N-CSR 1 dncsr.htm ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES, INC. AllianceBernstein Balanced Shares, Inc.

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM N-CSR

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED

MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Investment Company Act file number: 811-00134

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10105

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

Joseph J. Mantineo

AllianceBernstein L.P.

1345 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10105

(Name and address of agent for service)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (800) 221-5672

Date of fiscal year end: November 30, 2009

Date of reporting period: November 30, 2009

 

 

 


ITEM 1. REPORTS TO STOCKHOLDERS.

 


ANNUAL REPORT

 

 

AllianceBernstein Balanced Shares

 

 

LOGO

 

November 30, 2009

 

Annual Report


 

 

Investment Products Offered

   

Are Not FDIC Insured

   

May Lose Value

   

Are Not Bank Guaranteed

The investment return and principal value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate as the prices of the individual securities in which it invests fluctuate, so that your shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. You should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the Fund carefully before investing. For a free copy of the Fund’s prospectus, which contains this and other information, visit our web site at www.alliancebernstein.com or call your financial advisor or AllianceBernstein® at (800) 227-4618. Please read the prospectus carefully before you invest.

You may obtain performance information current to the most recent month-end by visiting www.alliancebernstein.com.

This shareholder report must be preceded or accompanied by the Fund’s prospectus for individuals who are not current shareholders of the Fund.

You may obtain a description of the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures, and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, without charge. Simply visit AllianceBernstein’s web site at www.alliancebernstein.com, or go to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “Commission”) web site at www.sec.gov, or call AllianceBernstein at (800) 227-4618.

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Commission for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Fund’s Forms N-Q are available on the Commission’s web site at www.sec.gov. The Fund’s Forms N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC; information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330. AllianceBernstein publishes full portfolio holdings for the Fund monthly at www.alliancebernstein.com.

AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (ABI) is the distributor of the AllianceBernstein family of mutual funds. ABI is a member of FINRA and is an affiliate of AllianceBernstein L.P., the manager of the funds.

AllianceBernstein® and the AB Logo are registered trademarks and service marks used by permission of the owner, AllianceBernstein L.P.


January 20, 2010

 

Annual Report

This report provides management’s discussion of fund performance for AllianceBernstein Balanced Shares (the “Fund”) for the annual reporting period ended November 30, 2009.

Investment Objective and Policies

The Fund’s investment objective is total return consistent with reasonable risks through a combination of income and long-term growth of capital. The Fund invests in a diversified portfolio of equity and fixed-income securities. The percentage of the Fund’s assets invested in each type of security will vary. Normally, the Fund’s investments will consist of about 60% in stocks, but stocks may comprise up to 75% of its investments. The Fund will not purchase a security if, as a result, less than 25% of its total assets will be in fixed-income securities. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in high-yield securities (securities rated below BBB- by Standard & Poor’s Rating Services (“S&P”), Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), or Fitch Ratings (“Fitch”)). As an operating policy, the Fund will invest no more than 5% of its assets in securities rated CCC- or below.

The Fund may invest in mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities, loan participations, inflation-protected securities, structured securities, variable, floating, and inverse floating rate instruments, preferred stock, and may use other investment techniques. The Fund invests in short- and long-term debt securities in such proportions and of such type as AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) deems best adapted to the current economic and

market outlooks. The Fund also may invest in equity and fixed-income securities of non-US issuers located in emerging or developed countries. The Fund may enter into derivatives transactions, such as options, futures, forwards and swap agreements.

Investment Results

The table on page 7 shows the Fund compared with its composite benchmark (the “Composite”), a 60%/40% blend of the Russell 1000 Value Index and the Barclays Capital US Aggregate Bond Index, respectively, for the six- and 12-month periods ended November 30, 2009. Also included in the table are returns for the Fund’s peer group, as represented by the Lipper Mixed-Asset Target Allocation Growth Funds Average (the “Lipper Average”). Funds in the Lipper Average have generally similar investment objectives to the Fund, although some may have different investment policies and sales and management fees.

The Fund’s Class A shares without sales charges underperformed the Composite and the Lipper Average for the six-month period ended November 30, 2009. For the 12-month period, the Fund’s Class A shares without sales charges outperformed the Composite, but underperformed the Lipper Average.

