c/o AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 786003, San Antonio, Texas 78278-6003
Toll Free (800) 221-5672
For Literature: Toll Free (800) 227-4618
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
December 31, 2012
This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") is not a
prospectus, but supplements and should be read in conjunction with, the
Strategies' current prospectus, dated December 31, 2012 of the AllianceBernstein
Wealth Strategies that offers Class A, Class B , Class C, Advisor Class, Class
R, Class K and Class I shares of the AllianceBernstein Wealth Appreciation
Strategy ("Wealth Appreciation Strategy"), the AllianceBernstein Balanced Wealth
Strategy ("Balanced Wealth Strategy") and the AllianceBernstein Conservative
Wealth Strategy ("Conservative Wealth Strategy") and Class A, Class B, Class C
and Advisor Class shares of the AllianceBernstein Tax-Managed Wealth
Appreciation Strategy ("Tax-Managed Wealth Appreciation Strategy"), the
AllianceBernstein Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth Strategy ("Tax-Managed Balanced
Wealth Strategy"), and the AllianceBernstein Tax-Managed Conservative Wealth
Strategy ("Tax-Managed Conservative Wealth Strategy") (each a "Strategy" and
together, the "Strategies"). Financial statements for the Strategies for the
fiscal year ended August 31, 2012 are included in the Strategies' annual report
to shareholders and are incorporated into this SAI by reference. Copies of the
Prospectus and annual report may be obtained by contacting AllianceBernstein
Investor Services, Inc. ("ABIS") at the address or the "For Literature"
telephone number shown above or on the Internet at www.AllianceBernstein.com.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
DESCRIPTION OF THE STRATEGIES AND THE UNDERLYING PORTFOLIOS....................4
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS.......................................................47
MANAGEMENT OF THE STRATEGIES..................................................48
EXPENSES OF THE STRATEGIES....................................................72
PURCHASE OF SHARES............................................................82
REDEMPTION AND REPURCHASE OF SHARES..........................................109
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES.........................................................112
NET ASSET VALUE..............................................................115
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES...........................................119
STRATEGIES TRANSACTIONS......................................................126
GENERAL INFORMATION..........................................................132
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED
PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM.......................................................157
APPENDIX A - STATEMENT OF POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR PROXY..................A-1
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AllianceBernstein(R) and the AB Logo are registered trademarks and service marks
used by permission of the owner, AllianceBernstein L.P.
DESCRIPTION OF THE STRATEGIES AND THE UNDERLYING PORTFOLIOS
Introduction to the Strategies
The AllianceBernstein Portfolios (the "Trust") is comprised of the
six Strategies and the AllianceBernstein Growth Fund. The AllianceBernstein
Growth Fund is offered through a separate prospectus and statement of additional
information. The Trust is a diversified, open-end investment company.
Except as otherwise noted, the investment objective and policies of
the Strategies are not "fundamental policies" within the meaning of the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and may, therefore,
be changed by the Board of Trustees (the "Board" or the "Trustees") without
shareholder approval. However, the Strategies will not change their investment
objective without at least 60 days' prior written notice to shareholders. There
is no guarantee that the Trust will achieve its investment objectives. Whenever
any investment restriction states a maximum percentage of a Strategy's assets
that may be invested in any security or other asset, it is intended that such
maximum percentage limitation be determined immediately after and as a result of
such Strategy's acquisition of such securities or other assets. Accordingly, any
later increase or decrease beyond the specified limitation resulting from a
change in value or net asset value ("NAV") will not be considered a violation of
such percentage limitation.
The Wealth Appreciation Strategy, the Balanced Wealth Strategy and
the Conservative Wealth Strategy invest directly in a combination of portfolios
of The AllianceBernstein Pooling Portfolios representing a variety of asset
classes and investment styles (the "Underlying Portfolios") that are also
managed by AllianceBernstein L.P., the Strategies' investment adviser (the
"Adviser"), rather than directly in securities. The Tax-Managed Wealth
Appreciation Strategy, the Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth Strategy and the
Tax-Managed Conservative Wealth Strategy primarily invest directly in securities
but also invest in currently one Underlying Portfolio, the Volatility Management
Portfolio.
Additional Investment Policies and Practices
The following information about the Strategies' investment policies
and practices supplements the information set forth in the Prospectus.
The investment practices described below may be used by the
Strategies either directly, or for those Strategies that invest in Underlying
Portfolios, indirectly. For purposes of this section, except where otherwise
noted, discussion regarding the investment practices of the Strategies should be
read to include the investment practices of the Underlying Portfolios. Investing
in shares of the Underlying Portfolios involves substantially the same risks as
investing directly in the underlying instruments, but may involve additional
expenses similar to those borne directly by the Strategies, including other
operating expenses.
Convertible Securities
Convertible securities include bonds, debentures, corporate notes
and preferred stocks that are convertible at a stated exchange rate into shares
of the underlying common stock. Prior to their conversion, convertible
securities have the same general characteristics as non-convertible debt
securities, which provide a stable stream of income with generally higher yields
than those of equity securities of the same or similar issuers. As with all debt
securities, the market value of convertible securities tends to decline as
interest rates increase and, conversely, to increase as interest rates decline.
While convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields
than non-convertible debt securities of similar quality, they do enable the
investors to benefit from increases in the market price of the underlying common
stock.
When the market price of the common stock underlying a convertible
security increases, the price of the convertible security increasingly reflects
the value of the underlying common stock and may rise accordingly. As the market
price of the underlying common stock declines, the convertible security tends to
trade increasingly on a yield basis, and thus may not depreciate to the same
extent as the underlying common stock. Convertible securities rank senior to
common stocks in an issuer's capital structure. They are consequently of higher
quality and entail less risk than the issuer's common stock, although the extent
to which such risk is reduced depends in large measure upon the degree to which
the convertible security sells above its value as a fixed-income security.
Depositary Receipts
The Underlying Portfolios may invest in depositary receipts.
American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") are depositary receipts typically issued
by a U.S. bank or trust company that evidence ownership of underlying securities
issued by a foreign corporation. European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs"), Global
Depositary Receipts ("GDRs") or other types of depositary receipts are typically
issued by non-U.S. banks or trust companies and evidence ownership of underlying
securities issued by either a U.S. or non-U.S. company. Transactions in these
securities may not necessarily be settled in the same currency as transactions
in the securities into which they represent. In addition, the issuers of the
securities of unsponsored depositary receipts are not obligated to disclose
material information in the U.S. Generally, ADRs, in registered form, are
designed for use in the U.S. securities markets; EDRs, in bearer form, are
designed for use in European securities markets; and GDRs, in bearer form, are
designed for use in two or more securities markets, such as Europe and Asia.
Derivatives
A Strategy may, but is not required to, use derivatives for hedging
or other risk management purposes or as part of its investment practices.
Derivatives are financial contracts whose value depends on, or is derived from,
the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index. These assets, rates,
and indices may include bonds, stocks, mortgages, commodities, interest rates,
currency exchange rates, bond indices and stock indices.
There are four principal types of derivatives - options, futures,
forwards and swaps. These principal types of derivative instruments, as well as
the methods in which they may be used by a Strategy, are described below.
Derivatives may be (i) standardized, exchange-traded contracts or (ii)
customized, privately-negotiated contracts. Exchange-traded derivatives tend to
be more liquid and subject to less credit risk than those that are privately
negotiated. A Strategy may use derivatives to earn income and enhance returns,
to hedge or adjust the risk profile of a portfolio and either to replace more
traditional direct investments or to obtain exposure to otherwise inaccessible
markets.
Forward Contracts. A forward contract, which may be standardized and
exchange-traded or customized and privately negotiated, is an agreement for one
party to buy, and the other party to sell, a specific quantity of an underlying
security, commodity or other asset for an agreed-upon price at a future date. A
forward contract generally is settled by physical delivery of the security,
commodity or other asset underlying the forward contract to an agreed upon
location at a future date (rather than settled by cash) or will be rolled
forward into a new forward contract. Non-deliverable forwards ("NDFs") specify a
cash payment upon maturity.
Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts. A futures
contract is an agreement that obligates the buyer to buy and the seller to sell
a specified quantity of an underlying asset (or settle for cash the value of a
contract based on an underlying asset, rate or index) at a specific price on the
contract maturity date. Options on futures contracts are options that call for
the delivery of futures contracts upon exercise. Futures contracts are
standardized, exchange-traded instruments and are fungible (i.e., considered to
be perfect substitutes for each other). This fungibility allows futures
contracts to be readily offset or canceled through the acquisition of equal but
opposite positions, which is the primary method in which futures contracts are
liquidated. A cash-settled futures contract does not require physical delivery
of the underlying asset but instead is settled for cash equal to the difference
between the values of the contract on the date it is entered into and its
maturity date.
Options. An option, which may be standardized and exchange-traded or
customized and privately negotiated, is an agreement that, for a premium payment
or fee, gives the option holder (the buyer) the right but not the obligation to
buy (a "call") or sell (a "put") the underlying asset (or settle for cash an
amount based on an underlying asset, rate or index) at a specified price (the
exercise price) during a period of time or on a specified date. Likewise, when
an option is exercised the writer of the option is obligated to sell (in the
case of a call option) or to purchase (in the case of a put option) the
underlying asset (or settle for cash an amount based on an underlying asset,
rate or index).
Swaps. A swap, which may be standardized and exchange-traded or
customized and privately negotiated, is an agreement that obligates two parties
to exchange a series of cash flows at specified intervals (payment dates) based
upon or calculated by reference to changes in specified prices or rates
(interest rates in the case of interest rate swaps, currency exchange rates in
the case of currency swaps) for a specified amount of an underlying asset (the
"notional" principal amount). Swaps are entered into on a net basis (i.e., the
two payment streams are netted out, with the Strategy receiving or paying, as
the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. Except for currency
swaps, the notional principal amount is used solely to calculate the payment
streams but is not exchanged. With respect to currency swaps, actual principal
amounts of currencies may be exchanged by the counterparties at the initiation,
and again upon the termination, of the transaction.
Risks of Derivatives. Investment techniques employing such
derivatives involve risks different from, and, in certain cases, greater than,
the risks presented by more traditional investments. Following is a general
discussion of important risk factors and issues concerning the use of
derivatives.
--Market Risk. This is the general risk attendant to all
investments that the value of a particular investment will
change in a way detrimental to the Strategies' interest.
--Management Risk. Derivative products are highly specialized
instruments that require investment techniques and risk
analyses different from those associated with stocks and
bonds. The use of a derivative requires an understanding not
only of the underlying instrument but also of the derivative
itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of
the derivative under all possible market conditions. In
particular, the use and complexity of derivatives require the
maintenance of adequate controls to monitor the transactions
entered into, the ability to assess the risk that a derivative
adds to the Strategies' investment portfolio, and the ability
to forecast price, interest rate or currency exchange rate
movements correctly.
--Credit Risk. This is the risk that a loss may be sustained
by the Strategies as a result of the failure of another party
to a derivative (usually referred to as a "counterparty") to
comply with the terms of the derivative contract. The credit
risk for exchange-traded derivatives is generally less than
for privately negotiated derivatives, since the clearinghouse,
which is the issuer or counterparty to each exchange-traded
derivative, provides a guarantee of performance. This
guarantee is supported by a daily payment system (i.e., margin
requirements) operated by the clearinghouse in order to reduce
overall credit risk. For privately negotiated derivatives,
there is no similar clearing agency guarantee. Therefore, the
Strategies consider the creditworthiness of each counterparty
to a privately negotiated derivative in evaluating potential
credit risk.
--Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk exists when a particular
instrument is difficult to purchase or sell. If a derivative
transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is
illiquid (as is the case with many privately negotiated
derivatives), it may not be possible to initiate a transaction
or liquidate a position at an advantageous price.
--Leverage Risk. Since many derivatives have a leverage
component, adverse changes in the value or level of the
underlying asset, rate or index can result in a loss
substantially greater than the amount invested in the
derivative itself. In the case of swaps, the risk of loss
generally is related to a notional principal amount, even if
the parties have not made any initial investment. Certain
derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless
of the size of the initial investment.
--Risk of Governmental Regulation of Derivatives. Recent
legislation and regulatory developments will eventually
require the clearing and exchange trading of most
over-the-counter derivatives investments. It is possible that
new regulation of various types of derivative instruments,
including futures and swaps, may affect the Strategy's ability
to use such instruments as a part of its investment strategy.
--Other Risks. Other risks in using derivatives include the
risk of mispricing or improper valuation of derivatives and
the inability of derivatives to correlate perfectly with
underlying assets, rates and indices. Many derivatives, in
particular privately negotiated derivatives, are complex and
often valued subjectively. Improper valuations can result in
increased cash payment requirements to counterparties or a
loss of value to a Strategy. Derivatives do not always
perfectly or even highly correlate or track the value of the
assets, rates or indices they are designed to closely track.
Consequently, a Strategy's use of derivatives may not always
be an effective means of, and sometimes could be
counterproductive to, furthering the Strategy's investment
objective.
A Strategy may purchase and sell derivative instruments only to the
extent that such activities are consistent with the requirements of the
Commodity Exchange Act ("CEA"), including registration as a "commodity pool
operator". The Underlying Portfolios have claimed an exclusion from the
definition of commodity pool operator under the CEA and are not currently
subject to registration, disclosure and reporting requirements under the CEA.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") has recently adopted
amendments to this exclusion. These amendments become effective December 31,
2012 and may necessitate that the Underlying Portfolios comply with regulatory
obligations and restrictions under the CEA. Such regulation could affect the
Underlying Portfolios' expenses or their use of derivative instruments.
Use of Options, Futures, Forwards and Swaps by the Strategies
Forward Currency Exchange Contracts. A forward currency exchange
contract is an obligation by one party to buy, and the other party to sell, a
specific amount of a currency for an agreed-upon price at a future date. A
forward currency exchange contract may result in the delivery of the underlying
asset upon maturity of the contract in return for the agreed-upon payment. NDFs
specify a cash payment upon maturity. NDFs are normally used when the market for
physical settlement of the currency is underdeveloped, heavily regulated or
highly taxed.
Each Strategy may, for example, enter into forward currency exchange
contracts to attempt to minimize the risk to the Strategy from adverse changes
in the relationship between the U.S. Dollar and other currencies. The Strategies
may purchase or sell forward currency exchange contracts for hedging purposes
similar to those described below in connection with its transactions in foreign
currency futures contracts. A Strategy may also purchase or sell forward
currency exchange contracts for non-hedging purposes as a means of making direct
investments in foreign currencies, as described below under "Currency
Transactions".
If a hedging transaction in forward currency exchange contracts is
successful, the decline in the value of portfolio securities or the increase in
the cost of securities to be acquired may be offset, at least in part, by
profits on the forward currency exchange contract. Nevertheless, by entering
into such forward currency exchange contracts, a Strategy may be required to
forego all or a portion of the benefits which otherwise could have been obtained
from favorable movements in exchange rates.
A Strategy may also use forward currency exchange contracts to seek
to increase total return when AllianceBernstein L.P., the Trust's adviser (the
"Adviser"), anticipates that a foreign currency will appreciate or depreciate in
value but securities denominated in that currency are not held by the Strategy
and do not present attractive investment opportunities. For example, a Strategy
may enter into a foreign currency exchange contract to purchase a currency if
the Adviser expects the currency to increase in value. A Strategy would
recognize a gain if the market value of the currency is more than the contract
value of the currency at the time of settlement of the contract. Similarly, a
Strategy may enter into a foreign currency exchange contract to sell a currency
if the Adviser expects the currency to decrease in value. A Strategy would
recognize a gain if the market value of the currency is less than the contract
value of the currency at the time of settlement of the contract.
The cost of engaging in forward currency exchange contracts varies
with such factors as the currencies involved, the length of the contract period
and the market conditions then prevailing. Since transactions in foreign
currencies are usually conducted on a principal basis, no fees or commissions
are involved.
Options On Securities. A Strategy may write and purchase call and
put options on securities. In purchasing an option on securities, a Strategy
would be in a position to realize a gain if, during the option period, the price
of the underlying securities increased (in the case of a call) or decreased (in
the case of a put) by an amount in excess of the premium paid; otherwise the
Strategy would experience a loss not greater than the premium paid for the
option. Thus, a Strategy would realize a loss if the price of the underlying
security declined or remained the same (in the case of a call) or increased or
remained the same (in the case of a put) or otherwise did not increase (in the
case of a put) or decrease (in the case of a call) by more than the amount of
the premium. If a put or call option purchased by a Strategy were permitted to
expire without being sold or exercised, its premium would represent a loss to
the Strategy.
A Strategy may also purchase call options to hedge against an
increase in the price of securities that the Strategy anticipates purchasing in
the future. If such increase occurs, the call option will permit the Strategy to
purchase the securities at the exercise price, or to close out the options at a
profit. The premium paid for the call option plus any transaction costs will
reduce the benefit, if any, realized by a Strategy upon exercise of the option,
and, unless the price of the underlying security rises sufficiently, the option
may expire worthless to the Strategy and the Strategy will suffer a loss on the
transaction to the extent of the premium paid.
A Strategy may purchase put options to hedge against a decline in
the value of portfolio securities. If such decline occurs, the put options will
permit the Strategy to sell the securities at the exercise price or to close out
the options at a profit. By using put options in this way, the Strategy will
reduce any profit it might otherwise have realized on the underlying security by
the amount of the premium paid for the put option and by transaction costs.
A Strategy may write a put or call option in return for a premium,
which is retained by a Strategy whether or not the option is exercised. A
Strategy may write covered options or uncovered options. A call option written
by a Strategy is "covered" if the Strategy owns the underlying security, has an
absolute and immediate right to acquire that security upon conversion or
exchange of another security it holds, or holds a call option on the underlying
security with an exercise price equal to or less than of the call option it has
written. A put option written by a Strategy is covered if the Strategy holds a
put option on the underlying securities with an exercise price equal to or
greater than that of the put option it has written. Uncovered options or "naked
options" are riskier than covered options. For example, if a Strategy wrote a
naked call option and the price of the underlying security increased, the
Strategy would have to purchase the underlying security for delivery to the call
buyer and sustain a loss equal to the difference between the option price and
the market price of the security.
A Strategy may also, as an example, write combinations of put and
call options on the same security, known as "straddles", with the same exercise
and expiration date. By writing a straddle, a Strategy undertakes a simultaneous
obligation to sell and purchase the same security in the event that one of the
options is exercised. If the price of the security subsequently rises above the
exercise price, the call will likely be exercised and the Strategy will be
required to sell the underlying security at or below market price. This loss may
be offset, however, in whole or part, by the premiums received on the writing of
the two options. Conversely, if the price of the security declines by a
sufficient amount, the put will likely be exercised. The writing of straddles
will likely be effective, therefore, only where the price of the security
remains stable and neither the call nor the put is exercised. In those instances
where one of the options is exercised, the loss on the purchase or sale of the
underlying security may exceed the amount of the premiums received.
A Strategy may purchase or write options on securities of the types
in which they are permitted to invest in privately negotiated (i.e.,
over-the-counter) transactions. By writing a call option, a Strategy limits its
opportunity to profit from any increase in the market value of the underlying
security above the exercise price of the option. By writing a put option, a
Strategy assumes the risk that it may be required to purchase the underlying
security for an exercise price above its then current market value, resulting in
a capital loss unless the security subsequently appreciates in value. Where
options are written for hedging purposes, such transactions constitute only a
partial hedge against declines in the value of portfolio securities or against
increases in the value of securities to be acquired, up to the amount of the
premium.
A Strategy will effect such transactions only with investment
dealers and other financial institutions (such as commercial banks or savings
and loan institutions) deemed creditworthy by the Adviser, and the Adviser has
adopted procedures for monitoring the creditworthiness of such entities. Options
purchased or written in negotiated transactions may be illiquid and it may not
be possible for the Strategy to effect a closing transaction at a time when the
Adviser believes it would be advantageous to do so.
Options on Securities Indices. An option on a securities index is
similar to an option on a security except that, rather than taking or making
delivery of a security at a specified price, an option on a securities index
gives the holder the right to receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of
cash if the closing level of the chosen index is greater than (in the case of a
call) or less than (in the case of a put) the exercise price of the option.
A Strategy may write (sell) covered call and put options and
purchase call and put options on securities indices. If a Strategy purchases put
options on securities indices to hedge its investments against a decline in the
value of portfolio securities, it will seek to offset a decline in the value of
securities it owns through appreciation of the put option. If the value of a
Strategy's investments does not decline as anticipated, or if the value of the
option does not increase, the Strategy's loss will be limited to the premium
paid for the option. The success of this strategy will largely depend on the
accuracy of the correlation between the changes in value of the index and the
changes in value of a Strategy's security holdings.
The purchase of call options on securities indices may be used by a
Strategy to attempt to reduce the risk of missing a broad market advance, or an
advance in an industry or market segment, at a time when the Strategy holds
uninvested cash or short-term debt securities awaiting investment. When
purchasing call options for this purpose, a Strategy will also bear the risk of
losing all or a portion of the premium paid if the value of the index does not
rise. The purchase of call options on stock indices when a Strategy is
substantially fully invested is a form of leverage, up to the amount of the
premium and related transaction costs, and involves risks of loss and of
increased volatility similar to those involved in purchasing call options on
securities the Strategy owns.
Other Option Strategies. In an effort to earn extra income, to
adjust exposure to individual securities or markets, or to protect all or a
portion of its portfolio from a decline in value, sometimes within certain
ranges, a Strategy may use option strategies such as the concurrent purchase of
a call or put option, including on individual securities and stock indexes,
futures contracts (including on individual securities and stock indexes) or
shares of exchange-traded funds ("ETFs") at one strike price and the writing of
a call or put option on the same individual security, stock index, futures
contract or ETF at a higher strike price in the case of a call option or at a
lower strike price in the case of a put option. The maximum profit from this
strategy would result for the call options from an increase in the value of the
individual security, stock index, futures contract or ETF above the higher
strike price or for the put options the decline in the value of the individual
security, stock index, futures contract or ETF below the lower strike price. If
the price of the individual security, stock index, futures contract or ETF
declines in the case of the call option or increases in the case of the put
option, the Strategy has the risk of losing the entire amount paid for the call
or put options.
Options on Foreign Currencies. A Strategy may purchase and write
options on foreign currencies for hedging and non-hedging purposes. For example,
a decline in the dollar value of a foreign currency in which portfolio
securities are denominated will reduce the dollar value of such securities, even
if their value in the foreign currency remains constant. In order to protect
against such diminutions in the value of portfolio securities, the Strategies
may purchase put options on the foreign currency. If the value of the currency
does decline, the Strategy will have the right to sell such currency for a fixed
amount in dollars and could thereby offset, in whole or in part, the adverse
effect on its portfolio which otherwise would have resulted.
Conversely, where a rise in the dollar value of a currency in which
securities to be acquired are denominated is projected, thereby increasing the
cost of such securities, the Strategies may purchase call options thereon. The
purchase of such options could offset, at least partially, the effects of the
adverse movements in exchange rates. As in the case of other types of options,
however, the benefit to a Strategy from purchases of foreign currency options
will be reduced by the amount of the premium and related transaction costs. In
addition, where currency exchange rates do not move in the direction or to the
extent anticipated, a Strategy could sustain losses on transactions in foreign
currency options which would require it to forego a portion or all of the
benefits of advantageous changes in such rates.
A Strategy may write options on foreign currencies for hedging
purposes or to increase return. For example, where a Strategy anticipates a
decline in the dollar value of non-U.S. Dollar-denominated securities due to
adverse fluctuations in exchange rates it could, instead of purchasing a put
option, write a call option on the relevant currency. If the expected decline
occurs, the option will most likely not be exercised, and the diminution in
value of portfolio securities could be offset by the amount of the premium
received.
Similarly, instead of purchasing a call option to hedge against an
anticipated increase in the dollar cost of securities to be acquired, a Strategy
could write a put option on the relevant currency, which, if rates move in the
manner projected, will expire unexercised and allow the Strategy to hedge such
increased cost up to the amount of the premium. As in the case of other types of
options, however, the writing of a foreign currency option will constitute only
a partial hedge up to the amount of the premium, and only if rates move in the
expected direction. If this does not occur, the option may be exercised and the
Strategy will be required to purchase or sell the underlying currency at a loss
which may not be offset by the amount of the premium. Through the writing of
options on foreign currencies, the Strategies also may be required to forego all
or a portion of the benefits that might otherwise have been obtained from
favorable movements in exchange rates.
In addition to using options for the hedging purposes described
above, a Strategy may also invest in options on foreign currencies for
non-hedging purposes as a means of making direct investments in foreign
currencies. A Strategy may use options on currency to seek to increase total
return when the Adviser anticipates that a foreign currency will appreciate or
depreciate in value but securities denominated in that currency are not held by
a Strategy and do not present attractive investment opportunities. For example,
a Strategy may purchase call options in anticipation of an increase in the
market value of a currency. A Strategy would ordinarily realize a gain if,
during the option period, the value of such currency exceeded the sum of the
exercise price, the premium paid and transactions costs. Otherwise, a Strategy
would realize no gain or a loss on the purchase of the call option. Put options
may be purchased by a Strategy for the purpose of benefiting from a decline in
the value of a currency that a Strategy does not own. A Strategy would normally
realize a gain if, during the option period, the value of the underlying
currency decreased below the exercise price sufficiently to more than cover the
premium and transaction costs. Otherwise, a Strategy would realize no gain or
loss on the purchase of the put option. For additional information on the use of
options on foreign currencies for non-hedging purposes, see "Currency
Transactions" below.
Special Risks Associated with Options on Currencies. An
exchange-traded options position may be closed out only on an options exchange
that provides a secondary market for an option of the same series. Although a
Strategy will generally purchase or sell options for which there appears to be
an active secondary market, there is no assurance that a liquid secondary market
on an exchange will exist for any particular option, or at any particular time.
For some options, no secondary market on an exchange may exist. In such event,
it might not be possible to effect closing transactions in particular options,
with the result that a Strategy would have to exercise its options in order to
realize any profit and would incur transaction costs on the sale of the
underlying currency.
Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts. Futures
contracts that a Strategy may buy and sell include futures contracts on
fixed-income or other securities, and contracts based on interest rates, foreign
currencies or financial indices, including any index of U.S. Government
securities. A Strategy may, for example, purchase or sell futures contracts and
options thereon to hedge against changes in interest rates, securities (through
index futures or options) or currencies.
Interest rate futures contracts are purchased or sold for hedging
purposes to attempt to protect against the effects of interest rate changes on a
Strategy's current or intended investments in fixed-income securities. For
example, if a Strategy owned long-term bonds and interest rates were expected to
increase, that Strategy might sell interest rate futures contracts. Such a sale
would have much the same effect as selling some of the long-term bonds in that
Strategy's portfolio. However, since the futures market is more liquid than the
cash market, the use of interest rate futures contracts as a hedging technique
allows a Strategy to hedge its interest rate risk without having to sell its
portfolio securities. If interest rates were to increase, the value of the debt
securities in the portfolio would decline, but the value of that Strategy's
interest rate futures contracts would be expected to increase at approximately
the same rate, thereby keeping the NAV of that Strategy from declining as much
as it otherwise would have. On the other hand, if interest rates were expected
to decline, interest rate futures contracts could be purchased to hedge in
anticipation of subsequent purchases of long-term bonds at higher prices.
Because the fluctuations in the value of the interest rate futures contracts
should be similar to those of long-term bonds, a Strategy could protect itself
against the effects of the anticipated rise in the value of long-term bonds
without actually buying them until the necessary cash becomes available or the
market has stabilized. At that time, the interest rate futures contracts could
be liquidated and that Strategy's cash reserves could then be used to buy
long-term bonds on the cash market.
A Strategy may purchase and sell foreign currency futures contracts
for hedging or risk management purposes in order to protect against fluctuations
in currency exchange rates. Such fluctuations could reduce the dollar value of
portfolio securities denominated in foreign currencies, or increase the cost of
non-U.S. Dollar-denominated securities to be acquired, even if the value of such
securities in the currencies in which they are denominated remains constant. A
Strategy may sell futures contracts on a foreign currency, for example, when it
holds securities denominated in such currency and it anticipates a decline in
the value of such currency relative to the dollar. If such a decline were to
occur, the resulting adverse effect on the value of non-U.S. Dollar-denominated
securities may be offset, in whole or in part, by gains on the futures
contracts. However, if the value of the foreign currency increases relative to
the dollar, a Strategy's loss on the foreign currency futures contract may or
may not be offset by an increase in the value of the securities because a
decline in the price of the security stated in terms of the foreign currency may
be greater than the increase in value as a result of the change in exchange
rates.
Conversely, the Strategies could protect against a rise in the
dollar cost of non-U.S. Dollar-denominated securities to be acquired by
purchasing futures contracts on the relevant currency, which could offset, in
whole or in part, the increased cost of such securities resulting from a rise in
the dollar value of the underlying currencies. When a Strategy purchases futures
contracts under such circumstances, however, and the price in dollars of
securities to be acquired instead declines as a result of appreciation of the
dollar, the Strategy will sustain losses on its futures position which could
reduce or eliminate the benefits of the reduced cost of portfolio securities to
be acquired.
A Strategy may also engage in currency "cross hedging" when, in the
opinion of the Adviser, the historical relationship among foreign currencies
suggests that a Strategy may achieve protection against fluctuations in currency
exchange rates similar to that described above at a reduced cost through the use
of a futures contract relating to a currency other than the U.S. Dollar or the
currency in which the foreign security is denominated. Such "cross hedging" is
subject to the same risks as those described above with respect to an
unanticipated increase or decline in the value of the subject currency relative
to the U.S. Dollar.
A Strategy may also use foreign currency futures contracts and
options on such contracts for non-hedging purposes. Similar to options on
currencies described above, a Strategy may use foreign currency futures
contracts and options on such contracts to seek to increase total return when
the Adviser anticipates that a foreign currency will appreciate or depreciate in
value but securities denominated in that security are not held by a Strategy and
do not present attractive investment opportunities. The risks associated with
foreign currency futures contracts and options on futures are similar to those
associated with options on foreign currencies, as described above. For
additional information on the use of options on foreign currencies for
non-hedging purposes, see "Currency Transactions" below.
Purchases or sales of stock or bond index futures contracts may be
used for hedging purposes to attempt to protect a Strategy's current or intended
investments from broad fluctuations in stock or bond prices. For example, a
Strategy may sell stock or bond index futures contracts in anticipation of or
during a market decline to attempt to offset the decrease in market value of the
Strategy's portfolio securities that might otherwise result. If such decline
occurs, the loss in value of portfolio securities may be offset, in whole or
part, by gains on the futures position. When a Strategy is not fully invested in
the securities market and anticipates a significant market advance, it may
purchase stock or bond index futures contracts in order to gain rapid market
exposure that may, in whole or in part, offset increases in the cost of
securities that the Strategy intends to purchase. As such purchases are made,
the corresponding positions in stock or bond index futures contracts will be
closed out.
Options on futures contracts are options that call for the delivery
of futures contracts upon exercise. Options on futures contracts written or
purchased by the Strategies will be traded on U.S. exchanges.
The writing of a call option on a futures contract constitutes a
partial hedge against declining prices of the securities in a Strategy's
portfolio. If the futures price at expiration of the option is below the
exercise price, a Strategy will retain the full amount of the option premium,
which provides a partial hedge against any decline that may have occurred in the
Strategy's portfolio holdings. The writing of a put option on a futures contract
constitutes a partial hedge against increasing prices of the securities or other
instruments required to be delivered under the terms of the futures contract. If
the futures price at expiration of the put option is higher than the exercise
price, a Strategy will retain the full amount of the option premium, which
provides a partial hedge against any increase in the price of securities which
the Strategy intends to purchase. If a put or call option a Strategy has written
is exercised, the Strategy will incur a loss which will be reduced by the amount
of the premium it receives. Depending on the degree of correlation between
changes in the value of its portfolio securities and changes in the value of its
options on futures positions, a Strategy's losses from exercised options on
futures may to some extent be reduced or increased by changes in the value of
portfolio securities.
A Strategy may purchase options on futures contracts for hedging
purposes instead of purchasing or selling the underlying futures contracts. For
example, where a decrease in the value of portfolio securities is anticipated as
a result of a projected market-wide decline or changes in interest or exchange
rates, a Strategy could, in lieu of selling futures contracts, purchase put
options thereon. In the event that such decrease were to occur, it may be
offset, in whole or part, by a profit on the option. If the anticipated market
decline were not to occur, the Strategy would suffer a loss equal to the price
of the put. Where it is projected that the value of securities to be acquired by
a Strategy will increase prior to acquisition due to a market advance or changes
in interest or exchange rates, a Strategy could purchase call options on futures
contracts, rather than purchasing the underlying futures contracts. If the
market advances, the increased cost of securities to be purchased may be offset
by a profit on the call. However, if the market declines, the Strategy will
suffer a loss equal to the price of the call, but the securities that the
Strategy intends to purchase may be less expensive.
Total Return Swaps. A Strategy may enter into total return swaps,
under which one party agrees to pay the other the total return of a defined
underlying asset, such as a security or basket of securities, or non-asset
reference, such as a securities index, during the specified period in return for
periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or the total return
from different underlying assets or references. Total return swaps could result
in losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated.
Credit Default Swap Agreements. The "buyer" in a credit default swap
contract is obligated to pay the "seller" a periodic stream of payments over the
term of the contract in return for a contingent payment upon the occurrence of a
credit event with respect to an underlying reference obligation. Generally, a
credit event means bankruptcy, failure to pay, obligation acceleration or
restructuring. The Strategies may be either the buyer or seller in the
transaction. As a seller, a Strategy receives a fixed rate of income throughout
the term of the contract, which typically is between one month and ten years,
provided that no credit event occurs. If a credit event occurs, the Strategy
typically must pay the contingent payment to the buyer. The contingent payment
will be either (i) the "par value" (full amount) of the reference obligation in
which case the Strategy will receive the reference obligation in return, or (ii)
an amount equal to the difference between the par value and the current market
value of the obligation. The value of the reference obligation received by the
Strategy as a seller if a credit event occurs, coupled with the periodic
payments previously received, may be less than the full notional value it pays
to the buyer, resulting in a loss to the Strategy. If a Strategy is a buyer and
no credit event occurs, the Strategy will lose its periodic stream of payments
over the term of the contract. However, if a credit event occurs, the buyer
typically receives full notional value for a reference obligation that may have
little or no value.
Credit default swaps may involve greater risks than if a Strategy
had invested in the reference obligation directly. Credit default swaps are
subject to general market risk, liquidity risk and credit risk.
Currency Swaps. A Strategy may enter into currency swaps for hedging
purposes in an attempt to protect against adverse changes in exchange rates
between the U.S. Dollar and other currencies or for non-hedging purposes as a
means of making direct investments in foreign currencies, as described below
under "Currency Transactions". Currency swaps involve the exchange by a Strategy
with another party of a series of payments in specified currencies. Actual
principal amounts of currencies may be exchanged by the counterparties at the
initiation and again upon termination of the transaction. Since currency swaps
are individually negotiated, a Strategy expects to achieve an acceptable degree
of correlation between its portfolio investments and its currency swaps
positions. Therefore, the entire principal value of a currency swap is subject
to the risk that the other party to the swap will default on its contractual
delivery obligations. A Strategy will not enter into any currency swap unless
the credit quality of the unsecured senior debt or the claims-paying ability of
the other party thereto is rated in the highest rating category of at least one
nationally recognized statistical rating organization ("NRSRO") at the time of
entering into the transaction. If there is a default by the other party to such
a transaction, a Strategy will have contractual remedies pursuant to the
agreements related to the transactions.
Inflation (CPI) Swaps. Inflation swap agreements are contracts in
which one party agrees to pay the cumulative percentage increase in a price
index (the Consumer Price Index with respect to CPI swaps) over the term of the
swap (with some lag on the inflation index), and the other pays a compounded
fixed rate. Inflation swap agreements may be used to protect the NAV of a
Strategy against an unexpected change in the rate of inflation measured by an
inflation index since the value of these agreements is expected to increase if
unexpected inflation increases.
Swaps: Interest Rate Transactions. A Strategy may enter into
interest rate swap, swaptions and cap or floor transactions, which may include
preserving a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of its
portfolio or protecting against an increase in the price of securities a
Strategy anticipates purchasing at a later date. Unless there is a counterparty
default, the risk of loss to a Strategy from interest rate transactions is
limited to the net amount of interest payments that the Strategy is
contractually obligated to make. If the counterparty to an interest rate
transaction defaults, the Strategy's risk of loss consists of the net amount of
interest payments that the Strategy is contractually entitled to receive.
Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by a Strategy with another
party of payments calculated by reference to specified interest rates (e.g., an
exchange of floating-rate payments for fixed-rate payments). Interest rate swaps
are entered into on a net basis (i.e., the two payment streams are netted out,
with a Strategy receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of
the two payments).
An option on a swap agreement, also called a "swaption", is an
option that gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to enter into a
swap on a future date in exchange for paying a market-based "premium". A
receiver swaption gives the owner the right to receive the total return of a
specified asset, reference rate, or index. A payer swaption gives the owner the
right to pay the total return of a specified asset, reference rate, or index.
Swaptions also include options that allow an existing swap to be terminated or
extended by one of the counterparties.
Interest rate caps and floors are similar to options in that the
purchase of an interest rate cap or floor entitles the purchaser, to the extent
that a specified index exceeds (in the case of a cap) or falls below (in the
case of a floor) a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest
on a notional amount from the party selling the interest rate cap or floor.
Caps and floors are less liquid than swaps. These transactions do
not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets or principal.
A Strategy will enter into interest rate swap, swaptions, cap or floor
transactions only with counterparties who have credit ratings of at least A- (or
the equivalent) from any one NRSRO or counterparties with guarantors with debt
securities having such a rating.
Variance and Correlation Swaps. A Strategy may enter into variance
or correlation swaps in an attempt to hedge equity market risk or adjust
exposure to the equity markets. Variance swaps are contracts in which two
parties agree to exchange cash payments based on the difference between the
stated level of variance and the actual variance realized on an underlying asset
or index. Actual "variance" as used here is defined as the sum of the square of
the returns on the reference asset or index (which in effect is a measure of its
"volatility") over the length of the contract term. In other words, the parties
to a variance swap can be said to exchange actual volatility for a contractually
stated rate of volatility. Correlation swaps are contracts in which two parties
agree to exchange cash payments based on the differences between the stated and
the actual correlation realized on the underlying equity securities within a
given equity index. "Correlation" as used here is defined as the weighted
average of the correlations between the daily returns of each pair of securities
within a given equity index. If two assets are said to be closely correlated, it
means that their daily returns vary in similar proportions or along similar
trajectories.
Synthetic Foreign Equity Securities. A Strategy may invest in
different types of derivatives generally referred to as synthetic foreign equity
securities. These securities may include international warrants or local access
products. International warrants are financial instruments issued by banks or
other financial institutions, which may or may not be traded on a foreign
exchange. International warrants are a form of derivative security that may give
holders the right to buy or sell an underlying security or a basket of
securities representing an index from or to the issuer of the warrant for a
particular price or may entitle holders to receive a cash payment relating to
the value of the underlying security or index, in each case upon exercise by the
Strategy. Local access products are similar to options in that they are
exercisable by the holder for an underlying security or a cash payment based
upon the value of that security, but are generally exercisable over a longer
term than typical options. These types of instruments may be American style,
which means that they can be exercised at any time on or before the expiration
date of the international warrant, or European style, which means that they may
be exercised only on the expiration date.
Other types of synthetic foreign equity securities in which a
Strategy may invest include covered warrants and low exercise price warrants.
Covered warrants entitle the holder to purchase from the issuer, typically a
financial institution, upon exercise, common stock of an international company
or receive a cash payment (generally in U.S. Dollars). The issuer of the covered
warrant usually owns the underlying security or has a mechanism, such as owning
equity warrants on the underlying securities, through which they can obtain the
securities. The cash payment is calculated according to a predetermined formula,
which is generally based on the difference between the value of the underlying
security on the date of exercise and the strike price. Low exercise price
warrants are warrants with an exercise price that is very low relative to the
market price of the underlying instrument at the time of issue (e.g., one cent
or less). The buyer of a low exercise price warrant effectively pays the full
value of the underlying common stock at the outset. In the case of any exercise
of warrants, there may be a time delay between the time a holder of warrants
gives instructions to exercise and the time the price of the common stock
relating to exercise or the settlement date is determined, during which time the
price of the underlying security could change significantly. In addition, the
exercise or settlement date of the warrants may be affected by certain market
disruption events, such as difficulties relating to the exchange of a local
currency into U.S. Dollars, the imposition of capital controls by a local
jurisdiction or changes in the laws relating to foreign investments. These
events could lead to a change in the exercise date or settlement currency of the
warrants, or postponement of the settlement date. In some cases, if the market
disruption events continue for a certain period of time, the warrants may become
worthless resulting in a total loss of the purchase price of the warrants.
A Strategy's investments in synthetic foreign equity securities will
be those issued by entities deemed to be creditworthy by the Adviser, which will
monitor the creditworthiness of the issuers on an ongoing basis. Investments in
these instruments involve the risk that the issuer of the instrument may default
on its obligation to deliver the underlying security or cash in lieu thereof.
These instruments may also be subject to liquidity risk because there may be a
limited secondary market for trading the warrants. They are also subject, like
other investments in foreign securities, to foreign risk and currency risk.
International warrants also include equity warrants, index warrants,
and interest rate warrants. Equity warrants are generally issued in conjunction
with an issue of bonds or shares, although they also may be issued as part of a
rights issue or scrip issue. When issued with bonds or shares, they usually
trade separately from the bonds or shares after issuance. Most warrants trade in
the same currency as the underlying stock (domestic warrants), but also may be
traded in different currency (euro-warrants). Equity warrants are traded on a
number of foreign exchanges and in over-the-counter markets. Index warrants and
interest rate warrants are rights created by an issuer, typically a financial
institution, entitling the holder to purchase, in the case of a call, or sell,
in the case of a put, respectively, an equity index or a specific bond issue or
interest rate index at a certain level over a fixed period of time. Index
warrants transactions settle in cash, while interest rate warrants can typically
be exercised in the underlying instrument or settle in cash.
