Evergreen Closed End Funds Declare Monthly Dividends

BOSTON, April 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Evergreen Investments today announced the dividend declaration for Evergreen Income Advantage Fund (AMEX: EAD), Evergreen Multi-Sector Income Fund (AMEX:ERC), Evergreen Utilities and High Income Fund (AMEX:ERH) and Evergreen International Balanced Income Fund (NYSE:EBI).

Evergreen Income Advantage Fund is a closed-end high-yield bond fund. The fund's investment objective is to seek a high level of current income. The fund may, as a secondary objective, seek capital appreciation to the extent consistent with its investment objective.

Evergreen Income Advantage Fund declared the following monthly dividend from ordinary income:

Declaration Ex-dividend Record Payable Dividend
Date Date Date Date Rate/Share
April 18, May 12, May 14, June 2,
2008 2008 2008 2008 $0.1094 / share

Evergreen Multi-Sector Income Fund is a closed-end bond fund. The fund's primary investment objective is to seek a high level of current income consistent with limiting its overall exposure to domestic interest rate risk.

Evergreen Multi-Sector Income Fund declared the following monthly dividend from ordinary income:

Declaration Ex-dividend Record Payable Dividend
Date Date Date Date Rate/Share
April 18, May 12, May 14, June 2,
2008 2008 2008 2008 $0.1083 / share

Evergreen Utilities and High Income Fund is a closed-end equity and high-yield bond fund. The fund's primary investment objective is to seek a high level of current income and moderate capital growth, with emphasis on providing tax-advantaged dividend income.

Evergreen Utilities and High Income Fund declared the following monthly dividend from ordinary income:

Declaration Ex-dividend Record Payable Dividend
Date Date Date Date Rate/Share
April 18, May 12, May 14, June 2,
2008 2008 2008 2008 $0.23 / share

Evergreen International Balanced Income Fund is a closed-end fund investing primarily in international stocks and bonds. The fund's investment objective is to seek to provide a high level of income.

Evergreen International Balanced Income Fund declared the following monthly dividend from ordinary income:

Declaration Ex-dividend Record Payable Dividend
Date Date Date Date Rate/Share
April 18, May 12, May 14, June 2,
2008 2008 2008 2008 $0.1458 / share

For information on the auction rate securities market as it pertains to closed-end funds, please refer to the most recent statement from Evergreen President and Chief Executive Officer Dennis Ferro, which is available on www.EvergreenInvestments.com .

To make changes to your account, please contact your financial advisor, brokerage firm, bank, or other nominee with whom your shares are registered. If your shares are registered with the funds' transfer agent, Computershare, please contact them directly at 800.730.6001 or visit www.computershare.com .

These closed-end funds are no longer offered as an initial public offering and are only offered through broker/dealers on the secondary market.

About Evergreen Investments

Evergreen Investments is the brand name under which Wachovia Corporation (NYSE:WB) conducts its investment management business. Wachovia Global Asset Management is the brand name under which Evergreen Investments conducts sales and distribution business outside of the United States. Evergreen serves more than four million individual and institutional investors through a broad range of investment products. Led by 300 investment professionals, Evergreen strives to meet client investment objectives through disciplined, team-based asset management. Evergreen manages more than $258 billion in assets (as of March 31, 2008). Please visit EvergreenInvestments.com for more information about Evergreen Investments.

Funds: NOT FDIC INSURED | NOT BANK GUARANTEED | MAY LOSE VALUE

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Evergreen Investments

CONTACT: Shareholder Inquiries, +1-800-730-6001, Financial Advisor
Inquiries, +1-800-343-2898, Media Inquiries, Lauren Sawyers, +1-704-715-4561,
lsawyers@EvergreenInvestments.com, or Laura Fay, +1-617-210-3867,
lfay@EvergreenInvestments.com, all of Evergreen Investments

Web site: http://www.evergreeninvestments.com/

2008-04-18 16:42:24 0339874 PRNEWSWIRE