholder on the first day and a sale at the net asset value on the last day of the period reported. Total investment return on market value is calculated assuming a purchase at the offering price of $20.00 less the sales load of $0.90 per share paid by the shareholder on the first day and a sale at the current market price on the last day of the period reported.

 

(8) 

Excludes the effect of custody fee credits, if any, of less than 0.005%.

 

(9) 

Annualized.

 

* A portion of the distributions may be deemed a tax return of capital at year-end. See Note 2.

 

  10   See Notes to Financial Statements.


Eaton Vance

Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

June 30, 2015

 

Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited)

 

 

1  Significant Accounting Policies

Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund (the Fund) is a Massachusetts business trust registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), as a diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund’s investment objective is to provide tax-advantaged current income and gains.

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies of the Fund. The policies are in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP). The Fund is an investment company and follows accounting and reporting guidance in the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946.

A Investment Valuation — The following methodologies are used to determine the market value or fair value of investments.

Debt Obligations. Debt obligations (including short-term obligations with a remaining maturity of more than sixty days) are generally valued on the basis of valuations provided by third party pricing services, as derived from such services’ pricing models. Inputs to the models may include, but are not limited to, reported trades, executable bid and asked prices, broker/dealer quotations, prices or yields of securities with similar characteristics, interest rates, anticipated prepayments, benchmark curves or information pertaining to the issuer, as well as industry and economic events. The pricing services may use a matrix approach, which considers information regarding securities with similar characteristics to determine the valuation for a security. Short-term obligations purchased with a remaining maturity of sixty days or less are generally valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value.

Derivatives. Exchange-traded options (other than FLexible EXchange traded options) are valued at the mean between the bid and asked prices at valuation time as reported by the Options Price Reporting Authority for U.S. listed options or by the relevant exchange or board of trade for non-U.S. listed options. Over-the-counter options and FLexible EXchange traded options traded at the Chicago Board Options Exchange are valued by a third party pricing service using techniques that consider factors including the value of the underlying instrument, the volatility of the underlying instrument and the period of time until option expiration.

Affiliated Fund. The Fund may invest in Eaton Vance Cash Reserves Fund, LLC (Cash Reserves Fund), an affiliated investment company managed by Eaton Vance Management (EVM). The value of the Fund’s investment in Cash Reserves Fund reflects the Fund’s proportionate interest in its net assets. Cash Reserves Fund generally values its investment securities utilizing the amortized cost valuation technique in accordance with Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act. This technique involves initially valuing a portfolio security at its cost and thereafter assuming a constant amortization to maturity of any discount or premium. If amortized cost is determined not to approximate fair value, Cash Reserves Fund may value its investment securities in the same manner as debt obligations described above.

Fair Valuation. Investments for which valuations or market quotations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable are valued at fair value using methods determined in good faith by or at the direction of the Trustees of the Fund in a manner that fairly reflects the security’s value, or the amount that the Fund might reasonably expect to receive for the security upon its current sale in the ordinary course. Each such determination is based on a consideration of relevant factors, which are likely to vary from one pricing context to another. These factors may include, but are not limited to, the type of security, the existence of any contractual restrictions on the security’s disposition, the price and extent of public trading in similar securities of the issuer or of comparable companies or entities, quotations or relevant information obtained from broker/dealers or other market participants, information obtained from the issuer, analysts, and/or the appropriate stock exchange (for exchange-traded securities), an analysis of the company’s or entity’s financial condition, and an evaluation of the forces that influence the issuer and the market(s) in which the security is purchased and sold.

B Investment Transactions — Investment transactions for financial statement purposes are accounted for on a trade date basis. Realized gains and losses on investments sold are determined on the basis of identified cost.

C Income — Interest income is recorded on the basis of interest accrued, adjusted for amortization of premium or accretion of discount.

D Federal Taxes — The Fund’s policy is to comply with the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute to shareholders each year substantially all of its net investment income, and all or substantially all of its net realized capital gains. Accordingly, no provision for federal income or excise tax is necessary. The Fund intends to satisfy conditions which will enable it to designate distributions from the interest income generated by its investments in non-taxable municipal securities, which are exempt from regular federal income tax when received by the Fund, as exempt-interest dividends. The portion of such interest, if any, earned on private activity bonds issued after August 7, 1986, may be considered a tax preference item to shareholders.

As of June 30, 2015, the Fund had no uncertain tax positions that would require financial statement recognition, de-recognition, or disclosure. The Fund files a U.S. federal income tax return annually after its fiscal year-end, which is subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a period of three years from the date of filing.

E Expense Reduction — State Street Bank and Trust Company (SSBT) serves as custodian of the Fund. Pursuant to the custodian agreement, SSBT receives a fee reduced by credits, which are determined based on the average daily cash balance the Fund maintains with SSBT. All credit balances, if any, used to reduce the Fund’s custodian fees are reported as a reduction of expenses in the Statement of Operations.