A Strategy also may invest in long-term options of, or relating to,
international issuers. Long-term options operate much like covered warrants.
Like covered warrants, long-term options are call options created by an issuer,
typically a financial institution, entitling the holder to purchase from the
issuer outstanding securities of another issuer. Long-term options have an
initial period of one year or more, but generally have terms between three and
five years. Unlike U.S. options, long-term European options do not settle
through a clearing corporation that guarantees the performance of the
counterparty. Instead, they are traded on an exchange and subject to the
exchange's trading regulations.
- Eurodollar Instruments. Eurodollar instruments are essentially U.S.
Dollar-denominated futures contracts or options thereon that are linked to the
London Interbank Offered Rate and are subject to the same limitations and risks
as other futures contracts and options.
- Currency Transactions. A Strategy may invest in non-U.S.
Dollar-denominated securities on a currency hedged or un-hedged basis. The
Adviser may actively manage a Strategy's currency exposures and may seek
investment opportunities by taking long or short positions in currencies through
the use of currency-related derivatives, including forward currency exchange
contracts, futures and options on futures, swaps and options. The Adviser may
enter into transactions for investment opportunities when it anticipates that a
foreign currency will appreciate or depreciate in value but securities
denominated in that currency are not held by a Strategy and do not present
attractive investment opportunities. Such transactions may also be used when the
Adviser believes that it may be more efficient than a direct investment in a
foreign currency-denominated security. A Strategy may also conduct currency
exchange contracts on a spot basis (i.e., for cash at the spot rate prevailing
in the currency exchange market for buying or selling currencies).
Forward Commitments and When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Securities
Forward commitments for the purchase or sale of securities may
include purchases on a "when-issued" basis or purchases or sales on a "delayed
delivery" basis. In some cases, a forward commitment may be conditioned upon the
occurrence of a subsequent event, such as approval and consummation of a merger,
corporate reorganization or debt restructuring (i.e., a "when, as and if issued"
trade). When forward commitment transactions are negotiated, the price is fixed
at the time the commitment is made, the Strategy assumes the rights and risks of
ownership of the security, but the Strategy does not pay for the securities
until they are received. If a Strategy is fully or almost fully invested when
forward commitment purchases are outstanding, such purchases may result in a
form of leverage. Leveraging the portfolio in this manner may increase the
Strategy's volatility of returns.
The use of forward commitments enables a Strategy to protect against
anticipated changes in exchange rates, interest rates and/or prices. For
instance, a Strategy may enter into a forward contract when it enters into a
contract for the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a foreign
currency in order to "lock in" the U.S. Dollar price of the security
("transaction hedge"). In addition, when a Strategy believes that a foreign
currency may suffer a substantial decline against the U.S. Dollar, it may enter
into a forward sale contract to sell an amount of that foreign currency
approximating the value of some or all of that Strategy's securities denominated
in such foreign currency, or when the Strategy believes that the U.S. Dollar may
suffer a substantial decline against a foreign currency, it may enter into a
forward purchase contract to buy that foreign currency for a fixed dollar amount
("position hedge"). If the Adviser were to forecast incorrectly the direction of
exchange rate movements, a Strategy might be required to complete such
when-issued or forward transactions at prices inferior to the then current
market values. When-issued securities and forward commitments may be sold prior
to the settlement date. If the Strategy chooses to dispose of the right to
acquire a when-issued security prior to its acquisition or dispose of its right
to deliver or receive against a forward commitment, it may incur a gain or loss.
Any significant commitment of Strategy assets to the purchase of securities on a
"when, as and if issued" basis may increase the volatility of the Strategy's
NAV.
Forward commitments include "to be announced" ("TBA")
mortgage-backed securities, which are contracts for the purchase or sale of
mortgage-backed securities to be delivered at a future agreed-upon date, whereby
the specific mortgage pool number or the number of pools that will be delivered
to fulfill the trade obligation or terms of the contract are unknown at the time
of the trade. Subsequent to the time of the trade, a mortgage pool or pools
guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association, or GNMA, the Federal
National Mortgage Association, or FNMA, or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage
Association, or FHLMC (including fixed rate or variable rate mortgages) are
allocated to the TBA mortgage-backed securities transactions.
At the time a Strategy intends to enter into a forward commitment,
it will record the transaction and thereafter reflect the value of the security
purchased or, if a sale, the proceeds to be received, in determining its NAV.
Any unrealized appreciation or depreciation reflected in such valuation of a
"when, as and if issued" security would be canceled in the event that the
required conditions did not occur and the trade was canceled.
Purchases of securities on a forward commitment or when-issued basis
may involve more risk than other types of purchases. For example, by committing
to purchase securities in the future, a Strategy subjects itself to a risk of
loss on such commitments as well as on its portfolio securities. Also, a
Strategy may have to sell assets which have been set aside in order to meet
redemptions. In addition, if a Strategy determines it is advisable as a matter
of investment strategy to sell the forward commitment or "when-issued" or
"delayed delivery" securities before delivery, that Strategy may incur a gain or
loss because of market fluctuations since the time the commitment to purchase
such securities was made. Any such gain or loss would be treated as a capital
gain or loss for tax purposes. When the time comes to pay for the securities to
be purchased under a forward commitment or on a "when-issued" or "delayed
delivery" basis, a Strategy will meet its obligations from the then available
cash flow or the sale of securities, or, although it would not normally expect
to do so, from the sale of the forward commitment or "when-issued" or "delayed
delivery" securities themselves (which may have a value greater or less than a
Strategy's payment obligation). No interest or dividends accrue to the purchaser
prior to the settlement date for securities purchased or sold under a forward
commitment. In addition, in the event the other party to the transaction files
for bankruptcy, becomes insolvent, or defaults on its obligation, a Strategy may
be adversely affected.
Illiquid Securities
A Strategy will not invest in illiquid securities if immediately
after such investment more than 15% or such other amount permitted by guidance
regarding the 1940 Act of the Strategy's net assets would be invested in such
securities. For this purpose, illiquid securities include, among others, (a)
direct placements or other securities that are subject to legal or contractual
restrictions on resale or for which there is no readily available market (e.g.,
trading in the security is suspended or, in the case of unlisted securities,
market makers do not exist or will not entertain bids or offers); (b)
over-the-counter options and assets used to cover over-the-counter options; and
(c) repurchase agreements not terminable in seven days. To the extent permitted
by applicable law, Rule 144A Securities will not be treated as illiquid for
purposes of the foregoing restriction so long as such securities meet the
liquidity guidelines established by the Trustees. Pursuant to these guidelines,
the Adviser will monitor the liquidity of a Strategy's investment in Rule 144A
Securities.
Mutual funds do not typically hold a significant amount of
restricted securities (securities that are subject to restrictions on resale to
the general public) or other illiquid securities because of the potential for
delays on resale and uncertainty in valuation. Limitations on resale may have an
adverse effect on the marketability of portfolio securities and a mutual fund
might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly
or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying
redemptions within seven days. A mutual fund may also have to take certain steps
or wait a certain amount of time in order to remove the transfer restrictions
for such restricted securities in order to dispose of them, resulting in
additional expense and delay.
Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
"Securities Act") allows a broader institutional trading market for securities
otherwise subject to restriction on resale to the general public. Rule 144A
establishes a "safe harbor" from the registration requirements of the Securities
Act for resales of certain securities to qualified institutional buyers. An
insufficient number of qualified institutional buyers interested in purchasing
certain restricted securities held by a Strategy, however, could affect
adversely the marketability of such portfolio securities and a Strategy might be
unable to dispose of such securities promptly or at reasonable prices.
The Adviser, acting under the oversight of the Board, will monitor
the liquidity of restricted securities in each Strategy's portfolio that are
eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A. In reaching liquidity decisions, the
Adviser will consider, among others, the following factors: (1) the frequency of
trades and quotes for the security; (2) the number of dealers issuing quotations
to purchase or sell the security; (3) the number of other potential purchasers
of the security; (4) the number of dealers undertaking to make a market in the
security; (5) the nature of the security (including its unregistered nature) and
the nature of the marketplace for the security (e.g., the time needed to dispose
of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of the
transfer); and (6) any applicable Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC")
interpretation or position with respect to such type of securities.
Investment in Exchange-Traded Funds and Other Investment Companies
A Strategy may invest in shares of ETFs, subject to the restrictions and
limitations of the 1940 Act, or any applicable rules, exemptive orders or
regulatory guidance. ETFs are pooled investment vehicles, which may be managed
or unmanaged, that generally seek to track the performance of a specific index.
ETFs will not track their underlying indices precisely since the ETFs have
expenses and may need to hold a portion of their assets in cash, unlike the
underlying indices, and the ETFs may not invest in all of the securities in the
underlying indices in the same proportion as the indices for varying reasons. A
Strategy will incur transaction costs when buying and selling ETF shares, and
indirectly bear the expenses of the ETFs. In addition, the market value of an
ETF's shares, which are based on supply and demand in the market for the ETFs
shares, may differ from their NAV. Accordingly, there may be times when an ETF's
shares trade at a discount to its NAV.
A Strategy may also invest in investment companies other than ETFs, as
permitted by the 1940 Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. As with ETF
investments, if the Strategy acquires shares in other investment companies,
shareholders would bear, indirectly, the expenses of such investment companies
(which may include management and advisory fees), which are in addition to the
Strategy's expenses. The Strategies intend to invest uninvested cash balances in
an affiliated money market fund as permitted by Rule 12d1-1 under the 1940 Act.
Loans of Portfolio Securities
The Strategies may seek to increase income by lending portfolio
securities to brokers, dealers, and financial institutions ("borrowers") to the
extent permitted under the 1940 Act or the rules or regulations thereunder (as
such statute, rules, or regulations may be amended from time to time) or by
guidance regarding, interpretations of, or exemptive orders under, the 1940 Act.
Under the securities lending program, all securities loans will be secured
continually by cash collateral. A principal risk in lending portfolio securities
is that the borrower will fail to return the loaned securities upon termination
of the loan and that the collateral will not be sufficient to replace the loaned
securities upon the borrower's default. In determining whether to lend
securities to a particular borrower, the Adviser (subject to oversight by the
Board) will consider all relevant facts and circumstances, including the
creditworthiness of the borrower. The loans would be made only to firms deemed
by the Adviser to be creditworthy, and when, in the judgment of the Adviser, the
consideration that can be earned currently from securities loans of this type
justifies the attendant risk. The Strategy will be compensated for the loan from
a portion of the net return from the interest earned on the cash collateral
after a rebate paid to the borrower (which may be a negative amount - i.e., the
borrower may pay a fee to the Strategy in connection with the loan) and payments
for fees paid to the securities lending agent and for certain other
administrative expenses.
A Strategy will have the right to call a loan and obtain the
securities loan on notice to the borrower within the normal and customary
settlement time for the securities. While securities are on loan, the borrower
is obligated to pay the Strategy amounts equal to any income or other
distribution from the securities.
A Strategy will invest any cash collateral in a money market fund
that complies with Rule 2a-7, has been approved by the Board and is expected to
be advised by the Adviser. Any such investment of cash collateral will be
subject to the Strategies' investment risk. The Strategy may pay reasonable
finders', administrative, and custodial fees in connection with a loan.
A Strategy will not have the right to vote any securities having
voting rights during the existence of the loan. A Strategy will have the right
to regain record ownership of loaned securities or equivalent securities in
order to exercise voting or ownership rights. When the Strategy lends its
securities, its investment performance will continue to reflect the value of
securities on loan.
Preferred Stock
A Strategy may invest in preferred stock. Preferred stock is an equity
security that has features of debt because it generally entitles the holder to
periodic payments at a fixed rate of return. Preferred stock is subordinated to
any debt the issuer has outstanding but has liquidation preference over common
stock. Accordingly, preferred stock dividends are not paid until all debt
obligations are first met. Preferred stock may be subject to more fluctuations
in market value, due to changes in market participants' perceptions of the
issuer's ability to continue to pay dividends, than debt of the same issuer.
Loan Participations and Assignments
A Strategy may invest in direct debt instruments, which are
interests in amounts owed to lenders or lending syndicates by corporate,
governmental, or other borrowers ("Loans") either by participating as co-lender
at the time the loan is originated ("Participations") or by buying an interest
in the Loan in the secondary market from a financial institution or
institutional investor ("Assignments"). The financial status of the agent
interposed between a Strategy and a borrower may affect the ability of the
Strategy to receive principal and interest payments.
The Strategy's investment may depend on the skill with which an
agent bank administers the terms of the corporate loan agreements, monitors
borrower compliance with covenants, collects principal, interest and fee
payments from borrowers and, where necessary, enforces creditor remedies against
borrowers. Agent banks typically have broad discretion in enforcing loan
agreements.
A Strategy's investment in Participations typically will result in
the Strategy having a contractual relationship only with the financial
institution arranging the Loan with the borrower (the "Lender") and not with the
borrower directly. The Strategy will have the right to receive payments of
principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled only from the Lender
selling the Participation and only upon receipt by the Lender of the payments
from the borrower. In connection with purchasing Participations, the Strategy
generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the
terms of the loan agreement relating to the Loan, nor any rights of set-off
against the borrower, and the Strategy may not directly benefit from any
collateral supporting the Loan in which it has purchased the Participation. As a
result, the Strategy may be subject to the credit risk of both the borrower and
the Lender that is selling the Participation. In the event of the insolvency of
the Lender selling a Participation, the Strategy may be treated as a general
creditor of the Lender and may not benefit from any set-off between the Lender
and the borrower. Certain Participations may be structured in a manner designed
to avoid purchasers of the Participation being subject to the credit risk of the
Lender with respect to the Participation; but even under such a structure, in
the event of the Lender's insolvency, the Lender's servicing of the
Participation may be delayed and the assignability of the Participation
impaired. The Strategy will acquire Participations only if the Lender
interpositioned between the Strategy and the borrower is a Lender having total
assets of more than $25 billion and whose senior unsecured debt is rated
investment grade (i.e.,Baa3 or higher by Moody's or BBB- or higher by S&P) or
higher.
When the Strategy purchases Assignments from Lenders it will acquire
direct rights against the borrower on the Loan. Because Assignments are arranged
through private negotiations between potential assignees and potential
assignors, however, the rights and obligations acquired by the Strategy as the
purchaser of an assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held
by the assigning Lender. The assignability of certain obligations is restricted
by the governing documentation as to the nature of the assignee such that the
only way in which the Strategy may acquire an interest in a Loan is through a
Participation and not an Assignment.
The Strategy may have difficulty disposing of Assignments and
Participations because to do so it will have to assign such securities to a
third party. Because there is no liquid market for such securities, the Strategy
anticipates that such securities could be sold only to a limited number of
institutional investors. The lack of a liquid secondary market may have an
adverse impact on the value of such securities and the Strategy's ability to
dispose of particular Assignments and Participations when necessary to meet the
Strategy's liquidity needs in response to a specific economic event such as a
deterioration in the creditworthiness of the borrower. The lack of a liquid
secondary market for Assignments and Participations also may make it more
difficult for the Strategy to assign a value to these securities for purposes of
valuing the Strategy's portfolio and calculating its asset value.
These loans may include participations in "bridge loans", which are
Loans taken out by borrowers for a short period (typically less than six months)
pending arrangement of more permanent financing through, for example, the
issuance of bonds, frequently high-yield bonds issued for the purposes of
acquisitions. A Strategy may also participate in unfunded loan commitments,
which are contractual obligations for future funding, and receive a commitment
fee based on the amount of the commitment.
Money Market Securities
Certificates Of Deposit, Bankers' Acceptances and Bank Time
Deposits. Certificates of deposit are receipts issued by a bank in exchange for
the deposit of funds. The issuer agrees to pay the amount deposited plus
interest to the bearer of the receipt on the date specified on the certificate.
The certificate usually can be traded in the secondary market prior to maturity.
Bankers' acceptances typically arise from short-term credit
arrangements designed to enable businesses to obtain funds to finance commercial
transactions. Generally, an acceptance is a time draft drawn on a bank by an
exporter or an importer to obtain a stated amount of funds to pay for specific
merchandise. The draft is then "accepted" by another bank that, in effect,
unconditionally guarantees to pay the face value of the instrument on its
maturity date. The acceptance may then be held by the accepting bank as an
earning asset or it may be sold in the secondary market at the going rate of
discount for a specific maturity. Although maturities for acceptances can be as
long as 270 days, most maturities are six months or less.
Bank time deposits are funds kept on deposit with a bank for a
stated period of time in an interest bearing account. At present, bank time
deposits maturing in more than seven days are not considered by the Adviser to
be readily marketable.
Commercial Paper. Commercial paper consists of short-term (usually
from 1 to 270 days) unsecured promissory notes issued by entities in order to
finance their current operations.
Variable Notes. Variable amount master demand notes and variable
amount floating rate notes are obligations that permit the investment of
fluctuating amounts by a Strategy at varying rates of interest pursuant to
direct arrangements between a Strategy, as lender, and the borrower. Master
demand notes permit daily fluctuations in the interest rate while the interest
rate under variable amount floating rate notes fluctuates on a weekly basis.
These notes permit daily changes in the amounts borrowed. The Strategies have
the right to increase the amount under these notes at any time up to the full
amount provided by the note agreement, or to decrease the amount, and the
borrower may repay up to the full amount of the note without penalty. Because
these types of notes are direct lending arrangements between the lender and the
borrower, it is not generally contemplated that such instruments will be traded
and there is no secondary market for these notes. Master demand notes are
redeemable (and, thus, immediately repayable by the borrower) at face value,
plus accrued interest, at any time. Variable amount floating rate notes are
subject to next-day redemption 14 days after the initial investment therein.
With both types of notes, therefore, the Strategies' right to redeem depends on
the ability of the borrower to pay principal and interest on demand. In
connection with both types of note arrangements, the Strategies consider earning
power, cash flow and other liquidity ratios of the issuer. These notes, as such,
are not typically rated by credit rating agencies. Unless they are so rated, a
Strategy may invest in them only if at the time of an investment the issuer has
an outstanding issue of unsecured debt rated Aa3 or better by Moody's Investors
Service, Inc. ("Moody's") or AA- or better by Standard & Poor's Rating Services
("S&P") or Fitch Ratings, Inc. ("Fitch").
The ratings of fixed-income securities by S&P, Moody's, and Fitch
are a generally accepted barometer of credit risk. They are, however, subject to
certain limitations from an investor's standpoint. The rating of an issuer is
heavily weighted by past developments and does not necessarily reflect probable
future conditions. There is frequently a lag between the time a rating is
assigned and the time it is updated. In addition, there may be varying degrees
of difference in credit risk of securities within each rating category.
Mortgage-Related Securities and Other Asset-Backed Securities
The mortgage-related securities in which a Strategy may invest
typically are securities representing interests in pools of mortgage loans made
by lenders such as savings and loan associations, mortgage bankers and
commercial banks and are assembled for sale to investors (such as a Strategy) by
governmental, government-related or private organizations. Private organizations
include commercial banks, savings associations, mortgage companies, investment
banking firms, finance companies, special purpose finance entities (called
special purpose vehicles or SPVs) and other entities that acquire and package
loans for resales as mortgage-related securities. Specifically, these securities
may include pass-through mortgage-related securities, collateralized mortgage
obligations ("CMOs"), CMO residuals, stripped mortgage-backed securities
("SMBSs"), commercial mortgage-backed securities, mortgage dollar rolls,
collateralized obligations and other securities that directly or indirectly
represent a participation in or are secured by and payable from mortgage loans
on real property and other assets.
Pass-Through Mortgage-Related Securities. Interests in pools of
mortgage-related securities differ from other forms of debt securities, which
normally provide for periodic payment of interest in fixed amounts with
principal payments at maturity or specified call dates. Instead, these
securities provide a monthly payment consisting of both interest and principal
payments. In effect, these payments are a "pass-through" of the monthly payments
made by the individual borrowers on their residential mortgage loans, net of any
fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of such securities. Additional payments are
caused by repayments of principal resulting from the sale of the underlying
residential property, refinancing or foreclosure, net of fees or costs that may
be incurred. Some mortgage-related securities, such as securities issued by
GNMA, are described as "modified pass-through." These securities entitle the
holder to receive all interest and principal payments owed on the mortgage pool,
net of certain fees, regardless of whether or not the mortgagor actually makes
the payment.
The average life of pass-through pools varies with the maturities of
the underlying mortgage instruments. In addition, a pool's term may be shortened
by unscheduled or early payments of principal and interest on the underlying
mortgages. The occurrence of mortgage prepayments is affected by factors
including the level of interest rates, general economic conditions, the location
and age of the mortgage and other social and demographic conditions. As
prepayment rates of individual pools vary widely, it is not possible to
accurately predict the average life of a particular pool. For pools of
fixed-rate 30-year mortgages, common industry practice is to assume that
prepayments will result in a 12-year average life. Pools of mortgages with other
maturities or different characteristics will have varying average life
assumptions. The assumed average life of pools of mortgages having terms of less
than 30 years, is less than 12 years, but typically not less than 5 years.
Yields on pass-through securities are typically quoted by investment
dealers and vendors based on the maturity of the underlying instruments and the
associated average life assumption.
The principal governmental (i.e., backed by the full faith and
credit of the U. S. Government) guarantor of mortgage-related securities is
GNMA. GNMA is a wholly-owned U.S. Government corporation within the Department
of Housing and Urban Development. GNMA is authorized to guarantee, with the full
faith and credit of the U.S. Government, the timely payment of principal and
interest on securities issued by institutions approved by GNMA (such as savings
and loan institutions, commercial banks and mortgage bankers) and backed by
pools of Federal Housing Administration-insured or U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs-guaranteed mortgages.
Government-related (i.e., not backed by the full faith and credit of
the U.S. Government) guarantors include FNMA and FHLMC. FNMA and FHLMC are a
government-sponsored corporation or corporate instrumentality of the U.S.
Government respectively (government-sponsored entities or "GSEs"), which were
owned entirely by private stockholders until 2008 when they were placed in
conservatorship by the U.S. Government. After being placed in conservatorship,
the GSEs issued senior preferred stock and common stock to the U.S. Treasury in
an amount equal to 79.9% of each GSE in return for certain funding and liquidity
arrangements. The GSEs continue to operate as going concerns while in
conservatorship and each remains liable for all of its obligations associated
with its mortgage-backed securities. The U.S. Treasury has provided additional
funding to the GSEs and their future is unclear as Congress is considering
whether to adopt legislation that would severely restrict or even terminate
their operations. FNMA purchases residential mortgages from a list of approved
seller/servicers which include state and federally-chartered savings and loan
associations, mutual savings banks, commercial banks and credit unions and
mortgage bankers. Pass-through securities issued by FNMA are guaranteed as to
timely payment of principal and interest by FNMA and are now, in effect, backed
by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. Participation certificates
issued by FHLMC, which represent interests in mortgages from FHLMC's national
portfolio, are guaranteed by FHLMC as to the timely payment of interest and
ultimate collection of principal and are now, in effect, backed by the full
faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Commercial banks, savings and loan associations, private mortgage
insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers create
pass-through pools of conventional residential mortgage loans. Securities
representing interests in pools created by non-governmental private issuers
generally offer a higher rate of interest than securities representing interests
in pools created by governmental issuers because there are no direct or indirect
governmental guarantees of the underlying mortgage payments. However, private
issuers sometimes obtain committed loan facilities, lines of credit, letters of
credit, surety bonds or other forms of liquidity and credit enhancement to
support the timely payment of interest and principal with respect to their
securities if the borrowers on the underlying mortgages fail to make their
mortgage payments. The ratings of such non-governmental securities are generally
dependent upon the ratings of the providers of such liquidity and credit support
and would be adversely affected if the rating of such an enhancer were
downgraded.
The structuring of the pass-through pool may also provide credit
enhancement. Examples of such credit support arising out of the structure of the
transaction include the issue of senior and subordinated securities (e.g., the
issuance of securities by a SPV in multiple classes or "tranches", with one or
more classes being senior to other subordinated classes as to payment of
principal and interest, with the result that defaults on the underlying mortgage
loans are borne first by the holders of the subordinated class); creation of
"reserve funds" (in which case cash or investments sometimes funded from a
portion of the payments on the underlying mortgage loans, are held in reserve
against future losses); and "overcollateralization" (in which case the scheduled
payments on, or the principal amount of, the underlying mortgage loans exceeds
that required to make payment of the securities and pay any servicing or other
fees). There can be no guarantee the credit enhancements, if any will be
sufficient to prevent losses in the event of defaults on the underlying mortgage
loans.
In addition, mortgage-related securities that are issued by private
issuers are not subject to the underwriting requirements for the underlying
mortgages that are applicable to those mortgage-related securities that have a
government or government-sponsored entity guaranteed. As a result, the mortgage
loans underlying private mortgage-related securities may, and frequently do,
have less favorable collateral, credit risk or other underwriting
characteristics than government or government-sponsored mortgage-related
securities and have wider variances in a number of terms, including interest
rate, term, size, purposes and borrower characteristics. Privately issued pools
more frequently include second mortgages, high loan-to-value mortgages and
manufactured housing loans. The coupon rates and maturities of the underlying
mortgage loans in a private-label mortgage-related pool may vary to a greater
extent than those included in a government guaranteed pool, and the pool may
include subprime mortgage loans. Subprime loans refer to loans made to borrowers
with weakened credit histories or with a lower capacity to make timely payments
on their loans. For these reasons, the loans underlying these securities have
had in many cases higher default rates than those loans that meet government
underwriting requirements.
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations. Another form of
mortgage-related security is a "pay-through" security, which is a debt
obligation of the issuer secured by a pool of mortgage loans pledged as
collateral that is legally required to be paid by the issuer, regardless of
whether payments are actually made on the underlying mortgages. CMOs are the
predominant type of "pay-through" mortgage-related security. In a CMO, a series
of bonds or certificates is issued in multiple classes. Each class of a CMO,
often referred to as a "tranche," is issued at a specific coupon rate and has a
stated maturity or final distribution date. Principal prepayments on collateral
underlying a CMO may cause one or more tranches of the CMO to be retired
substantially earlier than the stated maturities or final distribution dates of
the collateral. Although payment of the principal of, and interest on, the
underlying collateral securing privately issued CMOs may be guaranteed by GNMA,
FNMA or FHLMC, these CMOs represent obligations solely of the private issuer and
are not insured or guaranteed by GNMA, FNMA, FHLMC, any other governmental
agency or any other person or entity.
Stripped Mortgage-Related Securities. Stripped mortgage-related
securities (SMRS) are mortgage related securities that are usually structured
with separate classes of securities collateralized by a pool of mortgages or a
pool of mortgage backed bonds or pass-through securities, with each class
receiving different proportions of the principal and interest payments from the
underlying assets. A common type of SMRS has one class of interest-only
securities (IOs) receiving all of the interest payments from the underlying
assets and one class of principal-only securities (POs) receiving all of the
principal payments from the underlying assets. IOs and POs are extremely
sensitive to interest rate changes and are more volatile than mortgage-related
securities that are not stripped. IOs tend to decrease in value as interest
rates decrease and are extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments
(including prepayments) on the related underlying mortgage assets, and a rapid
rate of principal prepayments may have a material adverse effect on the yield to
maturity of the IO class. POs generally increase in value as interest rates
decrease. If prepayments of the underlying mortgages are greater than
anticipated, the amount of interest earned on the overall pool will decrease due
to the decreasing principal balance of the assets. Due to their structure and
underlying cash flows, SMRS may be more volatile than mortgage-related
securities that are not stripped. Changes in the values of IOs and POs can be
substantial and occur quickly, such as occurred in the first half of 1994 when
the value of many POs dropped precipitously due to increases in interest rates.
The Strategy will only invest in SMRS that are issued by the U.S.
Government, its agencies or instrumentalities and supported by the full faith
and credit of the U.S. Although SMRS are purchased and sold by institutional
investors through several investment banking firms acting as brokers or dealers,
the complexity of these instruments and the smaller number of investors in the
sector can lend to illiquid markets in the sector.
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities. Commercial mortgage-backed
securities are securities that represent an interest in, or are secured by,
mortgage loans secured by multifamily or commercial properties, such as
industrial and warehouse properties, office buildings, retail space and shopping
malls, and cooperative apartments, hotels and motels, nursing homes, hospitals
and senior living centers. Commercial mortgage-backed securities have been
issued in public and private transactions by a variety of public and private
issuers using a variety of structures, some of which were developed in the
residential mortgage context, including multi-class structures featuring senior
and subordinated classes. Commercial mortgage-backed securities may pay fixed or
floating-rates of interest. The commercial mortgage loans that underlie
commercial mortgage-related securities have certain distinct risk
characteristics. Commercial mortgage loans generally lack standardized terms,
which may complicate their structure, tend to have shorter maturities than
residential mortgage loans and may not be fully amortizing. Commercial
properties themselves tend to be unique and are more difficult to value than
single-family residential properties. In addition, commercial properties,
particularly industrial and warehouse properties, are subject to environmental
risks and the burdens and costs of compliance with environmental laws and
regulations.
Certain Risks. The value of mortgage-related securities is affected
by a number of factors. Unlike traditional debt securities, which have fixed
maturity dates, mortgage-related securities may be paid earlier than expected as
a result of prepayments of underlying mortgages. Such prepayments generally
occur during periods of falling mortgage interest rates. If property owners make
unscheduled prepayments of their mortgage loans, these prepayments will result
in the early payment of the applicable mortgage-related securities. In that
event, the Strategy may be unable to invest the proceeds from the early payment
of the mortgage-related securities in investments that provide as high a yield
as the mortgage-related securities. Early payments associated with
mortgage-related securities cause these securities to experience significantly
greater price and yield volatility than is experienced by traditional
fixed-income securities. The level of general interest rates, general economic
conditions and other social and demographic factors affect the occurrence of
mortgage prepayments. During periods of falling interest rates, the rate of
mortgage prepayments tends to increase, thereby tending to decrease the life of
mortgage-related securities. Conversely, during periods of rising interest
rates, a reduction in prepayments may increase the effective life of
mortgage-related securities, subjecting them to greater risk of decline in
market value in response to rising interest rates. If the life of a
mortgage-related security is inaccurately predicted, the Strategy may not be
able to realize the rate of return it expected.
As with other fixed-income securities, there is also the risk of
nonpayment of mortgage-related securities, particularly for those securities
that are backed by mortgage pools that contain subprime loans. Market factors
adversely affecting mortgage loan repayments include a general economic
downturn, high unemployment, a general slowdown in the real estate market, a
drop in the market prices of real estate, or higher mortgage payments required
to be made by holders of adjustable rate mortgages due to scheduled increases or
increases due to higher interest rates.
Subordinated mortgage-related securities may have additional risks.
The subordinated mortgage-related security may serve as credit support for the
senior securities purchased by other investors. In addition, the payments of
principal and interest on these subordinated securities generally will be made
only after payments are made to the holders of securities senior to the
subordinated securities. Therefore, if there are defaults on the underlying
mortgage loans, the holders of subordinated mortgage-related securities will be
less likely to receive payments of principal and interest and will be more
likely to suffer a loss.
Commercial mortgage-related securities, like all fixed-income
securities, generally decline in value as interest rates rise. Moreover,
although generally the value of fixed-income securities increases during periods
of falling interest rates, this inverse relationship is not as marked in the
case of single-family residential mortgage-related securities, due to the
increased likelihood of prepayments during periods of falling interest rates,
and may not be as marked in the case of commercial mortgage-related securities.
The process used to rate commercial mortgage-related securities may focus on,
among other factors, the structure of the security, the quality and adequacy of
collateral and insurance, and the creditworthiness of the originators, servicing
companies and providers of credit support.
Although the market for mortgage-related securities is becoming
increasingly liquid, those issued by certain private organizations may not be
readily marketable there may be a limited market for these securities,
especially when there is a perceived weakness in the mortgage and real estate
market sectors. In particular, the secondary markets for CMOs, IOs and POs may
be more volatile and less liquid than those for other mortgage-related
securities, thereby potentially limiting a Strategy's ability to buy or sell
those securities at any particular time. Without an active trading market,
mortgage-related securities held in a Strategy's portfolio may be particularly
difficult to value because of the complexities involved in the value of the
underlying mortgages. In addition, the rating agencies may have difficulties in
rating commercial mortgage-related securities through different economic cycles
and in monitoring such ratings on a longer-term basis.
As with fixed-income securities generally, the value of
mortgage-related securities can also be adversely affected by increases in
general interest rates relative to the yield provided by such securities. Such
an adverse effect is especially possible with fixed-rate mortgage securities. If
the yield available on other investments rises above the yield of the fixed-rate
mortgage securities as a result of general increases in interest rate levels,
the value of the mortgage-related securities will decline.
Other Asset-Backed Securities. A Strategy may invest in other
asset-backed securities. The securitization techniques used to develop
mortgage-related securities are being applied to a broad range of financial
assets. Through the use of trusts and special purpose corporations, various
types of assets, including automobile loans and leases, credit card receivables,
home equity loans, equipment leases and trade receivables, are being securitized
in structures similar to the structures used in mortgage securitizations. For
example, the Strategy may invest in collateralized debt obligations ("CDOs"),
which include collateralized bond obligations ("CBOs"), collateralized loan
obligations ("CLOs"), and other similarly structured securities. CBOs and CLOs
are types of asset-backed securities. A CBO is a trust, which is backed by a
diversified pool of high-risk, below investment grade fixed-income securities. A
CLO is a trust typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include,
among others, domestic and foreign senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans,
and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below
investment grade or equivalent unrated loans. These asset-backed securities are
subject to risks associated with changes in interest rates, prepayment of
underlying obligations and defaults similar to the risks of investment in
mortgage-related securities discussed above.
Each type of asset-backed security also entails unique risks
depending on the type of assets involved and the legal structure used. For
example, credit card receivables are generally unsecured obligations of the
credit card holder and the debtors are entitled to the protection of a number of
state and federal consumer credit laws, many of which give such debtors the
right to set off certain amounts owed on the credit cards, thereby reducing the
balance due. There have also been proposals to cap the interest rate that a
credit card issuer may charge. In some transactions, the value of the
asset-backed security is dependent on the performance of a third party acting as
credit enhancer or servicer. Furthermore, in some transactions (such as those
involving the securitization of vehicle loans or leases) it may be
administratively burdensome to perfect the interest of the security issuer in
the underlying collateral and the underlying collateral may become damaged or
stolen.
Municipal Securities
The Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth Strategy and the Tax-Managed
Conservative Wealth Strategy and other Strategies may invest in municipal
securities. The two principal classifications of municipal securities are bonds
and notes. Municipal bonds are intended to meet longer-term capital needs while
municipal notes are intended to fulfill short-term capital needs. Municipal
notes generally have original maturities not exceeding one year. Municipal notes
include tax anticipation notes, revenue anticipation notes, bond anticipation
notes, variable rate demand obligations, and tax-exempt commercial paper.
Municipal securities are typically classified as "general
obligation" or "revenue" or "special obligation" bonds. General obligation bonds
are secured by the issuer's pledge of its full faith, credit, and taxing power
for the payment of principal and interest. Revenue or special obligation bonds
are payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class
of facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise or other
tax, but not from general tax revenues. A Strategy may invest more than 25% of
its net assets in revenue bonds, which generally do not have the pledge of the
credit of the issuer. The payment of the principal and interest on revenue bonds
is dependent solely on the ability of the user of the facilities financed by the
bonds to meet its financial obligations and the pledge, if any, of real and
personal property financed as security for such payment. A Strategy may invest
more than 25% of its total assets in securities or obligations that are related
in such a way that business or political developments or changes affecting one
such security could also affect the others (for example, securities with
interest that is paid from projects of a similar type).
A Strategy may invest in municipal lease obligations. A municipal
lease obligation is not backed by the full faith and credit of the issuing
municipality, but is usually backed by the municipality's pledge to make annual
appropriations for lease payments. Thus, it is possible that a municipality will
not appropriate money for lease payments. Additionally, some municipal lease
obligations may allow for lease cancellation prior to the maturity date of the
security. Municipal lease obligations may be less readily marketable than other
municipal securities and some may be illiquid.
Current federal tax law distinguishes between municipal securities
issued to finance certain private activities ("private activity bonds") and
other municipal securities. Private activity bonds, most of which are
AMT-Subject bonds and are also revenue bonds, include bonds issued to finance
such projects as airports, housing projects, resource recovery programs, solid
waste disposal facilities, and student loan programs.
Obligations of Supranational Agencies
A Strategy may invest in the obligations of supranational agencies.
Supranational agencies rely on participating countries (which may include the
United States) for funds. Some supranationals, such as the International Bank
for Reconstruction and Development (the "World Bank"), have the right to borrow
from participating countries, including the United States. Other supranationals
must request funds from participating countries; however, such requests may not
always be honored. Moreover, the securities of supranational agencies, depending
on where and how they are issued, may be subject to some of the risks associated
with investments in foreign securities.
Repurchase Agreements and Buy/Sell Back Transactions
A repurchase agreement is an agreement by which a Strategy purchases
a security and obtains a simultaneous commitment from the seller to repurchase
the security at an agreed-upon price and date, normally one day or a week later.
The purchase and repurchase obligations are transacted under one document. The
resale price is greater than the purchase price, reflecting an agreed-upon
"interest rate," which is effective for the period of time the buyer's money is
invested in the security, and which is related to the current market rate of the
purchased security rather than its coupon rate. During the term of the
repurchase agreement, the Strategies monitor on a daily basis the market value
of the securities subject to the agreement and, if the market value of the
securities falls below the resale amount provided under the repurchase
agreement, the seller under the repurchase agreement is required to provide
additional securities or cash equal to the amount by which the market value of
the securities falls below the resale amount. Because a repurchase agreement
permits a Strategy to invest temporarily available cash on a
fully-collateralized basis, repurchase agreements permit the Strategies to earn
a return on temporarily available cash while retaining "overnight" flexibility
in pursuit of investments of a longer-term nature. Repurchase agreements may
exhibit the characteristics of loans by a Strategy.
The obligation of the seller under the repurchase agreement is not
guaranteed, and there is a risk that the seller may fail to repurchase the
underlying security, whether because of the seller's bankruptcy or otherwise. In
such event, a Strategy would attempt to exercise its rights with respect to the
underlying security, including possible sale of the securities. The Strategies
may incur various expenses in connection with the exercise of its rights and may
be subject to various delays and risks of loss, including (a) possible declines
in the value of the underlying securities, (b) possible reduction in levels of
income and (c) lack of access to the securities (if they are held through a
third-party custodian) and possible inability to enforce the Strategies' rights.
Each Strategy's Board has established procedures, which are periodically
reviewed by the Board, pursuant to which the Adviser monitors the
creditworthiness of the dealers with which the Strategies enter into repurchase
agreement transactions.
A Strategy may enter into repurchase agreements pertaining to U.S.
Government securities with member banks of the Federal Reserve System or
"primary dealers" (as designated by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York) in
such securities. There is no percentage restriction on a Strategy's ability to
enter into repurchase agreements. Currently, each Strategy intends to enter into
repurchase agreements only with its custodian and such primary dealers.
A Strategy may enter into buy/sell back transactions, which are
similar to repurchase agreements. In this type of transaction, a Strategy enters
a trade to buy securities at one price and simultaneously enters a trade to sell
the same securities at another price on a specified date. Similar to a
repurchase agreement, the repurchase price is higher than the sale price and
reflects current interest rates. Unlike a repurchase agreement, however, the
buy/sell back transaction, though done simultaneously, is two separate legal
agreements. A buy/sell back transaction also differs from a repurchase agreement
in that the seller is not required to provide margin payments if the value of
the securities falls below the repurchase price because the transaction is two
separate transactions. A Strategy has the risk of changes in the value of the
purchased security during the term of the buy/sell back agreement although these
agreements typically provide for the repricing of the original transaction at a
new market price if the value of the security changes by a specific amount.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements and Dollar Rolls
Reverse repurchase agreements are identical to repurchase agreements
except that rather than buying securities for cash subject to their repurchase
by the seller, the Strategy sells portfolio assets concurrently with an
agreement by the Strategy to repurchase the same assets at a later date at a
fixed price slightly higher than the sale price. During the reverse repurchase
agreement period, the Strategy continues to receive principal and interest
payments on these securities. Generally, the effect of a reverse repurchase
agreement is that the Strategy can recover all or most of the cash invested in
the portfolio securities involved during the term of the reverse repurchase
agreement, while it will be able to keep the interest income associated with
those portfolio securities. Such transactions are advantageous only if the
"interest cost" to the Strategy of the reverse repurchase transaction, (i.e.,
the difference between the sale and repurchase price for the securities), is
less than the cost of otherwise obtaining the cash.
Dollar rolls involve sales by the Strategy of securities for
delivery in the current month and the Strategy's simultaneously contracting to
repurchase substantially similar (same type and coupon) securities on a
specified future date. During the roll period, the Strategy forgoes principal
and interest paid on the securities. The Strategy is compensated by the
difference between the current sales price and the lower forward price for the
future purchase (often referred to as the "drop") as well as by the interest
earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sale.
Reverse repurchase agreements and dollar rolls involve the risk that
the market value of the securities the Strategy is obligated to repurchase under
the agreement may decline below the repurchase price. In the event the buyer of
securities under a reverse repurchase agreement or dollar roll files for
bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the Strategy's use of the proceeds of the
agreement may be restricted pending a determination by the other party, or its
trustee or receiver, whether to enforce the Strategy's obligation to repurchase
the securities. In addition, the use of these investments results in leveraging
the Strategy's common stocks because the Strategy uses the proceeds to make
investments in other securities. See "Leverage" below.
