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EQ/Aggressive Allocation Portfolio
EQ/Aggressive Allocation Portfolio* – Class A, B and K Shares<br/><br/>* Effective May 1, 2019, the designation "EQ/" replaced the former designation "AXA" in the Portfolio's name.
<b>Investment Objective:</b>
Seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation.
<b>FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE PORTFOLIO </b>
The following table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Portfolio. The table below does not reflect any fees and expenses associated with variable life insurance contracts and variable annuity certificates and contracts (“Contracts”), which would increase overall fees and expenses. See the Contract prospectus for a description of those fees and expenses.
<b>Shareholder Fees</b><br/> (fees paid directly from your investment)
Shareholder Fees - EQ/Aggressive Allocation Portfolio - USD ($)
Class A Shares
Class B Shares
Class K Shares
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
<b>Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses </b><br/> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of<br/> your investment)
Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses - EQ/Aggressive Allocation Portfolio
Class A Shares
Class B Shares
Class K Shares
Management fee 0.10% 0.10% 0.10%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.25% 0.25% none
Other expenses 0.16% 0.16% 0.16%
Acquired fund fees and expenses (underlying portfolios) 0.66% 0.66% 0.66%
Total annual portfolio operating expenses 1.17% 1.17% 0.92%
<b>Example </b>
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other portfolios. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated, that your investment has a 5% return each year, and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses (and expenses of the Underlying Portfolios) remain the same. This example does not reflect any Contract-related fees and expenses, including redemption fees (if any) at the Contract level. If such fees and expenses were reflected, the total expenses would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you redeem or hold your shares, your costs would be:
Expense Example - EQ/Aggressive Allocation Portfolio - USD ($)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class A Shares 119 372 644 1,420
Class B Shares 119 372 644 1,420
Class K Shares 94 293 509 1,131
Expense Example, No Redemption - EQ/Aggressive Allocation Portfolio - USD ($)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class A Shares 119 372 644 1,420
Class B Shares 119 372 644 1,420
Class K Shares 94 293 509 1,131
<b>PORTFOLIO TURNOVER </b>
The Portfolio will not incur transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells shares of the Underlying Portfolios (or “turns over” its portfolio), but it could incur transaction costs if it were to buy and sell other types of securities directly. If the Portfolio were to buy and sell other types of securities directly, a higher portfolio turnover rate could indicate higher transaction costs. Such costs, if incurred, would not be reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, and would affect the Portfolio’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio’s portfolio turnover rate was 11% of the average value of the Portfolio.
<b>INVESTMENTS, RISKS, AND PERFORMANCE </b><br/><br/> <b>Principal Investment Strategies of the Portfolio </b>
The Portfolio pursues its investment objective by investing in other mutual funds (“Underlying Portfolios”) managed by AXA Equitable Funds Management Group, LLC (“FMG LLC” or “Adviser”) and sub-advised by one or more investment sub-advisers (“Sub-Adviser”). This Portfolio invests approximately 90% of its assets in the equity asset class and approximately 10% of its assets in the fixed income asset class through investments in Underlying Portfolios. Subject to this asset allocation target, the Portfolio generally invests its assets in a combination of Underlying Portfolios that would result in the Portfolio being invested in the following asset categories in the approximate target investment percentages shown in the chart below.

Foreign Equity Securities
     25%  
Large Cap Equity Securities
     40%  
Small/Mid Cap Equity Securities
     25%  
Investment Grade Bonds
     9%  
High Yield (“Junk”) Bonds
     1%  

The target allocation to investment grade and high yield bond asset categories may include securities of both U.S. and foreign issuers. Actual allocations between asset classes and among asset categories can deviate from the amounts shown above by up to 15% of the Portfolio’s assets. This Portfolio is managed so that it can serve as a core part of your larger portfolio. The Underlying Portfolios in which the Portfolio may invest have been selected to represent a reasonable spectrum of investment options for the Portfolio.

