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Table of Contents

 

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Dear Shareholders,

I am honored to serve as the new independent chairman of the Nuveen Fund Board, effective July 1, 2018. I’d like to gratefully acknowledge the stewardship of my predecessor William J. Schneider and, on behalf of my fellow Board members, reinforce our commitment to the legacy of strong, independent oversight of your Funds.

If stock markets are forward-looking, then the recently elevated volatility suggests the consensus view is changing. Rising interest rates, moderating corporate earnings growth prospects and unpredictable geopolitical events including trade wars and Brexit have clouded the horizon. With economic growth in China and Europe already slowing this year, and U.S. growth possibly peaking, investors are watching for clues as to the global economy’s resilience amid these headwinds.

However, it’s important to remember that interim market swings may not reflect longer-term economic conditions. Global growth is indeed slowing, but it’s still positive. The U.S. economy remains strong, even in the face of late-cycle pressures. Low unemployment and firming wages should continue to support consumer spending, and the November mid-term elections resulted in no major surprises. In China, the government remains committed to using fiscal stimulus to offset softening exports. Europe also remains vulnerable to trade policy, but European corporate earnings have remained healthy and their central bank has reaffirmed its commitment to a gradual stimulus withdrawal. In a slower growth environment, there are opportunities for investors who seek them more selectively.

A more challenging landscape can distract you from your investment goals. But you can maintain long-term perspective by setting realistic expectations about short-term volatility and working with your financial advisor to evaluate your goals, timeline and risk tolerance. On behalf of the other members of the Nuveen Fund Board, we look forward to continuing to earn your trust in the months and years ahead.

Sincerely,

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Portfolio Manager’s Comments

 

Nuveen Quality Municipal Income Fund (NAD)
Nuveen AMT-Free Quality Municipal Income Fund (NEA)

These Funds feature portfolio management by Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (NAM), an affiliate of Nuveen, LLC. Portfolio manager Christopher L. Drahn, CFA, reviews U.S. economic and municipal market conditions, key investment strategies and the twelve-month performance of these two national Funds.

What factors affected the U.S. economy and the national municipal market during the twelve-month reporting period ended October 31, 2018?

The U.S. economy accelerated in this reporting period, with gross domestic product (GDP) growth reaching 4.2% (annualized) in the second quarter of 2018, the fastest pace since 2014, then receding to a still relatively robust 3.5% annualized rate in the third quarter of 2018, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis “second” estimate. GDP is the value of goods and services produced by the nation’s economy less the value of the goods and services used up in production, adjusted for price changes. The boost in economic activity during the second quarter of 2018 was attributed to robust spending by consumers, businesses and the government, as well as a temporary increase in exports, as farmers rushed soybean shipments ahead of China’s retaliatory tariffs. While consumer and government spending continued to drive economic growth in the third quarter, the export contribution declined as expected and both business spending and housing investment weakened.

Consumer spending, the largest driver of the economy, remained well supported by low unemployment, wage gains and tax cuts. As reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate fell to 3.7% in October 2018 from 4.1% in October 2017 and job gains averaged around 210,000 per month for the past twelve months. The jobs market has continued to tighten, while average hourly earnings grew at an annualized rate of 3.1% in October 2018. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 2.5% over the twelve-month reporting period ended October 31, 2018 on a seasonally adjusted basis, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Low mortgage rates and low inventory drove home prices higher during this recovery cycle. But the price momentum slowed in recent months as mortgage rates began to drift higher and homes have become less affordable. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index, which covers all nine U.S. census divisions, was up 5.5% in September 2018 (most recent data available at the time this report was prepared). The 10-City and 20-City Composites reported year-over-year increases of 4.8% and 5.1%, respectively.

 

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This material is not intended to be a recommendation or investment advice, does not constitute a solicitation to buy or sell securities, and is not provided in a fiduciary capacity. The information provided does not take into account the specific objectives or circumstances of any particular investor, or suggest any specific course of action. Investment decisions should be made based on an investor’s objectives and circumstances and in consultation with his or her advisors.

