Eaton Vance Management
Two International Place
Boston, MA 02110
(617) 482-8260
www.eatonvance.com
December 22, 2022
VIA EDGAR
Michael Rosenberg
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
100 F Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20549
| Re: | Registration Statement on Form N-14 for Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Buy-Write |
| Opportunities Fund (File No.: 333-268498) |
Dear Mr. Rosenberg:
This letter responds to comments provided by you on December 16, 2022 to the undersigned via telephone in connection with your review of the Proxy Statement and Registration Statement on Form N-14 filed on November 21, 2022 (Accession No. 0000940394-22-001433) (the “Registration Statement”) with respect to the proposed reorganization of the Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Buy-Write Strategy Fund (the “Acquired Fund”) with and into the Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Buy-Write Opportunities Fund (the “Acquiring Fund” and, together with the Acquired Fund, the “Funds”).
We have reproduced the comments below and immediately thereafter provided the Funds’ responses. Responses will be reflected in a pre-effective amendment to the Registration Statement (the “Amendment”). We request that the Staff review the Amendment as promptly as possible and contact the undersigned at its earliest possible convenience if the Staff has any further comments. The Registrant seeks effectiveness of the Amendment no later than December 30, 2022. Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings ascribed to them in the Registration Statement.
Response: The Amendment will reflect the requested revisions.
Response: The Funds confirm, and the Amendment will disclose, that the Acquiring Fund will be the accounting survivor following the Reorganization.
Response: The Amendment will reflect the requested revisions.
With respect to tax effects, the Adviser does not believe the repositioning will require distribution of any capital gains to Acquired Fund shareholders. As a result, in lieu of total dollar figure / per share basis disclosure of resultant tax effects, the “Reorganization Trading Costs” sub-section will be revised with respect to tax effects as follows (additions in bold):
“Because Acquired Fund is expected to have sufficient capital loss carry forwards to offset the impact of this repositioning, the repositioning is not expected to impact pre-Reorganization Acquired Fund shareholders’ tax liabilities (i.e., repositioning itself is not expected to result in associated capital gains distributions). However, the use of any such carry forwards for this purpose would reduce the total capital loss carry forwards available to Acquiring Fund following the Reorganization.”
Response: Note 2 to the Acquiring Fund’s financial statements for the period ended December 31, 2021 states that “[a]t December 31, 2021, the Fund, for federal income tax purposes, had deferred capital losses of $63,214,150….” In connection with preparing the Registration Statement, Eaton Vance Management (the “Adviser”) re-calculated this figure as of September 30, 2022. Based on that recalculation, it was determined that the Acquiring Fund had utilized (or was projected to have utilized) such prior outstanding capital loss carry forwards to offset gains. This capital loss carryforward utilization is consistent with the Acquiring Fund’s tax management strategy.
Response: The Amendment will reflect the requested revision.
Response: The Amendment will reflect the requested revision.
Response: The Adviser is not entitled to recapture from the Acquired Fund any expenses previously reimbursed under the expense reimbursement arrangement. The Amendment will reflect the requested revision.
Response: The Amendment will reflect the requested revisions.
Response: The Amendment will reflect the requested revisions.
Response: The Amendment will reflect the correct disclosure throughout, stating that expenses of the Reorganization will be split 50% by the Acquired Fund and 50% by the Adviser.
Response: The Amendment will reflect the requested revisions.
Response: The Amendment will reflect the requested revisions.
Response: An updated auditor’s consent letter will be filed with the Amendment.
Response: As described in the Registration Statement, the Funds each have a principal strategy to limit the overlap between their stock portfolio holdings and each of the S&P 500 and NASDAQ 100 to less than 70%, based on fair market value, on an ongoing basis (the “70% Restriction”). The brokerage and portfolio transition costs to be borne by the Acquired Fund in connection with its portfolio repositioning prior to the Reorganization are intended to avoid adverse tax consequences associated with violating the 70% Restriction that would otherwise result by combining the current stock portfolio holdings of the two Funds, which would result in the recognition of certain gains and losses. The total estimated trading costs are expected to be de minimis, and the incurrence of these costs in connection with the Reorganization is necessary for the Acquired Fund to realize the various benefits of the Reorganization described in the Registration Statement.
Taking into consideration the various benefits, including the reduction in expense ratio (among other factors), the Adviser reported to the Board of Trustees of Acquired Fund that it believed, and the Board of Trustees found, that the Acquired Fund’s participation in the Reorganization would be in the best interests of the Acquired Fund and its existing shareholders. Adviser is not aware of either (i) a standard industry practice for investment advisers to bear all brokerage and/or portfolio transition costs associated with a fund reorganization or (ii) an applicable regulatory requirement that each aspect of a fund reorganization proposal be implemented in a manner that is the most favorable to acquired fund or its shareholders, provided that the reorganization in its entirety is found to be in the fund’s and its shareholders’ best interests.
In light of the foregoing, the Adviser continues to believe that it is appropriate for Acquired Fund shareholders to bear the brokerage and portfolio transition costs incurred in connection with Acquired Fund’s pre-Reorganization portfolio repositioning.
Response: The Amendment will reflect the requested revisions.
If you have any questions or comments concerning the foregoing, please contact the undersigned at (857) 330-9333.
Sincerely,
/s/ Nicholas Di Lorenzo
Nicholas Di Lorenzo