The Fund’s absolute returns were solid for both the six- and 12-month periods as the cumulative effect of monetary and fiscal policy initiatives around the world resuscitated global capital markets. In the equity portion of the Fund, strong sector selection contributed to solid absolute and relative

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     1


 

performance during the 12-month period. Stock selection benefited primarily from Fund holdings in economically sensitive stocks such as Occidental Petroleum, Joy Global and Goodrich. Occidental Petroleum’s exposure to higher oil prices, and its innovative extraction technology, contributed to solid fundamental and investment performance. Joy Global was a strong performer as monetary and fiscal stimulus initiatives by policy makers around the world contributed to higher confidence in future sales of Joy’s commodity-linked capital products (e.g., coal extraction). The Fund’s investment in Wyeth, which was purchased by Pfizer, and an underweight in AT&T also helped performance.

Meanwhile, underweight positions in Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan, and an overweight in Amgen detracted from performance. An underweight in financials, including Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase, continues to be driven by the Relative Value Investment Team’s perception of fundamental risk and only modestly interesting valuations. On the other hand, Amgen has been executing well and has an interesting product pipeline which the Relative Value Investment Team believes may drive sales and earnings. Many companies with higher quality balance sheets, like Amgen, underperformed during the reporting period as investors chased returns in riskier securities which investors believed would potentially benefit from an improved economy. At the sector level, an overweight in technology and underweight in utilities helped performance during the 12-month reporting period, while an

underweight in materials and financials detracted.

For the six-month period, weak stock selection and modestly negative sector allocation contributed to disappointing relative performance in the equity portion of the Fund. Stock selection benefited primarily from holdings in Medco Health Solutions, Joy Global, Accenture and an underweight position in AT&T. Stock selection was hurt by exposure to Qwest Communications, SAIC Inc., URS Corp, Advanced Auto Parts and Amgen. An underweight position in utilities in addition to an overweight in technology helped performance. An underweight in materials and financials was a modest detractor.

The fixed-income portion of the Fund significantly outperformed its benchmark for both the six- and 12-month periods as investors gained confidence that a sustainable economic recovery was underway and credit sectors rallied. For both periods, an overweight position in investment-grade corporates, commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) and high-yield debt as well as an underweight in mortgages and government securities positively contributed to performance. Corporate security selection was also positive. The Fund’s performance was not affected by leverage during either period.

Market Review and Investment Strategy

Challenges from late 2008 continued into early 2009 as asset prices in many markets continued to fall and policymakers scrambled to combat the severe global economic downturn. By

 

2     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES


 

the second quarter of 2009, however, signs of a bottoming of the global recession resulted in a significant rally in credit sectors as well as equities. Capital markets rebounded on growing evidence that aggressive policy action on a global scale had been successful at staving off a depression-type scenario. Risk assets continued the rally into the third quarter as evidence mounted that the global economy was emerging from a deep recession and appeared on track for a return to modest economic growth in 2010.

Risky assets rallied substantially over the six-month period as investors gained confidence that the global economy was emerging from a deep recession and appeared on track for a return to economic growth. Generally, stocks and sectors that performed worst during the crisis in 2008 have done best in 2009. Financials and other economically sensitive sectors outperformed defensive sectors. In addition, the most highly leveraged and lowest-quality stocks and those with the worst earnings revisions and momentum outperformed. Corporate bonds, CMBS and other non-government debt also rallied as spreads narrowed.

The annual reporting period ended November 30, 2009, was marked by a historic recovery in many fixed-income sectors after the extreme risk aversion that seized the markets following the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers in September 2008. The high-yield market staged a historic recovery, posting 64.95% for the 12-month reporting period as spreads tightened

in excess of a thousand basis points from their peak to end the period at 742 basis points over duration-neutral Treasuries. Investment-grade corporates at 27.75% and CMBS at 49.74% also staged rallies as investor risk aversion abated on signs that a sustainable global economic recovery was underway. Corporate earnings appeared to have reached bottom after a two-year plunge, and positive earnings surprises increased. Government securities, which outperformed in the downturn following Lehman Brothers’ collapse, lagged as credit sectors rallied. For the 12-month reporting period, Treasuries posted a gain of only 2.37%, while agencies did marginally better, returning 6.82%.

The global economic recovery has been led by China and other countries in emerging Asia. Many observers wonder if the recovery can be sustained if the US consumer continues to save more and spend less. After all, the American consumer accounts for the majority of nominal US gross domestic product, and in the decade leading up to the recent crisis, the US consumers’ borrowing and consumption binge helped underpin global economic growth.