Certain statements in this report are forward-looking statements. Discussions of specific investments are for illustration only and are not intended as recommendations of individual investments. The forward-looking statements and other views expressed herein are those of the portfolio manager as of the date of this report. Actual future results or occurrences may differ significantly from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements, and the views expressed herein are subject to change at any time, due to numerous market and other factors. The Funds disclaim any obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or views expressed herein.

The ratings disclosed are the lowest rating given by one of the following national rating agencies: Standard & Poor’s Group (S&P), Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (Moody’s) or Fitch, Inc. (Fitch). Credit ratings are subject to change. AAA, AA, A and BBB are investment grade ratings, while BB, B, CCC, CC, C and D are below investment grade ratings. Holdings designated N/R are not rated by these national rating agencies.

Bond insurance guarantees only the payment of principal and interest on the bond when due, and not the value of the bonds themselves, which will fluctuate with the bond market and the financial success of the issuer and the insurer. Insurance relates specifically to the bonds in the portfolio and not to the share prices of a Fund. No representation is made as to the insurers’ ability to meet their commitments.

Refer to the Glossary of Terms Used in this Report for further definition of the terms used within this section.

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Portfolio Manager’s Comments (continued)

With the U.S. economy delivering a sustainable growth rate and employment strengthening, the Federal Reserve’s (Fed’s) policy making committee continued to incrementally raise its main benchmark interest rate. The most recent increase, in September 2018, was the third rate hike in 2018 to date and the eighth rate hike since December 2015. Fed Chair Janet Yellen’s term expired in February 2018, and incoming Chairman Jerome Powell indicated he would likely maintain the Fed’s gradual pace of interest rate hikes. The September 2018 meeting confirmed the market’s expectations of another increase in December 2018, followed by additional increases in 2019. Notably, the Fed’s statement dropped “accommodative” from the description of its monetary policy, which Chairman Powell explained did not represent a change in the course of policy but rather an acknowledgement of the strengthening economy. Additionally, the Fed continued reducing its balance sheet by allowing a small amount of maturing Treasury and mortgage securities to roll off each month without reinvestment. The market expects the pace to remain moderate and predictable, with minimal market disruption.

Geopolitical news remained a prominent market driver. The U.S. moved forward with tariffs on imported goods from China, as well as on steel and aluminum from Canada, Mexico and Europe. These countries announced retaliatory measures in kind, intensifying concerns about a trade war, although there have been some positive developments. In July 2018, the U.S. and the Europe Union announced they would refrain from further tariffs while they negotiate trade terms, and in October 2018, the U.S., Mexico and Canada agreed to a new trade deal to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement. The U.S. and China resumed trade negotiations in August 2018, but the talks yielded little progress and President Trump subsequently mentioned imposing tariffs on the balance of Chinese goods. Brexit negotiations made modest progress, but the Irish border remained a sticking point and Prime Minister Theresa May was expected to face difficulty getting a plan approved in Parliament. Elsewhere in Europe, markets remained nervous about Italy’s new euroskeptic coalition government, immigration policy and political risk in Turkey. The U.S. Treasury issued additional sanctions on Russia in April 2018 and re-imposed sanctions on Iran following the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement. Bearish crude oil supply news, along with heightened tensions between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia after the disappearance of a Saudi journalist, drove oil price volatility. On the Korean peninsula, the leaders of South Korea and North Korea met during April 2018 and jointly announced a commitment toward peace, while the U.S.-North Korea summit yielded an agreement with few additional details.

The broad municipal bond market posted a modestly negative return for this reporting period. As the economy gained momentum and the Fed continued to nudge its policy rate higher, interest rates rose across the yield curve. However, short-term rates increased by a wider margin than longer-term rates, which were anchored by modest inflation expectations, resulting in a flattening yield curve.

Along with the overall economic outlook, tax reform was a significant market driver for municipal bonds in this reporting period. Early drafts of the tax bill fostered significant uncertainty about the impact on the municipal bond market, leading municipal bonds to underperform taxable bonds in December 2017 and provoking issuers to rush bond offerings ahead of the pending tax law. Issuance in December 2017 reached an all-time high of $62.5 billion, exacerbating the market’s price decline during the month. However, all of the supply was absorbed and municipal bond valuations subsequently returned to more typical levels.

