Fund Evaluator:
Eaton Vance National Municipal Income C (ECHMX)
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Best Performing in Muni National Long Over the Last Year
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Fund Details
Eaton Vance National Municipal Income C Overview
Eaton Vance National Municipal Income C (ECHMX) is an actively managed Municipal Bond Muni National Long fund. Eaton Vance launched the fund in 1993.
The investment seeks to provide current income exempt from regular federal income tax. Under normal market circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in municipal obligations, the interest on which is exempt from regular federal income tax (the "80% Policy").
About Eaton Vance National Municipal Income C (ECHMX)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 9.01 years: Christopher Eustance (2021), Craig Brandon (2013). Management tenure is more important for actively managed funds than passive index funds.
The fund has 1 primary benchmark: Bloomberg Municipal TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Eaton Vance National Municipal Income C has 604 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 9.6% of the fund’s assets. The fund meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The fund is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
Eaton Vance National Municipal Income C is part of the Fixed Income global asset class and is within the Municipal Bond fund group. Eaton Vance National Municipal Income C has 0.6% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.0%. There is 0.0% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 100.0% (99.4% domestic bond, 0.6% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). Eaton Vance National Municipal Income C has 0.0% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $28 million in total assets, which is below the $1 billion average for the Muni National Long category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
ECHMX Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The Eaton Vance National Municipal Income C expense ratio is high compared to funds in the Muni National Long category. Eaton Vance National Municipal Income C has an expense ratio of 1.44%, which is 83% higher than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a F. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. Eaton Vance National Municipal Income C has a portfolio turnover rate of 109%, indicating that holds its assets around 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 37% for the Muni National Long category.
Recently, in the month of August 2026, Eaton Vance National Municipal Income C returned -0.5%, which earned it a grade of F, as the Muni National Long category had an average return of -0.3%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all funds in that category.
Eaton Vance National Municipal Income C has a trailing yield of 3.07%, which is below the 3.75% category average. The fund normally distributes its income monthly and its capital gains annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
Eaton Vance National Municipal Income C Grades
Year to date, the fund has returned 0.2%, 0.3 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of D. The fund has returned 4.9% over the past year (grade of C), 2.6% over the past three years (grade of F) and -0.3% per year over the past five years (grade of D) and 1.2% per year over the past 10 years (grade of F).
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ECHMX Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 8/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| ECHMX Return (NAV) | -0.5% | -1.3% | 4.9% | 2.6% | -0.3% | 1.2% |
| ECHMX Grade | F | F | C | F | D | F |
| +/- Category | -0.2% | -0.2% | -0.1% | -1.0% | -0.4% | -0.5% |
| Muni National Long Avg | -0.3% | -1.1% | 5.1% | 3.6% | 0.0% | 1.7% |
| ECHMX Tax Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
ECHMX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 8/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| ECHMX Return (NAV) | 0.2% | 1.9% | 1.2% | 6.9% | -10.6% | 0.7% | 5.0% | 7.1% | 1.0% | 3.9% | 1.0% |
| ECHMX Grade | D | F | F | C | B | F | C | F | B | F | A |
| +/- Category | -0.3% | -1.1% | -1.3% | 0.0% | 1.0% | -2.1% | 0.2% | -1.0% | 0.3% | -1.9% | 0.8% |
| Muni National Long Avg | 0.6% | 3.0% | 2.5% | 6.8% | -11.6% | 2.8% | 4.8% | 8.1% | 0.7% | 5.8% | 0.2% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Standard Deviation: | 6.5% |
| Total Risk Index: | 0.53 - Below Average |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.01 - Above Average |
| Category Risk Grade: | D (69% Rank) |
| Beta: | 1.13 |
| R-Squared: | 96% |
| Leveraged Fund: | No |
| Inverse Fund: | No |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Equity Investment Style: | na |
| Bond Investment Style: | High Quality Extensive Sensitivity |
| Yield: | 3.1% |
| Dividend Distribution: | Monthly |
| Cap Gains Distribution: | Annually |
| Total Assets: | $3926 Mil |
| Fund Total Assets: | $ 28 Mil |
| Share Class Type: | C |
| Portfolio Turnover: | 109% |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 13.1 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 9.0 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Brandon Craig (2013), Eustance Christopher (2021) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 604 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 9.6% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 0.6% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 99.4% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.6% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.0% |
Purchase Information
| Fund Family: | Eaton Vance |
| Phone Number: | 800-262-1122 |
| Website: | www.eatonvance.com |
| Status: | Open |
| Inception Date: | December 3, 1993 |
| Min. Initial Purchase: | $1,000 |
| Min. Initial IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
| True No-Load: | No |
| Front Load Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Deferred Charge Maximum: | 1.00% |
| Redemption Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| 12b-1 Fee: | 1.00% |
Expenses and Fees | |
| Expense Ratio (%): | 1.44% ( Rating : High ) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.79% |
| Share Class: | Eaton Vance National Municipal Income C |
| Min. Subsequent Purchase: | $ 0 |
| Min. Subsequent IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