These concerns are not without foundation. Consumer spending remains depressed by stubbornly high unemployment and continued de-leveraging. But in the view of the Balanced Shares Investment Team (composed of the Relative Value Investment Team and the US Investment Grade Core Fixed-Income Team), these concerns are somewhat

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     3


 

overstated. First, consumers in the US and other developed markets, while still under financial stress, have made significant progress over the past year in rebuilding their balance sheets. The portion of disposable income eaten up by debt service has fallen sharply in both the US and the UK since the peak of the crisis. In fact, US households have cut this ratio to its lowest level since 2000.

Nevertheless, significant risks and challenges persist for the global economy and financial markets. Many investors worry about how governments and central banks around the world will wind down their massive fiscal and monetary stimulus programs as their economies recover. These concerns notwithstanding, the Relative Value Investment Team is confident that the fundamentally strong and attractively priced equity portion of the Fund offers enormous outperformance potential. Thus, the Relative Value Investment Team continues to stick to its disciplines, confident that the strategies in place may ultimately deliver attractive outperformance.

 

Within the fixed-income portion of the Fund, the US Investment Grade Core Fixed-Income Team continued to favor investment-grade credit and CMBS securities. After a large rally that saw investment-grade corporate spreads tighten significantly, investment-grade credit is no longer the unparalleled opportunity it once was. The US Investment Grade Core Fixed-Income Team is confident, however, that it still represents a compelling opportunity. Spreads remain wider than at almost any period in recent history, and look attractive relative to fundamental risk, which, in the view of the US Investment Grade Core Fixed-Income Team, is diminishing. As liquidity has returned to the markets, systemic risk has dramatically fallen. The commercial real estate market continues to face fundamental headwinds, as delinquency rates continue to rise. Nevertheless, the sector is expected to continue to gain support from government programs.

 

4     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES


 

HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE

An Important Note About the Value of Historical Performance

The performance shown on the following pages represents past performance and does not guarantee future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance information shown. You may obtain performance information current to the most recent month-end by visiting www.alliancebernstein.com.

The investment return and principal value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate, so that your shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. You should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the Fund carefully before investing. For a free copy of the Fund’s prospectus, which contains this and other information, visit our website at www.alliancebernstein.com or call your financial advisor or AllianceBernstein Investments at 800.227.4618. You should read the prospectus carefully before you invest.

All fees and expenses related to the operation of the Fund have been deducted. NAV returns do not reflect sales charges; if sales charges were reflected, the Fund’s quoted performance would be lower. SEC returns reflect the applicable sales charges for each share class: a 4.25% maximum front-end sales charge for Class A shares; the applicable contingent deferred sales charge for Class B shares (4% year 1, 3% year 2, 2% year 3, 1% year 4); a 1% 1 year contingent deferred sales charge for Class C shares. Returns for the different share classes will vary due to different expenses associated with each class. Performance assumes reinvestment of distributions and does not account for taxes.

Benchmark Disclosure

The unmanaged Russell 1000 Value Index and the unmanaged Barclays Capital US Aggregate Bond Index do not reflect fees and expenses associated with the active management of a mutual fund portfolio. The Russell 1000 Value Index contains those securities in the Russell 1000 Index with a less-than-average growth orientation. The unmanaged Russell 1000 Index is composed of 1000 of the largest capitalized companies that are traded in the United States. The unmanaged Barclays Capital US Aggregate Bond Index covers the US dollar-denominated, investment-grade, fixed-rate, taxable bond market of SEC-registered securities. The index includes bonds from the Treasury, Government-Related, Corporate, MBS, ABS and CMBS sectors. The composite benchmark represents a 60%/40% blend of the Russell 1000 Value Index and the Barclays Capital US Aggregate Bond Index, respectively. For the six-and 12-month periods ended November 30, 2009, the Lipper Mixed-Asset Target Allocation Growth Funds Average consisted of 665 and 645 funds, respectively. These funds have generally similar investment objectives to the Fund, although some may have different investment policies and sales and management fees. An investor cannot invest directly in an index or average, and their results are not indicative of the performance for any specific investment, including the Fund.