The final tax reform legislation signed on December 27, 2017 largely spared municipal bonds and was considered neutral to positive for the municipal market overall. Notably, a provision that would have eliminated the tax-preferred status of 20% to 30% of the municipal bond market was not included in the final bill. Moreover, investors were relieved that the adopted changes apply only to newly issued municipal bonds and also could be beneficial from a technical standpoint. Because new issue advance refunding bonds are no longer tax exempt, the total supply of municipal bonds will decrease going forward, boosting the scarcity value of existing municipal bonds. The new tax law also caps the state and local tax (SALT) deduction for individuals, which will likely increase demand for tax-exempt municipal bonds, especially in states with high income and/or property taxes.

Following the issuance surge in late 2017, issuance remained sharply lower in early 2018. However, the overall balance of municipal bond supply and demand remained advantageous for prices. Municipal bond issuance nationwide totaled $388.6 billion in this reporting period, a 0.3% increase from the issuance for the twelve-month reporting period ended October 31, 2018. The overall low

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level of interest rates encouraged issuers to continue to actively refund their outstanding debt. In these transactions the issuers are issuing new bonds and taking the bond proceeds and redeeming (calling) old bonds. These refunding transactions have ranged from 40% to 60% of total issuance over the past few years. Thus, the net issuance (all bonds issued less bonds redeemed) is actually much lower than the gross issuance. So, while gross issuance volume has been strong, the net has not, and this was an overall positive technical factor on municipal bond investment performance in recent years. Although the pace of refundings is slowing, net negative issuance is expected to continue.

Despite the volatility surrounding the potential tax law changes, demand remained robust and continued to outstrip supply. Low global interest rates have continued to drive investors toward higher after-tax yielding assets, including U.S. municipal bonds. As a result, municipal bond fund inflows have remained steady through the end of the reporting period.

What key strategies were used to manage these Funds during the twelve-month reporting period ended October 31, 2018?

Interest rates rose in this reporting period but not uniformly. The yield curve flattened as the rate increase on the short end outpaced that on the long end. The rise in yields weighed on bond prices, but the gradual pace of the increase kept municipal bond fund flows fairly stable. Supply and demand conditions remained favorable, and credit fundamentals were relatively robust. During this time, we continued to take a bottom-up approach to discovering sectors that appeared undervalued as well as individual credits that we believed had the potential to perform well over the long term.

Our trading activity continued to focus on pursuing the Funds’ investment objectives. We remained comfortable with the Funds’ broad positioning, maintaining overweight allocations to lower investment grade credits and from a sector standpoint overweights in health care (especially hospitals), transportation (mainly airports and toll roads) and tobacco, as well as an underweight in state and local general obligation (GO) bonds.

The rising interest rate environment provided attractive opportunities for tax loss swapping. This strategy involves selling bonds that were bought when interest rates were lower and reinvesting the proceeds into bonds offering higher yield levels to capitalize on the tax loss (which can be used to offset future taxable gains) and boost the Funds’ income distribution capabilities.

Over the course of the reporting period, NAD added to weightings in the transportation sector (primarily airports and maritime ports). The strategy primarily involved adding bonds in that sector subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT). We consider the sector to generally possess good credit quality and liquidity (as well as incremental yield from the AMT designation) in an environment where fewer investors should find themselves subject to the AMT due to the tax code changes in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. NEA added bonds from a range of sectors. The purchases were made primarily using a mixture of proceeds from calls, maturities and tax loss swap transactions. Other trading activity during the reporting period included replacing some New Jersey Tobacco Settlement bonds that were refunded.

As of October 31, 2018, the Funds continued to use inverse floating rate securities. We employ inverse floaters for a variety of reasons, including duration management and income and total return enhancement. As part of our duration management strategies, during the first half of the reporting period NEA also invested in forward interest rates swaps to help reduce price volatility risk due to movements in U.S. interest rates relative to the Fund’s benchmark. The swap position was eliminated in April 2018 and had a negligible impact on performance during the reporting period.

