UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form N-CSR

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED
MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Eaton Vance Risk-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

Maureen A. Gemma
Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110

(Name and Address of Agent for Services)

December 31

June 30, 2011

 

 

Item 1. Reports to Stockholders

Eaton Vance Risk-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund (ETJ) Semiannual Report June 30, 2011

 

 

 

Managed Distribution Plan. On March 10, 2009, the Fund received authorization from the Securities and Exchange Commission to distribute long-term capital gains to shareholders more frequently than once per year. In this connection, the Board of Trustees formally approved the implementation of a Managed Distribution Plan (MDP) to make quarterly cash distributions to common shareholders, stated in terms of a fixed amount per common share.

 

The Fund intends to pay quarterly cash distributions equal to $0.3195 per share. 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.

 

With each distribution, the Fund will issue a notice to shareholders and an accompanying press release which will provide detailed information required by the Fund’s exemptive order. The Fund’s Board of Trustees 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.

 

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, 2011

Eaton Vance
Risk-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund

Table of Contents

Performance			2
Fund Profile			3
Endnotes and Additional Disclosures			4
Financial Statements			5
Annual Meeting of Shareholders			18
Board of Trustees’ Contract Approval			19
Officers and Trustees			22
Important Notices			23

Eaton Vance
Risk-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund
June 30, 2011

Performance
Portfolio Managers Walter A. Row, III, CFA, CMT; Michael A. Allison, CFA
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Symbol
Inception Date (7/31/07)		ETJ
% Average Annual Total Returns at net asset value (NAV)
Six Months			0.85
One Year			6.12
Since Inception1			3.07
% Average Annual Total Returns at market price, NYSE
Six Months			-0.16
One Year			-11.80
Since Inception1			0.58
% Premium/Discount to NAV (6/30/11)			-9.14
Distributions
Total Distributions per share (12/31/10 — 6/30/11)		$	0.639
Distribution Rate at NAV2			9.20	%
Distribution Rate at market price2			10.13	%

Comparative Performance3		% Return
S&P 500 Index
Six Months			6.02
One Year			30.69
Since Inception (7/31/07)			-0.27
CBOE S&P 500 BuyWrite Index
Six Months			2.42
One Year			19.52
Since Inception (7/31/07)			0.56

See Endnotes and Additional Disclosures on page 4.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Returns are historical and are calculated by determining the percentage change in NAV or market price (as applicable) with all distributions reinvested. 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 www.eatonvance.com.

Eaton Vance
Risk-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund
June 30, 2011

Fund Profile

Sector Allocation (% of total investments)⁴

Top 10 Holdings (% of total investments)⁴

Apple, Inc.			3.1
QUALCOMM, Inc.			2.9
Exxon Mobil Corp.			2.7
UnitedHealth Group, Inc.			2.3
Illinois Tool Works, Inc.			2.2
International Business Machines Corp.			2.1
JPMorgan Chase & Co.			2.1
Accenture PLC, Class A			2.1
PepsiCo, Inc.			2.1
Oracle Corp.			2.0
Total % of total investments			23.6

See Endnotes and Additional Disclosures on page 4.

Eaton Vance
Risk-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund
June 30, 2011

Endnotes and Additional Disclosures

Fund profile subject to change due to active management.

 

Eaton Vance

Risk-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund

 

June 30, 2011

 

 

Portfolio of Investments (Unaudited)

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

5

 

Eaton Vance

Risk-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund

 

June 30, 2011

 

 

Portfolio of Investments (Unaudited) — continued

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

6

 

Eaton Vance

Risk-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund

 

June 30, 2011

 

 

Portfolio of Investments (Unaudited) — continued

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

7

 

Eaton Vance

Risk-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund

 

June 30, 2011

 

 

Portfolio of Investments (Unaudited) — continued

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

8

 

Eaton Vance

Risk-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund

 

June 30, 2011

 

 

Statement of Assets and Liabilities (Unaudited)

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

9

 

Eaton Vance

Risk-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund

 

June 30, 2011

 

 

Statement of Operations (Unaudited)

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

10

 

Eaton Vance

Risk-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund

 

June 30, 2011

 

 

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

11

 

Eaton Vance

Risk-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund

 

June 30, 2011

 

 

Financial Highlights

 

 

See Notes to Financial Statements.

12

 

Eaton Vance

Risk-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund

 

June 30, 2011

 

 

Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited)

 

1 Significant Accounting Policies

 

Eaton Vance Risk-Managed Diversified Equity Income 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 primary investment objective is to provide current income and gains, with a secondary objective of capital appreciation.