(Historical Performance continued on next page)

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     5

 

Historical Performance


 

HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE

(continued from previous page)

A Word About Risk

The Fund is a “balanced” fund and must invest at least 25% of its total assets in fixed-income securities. Since the Fund invests in both equity and debt securities, it has the risk that the allocation of these investments may have a more significant effect on the Fund’s net asset value when one of these asset classes is performing more poorly than the other. The value of fixed-income securities will change as the general level of interest rates fluctuates. The Fund may invest in high-yield bonds (i.e., “junk bonds”) which involves a greater risk of default and price volatility than other bonds. Investing in below-investment grade bonds presents special risks, including credit risk. The Fund can invest in foreign securities, which may magnify fluctuations due to changes in foreign exchange rates and the possibility of substantial volatility due to political and economic uncertainties in foreign countries. The Fund may invest in emerging market securities which may present market, credit, currency, liquidity, legal, political and other risks different from, or greater than, the risks of investing in developed foreign (non-US) countries. In order to achieve its investment objectives, the Fund may at times use certain types of investment derivatives, such as options, futures, forwards and swaps. These instruments involve risks different from, and in certain cases, greater than, the risks presented by more traditional investments. These risks are fully discussed in the Fund’s prospectus.

(Historical Performance continued on next page)

 

6     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Historical Performance


HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE

(continued from previous page)

 

        

THE FUND VS. ITS BENCHMARK

PERIODS ENDED NOVEMBER 30, 2009

  Returns    
  6 Months      12 Months     

AllianceBernstein Balanced Shares*

        

Class A

  13.72%      24.43%  
 

Class B**

  13.20%      23.41%  
 

Class C

  13.31%      23.59%  
 

Advisor Class

  13.93%      24.84%  
 

Class R

  13.56%      24.15%  
 

Class K

  13.76%      24.57%  
 

Class I

  14.05%      25.09%  
 

Composite Benchmark: 60% Russell 1000 Value Index/40% Barclays Capital US Aggregate Bond Index

  14.52%      16.97%  
 

Russell 1000 Value Index

  20.19%      19.24%  
 

Barclays Capital US Aggregate Bond Index

  6.21%      11.63%  
 

Lipper Mixed-Asset Target Allocation Growth Funds Average

  15.90%      27.22%  
 

*    Includes the impact of proceeds received and credited to the Fund resulting from class action settlements, which enhanced the Fund’s performance by 0.01% and 0.27% for the six- and 12-month periods ended November 30, 2009, respectively.

 

**  Effective January 31, 2009, Class B shares are no longer available for purchase to new investors. Please see Note A for additional information.

 

†    Please note that these share classes are for investors purchasing shares through accounts established under certain fee-based programs sponsored and maintained by certain broker-dealers and financial intermediaries, institutional pension plans and/or investment advisory clients of, and certain other persons associated with, the Adviser and its affiliates or the Funds.

        

See Historical Performance and Benchmark Disclosures on pages 5-6.

(Historical Performance continued on next page)

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     7

 

Historical Performance


HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE

(continued from previous page)

 

GROWTH OF A $10,000 INVESTMENT IN THE FUND

11/30/99 TO 11/30/09

LOGO

This chart illustrates the total value of an assumed $10,000 investment in AllianceBernstein Balanced Shares Class A shares (from 11/30/99 to 11/30/09) as compared to the performance of the Fund’s Composite benchmark, a 60%/40% blend of the Russell 1000 Value Index and the Barclays Capital US Aggregate Bond Index, respectively, as well as each index separately. The chart reflects the deduction of the maximum 4.25% sales charge from the initial $10,000 investment in the Fund and assumes the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions.

See Historical Performance and Benchmark Disclosures on pages 5-6.

(Historical Performance continued on next page)

 

8     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Historical Performance


HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE

(continued from previous page)

 

AVERAGE ANNUAL RETURNS AS OF NOVEMBER 30, 2009   
     NAV Returns        SEC Returns  
       
Class A Shares        

1 Year

   24.43      19.15

5 Years

   0.79      -0.08

10 Years

   3.57      3.13
       
Class B Shares        

1 Year

   23.41      19.41

5 Years

   0.03      0.03

10 Years(a)

   2.96      2.96
       
Class C Shares        

1 Year

   23.59      22.59

5 Years

   0.06      0.06

10 Years

   2.82      2.82
       
Advisor Class Shares*        

1 Year

   24.84      24.84

5 Years

   1.08      1.08

10 Years

   3.87      3.87
       
Class R Shares*        

1 Year

   24.15      24.15

5 Years

   0.50      0.50

Since Inception

   2.42      2.42
       
Class K Shares*        

1 Year

   24.57      24.57

Since Inception

   0.04      0.04
       
Class I Shares*        

1 Year

   25.09      25.09

Since Inception

   0.39      0.39

The Fund’s current prospectus fee table shows the Fund’s total annual operating expense ratios as 1.16%, 1.92%, 1.89%, 0.87%, 1.33%, 1.03% and 0.71% for Class A, Class B, Class C, Advisor, Class R, Class K and Class I shares, respectively. The Financial Highlights section of this report sets forth expense ratio data for the current reporting period; the expense ratios shown above may differ from the expense ratios in the Financial Highlights sections since they are based on different time periods.