In addition, the Portfolio may invest in Underlying Portfolios that tactically manage equity exposure. When market volatility is increasing above specific thresholds, such Underlying Portfolios may reduce their equity exposure. During such times, the Portfolio’s exposure to equity securities may be significantly less than if it invested in a traditional equity portfolio and the Portfolio may deviate significantly from its asset allocation targets. Although the Portfolio’s investment in Underlying Portfolios that tactically manage equity exposure is intended to reduce the Portfolio’s overall risk, it may result in periods of underperformance, even during periods when the market is rising. Volatility management techniques may reduce potential losses and/or mitigate financial risks to insurance companies that provide certain benefits and guarantees available under the Contracts and offer the Portfolio as an investment option in their products. The Portfolio may invest in Underlying Portfolios that employ derivatives (including futures contracts) for a variety of purposes, including to reduce risk, to seek enhanced returns from certain asset classes, and to leverage exposure to certain asset classes.

The Adviser has based the asset allocation target and target investment percentages for the Portfolio on the degree to which it believes the Underlying Portfolios, in combination, are appropriate for the Portfolio’s investment objective. The Adviser may change the asset allocation targets, target investment percentages and the particular Underlying Portfolios in which the Portfolio invests without notice or shareholder approval. The Adviser may sell the Portfolio’s holdings for a variety of reasons, including to invest in an Underlying Portfolio believed to offer superior investment opportunities.
<b>The Principal Risks of Investing in the Portfolio</b>
An investment in the Portfolio is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The value of your investment may fall, sometimes sharply, and you could lose money by investing in the Portfolio. There can be no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective.

The Portfolio is also subject to the risks associated with the Underlying Portfolios’ investments; please see the Prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information for the Underlying Portfolios for additional information about these risks. In this section, the term “Portfolio” may include the Portfolio, an Underlying Portfolio, or both.

The following risks, which are described in alphabetical order and not in order of importance or potential exposure, can negatively affect the Portfolio’s performance.
  • Affiliated Portfolio Risk — In managing a Portfolio that invests in Underlying Portfolios, the Adviser will have the authority to select and substitute the Underlying Portfolios. The Adviser is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating the Portfolio’s assets among the various Underlying Portfolios because the fees payable to it by some of the Underlying Portfolios are higher than the fees payable by other Underlying Portfolios and because the Adviser is also responsible for managing, administering, and with respect to certain Underlying Portfolios, its affiliates are responsible for sub-advising, the Underlying Portfolios.
  • Credit Risk — The Portfolio is subject to the risk that the issuer or the guarantor (or other obligor, such as a party providing insurance or other credit enhancement) of a fixed income security, or the counterparty to a derivatives contract, repurchase agreement, loan of portfolio securities or other transaction, is unable or unwilling, or is perceived (whether by market participants, ratings agencies, pricing services or otherwise) as unable or unwilling, to make timely principal and/or interest payments, or otherwise honor its obligations, which may cause the Portfolio’s holdings to lose value. Securities are subject to varying degrees of credit risk, which are often reflected in their credit ratings. However, rating agencies may fail to make timely changes to credit ratings in response to subsequent events and a credit rating may become stale in that it fails to reflect changes in an issuer’s financial condition. The downgrade of the credit rating of a security may decrease its value. Lower credit quality also may lead to greater volatility in the price of a security and may negatively affect a security’s liquidity.
  • Derivatives Risk — The Portfolio’s investments in derivatives may rise or fall in value more rapidly than other investments. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly, or at all, with the underlying asset, reference rate or index, and the Portfolio could lose more than the principal amount invested. Some derivatives can have the potential for unlimited losses. In addition, it may be difficult or impossible for the Portfolio to purchase or sell certain derivatives in sufficient amounts to achieve the desired level of exposure, which may result in a loss or may be costly to the Portfolio. Derivatives also may be subject to certain other risks such as leveraging risk, liquidity risk, interest rate risk, market risk, credit risk, the risk that a counterparty may be unable or unwilling to honor its obligations, management risk and the risk of mispricing or improper valuation. Derivatives also may not behave as anticipated by the Portfolio, especially in abnormal market conditions. Changing regulation may make derivatives more costly, limit their availability, impact the Portfolio’s ability to maintain its investments in derivatives, disrupt markets, or otherwise adversely affect their value or performance.
