Feb. 26, 2021
AB Global Risk Allocation Fund
AB Global Risk Allocation Fund
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The Fund’s investment objective is total return consistent with reasonable risks through a combination of income and long-term growth of capital.
FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUND
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge reductions if you and members of your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in AB Mutual Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary and in Investing in the Funds—Sales Charge Reduction Programs for Class A Shares on page 69 of this Prospectus, in Appendix B—Financial Intermediary Waivers of this Prospectus and in Purchase of Shares—Sales Charge Reduction Programs for Class A Shares on page 131 of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”). You may be required to pay commissions and/or other forms of compensation to a broker for transactions in Advisor Class shares, which are not reflected in the tables or the examples below.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Examples
The Examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the Fund’s operating expenses stay the same and that any fee waiver and/or expense limitation is in effect for only the first year. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys or sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These transaction costs, which are not reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Examples, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 20% of the average value of its portfolio.
PRINCIPAL STRATEGIES
The Fund invests dynamically in a number of global asset classes, including equity/credit, fixed-income, and inflation-sensitive instruments. In making decisions on the allocation of assets among asset classes, the Adviser will use a risk-balanced approach. This strategy attempts to provide investors with favorable long-term total return while minimizing exposure to material downside (“tail”) events. To execute this strategy, the Adviser assesses the volatility, tail loss and return potential of each asset. Fund assets are then allocated among asset classes so that no asset class dominates the expected tail loss of the Fund. This will generally result in the Fund having greater exposures to lower risk asset classes (such as fixed-income) than to higher risk asset classes. The Adviser will make frequent adjustments to the Fund’s asset class exposures based on its determinations of volatility, tail loss and return potential. The asset classes in which the Fund may invest include: • equity/credit—equity securities of all types and corporate fixed-income securities (regardless of credit quality, but subject to the limitations on high-yield securities set forth below); • fixed-income—fixed-income securities of the U.S. and foreign governments and their agencies and instrumentalities; and • inflation-sensitive—global inflation-indexed securities (including Treasury Inflation Protected Securities) and commodity-related instruments and derivatives (including commodity futures). The Fund’s investments within each asset class are generally index-based—typically, portfolios of individual securities, derivatives or exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) intended to track the performance of segments within each particular asset class. The inflation-sensitive asset class consists of instruments, the prices of which are affected directly or indirectly by the level and change in the rate of inflation, such as commodity derivatives. Equity securities will comprise no more than 75% of the Fund’s investments. The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities with a range of maturities from short- to long-term. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in high-yield securities (securities rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”), Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), or Fitch Ratings (“Fitch”), which are commonly known as “junk bonds”). As an operating policy, the Fund will invest no more than 5% of its assets in securities rated CCC- or below. The Fund’s investments will generally be global in nature, and will generally include investments in both developed and emerging markets. The Fund typically invests at least 40% of its assets in securities of non-U.S. companies and/or foreign countries and their agencies and instrumentalities unless conditions are not deemed favorable by the Adviser, in which case the Fund will invest at least 30% of its assets in such foreign securities. Derivatives, particularly futures contracts and swaps, often provide more efficient and economical exposure to market segments than direct investments, and the Fund’s exposure to certain types of assets may at times be achieved partially or substantially through investment in derivatives. Derivatives transactions may also be a quicker and more efficient way to alter the Fund’s exposure than buying and selling direct