 

(a)   Assumes conversion of Class B shares into Class A shares after eight years.

 

*   These share classes are offered at net asset value (NAV) to eligible investors and their SEC returns are the same as the NAV returns. Please note that these share classes are for investors purchasing shares through accounts established under certain fee-based programs sponsored and maintained by certain broker-dealers and financial intermediaries, institutional pension plans and/or investment advisory clients of, and certain other persons associated with, the Adviser and its affiliates or the Funds. The inception dates for Class R, Class K and Class I are listed below.

 

  Inception Dates: 11/3/03 for Class R shares; 3/1/05 for Class K and Class I shares.

See Historical Performance disclosures on pages 5-6.

(Historical Performance continued on next page)

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     9

 

Historical Performance


HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE

(continued from previous page)

 

SEC AVERAGE ANNUAL RETURNS (WITH ANY APPLICABLE SALES CHARGES) AS OF THE MOST RECENT CALENDAR QUARTER-END (DECEMBER 31, 2009)    
                   SEC Returns  
            
Class A Shares             

1 Year

             14.10

5 Years

             -0.38

10 Years

             3.09
            
Class B Shares             

1 Year

             14.24

5 Years

             -0.26

10 Years(a)

             2.94
            
Class C Shares             

1 Year

             17.23

5 Years

             -0.25

10 Years

             2.79
            
Advisor Class Shares             

1 Year

             19.43

5 Years

             0.76

10 Years

             3.83
            
Class R Shares             

1 Year

             18.79

5 Years

             0.20

Since Inception*

             2.59
            
Class K Shares             

1 Year

             19.10

Since Inception*

             0.28
            
Class I Shares             

1 Year

             19.71

Since Inception*

             0.65

 

(a)   Assumes conversion of Class B shares into Class A shares after eight years.

 

*   Please note that these share classes are for investors purchasing shares through accounts established under certain fee-based programs sponsored and maintained by certain broker-dealers and financial intermediaries, institutional pension plans and/or investment advisory clients of, and certain other persons associated with, the Adviser and its affiliates or the Funds. The inception dates for Class R, Class K and Class I are listed below.

 

  Inception Dates: 11/3/03 for Class R shares; 3/1/05 for Class K and Class I shares.

See Historical Performance disclosures on pages 5-6.

 

10     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Historical Performance


FUND EXPENSES

(unaudited)

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments, contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution (12b-l) fees; and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.

The Example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period as indicated below.

Actual Expenses

The table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes

The table below also provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed annual rate of return of 5% before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds by comparing this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads), or contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions. Therefore, the hypothetical example is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

     Beginning
Account Value
June 1, 2009
   Ending
Account Value
November 30, 2009
   Expenses Paid
During Period*
     Actual    Hypothetical    Actual    Hypothetical**    Actual    Hypothetical
Class A    $   1,000    $   1,000    $   1,137.19    $   1,020.00    $   5.41    $   5.11
Class B    $ 1,000    $ 1,000    $ 1,132.04    $ 1,016.14    $ 9.51    $ 9.00
Class C    $ 1,000    $ 1,000    $ 1,133.12    $ 1,016.34    $ 9.30    $ 8.80
Advisor Class    $ 1,000    $ 1,000    $ 1,139.34    $ 1,021.46    $ 3.86    $ 3.65
Class R    $ 1,000    $ 1,000    $ 1,135.63    $ 1,018.45    $ 7.07    $ 6.68
Class K    $ 1,000    $ 1,000    $ 1,137.65    $ 1,019.95    $ 5.47    $ 5.16
Class I    $ 1,000    $ 1,000    $ 1,140.47    $ 1,021.76    $ 3.54    $ 3.35
*   Expenses are equal to the classes’ annualized expense ratios of 1.01%, 1.78%, 1.74%, 0.72%, 1.32%, 1.02% and 0.66%, respectively, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 183/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).