  • Equity Risk — In general, the values of stocks and other equity securities fluctuate, and sometimes widely fluctuate, in response to changes in a company’s financial condition as well as general market, economic and political conditions and other factors.
  • Foreign Securities Risk — Investments in foreign securities, including depositary receipts, involve risks not associated with investments in U.S. securities. Foreign markets may be less liquid, more volatile and subject to less government supervision and regulation than U.S. markets. Security values also may be negatively affected by changes in the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies. Differences between U.S. and foreign legal, political and economic systems, regulatory regimes and market practices also may impact security values, and it may take more time to clear and settle trades involving foreign securities. In addition, securities issued by U.S. entities with substantial foreign operations or holdings can involve risks relating to conditions in foreign countries.
  • Futures Contract Risk — The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are (a) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the Portfolio and the price of the futures contract; (b) liquidity risks, including the possible absence of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (c) losses (potentially unlimited) caused by unanticipated market movements; (d) an investment manager’s inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; (e) the possibility that a counterparty, clearing member or clearinghouse will default in the performance of its obligations; (f) if the Portfolio has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Portfolio may have to sell securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so; and (g) transaction costs associated with investments in futures contracts may be significant, which could cause or increase losses or reduce gains. Futures contracts are also subject to the same risks as the underlying investments to which they provide exposure. In addition, futures contracts may subject the Portfolio to leveraging risk.
  • Interest Rate Risk — Changes in interest rates may affect the yield, liquidity and value of investments in income producing or debt securities. Changes in interest rates also may affect the value of other securities. When interest rates rise, the value of the Portfolio’s debt securities generally declines. Conversely, when interest rates decline, the value of the Portfolio’s debt securities generally rises. Typically, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt security, the greater the effect a change in interest rates could have on the security’s price. Thus, the sensitivity of the Portfolio’s debt securities to interest rate risk will increase with any increase in the duration of those securities. There is a greater risk of rising interest rates than has historically been the case due to the current period of relatively low rates and the effect of government fiscal policy initiatives and potential market reaction to those initiatives. A significant or rapid rise in interest rates could result in losses to the Portfolio.
  • Investment Grade Securities Risk — Debt securities generally are rated by national bond ratings agencies. The Portfolio considers securities to be investment grade if they are rated BBB or higher by Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings (“S&P”) or Fitch Ratings, Ltd. (“Fitch”) or Baa or higher by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), or, if unrated, determined by the investment manager to be of comparable quality. Securities rated in the lower investment grade rating categories (e.g., BBB or Baa) are considered investment grade securities, but are somewhat riskier than higher rated obligations because they are regarded as having only an adequate capacity to pay principal and interest, are considered to lack outstanding investment characteristics, and may possess certain speculative characteristics.
  • Large-Cap Company Risk — Larger more established companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges such as changes in technology and consumer tastes, which may lead to a decline in their market price. Many larger companies also may not be able to attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
  • Market Risk — The Portfolio is subject to the risk that the securities markets will move down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably, based on overall economic conditions and other factors, which may negatively affect Portfolio performance. Changes in the financial condition of a single issuer can impact the market as a whole. Geo-political risks, including terrorism, tensions or open conflict between nations, or political or economic dysfunction within some nations that are major players on the world stage, may lead to instability in world economies and markets, may lead to increased market volatility, and may have adverse long-term effects. In addition, markets and market-participants are increasingly reliant on information data systems. Inaccurate data, software or other technology malfunctions, programming inaccuracies, unauthorized use or access, and similar circumstances may impair the performance of these systems and may have an adverse impact upon a single issuer, a group of issuers, or the market at-large.