Rights and Warrants
A Strategy may invest in rights and warrants, only if the Adviser
deems the underlying equity securities themselves appropriate for inclusion in
the Strategies. Rights and warrants entitle the holder to buy equity securities
at a specific price for a specific period of time. Rights and warrants may be
considered more speculative than certain other types of investments in that they
do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the
underlying securities that may be purchased nor do they represent any rights in
the assets of the issuing company. Also, the value of a right or warrant does
not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities and a right
or warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to the expiration
date.
Short Sales
A Strategy may make short sales of securities or maintain a short
position. A short sale is effected by selling a security that a Strategy does
not own, or if the Strategy does own such security, it is not to be delivered
upon consummation of sale. A short sale is against the box to the extent that a
Strategy contemporaneously owns or has the right to obtain securities identical
to those sold. A short sale of a security involves the risk that, instead of
declining, the price of the security sold short will rise. If the price of the
securities sold short increases between the time of a short sale and the time a
Strategy replaces the borrowed security, the Strategy will incur a loss;
conversely, if the price declines, the Strategy will realize a gain. Although
the Strategy's gain is limited to the price at which it sold the security short,
its potential loss is unlimited since there is a theoretically unlimited
potential for the market price of the security sold short to increase. Short
sales may be used in some cases by a Strategy to defer the realization of gain
or loss for federal income tax purposes on securities then owned by the
Strategy. See "Dividends, Distributions and Taxes-Tax Straddles" for a
discussion of certain special federal income tax considerations that may apply
to short sales which are entered into by the Strategy.
Standby Commitment Agreements
A Strategy may from time to time enter into standby commitment
agreements. Such agreements commit the Strategy, for a stated period of time, to
purchase a stated amount of a security which may be issued and sold to that
Strategy at the option of the issuer. The price and coupon of the security are
fixed at the time of the commitment. At the time of entering into the agreement
the Strategy is paid a commitment fee, regardless of whether or not the security
ultimately is issued, which is typically approximately 0.5% of the aggregate
purchase price of the security which the Strategy has committed to purchase. The
fee is payable whether or not the security is ultimately issued. The Strategy
will enter into such agreements only for the purpose of investing in the
security underlying the commitment at a yield and price which are considered
advantageous to the Strategy and which are unavailable on a firm commitment
basis.
There can be no assurance that the securities subject to a standby
commitment will be issued and the value of the security, if issued, on the
delivery date may be more or less than its purchase price. Since the issuance of
the security underlying the commitment is at the option of the issuer, the
Strategy will bear the risk of capital loss in the event the value of the
security declines and may not benefit from an appreciation in the value of the
security during the commitment period if the issuer decides not to issue and
sell the security to the Strategy.
The purchase of a security subject to a standby commitment agreement
and the related commitment fee will be recorded on the date on which the
security can reasonably be expected to be issued and the value of the security
will thereafter be reflected in the calculation of the Strategy's NAV. The cost
basis of the security will be adjusted by the amount of the commitment fee. In
the event the security is not issued, the commitment fee will be recorded as
income on the expiration date of the standby commitment.
Structured Products
A Strategy may invest in structured products. Structured products,
including indexed or structured securities, combine the elements of futures
contracts or options with those of debt, preferred equity or a depositary
instrument. Generally, the principal amount, amount payable upon maturity or
redemption, or interest rate of a structured product is tied (either positively
or negatively) to prices, changes in prices, or differences between prices, of
underlying assets, such as securities, currencies, intangibles, goods, articles
or commodities or by reference to an unrelated benchmark related to an objective
index, economic factor or other measure, such as interest rates, currency
exchange rates, commodity indices, and securities indices. The interest rate or
(unlike most fixed income securities) the principal amount payable at maturity
of a structured product may be increased or decreased depending on changes in
the value of the underlying asset or benchmark.
Structured products may take a variety of forms. Most commonly, they
are in the form of debt instruments with interest or principal payments or
redemption terms determined by reference to the value of a currency or commodity
or securities index at a future point in time, but may also be issued as
preferred stock with dividend rates determined by reference to the value of a
currency or convertible securities with the conversion terms related to a
particular commodity.
Investing in structured products may be more efficient and/or less
expensive for a Strategy than investing in the underlying assets or benchmarks
and the related derivative. These investments can be used as a means of pursuing
a variety of investment goals, including currency hedging, duration management
and increased total return. In addition, structured products may be a
tax-advantaged investment in that they generate income that may be distributed
to shareholders as income rather than short-term capital gains that may
otherwise result from a derivatives transaction.
Structured products, however, have more risk than traditional types
of debt or other securities. These products may not bear interest or pay
dividends. The value of a structured products or its interest rate may be a
multiple of a benchmark and, as a result, may be leveraged and move (up or down)
more steeply and rapidly than the benchmark. Under certain conditions, the
redemption value of a structured product could be zero. Structured products are
potentially more volatile and carry greater market risks than traditional debt
instruments. The prices of the structured instrument and the benchmark or
underlying asset may not move in the same direction or at the same time.
Structured products may be less liquid and more difficult to price than less
complex securities or instruments or more traditional debt securities. The risk
of these investments can be substantial with the possibility that the entire
principal amount is at risk. The purchase of structured products also exposes a
Strategy to the credit risk of the issuer of the structured product.
-Structured Notes and Indexed Securities: The Strategy may invest in
a particular type of structured instrument sometimes referred to as a
"structured note". The terms of these notes may be structured by the issuer and
the purchaser of the note. Structured notes are derivative debt instruments, the
interest rate or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator (for
example, a currency, security, commodity or index thereof). Indexed securities
may include structured notes as well as securities other than debt securities,
the interest rate or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator.
The terms of structured notes and indexed securities may provide that in certain
circumstances no principal is due at maturity, which may result in a total loss
of invested capital. Structured notes and indexed securities may be positively
or negatively indexed, so that appreciation of the unrelated indicator may
produce an increase or a decrease in the interest rate or the value of the
structured note or indexed security at maturity may be calculated as a specified
multiple of the change in the value of the unrelated indicator. Therefore, the
value of such notes and securities may be very volatile. Structured notes and
indexed securities may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types
of debt securities because the investor bears the risk of the unrelated
indicator. Structured notes or indexed securities also may be more volatile,
less liquid, and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities
and instruments or more traditional debt securities.
-Commodity Index-Linked Notes and Commodity-Linked Notes: Structured
products may provide exposure to the commodities markets. These structured notes
may include leveraged or unleveraged commodity index-linked notes, which are
derivative debt instruments with principal and/or coupon payments linked to the
performance of commodity indices. They also include commodity-linked notes with
principal and/or coupon payments linked to the value of particular commodities
or commodities futures contracts, or a subset of commodities and commodities
future contracts. The value of these notes will rise or fall in response to
changes in the underlying commodity, commodity futures contract, subset of
commodities or commodities futures contracts or commodity index. These notes
expose the Strategy economically to movements in commodity prices. These notes
also are subject to risks, such as credit, market and interest rate risks, that
in general affect the values of debt securities. In addition, these notes are
often leveraged, increasing the volatility of each note's market value relative
to changes in the underlying commodity, commodity futures contract or commodity
index. Therefore, the Strategy might receive interest or principal payments on
the note that are determined based on a specified multiple of the change in
value of the underlying commodity futures contract or index.
-Credit-Linked Securities: Credit-linked securities are issued by a
limited purpose trust or other vehicle that, in turn, invests in a basket of
derivative instruments, such as credit default swaps, interest rate swaps and
other securities, in order to provide exposure to certain high yield or other
fixed income markets. For example, a Strategy may invest in credit-linked
securities as a cash management tool in order to gain exposure to certain high
yield markets and/or to remain fully invested when more traditional income
producing securities are not available. Like an investment in a bond,
investments in credit-linked securities represent the right to receive periodic
income payments (in the form of distributions) and payment of principal at the
end of the term of the security. However, these payments are conditioned on the
trust's receipt of payments from, and the trust's potential obligations to, the
counterparties to the derivative instruments and other securities in which the
trust invests. For instance, the trust may sell one or more credit default
swaps, under which the trust would receive a stream of payments over the term of
the swap agreements provided that no event of default has occurred with respect
to the referenced debt obligation upon which the swap is based. If a default
occurs, the stream of payments may stop and the trust would be obligated to pay
the counterparty the par value (or other agreed upon value) of the referenced
debt obligation. This, in turn, would reduce the amount of income and principal
that a Strategy would receive as an investor in the trust. A Strategy'
investments in these instruments are indirectly subject to the risks associated
with derivative instruments, including, among others, credit risk, default or
similar event risk, counterparty risk, interest rate risk, and leverage risk and
management risk. These securities are generally structured as Rule 144A
securities so that they may be freely traded among institutional buyers.
However, changes in the market for credit-linked securities or the availability
of willing buyers may result in the securities becoming illiquid.
Variable, Floating and Inverse Floating Rate Securities
These securities have interest rates that are reset at periodic intervals,
usually by reference to some interest rate index or market interest rate. Some
of these securities are backed by pools of mortgage loans. Although the rate
adjustment feature may act as a buffer to reduce sharp changes in the value of
these securities, they are still subject to changes in value based on changes in
market interest rates or changes in the issuer's creditworthiness. Because the
interest rate is reset only periodically, changes in the interest rate on these
securities may lag behind changes in prevailing market interest rates. Also,
some of these securities (or the underlying mortgages) are subject to caps or
floors that limit the maximum change in the interest rate during a specified
period or over the life of the security.
Zero-Coupon Securities
A zero-coupon security pays no interest to its holder during its
life. An investor acquires a zero-coupon security at a discounted price from the
face value of the security, which is generally based upon its present value, and
which, depending upon the time remaining until maturity, may be significantly
less than its face value (sometimes referred to as a "deep discount" price).
Upon maturity of the zero-coupon security, the investor receives the face value
of the security.
An Underlying Portfolio may invest in zero-coupon Treasury
securities, which consist of Treasury bills or the principal components of U.S.
Treasury bonds or notes. An Underlying Portfolio may also invest in zero-coupon
securities issued by U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities that are
supported by the full faith and credit of the United States, which consist of
the principal components of securities of U.S. Government agencies or
instrumentalities.
Currently, the only U.S. Treasury security issued without coupons is
the Treasury bill. The zero-coupon securities purchased by an Underlying
Portfolio may consist of principal components held in STRIPS form issued through
the U.S. Treasury's STRIPS program, which permits the beneficial ownership of
the component to be recorded directly in the Treasury book-entry system. In
addition, in the last few years, a number of banks and brokerage firms have
separated ("stripped") the principal portions ("corpus") from the coupon
portions of the U.S. Treasury bonds and notes and sold them separately in the
form of receipts or certificates representing undivided interests in these
instruments (which instruments are generally held by a bank in a custodial or
trust account).
Because zero-coupon securities trade at a discount from their face
or par value but pay no periodic interest, they are subject to greater
fluctuations of market value in response to changing interest rates than debt
obligations of comparable maturities which make periodic distributions of
interest.
Current federal tax law requires that a holder (such as the
Underlying Portfolios) of a zero-coupon security accrue a portion of the
discount at which the security was purchased as income each year even though the
holder receives no interest payment in cash on the security during the year
(generally referred to as "original issue discount" or "OID"). As a result, in
order to make the distributions necessary for an Underlying Portfolio not to be
subject to federal income or excise taxes, the Underlying Portfolio may be
required to pay out as an income distribution each year an amount, obtained by
liquidation of portfolio securities or borrowings if necessary, greater than the
total amount of cash that the Underlying Portfolio has actually received as
interest during the year. An Underlying Portfolio believes, however, that it is
highly unlikely that it would be necessary to liquidate portfolio securities or
borrow money in order to make such required distributions or to meet its
investment objective.
Certain Risk and Other Considerations
Borrowing and Use of Leverage. A Strategy may use borrowings for
investment purposes subject to the restrictions of the 1940 Act. Borrowings by a
Strategy result in the leveraging of a Strategy's shares of common stock. The
proceeds of such borrowings will be invested in accordance with a Strategy's
investment objectives and policies. A Strategy also may create leverage through
the use of derivatives or use leverage for investment purposes by entering into
transactions such as reverse repurchase agreements, forward contracts and dollar
rolls. This means that the Strategy will use the cash proceeds made available
during the term of these transactions to make investments in other securities.
Utilization of leverage, which is usually considered speculative,
however, involves certain risks to the Strategy's shareholders. These include a
higher volatility of the NAV of the Strategy's shares of common stock and the
relatively greater effect on the NAV of the shares caused by favorable or
adverse changes in market conditions or interest rates. So long as the Strategy
is able to realize a net return on the leveraged portion of its investment
portfolio that is higher than the interest expense paid on borrowings or the
carrying costs of leveraged transactions, the effect of leverage will be to
cause the Strategy's shareholders to realize higher current net investment
income than if the Strategy were not leveraged. However, to the extent that the
interest expense on borrowings or the carrying costs of leveraged transactions
approaches the net return on the leveraged portion of the Strategy's investment
portfolio, the benefit of leverage to the Strategy's shareholders will be
reduced, and if the interest expense on borrowings or the carrying costs of
leveraged transactions were to exceed the net return to shareholders, the
Strategy's use of leverage would result in a lower rate of return than if the
Strategy were not leveraged. Similarly, the effect of leverage in a declining
market would normally be a greater decrease in NAV per share than if the
Strategy were not leveraged. In an extreme case, if the Strategy's current
investment income were not sufficient to meet the interest expense on borrowings
or the carrying costs of leveraged transactions, it could be necessary for the
Strategy to liquidate certain of its investments in adverse circumstances,
potentially significantly reducing its NAV.
Certain transactions, such as derivatives transactions, forward
commitments, reverse repurchase agreements and short sales involve leverage and
may expose a Strategy to potential losses that, in some cases, may exceed the
amount originally invested by the Strategy. When a Strategy engages in such
transactions, it will, in accordance with guidance provided by the SEC or its
staff in, among other things, regulations, interpretative releases and no-action
letters, deposit in a segregated account certain liquid assets with a value at
least equal to the Strategy's exposure, or a marked-to-market on another
relevant basis, to the transaction. Transactions for which assets have been
segregated will not be considered "senior securities" for purposes of the
Strategy' investment restriction concerning senior securities. The segregation
of assets is intended to enable the Strategy to have assets available to satisfy
its obligations with respect to these transactions, but will not limit a
Strategy's exposure to loss.
Investments in Lower-Rated and Unrated Instruments. A Strategy may
invest in lower-rated securities (commonly referred to as "junk bonds"), which
may include securities having the lowest rating for non-subordinated debt
securities (i.e., rated C by Moody's or CCC or lower by S&P & Fitch) and unrated
securities of equivalent investment quality. Debt securities with such a rating
are considered by the rating organizations to be subject to greater risk of loss
of principal and interest than higher-rated securities and are considered to be
predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer's capacity to pay interest
and repay principal, which may in any case decline during sustained periods of
deteriorating economic conditions or rising interest rates. These securities are
considered to have extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real
investment standing, to have a current identifiable vulnerability to default, to
be unlikely to have the capacity to pay interest and repay principal when due in
the event of adverse business, financial or economic conditions, and/or to be in
default or not current in the payment of interest or principal.
Lower-rated securities generally are considered to be subject to
greater market risk than higher-rated securities in times of deteriorating
economic conditions. In addition, lower-rated securities may be more susceptible
to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions than
investment grade securities, although the market values of securities rated
below investment grade and comparable unrated securities tend to react less to
fluctuations in interest rate levels than do those of higher-rated securities.
The market for lower-rated securities may be thinner and less active than that
for higher-quality securities, which can adversely affect the prices at which
these securities can be sold. To the extent that there is no established
secondary market for lower-rated securities, the Adviser may experience
difficulty in valuing such securities and, in turn, a Strategy's assets. In
addition, adverse publicity and investor perceptions about lower-rated
securities, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may tend to decrease
the market value and liquidity of such lower-rated securities. Transaction costs
with respect to lower-rated securities may be higher, and in some cases
information may be less available, than is the case with investment grade
securities.
Many fixed-income securities, including certain U.S. corporate
fixed-income securities in which a Strategy may invest, contain call or buy-back
features that permit the issuer of the security to call or repurchase it. Such
securities may present risks based on payment expectations. If an issuer
exercises such a "call option" and redeems the security, the Strategy may have
to replace the called security with a lower yielding security, resulting in a
decreased rate of return for the Strategy.
In seeking to achieve a Strategy's investment objectives, there will
be times, such as during periods of rising interest rates, when depreciation and
realization of capital losses on securities in the Strategy's portfolio will be
unavoidable. Moreover, medium and lower rated securities and non-rated
securities of comparable quality may be subject to wider fluctuations in yield
and market values than higher-rated securities under certain market conditions.
Such fluctuations after a security is acquired do not affect the cash income
received from that security but are reflected in the NAV of the Strategy.
Municipal Markets Risk. The Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth Strategy and
the Tax-Managed Conservative Wealth Strategy invest in municipal securities,
which carry the risk that special factors may adversely affect the value of the
municipal securities and have a significant effect on the yield or value of a
Strategy's investments in municipal securities. These factors include political
or legislative changes, uncertainties related to the tax status of municipal
securities, or the rights of investors in these securities.
Because the Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth Strategy and the Tax-Managed
Conservative Wealth Strategy invest a significant portion of their assets in
municipal securities, they are more vulnerable to events adversely affecting
particular states or municipalities, including economic, political, or
regulatory developments or terrorism.
A Strategy's investments in certain municipal securities with
principal and interest payments that are made from the revenues of a specific
project or facility, and not general tax revenues, may have increased risks.
Factors affecting the project or facility, such as local business or economic
conditions, could have a significant effect on the project's ability to make
payments of principal and interest on these securities.
Risks of Investments in Foreign Securities. Investors should
understand and consider carefully the substantial risks involved in securities
of foreign companies and governments of foreign nations, some of which are
referred to below, and which are in addition to the usual risks inherent in
domestic investments. Investing in securities of non-United States companies
which are generally denominated in foreign currencies, and utilization of
derivative investment products denominated in, or the value of which is
dependent upon movements in the relative value of, a foreign currency, involve
certain considerations comprising both risk and opportunity not typically
associated with investing in United States companies. These considerations
include changes in exchange rates and exchange control regulations, political
and social instability, expropriation, imposition of foreign taxes, less liquid
markets and less available information than are generally the case in the United
States, higher transaction costs, less government supervision of exchanges,
brokers and issuers, difficulty in enforcing contractual obligations, lack of
uniform accounting and auditing standards and greater price volatility.
There is generally less publicly available information about foreign
companies comparable to reports and ratings that are published about companies
in the United States. Foreign issuers are subject to accounting and financial
standards and requirements that differ, in some cases significantly, from those
applicable to U.S. issuers. In particular, the assets and profits appearing on
the financial statements of a foreign issuer may not reflect its financial
position or results of operations in the way they would be reflected had the
financial statement been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted
accounting principles. In addition, for an issuer that keeps accounting records
in local currency, inflation accounting rules in some of the countries in which
a Strategy may invest require, for both tax and accounting purposes, that
certain assets and liabilities be restated on the issuer's balance sheet in
order to express items in terms of currency of constant purchasing power.
Inflation accounting may indirectly generate losses or profits. Consequently,
financial data may be materially affected by restatements for inflation and may
not accurately reflect the real condition of those issuers and securities
markets. Substantially less information is publicly available about certain
non-U.S. issuers than is available about U.S. issuers.
It is contemplated that foreign securities will be purchased in
over-the-counter markets or on stock exchanges located in the countries in which
the respective principal offices of the issuers of the various securities are
located, if that is the best available market. Foreign securities markets are
generally not as developed or efficient as those in the United States. While
growing in volume, they usually have substantially less volume than the New York
Stock Exchange (the "Exchange"), and securities of some foreign companies are
less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable United States
companies. Similarly, volume and liquidity in most foreign bond markets is less
than in the United States and, at times, volatility of price can be greater than
in the United States. Fixed commissions on foreign stock exchanges are generally
higher than negotiated commissions on United States exchanges, although a
Strategy will endeavor to achieve the most favorable net results on its
portfolio transactions. There is generally less government supervision and
regulation of stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies than in the United
States.
Expropriation, confiscatory taxation, nationalization, political,
economic or social instability or other similar developments, such as military
coups, have occurred in the past in countries in which a Strategy may invest and
could adversely affect the Strategy's assets should these conditions or events
recur.
Foreign investment in certain foreign securities is restricted or
controlled to varying degrees. These restrictions or controls may at times limit
or preclude foreign investment in certain foreign securities and increase the
costs and expenses of a Strategy. Certain countries in which a Strategy may
invest require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons,
limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular issuer, limit
the investment by foreign persons only to a specific class of securities of an
issuer that may have less advantageous rights than the classes available for
purchase by domiciliaries of the countries and/or impose additional taxes on
foreign investors.
Certain countries may require governmental approval for the
repatriation of investment income, capital or the proceeds of sales of
securities by foreign investors. In addition, if a deterioration occurs in a
country's balance of payments, the country could impose temporary restrictions
on foreign capital remittances.
Income from certain investments held by a Strategy could be reduced
by foreign income taxes, including withholding taxes. It is impossible to
determine the effective rate of foreign tax in advance. A Strategy's NAV may
also be affected by changes in the rates or methods of taxation applicable to
the Strategy or to entities in which the Trust has invested. The Adviser
generally will consider the cost of any taxes in determining whether to acquire
any particular investments, but can provide no assurance that the tax treatment
of investments held by a Strategy will not be subject to change. A shareholder
otherwise subject to United States federal income taxes may, subject to certain
limitations, be entitled to claim a credit or deduction for U.S. federal income
tax purposes for his or her proportionate share of such foreign taxes paid by
the Strategy. See "U.S. Federal Income Taxes".
Investors should understand that the expense ratio of a Strategy
investing in foreign securities may be higher than investment companies
investing only in domestic securities since, among other things, the cost of
maintaining the custody of foreign securities is higher and the purchase and
sale of portfolio securities may be subject to higher transaction charges, such
as stamp duties and turnover taxes.
For many foreign securities, there are U.S. Dollar-denominated ADRs
that are traded in the United States on exchanges or over-the-counter and are
issued by domestic banks or trust companies and for which market quotations are
readily available. ADRs do not lessen the foreign exchange risk inherent in
investing in the securities of foreign issuers. However, by investing in ADRs
rather than directly in stock of foreign issuers, a Strategy can avoid currency
risks which might occur during the settlement period for either purchases or
sales. A Strategy may purchase foreign securities directly, as well as through
ADRs.
Foreign Currency Transactions. A Strategy may invest in securities
denominated in foreign currencies and a corresponding portion of the Strategy's
revenues will be received in such currencies. In addition, a Strategy may
conduct foreign currency transactions for hedging and non-hedging purposes on a
spot (i.e., cash) basis or through the use of derivatives transactions, such as
forward currency exchange contracts, currency futures and options thereon, and
options on currencies as described above. The dollar equivalent of a Strategy's
net assets and distributions will be adversely affected by reductions in the
value of certain foreign currencies relative to the U.S. Dollar. Such changes
will also affect a Strategy's income. A Strategy will, however, have the ability
to attempt to protect itself against adverse changes in the values of foreign
currencies by engaging in certain of the investment practices listed above.
While a Strategy has this ability, there is no certainty as to whether, and to
what extent, the Strategy will engage in these practices.
Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short
periods of time causing, along with other factors, a Strategy's NAV to
fluctuate. Currency exchange rates generally are determined by the forces of
supply and demand in the foreign exchange markets and the relative merits of
investments in different countries, actual or anticipated changes in interest
rates and other complex factors, as seen from an international perspective.
Currency exchange rates also can be affected unpredictably by the intervention
of U.S. or foreign governments or central banks, or the failure to intervene, or
by currency controls or political developments in the United States or abroad.
To the extent a Strategy's total assets adjusted to reflect the Strategy's net
position after giving effect to currency transactions is denominated or quoted
in the currencies of foreign countries, the Strategy will be more susceptible to
the risk of adverse economic and political developments within those countries.
A Strategy will incur costs in connection with conversions between
various currencies. A Strategy may hold foreign currency received in connection
with investments when, in the judgment of the Adviser, it would be beneficial to
convert such currency into U.S. Dollars at a later date, based on anticipated
changes in the relevant exchange rate. If the value of the foreign currencies in
which a Strategy receives its income falls relative to the U.S. Dollar between
receipt of the income and the making of Strategy distributions, the Strategy may
be required to liquidate securities in order to make distributions if the
Strategy has insufficient cash in U.S. Dollars to meet, among other things,
distribution requirements that the Strategy must satisfy to qualify as a
regulated investment company for federal income tax purposes. Similarly, if the
value of a particular foreign currency declines between the time a Strategy
incurs expenses in U.S. Dollars and the time cash expenses are paid, the amount
of the currency required to be converted into U.S. Dollars in order to pay
expenses in U.S. Dollars could be greater than the equivalent amount of such
expenses in the currency at the time they were incurred. In light of these
risks, a Strategy may engage in certain currency hedging transactions, which
themselves, involve certain special risks. See "Additional Investment Policies
and Practices," above.
Risks of Forward Currency Exchange Contracts, Foreign Currency
Futures Contracts and Options thereon, Options on Foreign Currencies,
Over-the-Counter Options on Securities and Swaps. Transactions in forward
currency exchange contracts, as well as futures and options on foreign
currencies, are subject to all of the correlation, liquidity and other risks
outlined above. In addition, however, such transactions are subject to the risk
of governmental actions affecting trading in or the prices of currencies
underlying such contracts, which could restrict or eliminate trading and could
have a substantial adverse effect on the value of positions held by a Strategy.
In addition, the value of such positions could be adversely affected by a number
of other complex political and economic factors applicable to the countries
issuing the underlying currencies.
Further, unlike trading in most other types of instruments, there is
no systematic reporting of last sale information with respect to the foreign
currencies underlying contracts thereon. As a result, the available information
on which trading decisions will be based may not be as complete as the
comparable data on which a Strategy makes investment and trading decisions in
connection with other transactions. Moreover, because the foreign currency
market is a global, twenty-four hour market, events could occur on that market
but will not be reflected in the forward, futures or options markets until the
following day, thereby preventing a Strategy from responding to such events in a
timely manner.
Settlements of exercises of over-the-counter forward currency
exchange contracts or foreign currency options generally must occur within the
country issuing the underlying currency, which in turn requires traders to
accept or make delivery of such currencies in conformity with any U.S. or
foreign restrictions and regulations regarding the maintenance of foreign
banking relationships and fees, taxes or other charges.
Unlike transactions entered into by a Strategy in futures contracts
and exchange-traded options, options on foreign currencies, forward currency
exchange contracts and over-the-counter options on securities and securities
indices, and swaps may not be traded on contract markets regulated by the CFTC
or (with the exception of certain foreign currency options) the SEC. Such
instruments may instead be traded through financial institutions acting as
market-makers, although foreign currency options are also traded on certain
national securities exchanges, such as the Philadelphia Stock Exchange and the
Chicago Board Options Exchange, that are subject to SEC regulation. In an
over-the-counter trading environment, many of the protections afforded to
exchange participants will not be available. For example, there are no daily
price fluctuation limits, and adverse market movements could therefore continue
to an unlimited extent over a period of time. Although the purchaser of an
option cannot lose more than the amount of the premium plus related transaction
costs, this entire amount could be lost. Moreover, the option writer could lose
amounts substantially in excess of the initial investment due to the margin and
collateral requirements associated with such positions.
In addition, over-the-counter transactions can be entered into only
with a financial institution willing to take the opposite side, as principal, of
a Strategy's position unless the institution acts as broker and is able to find
another counterparty willing to enter into the transaction with the Strategy.
Where no such counterparty is available, it will not be possible to enter into a
desired transaction. There also may be no liquid secondary market in the trading
of over-the-counter contracts, and a Strategy could be required to retain
options purchased or written, or forward currency exchange contracts or swaps
entered into, until exercise, expiration or maturity. This in turn could limit
the Strategy's ability to profit from open positions or to reduce losses
experienced, and could result in greater losses.
Further, over-the-counter transactions are not subject to the
guarantee of an exchange clearing house, and a Strategy will therefore be
subject to the risk of default by, or the bankruptcy of, the financial
institution serving as its counterparty. A Strategy will enter into an
over-the-counter transaction only with parties whose creditworthiness has been
reviewed and found to be satisfactory by the Adviser.
Transactions in over-the-counter options on foreign currencies are
subject to a number of conditions regarding the commercial purpose of the
purchaser of such option. A Strategy is not able to determine at this time
whether or to what extent additional restrictions on the trading of
over-the-counter options on foreign currencies may be imposed at some point in
the future, or the effect that any such restrictions may have on the hedging
strategies to be implemented by them.
Options on foreign currencies traded on national securities
exchanges are within the jurisdiction of the SEC, as are other securities traded
on such exchanges. As a result, many of the protections provided to traders on
organized exchanges will be available with respect to such transactions. In
particular, all foreign currency option positions entered into on a national
securities exchange are cleared and guaranteed by the Options Clearing
Corporation ("OCC"), thereby reducing the risk of counterparty default. Further,
a liquid secondary market in options traded on a national securities exchange
may be more readily available than in the over-the-counter market, potentially
permitting a Strategy to liquidate open positions at a profit prior to exercise
or expiration, or to limit losses in the event of adverse market movements.
The purchase and sale of exchange-traded foreign currency options,
however, is subject to the risks of the availability of a liquid secondary
market described above, as well as the risks regarding adverse market movements,
the margining of options written, the nature of the foreign currency market,
possible intervention by governmental authorities and the effects of other
political and economic events. In addition, exchange-traded options on foreign
currencies involve certain risks not presented by the over-the-counter market.
For example, exercise and settlement of such options must be made exclusively
through the OCC, which has established banking relationships in applicable
foreign countries for this purpose. As a result, if the OCC determines that
foreign governmental restrictions or taxes would prevent the orderly settlement
of foreign currency option exercises, or would result in undue burdens on the
OCC or its clearing member, the OCC may impose special procedures on exercise
and settlement, such as technical changes in the mechanics of delivery of
currency, the fixing of dollar settlement prices or prohibitions on exercise.
Options on U.S. Government Securities, futures contracts, options on
futures contracts, forward currency exchange contracts and options on foreign
currencies may be traded on foreign exchanges. Such transactions are subject to
the risk of governmental actions affecting trading in or the prices of foreign
currencies or securities. The value of such positions also could be adversely
affected by (i) other complex foreign political and economic factors, (ii)
lesser availability than in the U.S. of data on which to make trading decisions,
(iii) delays in the Strategy's ability to act upon economic events occurring in
foreign markets during nonbusiness hours in the U.S., (iv) the imposition of
different exercise and settlement terms and procedures and margin requirements
than in the U.S., and (v) lesser trading volume period.
Pooled Investments Risk. The Strategies invest in Underlying
Portfolios managed by the Adviser. From time to time, one or more of the
Underlying Portfolios may experience relatively large investments or redemptions
due to reallocations or rebalancing by the Strategies or other investors. These
transactions will affect the Underlying Portfolios, since the Underlying
Portfolios that receive additional cash will have to invest such cash. This may
be particularly important when one or more of the Strategies owns a substantial
portion of any Underlying Portfolio. While it is impossible to predict the
overall effect of these transactions over time, there could be adverse effects
on a Strategy's performance to the extent that the Underlying Portfolio may be
required to sell securities or invest cash at time when they would not otherwise
do so. These transactions could also accelerate the realization of taxable
income if sales of securities resulted in gains and could also increase
transaction costs. Because the Strategies are expected to own substantial
portions of some Underlying Portfolios, a redemption or reallocation by the
Strategies away from an Underlying Portfolio could cause the Underlying
Portfolio's expenses to increase and may result in an Underlying Portfolio
becoming too small to be economically viable. The Adviser is committed to
minimizing such effect on the Underlying Portfolios to the extent it is
consistent with pursuing the investment objectives of the Strategies and the
Underlying Portfolios. The Adviser will at all times monitor the effect on the
Underlying Portfolios of transactions by the Strategies. As an investor in an
Underlying Portfolio, a Strategy will bear its ratable share of expenses with
respect to the assets so invested.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
Fundamental Investment Policies
Each Strategy has adopted the following fundamental investment
policies, which may not be changed without approval by the vote of a majority of
the Strategy's outstanding voting securities, which means the affirmative vote
of the holders of (i) 67% or more of the shares represented at a meeting at
which more than 50% of the outstanding shares are present in person or by proxy,
or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares, whichever is less.
As a matter of fundamental policy, a Strategy may not:
(1) issue any senior security (as that term is defined in the 1940
Act) or borrow money, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or the
rules and regulations thereunder (as such statute, rules or regulations may be
amended from time to time) or by guidance regarding, or interpretations of, or
exemptive orders under, the 1940 Act or the rules or regulations thereunder
published by appropriate regulatory authorities. For the purposes of this
restriction, margin and collateral arrangements, including, for example, with
respect to permitted borrowings, options, futures contracts, options on futures
contracts and other derivatives such as swaps are not deemed to involve the
issuance of a senior security;
(2) act as an underwriter of securities, except that it may acquire
restricted securities under circumstances in which, if such securities were
sold, the Strategy might be deemed to be an underwriter for purposes of the
Securities Act;
(3) purchase or sell real estate except that it may dispose of real
estate acquired as a result of the ownership of securities or other instruments.
This restriction does not prohibit the Strategies from investing in securities
or other instruments backed by real estate or in securities of companies engaged
in the real estate business;
(4) make loans except through (i) the purchase of debt obligations
in accordance with its investment objectives and policies; (ii) the lending of
portfolio securities; (iii) the use of repurchase agreements; or (iv) the making
of loans to affiliated funds as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and
regulations thereunder (as such statutes, rules or regulations may be amended
from time to time), or by guidance regarding, and interpretations of, or
exemptive orders under, the 1940 Act;
(5) concentrate investments in an industry, as concentration may be
defined under the 1940 Act or the rules and regulations thereunder (as such
statute, rules or regulations may be amended from time to time) or by guidance
regarding, interpretations of, or exemptive orders under, the 1940 Act or the
rules or regulations thereunder published by appropriate regulatory authorities;
and
(6) purchase or sell commodities regulated by the CFTC under the
Commodity Exchange Act or commodities contracts except for futures contracts and
options on futures contracts except that Wealth Appreciation Strategy and
Tax-Managed Wealth Appreciation Strategy may purchase or sell commodities or
options thereon to the extent permitted by applicable law.
As a fundamental policy, each Strategy is diversified (as that term
is defined in the 1940 Act). This means that at least 75% of each Strategy's
assets consist of:
o Cash or cash items;
o Government Securities;
o Securities of other investment companies; and
o Securities of any one issuer that represent not more than 10%
of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer of the
securities and not more than 5% of the total assets of a
Strategy.
Non-Fundamental Investment Policy
As a matter of non-fundamental policy, each Strategy has adopted a
policy that provides that the Strategy may not purchase securities on margin,
except (i) as otherwise provided under rules adopted by the SEC under the 1940
Act or by guidance regarding the 1940 Act, or interpretations thereof, and (ii)
that the Strategy may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the
clearance of portfolio transactions, and the Strategy may make margin payments
in connection with futures contracts, options, forward contracts, swaps, caps,
floors, collars, and other financial instruments.
MANAGEMENT OF THE STRATEGIES
The Adviser
The Adviser, a Delaware limited partnership with principal offices
at 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10105, has been retained
under an investment advisory agreement (the "Advisory Agreement") to provide
investment advice and, in general, to conduct the management and investment
program of the Strategies under the supervision of the Trust's Board (see
"Management of the Strategies" in the Prospectus). The Adviser is an investment
adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.
The Adviser is a leading global investment management firm
supervising client accounts with assets as of September 30, 2012, totaling
approximately $419 billion. The Adviser provides management services for many of
the largest U.S. public and private employee benefit plans, endowments,
foundations, public employee retirement funds, banks, insurance companies and
high net worth individuals worldwide.
As of September 30, 2012, the ownership structure of the Adviser,
expressed as a percentage of general and limited partnership interests, was as
follows:
AXA and its subsidiaries 61.0%
AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. 37.5
Unaffiliated holders 1.5
------------
100.0%
============
|
AXA, is a societe anonyme organized under the laws of France and the
holding company for an international group of insurance and related financial
services companies, through certain of its subsidiaries ("AXA and its
subsidiaries"). AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. ("Holding") is a Delaware limited
partnership, the units of which, ("Holding Units") are traded publicly on the
Exchange under the ticker symbol "AB". As of September 30, 2012, AXA owned
approximately 1.4% of the issued and outstanding assignments of beneficial
ownership of Holding Units.
AllianceBernstein Corporation (an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary
of AXA) is the general partner of both Holding and the Adviser.
AllianceBernstein Corporation owns 100,000 general partnership units in Holding
and a 1% general partnership interest in the Adviser. Including both the general
partnership and limited partnership interests in Holding and the Adviser, AXA
and its subsidiaries had an approximate 64.2% economic interest in the Adviser
as of September 30, 2012.
Advisory Agreement and Expenses
The Adviser serves as investment manager and adviser of each of the
Strategies, continuously furnishes an investment program for each Strategy and
manages, supervises and conducts the affairs of each Strategy, subject to the
supervision of the Board. The Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser will
furnish, or pay the expenses of the Trust for office space, facilities and
equipment, services of executive and other personnel of the Trust who are
affiliated with the Adviser and certain administrative services.
The Adviser is, under the Advisory Agreement, responsible for
certain expenses incurred by each Strategy, including, for example, office
facilities and certain administrative services, and any expenses incurred in
promoting the sale of Strategy shares (other than the portion of the promotional
expenses borne by the Strategy in accordance with an effective plan pursuant to
Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and the costs of printing Fund prospectuses and
other reports to shareholders and fees related to registration with the SEC and
with state regulatory authorities).
The Strategies have, under the Advisory Agreement, assumed the
obligation for payment of all of their other expenses. As to the obtaining of
services other than those specifically provided to the Strategies by the
Adviser, each Strategy may employ its own personnel. For such services, it may
also utilize personnel employed by the Adviser or its affiliates. The Wealth
Appreciation Strategy and the Tax-Managed Wealth Appreciation Strategy are
authorized to reimburse the Adviser for such services, which will be provided to
the Strategies at cost. The payments therefore must be specifically approved by
the Board. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012 for the Wealth
Appreciation Strategy and the Tax-Managed Wealth Appreciation Strategy, there
were no payments to the Adviser for these services.
The Advisory Agreement continues in effect provided that its
continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a vote of the majority
of the outstanding voting securities of a Strategy or by the Board including, in
either case, by a vote of a majority of the Board who are not parties to the
Advisory Agreement or interested persons of any such party. Most recently, the
continuance of the Advisory Agreement with respect to the Strategies for an
additional annual period was approved by a vote, cast in person, of the Trustees
at a meeting held on July 31 - August 2, 2012.
Any material amendment to the Advisory Agreement must be approved by
vote of a majority of the outstanding securities of the relevant Strategy and by
the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the
Strategy or the Adviser.
The Advisory Agreement is terminable without penalty with respect to
a Strategy by a vote of a majority of the Strategy's outstanding voting
securities or by a vote of a majority of the Trustees on 60 days' written notice
or by the Adviser on 60 days' written notice, and will automatically terminate
in the event of assignment. The Advisory Agreement provides that in the absence
of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the
Adviser, or of reckless disregard of its obligations thereunder, the Adviser
shall not be liable for any action or failure to act in accordance with its
duties thereunder.
The Adviser is compensated for its services at the following annual
rates applicable to the average daily NAV of each Strategy:
Strategy Annual Percentage Rate
-------- ----------------------
Wealth Appreciation Strategy 0.65% of the first $2.5 billion
0.55% of the excess over $2.5 billion up to $5 billion
0.50% of the excess over $5 billion
Balanced Wealth Strategy 0.55% of the first $2.5 billion
0.45% of the excess over $2.5 billion up to $5 billion
0.40% of the excess over $5 billion
Conservative Wealth Strategy 0.55% of the first $2.5 billion
0.45% of the excess over $2.5 billion up to $5 billion
0.40% of the excess over $5 billion
Tax-Managed Wealth Appreciation Strategy 0.65% of the first $2.5 billion
0.55% of the excess over $2.5 billion up to $5 billion
0.50% of the excess over $5 billion
Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth Strategy 0.55% of the first $2.5 billion
0.45% of the excess over $2.5 billion up to $5 billion
0.40% of the excess over $5 billion
Tax-Managed Conservative Wealth Strategy 0.55% of the first $2.5 billion
0.45% of the excess over $2.5 billion up to $5 billion
0.40% of the excess over $5 billion
|
The Adviser has contractually agreed until December 31, 2013 to
waive its fee and bear certain expenses so that total expenses do not exceed on
an annual basis 1.20%, 1.90%, 1.90% and .90% of average daily net assets,
respectively, for Class A, Class B, Class C, and Advisor Class shares of the
Tax-Managed Conservative Wealth Strategy. For the period ended August 31, 2012,
such reimbursement amounted to $220,462. This contractual agreement
automatically extends each year, unless the Adviser provides written notice of
termination to the Strategy 60 days prior to December 31, 2013.
During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012, the Adviser received
$448,914 in management fees from the Tax-Managed Conservative Wealth Strategy
(net of $220,462 which was waived by the Adviser due to the expense limitation
agreement), $993,161 in management fees from the Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth
Strategy, $3,906,187 in management fees from the Tax-Managed Wealth Appreciation
Strategy, $2,923,916 in management fees from the Conservative Wealth Strategy,
$8,931,058 in management fees from the Balanced Wealth Strategy, and $9,634,989
in management fees from the Wealth Appreciation Strategy.