 

  11  


Eaton Vance

Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

June 30, 2015

 

Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited) — continued

 

 

F Legal Fees — Legal fees and other related expenses incurred as part of negotiations of the terms and requirement of capital infusions, or that are expected to result in the restructuring of, or a plan of reorganization for, an investment are recorded as realized losses. Ongoing expenditures to protect or enhance an investment are treated as operating expenses.

G Use of Estimates — The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of income and expense during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

H Indemnifications — Under the Fund’s organizational documents, its officers and Trustees may be indemnified against certain liabilities and expenses arising out of the performance of their duties to the Fund. Under Massachusetts law, if certain conditions prevail, shareholders of a Massachusetts business trust (such as the Fund) could be deemed to have personal liability for the obligations of the Fund. However, the Fund’s Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of liability on the part of Fund shareholders and the By-laws provide that the Fund shall assume the defense on behalf of any Fund shareholders. Moreover, the By-laws also provide for indemnification out of Fund property of any shareholder held personally liable solely by reason of being or having been a shareholder for all loss or expense arising from such liability. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Fund enters into agreements with service providers that may contain indemnification clauses. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Fund that have not yet occurred.

I Written Options — Upon the writing of a call or a put option, the premium received by the Fund is included in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as a liability. The amount of the liability is subsequently marked-to-market to reflect the current market value of the option written, in accordance with the Fund’s policies on investment valuations discussed above. Premiums received from writing options which expire are treated as realized gains. Premiums received from writing options which are exercised or are closed are added to or offset against the proceeds or amount paid on the transaction to determine the realized gain or loss. When an index option is exercised, the Fund is required to deliver an amount of cash determined by the excess of the strike price of the option over the value of the index (in the case of a put) or the excess of the value of the index over the strike price of the option (in the case of a call) at contract termination. If a put option on a security is exercised, the premium reduces the cost basis of the securities purchased by the Fund. The Fund, as a writer of an option, may have no control over whether the underlying securities or other assets may be sold (call) or purchased (put) and, as a result, bears the market risk of an unfavorable change in the price of the securities or other assets underlying the written option. The Fund may also bear the risk of not being able to enter into a closing transaction if a liquid secondary market does not exist.

J Purchased Options — Upon the purchase of a call or put option, the premium paid by the Fund is included in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as an investment. The amount of the investment is subsequently marked-to-market to reflect the current market value of the option purchased, in accordance with the Fund’s policies on investment valuations discussed above. As the purchaser of an index option, the Fund has the right to receive a cash payment equal to any depreciation in the value of the index below the strike price of the option (in the case of a put) or equal to any appreciation in the value of the index over the strike price of the option (in the case of a call) as of the valuation date of the option. If an option which the Fund had purchased expires on the stipulated expiration date, the Fund will realize a loss in the amount of the cost of the option. If the Fund enters into a closing sale transaction, the Fund will realize a gain or loss, depending on whether the sales proceeds from the closing sale transaction are greater or less than the cost of the option. If the Fund exercises a put option on a security, it will realize a gain or loss from the sale of the underlying security, and the proceeds from such sale will be decreased by the premium originally paid. If the Fund exercises a call option on a security, the cost of the security which the Fund purchases upon exercise will be increased by the premium originally paid. The risk associated with purchasing options is limited to the premium originally paid.

K Interim Financial Statements — The interim financial statements relating to June 30, 2015 and for the six months then ended have not been audited by an independent registered public accounting firm, but in the opinion of the Fund’s management, reflect all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for the fair presentation of the financial statements.

2  Distributions to Shareholders and Income Tax Information

Subject to its Managed Distribution Plan, the Fund intends to make quarterly distributions from its net investment income, net capital gain (which is the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) and other sources. The Fund intends to distribute all or substantially all of its net realized capital gains. Distributions are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Distributions to shareholders are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. GAAP. As required by U.S. GAAP, only distributions in excess of tax basis earnings and profits are reported in the financial statements as a return of capital. Permanent differences between book and tax accounting relating to distributions are reclassified to paid-in capital. For tax purposes, distributions from short-term capital gains are considered to be from ordinary income. Distributions in any year may include a substantial return of capital component. For the six months ended June 30, 2015, the amount of distributions estimated to be a tax return of capital was approximately $4,757,000. The final determination of tax characteristics of the Fund’s distributions will occur at the end of the year, at which time it will be reported to the shareholders.

At December 31, 2014, the Fund, for federal income tax purposes, had deferred capital losses of $9,268,216, which will reduce its taxable income arising from future net realized gains on investment transactions, if any, to the extent permitted by the Internal Revenue Code, and thus will reduce the amount of distributions to shareholders, which would otherwise be necessary to relieve the Fund of any liability for federal income or excise tax. The deferred capital losses are treated as arising on the first day of the Fund’s next taxable year, and retain the same short-term or long-term character as when originally deferred. Of the deferred capital losses at December 31, 2014, $4,751,901 are short-term and $4,516,315 are long-term.