  • Mid-Cap and Small-Cap Company Risk — The Portfolio’s investments in mid- and small-cap companies may involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established issuers because they generally are more vulnerable than larger companies to adverse business or economic developments, which can negatively affect their value. Such companies generally have narrower product lines, more limited financial and management resources and more limited markets for their securities as compared with larger companies. As a result, the value of such securities may be more volatile than the value of securities of larger companies, and the Portfolio may experience difficulty in purchasing or selling such securities at the desired time and price or in the desired amount. In general, these risks are greater for small-cap companies than for mid-cap companies.
  • Non-Investment Grade Securities Risk — Bonds rated below investment grade (i.e., BB or lower by S&P or Fitch or Ba or lower by Moody’s or, if unrated, determined by the investment manager to be of comparable quality) are speculative in nature and are subject to additional risk factors such as increased possibility of default, illiquidity of the security, and changes in value based on changes in interest rates. Non-investment grade bonds, sometimes referred to as “junk bonds,” are usually issued by companies without long track records of sales and earnings, or by those companies with questionable credit strength. The creditworthiness of issuers of non-investment grade debt securities may be more complex to analyze than that of issuers of investment grade debt securities, and reliance on credit ratings may present additional risks.
  • Portfolio Management Risk — The Portfolio is subject to the risk that strategies used by an investment manager and its securities selections fail to produce the intended results. An investment manager’s judgments or decisions about the quality, relative yield or value of, or market trends affecting, a particular security or issuer, industry, sector, region or market segment, or about the economy or interest rates, may be incorrect or otherwise may not produce the intended results, which may result in losses to the Portfolio. In addition, many processes used in Portfolio management, including security selection, rely, in whole or in part, on the use of various technologies. The Portfolio may suffer losses if there are imperfections, errors or limitations in the quantitative, analytic or other tools, resources, information and data used, or the analyses employed or relied on, by an investment manager, or if such tools, resources, information or data are used incorrectly, fail to produce the desired results, or otherwise do not work as intended. There can be no assurance that the use of these technologies will result in effective investment decisions for the Portfolio.
  • Risks of Investing in Underlying Portfolios — The Portfolio’s shareholders will indirectly bear fees and expenses paid by the Underlying Portfolios in which it invests, in addition to the Portfolio’s direct fees and expenses. The cost of investing in the Portfolio, therefore, may be higher than the cost of investing in a mutual fund that invests directly in individual stocks and bonds. The Portfolio’s performance depends upon a favorable allocation by the Adviser among the Underlying Portfolios, as well as the ability of the Underlying Portfolios to generate favorable performance. The Underlying Portfolios’ investment programs may not be complementary, which could adversely affect the Portfolio’s performance. The Portfolio’s net asset value is subject to fluctuations in the net asset values of the Underlying Portfolios in which it invests. The Portfolio is also subject to the risks associated with the securities or other investments in which the Underlying Portfolios invest, and the ability of the Portfolio to meet its investment objective will directly depend on the ability of the Underlying Portfolios to meet their objectives. The Portfolio and the Underlying Portfolios are subject to certain general investment risks, including market risk, asset class risk, issuer-specific risk, investment style risk and portfolio management risk. In addition, to the extent a Portfolio invests in Underlying Portfolios that invest in equity securities, fixed income securities and/or foreign securities, the Portfolio is subject to the risks associated with investing in such securities. The extent to which the investment performance and risks associated with the Portfolio correlate to those of a particular Underlying Portfolio will depend upon the extent to which the Portfolio’s assets are allocated from time to time for investment in the Underlying Portfolio, which will vary.