During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2011, the Adviser received
$412,769 in management fees from the Tax-Managed Conservative Wealth Strategy
(net of $155,242 which was waived by the Adviser due to the expense limitation
agreement), $1,227,930 in management fees from the Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth
Strategy, $4,076,521 in management fees from the Tax-Managed Wealth Appreciation
Strategy, $3,611,278 in management fees from the Conservative Wealth Strategy
(net of $0 which was waived by the Adviser due to the expense limitation
agreement), $11,216,622 in management fees from the Balanced Wealth Strategy,
and $11,281,751 in management fees from the Wealth Appreciation Strategy.
During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2010, the Adviser received
$580,811 in management fees from the Tax-Managed Conservative Wealth Strategy
(net of $86,190 which was waived by the Adviser due to the expense limitation
agreement), $1,454,127 in management fees from the Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth
Strategy, $3,648,329 in management fees from the Tax-Managed Wealth Appreciation
Strategy, $3,990,128 in management fees from the Conservative Wealth Strategy
(net of $0 which was waived by the Adviser due to the expense limitation
agreement), $11,796,820 in management fees from the Balanced Wealth Strategy,
and $10,628,029 in management fees from the Wealth Appreciation Strategy.
Certain other clients of the Adviser may have investment objectives
and policies similar to those of the Strategies. The Adviser may, from time to
time, make recommendations which result in the purchase or sale of the
particular security by its other clients simultaneously with a purchase or sale
thereof by one or more Strategies. If transactions on behalf of more than one
client during the same period increase the demand for securities being purchased
or the supply of securities being sold, there may be an adverse effect on price.
It is the policy of the Adviser to allocate advisory recommendations and the
placing of orders in a manner that is deemed equitable by the Adviser to the
accounts involved, including the Strategies. When two or more of the Adviser's
clients (including a Strategy) are purchasing or selling the same security on a
given day through the same broker or dealer, such transactions may be averaged
as to price.
ALL FUNDS
The Adviser may act as an investment adviser to other persons, firms or
corporations, including investment companies, and is the investment adviser to
AllianceBernstein Blended Style Series, Inc., AllianceBernstein Bond Fund, Inc.,
AllianceBernstein Cap Fund, Inc., AllianceBernstein Core Opportunities Fund,
Inc., AllianceBernstein Corporate Shares, AllianceBernstein Discovery Growth
Fund, Inc., AllianceBernstein Equity Income Fund, Inc., AllianceBernstein
Exchange Reserves, AllianceBernstein Fixed-Income Shares, Inc.,
AllianceBernstein Global Bond Fund, Inc., AllianceBernstein Global Real Estate
Investment Fund, Inc., AllianceBernstein Global Risk Allocation Fund, Inc.,
AllianceBernstein Global Thematic Growth Fund, Inc., AllianceBernstein Growth
and Income Fund, Inc., AllianceBernstein High Income Fund, Inc.,
AllianceBernstein Institutional Funds, Inc., AllianceBernstein International
Growth Fund, Inc., AllianceBernstein Large Cap Growth Fund, Inc.,
AllianceBernstein Municipal Income Fund, Inc., AllianceBernstein Municipal
Income Fund II, AllianceBernstein Trust, AllianceBernstein Unconstrained Bond
Fund, Inc., AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc., Sanford C.
Bernstein Fund, Inc., Sanford C. Bernstein Fund II, Inc., The AllianceBernstein
Pooling Portfolios and The AllianceBernstein Portfolios, all registered open-end
investment companies; and to AllianceBernstein Global High Income Fund, Inc.,
AllianceBernstein Income Fund, Inc., AllianceBernstein Multi-Manager Alternative
Fund, AllianceBernstein National Municipal Income Fund, Inc., Alliance
California Municipal Income Fund, Inc. and Alliance New York Municipal Income
Fund, Inc., all registered closed-end investment companies. The registered
investment companies for which the Adviser serves as investment adviser are
referred to collectively below as the "AllianceBernstein Fund Complex", while
all of these investment companies, except the Sanford C. Bernstein Fund, Inc.,
are referred to collectively below as the "AllianceBernstein Funds".
Board Information
Certain information concerning the Trustees of the Trust is set
forth below.
Portfolios in Other Public Company
AllianceBernstein Trusteeships and
Principal Occupation(s) Fund Complex Directorships Held
Name, Address*, Age and during Past Five Overseen by by Trustee in the
(Year Elected**) Years or Longer Trustee Past Five Years
----------------------- ----------------------- ----------------- --------------------
Independent Trustees
--------------------
Chairman of the Board
William H. Foulk, Jr., #, ## Investment Adviser and an 101 None
80 Independent Consultant since
(1998) prior to 2007. Previously, he
was Senior Manager of Barrett
Associates, Inc., a registered
investment adviser. He was
formerly Deputy Comptroller and
Chief Investment Officer of the
State of New York and, prior
thereto, Chief Investment
Officer of the New York Bank for
Savings. He has served as a
director or trustee of various
AllianceBernstein Funds since
1983 and has been Chairman of
the AllianceBernstein Funds and
of the Independent Directors
Committee of such Funds since
2003.
John H. Dobkin, # Independent Consultant since 101 None
70 prior to 2007. Formerly,
(1999) President of Save Venice, Inc.
(preservation organization) from
2001-2002; Senior Advisor from
June 1999-June 2000 and
President of Historic Hudson
Valley (historic preservation)
from December 1989-May 1999.
Previously, Director of the
National Academy of Design. He
has served as a director or
trustee of various
AllianceBernstein Funds since
1992.
Michael J. Downey, # Private Investor since prior to 101 Asia Pacific Fund, Inc.
68 2007. Formerly, managing and The Merger Fund
(2005) partner of Lexington Capital, since prior to 2007 and
LLC (investment advisory firm) Prospect Acquisition
from December 1997 until Corp. (financial
December 2003. From 1987 until services) from 2007
1993, Chairman and CEO of until 2009
Prudential Mutual Fund
Management, director of the
Prudential mutual funds, and
member of the Executive
Committee of Prudential
Securities Inc. He has served
as a director or trustee of the
AllianceBernstein Funds since
2005.
D. James Guzy, # Chairman of the Board of PLX 101
76 Technology (semi-conductors) and Cirrus Logic Corporation
(2005) of SRC Computers Inc., with (semi-conductors) and
which he has been associated PLX Technology
since prior to 2007. He was a (semi-conductors) since
director of Intel Corporation prior to 2007 and Intel
(semi-conductors) from 1969 Corporation
until 2008, and served as (semi-conductors) since
Chairman of the Finance prior to 2007 until 2008
Committee of such company for
several years until May 2008.
He has served as a director or
trustee of one or more of the
AllianceBernstein Funds since
1982.
Nancy P. Jacklin, #, ## Professorial Lecturer at the 101 None
64 Johns Hopkins School of Advanced
(2006) International Studies since
2008. Formerly, U.S. Executive
Director of the International
Monetary Fund (December 2002-May
2006); Partner, Clifford Chance
(1992-2002); Sector Counsel,
International Banking and
Finance, and Associate General
Counsel, Citicorp (1985-1992);
Assistant General Counsel
(International), Federal Reserve
Board of Governors (1982-1985);
and Attorney Advisor, U.S.
Department of the Treasury
(1973-1982). Member of the Bar
of the District of Columbia and
of New York; and member of the
Council on Foreign Relations.
She has served as a director or
trustee of the AllianceBernstein
Funds since 2006.
Garry L. Moody, # Independent Consultant. 101 None
60 Formerly, Partner, Deloitte &
(2008) Touche LLP (1995-2008) where he
held a number of senior
positions, including Vice
Chairman, and U.S. and Global
Investment Management Practice
Managing Partner; President,
Fidelity Accounting and Custody
Services Company (1993-1995);
and Partner, Ernst & Young LLP
(1975-1993), where he served as
the National Director of Mutual
Fund Tax Services. He has
served as a director or trustee,
and as Chairman of the Audit
Committee, of the
AllianceBernstein Funds since
2008.
Marshall C. Turner, Jr., # 101 Xilinx, Inc.
71 Private Investor since prior to (programmable logic
(2005) 2007. Interim CEO of MEMC semi-conductors) and
Electronic Materials, Inc. MEMC Electronic
(semi-conductor and solar cell Materials, Inc.
substrates) from November 2008 (semi-conductor and
until March 2009. He was solar cell substrates)
Chairman and CEO of Dupont since prior to 2007
Photomasks, Inc. (components of
semi-conductor manufacturing),
2003-2005, and President and
CEO, 2005-2006, after the
company was acquired and renamed
Toppan Photomasks, Inc. He has
served as a director or trustee
of one or more of the
AllianceBernstein Funds since
1992.
Earl D. Weiner, # Of Counsel, and Partner prior to 101 None
73 January 2007, of the law firm
(2007) Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and
member of ABA Federal Regulation
of Securities Committee Task
Force to draft editions of the
Fund Director's Guidebook. He
has served as director or
trustee of the AllianceBernstein
Funds since 2007 and is Chairman
of the Governance and Nominating
Committees of the Funds.
Interested Trustee Senior Vice President of the 101 None
------------------ Adviser++ and head of
Robert M. Keith, + AllianceBernstein Investments,
52 Inc. ("ABI")++ since July 2008;
(2010) Director of ABI and President of
the AllianceBernstein Mutual
Funds. Previously, he served as
Executive Managing Director of
ABI from December 2006 to June
2008. Prior to joining ABI in
2006, Executive Managing
Director of Bernstein Global
Wealth Management, and prior
thereto, Senior Managing
Director and Global Head of
Client Service and Sales of the
Adviser's institutional
investment management business
since 2004. Prior thereto,
Managing Director and Head of
North American Client Service
and Sales in the Adviser's
institutional investment
management business, with which
he had been associated since
prior to 2004.
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* The address of each of the Strategy's Trustees is c/o AllianceBernstein
L.P. Attention: Philip L. Kirstein, 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York,
NY 10105.
** There is no stated term of office for the Trustees.
# Member of the Audit Committee, the Governance and Nominating Committee and
the Independent Directors Committee.
## Member of the Fair Value Pricing Committee.
+ Mr. Keith is an "interested person", as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the
Investment Company Act of 1940, of the Trust due to his position as a
Senior Vice President of the Adviser.
++ The Adviser and ABI are affiliates of the Trust.
The management of the business and affairs of the Trust are managed
under the direction of the Board. Trustees who are not "interested persons" of
the Trust as defined in the 1940 Act, are referred to as "Independent Trustees",
and Trustees who are "interested persons" of the Trust are referred to as
"Interested Trustees". Certain information concerning the Trust's governance
structure and each Trustee is set forth below.
Experience, Skills, Attributes and Qualifications of the Trust's
Trustees. The Governance and Nominating Committee of the Board, which is
composed of Independent Trustees, reviews the experience, qualifications,
attributes and skills of potential candidates for nomination or election by the
Board, and conducts a similar review in connection with the proposed nomination
of current Trustees for re-election by stockholders at any annual or special
meeting of stockholders. In evaluating a candidate for nomination or election as
a Trustee, the Governance and Nominating Committee takes into account the
contribution that the candidate would be expected to make to the diverse mix of
experience, qualifications, attributes and skills that the Governance and
Nominating Committee believes contributes to good governance for the Trust.
Additional information concerning the Governance and Nominating Committee's
consideration of nominees appears in the description of the Committee below.
The Board believes that, collectively, the Trustees have balanced
and diverse experience, qualifications, attributes and skills, which allow the
Board to operate effectively in governing the Trust and protecting the interests
of stockholders. The Board has concluded that, based on each Trustee's
experience, qualifications, attributes or skills on an individual basis and in
combination with those of the other Trustees, each Trustee is qualified and
should continue to serve as such.
In determining that a particular Trustee was and continues to be
qualified to serve as a Trustee, the Board has considered a variety of criteria,
none of which, in isolation, was controlling. In addition, the Board has taken
into account the actual service and commitment of each Trustee during his or her
tenure (including the Trustee's commitment and participation in Board and
committee meetings, as well as his or her current and prior leadership of
standing and ad hoc committees) in concluding that each should continue to
serve. Additional information about the specific experience, skills, attributes
and qualifications of each Trustee, which in each case led to the Board's
conclusion that the Trustee should serve (or continue to serve) as trustee of
the Trust, is provided in the table above and in the next paragraph.
Among other attributes and qualifications common to all Trustees are
their ability to review critically, evaluate, question and discuss information
provided to them (including information requested by the Trustees), to interact
effectively with the Adviser, other service providers, counsel and the Trustee's
independent registered public accounting firm, and to exercise effective
business judgment in the performance of their duties as Trustees. In addition to
his or her service as a Trustee of the Trust and other AllianceBernstein Funds
as noted in the table above: Mr. Dobkin has experience as an executive of a
number of organizations and served as Chairman of the Audit Committee of many of
the AllianceBernstein Funds from 2001 to 2008; Mr. Downey has experience in the
investment advisory business including as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
of a large fund complex and as director of a number of non-AllianceBernstein
funds and as Chairman of a non-AllianceBernstein closed-end fund; Mr. Foulk has
experience in the investment advisory and securities businesses, including as
Deputy Comptroller and Chief Investment Officer of the State of New York (where
his responsibilities included bond issuances, cash management and oversight of
the New York Common Retirement Fund), has served as Chairman of the
AllianceBernstein Funds and of the Independent Directors Committee since 2003,
and is active in a number of mutual fund related organizations and committees;
Mr. Guzy has experience as a corporate director including as Chairman of a
public company and Chairman of the Finance Committee of a large public
technology company; Ms. Jacklin has experience as a financial services regulator
including as U.S. Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund, which
is responsible for ensuring the stability of the international monetary system,
and as a financial services lawyer in private practice; Mr. Keith has experience
as an executive of the Adviser with responsibility for, among other things, the
AllianceBernstein Funds; Mr. Moody has experience as an certified public
accountant including experience as Vice Chairman and U.S. and Global Investment
Management Practice Partner for a major accounting firm, is a member of the
governing council of an organization of independent directors of mutual funds,
and has served as Chairman of the Audit Committee of most of the
AllianceBernstein Funds since 2008; Mr. Turner has experience as a director
(including Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of a number of companies) and as
a venture capital investor including prior service as general partner of three
institutional venture capital partnerships; and Mr. Weiner has experience as a
securities lawyer whose practice includes registered investment companies and as
Chairman, director or trustee of a number of boards, and has served as Chairman
of the Governance and Nominating Committee of the AllianceBernstein Funds since
2007. The disclosure herein of a director's experience, qualifications,
attributes and skills does not impose on such director any duties, obligations,
or liability that are greater than the duties, obligations and liability imposed
on such director as a member of the Board and any committee thereof in the
absence of such experience, qualifications, attributes and skills.
Board Structure and Oversight Function. The Board is responsible for
oversight of the Trust. The Trust has engaged the Adviser to manage the Trust on
a day-to-day basis. The Board is responsible for overseeing the Adviser and the
Trust's other service providers in the operations of the Trust in accordance
with the Trust's investment objective and policies and otherwise in accordance
with its prospectus, the requirements of the 1940 Act and other applicable
Federal, state and other securities and other laws, and the Trust's charter and
bylaws. The Board meets in-person at regularly scheduled meetings eight times
throughout the year. In addition, the Trustees may meet in-person or by
telephone at special meetings or on an informal basis at other times. The
Independent Trustees also regularly meet without the presence of any
representatives of management. As described below, the Board has established
four standing committees - the Audit, Governance and Nominating, Independent
Directors, and Fair Value Pricing Committees - and may establish ad hoc
committees or working groups from time to time, to assist the Board in
fulfilling its oversight responsibilities. Each committee is composed
exclusively of Independent Trustees. The responsibilities of each committee,
including its oversight responsibilities, are described further below. The
Independent Trustees have also engaged independent legal counsel, and may from
time to time engage consultants and other advisors, to assist them in performing
their oversight responsibilities.
An Independent Trustee serves as Chairman of the Board. The
Chairman's duties include setting the agenda for each Board meeting in
consultation with management, presiding at each Board meeting, meeting with
management between Board meetings, and facilitating communication and
coordination between the Independent Trustees and management. The Trustees have
determined that the Board's leadership by an Independent Trustee and its
committees composed exclusively of Independent Trustees is appropriate because
they believe it sets the proper tone to the relationships between the Trust, on
the one hand, and the Adviser and other service providers, on the other, and
facilitates the exercise of the Board's independent judgment in evaluating and
managing the relationships. In addition, the Trust is required to have an
Independent Trustee as Chairman pursuant to certain 2003 regulatory settlements
involving the Adviser.
Risk Oversight. The Trust is subject to a number of risks, including
investment, compliance and operational risks. Day-to-day risk management with
respect to the Trust resides with the Adviser or other service providers
(depending on the nature of the risk), subject to supervision by the Adviser.
The Board has charged the Adviser and its affiliates with (i) identifying events
or circumstances, the occurrence of which could have demonstrable and material
adverse effects on the Trust; (ii) to the extent appropriate, reasonable or
practicable, implementing processes and controls reasonably designed to lessen
the possibility that such events or circumstances occur or to mitigate the
effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur; and (iii) creating and
maintaining a system designed to evaluate continuously, and to revise as
appropriate, the processes and controls described in (i) and (ii) above.
Risk oversight forms part of the Board's general oversight of the
Trust's investment program and operations and is addressed as part of various
regular Board and committee activities. The Trust's investment management and
business affairs are carried out by or through the Adviser and other service
providers. Each of these persons has an independent interest in risk management
but the policies and the methods by which one or more risk management functions
are carried out may differ from the Trust's and each other's in the setting of
priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls.
Oversight of risk management is provided by the Board and the Audit Committee.
The Trustees regularly receive reports from, among others, management (including
the Global Heads of Investment Risk and Trading Risk of the Adviser), the
Trust's Senior Officer (who is also the Trust's chief compliance officer), its
independent registered public accounting firm, counsel, and internal auditors
for the Adviser, as appropriate, regarding risks faced by the Trust and the
Adviser's risk management programs.
Not all risks that may affect the Trust can be identified, nor can
controls be developed to eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. It
may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks,
the processes and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in
their effectiveness, and some risks are simply beyond the reasonable control of
the Trust or the Adviser, its affiliates or other service providers. Moreover,
it is necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to
achieve the Trust's goals. As a result of the foregoing and other factors the
Trust's ability to manage risk is subject to substantial limitations.
Board Committees. The Trustees of the Trust have four standing
committees - an Audit Committee, a Governance and Nominating Committee, a Fair
Value Pricing Committee and an Independent Directors Committee. The members of
the Audit, Governance and Nominating, Fair Value Pricing and Independent
Directors Committees are identified above.
The function of the Audit Committee is to assist the Trustees in
their oversight of the Strategies' financial reporting process. The Audit
Committee met two times during the Strategies' most recently completed fiscal
year.
The function of the Governance and Nominating Committee includes the
nomination of persons to fill any vacancies or newly created positions on the
Board. The Governance and Nominating Committee met three times during the
Strategies' most recently completed fiscal year.
The Governance and Nominating Committee has a charter and, pursuant
to the charter, the Governance and Nominating Committee will consider for
nomination as a trustee candidates submitted by a shareholder or group of
shareholders who have beneficially owned at least 5% of a Strategy's common
stock or shares of beneficial interest for at least two years at the time of
submission and who timely provide specified information about the candidates and
the nominating shareholder or group. To be timely for consideration by the
Governance and Nominating Committee, the submission, including all required
information, must be submitted in writing to the attention of the Secretary at
the principal executive offices of the Trust not less than 120 days before the
date of the proxy statement for the previous year's annual meeting of
shareholders. If the Trust did not hold an annual meeting of shareholders in the
previous year, the submission must be delivered or mailed and received within a
reasonable amount of time before the Trust begins to print and mail its proxy
materials. Public notice of such upcoming annual meeting of shareholders may be
given in a shareholder report or other mailing to shareholders or by other means
deemed by the Governance and Nominating Committee or the Board to be reasonably
calculated to inform shareholders.
Shareholders submitting a candidate for consideration by the
Governance and Nominating Committee must provide the following information to
the Governance and Nominating Committee: (i) a statement in writing setting
forth (A) the name, date of birth, business address and residence address of the
candidate; (B) any position or business relationship of the candidate, currently
or within the preceding five years, with the shareholder or an associated person
of the shareholder as defined below; (C) the class or series and number of all
shares of a Strategy owned of record or beneficially by the candidate; (D) any
other information regarding the candidate that is required to be disclosed about
a nominee in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection
with the solicitation of proxies for election of Trustees pursuant to Section 20
of the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder; (E)
whether the shareholder believes that the candidate is or will be an "interested
person" of the Trust (as defined in the 1940 Act) and, if believed not to be an
"interested person," information regarding the candidate that will be sufficient
for the Trust to make such determination; and (F) information as to the
candidate's knowledge of the investment company industry, experience as a
director or senior officer of public companies, directorships on the boards of
other registered investment companies and educational background; (ii) the
written and signed consent of the candidate to be named as a nominee and to
serve as a Trustee if elected; (iii) the written and signed agreement of the
candidate to complete a directors' and officers' questionnaire if elected; (iv)
the shareholder's consent to be named as such by the Trust; (v) the class or
series and number of all shares of a Strategy of the Trust owned beneficially
and of record by the shareholder and any associated person of the shareholder
and the dates on which such shares were acquired, specifying the number of
shares owned beneficially but not of record by each, and stating the names of
each as they appear on the Trust's record books and the names of any nominee
holders for each; and (vi) a description of all arrangements or understandings
between the shareholder, the candidate and/or any other person or persons
(including their names) pursuant to which the recommendation is being made by
the shareholder. "Associated Person of the shareholder" means any person who is
required to be identified under clause (vi) of this paragraph and any other
person controlling, controlled by or under common control with, directly or
indirectly, (a) the shareholder or (b) the associated person of the shareholder.
The Governance and Nominating Committee may require the shareholder
to furnish such other information as it may reasonably require or deem necessary
to verify any information furnished pursuant to the nominating procedures
described above or to determine the qualifications and eligibility of the
candidate proposed by the shareholder to serve on the Board. If the shareholder
fails to provide such other information in writing within seven days of receipt
of written request from the Governance and Nominating Committee, the
recommendation of such candidate as a nominee will be deemed not properly
submitted for consideration, and will not be considered, by the Committee.
The Governance and Nominating Committee will consider only one
candidate submitted by such a shareholder or group for nomination for election
at an annual meeting of shareholders. The Governance and Nominating Committee
will not consider self-nominated candidates. The Governance and Nominating
Committee will consider and evaluate candidates submitted by shareholders on the
basis of the same criteria as those used to consider and evaluate candidates
submitted from other sources. These criteria include the candidate's relevant
knowledge, experience, and expertise, the candidate's ability to carry out his
or her duties in the best interests of the Trust, the candidate's ability to
qualify as an Independent Trustee and such other criteria as the Governance and
Nominating Committee determines to be relevant in light of the existing
composition of the Board and any anticipated vacancies or other factors.
The function of the Fair Value Pricing Committee is to consider, in
advance if possible, any fair valuation decision of the Adviser's Valuation
Committee relating to a security held by the Strategies made under unique or
highly unusual circumstances not previously addressed by the Valuation Committee
that would result in a change in a Strategy's NAV by more than $0.01 per share.
The Fair Value Pricing Committee did not meet during the Strategies' most
recently completed fiscal year.
The function of the Independent Directors Committee is to consider
and take action on matters that the Board or Committee believes should be
addressed in executive session of the Independent Trustees, such as review and
approval of the Advisory and Distribution Services Agreements. The Independent
Directors Committee met seven times during the Strategies' most recently
completed fiscal year.
The dollar range of the Strategies' securities owned by each Trustee
and the aggregate dollar range of securities of funds in the AllianceBernstein
Fund Complex owned by each Trustee are set forth below.
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Strategies
As of December 31, 2011
-----------------------
Wealth Appreciation Balanced Wealth Conservative Wealth
Name of Trustee Strategy Strategy Strategy
---------------
John H. Dobkin Over $100,000 $10,001 - $50,000 None
Michael J. Downey None None None
William H. Foulk, Jr. $10,001 - $50,000 $10,001 - $50,000 None
D. James Guzy Over $100,000 None None
Nancy P. Jacklin None $50,001 - $100,000 None
Robert M. Keith None None None
Garry L. Moody $10,001 - $50,000 $10,001 - $100,000 None
Marshall C. Turner, Jr. None None None
Earl D. Weiner None None None
Tax-Managed Tax-Managed Tax-Managed
Wealth Balanced Conservative
Name of Trustee Appreciation Strategy Wealth Strategy Wealth Strategy
---------------
John H. Dobkin None None None
Michael J. Downey None None None
William H. Foulk, Jr. None None None
D. James Guzy None None None
Nancy P. Jacklin None None None
Robert M. Keith None None None
Garry L. Moody None None None
Marshall C. Turner, Jr. $50,001-$100,000 None None
Earl D. Weiner None None None
|
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the
Name of Trustee AllianceBernstein Fund Complex as of December 31, 2011
--------------- ------------------------------------------------------
John H. Dobkin Over $100,000
Michael J. Downey Over $100,000
William H. Foulk, Jr. Over $100,000
D. James Guzy Over $100,000
Nancy P. Jacklin Over $100,000
Robert M. Keith None
Garry L. Moody Over $100,000
Marshall C. Turner, Jr. Over $100,000
Earl D. Weiner Over $100,000
|
Officer Information
Certain information concerning the Strategies' officers is set forth
below.
Positions Held
Name, Address,* and Age with Trust Principal Occupation During Past Five Years
----------------------- --------------- -------------------------------------------
Robert M. Keith, President and Chief See biography above.
52 Executive Officer
Philip L. Kirstein, Senior Vice President Senior Vice President and Independent
67 and Independent Compliance Officer of the Funds in the
Compliance Officer AllianceBernstein Fund Complex, with which he
has been associated since October 2004. Prior
thereto, he was Of Counsel to Kirkpatrick &
Lockhart, LLP from October 2003 to October
2004, and General Counsel of Merrill Lynch
Investment Managers, L.P. since prior to March 2003.
Dokyoung Lee, Vice President Senior Vice President of the Adviser,** with
46 which he has been associated since prior to 2007.
Seth J. Masters, Vice President Senior Vice President of the Adviser,** with
53 which he has been associated since prior to
2007.
Christopher H. Nikolich, Vice President Senior Vice President of the Adviser,** with
43 which he has been associated since prior to 2007.
Patrick J. Rudden, Vice President Senior Vice President of the Adviser,** with
49 which he has been associated since prior to 2007.
Emilie D. Wrapp, Clerk Senior Vice President, Assistant General
57 Counsel and Assistant Secretary of ABI,** with
which she has been associated since prior to 2007.
Joseph J. Mantineo, Treasurer and Chief Senior Vice President of ABIS,** with which he
53 Financial Officer has been associated since prior to 2007.
Phyllis J. Clarke, Controller Vice President of ABIS,** with which she has
51 been associated since prior to 2007.
|
* The address for each of the Strategies' Officers is 1345 Avenue of the
Americas, New York, NY 10105.
** The Adviser, ABI and ABIS are affiliates of the Trust.
The Trust does not pay any fees to, or reimburse expenses of, its
Trustees who are considered "interested persons" of the Trust. The aggregate
compensation paid to each of the Trustees by the Strategies for the fiscal year
ended August 31, 2012, the aggregate compensation paid to each of the Trustees
during calendar year 2011 by the AllianceBernstein Fund Complex and the total
number of registered investment companies (and separate portfolios within the
companies) in the AllianceBernstein Fund Complex with respect to which each
Trustee serves as a director or trustee, are set forth below. None of the
Strategies nor any other registered investment company in the AllianceBernstein
Fund Complex provides compensation in the form of pension or retirement benefits
to any of its directors or trustees. Each of the Trustees is a director or
trustee of one or more other registered investment companies in the
AllianceBernstein Fund Complex.
Total Number of
Total Number of Investment
Investment Portfolios
Companies in the within the
Total AllianceBernstein AllianceBernstein
Compensation Fund Complex, Fund Complex,
from the Including the Including the
Aggregate AllianceBernstein Strategies, as to Strategies, as to
Compensation Fund Complex, Which the Trustee Which the Trustee
From the Including the is a Director is a Director
Name of Trustee Strategies Strategies or Trustee or Trustee
--------------- ---------- ----------------- ----------------- -----------------
John H. Dobkin $37,114 $252,000 31 101
Michael J. Downey $38,200 $252,000 31 101
William H. Foulk, Jr. $70,855 $493,700 31 101
D. James Guzy $38,357 $252,000 31 101
Nancy P. Jacklin $38,466 $252,000 31 101
Robert M. Keith $ 0 $ 0 31 101
Garry L. Moody $42,233 $280,000 31 101
Marshall C. Turner, Jr. $38,422 $252,000 31 101
Earl D. Weiner $39,762 $270,000 31 101
|
As of December 7, 2012, the Trustees and officers of the Trust as a
group owned less than 1% of a Strategy class of shares.
Additional Information About the Strategies' Portfolio Managers
The management of and investment decisions for the Strategies'
portfolios are made by the Adviser's Multi-Asset Solutions Team. The five
investment professionals(1) with the most significant responsibility for the
day-to-day management of the Strategies' portfolios are Messrs. Dokyoung Lee,
Seth J. Masters, Christopher Nikolich and Patrick J. Rudden. For additional
information about the portfolio management of the Strategies, see "Management of
the Strategies - Portfolio Managers" in the Strategies' prospectuses.
(1) Investment professionals at the Adviser include portfolio managers and
research analysts. Investment professionals are part of investment groups
(or teams) that service individual fund portfolios. The number of
investment professionals assigned to a particular fund will vary from fund
to fund.
The dollar ranges of the Strategies' equity securities owned
directly or beneficially by the Strategies' portfolio managers are set forth
below:
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Strategies(2)
As of August 31, 2012
---------------------
Wealth Appreciation Balanced Wealth Conservative Wealth
Name of Trustee Strategy Strategy Strategy
---------------
Mr. Dokyoung Lee $100,001 - $500,000 $100,001 - $500,000 None
Mr. Seth J. Masters None None None
Mr. Christopher H. Nikolich $1 - $10,000 None None
Mr. Patrick J. Rudden None None None
Tax-Managed Tax-Managed Tax-Managed
Wealth Appreciation Balanced Wealth Conservative Wealth
Name of Trustee Strategy Strategy Strategy
---------------
Mr. Dokyoung Lee None None None
Mr. Seth J. Masters None None None
Mr. Christopher H. Nikolich None None None
Mr. Patrick J. Rudden None None None
|
(2) The ranges presented below include any vested shares awarded under the
Adviser's Partners Compensation Plan.
As of August 31, 2012, employees of the Adviser had approximately
$10,118,521.43 invested in shares of Balanced Wealth Strategy, $3,120,353.31 in
shares of Conservative Wealth Strategy and $13,660,638.67 in shares of Wealth
Appreciation Strategy through their interests in certain deferred compensation
plans, including the Partners Compensation Plan, including both vested and
unvested amounts.
As of August 31, 2012, employees of the Adviser had approximately
$121,179,001.95 in shares of all AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds (excluding
AllianceBernstein money market funds) through their interests in the Partners
Compensation Plan, including both vested and unvested amounts.
The following tables provide information regarding registered
investment companies other than the Strategies, other pooled investment vehicles
and other accounts over which the Strategies' portfolio managers also have
day-to-day management responsibilities. The tables provide the numbers of such
accounts, the total assets in such accounts and the number of accounts and total
assets whose fees are based on performance. The information is provided as of
August 31, 2012.
- Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth Strategy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REGISTERED INVESTMENT COMPANIES
(excluding the Strategy)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Total Assets
Total Registered of Registered
Number of Total Assets Investment Investment
Registered of Registered Companies Companies
Investment Investment Managed with Managed with
Companies Companies Performance- Performance-
Portfolio Manager Managed Managed based Fees based Fees
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dokyoung Lee 36 $13,287,000,000 None None
Seth J. Masters 41 $15,616,000,000 None None
Christopher H. Nikolich 18 $ 6,118,000,000 None None
Patrick J. Rudden 41 $15,616,000,000 None None
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
- Tax-Managed Wealth Appreciation Strategy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REGISTERED INVESTMENT COMPANIES
(excluding the Strategy)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Total Assets
Total Registered of Registered
Number of Total Assets Investment Investment
Registered of Registered Companies Companies
Investment Investment Managed with Managed with
Companies Companies Performance- Performance-
Portfolio Manager Managed Managed based Fees based Fees
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dokyoung Lee 36 $12,845,000,000 None None
Seth J. Masters 41 $15,175,000,000 None None
Christopher H. Nikolich 18 $ 5,677,000,000 None None
Patrick J. Rudden 41 $15,175,000,000 None None
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
- Tax-Managed Conservative Wealth Strategy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REGISTERED INVESTMENT COMPANIES
(excluding the Strategy)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Total Assets
Total Registered of Registered
Number of Total Assets Investment Investment
Registered of Registered Companies Companies
Investment Investment Managed with Managed with
Companies Companies Performance- Performance-
Portfolio Manager Managed Managed based Fees based Fees
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dokyoung Lee 36 $13,381,000,000 None None
Seth J. Masters 41 $15,711,000,000 None None
Christopher H. Nikolich 18 $ 6,213,000,000 None None
Patrick J. Rudden 41 $15,711,000,000 None None
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
- Balanced Wealth Strategy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REGISTERED INVESTMENT COMPANIES
(excluding the Strategy)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Total Assets
Total Registered of Registered
Number of Total Assets Investment Investment
Registered of Registered Companies Companies
Investment Investment Managed with Managed with
Companies Companies Performance- Performance-
Portfolio Manager Managed Managed based Fees based Fees
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dokyoung Lee 36 $11,968,000,000 None None
Seth J. Masters 41 $14,297,000,000 None None
Christopher H. Nikolich 18 $ 4,800,000,000 None None
Patrick J. Rudden 41 $14,297,000,000 None None
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
- Wealth Appreciation Strategy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REGISTERED INVESTMENT COMPANIES
(excluding the Strategy)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Total Assets
Total Registered of Registered
Number of Total Assets Investment Investment
Registered of Registered Companies Companies
Investment Investment Managed with Managed with
Companies Companies Performance- Performance-
Portfolio Manager Managed Managed based Fees based Fees
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dokyoung Lee 36 $12,010,000,000 None None
Seth J. Masters 41 $22,891,000,000 None None
Christopher H. Nikolich 18 $ 4,841,000,000 None None
Patrick J. Rudden 41 $22,891,000,000 None None
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
- Conservative Wealth Strategy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REGISTERED INVESTMENT COMPANIES
(excluding the Strategy)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Total Assets
Total Registered of Registered
Number of Total Assets Investment Investment
Registered of Registered Companies Companies
Investment Investment Managed with Managed with
Companies Companies Performance- Performance-
Portfolio Manager Managed Managed based Fees based Fees
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dokyoung Lee 36 $12,965,000,000 None None
Seth J. Masters 41 $15,294,000,000 None None
Christopher H. Nikolich 18 $ 5,797,000,000 None None
Patrick J. Rudden 41 $15,294,000,000 None None
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
- All Strategies
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OTHER POOLED INVESTMENT VEHICLES
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Total Assets of
Total Other Pooled Other Pooled
Number of Investment Investment
Other Pooled Total Assets of Vehicles Vehicles
Investment Other Pooled Managed with Managed with
Vehicles Investment Performance- Performance-
Portfolio Manager Managed Vehicles Managed based Fees based Fees
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dokyoung Lee 199 $22,664,000,000 1 $157,000,000
Seth J. Masters 199 $22,891,000,000 1 $157,000,000
Christopher H. Nikolich 36 $15,855,000,000 None None
Patrick J. Rudden 199 $22,891,000,000 1 $157,000,000
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OTHER ACCOUNTS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Number of Total Assets of
Number Other Accounts Other Accounts
of Other Total Assets of Managed with Managed with
Accounts Other Accounts Performance- Performance-
Portfolio Manager Managed Managed based Fees based Fees
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dokyoung Lee 25 $ 9,509,000,000 2 $83,000,000
Seth J. Masters 38 $11,341,000,000 2 $83,000,000
Christopher H. Nikolich 6 $ 6,264,000,000 None None
Patrick J. Rudden 38 $11,341,000,000 2 $83,000,000
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
Investment Professional Conflict of Interest Disclosure
As an investment adviser and fiduciary, the Adviser owes its clients
and shareholders an undivided duty of loyalty. We recognize that conflicts of
interest are inherent in our business and accordingly have developed policies
and procedures (including oversight monitoring) reasonably designed to detect,
manage and mitigate the effects of actual or potential conflicts of interest in
the area of employee personal trading, managing multiple accounts for multiple
clients, including AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds, and allocating investment
opportunities. Investment professionals, including portfolio managers and
research analysts, are subject to the above-mentioned policies and oversight
monitoring to ensure that all clients are treated equitably. We place the
interests of our clients first and expect all of our employees to meet their
fiduciary duties.
Employee Personal Trading. The Adviser has adopted a Code of
Business Conduct and Ethics that is designed to detect and prevent conflicts of
interest when investment professionals and other personnel of the Adviser own,
buy or sell securities which may be owned by, or bought or sold for, clients.
Personal securities transactions by an employee may raise a potential conflict
of interest when an employee owns or trades in a security that is owned or
considered for purchase or sale by a client, or recommended for purchase or sale
by an employee to a client. Subject to the reporting requirements and other
limitations of its Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, the Adviser permits its
employees to engage in personal securities transactions, and also allows them to
acquire investments in certain Funds managed by the Adviser. The Adviser's Code
of Business Conduct and Ethics requires disclosure of all personal accounts and
maintenance of brokerage accounts with designated broker-dealers approved by the
Adviser. The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics also requires preclearance of
all securities transactions (except transactions in U.S. Treasuries and open-end
mutual funds) and imposes a 90 day holding period for securities purchased by
employees to discourage short-term trading.
Managing Multiple Accounts for Multiple Clients. The Adviser has
compliance policies and oversight monitoring in place to address conflicts of
interest relating to the management of multiple accounts for multiple clients.
Conflicts of interest may arise when an investment professional has
responsibilities for the investments of more than one account because the
investment professional may be unable to devote equal time and attention to each
account. The investment professional or investment professional teams for each
client may have responsibilities for managing all or a portion of the
investments of multiple accounts with a common investment strategy, including
other registered investment companies, unregistered investment vehicles, such as
hedge funds, pension plans, separate accounts, collective trusts and charitable
foundations. Among other things, the Adviser's policies and procedures provide
for the prompt dissemination to investment professionals of initial or changed
investment recommendations by analysts so that investment professionals are
better able to develop investment strategies for all accounts they manage. In
addition, investment decisions by investment professionals are reviewed for the
purpose of maintaining uniformity among similar accounts and ensuring that
accounts are treated equitably. Investment professional compensation reflects a
broad contribution in multiple dimensions to long-term investment success for
our clients and is not tied specifically to the performance of any particular
client's account, nor is it directly tied to the level or change in level of
assets under management.
Allocating Investment Opportunities. The investment professionals at
the Adviser routinely are required to select and allocate investment
opportunities among accounts. The Adviser has adopted policies and procedures
intended to address conflicts of interest relating to the allocation of
investment opportunities. These policies and procedures are designed to ensure
that information relevant to investment decisions is disseminated promptly
within its portfolio management teams and investment opportunities are allocated
equitably among different clients. The policies and procedures require, among
other things, objective allocation for limited investment opportunities (e.g.,
on a rotational basis), and documentation and review of justifications for any
decisions to make investments only for select accounts or in a manner
disproportionate to the size of the account. Portfolio holdings, position sizes,
and industry and sector exposures tend to be similar across similar accounts,
which minimizes the potential for conflicts of interest relating to the
allocation of investment opportunities. Nevertheless, access to portfolio funds
or other investment opportunities may be allocated differently among accounts
due to the particular characteristics of an account, such as size of the
account, cash position, tax status, risk tolerance and investment restrictions
or for other reasons.
The Adviser's procedures are also designed to address potential
conflicts of interest that may arise when the Adviser has a particular financial
incentive, such as a performance-based management fee, relating to an account.
An investment professional may perceive that he or she has an incentive to
devote more time to developing and analyzing investment strategies and
opportunities or allocating securities preferentially to accounts for which the
Adviser could share in investment gains.
Portfolio Manager Compensation
The Adviser's compensation program for portfolio managers is
designed to align with clients' interests, emphasizing each portfolio manager's
ability to generate long-term investment success for the Adviser's clients,
including the Strategies. The Adviser also strives to ensure that compensation
is competitive and effective in attracting and retaining the highest caliber
employees.
Portfolio managers receive a base salary, incentive compensation and
contributions to AllianceBernstein's 401(k) plan. Part of the annual incentive
compensation is generally paid in the form of a cash bonus, and part through an
award under the firm's Incentive Compensation Award Plan (ICAP). The ICAP awards
vest over a four-year period. Deferred awards are paid in the form of restricted
grants of the firm's Master Limited Partnership Units, and award recipients have
the ability to receive a portion of their awards in deferred cash. The amount of
contributions to the 401(k) plan is determined at the sole discretion of the
Adviser. On an annual basis, the Adviser endeavors to combine all of the
foregoing elements into a total compensation package that considers industry
compensation trends and is designed to retain its best talent.
The incentive portion of total compensation is determined by
quantitative and qualitative factors. Quantitative factors, which are weighted
more heavily, are driven by investment performance. Qualitative factors are
driven by contributions to the investment process and client success.
The quantitative component includes measures of absolute, relative
and risk-adjusted investment performance. Relative and risk-adjusted returns are
determined based on the benchmark in the Strategies' Prospectus and versus peers
over one-, three- and five-year calendar periods, with more weight given to
longer-time periods. Peer groups are chosen by Chief Investment Officers, who
consult with the product management team to identify products most similar to
our investment style and most relevant within the asset class. Portfolio
managers of the Strategies do not receive any direct compensation based upon the
investment returns of any individual client account, and compensation is not
tied directly to the level or change in level of assets under management.