 

  12  


Eaton Vance

Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

June 30, 2015

 

Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited) — continued

 

 

The cost and unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments of the Fund at June 30, 2015, as determined on a federal income tax basis, were as follows:

 

Aggregate cost

  $ 142,986,209   

Gross unrealized appreciation

  $ 4,358,098   

Gross unrealized depreciation

    (311,678

Net unrealized appreciation

  $ 4,046,420   

3  Investment Adviser and Administration Fee and Other Transactions with Affiliates

The investment adviser and administration fee is earned by EVM as compensation for management, investment advisory and administrative services rendered to the Fund. The fee is computed at an annual rate of 1.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets up to and including $1.5 billion and at reduced rates on daily net assets over $1.5 billion, and is payable monthly. For the six months ended June 30, 2015, the investment adviser and administration fee amounted to $927,269 or 1.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. The Fund invests its cash in Cash Reserves Fund. EVM does not currently receive a fee for advisory services provided to Cash Reserves Fund. Pursuant to a sub-advisory agreement, EVM has delegated a portion of the investment management to Parametric Risk Advisors LLC (PRA), an indirect affiliate of EVM. EVM pays PRA a portion of its advisory and administration fee for sub-advisory services provided to the Fund.

Trustees and officers of the Fund who are members of EVM’s organization receive remuneration for their services to the Fund out of the investment adviser and administration fee. Trustees of the Fund who are not affiliated with EVM may elect to defer receipt of all or a percentage of their annual fees in accordance with the terms of the Trustees Deferred Compensation Plan. For the six months ended June 30, 2015, no significant amounts have been deferred. Certain officers and Trustees of the Fund are officers of EVM.

4  Purchases and Sales of Investments

Purchases and sales of investments, other than short-term obligations and including maturities, aggregated $24,122,898 and $25,635,653, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2015.

5  Common Shares of Beneficial Interest

The Fund may issue common shares pursuant to its dividend reinvestment plan. There were no common shares issued by the Fund for the six months ended June 30, 2015 and the year ended December 31, 2014.

On November 11, 2013, the Board of Trustees of the Fund authorized the repurchase by the Fund of up to 10% of its then currently outstanding common shares in open-market transactions at a discount to net asset value. The repurchase program does not obligate the Fund to purchase a specific amount of shares. During the six months ended June 30, 2015 and the year ended December 31, 2014, the Fund repurchased 330,000 and 170,000, respectively, of its common shares under the share repurchase program at a cost, including brokerage commissions, of $4,266,801 and $2,321,821, respectively, and an average price per share of $12.93 and $13.66, respectively. The weighted average discount per share to NAV on these repurchases amounted to 11.33% and 11.06% for the six months ended June 30, 2015 and the year ended December 31, 2014, respectively.

6  Financial Instruments

The Fund may trade in financial instruments with off-balance sheet risk in the normal course of its investing activities. These financial instruments may include written options and may involve, to a varying degree, elements of risk in excess of the amounts recognized for financial statement purposes. The notional or contractual amounts of these instruments represent the investment the Fund has in particular classes of financial instruments and do not necessarily represent the amounts potentially subject to risk. The measurement of the risks associated with these instruments is meaningful only when all related and offsetting transactions are considered. A summary of written options at June 30, 2015 is included in the Portfolio of Investments.

 

  13  


Eaton Vance

Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

June 30, 2015

 

Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited) — continued

 

 

Written options activity for the six months ended June 30, 2015 was as follows:

 

     Number of
Contracts
     Premiums
Received
 

Outstanding, beginning of period

    2,790       $ 2,314,180   

Options written

    18,264         15,049,347   

Options terminated in closing purchase transactions

    (1,106      (1,069,821

Options expired

    (17,160      (14,125,750

Outstanding, end of period

    2,788       $ 2,167,956   

At June 30, 2015, 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.

The fair value of open derivative instruments (not considered to be hedging instruments for accounting disclosure purposes) and whose primary underlying risk exposure is equity price risk at June 30, 2015 was as follows:

 

    Fair Value  
Derivative   Asset Derivative      Liability Derivative  

Purchased options

  $ 391,826 (1)     $   

Written options

            (1,698,353 )(2) 

Total

  $ 391,826       $ (1,698,353

 

(1) 

Statement of Assets and Liabilities location: Unaffiliated investments, at value.

 

(2) 

Statement of Assets and Liabilities location: Written options outstanding, at value.