How did the Funds perform during the twelve-month reporting period ended October 31, 2018?

The tables in each Fund's Performance Overview and Holding Summaries section of this report provide the Funds’ total returns for the one-year, five-year and ten-year periods ended October 31, 2018. Each Fund's total returns at net asset value (NAV) are compared with the performance of a corresponding market index.

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Portfolio Manager’s Comments (continued)

For the twelve months ended October 31, 2018, the total returns on common share NAV for the two Funds underperformed the returns for the national S&P Municipal Bond Index and the secondary benchmark, composed of 80% S&P Municipal Bond Investment Grade Index and 20% S&P Municipal Bond High Yield Index.

Yield curve and duration positioning and credit quality allocations had the largest impacts on the Funds’ relative performance, with a smaller contribution from sector allocations. NAD and NEA held overweight allocations in longer maturities, which was modestly beneficial to performance relative to the weaker performing intermediate part of the curve. However, the Funds’ relative performance was hurt by their slight overweight in older zero-coupon bonds that have drifted into the intermediate range of the yield curve.

From a credit ratings standpoint, lower rated credits outperformed in this reporting period. The Funds’ overweight allocations to BBB and single-B rated bonds contributed positively to performance, driven by both price appreciation and income generation.

Sector weightings were advantageous across the Funds’ overweights in tobacco and health care and an underweight in GO bonds. Security selection in the health care sector also aided performance. Both an overweight and security selection in Illinois bonds was another positive contributor, while an underweight in Puerto Rico bonds slightly detracted from relative results.

In addition, the use of regulatory leverage was an important factor affecting performance of the Funds. Leverage is discussed in more detail later in the Fund Leverage section of this report.

An Update on FirstEnergy Solutions Corp.

FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. and all of its subsidiaries filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code on March 18, 2018. FirstEnergy Solutions and its subsidiaries specialize in coal and nuclear energy production. It is one of the main energy producers in the state of Ohio and a major energy provider in Pennsylvania. Because of the challenging market environment for nuclear and coal power in the face of inexpensive natural gas, FirstEnergy Corp., FirstEnergy Solution’s parent announced in late 2016 that it would begin a strategic review of its generation assets. FirstEnergy Solutions is a unique corporate issuer in that the majority of its debt was issued in the municipal market to finance pollution control and waste disposal for its coal and nuclear plants. A substantial amount of bondholders, of which Nuveen Funds are included, entered into an “Agreement in Principal” with FirstEnergy Corp., to resolve potential claims that bondholders may have against FirstEnergy Corp. The agreement is subject to the approval of the FirstEnergy Corp. board of directors, FirstEnergy Solutions and the bankruptcy court.

In terms of FirstEnergy Solutions holdings, shareholders should note that NEA had no exposure to FirstEnergy, while NAD had 0.06% and it should be noted that this exposure is senior lien secured and had a negligible effect on relative performance.

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Fund Leverage

IMPACT OF THE FUNDS’ LEVERAGE STRATEGIES ON PERFORMANCE

One important factor impacting the returns of the Funds’ common shares relative to their comparative benchmarks was the Funds’ use of leverage through their issuance of preferred shares and/or investments in inverse floating rate securities, which represent leveraged investments in underlying bonds. The Funds use leverage because our research has shown that, over time, leveraging provides opportunities for additional income, particularly in the recent market environment where short-term market rates are at or near historical lows, meaning that the short-term rates the Fund has been paying on its leveraging instruments in recent years have been much lower than the interest the Fund has been earning on its portfolio of long-term bonds that it has bought with the proceeds of that leverage.

However, use of leverage can expose Fund common shares to additional price volatility. When a Fund uses leverage, the Fund common shares will experience a greater increase in their net asset value if the municipal bonds acquired through the use of leverage increase in value, but will also experience a correspondingly larger decline in their net asset value if the bonds acquired through leverage decline in value, which will make the shares’ net asset value more volatile, and total return performance more variable, over time.