Among the qualitative components considered, the most important
include thought leadership, collaboration with other investment colleagues,
contributions to risk-adjusted returns of other portfolios in the firm, efforts
in mentoring and building a strong talent pool and being a good corporate
citizen. Other factors can play a role in determining portfolio managers'
compensation, such as the complexity of investment strategies managed, volume of
assets managed and experience.
The Adviser emphasizes four behavioral competencies--relentlessness,
ingenuity, team orientation and accountability--that support its mission to be
the most trusted advisor to its clients. Assessments of investment professionals
are formalized in a year-end review process that includes 360-degree feedback
from other professionals from across the investment teams and the Adviser.
EXPENSES OF THE STRATEGIES
Distribution Service Arrangements
The Trust has entered into a Distribution Services Agreement (the
"Agreement") with ABI, the principal underwriter for the Strategies, to permit
ABI to distribute the Strategies' shares and to permit the Strategies to pay
distribution services fees to defray expenses associated with distribution of
the Strategies' Class A shares. Class B shares, Class C shares, and for the
Strategies other than the Tax-managed Strategies, Class R and Class K shares, in
accordance with a plan of distribution that is included in the Agreement and
that has been duly adopted and approved in accordance with Rule 12b-1 adopted by
the SEC under the 1940 Act (the "Plan").
In approving the Plan, the Trustees determined that there was a
reasonable likelihood that the Plan would benefit each Strategy and its
shareholders. The distribution services fee of a particular class will not be
used to subsidize the provision of distribution services with respect to any
other class.
The Adviser may from time to time from its own funds or such other
resources as may be permitted by rules of the SEC make payments for the
distribution services to ABI; the latter may in turn pay part or all of such
compensation to brokers for their distribution assistance.
The Plan will continue in effect with respect to each Strategy and
each class of shares thereof for successive one-year periods, provided that each
such continuance is approved at least annually by the vote of a majority of the
Independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the
Plan or in any agreement relating to the Plan ("Qualified Trustees") in either
case, by the vote of a majority of the entire Board cast in person at a meeting
called for that purpose. Most recently the Directors approved the continuance of
the Plan for an additional annual term at their meeting held on July 31 - August
2, 2012.
All material amendments to the Plan will become effective only on
approval as specified in the preceding paragraph and the Plan may not be amended
in order to materially increase the costs that the Strategies may bear pursuant
to the Plan without the approval of a majority of the holders of the outstanding
voting shares of a Strategy or the class or classes of the Strategy affected.
The Plan may be terminated with respect to any Strategy or class of shares
thereof at any time on 60 days' written notice by ABI or by vote of a majority
of the outstanding voting securities of that Strategy or that class (as
appropriate) or by vote of a majority of the Qualified Trustees without payment
of any penalty. The Plan will terminate automatically in the event of an
assignment. The Plan is of a type known as a "compensation plan", which means
that it compensates the distributor for services rendered even if the amount
paid exceeds the distributor's expenses.
In the event that the Plan is terminated by either party or not
continued with respect to the Class A shares, Class B, Class C, Class R or Class
K shares, (i) no distribution services fees (other than current amounts accrued
but not yet paid) would be owed by a Strategy to ABI with respect to that class,
and (ii) a Strategy would not be obligated to pay ABI for any amounts expended
under the Plan not previously recovered from ABI from distribution services fees
in respect of shares of such class or through deferred sales charges.
Pursuant to the Plan, each class of each Strategy pays ABI a Rule
12b-1 distribution services fee which may not exceed an annual rate of 0.50% of
a Strategy's aggregate average daily net assets attributable to the Class A
shares and Class R shares, 1.00% of a Strategy's aggregate average daily net
assets attributable to the Class B shares and Class C shares and 0.25% of a
Strategy's aggregate average daily net assets attributable to the Class K shares
to compensate ABI for distribution expenses. The Trustees currently limit
payments under the Class A Plan to 0.30% of a Strategy's aggregate average daily
net assets attributable to the Class A shares. The Plan provides that a portion
of the distribution services fee in an amount not to exceed 0.25% of the
aggregate average daily net assets of a Strategy attributable to each of the
Class A, Class B, Class C, Class R and Class K shares constitutes a service fee
that ABI will use for personal service and/or the maintenance of shareholder
accounts.
During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012, for the Tax-Managed
Conservative Wealth Strategy, the Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth Strategy, the
Tax-Managed Wealth Appreciation Strategy, the Conservative Wealth Strategy, the
Balanced Wealth Strategy and the Wealth Appreciation Strategy, with respect to
Class A shares, the distribution services fees for expenditures payable to ABI
were as follows:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Strategy Distribution Services Fees for Percentage Per Annum of the
Expenditures Payable to ABI Aggregate Average Daily Net Assets
Attributable to Class A Shares
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tax-Managed Conservative Wealth Strategy $ 148,619 0.30%
Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth Strategy $ 317,137 0.30%
Tax-Managed Wealth Appreciation Strategy $ 108,199 0.30%
Conservative Wealth Strategy $ 805,509 0.30%
Balanced Wealth Strategy $2,528,473 0.30%
Wealth Appreciation Strategy $1,301,520 0.30%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012, for the Tax-Managed
Conservative Wealth Strategy, the Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth Strategy, the
Tax-Managed Wealth Appreciation Strategy, the Conservative Wealth Strategy, the
Balanced Wealth Strategy and the Wealth Appreciation Strategy, expenses incurred
by each Strategy and costs allocated to each Strategy in connection with
activities primarily intended to result in the sale of Class A shares were as
follows:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Category of Expense Tax-Managed Tax-Managed Tax-Managed Conservative Balanced Wealth
Conservative Balanced Wealth Wealth Wealth Appreciation
Wealth Strategy Wealth Appreciation Strategy Strategy Strategy
Strategy Strategy
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertising/Marketing $2,641 $1,428 $63 $5,584 $8,979 $1,873
Printing and Mailing of $635 $252 $18 $1,207 $2,342 $499
Prospectuses and Semi-Annual
and Annual Reports to Other
Than Current Shareholders
Compensation to Underwriters $108,175 $47,669 $3,080 $210,771 $370,571 $84,181
Compensation to Dealers $148,684 $317,609 $106,866 $817,934 $2,561,451 $1,313,185
Compensation to Sales $2,100 $3,317 $1,511 $31,361 $70,013 $33,152
Personnel
Interest, Carrying or Other $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Financing Charges
Other (Includes Personnel $97,817 $47,167 $2,758 $195,609 $336,282 $75,475
Costs of Those Home Office
Employees Involved in the
Distribution Effort and the
Travel-related Expenses
Incurred by the Marketing
Personnel Conducting
Seminars)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals $360,052 $417,442 $114,296 $1,262,466 $3,349,638 $1,508,365
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012, for the Tax-Managed
Conservative Wealth Strategy, the Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth Strategy, the
Tax-Managed Wealth Appreciation Strategy, the Conservative Wealth Strategy, the
Balanced Wealth Strategy and the Wealth Appreciation Strategy, with respect to
Class B shares, the distribution services fees for expenditures payable to ABI
were as follows:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Strategy Distribution Services Fees for Percentage Per Annum of the
Expenditures Payable to ABI Aggregate Average Daily Net Assets
Attributable to Class B Shares
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tax-Managed Conservative Wealth Strategy $60,138 1.00%
Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth Strategy $156,218 1.00%
Tax-Managed Wealth Appreciation Strategy $56,303 1.00%
Conservative Wealth Strategy $889,995 1.00%
Balanced Wealth Strategy $2,688,217 1.00%
Wealth Appreciation Strategy $1,170,814 1.00%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012, for the Tax-Managed
Conservative Wealth Strategy, the Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth Strategy, the
Tax-Managed Wealth Appreciation Strategy, the Conservative Wealth Strategy, the
Balanced Wealth Strategy and the Wealth Appreciation Strategy, expenses incurred
by each Strategy and costs allocated to each Strategy in connection with
activities primarily intended to result in the sale of Class B shares were as
follows:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Category of Expense Tax-Managed Tax-Managed Tax-Managed Conservative Balanced Wealth
Conservative Balanced Wealth Wealth Wealth Appreciation
Wealth Strategy Wealth Appreciation Strategy Strategy Strategy
Strategy Strategy
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertising/Marketing $62 $73 $3 $117 $323 $95
Printing and Mailing of $23 $11 $1 $29 $94 $28
Prospectuses and Semi-Annual
and Annual Reports to Other
Than Current Shareholders
Compensation to Underwriters $2,952 $2,535 $157 $6,463 $15,309 $5,200
Compensation to Dealers $18,166 $45,654 $17,115 $248,215 $780,031 $368,359
Compensation to Sales $58 $192 $94 $968 $3,288 $2,151
Personnel
Interest, Carrying or Other $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Financing Charges
Other (Includes Personnel $3,053 $2,593 $141 $5,536 $13,607 $4,400
Costs of Those Home Office
Employees Involved in the
Distribution Effort and the
Travel-related Expenses
Incurred by the Marketing
Personnel Conducting
Seminars)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals $24,314 $51,058 $17,511 $261,328 $812,652 $380,233
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012, for the Tax-Managed
Conservative Wealth Strategy, the Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth Strategy, the
Tax-Managed Wealth Appreciation Strategy, the Conservative Wealth Strategy, the
Balanced Wealth Strategy and the Wealth Appreciation Strategy, with respect to
Class C shares, the distribution services fees for expenditures payable to ABI
were as follows:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Strategy Distribution Services Fees for Percentage Per Annum of the
Expenditures Payable to ABI Aggregate Average Daily Net Assets
Attributable to Class C Shares
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tax-Managed Conservative Wealth Strategy $207,138 1.00%
Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth Strategy $387,780 1.00%
Tax-Managed Wealth Appreciation Strategy $206,495 1.00%
Conservative Wealth Strategy $1,356,696 1.00%
Balanced Wealth Strategy $3,298,509 1.00%
Wealth Appreciation Strategy $1,557,421 1.00%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012, for the Tax-Managed
Conservative Wealth Strategy, the Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth Strategy, the
Tax-Managed Wealth Appreciation Strategy, the Conservative Wealth Strategy, the
Balanced Wealth Strategy and the Wealth Appreciation Strategy, expenses incurred
by each Strategy and costs allocated to each Strategy in connection with
activities primarily intended to result in the sale of Class C shares were as
follows:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Category of Expense Tax-Managed Tax-Managed Tax-Managed Conservative Balanced Wealth
Conservative Balanced Wealth Wealth Wealth Appreciation
Wealth Wealth Appreciation Strategy Strategy Strategy
Strategy Strategy Strategy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertising/Marketing $590 $519 $13 $789 $1,518 $325
Printing and Mailing of $238 $71 $4 $329 $522 $99
Prospectuses and Semi-Annual
and Annual Reports to Other
Than Current Shareholders
Compensation to Underwriters $35,875 $16,035 $652 $51,078 $76,425 $15,652
Compensation to Dealers $212,954 $404,440 $212,585 $1,390,837 $3,375,241 $1,606,166
Compensation to Sales $579 $1,097 $315 $6,063 $12,536 $5,726
Personnel
Interest, Carrying or Other $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Financing Charges
Other (Includes Personnel $31,000 $16,284 $611 $42,624 $67,602 $14,159
Costs of Those Home Office
Employees Involved in the
Distribution Effort and the
Travel-related Expenses
Incurred by the Marketing
Personnel Conducting Seminars)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals $281,236 $438,446 $214,180 $1,491,720 $3,533,844 $1,642,127
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012, for the Conservative
Wealth Strategy, the Balanced Wealth Strategy and the Wealth Appreciation
Strategy, with respect to Class R shares, the distribution services fees for
expenditures payable to ABI were as follows:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Strategy Distribution Services Fees for Percentage Per Annum of the Aggregate
Expenditures Payable to ABI Average Daily Net Assets Attributable
to Class R Shares
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conservative Wealth Strategy $64,478 0.25%
Balanced Wealth Strategy $156,984 0.25%
Wealth Appreciation Strategy $68,033 0.25%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012, for the Conservative Wealth
Strategy, the Balanced Wealth Strategy and the Wealth Appreciation Strategy,
expenses incurred by each Strategy and costs allocated to each Strategy in
connection with activities primarily intended to result in the sale of Class R
shares were as follows:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Category of Expense Conservative Balanced Wealth
Wealth Strategy Wealth Strategy Appreciation Strategy
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertising/Marketing $345 $784 $125
Printing and Mailing of $163 $174 $50
Prospectuses and Semi-Annual
and Annual Reports to Other
Than Current Shareholders
Compensation to Underwriters $22,103 $29,440 $7,208
Compensation to Dealers $70,278 $172,393 $74,100
Compensation to Sales $2,305 $5,689 $2,445
Personnel
Interest, Carrying or Other $0 $0 $0
Financing Charges
Other (Includes Personnel $18,403 $27,293 $6,093
Costs of Those Home Office
Employees Involved in the
Distribution Effort and the
Travel-related Expenses
Incurred by the Marketing
Personnel Conducting
Seminars)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals $113,597 $235,773 $90,021
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012, for the Conservative
Wealth Strategy, the Balanced Wealth Strategy and the Wealth Appreciation
Strategy, with respect to Class K shares, the distribution services fees for
expenditures payable to ABI were as follows:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Strategy Distribution Services Fees for Percentage Per Annum of the
Expenditures Payable to ABI Aggregate Average Daily Net Assets
Attributable to Class K Shares
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conservative Wealth Strategy $21,857 0.25%
Balanced Wealth Strategy $73,884 0.25%
Wealth Appreciation Strategy $40,659 0.25%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012, for the Conservative Wealth
Strategy, the Balanced Wealth Strategy and the Wealth Appreciation Strategy,
expenses incurred by each Strategy and costs allocated to each Strategy in
connection with activities primarily intended to result in the sale of Class K
shares were as follows:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Category of Expense Conservative Wealth Balanced Wealth Wealth Appreciation
Strategy Strategy Strategy
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertising/Marketing $168 $393 $136
Printing and Mailing of Prospectuses and $26 $27 $19
Semi-Annual and Annual Reports to Other
Than Current Shareholders
Compensation to Underwriters $13,195 $64,726 $4,328
Compensation to Dealers $21,960 $74,534 $40,698
Compensation to Sales Personnel $3,157 $21,986 $1,874
Interest, Carrying or Other Financing $0 $0 $0
Charges
Other (Includes Personnel Costs of Those $9,596 $46,722 $4,280
Home Office Employees Involved in the
Distribution Effort and the
Travel-related Expenses Incurred by the
Marketing Personnel Conducting Seminars)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals $48,102 $208,388 $51,335
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
The Strategies have not adopted a Plan with respect to Class I or
Advisor Class shares.
Transfer Agency Arrangements
ABIS, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser located
principally at 8000 IH 10 W, 4th Floor, San Antonio, Texas 78230 receives a
transfer agency fee per account holder of each of the Class A shares, Class B
shares, Class C shares and Class R shares of the Trust plus reimbursement for
out-of-pocket expenses. The transfer agency fee with respect to the Class B and
Class C shares is higher than the transfer agency fee with respect to the Class
A and Class R shares, reflecting the additional costs associated with the Class
B and Class C contingent deferred sales charges ("CDSCs"). For the fiscal year
or period ended August 31, 2012, the Tax-Managed Conservative Wealth Strategy,
the Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth Strategy, the Tax-Managed Wealth Appreciation
Strategy, the Conservative Wealth Strategy, the Balanced Wealth Strategy and the
Wealth Appreciation Strategy paid ABIS $37,147, $93,856, $124,739, $184,192,
$690,916 and $689,386, respectively, in transfer agency fees.
ABIS acts as the transfer agent for the Strategies. ABIS registers
the transfer, issuance and redemption of Strategy shares and disburses dividends
and other distributions to Strategy shareholders.
Many Strategy shares are owned by selected dealers or selected
agents, as defined below, financial intermediaries or other financial
representatives ("financial intermediaries") for the benefit of their customers.
In those cases, the Strategies often do not maintain an account for you. Thus,
some or all of the transfer agency functions for these accounts are performed by
the financial intermediaries. The Strategies, ABI and/or the Adviser pay to
these financial intermediaries, including those that sell shares of the
AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds, fees for sub-transfer agency and related
recordkeeping services in amounts ranging up to $19 per customer fund account
per annum. Retirement plans may also hold Strategy shares in the name of the
plan, rather than the participant. Plan recordkeepers, who may have affiliated
financial intermediaries who sell shares of the Strategies, may be paid for each
plan participant fund account in amounts up to $19 per account per annum and/or
up to 0.25% per annum of the average daily assets held in the plan. To the
extent any of these payments for recordkeeping services, transfer agency
services or retirement plan accounts are made by the Strategies, they are
included in your Prospectus in the Strategy expense tables under "Fees and
Expenses of the Strategies." In addition, financial intermediaries may be
affiliates of entities that receive compensation from the Adviser or ABI for
maintaining retirement plan "platforms" that facilitate trading by affiliated
and non-affiliated financial intermediaries and recordkeeping for retirement
plans.
Because financial intermediaries and plan recordkeepers may be paid
varying amounts per class for sub-transfer agency and related recordkeeping
services, the service requirements of which may also vary by class, this may
create an additional incentive for financial intermediaries and their financial
advisors to favor one fund complex over another or one class of shares over
another.
Codes of Ethics and Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
The Strategies, the Adviser and ABI have each adopted codes of
ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics permit
personnel subject to the codes to invest in securities, including securities
that may be purchased or held by the Strategies. The Strategies have adopted the
Adviser's proxy voting policies and procedures. The Adviser's proxy voting
policies and procedures are attached as Appendix A.
Information regarding how each Strategy voted proxies related to
portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is
available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling (800) 227-4618; or on or
through the Strategies' website at www.AllianceBernstein.com; or both; and (2)
on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
PURCHASE OF SHARES
The following information supplements that set forth in the
Prospectus under the heading "Investing in the Strategies".
Effective January 31, 2009, sales of Class B shares of the
Strategies to new investors were suspended. Class B shares are only issued (i)
upon the exchange of Class B shares from another AllianceBernstein Fund, (ii)
for purposes of dividend reinvestment, (iii) through the Strategy's Automatic
Investment Program for accounts that established the Program prior to January
31, 2009, and (iv) for purchase of additional Class B shares by Class B
shareholders as of January 31, 2009. The ability to establish a new Automatic
Investment Program for accounts containing Class B shares was suspended as of
January 31, 2009.
General
Shares of the Strategies are offered on a continuous basis at a
price equal to their NAV, plus an initial sales charge at the time of purchase
(the "Class A shares"), with a CDSC (the "Class B shares"), without any initial
sales charge or, as long as the shares are held for one year or more, without
any CDSC (the "Class C shares"), to group retirement plans eligible to purchase
Class R shares, without any initial sales charge or CDSC (the "Class R shares"),
to group retirement plans eligible to purchase Class K shares, without any
initial sales charge or CDSC (the "Class K shares"), to group retirement plans
and certain investment advisory clients of, and certain other persons associated
with, the Adviser and its affiliates eligible to purchase Class I shares,
without any initial sales charge or CDSC (the "Class I shares"), or to investors
eligible to purchase Advisor Class shares, without any initial sales charge or
CDSC (the "Advisor Class shares"), in each case as described below. "Group
retirement plans" are defined as 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored
403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans, defined benefit
plans, and non-qualified deferred compensation plans where plan level or omnibus
accounts are held on the books of a Strategy. All of the classes of shares of
each Strategy, except the Advisor Class shares and Class I shares, are subject
to Rule 12b-1 asset-based sales charges. Shares of the Strategies that are
offered subject to a sales charge are offered on a continuous basis through (i)
investment dealers that are members of the Financial Industry Regulatory
Authority (FINRA) and have entered into selected dealer agreements with ABI
("selected dealers"), (ii) depository institutions and other financial
intermediaries or their affiliates that have entered into selected agent
agreements with ABI ("selected agents"), and (iii) ABI. The Tax-Managed
Strategies do not offer Class R, K or I shares.
Investors may purchase shares of the Strategies through financial
intermediaries or directly through ABI. A transaction, service, administrative
or other similar fee may be charged by your financial intermediary with respect
to the purchase, sale or exchange of shares made through the financial
intermediary. Such financial intermediary may also impose requirements with
respect to the purchase, sale or exchange of shares that are different from, or
in addition to, those imposed by the Strategy, including requirements as to
classes of shares available through that financial intermediary and the minimum
initial and subsequent investment amounts. The Strategies are not responsible
for, and have no control over, the decision of any financial intermediary to
impose such differing requirements. Sales personnel of financial intermediaries
distributing the Strategies' shares may receive differing compensation for
selling different classes of shares.
In order to open your account, a Strategy or your financial
intermediary is required to obtain certain information from you for
identification purposes. This information may include name, date of birth,
permanent residential address and social security/taxpayer identification
number. It will not be possible to establish your account without this
information. If a Strategy or your financial intermediary is unable to verify
the information provided, your account may be closed and other appropriate
action may be taken as permitted by law.
Frequent Purchases and Sales of Strategy Shares
The Trustees have adopted policies and procedures designed to detect
and deter frequent purchases and redemptions of Strategy shares or excessive or
short-term trading that may disadvantage long-term Strategy shareholders. These
policies are described below. There is no guarantee that the Strategies will be
able to detect excessive or short-term trading and to identify shareholders
engaged in such practices, particularly with respect to transactions in omnibus
accounts. Shareholders should be aware that application of these policies may
have adverse consequences, as described below, and avoid frequent trading in
Strategy shares through purchases, sales and exchanges of shares. Each Strategy
reserves the right to restrict, reject or cancel, without any prior notice, any
purchase or exchange order for any reason, including any purchase or exchange
order accepted by any shareholder's financial intermediary.
Risks Associated With Excessive or Short-Term Trading Generally.
While the Strategies will try to prevent market timing by utilizing the
procedures described below, these procedures may not be successful in
identifying or stopping excessive or short-term trading in all circumstances. By
realizing profits through short-term trading, shareholders that engage in rapid
purchases and sales or exchanges of a Strategy's shares dilute the value of
shares held by long-term shareholders. Volatility resulting from excessive
purchases and sales or exchanges of the Strategy shares, especially involving
large dollar amounts, may disrupt efficient portfolio management and cause a
Strategy to sell shares at inopportune times to accommodate redemptions relating
to short-term trading. In particular, a Strategy may have difficulty
implementing its long-term investment strategies if it is forced to maintain a
higher level of its assets in cash to accommodate significant short-term trading
activity. In addition, a Strategy may incur increased administrative and other
expenses due to excessive or short-term trading, including increased brokerage
costs and realization of taxable capital gains.
Strategies that may invest significantly in foreign securities may
be particularly susceptible to short-term trading strategies. This is because
foreign securities are typically traded on markets that close well before the
time a Strategy calculates its NAV at 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, which gives rise
to the possibility that developments may have occurred in the interim that would
affect the value of these securities. The time zone differences among
international stock markets can allow a shareholder engaging in a short-term
trading strategy to exploit differences in Strategy share prices that are based
on closing prices of foreign securities established some time before the
Strategy calculates its own share price (referred to as "time zone arbitrage").
The Strategies have procedures, referred to as fair value pricing, designed to
adjust closing market prices of foreign securities to reflect what is believed
to be the fair value of those securities at the time a Strategy calculates its
NAV. While there is no assurance, the Strategies expect that the use of fair
value pricing, in addition to the short-term trading policies discussed below,
will significantly reduce a shareholder's ability to engage in time zone
arbitrage to the detriment of other Strategy shareholders.
A shareholder engaging in a short-term trading strategy may also
target a Strategy that does not invest primarily in foreign securities. Any
Strategy that invests in securities that are, among other things, thinly traded,
traded infrequently or relatively illiquid has the risk that the current market
price for the securities may not accurately reflect current market values. A
shareholder may seek to engage in short-term trading to take advantage of these
pricing differences (referred to as "price arbitrage"). The Strategies may be
adversely affected by price arbitrage.
Policy Regarding Short-Term Trading. Purchases and exchanges of
shares of the Strategies should be made for investment purposes only. The
Strategies will seek to prevent patterns of excessive purchases and sales or
exchanges of Strategy shares. The Strategies seek to prevent such practices to
the extent they are detected by the procedures described below. The Strategies
reserve the right to modify this policy, including any surveillance or account
blocking procedures established from time to time to effectuate this policy, at
any time without notice.
o Transaction Surveillance Procedures. The Strategies, through their
agents, ABI and ABIS, maintain surveillance procedures to detect
excessive or short-term trading in Strategy shares. This
surveillance process involves several factors, which include
scrutinizing transactions in Strategy shares that exceed certain
monetary thresholds or numerical limits within a specified period of
time. Generally, more than two exchanges of Strategy shares during
any 60-day period or purchases of shares followed by a sale within
60 days will be identified by these surveillance procedures. For
purposes of these transaction surveillance procedures, the
Strategies may consider trading activity in multiple accounts under
common ownership, control or influence. Trading activity identified
by either, or a combination, of these factors, or as a result of any
other information available at the time, will be evaluated to
determine whether such activity might constitute excessive or
short-term trading. With respect to managed or discretionary
accounts for which the account owner gives his/her broker,
investment adviser or other third party authority to buy and sell
Strategy shares, the Strategies may consider trades initiated by the
account owner, such as trades initiated in connection with bona fide
cash management purposes, separately in their analysis. These
surveillance procedures may be modified from time to time, as
necessary or appropriate to improve the detection of excessive or
short-term trading or to address specific circumstances.
o Account Blocking Procedures. If the Strategies determine, in their
sole discretion, that a particular transaction or pattern of
transactions identified by the transaction surveillance procedures
described above is excessive or short-term trading in nature, the
Strategies will take remedial action that may include issuing a
warning, revoking certain account-related privileges (such as the
ability to place purchase, sale and exchange orders over the
internet or by phone) or prohibiting or "blocking" future purchase
or exchange activity. However, sales of Strategy shares back to a
Strategy or redemptions will continue to be permitted in accordance
with the terms of the Strategy's current Prospectus. As a result,
unless the shareholder redeems his or her shares, which may have
consequences if the shares have declined in value, a CDSC is
applicable or adverse tax consequences may result, the shareholder
may be "locked" into an unsuitable investment. A blocked account
will generally remain blocked for 90 days. Subsequent detections of
excessive or short-term trading may result in an indefinite account
block or an account block until the account holder or the associated
broker, dealer or other financial intermediary provides evidence or
assurance acceptable to the Strategy that the account holder did not
or will not in the future engage in excessive or short-term trading.
o Applications of Surveillance Procedures and Restrictions to Omnibus
Accounts. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding
shares of the Strategies, particularly among certain brokers,
dealers and other financial intermediaries, including sponsors of
retirement plans and variable insurance products. The Strategies
apply their surveillance procedures to these omnibus account
arrangements. As required by SEC rules, the Strategies have entered
into agreements with all of their financial intermediaries that
require the financial intermediaries to provide the Strategies, upon
the request of the Strategies or their agents, with individual
account level information about their transactions. If the
Strategies detect excessive trading through their monitoring of
omnibus accounts, including trading at the individual account level,
the financial intermediaries will also execute instructions from the
Strategies to take actions to curtail the activity, which may
include applying blocks to accounts to prohibit future purchases and
exchanges of Strategy shares. For certain retirement plan accounts,
the Strategies may request that the retirement plan or other
intermediary revoke the relevant participant's privilege to effect
transactions in Strategy shares via the internet or telephone, in
which case the relevant participant must submit future transaction
orders via the U.S. Postal Service (i.e., regular mail).
Purchase of Shares
Each Strategy reserves the right to suspend the sale of its shares
to the public in response to conditions in the securities markets or for other
reasons. If a Strategy suspends the sale of its shares, shareholders will not be
able to acquire its shares, including through an exchange.
The public offering price of shares of the Strategies is their NAV,
plus, in the case of Class A shares of the Strategy, a sales charge. On each
Strategy business day on which a purchase or redemption order is received by a
Strategy and trading in the types of securities in which the Strategy invests
might materially affect the value of Strategy shares, the NAV per share is
computed as of the Strategy Closing Time, which is the close of regular trading
on any day the Exchange is open (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, but
sometimes earlier in the case of scheduled half-day trading or unscheduled
suspensions of trading). A Strategy business day is any day on which the
Exchange is open for trading.
The respective NAVs of the various classes of shares of a Strategy
are expected to be substantially the same. However, the NAVs of the Class B,
Class C, Class R, Class K and Class I shares will generally be slightly lower
than the NAV of the Class A and Advisor Class shares as a result of the
differential daily expense accruals of the higher distribution and, in some
cases, transfer agency fees applicable with respect to those classes of shares.
The Strategies will accept unconditional orders for their shares to
be executed at the public offering price equal to their NAV next determined
(plus, if applicable, Class A sales charges), as described below. Orders
received by ABIS prior to the Strategy Closing Time are priced at the NAV
computed as of the Strategy Closing Time (plus, f applicable, Class A sales
charges). In the case of orders for purchase of shares placed through financial
intermediaries the applicable public offering price will be the NAV as so
determined, but only if the financial intermediary receives the order prior to
the Strategy Closing Time. The financial intermediary is responsible for
transmitting such orders by a prescribed time to the Strategies or its transfer
agent. If the financial inteiniediary fails to do so, the investor will not
receive that day's NAV. If the financial intermediary receives the order after
the Strategy Closing Time, the price received by the investor will be based on
the NAV determined as of the Strategy Closing Time on the next business day.
Each Strategy may, at its sole option, accept securities as payment
for shares of the Strategy if the Adviser believes that the securities are
appropriate investments for the Strategy. The securities are valued by the
method described under "Net Asset Value" below as of the date the Strategy
receives the securities and corresponding documentation necessary to transfer
the securities to the Strategy. This is a taxable transaction to the
shareholder.
Following the initial purchase of the Strategy's shares, a
shareholder may place orders to purchase additional shares by telephone if the
shareholder has completed the appropriate portion of the Mutual Fund Application
or an "Autobuy" application, both of which may be obtained by calling the "For
Literature" telephone number shown on the cover of this SAI. Except with respect
to certain omnibus accounts, telephone purchase orders may not exceed $500,000.
Payment for shares purchased by telephone can be made only by electronic funds
transfer from a bank account maintained by the shareholder at a bank that is a
member of the National Automated Clearing House Association ("NACHA"). Telephone
purchase requests must be received before the Strategy Closing Time to receive
that day's public offering price. Telephone purchase requests received after the
Strategy Closing Time are automatically placed the following Strategy business
day, and the applicable public offering price will be the public offering price
determined as of the Strategy Closing Time on such following business day.
Full and fractional shares are credited to a shareholder's account
in the amount of his or her subscription. As a convenience, and to avoid
unnecessary expense to the Strategy, the Strategies will not issue share
certificates representing shares of a Strategy. Ownership of a Strategy's shares
will be shown on the books of the Strategy's transfer agent.
The Adviser may make cash payments from time to time from its own
resources to financial intermediaries in connection with the sale of shares of
the Strategies. Such payments, which are sometimes referred to as revenue
sharing, may be associated with the status of a Strategy on a financial
intermediary's preferred list of funds or otherwise associated with the
financial intermediary's marketing and other support activities, such as client
education meetings, relating to a Strategy. ABI pays a discount or commission to
financial intermediaries in connection with their sale of shares of the
Strategies, as described above. In addition to this discount or commission, ABI
may, from time to time, pay additional cash or other incentives to financial
intermediaries in connection with the sale of shares of the Strategies. Such
cash or other incentives may take the form of payment for attendance by
individual registered representatives at seminars, meals, sporting events or
theater performances, or payment for travel, lodging and entertainment incurred
in connection with travel taken by persons associated with a financial
intermediary to locations within or outside the United States.
Each class of shares of a Strategy represents an interest in the
same portfolio of investments of the relevant Strategy, have the same rights and
are identical in all respects, except that (i) Class A shares of each Strategy
bear the expense of the initial sales charge (or CDSC when applicable) and Class
B shares and Class C shares of each Strategy bear the expense of the CDSC, (ii)
Class B shares, Class C shares and Class R shares of each Strategy each bear the
expense of a higher distribution services fee than that borne by Class A shares
and Class K shares of each Strategy, and Advisor Class shares and Class I shares
do not bear such a fee (iii) Class B shares and Class C shares of each Strategy
bear higher transfer agency costs than those borne by Class A shares, Class R
shares, Advisor Class shares, Class K shares and Class I shares of each
Strategy, (iv) Class B shares of each Strategy are subject to a conversion
feature and will convert to Class A shares under certain circumstances, and (v)
each of Class A, Class B, Class C, Class R shares and Class K shares of each
Strategy has exclusive voting rights with respect to provisions of the Rule
12b-1 Plan pursuant to which its distribution services fee is paid and other
matters for which separate class voting is appropriate under applicable law,
provided that, if a Strategy submits to a vote of the Class A shareholders, an
amendment to the Rule 12b-1 Plan that would materially increase the amount to be
paid thereunder with respect to the Class A shares of that Strategy, then such
amendment will also be submitted to the Class B shareholders of that Strategy
because the Class B shares convert to Class A shares under certain circumstances
and the Class A and the Class B shareholders will vote separately by class.
The Trustees of the Trust have determined that currently no conflict
of interest exists between or among the classes of shares of any respective
Strategy. On an ongoing basis, the Trustees of the Trust, pursuant to their
fiduciary duties under the 1940 Act and state law, will seek to ensure that no
such conflict arises.
Alternative Purchase Arrangements
Classes A, B and C Shares. Class A, Class B and Class C shares have
the following alternative purchase arrangements: Class A shares are generally
offered with an initial sales charge, Class B shares are generally offered with
a CDSC and Class C shares are sold to investors choosing the asset-based sales
charge alternative. Special purchase arrangements are available for group
retirement plans. See "Alternative Purchase Arrangements - Group Retirement
Plans and Tax-Deferred Accounts" below. These alternative purchase arrangements
permit an investor to choose the method of purchasing shares that is most
beneficial given the amount of the purchase, the length of time the investor
expects to hold the shares, and other circumstances. Investors should consider
whether, during the anticipated life of their investment in the Strategies, the
accumulated distribution services fee and CDSC on Class B shares prior to
conversion, or the accumulated distribution services fee and CDSC on Class C
shares, would be less than the initial sales charge and accumulated distribution
services fee on Class A shares purchased at the same time, and to what extent
any such differential would be offset by the higher return of Class A shares.
Class A shares will normally be more beneficial than Class B shares to the
investor who qualifies for reduced initial sales charges on Class A shares, as
described below. In this regard, ABI will reject any order (except orders from
certain group retirement plans) for more than $100,000 of Class B shares (see
"Alternative Purchase Arrangements - Group Retirement Plans and Tax-Deferred
Accounts"). Class C shares will normally not be suitable for the investor who
qualifies to purchase Class A shares at NAV. For this reason, ABI will reject
any order for more than $1,000,000 of Class C shares.
Class A shares are subject to a lower distribution services fee and,
accordingly, pay correspondingly higher dividends per share than Class B shares
or Class C shares. However, because initial sales charges are deducted at the
time of purchase, most investors purchasing Class A shares would not have all
their funds invested initially and, therefore, would initially own fewer shares.
Investors not qualifying for reduced initial sales charges who expect to
maintain their investment for an extended period of time might consider
purchasing Class A shares because the accumulated continuing distribution
charges on Class B shares or Class C shares may exceed the initial sales charge
on Class A shares during the life of the investment. Again, however, such
investors must weigh this consideration against the fact that, because of such
initial sales charges, not all their funds will be invested initially.
Other investors might determine, however, that it would be more
advantageous to purchase Class B shares or Class C shares in order to have all
their funds invested initially, although remaining subject to higher continuing
distribution charges and being subject to a CDSC for a four-year and one-year
period, respectively. For example, based on current fees and expenses, an
investor subject to the 4.25% initial sales charge on Class A shares would have
to hold his or her investment approximately seven years for the Class C
distribution services fee to exceed the initial sales charge plus the
accumulated distribution services fee on Class A shares. In this example, an
investor intending to maintain his or her investment for a longer period might
consider purchasing Class A shares. This example does not take into account the
time value of money, which further reduces the impact of the Class C
distribution services fees on the investment, fluctuations in NAV or the effect
of different performance assumptions.
Those investors who prefer to have all of their funds invested
initially but may not wish to retain Strategy shares for the period during which
Class B shares are subject to a CDSC may find it more advantageous to purchase
Class C shares.
Compensation Paid to Principal Underwriter
During the fiscal years ended August 31, 2012, August 31, 2011 and
August 31, 2010, the aggregate amounts of underwriting commissions payable with
respect to shares of the Tax-Managed Conservative Wealth Strategy were $38,771,
$67,810, and $261,724. Of those amounts, ABI retained $2,758, $4,943, and
$19,144, respectively, representing that portion of the sales charges paid on
Class A shares which was not reallocated to selected dealers.
During the fiscal years ended August 31, 2012, August 31, 2011 and
August 31, 2010, the aggregate amounts of underwriting commissions payable with
respect to shares of the Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth Strategy were $57,219,
$126,346, and $384,765, respectively. Of those amounts, ABI retained $4,020,
$8,816, and $28,214, respectively, representing that portion of the sales
charges paid on Class A shares which was not reallocated to selected dealers.
During the fiscal years ended August 31, 2012, August 31, 2011 and
August 31, 2010, the aggregate amount of underwriting commissions payable with
respect to shares of the Tax-Managed Wealth Appreciation Strategy were $23,255,
$55,344 and $107,678, respectively. Of that amount, ABI retained $1,612, $3,736,
and $7,865, respectively, representing that portion of the sales charges paid on
Class A shares which were not reallocated to selected dealers.
During the fiscal years ended August 31, 2012, August 31, 2011 and
August 31, 2010, the aggregate amount of underwriting commissions payable with
respect to shares of the Conservative Wealth Strategy were $411,868, $733,186,
and $1,529,372, respectively. Of that amount, ABI retained $26,702, $49,350, and
$101,099, respectively, representing that portion of the sales charges paid on
Class A shares which was not reallocated to selected dealers.
During the fiscal years ended August 31, 2012, August 31, 2011 and
August 31, 2010, the aggregate amount of underwriting commissions payable with
respect to shares of the Balanced Wealth Strategy were $1,100,003, $2,332,011,
and $4,791,460, respectively. Of that amount, ABI retained $68,951, $148,172,
and $311,508, respectively, representing that portion of the sales charges paid
on Class A shares which was not reallocated to selected dealers.
During the fiscal years ended August 31, 2012, August 31, 2011 and
August 31, 2010, the aggregate amount of underwriting commissions payable with
respect to shares of the Wealth Appreciation Strategy were $468,179, $865,536,
and $1,561,917, respectively. Of that amount, ABI retained $26,509, $50,103, and
$93,116, respectively, representing that portion of the sales charges paid on
Class A shares which was not reallocated to selected dealers.
The following table shows the CDSCs received by ABI from each share
class during the Strategy's last three fiscal years or since inception.
Amounts Amounts Amounts
ABI Received ABI Received ABI Received
Fiscal Year ended In CDSCs From In CDSCs From In CDSCs From
August 31 Class A Shares Class B Shares Class C Shares
----------------- -------------- -------------- --------------
Tax-Managed
Conservative Wealth
Strategy
2012 $2 $1,514 $1,177
2011 $87 $7,502 $1,785
2010 $63 $9,966 $1,830
Tax-Managed Balanced
Wealth Strategy
2012 $227 $5,657 $2,080
2011 $106 $11,010 $3,457
2010 $3,151 $28,570 $2,919
Tax-Managed Wealth
Appreciation Strategy
2012 $0 $2,337 $540
2011 $0 $5,670 $1,804
2010 $2,338 $8,990 $1,670
Conservative Wealth
Strategy
2012 $6,358 $37,216 $10,294
2011 $13,048 $89,734 $12,913
2010 $9,786 $176,341 $16,402
Balanced Wealth
Strategy
2012 $27,573 $100,417 $23,126
2011 $29,358 $254,102 $27,113
2010 $33,021 $421,115 $27,273
Wealth Appreciation
Strategy
2012 $11,234 $42,702 $9,648
2011 $16,551 $113,867 $15,977
2010 $16,153 $193,114 $25,084
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Class A Shares
The public offering price of Class A shares is the NAV plus a sales
charge, as set forth below:
Discount or Commission
to Dealers or Agents of
As % of Net Amount As % of the Public up to % of Offering
Amount of Purchase Amount Invested Offering Price Price
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Up to $100,000 4.44% 4.25% 4.00%
$100,000 up to $250,000 3.36% 3.25% 3.00%
$250,000 up to $500,000 2.30% 2.25% 2.00%
$500,000 up to $1,000,000* 1.78% 1.75% 1.50%
-------------------
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* There is no initial sales charge on transactions of $1,000,000 or more.
All or a portion of the initial sales charge may be paid to your
financial representative. With respect to purchases of $1,000,000 or more, Class
A shares redeemed within one year of purchase may be subject to a CDSC of up to
1%. The CDSC on Class A shares will be waived on certain redemptions, as
described below under "Contingent Deferred Sales Charge." The Strategies receive
the entire NAV of their Class A shares sold to investors. ABI's commission is
the sales charge shown in the Prospectus less any applicable discount or
commission "re-allowed" to selected dealers and agents. ABI will re-allow
discounts to selected dealers and agents in the amounts indicated in the table
above. In this regard, ABI may elect to re-allow the entire sales charge to
selected dealers and agents for all sales with respect to which orders are
placed with ABI. A selected dealer who receives a re-allowance in excess of 90%
of such a sales charge may be deemed to be an "underwriter" under the Securities
Act.