The effect of derivative instruments (not considered to be hedging instruments for accounting disclosure purposes) on the Statement of Operations and whose primary underlying risk exposure is equity price risk for the six months ended June 30, 2015 was as follows:

 

Derivative   Realized Gain (Loss)
on Derivatives Recognized
in Income(1)
     Change in Unrealized
Appreciation (Depreciation) on
Derivatives Recognized in Income(2)
 

Purchased options

  $ (2,872,210    $ 309,782   

Written options

    12,210,088         (95,588

Total

  $ 9,337,878       $ 214,194   

 

(1) 

Statement of Operations location: Net realized gain (loss) — Investment transactions and Written options, respectively.

 

(2) 

Statement of Operations location: Change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) — Investments and Written options, respectively.

The average number of purchased options contracts outstanding during the six months ended June 30, 2015, which is indicative of the volume of this derivative type, was 2,804 contracts.

 

  14  


Eaton Vance

Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

June 30, 2015

 

Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited) — continued

 

 

7  Overdraft Advances

Pursuant to the custodian agreement, SSBT may, in its discretion, advance funds to the Fund to make properly authorized payments. When such payments result in an overdraft, the Fund is obligated to repay SSBT at the current rate of interest charged by SSBT for secured loans (currently, the Federal Funds rate plus 2%). This obligation is payable on demand to SSBT. SSBT has a lien on the Fund’s assets to the extent of any overdraft. At June 30, 2015, the Fund had an overdraft balance due to SSBT pursuant to the foregoing arrangement of $210,268. Based on the short-term nature of these payments and the variable interest rate, the carrying value of the overdraft advances approximated its fair value at June 30, 2015. If measured at fair value, overdraft advances would have been considered as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy (see Note 8) at June 30, 2015. The Fund’s average overdraft advances during the six months ended June 30, 2015 were not significant.

8  Fair Value Measurements

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)

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 June 30, 2015, 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

  $       $ 128,083,269       $         —       $ 128,083,269   

Taxable Municipal Securities

           17,052,263                17,052,263   

Call Options Purchased

    2,893         4,592                7,485   

Put Options Purchased

    163,195         221,146                384,341   

Short-Term Investments

           1,505,271                1,505,271   

Total Investments

  $ 166,088       $ 146,866,541       $       $ 147,032,629   

Liability Description

                                  

Call Options Written

  $ (38,802    $ (177,312    $       $ (216,114

Put Options Written

    (600,014      (882,225             (1,482,239

Total

  $ (638,816    $ (1,059,537    $       $ (1,698,353

The Fund held no investments or other financial instruments as of December 31, 2014 whose fair value was determined using Level 3 inputs. At June 30, 2015, there were no investments transferred between Level 1 and Level 2 during the six months then ended.

 

  15  


Eaton Vance

Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

June 30, 2015

 

Annual Meeting of Shareholders (Unaudited)

 

 

The Fund held its Annual Meeting of Shareholders on April 23, 2015. The following action was taken by the shareholders:

Item 1:  The election of George J. Gorman, William H. Park, Ronald A. Pearlman and Harriett Tee Taggart as Class II Trustees of the Fund for a three-year term expiring in 2018.

 

Nominee for Trustee
Elected by All Shareholders
  Number of Shares  
  For      Withheld  

George J. Gorman

    8,256,306         104,307   

William H. Park

    8,265,174         95,439   

Ronald A. Pearlman

    8,250,475         110,138   

Harriett Tee Taggart

    8,248,520         112,093   

 

  16  


Eaton Vance

Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

June 30, 2015

 

Board of Trustees’ Contract Approval

 

 

Overview of the Contract Review Process

The Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), provides, in substance, that each investment advisory agreement between a fund and its investment adviser will continue in effect from year to year only if its continuation is approved at least annually by the fund’s board of trustees, including by a vote of a majority of the trustees who are not “interested persons” of the fund (“Independent Trustees”), cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of considering such approval.

At a meeting of the Boards of Trustees (each a “Board”) of the registered investment companies advised, administered and/or distributed by Eaton Vance Management or its affiliates (the “Eaton Vance Funds”) held on April 27, 2015, the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, voted to approve continuation of existing investment advisory and sub-advisory agreements for the Eaton Vance Funds for an additional one-year period. In voting its approval, the Board relied upon the affirmative recommendation of its Contract Review Committee, which is a committee comprised exclusively of Independent Trustees. Prior to making its recommendation, the Contract Review Committee reviewed information furnished by each adviser to the Eaton Vance Funds (including information specifically requested by the Board) for a series of meetings of the Contract Review Committee held between February and April 2015. The Contract Review Committee also considered information received at prior meetings of the Board and its committees, as relevant to its annual evaluation of the investment advisory and sub-advisory agreements.