 

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.

 

A Investment Valuation — Equity securities (including common shares of closed-end investment companies) listed on a U.S. securities exchange generally are valued at the last sale or closing price on the day of valuation or, if no sales took place on such date, at the mean between the closing bid and asked prices therefore on the exchange where such securities are principally traded. Equity securities listed on the NASDAQ Global or Global Select Market generally are valued at the NASDAQ official closing price. Unlisted or listed securities for which closing sales prices or closing quotations are not available are valued at the mean between the latest available bid and asked prices or, in the case of preferred equity securities that are not listed or traded in the over-the-counter market, by a third party pricing service that will use various techniques that consider factors including, but not limited to, prices or yields of securities with similar characteristics, benchmark yields, broker/dealer quotes, quotes of underlying common stock, issuer spreads, as well as industry and economic events. 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 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. Short-term debt obligations purchased with a remaining maturity of sixty days or less are generally valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Foreign securities and currencies are valued in U.S. dollars, based on foreign currency exchange rate quotations supplied by a third party pricing service. The pricing service uses a proprietary model to determine the exchange rate. Inputs to the model include reported trades and implied bid/ask spreads. The daily valuation of exchange-traded foreign securities generally is determined as of the close of trading on the principal exchange on which such securities trade. Events occurring after the close of trading on foreign exchanges may result in adjustments to the valuation of foreign securities to more accurately reflect their fair value as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange. When valuing foreign equity securities that meet certain criteria, the Fund’s Trustees have approved the use of a fair value service that values such securities to reflect market trading that occurs after the close of the applicable foreign markets of comparable securities or other instruments that have a strong correlation to the fair-valued securities.

 

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 most 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 all 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.

 

The Fund may invest in Eaton Vance Cash Reserves Fund, LLC (Cash Reserves Fund), an affiliated investment company managed by Eaton Vance Management (EVM). 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 based on available market quotations provided by a third party pricing service.

 

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 — Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date for dividends received in cash and/or securities. However, if the ex-dividend date has passed, certain dividends from foreign securities are recorded as the Fund is informed of the ex-dividend date. Withholding taxes on foreign dividends and capital gains have been provided for in accordance with the Fund’s understanding of the applicable countries’ tax rules and rates. 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.

 

At December 31, 2010, the Fund, for federal income tax purposes, had a capital loss carryforward of $352,323,869 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. Such capital loss carryforward will expire on December 31, 2017 ($253,207,118) and on December 31, 2018 ($99,116,751). In addition, such capital loss carryforward cannot be utilized prior to the utilization of new capital losses, if any, created after December 31, 2010.

 

13

 

Eaton Vance

Risk-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund

 

June 30, 2011

 

 

Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited) — continued

 

Additionally, at December 31, 2010, the Fund had a net capital loss of $18,310,184 attributable to security transactions incurred after October 31, 2010. This net capital loss is treated as arising on the first day of the Fund’s taxable year ending December 31, 2011.

 

As of June 30, 2011, the Fund had no uncertain tax positions that would require financial statement recognition, de-recognition, or disclosure. Each of the Fund’s federal tax returns filed in the 3-year period ended December 31, 2010 remains subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service.

 

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.

 

F Foreign Currency Translation — Investment valuations, other assets, and liabilities initially expressed in foreign currencies are translated each business day into U.S. dollars based upon current exchange rates. Purchases and sales of foreign investment securities and income and expenses denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars based upon currency exchange rates in effect on the respective dates of such transactions. Recognized gains or losses on investment transactions attributable to changes in foreign currency exchange rates are recorded for financial statement purposes as net realized gains and losses on investments. That portion of unrealized gains and losses on investments that results from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates is not separately disclosed.

 

G Use of Estimates — The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America 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, 2011 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

 

Subject to its Managed Distribution Plan, the Fund intends to make quarterly distributions from its cash available for distribution, which consists of the Fund’s dividends and interest income after payment of Fund expenses, net option premiums and net realized and unrealized gains on stock investments. The Fund intends to distribute all or substantially all of its net realized capital gains (reduced by available capital loss carryforwards from prior years, if

 

14

 

Eaton Vance

Risk-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund

 

June 30, 2011

 

 

Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited) — continued

any). Distributions are recorded on the ex-dividend date. The Fund distinguishes between distributions on a tax basis and a financial reporting basis. Accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America require that only distributions in excess of tax basis earnings and profits be 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, 2011, the amount of distributions estimated to be a tax return of capital was approximately $44,315,000. 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.