No initial sales charge is imposed on Class A shares issued (i)
pursuant to the automatic reinvestment of income dividends or capital gains
distributions, or (ii) in exchange for Class A shares of other AllianceBernstein
Mutual Funds (as that term is defined under "Combined Purchase Privilege"
below), except that an initial sales charge will be imposed on Class A shares
issued in exchange for Class A shares of AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves
that were purchased for cash without the payment of an initial sales charge and
without being subject to a CDSC, or (iii) upon the automatic conversion of Class
B shares as described below under "Class B Shares - Conversion Feature".
Commissions may be paid to selected dealers or agents who initiate
or are responsible for Class A share purchases by a single shareholder in excess
of $1,000,000 that are not subject to an initial sales charge at up to the
following rates: 1.00% on purchases up to $3,000,000; 0.75% on purchases over
$3,000,000 to $5,000,000; and 0.50% on purchases over $5,000,000. Commissions
are paid based on cumulative purchases by a shareholder over the life of an
account with no adjustments for redemptions, transfers or market declines. In
addition to the circumstances described above, certain types of investors may be
entitled to pay no initial sales charge in certain circumstances described
below.
Class A Shares - Sales at NAV. Each Strategy may sell its Class A
shares at NAV (i.e., without any initial sales charge) to certain categories of
investors including:
(i) investment management clients of the Adviser or its
affiliates, including clients and prospective clients of the
Adviser's AllianceBernstein Institutional Investment
Management Division;
(ii) officers, directors and present full-time employees of
selected dealers or agents, or the spouse, sibling, direct
ancestor or direct descendant (collectively, "Relatives"), of
any such person; or any trust, individual retirement account
or retirement plan account for the benefit of any such
person;
(iii) the Adviser, ABI, ABIS, and their affiliates; certain
employee benefit plans for employees of the Adviser, ABI,
ABIS and their affiliates;
(iv) persons participating in a fee-based program, sponsored and
maintained by a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary
and approved by ABI, under which persons pay an asset-based
fee for services in the nature of investment advisory or
administrative services; or clients of broker-dealers or
other financial intermediaries approved by ABI who purchase
Class A shares for their own accounts through an omnibus
account with the broker-dealers or other financial
intermediaries;
(v) certain retirement plan accounts as described under
"Alternative Purchase Arrangements-Group Retirement Plans and
Tax-Deferred Accounts"; and
(vi) current Class A shareholders of AllianceBernstein Mutual
Funds and investors who receive a "Fair Funds Distribution"
(a "Distribution") resulting from a SEC enforcement action
against the Adviser and current Class A shareholders of
AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds who receive a Distribution
resulting from any SEC enforcement action related to trading
in shares of AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds who, in each
case, purchase shares of an AllianceBernstein Mutual Fund
from ABI through deposit with ABI of the Distribution check.
Class B Shares. Effective January 31, 2009, sales of Class B shares
of the Strategies to new investors were suspended. Class B shares will only be
issued (i) upon the exchange of Class B shares from another AllianceBernstein
Fund, (ii) for purposes of dividend reinvestment, (iii) through the Strategies'
Automatic Investment Program for accounts that established the Program prior to
January 31, 2009, and (iv) for purchases of additional Class B shares by Class B
shareholders as of January 31, 2009. The ability to establish a new Automatic
Investment Program for accounts containing Class B shares was suspended as of
January 31, 2009.
Investors may purchase Class B shares at the public offering price
equal to the NAV per share of the Class B shares on the date of purchase without
the imposition of a sales charge at the time of purchase. The Class B shares are
sold without an initial sales charge so that the Strategies will receive the
full amount of the investor's purchase payment.
Conversion Feature. Eight years after the end of the calendar month
in which the shareholder's purchase order was accepted, Class B shares will
automatically convert to Class A shares and will no longer be subject to a
higher distribution services fee. Such conversion will occur on the basis of the
relative NAVs of the two classes, without the imposition of any sales load, fee
or other charge. The purpose of the conversion feature is to reduce the
distribution services fee paid by holders of Class B shares that have been
outstanding long enough for ABI to have been compensated for distribution
expenses incurred in the sale of the shares.
For purposes of conversion to Class A shares, Class B shares
purchased through the reinvestment of dividends and distributions paid in
respect of Class B shares in a shareholder's account will be considered to be
held in a separate sub-account. Each time any Class B shares in the
shareholder's account (other than those in the sub-account) convert to Class A
shares, an equal pro-rata portion of the Class B shares in the sub-account will
also convert to Class A.
The conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares is subject to the
continuing availability of an opinion of counsel to the effect that the
conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares does not constitute a taxable
event under federal income tax law. The conversion of Class B shares to Class A
shares may be suspended if such an opinion is no longer available at the time
such conversion is to occur. In that event, no further conversions of Class B
shares would occur, and shares might continue to be subject to the higher
distribution services fee for an indefinite period, which may extend beyond the
period ending eight years after the end of the calendar month in which the
shareholder's purchase order was accepted.
Class C Shares. Investors may purchase Class C shares at the public
offering price equal to the NAV per share of the Class C shares on the date of
purchase without the imposition of a sales charge either at the time of purchase
or, as long as the shares are held for one year or more, upon redemption. Class
C shares are sold without an initial sales charge, so that a Strategy will
receive the full amount of the investor's purchase payment and, as long as the
shares are held for one year or more, without a CDSC so that the investor will
receive as proceeds upon redemption the entire NAV of his or her Class C shares.
The Class C distribution services fee enables a Strategy to sell Class C shares
without either an initial sales charge or CDSC, as long as the shares are held
for one year or more. Class C shares do not convert to any other class of shares
and incur higher distribution services fees and transfer agency costs than Class
A shares and Advisor Class shares. Class C shares will thus have a higher
expense ratio and pay correspondingly lower dividends than Class A shares and
Advisor Class shares.
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge. Class B shares that are redeemed
within four years of purchase will be subject to a CDSC at the rates set forth
below charged as a percentage of the dollar amount subject thereto. Class A
share purchases of $1,000,000 or more and Class C shares that in either case are
redeemed within one year of purchase will be subject to a CDSC of 1%, as are
Class A share purchases by certain group retirement plans (see "Alternative
Purchase Arrangements - Group Retirement Plans and Tax-Deferred Accounts"
below). The charge will be assessed on an amount equal to the lesser of the cost
of the shares being redeemed or their NAV at the time of redemption.
Accordingly, no sales charge will be imposed on increases in NAV above the
initial purchase price. In addition, no charge will be assessed on shares
derived from reinvestment of dividends or capital gains distributions.
To illustrate, assume that an investor purchased 100 Class B shares
at $10 per share (at a cost of $1,000) and in the second year after purchase the
NAV per share is $12 and, during such time, the investor has acquired 10
additional Class B shares upon dividend reinvestment. If at such time the
investor makes his or her first redemption of 50 Class B shares (proceeds of
$600), 10 Class B shares will not be subject to any charge because of dividend
reinvestment. With respect to the remaining 40 Class B shares, the charge is
applied only to the original cost of $10 per share and not to the increase in
NAV of $2 per share. Therefore, $400 of the $600 redemption proceeds will be
charged at a rate of 3.0% (the applicable rate in the second year after
purchase, as set forth below).
For Class B shares, the amount of the CDSC, if any, will vary
depending on the number of years from the time of payment for the purchase of
Class B shares and the date of redemption of such shares.
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge for
the Strategies as a % of Dollar
Years Since Subject to Purchase Amount Subject to Charge
------------------------------- ------------------------------------
First 4.00%
Second 3.00%
Third 2.00%
Fourth 1.00%
Fifth and Thereafter None
|
In determining the CDSC applicable to a redemption of Class B and
Class C shares, it will be assumed that the redemption consists first, of any
shares that are not subject to a CDSC (for example, because the shares were
acquired upon the reinvestment of dividends or distributions) and, second, of
shares held longest during the time they are subject to the sales charge. When
shares acquired in an exchange are redeemed, the applicable CDSC and conversion
schedules will be the schedules that applied at the time of the original
purchase by the shareholder of shares of the corresponding class of the relevant
AllianceBernstein Mutual Fund purchased. If you redeem your shares and directly
invest the proceeds in units of CollegeBoundfund, the CDSC will apply to the
units of CollegeBoundfund. The CDSC period begins with the date of your original
purchase, not the date of exchange for the other Class B shares or Class C
shares, as applicable, or purchase of CollegeBoundfund units.
Proceeds from the CDSC are paid to ABI and are used by ABI to defray
the expenses of ABI related to providing distribution-related services to the
Strategies in connection with the sale of the shares of the Strategies, such as
the payment of compensation to selected dealers and agents for selling shares of
the Strategies. The combination of the CDSC and the distribution services fee
enables the Strategies to sell shares without a sales charge being deducted at
the time of purchase.
The CDSC is waived on redemptions of shares (i) following the death
or disability, as defined in the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the "Code"), of a
shareholder, (ii) to the extent that the redemption represents a minimum
required distribution from an individual retirement account or other retirement
plan to a shareholder who has attained the age of 70 1/2, (iii) that had been
purchased by present or former Trustees of the Trust, by a relative of any such
person, by any trust, individual retirement account or retirement plan account
for the benefit of any such person or relative, or by the estate of any such
person or relative, (iv) pursuant to, and in accordance with, a systematic
withdrawal plan (see "Sales Charge Reduction Programs for Class A Shares -
Systematic Withdrawal Plan" below), (v) to the extent that the redemption is
necessary to meet a plan participant's or beneficiary's request for a
distribution or loan from a group retirement plan or to accommodate a plan
participant's or beneficiary's direction to reallocate his or her plan account
among other investment alternatives available under a group retirement plan, or
(vi) due to the complete termination of a trust upon the death of the trust
granter, beneficiary or trustee but only if the trust termination is
specifically provided for in the trust document, (vii) that had been purchased
with proceeds from a Distribution resulting from any SEC enforcement action
related to trading in shares of AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds through deposit
with ABI of the Distribution check. The CDSC is also waived for (i) permitted
exchanges of shares, (ii) holders of Class A shares who purchased $1,000,000 or
more of Class A shares where the participating broker or dealer involved in the
sale of such shares waived the commission it would normally receive from ABI or
(iii) Class C shares sold through programs offered by financial intermediaries
and approved by ABI where such programs offer only shares that are not subject
to a CDSC, where the financial intermediary establishes a single omnibus account
for a Strategy, or in the case of a group retirement plan, a single account for
each plan, and where no advance commission is paid to any financial intermediary
in connection with the purchase of such shares.
Class R Shares. Class R shares are offered only to group retirement
plans that have plan assets of up to $10 million. Class R shares are not
available to retail non-retirement accounts, traditional or Roth IRAs, Coverdell
Education Savings Accounts, SEPs, SAR-SEPs, SIMPLE IRAs, individual 403(b) plans
and to AllianceBernstein sponsored retirement products. Class R shares incur a
0.50% distribution services fee and thus have a higher expense ratio than Class
A Shares, Class K shares and Class I shares and pay correspondingly lower
dividends than Class A shares, Class K shares and Class I shares.
Class K Shares. Class K shares are available at NAV to group
retirement plans that have plan assets of at least $1 million. Class K shares
generally are not available to retail non-retirement accounts, traditional and
ROTH IRAs, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, SEPs, SAR-SEPs, SIMPLE IRAs,
individual 403(b) plans and AllianceBernstein sponsored retirement products.
Class K shares do not have an initial sales charge or CDSC but incur a 0.25%
distribution services fee and thus have a lower expense ratio than Class R
shares and pay correspondingly higher dividends than Class R shares and have a
higher expense ratio than Class I shares and pay correspondingly lower dividends
than Class I shares.
Class I Shares. Class I shares are available at NAV to all group
retirement plans that have plan assets in excess of $10 million and to certain
related group retirement plans with plan assets of less than $10 million in
assets if the sponsor of such a plan has at least one group retirement plan with
plan assets in excess of $10 million that invests in Class I shares and to
certain investment advisory clients of, and certain other persons associated
with, the Adviser and its affiliates. Class I shares generally are not available
to retail non-retirement accounts, traditional and Roth IRAs, Coverdell
Education Savings Accounts, SEPs, SAR-SEPs, SIMPLE IRAs, individual 403(b) plans
and AllianceBernstein sponsored retirement products. Class I shares do not incur
any distribution services fees and will thus have a lower expense ratio and pay
correspondingly higher dividends than Class R and Class K shares.
Advisor Class Shares. Advisor Class shares of a Strategy may be
purchased and held solely (i) through accounts established under fee-based
programs, sponsored and maintained by registered broker-dealers or other
financial intermediaries and approved by ABI, (ii) through self-directed defined
contribution employee benefit plans (e.g., 401(k) plans) that have at least $10
million in assets and are purchased directly by the plan without the involvement
of a financial intermediary, or (iii) officers and present or former Directors
of the Funds or other investment companies managed by the Adviser, officers,
directors and present or retired full-time employees and former employees (for
subsequent investments in accounts established during the course of their
employment) of the Adviser, ABI, ABIS and their affiliates, Relatives of any
such person, or any trust, individual retirement account or retirement plan for
the benefit of any such person or (iv) by the categories of investors described
in clauses (i),(iii) and (iv) under "- Sales at NAV". Generally, a fee-based
program must charge an asset-based or other similar fee and must invest at least
$250,000 in Advisor Class shares of a Strategy in order to be approved by ABI
for investment in Advisor Class shares. A transaction fee may be charged by your
financial intermediary with respect to the purchase, sale or exchange of Advisor
Class shares made through such financial intermediary. Advisor Class shares do
not incur any distribution services fees, and will thus have a lower expense
ratio and pay correspondingly higher dividends than Class A shares, Class B
shares, Class C shares, Class R shares or Class K shares.
Alternative Purchase Arrangements - Group Retirement Plans and Tax-Deferred
Accounts
Each Strategy offers special distribution arrangements for group
retirement plans. However, plan sponsors, plan fiduciaries and other financial
intermediaries may establish requirements as to the purchase, sale or exchange
of shares of a Strategy, including maximum and minimum initial investment
requirements, that are different from those described in this SAI. Group
retirement plans also may not offer all classes of shares of a Strategy. In
addition, the Class A, Class B and Class C CDSC may be waived for investments
made through certain group retirement plans. Therefore, plan sponsors or
fiduciaries may not adhere to these share class eligibility standards as set
forth in the Prospectus and this SAI. A Strategy is not responsible for, and
has no control over, the decision of any plan sponsor or fiduciary to impose
such differing requirements.
Class A Shares. Class A shares are available at NAV to all
AllianceBernstein sponsored group retirement plans, regardless of size, and to
the AllianceBernstein Link, AllianceBernstein Individual 401(k) and
AllianceBernstein Simple IRA plans with at least $250,000 in plan assets or 100
or more employees. Effective June 30, 2005, for purposes of determining whether
a SIMPLE IRA plan has at least $250,000 in plan assets, all of the SIMPLE IRAs
of an employer's employees are aggregated. ABI measures the asset levels and
number of employees in these plans once monthly. Therefore, if a plan that is
not eligible at the beginning of a month for purchases of Class A shares at NAV
meets the asset level or number of employees required for such eligibility later
in that month, all purchases by the plan will be subject to a sales charge until
the monthly measurement of assets and employees. If the plan terminates the
Strategy as an investment option within one year, then all plan purchases of
Class A shares will be subject to a 1%, 1-year CDSC on redemption.
Class A shares are also available at NAV to group retirement plans
with plan assets in excess of $10 million or, for Strategies that don't offer
Class R shares, to group retirement plans with plan assets of $1 million or
more. The 1%, 1-year CDSC also generally applies. However, the 1%, 1-year CDSC
may be waived if the financial intermediary agrees to waive all commissions or
other compensation paid in connection with the sale of such shares (typically up
to a 1% advance payment for sales of Class A shares at NAV) other than the
service fee paid pursuant to a Strategy's distribution service plan.
Class B Shares. Class B shares are generally not available for
purchase by group retirement plans. However, Class B shares may continue to be
purchased by group retirement plans that have already selected Class B shares as
an investment alternative under their plan prior to September 2, 2003.
Class C Shares. Class C shares are available to AllianceBernstein
Link, AllianceBernstein Individual 401(k) and AllianceBernstein SIMPLE IRA plans
with less than $250,000 in plan assets and less than 100 employees. Class C
shares are also available to group retirement plans with plan assets of less
than $1 million. If an AllianceBernstein Link, AllianceBernstein Individual
401(k) or AllianceBernstein SIMPLE IRA plan holding Class C shares becomes
eligible to purchase Class A shares at NAV, the plan sponsor or other
appropriate fiduciary of such plan may request ABI in writing to liquidate the
Class C shares and purchase Class A shares with the liquidation proceeds. Any
such liquidation and repurchase may not occur before the expiration of the
1-year period that begins on the date of the plan's last purchase of Class C
shares.
Class R Shares. Class R shares are available to certain group
retirement plans with plan assets of up to $10 million. Class R shares are not
subject to front-end sales charge or CDSC, but are subject to a 0.50%
distribution fee.
Class K Shares. Class K shares are available to certain group
retirement plans with plan assets of at least $1 million. Class K shares are not
subject to a front-end sales charge or CDSC, but are subject to a 0.25%
distribution fee.
Class I Shares. Class I shares are available to certain group
retirement plans with plan assets of at least $10 million and certain
institutional clients of the Adviser who invest at least $2 million in a Fund.
Class I shares are not subject to a front-end sales charge, CDSC or distribution
fee.
Choosing a Class of Shares For Group Retirement Plans
Plan sponsors, plan fiduciaries and other financial intermediaries
may establish requirements as to the purchase, sale or exchange of shares of a
Strategy, including maximum and minimum initial investment requirements, that
are different from those described in this SAI. Plan fiduciaries should consider
how these requirements differ from a Strategy's share class eligibility criteria
before determining whether to invest.
Currently, Strategies offering Class R, Class K and Class I shares
also make their Class A shares available at NAV to group retirement plans with
plan assets in excess of $10 million. Unless waived under the circumstances
described above, a 1%, 1-year CDSC applies to the sale of Class A shares by a
plan. Because Class K shares have no CDSC and lower Rule 12b-1 distribution fees
and Class I shares have no CDSC or Rule 12b-1 distribution fees, plans should
consider purchasing Class K shares or Class I shares, if eligible, rather than
Class A shares.
In selecting among the Class A, Class K and Class R shares, plans
purchasing shares through a financial intermediary that is not willing to waive
advance commission payments (and therefore are not eligible for the waiver of
the 1%, 1-year CDSC applicable to Class A shares) should weigh the following:
o the lower Rule 12b-1 distribution fees (0.30%) and the 1%,
1-year CDSC with respect to Class A shares;
o the higher Rule 12b-1 distribution fees (0.50%) and the
absence of a CDSC with respect to Class R shares; and
o the lower Rule 12b-1 distribution fees (0.25%) and the absence
of a CDSC with respect to Class K shares.
Because Class A and Class K shares have lower Rule 12b-1
distribution fees than Class R shares, plans should consider purchasing Class A
or Class K shares, if eligible, rather than Class R shares.
As described above, effective January 31, 2009, sales of Class B
shares to new investors were suspended. While Class B shares were generally not
available to group retirement plans, Class B shares are available for continuing
contributions from plans that have already selected Class B shares as an
investment option under their plans prior to September 2, 2003. Plans should
weigh the fact that Class B shares will convert to Class A shares after a period
of time against the fact that Class A, Class R, Class K and Class I shares have
lower expenses, and therefore may have higher returns, than Class B shares,
before determining which class to make available to its plan participants.
Sales Charge Reduction Programs for Class A Shares
The AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds offer shareholders various
programs through which shareholders may obtain reduced sales charges or
reductions in CDSC through participation in such programs. In order for
shareholders to take advantage of the reductions available through the combined
purchase privilege, rights of accumulation and letters of intent, a Strategy
must be notified by the shareholder or his/her financial intermediary that they
qualify for such a reduction. If a Strategy is not notified that that a
shareholder is eligible for these reductions, the Strategy will be unable to
ensure that the reduction is applied to the shareholder's account.
Combined Purchase Privilege. Shareholders may qualify for the sales
charge reductions by combining purchases of shares of a Strategy (and/or any
other AllianceBernstein Mutual Fund) into a single "purchase." By combining such
purchases, shareholders may be able to take advantage of the quantity discounts
described under "Alternative Purchase Arrangements - Class A Shares." A
"purchase" means a single purchase or concurrent purchases of shares of a
Strategy or any other AllianceBernstein Mutual Fund, including AllianceBernstein
Institutional Funds, by (i) an individual, his or her spouse or domestic
partner, or the individual's children under the age of 21 years purchasing
shares for his, her or their own account(s), including certain Collegeboundfund
accounts; (ii) a trustee or other fiduciary purchasing shares for a single
trust, estate or single fiduciary account with one or more beneficiaries
involved; or (iii) the employee benefit plans of a single employer. The term
"purchase" also includes purchases by any "company," as the term is defined in
the 1940 Act, but does not include purchases by any such company that has not
been in existence for at least six months or that has no purpose other than the
purchase of shares of a Strategy or shares of other registered investment
companies at a discount. The term "purchase" does not include purchases by any
group of individuals whose sole organizational nexus is that the participants
therein are credit card holders of a company, policy holders of an insurance
company, customers of either a bank or broker-dealer or clients of an investment
adviser.
Currently, the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds include:
AllianceBernstein Blended Style Series, Inc.
-AllianceBernstein 2000 Retirement Strategy
-AllianceBernstein 2005 Retirement Strategy
-AllianceBernstein 2010 Retirement Strategy
-AllianceBernstein 2015 Retirement Strategy
-AllianceBernstein 2020 Retirement Strategy
-AllianceBernstein 2025 Retirement Strategy
-AllianceBernstein 2030 Retirement Strategy
-AllianceBernstein 2035 Retirement Strategy
-AllianceBernstein 2040 Retirement Strategy
-AllianceBernstein 2045 Retirement Strategy
-AllianceBernstein 2050 Retirement Strategy
-AllianceBernstein 2055 Retirement Strategy
AllianceBernstein Bond Fund, Inc.
-AllianceBernstein Bond Inflation Strategy
-AllianceBernstein Intermediate Bond Portfolio
-AllianceBernstein Limited Duration High Income Portfolio
-AllianceBernstein Municipal Bond Inflation Strategy
-AllianceBernstein Real Asset Strategy
AllianceBernstein Cap Fund, Inc.
-AllianceBernstein Dynamic All Market Fund
-AllianceBernstein Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
-AllianceBernstein Emerging Markets Multi-Asset Portfolio
-AllianceBernstein International Discovery Equity Portfolio
-AllianceBernstein International Focus 40 Portfolio
-AllianceBernstein Market Neutral Strategy-Global
-AllianceBernstein Market Neutral Strategy-U.S.
-AllianceBernstein Select US Equity Portfolio
-AllianceBernstein Select US Long/Short Portfolio
-AllianceBernstein Small Cap Growth Portfolio
-AllianceBernstein U.S. Strategic Research Portfolio
AllianceBernstein Core Opportunities Fund, Inc.
AllianceBernstein Discovery Growth Fund, Inc.
AllianceBernstein Equity Income Fund, Inc.
AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves
AllianceBernstein Global Bond Fund, Inc.
AllianceBernstein Global Real Estate Investment Fund, Inc.
AllianceBernstein Global Risk Allocation Fund, Inc.
AllianceBernstein Global Thematic Growth Fund, Inc.
AllianceBernstein Growth and Income Fund, Inc.
AllianceBernstein High Income Fund, Inc.
AllianceBernstein International Growth Fund, Inc.
AllianceBernstein Large Cap Growth Fund, Inc.
AllianceBernstein Municipal Income Fund, Inc.
-California Portfolio
-National Portfolio
-New York Portfolio
-AllianceBernstein High Income Municipal Portfolio
AllianceBernstein Municipal Income Fund II
-Arizona Portfolio
-Massachusetts Portfolio
-Michigan Portfolio
-Minnesota Portfolio
-New Jersey Portfolio
-Ohio Portfolio
-Pennsylvania Portfolio
-Virginia Portfolio
AllianceBernstein Trust
-AllianceBernstein Discovery Value Fund
-AllianceBernstein Global Value Fund
-AllianceBernstein International Value Fund
-AllianceBernstein Value Fund
AllianceBernstein Unconstrained Bond Fund, Inc.
The AllianceBernstein Portfolios
-AllianceBernstein Balanced Wealth Strategy
-AllianceBernstein Conservative Wealth Strategy
-AllianceBernstein Growth Fund
-AllianceBernstein Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth Strategy
-AllianceBernstein Tax-Managed Wealth Appreciation Strategy
-AllianceBernstein Tax-Managed Conservative Wealth Strategy
-AllianceBernstein Wealth Appreciation Strategy
Sanford C. Bernstein Fund, Inc.
-Intermediate California Municipal Portfolio
-Intermediate Diversified Municipal Portfolio
-Intermediate New York Municipal Portfolio
-International Portfolio
-Overlay A Portfolio
-Overlay B Portfolio
-Short Duration Portfolio
-Tax-Aware Overlay A Portfolio
-Tax-Aware Overlay B Portfolio
-Tax-Aware Overlay C Portfolio
-Tax-Aware Overlay N Portfolio
-Tax-Managed International Portfolio
Prospectuses for the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds may be obtained
without charge by contacting ABIS at the address or the "For Literature"
telephone number shown on the front cover of this SAI or on the Internet at
www.AllianceBernstein.com.
Cumulative Quantity Discount (Right of Accumulation). An investor's
purchase of additional Class A shares of a Strategy may be combined with the
value of the shareholder's existing accounts, thereby enabling the shareholder
to take advantage of the quantity discounts described under "Alternative
Purchase Arrangements - Class A Shares." In such cases, the applicable sales
charge on the newly purchased shares will be based on the total of:
(i) the investor's current purchase;
(ii) the higher of cost or NAV (at the close of business on the
previous day) of (a) all shares of a Strategy held by the
investor and (b) all shares held by the investor of any other
AllianceBernstein Mutual Fund, including AllianceBernstein
Institutional Funds and certain CollegeBoundfund accounts for
which the investor, his or her spouse or domestic partner, or
child under the age of 21 is the participant; and
(iii) the higher of cost or NAV of all shares described in
paragraph (ii) owned by another shareholder eligible to
combine his or her purchase with that of the investor into a
single "purchase" (see above).
The initial sales charge you pay on each purchase of Class A shares
will take into account your accumulated holdings in all class of shares of
AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds. Your accumulated holdings will be calculated as
(a) the value of your existing holdings as of the day prior to your additional
investment or (b) the amount you have invested including reinvested
distributions but excluding appreciation less the amount of any withdrawals,
whichever is higher.
For example, if an investor owned shares of an AllianceBernstein
Mutual Fund that were purchased for $200,000 and were worth $190,000 at their
then current NAV and, subsequently, purchased Class A shares of a Strategy worth
an additional $100,000, the sales charge for the $100,000 purchase would be the
2.25% rate applicable to a single $300,000 purchase of shares of the Strategy,
rather than the 3.25% rate.
Letter of Intent. Class A investors may also obtain the quantity
discounts described under "Alternative Purchase Arrangements - Class A Shares"
by means of a written Letter of Intent, which expresses the investor's intention
to invest at least $100,000 within a period of 13 months in shares of any
AllianceBernstein Mutual Fund. Each purchase of shares under a Letter of Intent
will be made at the public offering price or prices applicable at the time of
such purchase to a single transaction of the dollar amount indicated in the
Letter of Intent. At the investor's option, a Letter of Intent may include
purchases of shares of a Strategy or any other AllianceBernstein Mutual Fund
made not more than 90 days prior to the date that the investor signs a Letter of
Intent, in which case, the 13-month period during which the Letter of Intent is
in effect will begin on the date of the earliest purchase. However, sales
charges will not be reduced for purchases made prior to the date the Letter of
Intent is signed.
Investors qualifying for the Combined Purchase Privilege described
above may purchase shares of the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds under a single
Letter of Intent. The AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds will use the higher of cost
or current NAV of the investor's existing investments and of those accounts with
which investments are combined via Combined Purchase Privileges toward the
fulfillment of the Letter of Intent. For example, if at the time an investor
signs a Letter of Intent to invest at least $100,000 in Class A shares of the
Strategies, the investor and the investor's spouse or domestic partner each
purchase shares of the Strategies worth $20,000 (for a total of $40,000), but
the current NAV of all applicable accounts is $45,000 at the time a $100,000
Letter of Intent is initiated, it will only be necessary to invest a total of
$55,000 during the following 13 months in shares of the Strategies or any other
AllianceBernstein Mutual Fund, to qualify for the 3.25% sales charge on the
total amount being invested (the sales charge applicable to an investment of
$100,000).
The Letter of Intent is not a binding obligation upon the investor
to purchase the full amount indicated. The minimum initial investment under a
Letter of Intent is 5% of such amount. Shares purchased with the first 5% of
such amount will be held in escrow (while remaining registered in the name of
the investor) to secure payment of the higher sales charge applicable to the
shares actually purchased if the full amount indicated is not purchased, and
such escrowed shares will be involuntarily redeemed at their then NAV to pay the
additional sales charge, if necessary. Dividends on escrowed shares, whether
paid in cash or reinvested in additional Strategy shares, are not subject to
escrow. When the full amount indicated has been purchased, the escrow will be
released. Investors wishing to enter into a Letter of Intent in conjunction with
their initial investment in Class A shares of a Strategy can obtain a form of
Letter of Intent by contacting ABIS at the address or telephone numbers shown on
the cover of this SAI.
Reinstatement Privilege. A shareholder who has redeemed any or all
of his or her Class A shares may reinvest all or any portion of the proceeds
from that redemption in Class A shares of any AllianceBernstein Mutual Fund at
NAV without any sales charge, provided that such reinvestment is made within 120
calendar days after the redemption or repurchase date. Shares are sold to a
reinvesting shareholder at the NAV next determined as described above. A
reinstatement pursuant to this privilege will not cancel the redemption or
repurchase transaction; therefore, any gain or loss so realized will be
recognized for federal income tax purposes except that no loss will be
recognized to the extent that the proceeds are reinvested in shares of the
Strategy within 30 calendar days after the redemption or repurchase transaction.
Investors may exercise the reinstatement privilege by written request sent to a
Strategy at the address shown on the cover of this SAI.
Dividend Reinvestment Program. Shareholders may elect to have all
income and capital gains distributions from their account paid to them in the
form of additional shares of the same class of a Strategy pursuant to the
Strategy's Dividend Reinvestment Program. No initial sales charge or CDSC will
be imposed on shares issued pursuant to the Dividend Reinvestment Program.
Shares issued under this program will have an aggregate NAV as of the close of
business on the declaration date of the dividend or distribution equal to the
cash amount of the distribution. Investors wishing to participate in the
Dividend Reinvestment Program should complete the appropriate section of the
Mutual Fund Application. Current shareholders should contact ABIS to participate
in the Dividend Reinvestment Program.
In certain circumstances where a shareholder has elected to receive
dividends and/or capital gain distributions in cash but the account has been
determined to be lost due to mail being returned to us by the Postal Service as
undeliverable, such shareholder will automatically be placed within the Dividend
Reinvestment Program for future distributions. No interest will accrue on
amounts represented by uncashed distribution checks.
Dividend Direction Plan. A shareholder who already maintains
accounts in more than one AllianceBernstein Mutual Fund may direct that income
dividends and/or capital gains paid by one AllianceBernstein Mutual Fund be
automatically reinvested, in any amount, without the payment of any sales or
service charges, in shares of the same class of the other AllianceBernstein
Mutual Fund(s). Further information can be obtained by contacting ABIS at the
address or the "For Literature" telephone number shown on the cover of this SAI.
Investors wishing to establish a dividend direction plan in connection with
their initial investment should complete the appropriate section of the Mutual
Fund Application. Current shareholders should contact ABIS to establish a
dividend direction plan.
Systematic Withdrawal Plan
General. Any shareholder who owns or purchases shares of a Strategy
having a current NAV of at least $5,000 may establish a systematic withdrawal
plan under which the shareholder will periodically receive a payment in a stated
amount of not less than $50 on a selected date. The $5,000 account minimum does
not apply to a shareholder owning shares through an individual retirement
account or other retirement plan who has attained the age of 70 1/2 who wishes
to establish a systematic withdrawal plan to help satisfy a required minimum
distribution. Systematic withdrawal plan participants must elect to have their
dividends and distributions from a Strategy automatically reinvested in
additional shares of the Strategy.
Shares of a Strategy owned by a participant in the Strategy's
systematic withdrawal plan will be redeemed as necessary to meet withdrawal
payments and such payments will be subject to any taxes applicable to
redemptions and, except as discussed below with respect to Class A, Class B and
Class C shares, any applicable CDSC. Shares acquired with reinvested dividends
and distributions will be liquidated first to provide such withdrawal payments
and thereafter other shares will be liquidated to the extent necessary, and
depending upon the amount withdrawn, the investor's principal may be depleted. A
systematic withdrawal plan may be terminated at any time by the shareholder or a
Strategy.
Withdrawal payments will not automatically end when a shareholder's
account reaches a certain minimum level. Therefore, redemptions of shares under
the plan may reduce or even liquidate a shareholder's account and may subject
the shareholder to a Strategy's involuntary redemption provisions. See
"Redemption and Repurchase of Shares - General." Purchases of additional shares
concurrently with withdrawals are undesirable because of sales charges
applicable when purchases are made. While an occasional lump-sum investment may
be made by a holder of Class A shares who is maintaining a systematic withdrawal
plan, such investment should normally be an amount equivalent to three times the
annual withdrawal or $5,000, whichever is less.
Payments under a systematic withdrawal plan may be made by check or
electronically via the Automated Clearing House ("ACH") network. Investors
wishing to establish a systematic withdrawal plan in conjunction with their
initial investment in shares of a Strategy should complete the appropriate
portion of the Mutual Fund Application, while current Strategy shareholders
desiring to do so can obtain an application form by contacting ABIS at the
address or the "For Literature" telephone number shown on the cover of this SAI.
CDSC Waiver for Class A Shares, Class B Shares and Class C Shares.
Under the systematic withdrawal plan, up to 1% monthly, 2% bi-monthly or 3%
quarterly of the value at the time of redemption of the Class A, Class B or
Class C shares in a shareholder's account may be redeemed free of any CDSC.
Class B shares that are not subject to a CDSC (such as shares
acquired with reinvested dividends or distributions) will be redeemed first and
will count toward the foregoing limitations. Remaining Class B shares that are
held the longest will be redeemed next. Redemptions of Class B shares in excess
of the foregoing limitations will be subject to any otherwise applicable CDSC.
With respect to Class A and Class C shares, shares held the longest
will be redeemed first and will count toward the foregoing limitations.
Redemptions in excess of those limitations will be subject to any otherwise
applicable CDSC.
Payments to Financial Advisors and Their Firms
Financial intermediaries market and sell shares of the Strategies.
These financial intermediaries employ financial advisors and receive
compensation for selling shares of the Strategies. This compensation is paid
from various sources, including any sales charge, CDSC and/or Rule 12b-1 fee
that you or the Strategies may pay. Your individual financial advisor may
receive some or all of the amounts paid to the financial intermediary that
employs him or her.
In the case of Class A shares, all or a portion of the initial sales
charge that you pay may be paid by ABI to financial intermediaries selling Class
A shares. ABI may also pay these financial intermediaries a fee of up to 1% on
purchases of $1 million or more. Additionally, up to 100% of the Rule 12b-1 fees
applicable to Class A shares each year may be paid to financial intermediaries,
including your financial intermediary, that sell Class A shares.
In the case of Class B shares, ABI may pay, at the time of your
purchase, a commission to financial intermediaries selling Class B Shares in an
amount equal to 4% of your investment. Additionally, up to 30% of the Rule 12b-1
fees applicable to Class B shares each year may be paid to financial
intermediaries, including your financial intermediary, that sell Class B shares.
In the case of Class C shares, ABI may pay, at the time of your
purchase, a commission to firms selling Class C shares in an amount equal to 1%
of your investment. Additionally, up to 100% of the Rule 12b-1 fee applicable to
Class C shares each year may be paid to financial intermediaries, including your
financial intermediary, that sell Class C shares.
In the case of Class R and Class K shares, up to 100% of the Rule
12b-1 fee applicable to Class R and Class K shares each year may be paid to
financial intermediaries, including your financial intermediary, that sell Class
R and Class K shares.
In the case of Advisor Class shares, your financial advisor may
charge ongoing fees or transactional fees. ABI may pay a portion of "ticket" or
other transactional charges.
Your financial advisor's firm receives compensation from the
Strategies, ABI and/or the Adviser in several ways from various sources, which
include some or all of the following:
o upfront sales commissions;
o Rule 12b-1 fees;
o additional distribution support;
o defrayal of costs for educational seminars and training; and
o payments related to providing shareholder record-keeping
and/or transfer agency services.
Please read the Prospectus carefully for information on this
compensation.
Other Payments for Distribution Services and Educational Support
In addition to the commissions paid to financial intermediaries at
the time of sale and the fees described under "Asset-Based Sales Charges or
Distribution and/or Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees," in your Prospectus, some or all
of which may be paid to financial intermediaries (and, in turn, to your
financial advisor), ABI, at its expense, currently provides additional payments
to firms that sell shares of the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds. Although the
individual components may be higher and the total amount of payments made to
each qualifying firm in any given year may vary, the total amount paid to a
financial intermediary in connection with the sale of shares of the
AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds will generally not exceed the sum of (a) 0.25% of
the current year's fund sales by that firm and (b) 0.10% of average daily net
assets attributable to that firm over the year. These sums include payments to
reimburse directly or indirectly the costs incurred by these firms and their
employees in connection with educational seminars and training efforts about the
AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds for the firms' employees and/or their clients and
potential clients. The costs and expenses associated with these efforts may
include travel, lodging, entertainment and meals.
For 2012, ABI's additional payments to these firms, for distribution
services and education support related to the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds are
expected to be approximately 0.05% of the average monthly assets of the
AllianceBernstein Mutual Fund, or approximately $19 million. In 2011, ABI paid
approximately 0.04% of the average monthly assets of the AllianceBernstein
Mutual Funds or approximately $17 million, for distribution services and
education support related to the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds.
A number of factors are considered in determining the additional
payments, including each firm's AllianceBernstein Mutual Fund sales, assets and
redemption rates, and the willingness and ability of the firm to give ABI access
to its financial advisors for educational or marketing purposes. In some cases,
firms will include the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds on a "preferred list".
ABI's goal is to make the financial advisors who interact with current and
prospective investors and shareholders more knowledgeable about the
AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds so that they can provide suitable information and
advice about the funds and related investor services.
The Strategies and ABI also make payments for recordkeeping and
other transfer agency services to financial intermediaries that sell
AllianceBernstein Mutual Fund shares. Please see "Expenses of the Strategies -
Transfer Agency Arrangements" above. These expenses paid by the Strategies are
included in "Other Expenses" under "Fees and Expenses of the Strategies - Annual
Operating Expenses" in the Prospectus.
If one mutual fund sponsor makes greater distribution assistance
payments than another, your financial advisor and his or her firm may have an
incentive to recommend one fund complex over another. Similarly, if your
financial advisor or his or her firm receives more distribution assistance for
one share class versus another, then they may have an incentive to recommend
that class.
Please speak with your financial advisor to learn more about the
total amounts paid to your financial advisor and his or her firm by the
Strategies, the Adviser, ABI and by sponsors of other mutual funds he or she may
recommend to you. You should also consult disclosures made by your financial
advisor at the time of your purchase.
ABI anticipates that the firms that will receive additional payments
for distribution services and/or educational support include:
Advisor Group, Inc.
Ameriprise Financial Services
AXA Advisors
Cadaret, Grant & Co.
CCO Investment Services Corp.
Chase Investment Services
Commonwealth Financial Network
Donegal Securities
Financial Network Investment Company
LPL Financial
Merrill Lynch
Morgan Stanley
Multi-Financial Securities Corporation
Northwestern Mutual Investment Services
PrimeVest Financial Services
Raymond James
RBC Wealth Management
Robert W. Baird
UBS Financial Services
Wells Fargo Advisors
ABI expects that additional firms may be added to this list from
time to time.
Although the Strategies may use brokers and dealers who sell shares
of the Strategies to effect portfolio transactions, the Strategies do not
consider the sale of AllianceBernstein Mutual Fund shares as a factor when
selecting brokers or dealers to effect portfolio transactions.
REDEMPTION AND REPURCHASE OF SHARES
The following information supplements that set forth in the
Strategies' Prospectus under the heading "Investing in the Strategies." If you
are an Advisor Class shareholder through an account established under a
fee-based program, your fee-based program may impose requirements with respect
to the purchase, sale or exchange of Advisor Class shares of the Strategy that
are different from those described herein. A transaction fee may be charged by
your financial intermediary with respect to the purchase, sale or exchange of
Advisor Class shares made through such financial intermediary. Similarly, if you
are a shareholder through a group retirement plan, your plan may impose
requirements with respect to the purchase, sale or exchange of shares of a Fund
that are different from those imposed below. Each Strategy has authorized one or
more brokers to receive on its behalf purchase and redemption orders. Such
brokers are authorized to designate other intermediaries to receive purchase and
redemption orders on a Strategy's behalf. In such cases, orders will receive the
NAV next computed after such order is properly received by the authorized broker
or designee and accepted by the Strategy.
Redemption
Subject only to the limitations described below, the Strategies will
redeem shares tendered to them, as described below, at a redemption price equal
to their NAV as next computed following the receipt of shares tendered in proper
form. Except for any CDSC which may be applicable to Class A, Class B or Class C
shares, there is no redemption charge. If a shareholder has any questions
regarding what documents are required by his or her fee-based program or
employee benefit plan, the shareholder should contact his or her financial
intermediary.
The right of redemption may not be suspended and the date of payment
upon redemption may not be postponed for more than seven days after shares are
tendered for redemption, except for any period during which the Exchange is
closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings) or during which the
SEC determines that trading thereon is restricted, or for any period during
which an emergency (as determined by the SEC) exists as a result of which
disposal by a Strategy of securities owned by it is not reasonably practicable
or as a result of which it is not reasonably practicable for a Strategy fairly
to determine the value of its net assets, or for such other periods as the SEC
may by order permit for the protection of security holders of a Strategy.