The information that the Board considered included, among other things, the following:

Information about Fees, Performance and Expenses

 

 

A report from an independent data provider comparing the advisory and related fees paid by each fund with fees paid by comparable funds as identified by the data provider (“comparable funds”);

 

 

A report from an independent data provider comparing each fund’s total expense ratio and its components to comparable funds;

 

 

A report from an independent data provider comparing the investment performance of each fund (including, where relevant, yield data, Sharpe ratios and information ratios) to the investment performance of comparable funds over various time periods;

 

 

Data regarding investment performance in comparison to benchmark indices and customized peer groups identified by the adviser in consultation with the Board;

 

 

For each fund, comparative information concerning the fees charged and the services provided by each adviser in managing other accounts (including mutual funds, other collective investment funds and institutional accounts) using investment strategies and techniques similar to those used in managing such fund;

 

 

Profitability analyses for each adviser with respect to each fund;

Information about Portfolio Management and Trading

 

 

Descriptions of the investment management services provided to each fund, including the investment strategies and processes it employs;

 

 

The procedures and processes used to determine the fair value of fund assets and actions taken to monitor and test the effectiveness of such procedures and processes;

 

 

Information about each adviser’s policies and practices with respect to trading, including each adviser’s processes for monitoring best execution of portfolio transactions;

 

 

Information about the allocation of brokerage transactions and the benefits received by each adviser as a result of brokerage allocation, including information concerning the acquisition of research through client commission arrangements and policies with respect to “soft dollars”;

 

 

Data relating to portfolio turnover rates of each fund;

 

Information about each Adviser

 

 

Reports detailing the financial results and condition of each adviser;

 

 

Descriptions of the qualifications, education and experience of the individual investment professionals whose responsibilities include portfolio management and investment research for the funds, and information relating to their compensation and responsibilities with respect to managing other mutual funds and investment accounts;

 

 

The Code of Ethics of each adviser and its affiliates, together with information relating to compliance with and the administration of such codes;

 

 

Policies and procedures relating to proxy voting and the handling of corporate actions and class actions;

 

 

Information concerning the resources devoted to compliance efforts undertaken by each adviser and its affiliates (including descriptions of various compliance programs) and their record of compliance;

 

 

Descriptions of the business continuity and disaster recovery plans of each adviser and its affiliates;

 

 

A description of Eaton Vance Management’s procedures for overseeing third party advisers and sub-advisers, including with respect to regulatory and compliance issues, investment management and other matters;

 

  17  


Eaton Vance

Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

June 30, 2015

 

Board of Trustees’ Contract Approval — continued

 

 

Other Relevant Information

 

 

Information concerning the nature, cost and character of the administrative and other non-investment management services provided by Eaton Vance Management and its affiliates;

 

 

Information concerning management of the relationship with the custodian, subcustodians and fund accountants by each adviser or the funds’ administrator; and

 

 

The terms of each investment advisory agreement.

Over the course of the twelve-month period ended April 30, 2015, with respect to one or more funds, the Board met nine times and the Contract Review Committee, the Audit Committee, the Governance Committee, the Portfolio Management Committee and the Compliance Reports and Regulatory Matters Committee, each of which is a Committee comprised solely of Independent Trustees, met eight, seventeen, seven, eleven and thirteen times, respectively. At such meetings, the Trustees participated in investment and performance reviews with the portfolio managers and other investment professionals of each adviser relating to each fund, and considered the investment and trading strategies used in pursuing each fund’s investment objective, including, where relevant, the use of derivative instruments, as well as processes for monitoring best execution of portfolio transactions and risk management techniques. The Board and its Committees also evaluated issues pertaining to industry and regulatory developments, compliance procedures, fund governance and other issues with respect to the funds, and received and participated in reports and presentations provided by Eaton Vance Management and other fund advisers with respect to such matters. In addition to the formal meetings of the Board and its Committees, the Independent Trustees hold regular teleconferences in between meetings to discuss, among other topics, matters relating to the continuation of investment advisory and sub-advisory agreements.

For funds that invest through one or more underlying portfolios, the Board considered similar information about the portfolio(s) when considering the approval of investment advisory agreements. In addition, in cases where the fund’s investment adviser has engaged a sub-adviser, the Board considered similar information about the sub-adviser when considering the approval of any sub-advisory agreement.

The Contract Review Committee was assisted throughout the contract review process by Goodwin Procter LLP, legal counsel for the Independent Trustees. The members of the Contract Review Committee relied upon the advice of such counsel and their own business judgment in determining the material factors to be considered in evaluating each investment advisory and sub-advisory agreement and the weight to be given to each such factor. The conclusions reached with respect to each investment advisory and sub-advisory agreement were based on a comprehensive evaluation of all the information provided and not any single factor. Moreover, each member of the Contract Review Committee may have placed varying emphasis on particular factors in reaching conclusions with respect to each investment advisory and sub-advisory agreement. In evaluating each investment advisory and sub-advisory agreement, including the specific fee structures and other terms of the agreements, the Contract Review Committee was informed by multiple years of analysis and discussion among the Independent Trustees and the Eaton Vance Funds’ advisers and sub-advisers.

