Fund Evaluator:
Eaton Vance Small-Cap I (EISGX)
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Best Performing in Small Growth Over the Last Year
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Fund Details
Eaton Vance Small-Cap I Overview
Eaton Vance Small-Cap I (EISGX) is an actively managed U.S. Equity Small Growth fund. Eaton Vance launched the fund in 2008.
The investment seeks long-term capital appreciation. Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of small-cap companies. The portfolio managers consider small-cap companies to be companies having a market capitalization that falls (i) within or below the range of companies in the current Russell 2000® Index, or (ii) below the three-year average maximum market cap of companies in the Russell 2000® Index as of December 31 of the three preceding years.
About Eaton Vance Small-Cap I (EISGX)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 11.51 years: Michael McLean (2015), J. Griffith Noble (2015). Management tenure is more important for actively managed funds than passive index funds.
The fund has 2 primary benchmarks: Russell 3000 TR USD index with a weighting of 100% and Russell 2000 TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Eaton Vance Small-Cap I has 68 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 28.4% 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 Small-Cap I is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the U.S. Equity fund group. Eaton Vance Small-Cap I has 1.4% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 96.6%. There is 1.4% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). Eaton Vance Small-Cap I has 2.0% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $102 million in total assets, which is below the $431 million average for the Small Growth 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.
EISGX 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 Small-Cap I expense ratio is high compared to funds in the Small Growth category. Eaton Vance Small-Cap I has an expense ratio of 0.96%, which is 18% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a B. 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 Small-Cap I has a portfolio turnover rate of 58%, indicating that holds its assets around 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 78% for the Small Growth category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Eaton Vance Small-Cap I returned -0.6%, which earned it a grade of A, as the Small Growth category had an average return of -6.7%. 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 Small-Cap I has a trailing yield of 0.28%, which is above the 0.06% category average. The fund normally distributes its income annually and its capital gains semi-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 Small-Cap I Grades
Year to date, the fund has returned 8.9%, 4.7 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of F. The fund has returned 7.4% over the past year (grade of F), 4.7% over the past three years (grade of F) and 3.0% per year over the past five years (grade of C) and 8.7% per year over the past 10 years (grade of F).
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EISGX Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| EISGX Return (NAV) | -0.6% | 4.6% | 7.4% | 4.7% | 3.0% | 8.7% |
| EISGX Grade | A | C | F | F | C | F |
| +/- Category | 6.1% | 0.9% | -15.3% | -7.7% | -0.3% | -2.5% |
| Small Growth Avg | -6.7% | 3.7% | 22.7% | 12.4% | 3.3% | 11.2% |
| EISGX Tax Cost Ratio | na | na | 1.7% | 0.8% | 1.3% | 1.6% |
EISGX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| EISGX Return (NAV) | 8.9% | -6.0% | 12.2% | 11.5% | -15.3% | 21.5% | 13.0% | 27.8% | -5.6% | 15.2% | 19.7% |
| EISGX Grade | F | F | D | F | A | A | F | C | D | F | A |
| +/- Category | -4.7% | -14.0% | -3.3% | -5.2% | 12.6% | 11.0% | -28.8% | -2.1% | -1.4% | -8.9% | 9.5% |
| Small Growth Avg | 13.6% | 8.0% | 15.5% | 16.7% | -27.9% | 10.5% | 41.8% | 29.9% | -4.1% | 24.1% | 10.2% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Standard Deviation: | 17.2% |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.41 - High |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.84 - Low |
| Category Risk Grade: | A (11% Rank) |
| Beta: | 0.93 |
| R-Squared: | 50% |
| Leveraged Fund: | No |
| Inverse Fund: | No |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Equity Investment Style: | Small-Cap Blend |
| Bond Investment Style: | na |
| Yield: | 0.3% |
| Dividend Distribution: | Annually |
| Cap Gains Distribution: | Semi-Annually |
| Total Assets: | $132 Mil |
| Fund Total Assets: | $ 102 Mil |
| Share Class Type: | Inst |
| Portfolio Turnover: | 58% |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 11.5 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 11.5 years | |||
| Managers (Year): McLean Michael (2015), Noble J. Griffith (2015) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 5/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 68 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 28.4% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 1.4% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 96.6% |
| Foreign Stock: | 1.4% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 2.0% |
Purchase Information
| Fund Family: | Eaton Vance |
| Phone Number: | 800-262-1122 |
| Website: | www.eatonvance.com |
| Status: | Open |
| Inception Date: | September 2, 2008 |
| Min. Initial Purchase: | $1,000,000 |
| Min. Initial IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
| True No-Load: | Yes |
| Front Load Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Deferred Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Redemption Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| 12b-1 Fee: | na |
Expenses and Fees | |
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.96% ( Rating : High ) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 1.18% |
| Share Class: | Eaton Vance Small-Cap A |
| Min. Subsequent Purchase: | $ 0 |
| Min. Subsequent IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