 

**   Assumes 5% return before expenses.

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     11

 

Fund Expenses


PORTFOLIO SUMMARY

November 30, 2009 (unaudited)

 

PORTFOLIO STATISTICS

Net Assets ($mil): $755.6

LOGO

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS**

November 30, 2009 (unaudited)

 

Company    U.S. $ Value      Percent of
Net Assets
 

Federal National Mortgage Association

   $ 41,251,387      5.5

U.S. Treasury Notes

     32,863,767      4.3   

Exxon Mobil Corp.

     24,011,890      3.2   

Amgen, Inc.

     18,409,545      2.4   

Occidental Petroleum Corp.

     16,260,199      2.2   

Chevron Corp.

     14,611,429      1.9   

Raytheon Co.

     14,526,307      1.9   

Philip Morris International, Inc.

     13,950,909      1.9   

Qwest Communications International, Inc.

     13,338,378      1.8   

Comcast Corp. – Class A

     13,188,550      1.7   
   $   202,412,361      26.8

 

*   All data are as of November 30, 2009. The Fund’s security type breakdown is expressed as a percentage of total investments and may vary over time.

 

**   Long-term investments.

 

12     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Portfolio Summary and Ten Largest Holdings


 

PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS

November 30, 2009

 

Company    Shares   U.S. $ Value
 
    

COMMON STOCKS – 64.6%

    

Financials – 10.9%

    

Capital Markets – 2.7%

    

BlackRock, Inc. – Class A

   19,200   $ 4,359,936

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

   29,300     4,971,038

Morgan Stanley

   133,400     4,212,772

SEI Investments Co.

   100,300     1,756,253

State Street Corp.

   86,900     3,588,970

TD Ameritrade Holding Corp.(a)

   92,520     1,817,093
        
       20,706,062
        

Diversified Financial Services – 2.3%

    

Bank of America Corp.

   245,500     3,891,175

IntercontinentalExchange, Inc.(a)

   37,600     4,015,304

JP Morgan Chase & Co.

   226,700     9,632,483
        
       17,538,962
        

Insurance – 5.9%

    

ACE Ltd.

   129,750     6,320,122

Arch Capital Group Ltd.(a)

   120,100     8,387,784

Axis Capital Holdings Ltd.

   428,200     11,985,318

Loews Corp.

   108,600     3,846,612

RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd.

   65,100     3,468,528

Transatlantic Holdings, Inc.

   58,000     3,134,320

The Travelers Co., Inc.

   137,800     7,219,342
        
       44,362,026
        
       82,607,050
        

Energy – 10.7%

    

Energy Equipment & Services – 1.2%

    

Cameron International Corp.(a)

   93,825     3,546,585

Dresser-Rand Group, Inc.(a)

   44,300     1,243,944

Noble Corp.

   105,520     4,359,031
        
       9,149,560
        

Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels – 9.5%

    

BP PLC (Sponsored ADR)

   179,300     10,252,374

Chevron Corp.

   187,230     14,611,429

Exxon Mobil Corp.

   319,860     24,011,890

Occidental Petroleum Corp.

   201,265     16,260,199

Total SA (Sponsored ADR)

   111,445     6,930,765
        
       72,066,657
        
       81,216,217
        

Health Care – 10.1%

    

Biotechnology – 2.4%

    

Amgen, Inc.(a)

   326,700     18,409,545
        

Health Care Providers & Services – 3.2%

    

AmerisourceBergen Corp. – Class A

   81,780     2,019,148

Cardinal Health, Inc.

   60,200     1,940,246

Medco Health Solutions, Inc.(a)

   152,035     9,602,530

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     13

 

Portfolio of Investments


 

Company    Shares   U.S. $ Value
 
    

Quest Diagnostics, Inc.

   66,990   $ 3,881,401

UnitedHealth Group, Inc.

   228,700     6,556,829
        
       24,000,154
        

Life Sciences Tools & Services – 1.1%

    

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.(a)

   179,400     8,473,062
        

Pharmaceuticals – 3.4%

    

Eli Lilly & Co.

   207,500     7,621,475

Endo Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc.(a)

   90,990     2,004,510

Forest Laboratories, Inc.(a)

   126,850     3,889,221

Merck & Co., Inc.

   120,280     4,355,339

Pfizer, Inc.