  • Volatility Management Risk — The Portfolio may invest from time to time in Underlying Portfolios managed by the Adviser that may employ various volatility management techniques or make short-term adjustments to their asset mix (such as by using futures and options to manage equity exposure). Although these actions are intended to reduce the overall risk of investing in an Underlying Portfolio, they may not work as intended and may result in losses by an Underlying Portfolio, and in turn, the Portfolio, or periods of underperformance, particularly during periods when market values are increasing but market volatility is high or when an Underlying Portfolio has reduced its equity exposure but market changes do not impact equity returns adversely to the extent predicted by the Adviser. The result of any volatility management strategy will be subject to the Adviser’s ability to correctly assess the degree of correlation between the performance of the relevant market index and the metrics used by the Adviser to measure market volatility. Since the characteristics of many securities change as markets change or time passes, the result of any volatility management strategy also will be subject to the Adviser’s ability to continually recalculate, readjust, and execute volatility management techniques in an efficient manner. In addition, market conditions change, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably, and the Adviser may be unable to execute the volatility management strategy in a timely manner or at all. The Adviser to the Underlying Portfolios uses proprietary modeling tools to implement the volatility management strategy. If the proprietary modeling tools prove to be flawed or for other reasons do not produce the desired results, any decisions based on the modeling tools may expose an Underlying Portfolio, and in turn, the Portfolio, to additional risks and losses. The use of modeling tools has inherent risks, and the success of using a modeling tool depends, among other things, on the accuracy and completeness of the tool’s development, implementation and maintenance; on the tool’s assumptions and methodologies; and on the accuracy and reliability of the inputs and output of the tool. The Adviser from time to time may make changes to its proprietary modeling tools that do not require shareholder notice. Moreover, volatility management strategies may expose an Underlying Portfolio, and in turn, the Portfolio, to costs, such as increased portfolio transaction costs, which could cause or increase losses or reduce gains. In addition, it is not possible to manage volatility fully or perfectly. Futures contracts and other instruments used in connection with the volatility management strategy are not necessarily held by an Underlying Portfolio to hedge the value of the Underlying Portfolio’s other investments and, as a result, these futures contracts and other instruments may decline in value at the same time as the Underlying Portfolio’s other investments. Any one or more of these factors may prevent an Underlying Portfolio from achieving the intended volatility management or could cause an Underlying Portfolio, and in turn, the Portfolio, to underperform or experience losses (some of which may be sudden or substantial) or volatility for any particular period that may be higher or lower. In addition, the use of volatility management techniques may not protect against market declines and may limit an Underlying Portfolio’s, and thus the Portfolio’s, participation in market gains, even during periods when the market is rising. Volatility management techniques, when implemented effectively to reduce the overall risk of investing in an Underlying Portfolio, may result in underperformance by an Underlying Portfolio. For example, if an Underlying Portfolio has reduced its overall exposure to equities to avoid losses in certain market environments, the Underlying Portfolio may forgo some of the returns that can be associated with periods of rising equity values. An Underlying Portfolio’s performance, and therefore the Portfolio’s performance, may be lower than similar funds where volatility management techniques are not used.
<b>Risk/Return Bar Chart and Table </b>
The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio’s performance from year to year and by showing how the Portfolio’s average annual total returns for the past one, five and ten years (or since inception) through December 31, 2018 compared to the returns of a broad-based securities market index. The additional broad-based securities market index and the hypothetical composite index show how the Portfolio’s performance compared with the returns of other asset classes in which the Portfolio may invest. The return of the broad-based securities market index (and any additional comparative index) shown in the right hand column below is the return of the index for the last 10 years or, if shorter, since the inception of the share class with the longest history. Past performance is not an indication of future performance.

The performance results do not reflect any Contract-related fees and expenses, which would reduce the performance results.
<b>Calendar Year Annual Total Returns — Class B</b>
Bar Chart
Best quarter (% and time period)      Worst quarter (% and time period)
17.57% (2009 2nd Quarter)      –17.07% (2011 3rd Quarter)
<b>Average Annual Total Returns</b>
Average Annual Total Returns - EQ/Aggressive Allocation Portfolio
One Year
Five Years
Ten Years
Since Inception
Inception Date
Class A Shares (8.72%) 4.00% 8.95%    
Class B Shares (8.72%) 4.00% 8.87%    
Class K Shares (8.46%) 4.26%   8.56% Dec. 01, 2011
EQ/Aggressive Allocation Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) (7.78%) 5.08% 10.37%    
S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) (4.38%) 8.49% 13.12%    
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Intermediate Government Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) 1.43% 1.46% 1.83%