In addition, common share income in levered funds will typically decrease in comparison to unlevered funds when short-term interest rates increase and increase when short-term interest rates decrease. Over the last few quarters, short-term interest rates have indeed increased from their extended lows after the 2007-09 financial crisis. This increase has reduced common share net income, and also reduced potential for long-term total returns. Nevertheless, the ability to effectively borrow at current short-term rates is still resulting in enhanced common share income, and management believes that the advantages of continuation of leverage outweigh the associated increase in risk and volatility described above.

Leverage had a negligible impact on the performance of NAD over the reporting period. Leverage had a positive impact on the performance of NEA during the reporting period.

As of October 31, 2018, the Funds’ percentages of leverage are as shown in the accompanying table.

 

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Fund Leverage (continued)

 

THE FUNDS’ REGULATORY LEVERAGE

As of October 31, 2018, the Funds have issued and outstanding preferred shares as shown in the accompanying table.

 

Refer to Notes to Financial Statements, Note 4 — Fund Shares, Preferred Shares and Note 10 — Subsequent Events for further details on preferred shares and each Fund’s respective transactions.

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Common Share Information

 

COMMON SHARE DISTRIBUTION INFORMATION

The following information regarding the Funds’ distributions is current as of October 31, 2018. Each Fund’s distribution levels may vary over time based on each Fund’s investment activity and portfolio investment value changes.

During the current reporting period, each Fund’s distributions to common shareholders were as shown in the accompanying table.

 

Each Fund seeks to pay regular monthly dividends out of its net investment income at a rate that reflects its past and projected net income performance. To permit each Fund to maintain a more stable monthly dividend, the Fund may pay dividends at a rate that may be more or less than the amount of net income actually earned by the Fund during the period. Distributions to shareholders are determined on a tax basis, which may differ from amounts recorded in the accounting records. In instances where the monthly dividend exceeds the earned net investment income, the Fund would report a negative undistributed net ordinary income. Refer to Note 6 – Income Tax Information for additional information regarding the amounts of undistributed net ordinary income and undistributed net long-term capital gains and the character of the actual distributions paid by the Fund during the period.

All monthly dividends paid by each Fund during the current reporting period were paid from net investment income. If a portion of the Fund’s monthly distributions is sourced or comprised of elements other than net investment income, including capital gains

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Common Share Information (continued)

 

and/or a return of capital, shareholders will be notified of those sources. For financial reporting purposes, the per share amounts of each Fund’s distributions for the reporting period are presented in this report’s Financial Highlights. For income tax purposes, distribution information for each Fund as of its most recent tax year end is presented in Note 6 – Income Tax Information within the Notes to Financial Statements of this report.

COMMON SHARE REPURCHASES

During August 2018, the Funds’ Board of Trustees reauthorized an open-market share repurchase program, allowing each Fund to repurchase an aggregate of up to approximately 10% of its outstanding shares.

As of October 31, 2018, and since the inception of the Funds’ repurchase programs, the Funds have cumulatively repurchased and retired their outstanding common shares as shown in the accompanying table.

 

During the current reporting period, the Funds repurchased and retired their common shares at a weighted average price per share and a weighted average discount per share as shown in the accompanying table.

 

OTHER COMMON SHARE INFORMATION

As of October 31, 2018, and during the current reporting period, the Funds’ common share prices were trading at a premium/(discount) to their common share NAVs as shown in the accompanying table.

 

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Risk Considerations

 

Fund shares are not guaranteed or endorsed by any bank or other insured depository institution, and are not federally insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Nuveen Quality Municipal Income Fund (NAD)

Investing in closed-end funds involves risk; principal loss is possible. There is no guarantee the Fund’s investment objectives will be achieved. Closed-end fund shares may frequently trade at a discount or premium to their net asset value. Debt or fixed income securities such as those held by the Fund, are subject to market risk, credit risk, interest rate risk, derivatives risk, liquidity risk, and income risk. As interest rates rise, bond prices fall. Leverage increases return volatility and magnifies the Fund’s potential return and its risks; there is no guarantee a fund’s leverage strategy will be successful. These and other risk considerations such as inverse floater risk and tax risk are described in more detail on the Fund’s web page at www.nuveen.com/NAD.