Results of the Process

Based on its consideration of the foregoing, and such other information as it deemed relevant, including the factors and conclusions described below, the Contract Review Committee concluded that the continuation of the investment advisory and administrative agreement of Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund (the “Fund”) with Eaton Vance Management (the “Adviser”) and the sub-advisory agreement with Parametric Risk Advisors LLC (the “Sub-adviser”), an affiliate of the Adviser, including their fee structures, is in the interests of shareholders and, therefore, the Contract Review Committee recommended to the Board approval of each agreement. The Board accepted the recommendation of the Contract Review Committee as well as the factors considered and conclusions reached by the Contract Review Committee with respect to the agreements. Accordingly, the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, voted to approve continuation of the investment advisory and administrative agreement and the sub-advisory agreement for the Fund.

Nature, Extent and Quality of Services

In considering whether to approve the investment advisory and administrative agreement and the sub-advisory agreement of the Fund, the Board evaluated the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Fund by the Adviser and the Sub-adviser.

The Board considered the Adviser’s and the Sub-adviser’s management capabilities and investment process with respect to the types of investments held by the Fund, including the education, experience and number of its investment professionals and other personnel who provide portfolio management, investment research, and similar services to the Fund. With respect to the Adviser, the Board considered the Adviser’s responsibilities supervising the Sub-adviser and coordinating its activities in implementing the Fund’s investment strategy. In particular, the Board considered the abilities and experience of such investment personnel in analyzing factors such as tax efficiency and special considerations relevant to investing in municipal bonds, Treasury securities and other securities backed by the U.S. government or its agencies, as well as investing in stocks and selling call options on various indices, including the S&P 500 Index. With respect to the Sub-adviser, the Board considered the Sub-adviser’s abilities and experience in implementing the Fund’s option strategy. The Board also took into account the resources dedicated to portfolio management and other services, as well as the compensation methods of the Adviser and other factors, such as the reputation and resources of the Adviser to recruit and retain investment personnel. In addition, the

 

  18  


Eaton Vance

Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

June 30, 2015

 

Board of Trustees’ Contract Approval — continued

 

 

Board considered the time and attention devoted to the Fund by senior management, as well as the infrastructure, operational capabilities and support staff in place to assist in the management of the Fund, including the provision of administrative services.

The Board considered the compliance programs of the Adviser and relevant affiliates thereof, including the Sub-adviser. Among other matters, the Board considered compliance and reporting matters relating to personal trading by investment personnel, selective disclosure of portfolio holdings, late trading, frequent trading, portfolio valuation, business continuity and the allocation of investment opportunities. The Board also considered the responses of the Adviser and its affiliates to requests in recent years from regulatory authorities such as the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

The Board considered shareholder and other administrative services provided or managed by Eaton Vance Management and its affiliates, including transfer agency and accounting services. The Board evaluated the benefits to shareholders of investing in a fund that is a part of a large family of funds.

After consideration of the foregoing factors, among others, the Board concluded that the nature, extent and quality of services provided by the Adviser and the Sub-adviser, taken as a whole, are appropriate and consistent with the terms of the investment advisory and administrative agreement and the sub-advisory agreement.

Fund Performance

The Board compared the Fund’s investment performance to that of comparable funds and appropriate benchmark indices. The Board’s review included comparative performance data for the one- and three-year periods ended September 30, 2014 for the Fund. The Board noted that actions are being taken by the Adviser to address Fund performance and concluded that additional time is required to evaluate the effectiveness of such actions.

Management Fees and Expenses

The Board considered contractual fee rates payable by the Fund for advisory and administrative services (referred to collectively as “management fees”). As part of its review, the Board considered the Fund’s management fees and total expense ratio for the year ended September 30, 2014, as compared to those of comparable funds, before and after giving effect to any undertaking to waive fees or reimburse expenses. The Board considered certain Fund specific factors that had an impact on Fund expense ratios relative to comparable funds, as identified by management in response to inquiries from the Contract Review Committee. The Board also considered actions taken by management in recent years to reduce expenses at the fund complex level.

After considering the foregoing information, and in light of the nature, extent and quality of the services provided by the Adviser and the Sub-adviser, the Board concluded that the management fees charged for advisory and related services are reasonable.

Profitability

The Board considered the level of profits realized by the Adviser and relevant affiliates thereof, including the Sub-adviser, in providing investment advisory and administrative services to the Fund and to all Eaton Vance Funds as a group. The Board considered the level of profits realized without regard to revenue sharing or other payments by the Adviser and its affiliates to third parties in respect of distribution services. The Board also considered other direct or indirect benefits received by the Adviser and its affiliates, including the Sub-adviser, in connection with their relationships with the Fund, including the benefits of research services that may be available to the Adviser or the Sub-adviser as a result of securities transactions effected for the Fund and other investment advisory clients.