investments. In determining when and to what extent to enter into derivatives transactions, the Adviser considers factors such as the risk and returns of these investments relative to direct investments and the cost of such transactions. Because derivatives transactions frequently require cash outlays that are only a small portion of the amount of exposure obtained through the derivative, a portion of the Fund’s assets may be held in cash or invested in cash equivalents to cover the Fund’s derivatives obligations, such as short-term U.S. Government and agency securities, repurchase agreements and money market funds. At times, a combination of direct securities investments and derivatives will be used to gain asset class exposure so that the Fund’s aggregate exposure will substantially exceed its net assets (i.e., so that the Fund is effectively leveraged). In addition, the Fund may at times invest in shares of ETFs in lieu of making direct investments in securities. While the Fund may seek to gain exposure to physical commodities traded in the commodities markets through investments in a variety of derivative instruments, the Adviser expects that the Fund will seek to gain exposure to commodities and commodities-related instruments and derivatives primarily through investments in AllianceBernstein Global Risk Allocation (Cayman) Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Fund organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Subsidiary”). The Subsidiary is advised by the Adviser and has the same investment objective and substantially similar investment policies and restrictions as the Fund except that the Subsidiary, unlike the Fund, may invest, without limitation, in commodities and commodities-related instruments. The Fund is subject to the risks associated with the commodities, derivatives and other instruments in which the Subsidiary invests, to the extent of its investment in the Subsidiary. The Fund limits its investment in the Subsidiary to no more than 25% of its total assets. Investment in the Subsidiary is expected to provide the Fund with commodity exposure within the limitations of federal tax requirements that apply to the Fund. Currency exchange rate fluctuations can have a dramatic impact on returns. The Adviser may seek to hedge all or a portion of the Fund’s currency exposure resulting from Fund investments or decide not to hedge this exposure. The Adviser may also cause the Fund to take on currency exposure for purposes other than hedging, relying on its fundamental and quantitative research with the goal of increasing returns or managing risk. Currency-related investments may include currencies acquired on a spot (i.e., cash) basis and currency-related derivatives, including forward currency exchange contracts and options on currencies.
PRINCIPAL RISKS
• Market Risk: The value of the Fund’s investments will fluctuate as the stock or bond market fluctuates. The value of its investments may decline, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably, simply because of economic changes or other events, including public health crises (including the occurrence of a contagious disease or illness), that affect large portions of the market. • Allocation Risk: The allocation of investments among asset classes may have a significant effect on the Fund’s net asset value, or NAV, when the asset classes in which the Fund has invested more heavily perform worse than the asset classes invested in less heavily. • Interest Rate Risk: Changes in interest rates will affect the value of investments in fixed-income securities. When interest rates rise, the value of existing investments in fixed-income securities tends to fall and this decrease in value may not be offset by higher income from new investments. Interest rate risk is generally greater for fixed-income securities with longer maturities or durations. Very low or negative interest rates would likely magnify the risks associated with changes in interest rates. During periods of very low or negative rates, the Fund’s returns would likely be adversely affected. • Credit Risk: An issuer or guarantor of a fixed-income security, or the counterparty to a derivatives or other contract, may be unable or unwilling to make timely payments of interest or principal, or to otherwise honor its obligations. The issuer or guarantor may default, causing a loss of the full principal amount of a security and accrued interest. The degree of risk for a particular security may be reflected in its credit rating. There is the possibility that the credit rating of a fixed-income security may be downgraded after purchase, which may adversely affect the value of the security. • Commodity Risk: Investing in commodities and commodity-linked derivative instruments, either directly or through the Subsidiary, may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The value of commodity-linked derivative instruments may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments. • Below Investment Grade Securities Risk: Investments in fixed-income securities with ratings below investment grade, commonly known as “junk bonds”, tend to have a higher probability that an issuer will default or fail to meet its payment obligations. These securities may be subject to greater price volatility due to such factors as specific corporate developments, interest rate sensitivity and negative perceptions of the junk bond market generally and may be more difficult to trade or dispose of than other types of securities. • Foreign (Non-U.S.) Risk: Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may involve more risk than those of U.S. issuers. These securities may fluctuate more widely in price and may be more difficult to trade due to adverse market, economic, political, regulatory or other factors. • Currency Risk: Fluctuations in currency exchange rates may negatively affect the value of the Fund’s investments or reduce its returns. • Emerging Market Risk: Investments in emerging market countries may have more risk because the markets are less developed and less liquid as well as being subject to increased economic, political, regulatory or other uncertainties. • Subsidiary Risk: By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary. The derivatives and other investments held by the Subsidiary are generally similar to those that are permitted to be held by the Fund and are subject to the same risks that apply to similar investments if held directly by the Fund. The Subsidiary is not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and, unless otherwise noted in this Prospectus, is not subject to all of the investor protections of the 1940 Act. However, the Fund wholly owns and controls the Subsidiary, and the Fund and the Subsidiary are managed by the Adviser, making it unlikely the Subsidiary will take actions contrary to the interests of the Fund or its shareholders. In addition, changes in federal tax laws applicable to the Fund or interpretations thereof could limit the Fund’s ability to gain exposure to commodities investments through investments in the Subsidiary. • Derivatives Risk: Derivatives may be difficult to price or unwind and leveraged so that small changes may produce disproportionate losses for the Fund. Derivatives, especially over-the-counter derivatives, are also subject to counterparty risk to a greater degree than more traditional investments. • Leverage Risk: Because the Fund uses leveraging techniques, its NAV may be more volatile because leverage tends to exaggerate the effect of changes in interest rates and any increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s investments. • Management Risk: The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively-managed investment fund. The Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions, but there is no guarantee that its techniques will produce the intended results. Some of these techniques may incorporate, or rely upon, quantitative models, but there is no guarantee that these models will generate accurate forecasts, reduce risk or otherwise perform as expected. As with all investments, you may lose money by investing in the Fund.
BAR CHART AND PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
The bar chart and performance information provide an indication of the historical risk of an investment in the Fund by showing: • how the Fund’s performance changed from year to year over ten years; and • how the Fund’s average annual returns for one, five and ten years compare to those of a broad-based securities market index. You may obtain updated performance information on the Fund’s website at www.abfunds.com (click on “Investments—Mutual Funds”). The Fund’s past performance before and after taxes, of course, does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future. Effective October 8, 2012, the Fund changed its name from AllianceBernstein Balanced Shares to AllianceBernstein Global Risk Allocation Fund (currently named AB Global Risk Allocation Fund), eliminated its non-fundamental policies that the Fund’s investments will normally consist of about 60% in stocks and about 40% in fixed-income securities and that fixed-income securities will not normally exceed 60% of the Fund’s investments, and made certain material changes to its investment strategy, including adoption of a global rather than a U.S. focus. In addition, the Fund’s portfolio management team was changed. The performance information shown below for periods prior to implementation of these changes may not be representative of performance the Fund will achieve under its current policies.
Bar Chart
The annual returns in the bar chart are for the Fund’s Class A shares and do not reflect sales loads. If sales loads were reflected, returns would be less than those shown.
Calendar Year End (%) During the period shown in the bar chart, the Fund’s: Best Quarter was up 10.97%, 2nd quarter, 2020; and Worst Quarter was down -14.97%, 1st quarter, 2020.
Performance Table Average Annual Total Returns (For the periods ended December 31, 2020)