Nuveen AMT-Free Quality Municipal Income Fund (NEA)

Investing in closed-end funds involves risk; principal loss is possible. There is no guarantee the Fund’s investment objectives will be achieved. Closed-end fund shares may frequently trade at a discount or premium to their net asset value. Debt or fixed income securities such as those held by the Fund, are subject to market risk, credit risk, interest rate risk, derivatives risk, liquidity risk, and income risk. As interest rates rise, bond prices fall. Leverage increases return volatility and magnifies the Fund’s potential return and its risks; there is no guarantee a fund’s leverage strategy will be successful. These and other risk considerations such as inverse floater risk and tax risk are described in more detail on the Fund’s web page at www.nuveen.com/NEA.

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Refer to the Glossary of Terms Used in this Report for further definition of the terms used within this section.

Average Annual Total Returns as of October 31, 2018

 

Past performance is not predictive of future results. Current performance may be higher or lower than the data shown. Returns do not reflect the deduction of taxes that shareholders may have to pay on Fund distributions or upon the sale of Fund shares. Returns at NAV are net of Fund expenses, and assume reinvestment of distributions. Comparative index return information is provided for the Fund’s shares at NAV only. Indexes are not available for direct investment.

Common Share Price Performance — Weekly Closing Price

 

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This data relates to the securities held in the Fund’s portfolio of investments as of the end of the reporting period. It should not be construed as a measure of performance for the Fund itself. Holdings are subject to change.

The ratings disclosed are the lowest rating given by one of the following national rating agencies: Standard & Poor’s Group, Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch, Inc. Credit ratings are subject to change. AAA, AA, A and BBB are investment grade ratings; BB, B, CCC, CC, C and D are below-investment grade ratings. Holdings designated N/R are not rated by these national rating agencies.

 

 

 

 

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Refer to the Glossary of Terms Used in this Report for further definition of the terms used within this section.

Average Annual Total Returns as of October 31, 2018

 

Past performance is not predictive of future results. Current performance may be higher or lower than the data shown. Returns do not reflect the deduction of taxes that shareholders may have to pay on Fund distributions or upon the sale of Fund shares. Returns at NAV are net of Fund expenses, and assume reinvestment of distributions. Comparative index return information is provided for the Fund’s shares at NAV only. Indexes are not available for direct investment.

Common Share Price Performance — Weekly Closing Price

 

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This data relates to the securities held in the Fund’s portfolio of investments as of the end of the reporting period. It should not be construed as a measure of performance for the Fund itself. Holdings are subject to change.

The ratings disclosed are the lowest rating given by one of the following national rating agencies: Standard & Poor’s Group, Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch, Inc. Credit ratings are subject to change. AAA, AA, A and BBB are investment grade ratings; BB, B, CCC, CC, C and D are below-investment grade ratings. Holdings designated N/R are not rated by these national rating agencies.

 

 

 

 

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Shareholder Meeting Report

 

The annual meeting of shareholders was held in the offices of Nuveen on August 8, 2018 for NAD and NEA; at this meeting the shareholders were asked to elect Board Members.

 

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying statements of assets and liabilities, including the portfolios of investments, of Nuveen Quality Municipal Income Fund and Nuveen AMT-Free Quality Municipal Income Fund (the “Funds”) as of October 31, 2018, the related statements of operations and cash flows for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the related notes (collectively, the “financial statements”) and the financial highlights for each of the years in the five-year period then ended. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Funds as of October 31, 2018, the results of their operations and cash flows for the year then ended, the changes in their net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the years in the five-year period then ended, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Funds’ management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Funds in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Such procedures also included confirmation of securities owned as of October 31, 2018, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers or other appropriate auditing procedures. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

/s/ KPMG LLP

We have served as the auditor of one or more Nuveen investment companies since 2014.

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