Payment of the redemption price will be made in cash, but, at the
option of a Strategy, may be made in kind. No interest will accrue on uncashed
redemption checks. The value of a shareholder's shares on redemption or
repurchase may be more or less than the cost of such shares to the shareholder,
depending upon the market value of a Strategy's portfolio securities at the time
of such redemption or repurchase. Redemption proceeds will reflect the deduction
of the applicable CDSC, if any. Payment received by a shareholder upon
redemption or repurchase of his or her shares, assuming the shares constitute
capital assets in his or her hands, will result in long-term or short-term
capital gain (or loss), depending upon the shareholder's holding period and
basis in respect of the shares redeemed.
To redeem shares of a Strategy for which no share certificates have
been issued, the registered owner or owners should forward a letter to the
Strategy containing a request for redemption. The signature or signatures on the
letter must be Medallion Signature Guaranteed.
To redeem shares of the Strategies represented by share
certificates, an investor should forward the appropriate share certificate or
certificates, endorsed in blank or with blank stock powers attached, to the
relevant Strategy with the request that the shares represented thereby, or a
specified portion thereof, be redeemed. The stock assignment form on the reverse
side of each share certificate surrendered to the Strategy for redemption must
be signed by the registered owner or owners exactly as the registered name
appears on the face of the certificate or, alternatively, a stock power signed
in the same manner may be attached to the share certificate or certificates or,
where tender is made by mail, separately mailed to the relevant Strategy. The
signature or signatures on the assignment form must be guaranteed in the manner
described above.
Telephone Redemption by Electronic Funds Transfer. Each Strategy
shareholder who has completed the appropriate portion of the Mutual Fund
Application or, in the case of an existing shareholder, an "Autosell"
application obtained from ABIS is entitled to request redemption by electronic
funds transfer of shares for which no share certificates have been issued by
telephone at (800) 221-5672. A telephone redemption request by electronic funds
transfer may not exceed $100,000, and must be made by before the Strategy
Closing Time on a Strategy business day. Proceeds of telephone redemptions will
be sent by electronic funds transfer to a shareholder's designated bank account
at a bank selected by the shareholder that is a member of the NACHA.
Telephone Redemption by Check. Each Strategy shareholder is eligible
to request redemption by check of Strategy shares for which no share
certificates have been issued, by telephone at (800) 221-5672 before the
Strategy Closing Time on a Strategy business day in an amount not exceeding
$100,000. Proceeds of such redemptions are remitted by check to the
shareholder's address of record. A shareholder otherwise eligible for telephone
redemption by check may cancel the privilege by written instruction to ABIS, or
by checking the appropriate box on the Mutual Fund Application.
Telephone Redemptions - General. During periods of drastic economic,
market or other developments, such as the terrorist attacks on September 11,
2001, it is possible that shareholders would have difficulty in reaching ABIS by
telephone (although no such difficulty was apparent at any time in connection
with the attacks). If a shareholder were to experience such difficulty, the
shareholder should issue written instructions to ABIS at the address shown on
the cover of this SAI. The Strategies reserve the right to suspend or terminate
their telephone redemption service at any time without notice. Telephone
redemption is not available with respect to shares (i) for which certificates
have been issued, (ii) held in nominee or "street name" accounts, (iii) held by
a shareholder who has changed his or her address of record within the preceding
30 calendar days or (iv) held in any retirement plan account. None of the
Strategies, the Adviser, ABI nor ABIS will be responsible for the authenticity
of telephone requests for redemptions that a Strategy reasonably believes to be
genuine. ABIS will employ reasonable procedures in order to verify that
telephone requests for redemptions are genuine, including, among others,
recording such telephone instructions and causing written confirmations of the
resulting transactions to be sent to shareholders. If ABIS did not employ such
procedures, it could be liable for losses arising from unauthorized or
fraudulent telephone instructions. Financial intermediaries may charge a
commission for handling telephone requests for redemptions.
A Strategy may redeem shares through ABI or financial
intermediaries. The repurchase price will be the NAV next determined after ABI
receives the request (less the CDSC, if any), except that requests placed
through selected dealers or agents before the Strategy Closing Time on the
Exchange on any day will be executed at the NAV determined as the Strategy
Closing Time on that day if received by ABI prior to its close of business on
that day (normally 5:00 p.m., Eastern time). The financial intermediary is
responsible for transmitting the request to ABI by 5:00 p.m., Eastern time,
(certain financial intermediaries may enter into operating agreements permitting
them to transmit purchase information that was received prior to the close of
business to ABI after 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, and receive that day's NAV). If
the financial intermediary fails to do so, the shareholder's right to receive
that day's closing price must be settled between the shareholder and the
financial intermediary. A shareholder may offer shares of a Strategy to ABI
either directly or through a financial intermediary. Neither the Strategies nor
ABI charge a fee or commission in connection with the redemption of shares
(except for the CDSC, if any, with respect to the Class A shares, Class B shares
and Class C shares). Normally, if shares of a Strategy are offered through a
financial intermediary, the redemption is settled by the shareholder as an
ordinary transaction with or through that financial intermediary, who may charge
the shareholder for this service. The redemption of shares of a Strategy as
described above with respect to financial intermediaries is a voluntary service
of the Strategies and a Strategy may suspend or terminate this practice at any
time.
General
Each Strategy reserves the right to close out an account that has
remained below $1,000 for 90 days. No CDSC will be deducted from the proceeds of
such a redemption. In the case of a redemption or repurchase of shares of a
Strategy recently purchased by check, redemption proceeds will not be made
available until the relevant Strategy is reasonably assured that the check has
cleared, normally up to 15 calendar days following the purchase date.
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
The following information supplements that set forth in the
Prospectus under the heading "Investing in the Strategies." The shareholder
services set forth below are applicable to all classes of shares of a Strategy
unless otherwise indicated.
If you are an Advisor Class shareholder through an account
established under a fee-based program, your fee-based program may impose
requirements with respect to the purchase, sale or exchange of Advisor Class
shares of the Strategy that are different from those described herein. A
transaction fee may be charged by your financial intermediary with respect to
the purchase, sale or exchange of Advisor Class shares made through such
financial intermediary.
Automatic Investment Program
Investors may purchase shares of the Strategies through an automatic
investment program utilizing electronic funds transfer drawn on the investor's
own bank account. Under such a program, pre-authorized monthly drafts for a
fixed amount are used to purchase shares through the financial intermediary
designated by the investor at the public offering price next determined after
ABI receives the proceeds from the investor's bank. The monthly drafts must be
in minimum amounts of either $50 or $200, depending on the investor's initial
purchase. If an investor makes an initial purchase of at least $2,500, the
minimum monthly amount for pre-authorized drafts is $50. If an investor makes an
initial purchase of less than $2,500, the minimum monthly amount for
pre-authorized drafts is $200 and the investor must commit to a monthly
investment of at least $200 until the investor's account balance is $2,500 or
more. In electronic form, drafts can be made on or about a date each month
selected by the shareholder. Investors wishing to establish an automatic
investment program in connection with their initial investment should complete
the appropriate portion of the Mutual Fund Application. As of January 31, 2009,
the Automatic Investment Program is available for purchase of Class B shares
only if a shareholder were enrolled in the program prior to January 31, 2009.
Current shareholders should contact ABIS at the address or telephone numbers
shown on the cover of this SAI to establish an automatic investment program.
Shareholders committed to monthly investments of $25 or more through
the Automatic Investment Program by October 15, 2004 are able to continue their
program despite the $50 monthly minimum.
Exchange Privilege
You may exchange your investment in a Strategy for shares of the
same class of other AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds (including AllianceBernstein
Exchange Reserves, a money market fund managed by the Adviser) if the other
AllianceBernstein Mutual Fund in which you wish to invest offers shares of the
same class. In addition, (i) present officers and full-time employees of the
Adviser, (ii) present Directors or Trustees of any AllianceBernstein Mutual
Fund, (iii) certain employee benefit plans for employees of the Adviser, ABI,
ABIS and their affiliates and (iv) certain persons participating in a fee-based
program, sponsored and maintained by a registered broker-dealer or other
financial intermediary and approved by ABI, under which such persons pay an
asset-based fee for service in the nature of investment advisory or
administrative services may, on a tax-free basis, exchange Class A or Class C
shares of the Strategy for Advisor Class shares of the Strategy or Class C
shares of the Strategy for Class A shares of the Strategy. Exchanges of shares
are made at the NAV next determined and without sales or service charges.
Exchanges may be made by telephone or written request. In order to receive a
day's NAV, ABIS must receive and confirm a telephone exchange request by 4:00
p.m., Eastern time on that day.
Shares will continue to age without regard to exchanges for purposes
of determining the CDSC, if any, upon redemption and, in the case of Class B
shares, for the purpose of conversion to Class A shares. After an exchange, your
Class B shares will automatically convert to Class A shares in accordance with
the conversion schedule applicable to the Class B shares of the
AllianceBernstein Mutual Fund you originally purchased for cash ("original
shares"). When redemption occurs, the CDSC applicable to the original shares is
applied.
Please read carefully the prospectus of the AllianceBernstein Mutual
Fund into which you are exchanging before submitting the request. Call ABIS at
(800) 221-5672 to exchange uncertificated shares. Except with respect to
exchanges of Class A or Class C shares of a Strategy for Advisor Class shares or
Class C shares for Class A shares of the same Strategy, exchanges of shares as
described above in this section are taxable transactions for federal income tax
purposes. The exchange service may be modified, restricted, or terminated on 60
days' written notice.
All exchanges are subject to the minimum investment requirements and
any other applicable terms set forth in the prospectus for the AllianceBernstein
Mutual Fund whose shares are being acquired. An exchange is effected through the
redemption of the shares tendered for exchange and the purchase of shares being
acquired at their respective NAVs as next determined following receipt by the
AllianceBernstein Mutual Fund whose shares are being exchanged of (i) proper
instructions and all necessary supporting documents as described in the
Prospectus, or (ii) a telephone request for such exchange in accordance with the
procedures set forth in the following paragraph. Exchanges involving the
redemption of shares recently purchased by check will be permitted only after
the AllianceBernstein Mutual Fund whose shares have been tendered for exchange
is reasonably assured that the check has cleared, normally up to 15 calendar
days following the purchase date. Exchanges of shares of AllianceBernstein
Mutual Funds will generally result in the realization of a capital gain or loss
for federal income tax purposes.
Each Strategy shareholder, and the shareholder's financial
intermediary as applicable, are authorized to make telephone requests for
exchanges unless ABIS receives written instruction to the contrary from the
shareholder, or the shareholder declines the privilege by checking the
appropriate box on the Mutual Fund Application found in the Prospectus. Such
telephone requests cannot be accepted with respect to shares then represented by
share certificates. Shares acquired pursuant to a telephone request for exchange
will be held under the same account registration as the shares redeemed through
such exchange.
Eligible shareholders desiring to make an exchange should telephone
ABIS with their account number and other details of the exchange at (800)
221-5672 before the Strategy Closing Time on a Strategy business day. Telephone
requests for exchanges received before 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, on a Strategy
business day will be processed as of the close of business on that day. During
periods of drastic economic, market or other developments, such as the market
break of October 1987, it is possible that shareholders would have difficulty in
reaching ABIS by telephone (although no such difficulty was apparent at any time
in connection with the 1987 market break). If a shareholder were to experience
such difficulty, the shareholder should issue written instructions to ABIS at
the address shown on the cover of this SAI.
A shareholder may elect to initiate a monthly "Auto Exchange"
whereby a specified dollar amount's worth of his or her Strategy shares (minimum
$25) is automatically exchanged for shares of another AllianceBernstein Mutual
Fund.
None of the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds, the Adviser, ABI nor
ABIS will be responsible for the authenticity of telephone requests for
exchanges that a Strategy reasonably believes to be genuine. ABIS will employ
reasonable procedures in order to verify that telephone requests for exchanges
are genuine, including, among others, recording such telephone instructions and
causing written confirmations of the resulting transactions to be sent to
shareholders. If ABIS did not employ such procedures, it could be liable for
losses arising from unauthorized or fraudulent telephone instructions. Financial
intermediaries may charge a commission for handling telephone requests for
exchanges.
The exchange privilege is available only in states where shares of
the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds being acquired may legally be sold. Each
AllianceBernstein Mutual Fund reserves the right, at any time on 60 days' notice
to its shareholders, to reject any order to acquire its shares through exchange
or otherwise to modify, restrict or terminate the exchange privilege.
Statements and Reports
Each shareholder receives semi-annual and annual reports which
include a portfolio of investments, financial statements and, in the case of the
annual report, the report of the Strategies' independent registered public
accounting firm, Ernst & Young LLP, 5 Times Square, New York, New York 10036, as
well as a confirmation of each purchase and redemption. By contacting his or her
financial intermediary or ABIS, a shareholder may arrange for copies of his or
her account statements to be sent to another person.
NET ASSET VALUE
The NAV of each Strategy is computed at the close of regular trading
on any day the Exchange is open (ordinarily, 4:00 Eastern time, but sometimes
earlier, as in the case of scheduled half-day trading or unscheduled suspensions
of trading) following receipt of a purchase or redemption order by a Strategy on
each Strategy business day on which such an order is received and on such Other
days as the Board deems appropriate or necessary in order to comply with Rule
22c-1 under the 1940 Act. Each Strategy's NAV is calculated by dividing the
value of that Strategy's total assets, less its liabilities, by the total number
of its shares then outstanding. A Strategy business day is any weekday on which
the Exchange is open for trading.
Portfolio securities are valued at current market value or at fair
value as determined in accordance with applicable rules under the 1940 Act and
the Strategies' pricing policies and procedures (the "Pricing Policies")
established by and under the general supervision of the Board. The Board has
delegated to the Adviser, subject to the Board's continuing oversight, certain
of the Board's duties with respect to the Pricing Policies. The Adviser has
established a Valuation Committee, which operates under policies and procedures
approved by the Board, to value a Strategy's assets on behalf of the Strategy.
Whenever possible, securities are valued based on market information
on the business day as of which the value is being determined, as follows:
(a) a security listed on the Exchange or on other national or
foreign exchange (other than securities listed on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange
("NASDAQ")) is valued at the last sale price reflected on .the consolidated tape
at the close of the exchange. If there has been no sale on the relevant business
day, the security is valued a the last traded price from the previous day. On
the following day, the security is valued in good faith at fair value by, or in
accordance with procedures approved by, the Board;
(b) a security traded on NASDAQ is valued at the NASDAQ Official
Closing Price;
(c) a security traded on more than one exchange is valued in
accordance with paragraph (a) above by reference to the principal exchange (as
determined by the Adviser) on which the security it traded;
(d) a listed or OTC put or call option is valued at the mid level
between the current bid and asked prices (for options or futures contracts, see
item (e)). If neither a current bid nor a current ask price is available, the
Adviser will have discretion to determine the best valuation (e.g., last trade
price) and then bring the issue to the Valuation Committee the next day;
(e) an open futures contract and any option thereon are valued at
the closing settlement price or, in the absence of such a price, the most recent
quoted bid price. If there are no quotations available for the relevant business
day, the security is valued at the last available closing settlement price;
(f) a listed right is valued at the last traded price provided by
approved vendors. If there has been no sale on the relevant business day, the
right is valued at the last traded price from the previous day. On the following
day, the security is valued in good faith at fair value. For an unlisted right,
the calculation used in determining a value is the price of the reference
security minus the subscription price multiplied by the terms of the right.
There may be some instances when the subscription price is greater than the
referenced security right. In such instances, the right would be valued as
worthless;
(g) a listed warrant is valued at the last traded price provided by
approved vendors. If there is no sale on the relevant business day, the warrant
is valued at the last traded price from the previous day. On the following day,
the security is valued in good faith at fair value. .All unlisted warrants are
valued in good faith at fair value. Once a warrant has expired, it will no
longer be valued;
(h) preferred securities are valued based on prices received from
approved vendors that use last trade data for listed preferreds and evaluated
bid prices for non-listed preferreds, as well as for listed preferreds when
there is no trade activity;
(i) a U.S. Government security and any other debt instrument having
60 days or less remaining until maturity generally is valued at amortized cost
if its original maturity was 60 days or less, or by amortizing its fair value as
of the 61St day prior to maturity if the original term to maturity exceeded 60
days, unless in either case the Adviser determines, in accordance with
procedures established by the.E3oard, that this method does not represent fair
value. The Adviser is responsible for monitoring whether any circumstances have
incurred that indicate that the use of amortized cost method for any security is
not appropriate due to such factors as, but not limited to, an impairment of the
creditworthiness .of the issuer or material changes in interest rates;
(j) a fixed-income security is typically valued on the basis of bid
prices provided by a pricing vendor when the Adviser believes that such prices
reflect the market value of the security. In certain markets, the market
convention may be to use the mid price between bid and offer. Fixed-income
securities may be valued on the basis of mid prices when either the approved
pricing vendor normally provides mid prices, reflecting the conventions of the
particular markets. The prices provided by a pricing vendor may take into
account many factors, including institutional size, trading in similar groups of
securities and any developments related to specific securities. If the Adviser
determines that an appropriate pricing vendor does not exist for a security in a
market that typically values such securities on the basis of a bid price, the
security is valued on the basis of a quoted bid price or spread over the
applicable yield curve (a bid spread) by a broker-dealer in such security. The
second highest price will be utilized whenever two or more quoted bid prices are
obtained. If an appropriate pricing vendor does not exist for a security in a
market where convention is to use the mid price, the security is valued on the
basis of a quoted mid price by a broker-dealer in such security. The second
highest price will be utilized whenever two or more quoted mid prices are
obtained;
(k) a mortgage-backed or asset-backed security is valued on the
basis of bid prices obtained from pricing vendor or bid prices obtained from
multiple major broker-dealers in the security when the Adviser believes that
these prices reflect the market value of the security. In cases in which
broker/dealer quotes are obtained, the Adviser has procedures for using changes
in market yields or spreads to adjust, on a daily basis, a recently obtained
quoted bid-price on a security. The second highest price will be utilized
whenever two or more quoted bid prices are. obtained;
(l) bank loans are valued on the basis of bid prices provided by a
pricing vendor;
(m) bridge loans are valued at value, which equates to the
outstanding loan amount, unless it is determined by the Valuation Committee that
any particular bridge loan should be valued at something other than outstanding
loan amount. This may occur from a significant change in the high yield market
and/or a significant change in the states of any particular issuer or issuers of
bridge loans;
(n) whole loans: residential and commercial mortgage whose loans and
whole loan pools are fair market priced by Clayton IPS (Independent Pricing
Service);
(o) forward and spot currency pricing is provided by WM Reuters. The
rate provide by WM Reuters is a mid price for forward and spot rates. In most
instances whenever both an "onshore" rate and an "offshore" (i.e., non
deliverable forward "NDF") rate is available, the Adviser will use the offshore
(NDF) rate, NDF contracts are used for currencies where it is difficult (and
sometimes impossible) to take actual delivery of the currency;
(p) swap pricing: Various external sources (Super Derivatives,
Bloomberg, Barclays, Markit Partners, etc.) are used to obtain pricing
information and analysis. This information is placed into various pricing models
(depending on the type of derivative) to devise a price for each investment.
These pricing models are monitored/reviewed on an ongoing basis by the Adviser;
(q) interest rate caps and floors are valued at the latest present
value of the terms of the agreement, which is provided by approved vendors; and
(r) open end mutual funds are valued at the closing NAV per share
and closed-end funds are valued at the closing market price per share.
Each Strategy values its securities at their current market value
determined on the basis of market quotations as set forth above or, if market
quotations are not readily available or are unreliable, at "fair value" as
determined in accordance with procedures established by and under the general
supervision of the Board. When a Strategy uses fair value pricing, it may take
into account any factors it deems appropriate. A Strategy may determine fair
value based upon developments related to a specific security, current valuations
of foreign stock indices (as reflected in U.S. futures markets) and/or U.S.
sector or broader stock market indices. The prices of securities used by the
Strategy to calculate its NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the
same securities. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is
possible that the fair value determined for a security is materially different
than the value that could be realized upon the sale of that security.
Each Strategy expects to use fair value pricing for securities
primarily traded on U.S. exchanges only under very limited circumstances, such
as the early closing of the exchange on which a security is traded or suspension
of trading in the security. Strategies may use fair value pricing more
frequently for securities primarily traded in non-U.S. markets because, among
other things, most foreign markets close well before the Strategy values its
securities at 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The earlier close of these foreign
markets gives rise to the possibility that significant events, including broad
market moves, may have occurred in the interim. For example, the Strategies
believe that foreign security values may be affected by events that occur after
the close of foreign securities markets. To account for this, the Strategies may
frequently value many of their foreign equity securities using fair value prices
based on third party vendor modeling tools to the extent available.
Subject to its oversight, the Board has delegated responsibility for
valuing a Strategy's assets to the Adviser. The Adviser has established a
Valuation Committee, which operates under the policies and procedures approved
by the Board to value the Strategy's assets on behalf of the Strategy. The
Valuation Committee values Strategy assets as described above.
The Board may suspend the determination of a Strategy's NAV (and the
offering and sales of shares), subject to the rules of the SEC and other
governmental rules and regulations, at a time when: (1) the Exchange is closed,
other than customary weekend and holiday closings, (2) an emergency exists as a
result of which it is not reasonably practicable for a Strategy to dispose of
securities owned by it or to determine fairly the value of its net assets, or
(3) for the protection of shareholders, the SEC by order permits a suspension of
the right of redemption or a postponement of the date of payment on redemption.
For purposes of determining each Strategy's NAV per share, all
assets and liabilities initially expressed in a foreign currency will be
converted into U.S. Dollars at the mean of the current bid and asked prices of
such currency against the U.S. Dollar last quoted by a major bank that is a
regular participant in the relevant foreign exchange market or on the basis of a
pricing service that takes into account the quotes provided by a number of such
major banks. If such quotations are not available as of the close of the
Exchange, the rate of exchange will be determined in good faith by, or under the
direction of, the Board.
The assets attributable to the Class A shares, Class B shares, Class
C shares, Advisor Class shares, Class R shares, Class K shares and Class I
shares will be invested together in a single portfolio for each Strategy. The
NAV of each class will be determined separately by subtracting the liabilities
allocated to that class from the assets belonging to that class in conformance
with the provisions of a plan adopted by each Strategy in accordance with Rule
18f-3 under the 1940 Act.
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
Dividends paid by the Strategies, if any, with respect to Class A,
Class B, Class C, Class R, Class K and Class I shares will be calculated in the
same manner at the same time on the same day and will be in the same amount,
except that the higher distribution services applicable to Class A, Class B and
Class C shares, and any incremental transfer agency costs relating to Class B
and Class C shares, will be borne exclusively by the class to which they relate.
The following discussion addresses only the principal U.S. federal
income tax considerations pertinent to the Strategies and to shareholders of the
Strategies. This discussion does not purport to be complete or to address all
aspects of federal income taxation that may be relevant to shareholders in light
of their particular circumstances, nor to certain types of shareholders subject
to special treatment under the federal income tax laws (for example, banks and
life insurance companies). The following discussion also provides only limited
information about the U.S. federal income tax treatment of shareholders that are
not U.S. shareholders. This discussion is based upon present provisions of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), the regulations
promulgated thereunder, and judicial and administrative rulings, all of which
are subject to change, which change may be retroactive. In view of the
individual nature of tax consequences, each shareholder is advised to consult
the shareholder's own tax advisors with regard to the federal tax consequences
of the purchase, ownership, or disposition of Strategy shares, as well as the
tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, foreign country, or other
taxing jurisdiction.
United States Federal Income Taxation of Dividends and Distributions
Taxation of Each Strategy. Each Strategy is treated as a separate
taxable entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Each Strategy intends to
qualify for tax treatment as a "regulated investment company" under Subchapter M
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), for each taxable
year.
In order to qualify for the special tax treatment accorded regulated
investment companies and their shareholders, each Strategy must, among other
things:
(a) derive at least 90% of its gross income from dividends,
interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, and gains from the
sale of stock, securities and foreign currencies, or other income (including but
not limited to gains from options, futures, or forward contracts) derived with
respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities, or currencies or
net income derived from interests in certain qualified publicly traded
partnerships;
(b) distribute with respect to each taxable year at least 90% of the
sum of its taxable net investment income, its net tax-exempt income, and the
excess, if any, of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital
losses for such year; and
(c) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of
its taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the market value of the Strategy's total
assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. Government securities,
securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities limited
in respect of any one issuer to a value not greater than 5% of the value of the
Strategy's total assets and not more than 10% of the outstanding voting
securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of the
Strategy's total assets is invested (x) in the securities (other than those of
the U.S. Government or other regulated investment companies) of any one issuer
or of two or more issuers which the Strategy controls and which are engaged in
the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or (y) in the securities of
one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships. In the case of the
Strategy's investments in loan participations, if any, the Strategy shall treat
a financial intermediary as an issuer for the purposes of meeting this
diversification requirement.
If a Strategy qualifies as a regulated investment company that is
accorded special tax treatment, the Strategy will not be subject to federal
income tax on income distributed in a timely manner to its shareholders in the
form of dividends (including Capital Gain Dividends, as defined below).
If a Strategy were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment
company accorded special tax treatment in any taxable year, the Strategy would
be subject to tax on its taxable income at corporate rates, and all
distributions from earnings and profits, including any distributions of net
tax-exempt income and net long-term capital gains, would be taxable to U.S.
shareholders as ordinary income. (Some portions of such distributions generally
would be eligible (i) to be treated as qualified dividend income in the case of
non-corporate U.S. shareholders and (ii) for the dividends received deduction in
the case of corporate U.S. shareholders.) In addition, each Strategy could be
required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and
make substantial distributions before requalifying as a regulated investment
company that is accorded special tax treatment.
A Strategy will also avoid the 4% federal excise tax that would
otherwise apply to certain undistributed income for a given calendar year if it
makes timely distributions to shareholders equal to the sum of (i) 98% of its
ordinary income for such year, (ii) 98% of its capital gain net income and
foreign currency gains for the twelve-month period ending on October 31 of such
year, and (iii) any ordinary income or capital gain net income from the
preceding calendar year that was not distributed during such year. For this
purpose, income or gain retained by a Strategy that is subject to corporate
income tax will be considered to have been distributed by the Strategy during
such year. For federal income and excise tax purposes, dividends declared and
payable to shareholders of record as of a date in October, November or December
but actually paid during the following January will be treated as if paid by the
Strategy on December 31 of such earlier calendar year, and will be taxable to
these shareholders in the year declared, and not in the year in which the
shareholders actually receive the dividend.
Strategy Distributions. Distributions of net investment income made
by any of the Strategies are generally taxable to U.S. shareholders as ordinary
income (see "Exempt-Interest Dividends" below for special rules applying to
certain distributions made by the Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth Strategy and the
Tax-Managed Conservative Wealth Strategy). Distributions are taxable to U.S.
shareholders even if they are paid from income or gains earned by the Strategy
before the shareholder's investment (and thus were included in the price the
shareholder paid). Distributions are taxable whether the shareholder receives
them in cash or reinvests them in additional shares.
Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long
the Strategy owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a
U.S. shareholder has owned his or her shares in the Strategy. Distributions of
net capital gains from the sale of investments that the Strategy owned for more
than one year and that are properly designated by the Strategy as capital gain
dividends ("Capital Gain Dividends") will be taxable to U.S. shareholders as
long-term capital gains. Distributions from capital gains are generally made
after applying any available capital loss carryovers. Distributions of gains
from the sale of investments that the Strategy owned for one year or less will
be taxable to U.S. shareholders as ordinary income.
Some or all of the distributions from a Strategy may be treated as
"qualified dividend income," taxable to U.S. individuals, trusts and estates at
a maximum rate of 15% (5% for individuals, trusts and estates in lower tax
brackets) for taxation years beginning on or before December 31, 2012. A
distribution from a Strategy will be treated as qualified dividend income to the
extent that it is comprised of dividend income received by the Strategy from
taxable domestic corporations and certain qualified foreign corporations, and
provided that the Strategy meets certain holding period and other requirements
with respect to the security paying the dividend. In addition, the shareholder
must meet certain holding period requirements with respect to the shares of the
Strategy in order to take advantage of this preferential tax rate. To the extent
distributions from a Strategy are attributable to other sources, such as taxable
interest or short-term capital gains, dividends paid by the Strategy will not be
eligible for the lower rates. A Strategy will notify shareholders as to how much
of the Strategy's distributions, if any, would qualify for the reduced tax rate,
assuming that the shareholder also satisfies the holding period requirements.
Any dividend or distribution received by a U.S. shareholder on
shares of one of the Strategies (even if received shortly after the purchase of
such shares by such shareholder) will have the effect of reducing the NAV of
such shares by the amount of such dividend or distribution.
Exempt-Interest Dividends. Distributions that the Tax-Managed
Balanced Wealth Strategy or the Tax-Managed Conservative Wealth Strategy
properly designate as exempt-interest dividends are treated as interest
excludable from U.S. shareholders' gross income for federal income tax purposes,
but may be taxable for federal alternative minimum tax purposes and for state
and local purposes. Because they intend to qualify to pay exempt-interest
dividends, the Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth Strategy and the Tax-Managed
Conservative Wealth Strategy may be limited in their respective abilities to
enter into taxable transactions (for example, involving forward commitments,
repurchase agreements, financial futures and certain options contracts).
Part or all of the interest on indebtedness, if any, incurred or
continued by a U.S. shareholder to purchase or carry shares of the Tax-Managed
Balanced Wealth Strategy or the Tax-Managed Conservative Wealth Strategy is not
deductible. The portion of interest that is not deductible is equal to the total
interest paid or accrued on the indebtedness, multiplied by the percentage of
the Strategy's total distributions (not including distributions from net
long-term capital gains) paid to the shareholder that are exempt-interest
dividends. Under rules used by the Internal Revenue Service to determine when
borrowed funds are considered used for the purpose of purchasing or carrying
particular assets, the purchase of shares may be considered to have been made
with borrowed funds even though such funds are not directly traceable to the
purchase of shares.
The Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth Strategy and the Tax-Managed
Conservative Wealth Strategy will inform their respective investors within 60
days of the Strategy's fiscal year-end of the percentage of their respective
income distributions designated as tax-exempt. The percentage is applied
uniformly to all distributions made during the year. The percentage of income
designated as tax-exempt for any particular distribution may be substantially
different from the percentage of the Strategy's income that was tax-exempt
during the period covered by the distribution.
The exemption from federal income tax for exempt-interest dividends
does not necessarily result in exemption for such dividends under the income or
other tax laws of any state or local authority. You are advised to consult with
your tax adviser about state and local tax matters. In addition, exempt-interest
dividends, if any, attributable to interest received on certain private activity
obligations and certain industrial development bonds will not be tax-exempt to
any U.S. shareholders who are "substantial users" of the facilities financed by
such obligations or bonds or who are "related persons" of such substantial
users.
Dividends Received Deduction. Corporate U.S. shareholders may be
able to take a dividends-received deduction with respect to the portion of any
Strategy distribution representing certain dividends received by the Strategy
from domestic corporations during the taxable year. The ability to take a
dividends-received deduction is subject to particular requirements and
limitations in the Code.
Please consult your tax advisers to determine whether a
dividends-received deduction can be taken in respect of distributions made to
you by any of the Strategies.
Return of Capital Distributions. If a Strategy makes a distribution
in excess of its current and accumulated "earning and profits" in any taxable
year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital to the
extent of a U.S. shareholder's tax basis in its shares, and thereafter as
capital gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but it reduces a U.S.
shareholder's tax basis in its shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any
gain on a subsequent taxable disposition of those shares.
Dividends and distributions on a Strategy's shares are generally
subject to federal income tax as described herein to the extent they do not
exceed the Strategy's realized income and gains, even though such dividends and
distributions may economically represent a return of a particular U.S.
shareholder's investment. Such distributions are likely to occur in respect of
shares purchased at a time when the Strategy's NAV reflects gains that are
either unrealized, or realized but not distributed. Such realized gains may be
required to be distributed, even when a Strategy's NAV also reflects unrealized
losses.
Redemptions, Sales, and Exchanges of Shares. Redemptions, sales, and
exchanges of shares in any of the Strategies (including exchanges of shares in
one Strategy for those in another Strategy or regulated investment company) are
generally taxable transactions for U.S. federal income tax purposes, generally
giving rise to gain or loss recognition by U.S. shareholders at rates applicable
to long-term or short-term capital gains depending on whether the shares were
held for more than one year or for one year or less, respectively. However, if a
U.S. shareholder sells shares at a loss within six months of purchase, any loss
will be disallowed for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent of any
exempt-interest dividends received on such shares. In addition, any loss (not
already disallowed as provided in the preceding sentence) realized upon a
taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as
long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gain
distributions received by the shareholder with respect to the shares. All or a
portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Strategy shares will
be disallowed if other shares of the same Strategy are purchased within 30 days
before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly
purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
Cost Basis Reporting. As part of the Energy Improvement and
Extension Act of 2008, mutual funds are required to report to the Internal
Revenue Service the "cost basis" of shares acquired by a shareholder on or after
January 1, 2012 ("covered shares") and subsequently redeemed. These requirements
do not apply to investments through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k)
plan or an individual retirement plan. The "cost basis" of a share is generally
its purchase price adjusted for dividends, return of capital, and other
corporate actions. Cost basis is used to determine whether a sale of the shares
results in a gain or loss. The amount of gain or loss recognized by a
shareholder on the sale or redemption of shares is generally the difference
between the cost basis of such shares and their sale price. If you redeem
covered shares during any year, then the Strategy will report the cost basis of
such covered shares to the IRS and you on Form 1099-B along with the gross
proceeds received on the redemption, the gain or loss realized on such
redemption and the holding period of the redeemed shares.
Your cost basis in your covered shares is permitted to be calculated
using any one of three alternative methods: Average Cost, First In-First Out
(FIFO) and Specific Share Identification. You may elect which method you want to
use by notifying the Strategy. This election may be revoked or changed by you at
any time up to the date of your first redemption of covered shares. If you do
not affirmatively elect a cost basis method then the Strategy's default cost
basis calculation method, which is currently the Average Cost method - will be
applied to your account(s). The default method will also be applied to all new
accounts established unless otherwise requested.
If you hold Strategy shares through a broker (or another nominee),
please contact that broker (nominee) with respect to the reporting of cost basis
and available elections for your account.
You are encouraged to consult your tax advisor regarding the
application of the new cost basis reporting rules and, in particular, which cost
basis calculation method you should elect.
Options, Futures, Forward Contracts, and Swap Agreements. Each
Strategy may enter hedging transactions and other transactions in options,
futures contracts, forward contracts, swap agreements, straddles, foreign
currencies, and other instruments, all of which are subject to special tax rules
(including constructive sale, mark-to-market, straddle, wash sale, and short
sale rules), the effect of which may be to accelerate income to the Strategy,
defer losses to the Strategy, cause adjustments in the holding periods of the
Strategy's securities, convert long-term capital gains into short-term capital
gains or convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. These
rules could therefore affect the amount, timing, and character of distributions
to shareholders. Each Strategy will endeavor to make any available elections
pertaining to such transactions in a manner believed to be in the best interests
of the Strategy.
Certain of each Strategy's hedging activities (including its
transactions, if any, in foreign currencies or foreign currency-denominated
instruments) are likely to produce a difference between its book income and the
sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if any). If a Strategy's
book income exceeds the sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if
any), the distribution (if any) of such excess will be treated as (i) a dividend
to the extent of the Strategy's remaining earnings and profits (including
earnings and profits arising from tax-exempt income), (ii) thereafter as a
return of capital to the extent of the recipient's basis in the shares, and
(iii) thereafter as gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset. If its
book income is less than sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if
any), a Strategy could be required to make distributions exceeding book income
to qualify as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax
treatment.
Securities Issued or Purchased at a Discount. An investment made in
securities issued at a discount and certain other obligations will (and
investments in securities purchased at a discount may) require the Strategy
making the investment to accrue and distribute income not yet received. In order
to generate sufficient cash to make the requisite distributions, the Strategy
may be required to sell securities in its portfolio that it otherwise would have
continued to hold.
Capital Loss Carryover. Distributions from capital gains are
generally made after applying any available capital loss carryovers. The amounts
and expiration dates of any capital loss carryovers available to a Strategy are
shown in the notes to the financial statements incorporated by reference into
this SAI.
Foreign Currency-Denominated Securities and Related Hedging
Transactions. Each Strategy may enter transactions in foreign currencies,
foreign currency-denominated debt securities, and certain foreign currency
options, futures contracts, and forward contracts (and other similar
instruments), which may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such
income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency
concerned.
With respect to each of the Strategies, investments in foreign
securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, effectively decreasing
the yield on those securities, and may increase or accelerate the Strategy's
recognition of ordinary income and affect the timing or amount of the Strategy's
distributions. None of the Strategies expects that U.S. shareholders will be
able to claim a credit or deduction with respect to foreign taxes paid by the
Strategy.
Passive Foreign Investment Companies. Equity investments by a
Strategy in certain "passive foreign investment companies" ("PFICs") could
potentially subject the Strategy to a U.S. federal income tax (including
interest charges) on distributions received from the company or on proceeds
received from the disposition of shares in the company, which tax cannot be
eliminated by making distributions to Strategy shareholders. However, the
Strategy may elect to avoid the imposition of that tax. For example, the
Strategy may elect to treat a PFIC as a "qualified electing fund" (a "QEF
election"), in which case the Strategy will be required to include its share of
the company's income and net capital gains annually, regardless of whether it
receives any distribution from the company. The Strategy also may make an
election to mark the gains (and to a limited extent losses) in such holdings "to
the market" as though it had sold and repurchased its holdings in those PFICs on
the last day of the Strategy's taxable year. Such gains and losses are treated
as ordinary income and loss. The QEF and mark-to-market elections may accelerate
the recognition of income (without the receipt of cash) and increase the amount
required to be distributed by the Strategy to avoid taxation. Making either of
these elections therefore may require the Strategy to liquidate other
investments (including when it is not advantageous to do so) to meet its
distribution requirement, which also may accelerate the recognition of gain and
affect the Strategy's total return.
Shares Purchased Through Tax-Qualified Plans. A dividend or
distribution with respect to shares of a Strategy held by defined contribution
and other tax-qualified plans will generally not be taxable to the plans.
Distributions from such plans to their respective individual participants will
generally be taxable to those participants under applicable tax rules without
regard to the character of the income earned by the qualified plans. Because
special tax rules apply to investments though defined contribution plans and
other tax-qualified plans, U.S. shareholders should consult their tax advisers
to determine the suitability of shares of a Strategy as an investment through
such plans and the precise effect of an investment on their particular tax
situation.
Unrelated Business Taxable Income. Under current law, a tax-exempt
U.S. shareholder will generally not realize unrelated business taxable income
with respect to its shares in any of the Strategies, provided that those shares
do not constitute debt-financed property in the hands of such shareholder within
the meaning of the Code and, provided further, that no Strategy holds shares in
a real estate investment trust owning residual interests in a real estate
mortgage investment conduit. However, prospective and current tax-exempt
shareholders, including charitable remainder trusts (which lose tax-exempt
status for any taxable years in which they realize any amount of unrelated
business taxable income), should consult their respective tax advisers to
determine the suitability of acquiring shares of a Strategy.
Non-U.S. Shareholders. In general, dividends (other than Capital
Gain Dividends) paid by a Strategy to a shareholder that is not a "U.S. person"
within the meaning of the Code (such shareholder, a "foreign person") are
subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower
applicable treaty rate) even if they are funded by income or gains (such as
portfolio interest, short-term capital gains, or foreign-source dividend and
interest income) that, if paid to a foreign person directly, would not be
subject to withholding. However, distributions of a Strategy attributable to
short-term capital gains and U.S. source portfolio interest income paid during
taxable years of the Strategy beginning before January 1, 2010 will not be
subject to this withholding tax.
If a beneficial holder who is a foreign person has a trade or
business in the United States, and the dividends are effectively connected with
the conduct by the beneficial holder of a trade or business in the United
States, the dividend will be subject to U.S. federal net income taxation at
regular income tax rates.
Under U.S. federal tax law, a beneficial holder of shares who is a
foreign person is not, in general, subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains
(and is not allowed a deduction for losses) realized on the sale of shares of a
Strategy or on Capital Gain Dividends unless (i) such gain or Capital Gain
Dividend is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business
carried on by such holder within the United States, (ii) in the case of an
individual holder, the holder is present in the United States for a period or
periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or Capital Gain
Dividend and certain other conditions are met, or (iii) the shares constitute
"U.S. real property interests" ("USRPIs") or the Capital Gain Dividends are
attributable to gains from the sale or exchange of USRPIs by real estate
investment trust.
Backup Withholding. Each Strategy generally is required to withhold
and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage (currently 28%) of the taxable
dividends and other distributions paid to and proceeds of share sales,
exchanges, or redemptions made by any individual shareholder who fails to
furnish the Strategy with a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN), who
has under-reported dividends or interest income, or who fails to certify to the
Strategy that he or she is a United States person and is not subject to such
withholding.
Tax Shelter Regulations. Under Treasury regulations pertaining to
tax shelters, shareholders subject to U.S. federal income tax may be required in
certain cases to file with the Internal Revenue Service a disclosure statement
on Form 8886. Shareholders who are individuals recognizing $2 million or more of
losses with respect to their shares in a Strategy in any taxable year (or $4
million or more in a combination of taxable years) generally are subject to this
requirement, as are shareholders that are corporations recognizing $10 million
or more of losses with respect to their shares in a Strategy in any taxable year
(or $20 million or more in a combination of taxable years). Although
shareholders directly owning shares in a corporation are in many cases excepted
from this disclosure requirement, under current guidance these exceptions do not
apply to shares of regulated investment companies such as the Strategies.