   419,200     7,616,864
        
       25,487,409
        
       76,370,170
        

Information Technology – 8.4%

    

Communications Equipment – 0.3%

    

F5 Networks, Inc.(a)

   40,825     1,920,000
        

Computers & Peripherals – 1.7%

    

Dell, Inc.(a)

   466,900     6,592,628

EMC Corp.(a)

   382,100     6,430,743
        
       13,023,371
        

Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components – 0.6%

    

Arrow Electronics, Inc.(a)

   171,400     4,504,392
        

Internet Software & Services – 0.6%

    

Ebay, Inc.(a)

   174,700     4,274,909
        

IT Services – 3.0%

    

Accenture PLC

   96,429     3,957,446

Amdocs Ltd.(a)

   204,400     5,402,292

Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.

   89,400     1,965,012

Hewitt Associates, Inc. – Class A(a)

   91,900     3,692,542

SAIC, Inc.(a)

   436,500     7,778,430
        
       22,795,722
        

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment – 1.4%

    

Texas Instruments, Inc.

   412,400     10,429,596
        

Software – 0.8%

    

Sybase, Inc.(a)

   59,900     2,410,376

Symantec Corp.(a)

   221,900     3,938,725
        
       6,349,101
        
       63,297,091
        

Industrials – 7.5%

    

Aerospace & Defense – 4.2%

    

Goodrich Corp.

   64,040     3,800,134

ITT Corp.

   53,600     2,772,192

 

14     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Portfolio of Investments


 

Company    Shares   U.S. $ Value
 
    

L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc.

   77,030   $ 6,036,841

Raytheon Co.

   281,900     14,526,307

United Technologies Corp.

   66,630     4,480,201
        
       31,615,675
        

Construction & Engineering – 1.6%

    

Fluor Corp.

   35,250     1,497,420

Foster Wheeler AG(a)

   115,000     3,431,600

URS Corp.(a)

   181,000     7,520,550
        
       12,449,570
        

Electrical Equipment – 0.6%

    

Hubbell, Inc. – Class B

   97,870     4,444,276
        

Machinery – 1.1%

    

Dover Corp.

   156,200     6,385,456

Joy Global, Inc.

   33,205     1,777,796
        
       8,163,252
        
       56,672,773
        

Consumer Discretionary – 6.9%

    

Diversified Consumer Services – 0.8%

    

Apollo Group, Inc. – Class A(a)

   106,005     6,049,705
        

Media – 4.4%

    

Comcast Corp. – Class A

   899,015     13,188,550

Discovery Communications, Inc. – Class A(a)

   62,000     1,980,900

Time Warner, Inc.

   288,865     8,873,933

Viacom, Inc. – Class B(a)

   314,900     9,333,636
        
       33,377,019
        

Multiline Retail – 0.7%

    

Dollar Tree, Inc.(a)

   62,700     3,070,419

Kohl’s Corp.(a)

   35,000     1,859,900
        
       4,930,319
        

Specialty Retail – 1.0%

    

Advance Auto Parts, Inc.

   73,945     2,906,039

Ross Stores, Inc.

   104,600     4,600,308
        
       7,506,347
        
       51,863,390
        

Consumer Staples – 5.1%

    

Food & Staples Retailing – 0.3%

    

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

   36,200     1,974,710
        

Food Products – 1.4%

    

Archer-Daniels-Midland Co.

   205,800     6,340,698

ConAgra Foods, Inc.

   132,415     2,938,289

Hormel Foods Corp.

   36,200     1,358,224
        
       10,637,211
        

Household Products – 0.6%

    

Kimberly-Clark Corp.

   65,500     4,321,035
        

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     15

 

Portfolio of Investments


 

Company    Shares   U.S. $ Value
 
    

Tobacco – 2.8%

    

Lorillard, Inc.

     98,080   $ 7,641,413

Philip Morris International, Inc.

     290,100     13,950,909
        
       21,592,322
        
       38,525,278
        

Telecommunication Services – 3.7%

    

Diversified Telecommunication Services – 3.7%

    

AT&T, Inc.

     311,900     8,402,586

CenturyTel, Inc.

     85,635     3,047,750

Qwest Communications International, Inc.

     3,654,350     13,338,378

Verizon Communications, Inc.

     107,988     3,397,302
        
       28,186,016
        

Materials – 0.8%

    

Chemicals – 0.7%

    

CF Industries Holdings, Inc.