Feb. 26, 2021

AB Global Risk Allocation Fund

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

The Fund’s investment objective is total return consistent with reasonable risks through a combination of income and long-term growth of capital.

FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUND

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge reductions if you and members of your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in AB Mutual Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary and in Investing in the Funds—Sales Charge Reduction Programs for Class A Shares on page 69 of this Prospectus, in Appendix B—Financial Intermediary Waivers of this Prospectus and in Purchase of Shares—Sales Charge Reduction Programs for Class A Shares on page 131 of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”). You may be required to pay commissions and/or other forms of compensation to a broker for transactions in Advisor Class shares, which are not reflected in the tables or the examples below.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Examples

The Examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the Fund’s operating expenses stay the same and that any fee waiver and/or expense limitation is in effect for only the first year. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys or sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These transaction costs, which are not reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Examples, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 20% of the average value of its portfolio.

PRINCIPAL STRATEGIES

The Fund invests dynamically in a number of global asset classes, including equity/credit, fixed-income, and inflation-sensitive instruments. In making decisions on the allocation of assets among asset classes, the Adviser will use a risk-balanced approach. This strategy attempts to provide investors with favorable long-term total return while minimizing exposure to material downside (“tail”) events. To execute this strategy, the Adviser assesses the volatility, tail loss and return potential of each asset. Fund assets are then allocated among asset classes so that no asset class dominates the expected tail loss of the Fund. This will generally result in the Fund having greater exposures to lower risk asset classes (such as fixed-income) than to higher risk asset classes. The Adviser will make frequent adjustments to the Fund’s asset class exposures based on its determinations of volatility, tail loss and return potential. The asset classes in which the Fund may invest include: • equity/credit—equity securities of all types and corporate fixed-income securities (regardless of credit quality, but subject to the limitations on high-yield securities set forth below); • fixed-income—fixed-income securities of the U.S. and foreign governments and their agencies and instrumentalities; and • inflation-sensitive—global inflation-indexed securities (including Treasury Inflation Protected Securities) and commodity-related instruments and derivatives (including commodity futures). The Fund’s investments within each asset class are generally index-based—typically, portfolios of individual securities, derivatives or exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) intended to track the performance of segments within each particular asset class. The inflation-sensitive asset class consists of instruments, the prices of which are affected directly or indirectly by the level and change in the rate of inflation, such as commodity derivatives. Equity securities will comprise no more than 75% of the Fund’s investments. The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities with a range of maturities from short- to long-term. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in high-yield securities (securities rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”), Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), or Fitch Ratings (“Fitch”), which are commonly known as “junk bonds”). As an operating policy, the Fund will invest no more than 5% of its assets in securities rated CCC- or below. The Fund’s investments will generally be global in nature, and will generally include investments in both developed and emerging markets. The Fund typically invests at least 40% of its assets in securities of non-U.S. companies and/or foreign countries and their agencies and instrumentalities unless conditions are not deemed favorable by the Adviser, in which case the Fund will invest at least 30% of its assets in such foreign securities. Derivatives, particularly futures contracts and swaps, often provide more efficient and economical exposure to market segments than direct investments, and the Fund’s exposure to certain types of assets may at times be achieved partially or substantially through investment in derivatives. Derivatives transactions may also be a quicker and more efficient way to alter the Fund’s exposure than buying and selling direct investments. In determining when and to what extent to enter into derivatives transactions, the Adviser considers factors such as the risk and returns of these investments relative to direct investments and the cost of such transactions. Because derivatives transactions frequently require cash outlays that are only a small portion of the amount of exposure obtained through the derivative, a portion of the Fund’s assets may be held in cash or invested in cash equivalents to cover the Fund’s derivatives obligations, such as short-term U.S. Government and agency securities, repurchase agreements and money market funds. At times, a combination of direct securities investments and derivatives will be used to gain asset class exposure so that the Fund’s aggregate exposure will substantially exceed its net assets (i.e., so that the Fund is effectively leveraged). In addition, the Fund may at times invest in shares of ETFs in lieu of making direct investments in securities. While the Fund may seek to gain exposure to physical commodities traded in the commodities markets through investments in a variety of derivative instruments, the Adviser expects that the Fund will seek to gain exposure to commodities and commodities-related instruments and derivatives primarily through investments in AllianceBernstein Global Risk Allocation (Cayman) Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Fund organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Subsidiary”). The Subsidiary is advised by the Adviser and has the same investment objective and substantially similar investment policies and restrictions as the Fund except that the Subsidiary, unlike the Fund, may invest, without limitation, in commodities and commodities-related instruments. The Fund is subject to the risks associated with the commodities, derivatives and other instruments in which the Subsidiary invests, to the extent of its investment in the Subsidiary. The Fund limits its investment in the Subsidiary to no more than 25% of its total assets. Investment in the Subsidiary is expected to provide the Fund with commodity exposure within the limitations of federal tax requirements that apply to the Fund. Currency exchange rate fluctuations can have a dramatic impact on returns. The Adviser may seek to hedge all or a portion of the Fund’s currency exposure resulting from Fund investments or decide not to hedge this exposure. The Adviser may also cause the Fund to take on currency exposure for purposes other than hedging, relying on its fundamental and quantitative research with the goal of increasing returns or managing risk. Currency-related investments may include currencies acquired on a spot (i.e., cash) basis and currency-related derivatives, including forward currency exchange contracts and options on currencies.