Shareholders in a Strategy may also be subject to this disclosure requirement if
they are in any way obligated not to disclose the U.S. federal income tax
treatment or tax structure of their acquisition, holding, or disposition of
their shares. Please consult your tax adviser to determine the applicability of
these regulations in particular cases, including whether any subsequent guidance
might exempt you from this disclosure requirement.
STRATEGIES TRANSACTIONS
Under the general supervision of the Trustees, the Adviser makes
each Strategy's investment decisions and determines the broker to be used in
each specific transaction with the objective of negotiating a combination of the
most favorable commission and the best price obtainable on each transaction
(generally defined as "best execution"). When consistent with the objective of
obtaining best execution, brokerage may be directed to persons or firms
supplying investment information to the Adviser. Neither the Strategies nor the
Adviser has entered into agreements or understandings with any brokers regarding
the placement of securities transactions because of research services they
provide. To the extent that such persons or firms supply investment information
to the Adviser for use in rendering investment advice to the Strategies, such
information may be supplied at no cost to the Adviser and, therefore, may have
the effect of reducing the expenses of the Adviser in rendering advice to the
Strategies. While it is impossible to place an actual dollar value on such
investment information, the Adviser believes that its receipt probably does not
reduce the overall expenses of the Adviser to any material extent.
The investment information provided to the Adviser is of the type
described in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
and is designed to augment the Adviser's own internal research and investment
strategy capabilities. Research services furnished by brokers through which the
Strategies effect securities transactions are used by the Adviser in carrying
out its investment management responsibilities with respect to all its clients'
accounts. There may be occasions where the fee charged by a broker may be
greater than that which another broker may charge if it is determined in good
faith that the amount of such fee is reasonable in relation to the value of
brokerage, research and statistical services provided by the executing broker.
The extent to which commissions that will be charged by
broker-dealers selected by the Strategies may reflect an element of value for
research cannot presently be determined. To the extent that research services of
value are provided by broker-dealers with or through whom the Strategies place
portfolio transactions, the Adviser may be relieved of expenses which it might
otherwise bear. Research services furnished by broker-dealers as a result of the
placement of portfolio brokerage could be useful and of value to the Adviser in
servicing its other clients as well as the Strategies; on the other hand,
certain research services obtained by the Adviser as a result of the placement
of portfolio brokerage of other clients could be useful and of value to it in
servicing the Strategies. In connection with seeking best price and execution,
the Strategies do not consider sales of shares of the Strategies or other
investment companies managed by the Adviser as a factor in the selection of
broker-dealers to effect portfolio transactions.
The Strategies may deal in some instances in securities which are
not listed on a national securities exchange but are traded in the
over-the-counter market. They may also purchase listed securities through the
third market. Where transactions are executed in the over-the-counter market or
third market, the Strategies will seek to deal with the primary market makers;
but when necessary in order to obtain the best price and execution, they will
utilize the services of others.
Investment decisions for a Strategy are made independently from
those for other investment companies and other advisory accounts managed by the
Adviser. It may happen, on occasion, that the same security is held in the
portfolio of the Strategy and one or more of such other companies or accounts.
Simultaneous transactions are likely when several funds or accounts are managed
by the same Adviser, particularly when a security is suitable for the investment
objectives of more than one of such companies or accounts. When two or more
companies or accounts managed by the Adviser are simultaneously engaged in the
purchase or sale of the same security, the transactions are allocated to the
respective companies or accounts both as to amount and price, in accordance with
a method deemed equitable to each company or account. In some cases this system
may adversely affect the price paid or received by the Strategy or the size of
the position obtainable for the Strategy.
Allocations are made by the officers of the Strategy or of the
Adviser. Purchases and sales of portfolio securities are determined by the
Adviser and are placed with broker-dealers by the order department of the
Adviser.
The Strategies' portfolio transactions in equity securities may
occur on foreign stock exchanges. Transactions on stock exchanges involve the
payment of brokerage commissions. On many foreign stock exchanges these
commissions are fixed. Securities traded in foreign over-the-counter markets
(including most fixed-income securities) are purchased from and sold to dealers
acting as principal. Over-the-counter transactions generally do not involve the
payment of a stated commission, but the price usually includes an undisclosed
commission or markup. The prices of underwritten offerings, however, generally
include a stated underwriter's discount. The Adviser expects to effect the bulk
of its transactions in securities of companies based in foreign countries
through brokers, dealers or underwriters located in such countries. U.S.
Government or other U.S. securities constituting permissible investments will be
purchased and sold through U.S. brokers, dealers or underwriters.
The aggregate brokerage commissions paid by the Strategies during the
three most recent fiscal years (or since inception) and, during the most recent
fiscal year (or since inception), the aggregate amount of brokerage transactions
and related commissions allocated to persons or firms supplying research
services to the Strategies or the Adviser are set forth below:
% of Strategy's
Aggregate Aggregate
Brokerage Brokerage
Commissions Commissions
Allocated to Allocated to
Persons or Firms Persons or Firms
Amount Supplying Supplying
Fiscal Year of Aggregate Research Services Research Services
Ended Brokerage to the Strategy to the Strategy
August 31 Strategy Commissions or the Adviser or the Adviser
--------- -------- ------------ ----------------- -----------------
Tax-Managed Wealth
Appreciation
2012 $723,366 $368,561 51%
2011 753,120
2010 688,991
Tax-Managed Balanced
Wealth
2012 $105,967 $52,016 49%
2011 121,836
2010 150,392
Tax-Managed Conservative
Wealth
2012 $29,045 $13,787 47%
2011 34,651
2010 42,385
|
The Conservative Wealth Strategy, the Balanced Wealth Strategy and
the Wealth Appreciation Strategy did not pay any brokerage commissions for the
fiscal years ended August 31, 2012, 2011, and 2010 because these Strategies are
part of a fund-of-funds structure utilizing the Underlying Portfolios for
investment purposes.
The Strategies may from time to time place orders for the purchase
or sale of securities (including listed call options) with SCB & Co., an
affiliate of the Adviser (the "Affiliated Broker"). In such instances, the
placement of orders with such broker would be consistent with the Strategies'
objective of obtaining best execution and would not be dependent upon the fact
that the Affiliated Broker is an affiliate of the Adviser. With respect to
orders placed with SCB & Co. and SCB Ltd. for execution on a national securities
exchange, commissions received must conform to Section 17(e)(2)(A) of the 1940
Act and Rule 17e-1 thereunder, which permit an affiliated person of a registered
investment company (such as the Trust), or any affiliated person of such person,
to receive a brokerage commission from such registered investment company
provided that such commission is reasonable and fair compared to the commissions
received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving
similar securities during a comparable period of time.
The brokerage commissions paid by the Strategies to the Affiliated
Broker during the three most recent fiscal years and the percent of the
Strategies' aggregate brokerage commissions and the aggregate dollar amount of
brokerage transactions for the three most recent fiscal years are set forth
below:
% of Strategy's
Aggregate Dollar
Amount of
Brokerage
Transactions
Involving the
Payment of
Amount of % of Strategy's Commissions
Brokerage Aggregate Brokerage Effected Through
Fiscal Year Ended Strategy Commissions Commissions Affiliated Brokers
----------------- -------- ----------- ------------------- ------------------
Tax-Managed Wealth
Appreciation
2012 $1,288 0.18% 0.42%
2011 287 0.04% 0.10%
2010 796 0.12% 0.20%
Tax-Managed Balanced
Wealth
2012 $184 0.17% 0.39%
2011 130 0.11% 0.25%
2010 220 0.15% 0.33%
Tax-Managed Conservative
Wealth
2012 $61 0.21% 0.50%
2011 88 0.25% 0.39%
2010 36 0.08% 0.18%
|
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
The Strategies believe that the ideas of the Adviser's investment
staff should benefit the Strategies and their shareholders, and does not want to
afford speculators an opportunity to profit by anticipating Strategy trading
strategies or using Strategy information for stock picking. However, the
Strategies also believe that knowledge of the Strategies' portfolio holdings can
assist shareholders in monitoring their investment, making asset allocation
decisions and evaluating portfolio management techniques.
The Adviser has adopted, on behalf of the Strategies, policies and
procedures relating to disclosure of the Strategies' portfolio securities. The
policies and procedures relating to disclosure of the Strategies' portfolio
securities are designed to allow disclosure of portfolio holdings information
when necessary to the Strategies' operations or useful to the Strategies'
shareholders without compromising the integrity or performance of the
Strategies. Except when there are legitimate business purposes for selective
disclosure and other conditions (designed to protect the Strategies and their
shareholders) are met, the Strategies do not provide or permit others to provide
information about the Strategies' portfolio holdings on a selective basis.
The Strategies include portfolio holdings information as required in
regulatory filings and shareholder reports, disclose portfolio holdings
information as required by federal or state securities laws and may disclose
portfolio holdings information in response to requests by governmental
authorities. In addition, the Adviser posts portfolio holdings information on
the Adviser's website (www.AllianceBernstein.com). The Adviser posts on the
website a complete schedule of the Strategies' portfolio securities, as of the
last day of each calendar month, approximately 30 days after the end of that
month. This posted information generally remains accessible on the website for
three months. For each portfolio security, the posted information includes its
name, the number of shares held by the applicable Strategy, the market value of
the applicable Strategy's holdings and the percentage of the applicable
Strategy's assets represented by the applicable Strategy's holdings. In addition
to the schedule of portfolio holdings, the Adviser may post information about
the number of securities a Strategy holds, a summary of a Strategy's top ten
holdings (including name and the percentage of the Strategy's assets invested in
each holding) and a percentage breakdown of the Strategy's investments by
country, sector and industry, as applicable approximately 10-15 days after the
end of the month. The day after portfolio holdings information is publicly
available on the website, it may be mailed, emailed or otherwise transmitted to
any person.
The Adviser may distribute or authorize the distribution of
information about the Strategies' portfolio holdings that is not publicly
available, on the website or otherwise, to the Adviser's employees and
affiliates that provide services to the Strategies. In addition, the Adviser may
distribute or authorize distribution of information about the Strategies'
portfolio holdings that is not publicly available, on the website or otherwise,
to the Strategies' service providers who require access to the information in
order to fulfill their contractual duties relating to the Strategies, to
facilitate the review of the Strategies by rating agencies, for the purpose of
due diligence regarding a merger or acquisition, or for the purpose of effecting
in-kind redemption of securities to facilitate orderly redemption of portfolio
assets and minimal impact on remaining Strategy shareholders. The Adviser does
not expect to disclose information about the Strategies' portfolio holdings that
is not publicly available to the Strategies' individual or institutional
investors or to intermediaries that distribute the Strategies' shares.
Information may be disclosed with any frequency and any lag, as appropriate.
Before any non-public disclosure of information about the
Strategies' portfolio holdings is permitted, however, AllianceBernstein's Chief
Compliance Officer (or his designee) must determine that a Strategy has a
legitimate business purpose for providing the portfolio holdings information,
that the disclosure is in the best interests of the Strategy's shareholders, and
that the recipient agrees or has a duty to keep the information confidential and
agrees not to trade directly or indirectly based on the information or to use
the information to form a specific recommendation about whether to invest in the
Strategy or any other security. Under no circumstances may the Adviser or its
affiliates receive any consideration or compensation for disclosing the
information.
The Adviser has established procedures to ensure that each
Strategy's portfolio holdings information is only disclosed in accordance with
these policies. Only AllianceBernstein's Chief Compliance Officer (or his
designee) may approve the disclosure, and then only if he or she and a
designated senior officer in the Adviser's product management group determines
that the disclosure serves a legitimate business purpose of a Strategy and is in
the best interest of the Strategy's shareholders. AllianceBernstein's Chief
Compliance Officer (or his designee) approves disclosure only after considering
the anticipated benefits and costs to a Strategy and its shareholders, the
purpose of the disclosure, any conflicts of interest between the interests of
the Strategy and its shareholders and the interests of the Adviser or any of its
affiliates, and whether the disclosure is consistent with the policies and
procedures governing disclosure. Only someone approved by AllianceBernstein's
Chief Compliance Officer (or his designee) may make approved disclosures of
portfolio holdings information to authorized recipients. The Adviser reserves
the right to request certifications from senior officers of authorized
recipients that the recipient is using the portfolio holdings information only
in a manner consistent with the Adviser's policy and any applicable
confidentiality agreement. AllianceBernstein's Chief Compliance Officer or
another member of the compliance team reports all arrangements to disclose
portfolio holdings information to the applicable Strategy's Board on a quarterly
basis. If the Board determines that disclosure was inappropriate, the Adviser
will promptly terminate the disclosure arrangement.
In accordance with these procedures, each of the following third
parties have been approved to receive information concerning each Strategy's
portfolio holdings: (i) the Strategies' independent registered public accounting
firm, for use in providing audit opinions; (ii) RR Donnelley Financial, Data
Communique International and, from time to time, other financial printers, for
the purpose of preparing Strategy regulatory filings; (iii) the Strategies'
custodian in connection with its custody of the Strategies' assets; (iv) Risk
Metrics for proxy voting services; and (v) data aggregators, such as Vestek
Information may be provided to these parties at any time with no time lag. Each
of these parties is contractually and ethically prohibited from sharing the
Strategies' portfolio holdings information unless specifically authorized.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Description of the Trust
The Trust is organized as a Massachusetts business trust under the
laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts by an Agreement and Declaration of
Trust ("Declaration of Trust") dated March 26, 1987, as amended, a copy of which
is on file with the Secretary of State of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The
Trust is a "series" company as described in Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act,
having seven separate portfolios, including the Strategies each of which is
represented by a separate series of shares. The name of the Trust was changed
from "The Alliance Portfolios" to "The AllianceBernstein Portfolios" on March
31, 2003.
The Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited
number of full and fractional shares of each series and of each class of shares
thereof. The shares of each Strategy and each class thereof do not have any
preemptive rights. Upon termination of the Strategy or any class thereof,
whether pursuant to liquidation of the Trust or otherwise, shareholders of that
Strategy or that class are entitled to share pro rata in the net assets of that
Strategy or that class then available for distribution to such shareholders.
The Declaration of Trust provides for the perpetual existence of the
Trust. The Trust and any Strategy, however, may be terminated at any time by
vote of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of each Strategy affected.
The Declaration of Trust further provides that the Trustees may also terminate
the Trust and any series upon written notice to the shareholders.
It is anticipated that annual shareholder meetings will not be held;
shareholder meetings will be held only when required by federal or state law.
Shareholders have available certain procedures for the removal of Trustees.
The Trust has an unlimited number of authorized shares of beneficial
interest. The Trustees are authorized to reclassify any unissued shares to any
number of additional series and classes without shareholder approval.
Accordingly, the Trustees in the future, for reasons such as the desire to
establish one or more additional portfolios with different investment
objectives, policies or restrictions, may create additional classes or series of
shares. Any issuance of shares of another class or series would be governed by
the 1940 Act and the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. If shares of
another series were issued in connection with the creation of one or more
additional portfolios, each share of any portfolio would normally be entitled to
one vote for all purposes. Generally, shares of all portfolios would vote as a
single series on matters, such as the election of Trustees, that affected all
portfolios in substantially the same manner. As to matters affecting each
portfolio differently, such as the approval of the Investment Advisory Agreement
and changes in investment policy, shares of each portfolio would vote as a
separate series. Except as noted below under "Shareholder and Trustee
Liability," all shares of the Strategies when duly issued will be fully paid and
non-assessable.
Under Massachusetts law shareholders could, under certain
circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust.
However, the Agreement and Declaration of Trust disclaims shareholder liability
for acts or obligations of the Trust and requires that notice of such disclaimer
be given in each agreement, obligation, or instrument entered into or executed
by the Trust or the Trustees. The Agreement and Declaration of Trust provides
for indemnification out of a Strategy's property for all loss and expense of any
shareholder of that Strategy held liable on account of being or having been a
shareholder. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account
of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which the Strategy of
which he or she was a shareholder would be unable to meet its obligations.
ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY
As of December 7, 2012, the following persons owned of record or
beneficially 5% or more of the noted Class of shares of this Strategy:
Name and Address No. of Shares of Class % of Class
---------------- ---------------------- ----------
Class A
--------
Charles Schwab & Co.
For the Exclusive Benefit of Customers
Mutual Fund Operations
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 10,271,996 16.25%
Edward D. Jones & Co.
Attn: Mutual Fund Shareholder Acctg
201 Progress Parkway
Maryland Heights, MO 63043-3009 7,566,988 11.97%
MLPF&S For the Sole Benefit of Its Customers
Attn: Fund Admin.
4800 Deer Lake Drive, East 2nd Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 4,589,681 7.26%
LPL Financial
FBO Customer Accounts
Attn: Mutual Fund Operations
P.O. Box 509046
San Diego, CA 92150-9046 5,907,880 9.35%
Pershing LLC
P.O. Box 2052
Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052 5,037,369 7.97%
Class B
--------
Charles Schwab & Co.
For the Exclusive Benefit of Customers
Mutual Fund Operations
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 3,918,130 21.99%
First Clearing, LLC
Special Custody Acct for the
Exclusive Benefit of Customer
2801 Market Street
Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523 1,231,410 6.91%
MLPF&S For the Sole Benefit of Its Customers
Attn: Fund Admin.
4800 Deer Lake Drive, East 2nd Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 2,965,800 16.64%
LPL Financial FBO Customer Accounts
Attn: Mutual Fund Operations
P.O. Box 509046
San Diego, CA 92150-9046 1,357,227 7.62%
National Financial Services LLC
For the Exclusive Benefit of Our Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept.
200 Liberty St., 5th Floor
One World Financial Center
New York, NY 10281-5503 1,060,274 5.95%
Pershing LLC
P.O. Box 2052
Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052 3,166,789 17.77%
Class C
--------
Charles Schwab & Co.
For the Exclusive Benefit of Customers
Mutual Fund Operations
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 1,518,669 6.46%
First Clearing, LLC
Special Custody Acct for the
Exclusive Benefit of Customer
2801 Market Street
Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523 2,083,836 8.87%
LPL Financial
FBO Customer Accounts
Attn: Mutual Fund Operations
P.O. Box 509046
San Diego, CA 92150-9046 1,562,180 6.65%
MLPF&S For the Sole Benefit of Its Customers
Attn: Fund Admin.
4800 Deer Lake Drive, East 2nd Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 4,186,555 17.82%
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
Harborside Financial Center
Plaza II, 3rd Floor
Jersey City, NJ 07311 1,847,396 7.86%
Pershing LLC
P.O. Box 2052
Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052 2,542,928 10.82%
Raymond James
Omnibus For Mutual Funds
House Acct Firm
Attn: Courtney Waller
880 Carillon Parkway
St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102 1,456,065 6.20%
Advisor Class
-------------
First Clearing, LLC
Special Custody Acct for the
Exclusive Benefit of Customer
2801 Market Street
Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523 1,740,097 21.35%
Charles Schwab & Co.
Special Custody Account
FBO Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 695,136 8.53%
Class R
-------
Hartford Securities Distribution
Company INC/PRG
Attn: UIT Operations
P.O. Box 2999
Hartford, CT 06104-2999 573,838 34.75%
MG Trust Company Cust. FBO
Van Zyverden, Inc.
700 17th Street, Suite 300
Denver, CO 80202-3531 187,836 11.37%
Reliance Trust Company
FBO Healthcare Management
P.O. Box 48529
Atlanta, GA 30362-1529 155,427 9.41%
State Street Bank & Trust
FBO ADP/MSDW Alliance
Attn: Ralph Campbell
105 Rosemont Road
Westwood, MA 02090-2318 224,348 13.58%
Class K
--------
Great-West Trust Company LLC TTEE C
Svgs Plan For EES of the Partnership FO
8515 E. Orchard Rd., 2T2
Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 116,771 5.59%
Great-West Trust Company LLC TTEE F
Social Studies School Service 401K
8515 E. Orchard Rd., 2T2
Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 580,215 27.78%
Great-West Trust Company LLC TTEE C
Cristalino Inc 401K
8515 E. Orchard Rd., 2T2
Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 121,605 5.82%
Great-West Trust Company LLC TTEE C
Sample & Bailey DCP
8515 E. Orchard Rd., 2T2
Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 175,173 8.39%
Class I
--------
Great-West Trust Company LLC TTEE C
George Little Management LLC 401K P
8515 E. Orchard Rd., 2T2
Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 71,168 6.53%
Great-West Trust Company LLC TTEE C
Webcor Builders 401K PSP
8515 E. Orchard Rd., 2T2
Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 1,000,601 91.79%
|
ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN WEALTH APPRECIATION STRATEGY
As of December 7, 2012, the following persons owned of record or
beneficially 5% or more of the noted Class of shares of this Strategy:
Name and Address No. of Shares of Class % of Class
---------------- ---------------------- ----------
Class A
--------
Charles Schwab & Co.
For the Exclusive Benefit of Customers
Mutual Fund Operations
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 3,836,874 11.80%
LPL Financial
FBO Customer Accounts
Attn: Mutual Fund Operations
P.O. Box 509046
San Diego, CA 92150-9046 3,030,438 9.32%
MLPF&S For the Sole Benefit of Its Customers
Attn: Fund Admin.
4800 Deer Lake Drive, East 2nd Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 2,282,137 7.02%
Edward D Jones & Co.
Attn: Mutual Fund Shareholder Acctg
201 Progress Parkway
Maryland Heights, MO 63043-3009 1,850,120 5.69%
Pershing LLC
P.O. Box 2052
Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052 2,618,743 8.05%
First Clearing, LLC
Special Custody Acct for the
Exclusive Benefit of Customers
2801 Market Street
Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523 1,628,831 5.01%
Class B
--------
LPL Financial
FBO Customer Accounts
Attn: Mutual Fund Operations
P.O. Box 509046
San Diego, CA 92150-9046 688,917 8.69%
MLPF&S For the Sole Benefit of Its Customers
Attn: Fund Admin.
4800 Deer Lake Drive, East 2nd Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 1,319,935 16.66%
First Clearing, LLC
Special Custody Acct for the
Exclusive Benefit of Customers
2801 Market Street
Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523 598,160 7.55%
Pershing LLC
P.O. Box 2052
Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052 1,097,535 13.85%
Charles Schwab & Co.
For the Exclusive Benefit of Customers
Mutual Fund Operations
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 1,277,247 16.12%
Class C
--------
LPL Financial
FBO Customer Accounts
Attn: Mutual Fund Operations
P.O. Box 509046
San Diego, CA 92150-9046 886,699 7.79%
MLPF&S for the Sole Benefit of its Customers
Attn: Fund Admin.
4800 Deer Lake Drive, East 2nd Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 1,629,736 14.31%
First Clearing, LLC
Special Custody Acct for the
Exclusive Benefit of Customer
2801 Market Street
Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523 1,459,940 12.82%
Pershing LLC
P.O. Box 2052
Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052 1,285,311 11.29%
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
Harborside Financial Center
Plaza II, 3rd Floor
Jersey City, NJ 07311 929,921 8.17%
Raymond James
Omnibus For Mutual Funds
House Acct Firm
Attn: Courtney Waller
880 Carillon Parkway
St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102 667,121 5.86%
Class R
--------
Hartford Securities Distribution
Company INC/PRG
Attn: UIT Operations
P.O. Box 2999
Hartford, CT 06104-2999 142,020 22.93%
MG Trust Company
Customer FBO
Van Zyverden, Inc.
700 17th Street, Suite 300
Denver, CO 80202-3531 32,657 5.27%
Counsel Trust DBA
Mid Atlantic Trust Co FBO
Queens Pediatric Care LLP
401K PSP & Trust
1251 Waterfront Place, Suite 525
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4228 35,998 5.81%
State Street Bank & Trust
FBO ADP/MSDW Alliance
Attn: Ralph Campbell
105 Rosemont Road
Westwood, MA 02090-2318 60,412 9.76%
Class K
--------
Great-West Trust Company LLC TTEE C
The Marco Retirement Plan 401K
c/o Fascore LLC
8515 E. Orchard Rd., 2T2
Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 88,179 6.44%
Great-West Trust Company LLC TTEE F
Mahoney Ulbrich Christianseny Russ PSP 40
c/o Fascore LLC
8515 E. Orchard Rd., 2T2
Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 267,592 19.55%
Great-West Trust Company LLC TTEE C
Sample & Bailey DCP
8515 E. Orchard Rd., 2T2
Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 120,132 8.78%
Great-West Trust Company LLC TTEE C
Richie & Gueringer PC 401K PSP
8515 E. Orchard Rd., 2T2
Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 68,789 5.03%
Great-West Trust Company LLC TTEE F
Social Studies School Service 401K
8515 E. Orchard Rd., 2T2
Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 112,457 8.22%
Great-West Trust Company LLC TTEE C
Harper & Pearson Company Savings PS
8515 E. Orchard Rd., 2T2
Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 70,432 5.15%
Class I
--------
Great-West Trust Company LLC TTEE C
George Little Management LLC 401K P
8515 E. Orchard Rd., 2T2
Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 160,117 50.21%
Great-West Trust Company LLC TTEE C
Webcor Builders 401K PSP
8515 E. Orchard Rd., 2T2
Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 147,155 46.15%
|
ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN CONSERVATIVE WEALTH STRATEGY
As of December 7, 2012, the following persons owned of record or
beneficially 5% or more of the noted Class of shares of this Strategy:
Name and Address No. of Shares of Class % of Class
---------------- ---------------------- ----------
Class A
--------
LPL Financial
FBO Customer Accounts
Attn: Mutual Fund Operations
P.O. Box 509046
San Diego, CA 92150-9046 1,620,221 7.59%
MLPF&S For the Sole Benefit of Its Customers
Attn: Fund Admin.
4800 Deer Lake Drive, East 2nd Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 1,594,736 7.47%
National Financial Services LLC
For The Exclusive Benefit Of Our
Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept
200 Liberty St., 5th Floor
One World Financial Center
New York, NY 10281-5503 1,123,600 5.26%
Pershing LLC
P.O. Box 2052
Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052 1,546,401 7.24%
Edward D. Jones & Co.
Attn: Mutual Fund Shareholder Acctg
201 Progress Parkway
Maryland Heights, MO 63043-3009 2,165,693 10.14%
Charles Schwab & Co.
For The Exclusive Benefit Of Customers
Mutual Fund Operations
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 5,198,735 24.35%
Class B
--------
LPL Financial
FBO Customer Accounts
Attn: Mutual Fund Operations
P.O. Box 509046
San Diego, CA 92150-9046 401,294 6.54%
MLPF&S For the Sole Benefit of Its
Customers
Attn: Fund Admin.
4800 Deer Lake Drive, East 2nd Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 722,862 11.78%
National Financial Services LLC
For the Exclusive Benefit of Our
Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept
200 Liberty St., 5th Floor
One World Financial Center
New York, NY 10281-5503 340,604 5.55%
Pershing LLC
P.O. Box 2052
Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052 987,409 16.08%
Charles Schwab & Co.
For The Exclusive Benefit
of Customers
Mutual Fund Operations
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 2,154,742 35.10%
Class C
--------
LPL Financial
FBO Customer Accounts
Attn: Mutual Fund Operations
P.O. Box 509046
San Diego, CA 92150-9046 825,994 8.13%
MLPF&S For the Sole Benefit of Its
Customers
Attn: Fund Admin.
4800 Deer Lake Drive, East 2nd Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 1,387,454 13.66%
First Clearing, LLC
Special Custody Acct For the
Exclusive Benefit of Customer
2801 Market St.
Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523 746,297 7.35%
Pershing LLC
P.O. Box 2052
Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052 1,206,107 11.87%
Charles Schwab & Co.
For the Exclusive Benefit of Customers
Mutual Fund Operations
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 1,879,874 18.51%
Raymond James
Omnibus for Mutual Funds
House Acct Firm
Attn: Courtney Waller
880 Carillon Parkway
St Petersburg, FL 33716-1102 538,383 5.30%
Advisor Class
--------------
Charles Schwab & Co.
For the Exclusive Benefit of Customers
Mutual Fund Operations
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 169,028 15.50%
First Clearing, LLC
Special Custody Acct for the
Exclusive Benefit of the Customer
2801 Market Street
Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523 115,398 10.58%
MLPF&S For the Sole Benefit of Its Customers
Attn: Fund Admin.
4800 Deer Lake Drive, East 2nd Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 86,925 7.97%
Pershing LLC
P.O. Box 2052
Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052 116,518 10.68%
Raymond James
Omnibus For Mutual Funds
House Acct Firm
Attn: Courtney Waller
880 Carillon Parkway
St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102 69,379 6.36%
Class R
--------
State Street Bank & Trust
FBO ADP/MSDW Alliance
Attn: Ralph Campbell
105 Rosemont Road
Westwood, MA 02090-2318 101,063 16.11%
MG Trust Company Cust. FBO
Van Zyverden, Inc.
700 17th St., Ste 300
Denver, CO 80202-3531 35,992 5.74%
Hartford Securities Distribution
Company Inc/PRG
Attn: UIT Operations
P.O. Box 2999
Hartford, CT 06104-2999 200,475 31.95%
Class K
--------
Sanford Bernstein & Co. LLC
1 N Lexington Avenue, Fl 17
White Plains, NY 10601 96,862 12.51%
Great-West Trust Company LLC TTEE C
Perry Hay & Chu PSP
8515 E. Orchard Rd., 2T2
Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 169,061 21.83%
Great-West Trust Company LLC TTEE F
The Spektors DDS PS 401K PSP
8515 E. Orchard Rd., 2T2
Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 112,157 14.49%
Great-West Trust Company LLC TTEE F
Aaronson Dickerson Cohn & Lanzone APC 401K
c/o Fascore LLC
8515 E. Orchard Rd., 2T2
Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 44,442 5.74%
Great-West Trust Company LLC TTEE C
Resource Engineering Inc. PSP
8515 E. Orchard Rd., 2T2
Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 80,457 10.39%
Class I
--------
NFS LLC FEBO
T Cooper/D Gilbert TTEES
Plumbers & Steamfitters Loc 52
Defined Contribution Pens Plan
P.O. Box 211105
Montgomery, AL 36121-1105 18,155 19.11%
Great-West Trust Company LLC TTEE C
George Little Management LLC 401K P
8515 E. Orchard Rd., 2T2
Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 20,579 21.66%
Great-West Trust Company LLC TTEE C
Webcor Builders 401K PSP
8515 E. Orchard Rd., 2T2
Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 54,215 57.05%
|
ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN TAX-MANAGED BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY
As of December 7, 2012, the following persons owned of record or
beneficially 5% or more of the noted Class of shares of this Strategy:
Name and Address No. of Shares of Class % of Class
---------------- ---------------------- ----------
Class A
--------
Edward D Jones & Co.
Attn: Mutual Fund Shareholder Acctg
201 Progress Parkway
Maryland Heights, MO 63043-3009 1,224,598 16.00%
LPL Financial
FBO Customer Accounts
Attn: Mutual Fund Operations
P.O. Box 509046
San Diego, CA 92150-9046 1,089,817 14.24%
MLPF&S for the Sole Benefit of its Customers
Attn: Fund Admin.
4800 Deer Lake Drive, East 2nd Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 755,427 9.87%
Pershing LLC
P.O. Box 2052
Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052 727,581 9.51%
Charles Schwab & Co.
For the Exclusive Benefit of Customers
Mutual Fund Operations
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 640,884 8.37%
Class B
--------
LPL Financial
FBO Customer Accounts
Attn: Mutual Fund Operations
P.O. Box 509046
San Diego, CA 92150-9046 56,561 6.96%
MLPF&S for the Sole Benefit of its Customers
Attn: Fund Admin.
4800 Deer Lake Drive, East 2nd Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 161,114 19.83%
First Clearing, LLC
Special Custody Acct for the Exclusive
Benefit of Customer
2801 Market Street
Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523 61,582 7.58%
Pershing LLC
P.O. Box 2052
Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052 151,169 18.61%
Charles Schwab & Co.
For the Exclusive Benefit of Customers
Mutual Fund Operations
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 115,040 14.16%
Class C
--------
Charles Schwab & Co.
For the Exclusive Benefit of Customers
Mutual Fund Operations
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 208,290 7.68%
LPL Financial
FBO Customers Account
Attn: Mutual Fund Operations
P.O. Box 509046
San Diego, CA 92150-9046 170,354 6.28%
First Clearing, LLC
Special Custody Acct. for the
Exclusive Benefit of Customer
2801 Market Street
Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523 199,434 7.35%
MLPF&S For the Sole Benefit of Its Customers
Attn: Fund Admin.
4800 Deer Lake Drive, East 2nd Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 537,067 19.80%
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
Harborside Financial Center
Plaza II, 3rd Floor
Jersey City, NJ 07311 195,692 7.22%
National Financial Services LLC
For the Exclusive Benefit of Our Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept.
200 Liberty St., 5th Floor
One World Financial Center
New York, NY 10281-5503 204,808 7.55%
Pershing LLC
P.O. Box 2052
Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052 373,218 13.76%
Advisor Class
-------------
First Clearing, LLC
Special Custody Acct for the Exclusive
Benefit of Customer
2801 Market Street
Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523 109,604 5.79%
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
Harborside Financial Center
Plaza II, 3rd Floor
Jersey City, NJ 07311 101,030 5.33%
Sanford Bernstein & Co LLC
1 N. Lexington Ave., Fl 17
White Plains, NY 10601-1785 213,500 11.27%
|
ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN TAX-MANAGED WEALTH APPRECIATION STRATEGY
As of December 7, 2012, the following persons owned of record or
beneficially 5% or more of the noted Class of shares of this Strategy:
Name and Address No. of Shares of Class % of Class
---------------- ---------------------- ----------
Class A
--------
LPL Financial
FBO Customer Accounts
Attn: Mutual Fund Operations
P.O. Box 509046
San Diego, CA 92150-9046 517,879 19.06%
MLPF&S for the Sole Benefit of its Customers
Attn: Fund Admin.
4800 Deer Lake Drive, East 2nd Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 230,765 8.49%
First Clearing, LLC
Special Custody Acct for the Exclusive
Benefit of Customer
2801 Market Street
Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523 247,750 9.12%
National Financial Services LLC
For the Exclusive Benefit of our Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept
200 Liberty St., 5th Floor
One World Financial Center
New York, NY 10281-5503 146,485 5.39%
Pershing LLC
P.O. Box 2052
Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052 280,224 10.31%
Edward D Jones & Co.
Attn: Mutual Fund Shareholder Acctg
201 Progress Parkway
Maryland Heights, MO 63043-3009 236,659 8.71%
Charles Schwab & Co.
For the Exclusive Benefit of Customers
Mutual Fund Operations
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 230,403 8.48%
Class B
--------
LPL Financial
FBO Customer Accounts
Attn: Mutual Fund Operations
P.O. Box 509046
San Diego, CA 92150-9046 23,902 8.47%
MLPF&S for the Sole Benefit of its Customers
Attn: Fund Admin.
4800 Deer Lake Drive, East 2nd Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 36,941 13.09%
First Clearing, LLC
Special Custody Acct for the Exclusive Benefit
of Customer
2801 Market Street
Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523 29,716 10.53%
National Financial Services LLC
For the Exclusive Benefit of our Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept
200 Liberty St., 5th Floor
One World Financial Center
New York, NY 10281-5503 16,431 5.82%
Pershing LLC
P.O. Box 2052
Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052 42,589 15.09%
Charles Schwab & Co.
For the Exclusive Benefit of Customers
Mutual Fund Operations
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 26,550 9.41%
Class C
--------
LPL Financial
FBO Customer Accounts
Attn: Mutual Fund Operations
P.O. Box 509046
San Diego, CA 92150-9046 81,962 5.65%
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
Harborside Financial Center
Plaza II, 3rd Floor
Jersey City, NJ 07311 105,961 7.30%
First Clearing, LLC
Special Custody Acct for the
Exclusive Benefit of Customer
2801 Market Street
Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523 145,080 10.00%
MLPF&S For the Sole Benefit of Its Customers
Attn: Fund Admin.
4800 Deer Lake Drive, East 2nd Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 288,512 19.89%
National Financial Services LLC
For the Exclusive Benefit of Our Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept.
200 Liberty St., 5th Floor
One World Financial Center
New York, NY 10281-5503 103,913 7.16%
Pershing LLC
P.O. Box 2052
Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052 203,730 14.04%
|
ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN TAX-MANAGED CONSERVATIVE WEALTH STRATEGY
As of December 7, 2012, the following persons owned of record or
beneficially 5% or more of the noted Class of shares of this Strategy:
Name and Address No. of Shares of Class % of Class
---------------- ---------------------- ----------
Class A
-------
Charles Schwab & Co.
For the Exclusive Benefit of Customers
Mutual Fund Operations
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 496,680 12.75%
Edward D. Jones & Co.
Attn: Mutual Fund Shareholder Acctg
201 Progress Pkwy
Maryland Heights, MO 63043-3009 634,542 16.29%
LPL Financial
FBO Customer Accounts
Attn: Mutual Fund Operations
P.O. Box 509046
San Diego, CA 92150-9046 587,473 15.08%
MLPF&S For the Sole Benefit of Its Customers
Attn: Fund Admin.
4800 Deer Lake Drive, East 2nd Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 325,868 8.37%
National Financial Services LLC
For the Exclusive Benefit of Our Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept.
200 Liberty St., 5th Floor
One World Financial Center
New York, NY 10281-5503 268,417 6.89%
Pershing LLC
P.O. Box 2052
Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052 266,971 6.85%
Class B
--------
LPL Financial
FBO Customer Accounts
Attn: Mutual Fund Operations
P.O. Box 509046
San Diego, CA 92150-9046 18,880 5.68%
Charles Schwab & Co.
For the Exclusive Benefit of Customers
Mutual Fund Operations
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 65,975 19.83%
First Clearing, LLC
Special Custody Acct for the
Exclusive Benefit of Customer
2801 Market Street
Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523 35,378 10.64%
MLPF&S For the Sole Benefit of Its Customers
Attn: Fund Admin.
4800 Deer Lake Drive, East 2nd Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 62,190 18.70%
National Financial Services LLC
For the Exclusive Benefit of Our Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept.
200 Liberty St., 5th Floor
One World Financial Center
New York, NY 10281-5503 18,574 5.58%
Pershing LLC
P.O. Box 2052
Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052 58,929 17.72%
Class C
--------
Pershing LLC
P.O, Box 2052
Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052 164,983 10.80%
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
Harborside Financial Center
Plaza II, 3rd Floor
Jersey City, NJ 07311 87,832 5.75%
Charles Schwab & Co.
For the Exclusive Benefit of Customers
Mutual Fund Operations
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 174,903 11.45%
MLPF&S for the Sole Benefit of its Customers
Attn: Fund Admin.
4800 Deer Lake Drive, East 2nd Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 257,813 16.88%
First Clearing, LLC
Special Custody Acct for the Exclusive
Benefit of Customer
2801 Market Street
Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523 93,713 6.14%
National Financial Services LLC
For the Exclusive Benefit of our Customers
Attn: Mutual Funds Dept
200 Liberty St., 5th Floor
One World Financial Center
New York, NY 10281-5503 260,554 17.06%
Advisor Class
--------------
Ameritrade Inc.
P.O. Box 2226
Omaha, NE 68103-2226 26,400 5.78%
NFS LLC FEBO
John Webb Lavonne S. Webb Trustee
IRA E. Webb Family Trust UA 02/08/01
6404 21st Ave. W, Apt. M201
Bradenton, FL 34209-7812 92,561 20.27%
NFS LLC FEBO
Lavonne S. Webb IRA Webb Trustee
Lavonne E. Webb Revoctrust TR Date 02/08/01
6404 21st Ave. W, Apt. M201
Bradenton, FL 34209-7812 71,455 15.64%
Raymond James
Omnibus for Mutual Funds
House Acct Firm
Attn: Courtney Waller
880 Carillon Parkway
St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102 57,372 12.56%
|
Custodial Arrangements
State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA
02111 ("State Street") acts as the Trust's custodian, but plays no part in
deciding the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. Subject to the
supervision of the Strategies' Trustees, State Street may enter into
subcustodial agreements for the holding of the Strategies' securities outside of
the United States.
Principal Underwriter
ABI, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, located at
1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10105, is the principal
underwriter of shares of the Trust. Under the Distribution Services Agreement
between the Trust and ABI, the Trust has agreed to indemnify ABI, in the absence
of its willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of
its obligations thereunder, against certain civil liabilities, including
liabilities under the Securities Act.
Counsel
Legal matters in connection with the issuance of the shares of the
Strategies offered hereby are passed upon by Seward & Kissel LLP, New York, New
York.
Code of Ethics and Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
The Strategies, the Adviser and ABI have each adopted Codes of
Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the Act. These codes of ethics permit personnel
subject to the codes to invest in securities, including securities that may be
purchased or held by the Strategies.
The Strategies have adopted the Adviser's proxy voting policies and
procedures. The Adviser's proxy voting policies and procedures are attached as
Appendix A.
Information regarding how each Strategy voted proxies related to
portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, 2012
for the Strategies is available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling
(800) 227-4618; or on or through the Strategy's website at
www.AllianceBernstein.com; or both; and (2) on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
Additional Information
Any shareholder inquiries may be directed to the shareholder's
financial intermediary or to ABIS at the address or telephone numbers shown on
the front cover of this SAI. This SAI does not contain all the information set
forth in the Registration Statement filed by the Trust with the SEC under the
Securities Act. Copies of the Registration Statement may be obtained at a
reasonable charge from the SEC or may be examined, without charge, at the
offices of the SEC in Washington, D.C., or on the Internet at
www.AllianceBernstein.com.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND REPORT
OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
The Financial statements of the Strategies for the fiscal year ended
August 31, 2012 and the report of Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered
public accounting firm, are incorporated herein by reference to the Strategies'
annual reports. The annual reports were filed on Form N-CSR with the SEC on
November 7, 2012. These reports are available without charge upon request by
calling ABIS at (800) 227-4618 or on the Internet at www.AllianceBernstein.com.