Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust (NYSE:EFR) is a closed-end management investment company that seeks to provide a high level of current income, with capital appreciation as a secondary objective. The trust achieves its objectives by investing predominately in senior floating-rate loans—also known as bank loans—issued by corporate borrowers. These floating-rate instruments typically carry interest rates that reset periodically, offering investors a degree of protection against rising rate environments.
The portfolio is managed by the fixed-income team at Eaton Vance Management, a subsidiary of Morgan Stanley, which employs fundamental credit research and active trading strategies to identify and manage risk. The investment strategy emphasizes diversification across industries and issuers, with a focus on senior secured debt that holds first-lien claims on corporate assets. By structuring the majority of its holdings in floating-rate loans, EFR aims to reduce interest-rate sensitivity compared to traditional fixed-rate bonds.
EFR invests primarily in U.S. corporate borrowers across a range of sectors, including consumer goods, healthcare, energy and industrials. While the trust may also allocate a smaller portion of its assets to related credit instruments—such as preferred securities, high-yield bonds or other floating-rate debt—the core emphasis remains on senior loans issued by investment-grade and below-investment-grade companies. The result is a portfolio designed to generate steady distributions with potential for modest capital gains.
Since its inception, Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust has offered investors access to a specialized segment of the credit markets through a single, exchange-traded vehicle. As a listed closed-end fund, it provides liquidity via the NYSE and is subject to ongoing oversight by trustees representing shareholder interests. The trust’s management team leverages Eaton Vance’s broader research capabilities to navigate credit cycles and adjust exposures in pursuit of the fund’s income-oriented mandate.
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