 

3 Investment Adviser Fee and Other Transactions with Affiliates

 

The investment adviser fee is earned by EVM as compensation for management and investment advisory services rendered to the Fund. The fee is computed at an annual rate of 1.00% of the Fund’s average daily gross assets and is payable monthly. Gross assets as referred to herein represent net assets plus obligations attributable to investment leverage, if any. The Fund invests its cash in Cash Reserves Fund. EVM does not currently receive a fee for advisory services provided to Cash Reserves Fund. For the six months ended June 30, 2011, the Fund’s investment adviser fee amounted to $5,121,436. EVM also serves as administrator of the Fund, but receives no compensation.

 

Except for Trustees of the Fund who are not members of EVM’s organization, officers and Trustees receive remuneration for their services to the Fund out of the investment adviser 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, 2011, 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, aggregated $386,840,221 and $477,381,820, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2011.

 

5 Common Shares of Beneficial Interest

 

The Fund may issue common shares pursuant to its dividend reinvestment plan. There were no transactions in common shares for the six months ended June 30, 2011. Common shares issued pursuant to the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan for the year ended December 31, 2010 were 876,613.

 

6 Federal Income Tax Basis of Investments

 

The cost and unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments of the Fund at June 30, 2011, as determined on a federal income tax basis, were as follows:

 

 

7 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 purchased and 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, 2011 is included in the Portfolio of Investments.

 

15

 

Eaton Vance

Risk-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund

 

June 30, 2011

 

 

Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited) — continued

 

Written call and put options activity for the six months ended June 30, 2011 was as follows:

 

 

All of the assets of the Fund are subject to segregation to satisfy the requirements of the escrow agent. At June 30, 2011, 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 objectives. The Fund purchases call options on individual stocks at or above the current value of the stock to enhance return. In buying call options on individual stocks, the Fund in effect, acquires potential appreciation in the value of the applicable stock above the exercise price in exchange for the option premium paid. The Fund purchases index put options below the current value of the index to reduce the Fund’s exposure to market risk and volatility. In buying index put options, the Fund in effect, acquires protection against decline in the value of the applicable index below the exercise price in exchange for the option premium paid. The Fund writes index call options above the current value of the index to generate premium income. In writing index call options, the Fund in effect, sells potential appreciation in the value of the applicable index above the exercise price in exchange for the option premium received. The Fund retains the risk of loss, minus the premium received, should the price of the underlying index decline. The Fund writes put options on individual stocks below the current value of the individual stock to generate premium income. In writing put options on individual stocks, the Fund in effect, sells protection against decline in the value of the applicable individual stock below the exercise price in exchange for the option premium received. The Fund retains the risk of loss, minus the premium received, should the price of the underlying stock decline below the exercise price. The Fund is not subject to counterparty credit risk with respect to its written options as the Fund, not the counterparty, is obligated to perform under such derivatives.

 

The Fund enters into over-the-counter written options that may contain provisions whereby the counterparty may terminate the contract under certain conditions, including but not limited to a decline in the Fund’s net assets below a certain level over a certain period of time, which would trigger a payment by the Fund for those derivatives in a liability position. At June 30, 2011, the fair value of derivatives with credit-related contingent features in a net liability position was $495,088.

 

The fair value of 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, 2011 was as follows:

 

 

 

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, 2011 was as follows:

 

 

 

16

 

Eaton Vance

Risk-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund

 

June 30, 2011

 

 

Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited) — continued

 

The average number of purchased options contracts outstanding during the six months ended June 30, 2011, which is indicative of the volume of this derivative type, was 15,000 contracts.

 

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.

 

 

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, 2011, the hierarchy of inputs used in valuing the Fund’s investments, which are carried at value, were as follows:

 

 

The Fund held no investments or other financial instruments as of December 31, 2010 whose fair value was determined using Level 3 inputs. At June 30, 2011, the value of investments transferred between Level 1 and Level 2, if any, during the six months then ended was not significant.

 

17

 

Eaton Vance

Risk-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund

 

June 30, 2011

 

 

Annual Meeting of Shareholders (Unaudited)

 

The Fund held its Annual Meeting of Shareholders on April 25, 2011. The following action was taken by the shareholders:

 

Item 1: The election of Benjamin C. Esty, Thomas E. Faust Jr. and Allen R. Freedman as Class I Trustees of the Fund for a three-year term expiring in 2014.