PRINCIPAL RISKS

• Market Risk: The value of the Fund’s investments will fluctuate as the stock or bond market fluctuates. The value of its investments may decline, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably, simply because of economic changes or other events, including public health crises (including the occurrence of a contagious disease or illness), that affect large portions of the market. • Allocation Risk: The allocation of investments among asset classes may have a significant effect on the Fund’s net asset value, or NAV, when the asset classes in which the Fund has invested more heavily perform worse than the asset classes invested in less heavily. • Interest Rate Risk: Changes in interest rates will affect the value of investments in fixed-income securities. When interest rates rise, the value of existing investments in fixed-income securities tends to fall and this decrease in value may not be offset by higher income from new investments. Interest rate risk is generally greater for fixed-income securities with longer maturities or durations. Very low or negative interest rates would likely magnify the risks associated with changes in interest rates. During periods of very low or negative rates, the Fund’s returns would likely be adversely affected. • Credit Risk: An issuer or guarantor of a fixed-income security, or the counterparty to a derivatives or other contract, may be unable or unwilling to make timely payments of interest or principal, or to otherwise honor its obligations. The issuer or guarantor may default, causing a loss of the full principal amount of a security and accrued interest. The degree of risk for a particular security may be reflected in its credit rating. There is the possibility that the credit rating of a fixed-income security may be downgraded after purchase, which may adversely affect the value of the security. • Commodity Risk: Investing in commodities and commodity-linked derivative instruments, either directly or through the Subsidiary, may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The value of commodity-linked derivative instruments may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments. • Below Investment Grade Securities Risk: Investments in fixed-income securities with ratings below investment grade, commonly known as “junk bonds”, tend to have a higher probability that an issuer will default or fail to meet its payment obligations. These securities may be subject to greater price volatility due to such factors as specific corporate developments, interest rate sensitivity and negative perceptions of the junk bond market generally and may be more difficult to trade or dispose of than other types of securities. • Foreign (Non-U.S.) Risk: Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may involve more risk than those of U.S. issuers. These securities may fluctuate more widely in price and may be more difficult to trade due to adverse market, economic, political, regulatory or other factors. • Currency Risk: Fluctuations in currency exchange rates may negatively affect the value of the Fund’s investments or reduce its returns. • Emerging Market Risk: Investments in emerging market countries may have more risk because the markets are less developed and less liquid as well as being subject to increased economic, political, regulatory or other uncertainties. • Subsidiary Risk: By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary. The derivatives and other investments held by the Subsidiary are generally similar to those that are permitted to be held by the Fund and are subject to the same risks that apply to similar investments if held directly by the Fund. The Subsidiary is not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and, unless otherwise noted in this Prospectus, is not subject to all of the investor protections of the 1940 Act. However, the Fund wholly owns and controls the Subsidiary, and the Fund and the Subsidiary are managed by the Adviser, making it unlikely the Subsidiary will take actions contrary to the interests of the Fund or its shareholders. In addition, changes in federal tax laws applicable to the Fund or interpretations thereof could limit the Fund’s ability to gain exposure to commodities investments through investments in the Subsidiary. • Derivatives Risk: Derivatives may be difficult to price or unwind and leveraged so that small changes may produce disproportionate losses for the Fund. Derivatives, especially over-the-counter derivatives, are also subject to counterparty risk to a greater degree than more traditional investments. • Leverage Risk: Because the Fund uses leveraging techniques, its NAV may be more volatile because leverage tends to exaggerate the effect of changes in interest rates and any increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s investments. • Management Risk: The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively-managed investment fund. The Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions, but there is no guarantee that its techniques will produce the intended results. Some of these techniques may incorporate, or rely upon, quantitative models, but there is no guarantee that these models will generate accurate forecasts, reduce risk or otherwise perform as expected. As with all investments, you may lose money by investing in the Fund.

BAR CHART AND PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

The bar chart and performance information provide an indication of the historical risk of an investment in the Fund by showing: • how the Fund’s performance changed from year to year over ten years; and • how the Fund’s average annual returns for one, five and ten years compare to those of a broad-based securities market index. You may obtain updated performance information on the Fund’s website at www.abfunds.com (click on “Investments—Mutual Funds”). The Fund’s past performance before and after taxes, of course, does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future. Effective October 8, 2012, the Fund changed its name from AllianceBernstein Balanced Shares to AllianceBernstein Global Risk Allocation Fund (currently named AB Global Risk Allocation Fund), eliminated its non-fundamental policies that the Fund’s investments will normally consist of about 60% in stocks and about 40% in fixed-income securities and that fixed-income securities will not normally exceed 60% of the Fund’s investments, and made certain material changes to its investment strategy, including adoption of a global rather than a U.S. focus. In addition, the Fund’s portfolio management team was changed. The performance information shown below for periods prior to implementation of these changes may not be representative of performance the Fund will achieve under its current policies.

Bar Chart

The annual returns in the bar chart are for the Fund’s Class A shares and do not reflect sales loads. If sales loads were reflected, returns would be less than those shown.

Calendar Year End (%) During the period shown in the bar chart, the Fund’s: Best Quarter was up 10.97%, 2nd quarter, 2020; and Worst Quarter was down -14.97%, 1st quarter, 2020.

Performance Table Average Annual Total Returns (For the periods ended December 31, 2020)