The Board concluded that, in light of the foregoing factors and the nature, extent and quality of the services rendered, the profits realized by the Adviser and its affiliates, including the Sub-adviser, are reasonable.

Economies of Scale

In reviewing management fees and profitability, the Board also considered the extent to which the Adviser and its affiliates, on the one hand, and the Fund, on the other hand, can expect to realize benefits from economies of scale as the assets of the Fund increase. The Board acknowledged the difficulty in accurately measuring the benefits resulting from the economies of scale with respect to the management of any specific fund or group of funds. The Board reviewed data summarizing the increases and decreases in the assets of the Fund and of all Eaton Vance Funds as a group over various time periods, and evaluated the extent to which the total expense ratio of the Fund and the profitability of the Adviser and its affiliates may have been affected by such increases or decreases. Based upon the foregoing, the Board concluded that the Fund currently shares in the benefits from economies of scale. The Board also concluded that, assuming reasonably foreseeable increases in the assets of the Fund, the structure of the advisory fee, which includes breakpoints at several asset levels, will allow the Fund to continue to benefit from economies of scale in the future.

 

  19  


Eaton Vance

Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

June 30, 2015

 

Officers and Trustees

 

 

Officers of Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

 

 

Payson F. Swaffield

President

Maureen A. Gemma

Vice President, Secretary

and Chief Legal Officer

James F. Kirchner

Treasurer

Paul M. O’Neil

Chief Compliance Officer

 

 

Trustees of Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Bond and Option Strategies Fund

 

 

Ralph F. Verni

Chairman

Scott E. Eston

Thomas E. Faust Jr.*

Cynthia E. Frost

George J. Gorman

Valerie A. Mosley

William H. Park

Helen Frame Peters

Susan J. Sutherland**

Harriett Tee Taggart

 

 

*

Interested Trustee

** Ms. Sutherland began serving as a Trustee effective May 1, 2015.

 

 

Number of Employees

The Fund is organized as a Massachusetts business trust and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as a closed-end management investment company and has no employees.

Number of Shareholders

As of June 30, 2015, Fund records indicate that there are 2 registered shareholders and approximately 4,533 shareholders owning the Fund shares in street name, such as through brokers, banks, and financial intermediaries.

If you are a street name shareholder and wish to receive Fund reports directly, which contain important information about the Fund, please write or call:

Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc.

Two International Place

Boston, MA 02110

1-800-262-1122

New York Stock Exchange symbol

The New York Stock Exchange symbol is EXD.

 

  20  


Eaton Vance Funds

 

IMPORTANT NOTICES

 

 

Privacy.  The Eaton Vance organization is committed to ensuring your financial privacy. Each of the financial institutions identified below has in effect the following policy (“Privacy Policy”) with respect to nonpublic personal information about its customers:

 

 

Only such information received from you, through application forms or otherwise, and information about your Eaton Vance fund transactions will be collected. This may include information such as name, address, social security number, tax status, account balances and transactions.

 

 

None of such information about you (or former customers) will be disclosed to anyone, except as permitted by law (which includes disclosure to employees necessary to service your account). In the normal course of servicing a customer’s account, Eaton Vance may share information with unaffiliated third parties that perform various required services such as transfer agents, custodians and broker-dealers.

 

 

Policies and procedures (including physical, electronic and procedural safeguards) are in place that are designed to protect the confidentiality of such information.

 

 

We reserve the right to change our Privacy Policy at any time upon proper notification to you. Customers may want to review our Privacy Policy periodically for changes by accessing the link on our homepage: www.eatonvance.com.

Our pledge of privacy applies to the following entities within the Eaton Vance organization: the Eaton Vance Family of Funds, Eaton Vance Management, Eaton Vance Investment Counsel, Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc., Eaton Vance Trust Company, Eaton Vance Management’s Real Estate Investment Group and Boston Management and Research. In addition, our Privacy Policy applies only to those Eaton Vance customers who are individuals and who have a direct relationship with us. If a customer’s account (i.e., fund shares) is held in the name of a third-party financial advisor/broker-dealer, it is likely that only such advisor’s privacy policies apply to the customer. This notice supersedes all previously issued privacy disclosures. For more information about Eaton Vance’s Privacy Policy, please call 1-800-262-1122.

Delivery of Shareholder Documents.  The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) permits funds to deliver only one copy of shareholder documents, including prospectuses, proxy statements and shareholder reports, to fund investors with multiple accounts at the same residential or post office box address. This practice is often called “householding” and it helps eliminate duplicate mailings to shareholders. Eaton Vance, or your financial advisor, may household the mailing of your documents indefinitely unless you instruct Eaton Vance, or your financial advisor, otherwise. If you would prefer that your Eaton Vance documents not be householded, please contact Eaton Vance at 1-800-262-1122, or contact your financial advisor. Your instructions that householding not apply to delivery of your Eaton Vance documents will be effective within 30 days of receipt by Eaton Vance or your financial advisor.

Portfolio Holdings.  Each Eaton Vance Fund and its underlying Portfolio(s) (if applicable) will file a schedule of portfolio holdings on Form N-Q with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year. The Form N-Q will be available on the Eaton Vance website at www.eatonvance.com, by calling Eaton Vance at 1-800-262-1122 or in the EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Form N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s public reference room in Washington, D.C. (call 1-800-732-0330 for information on the operation of the public reference room).

Proxy Voting.  From time to time, funds are required to vote proxies related to the securities held by the funds. The Eaton Vance Funds or their underlying Portfolios (if applicable) vote proxies according to a set of policies and procedures approved by the Funds’ and Portfolios’ Boards. You may obtain a description of these policies and procedures and information on how the Funds or Portfolios voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-262-1122 and by accessing the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Share Repurchase Program.  The Fund’s Board of Trustees has approved a share repurchase program authorizing the Fund to repurchase up to 10% of its outstanding common shares as of the approved date in open-market transactions at a discount to net asset value. The repurchase program does not obligate the Fund to purchase a specific amount of shares. The Fund’s repurchase activity, including the number of shares purchased, average price and average discount to net asset value, is disclosed in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders.

Additional Notice to Shareholders.  If applicable, a Fund may also redeem or purchase its outstanding preferred shares in order to maintain compliance with regulatory requirements, borrowing or rating agency requirements or for other purposes as it deems appropriate or necessary.

Closed-End Fund Information.  Eaton Vance closed-end funds make fund performance data and certain information about portfolio characteristics available on the Eaton Vance website shortly after the end of each month. Other information about the funds is available on the website. The funds’ net asset value per share is readily accessible on the Eaton Vance website. Portfolio holdings for the most recent month-end are also posted to the website approximately 30 days following the end of the month. This information is available at www.eatonvance.com on the fund information pages under “Individual Investors — Closed-End Funds”.

 

  21  


 

 

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Investment Adviser and Administrator

Eaton Vance Management

Two International Place

Boston, MA 02110

Sub-Adviser

Parametric Risk Advisors LLC

518 Riverside Avenue

Westport, CT 06880

Custodian

State Street Bank and Trust Company

State Street Financial Center, One Lincoln Street

Boston, MA 02111

Transfer Agent

American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC

6201 15th Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11219

Fund Offices

Two International Place

Boston, MA 02110

 


LOGO

7767    6.30.15


Item 2. Code of Ethics

Not required in this filing.

Item 3. Audit Committee Financial Expert

Not required in this filing.

Item 4. Principal Accountant Fees and Services

Not required in this filing.

Item 5. Audit Committee of Listed Registrants

Not required in this filing.

Item 6. Schedule of Investments

Please see schedule of investments contained in the Report to Stockholders included under Item 1 of this Form N-CSR.

Item 7. Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies

Not required in this filing.

Item 8. Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies

Not required in this filing.

Item 9. Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers

REGISTRANT PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

 

Period*

   Total Number of
Shares Purchased
     Average Price
Paid per Share
     Total Number of
Shares Purchased as
Part of Publicly
Announced
Programs
     Maximum
Number of Shares
that May Yet Be
Purchased Under
the Programs
 

January 2015

     —           —           —           886,678   

February 2015

     —           —           —           886,678   

March 2015

     —           —           —           886,678   

April 2015

     90,000       $ 13.02         90,000         796,678   

May 2015

     122,700       $ 12.85         122,700         673,978   

June 2015

     117,300       $ 12.94         117,300         556,678   

Total

     330,000       $ 12.93         330,000      

 

* On November 11, 2013, the Fund’s Board of Trustees approved a share repurchase program authorizing the Fund to repurchase up to 10% of its then currently outstanding common shares in open-market transactions at a discount to net asset value. The repurchase program was announced on November 15, 2013.


Item 10. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

No material changes.

Item 11. 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 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 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 second fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Item 12. Exhibits

 

(a)(1)    Registrant’s Code of Ethics – Not applicable (please see Item 2).
(a)(2)(i)    Treasurer’s Section 302 certification.
(a)(2)(ii)    President’s Section 302 certification.
(b)    Combined Section 906 certification.
(c)    Registrant’s notices to shareholders pursuant to Registrant’s exemptive order granting an exemption from Section 19(b) of the 1940 Act and Rule 19b-1 thereunder regarding distributions paid pursuant to the Registrant’s Managed Distribution Plan.


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:   August 12, 2015

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/ James F. Kirchner

  James F. Kirchner
  Treasurer
Date:   August 12, 2015
By:  

/s/ Payson F. Swaffield

  Payson F. Swaffield
  President
Date:   August 12, 2015