     37,500     3,201,000

Terra Industries, Inc.

     55,800     2,152,764
        
       5,353,764
        

Containers & Packaging – 0.1%

    

Sonoco Products Co.

     15,300     431,154
        
       5,784,918
        

Utilities – 0.5%

    

Multi-Utilities – 0.5%

    

Public Service Enterprise Group, Inc.

     116,300     3,647,168
        

Total Common Stocks
(cost $429,591,305)

       488,170,071
        
     Principal
Amount

(000)
   

CORPORATES - INVESTMENT GRADES – 12.9%

    

Industrial – 6.6%

    

Basic – 1.1%

    

Alcoa, Inc.
6.75%, 7/15/18

   $ 265     272,812

ArcelorMittal
6.125%, 6/01/18

     870     888,108

ArcelorMittal USA, Inc.
6.50%, 4/15/14

     400     429,566

BHP Billiton Finance USA Ltd.
7.25%, 3/01/16

     564     660,777

The Dow Chemical Co.
7.375%, 11/01/29

     60     64,412

7.60%, 5/15/14

     365     414,408

8.55%, 5/15/19

     385     455,014

Eastman Chemical
5.50%, 11/15/19

     133     136,579

 

16     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Portfolio of Investments


 

Company    Principal
Amount
(000)
  U.S. $ Value
 
    

EI Du Pont de Nemours & Co.
5.875%, 1/15/14

   $ 354   $ 397,354

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Inc.
8.375%, 4/01/17

     650     701,187

Inco Ltd.
7.75%, 5/15/12

     734     801,974

International Paper Co.
5.30%, 4/01/15

     660     681,882

7.95%, 6/15/18

     490     567,259

PPG Industries, Inc.
5.75%, 3/15/13

     765     828,449

Rio Tinto Finance USA Ltd.
6.50%, 7/15/18

     695     770,239
        
       8,070,020
        

Capital Goods – 0.6%

    

Allied Waste North America, Inc.
Series B
7.375%, 4/15/14

     114     118,401

Holcim US Finance Sarl & Cie SCS
6.00%, 12/30/19(b)

     61     64,782

John Deere Capital Corp.
5.25%, 10/01/12

     605     662,885

Lafarge SA
6.15%, 7/15/11

     629     659,333

Republic Services, Inc.
5.25%, 11/15/21(b)

     218     221,850

5.50%, 9/15/19(b)

     328     343,618

Tyco International Finance SA
6.00%, 11/15/13

     1,005     1,110,346

8.50%, 1/15/19

     280     347,285

United Technologies Corp.
4.875%, 5/01/15

     362     400,540

Vulcan Materials Co.
5.60%, 11/30/12

     840     901,778
        
       4,830,818
        

Communications - Media – 0.8%

    

BSKYB Finance UK PLC
5.625%, 10/15/15(b)

     480     533,490

CBS Corp.
8.875%, 5/15/19

     625     726,154

Comcast Cable Communications Holdings, Inc.
9.455%, 11/15/22

     440     574,052

DirecTV Holdings LLC / DirecTV Financing Co., Inc.
4.75%, 10/01/14(b)

     240     247,755

News America Holdings, Inc.
9.25%, 2/01/13

     150     177,560

Reed Elsevier Capital, Inc.
8.625%, 1/15/19

     290     363,766

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     17

 

Portfolio of Investments


 

Company    Principal
Amount
(000)
  U.S. $ Value
 
    

RR Donnelley & Sons Co.
5.50%, 5/15/15

   $ 990   $ 980,977

Time Warner Cable, Inc.
7.50%, 4/01/14

     245     284,386

Time Warner Entertainment Co.
8.375%, 3/15/23

     725     863,932

WPP Finance UK
5.875%, 6/15/14

     425     443,301

8.00%, 9/15/14

     630     718,184
        
       5,913,557
        

Communications - Telecommunications – 0.9%

    

AT&T Corp.
7.30%, 11/15/11

     540     599,552

BellSouth Corp.
5.20%, 9/15/14

     860     939,433

British Telecommunications PLC
5.15%, 1/15/13

     625     662,076

Embarq Corp.
7.082%, 6/01/16

     644     715,654

Qwest Corp.
7.50%, 10/01/14

     625     639,062

7.875%, 9/01/11

     660     685,575

Telecom Italia Capital SA
6.175%, 6/18/14

     545     601,481

Telus Corp.
8.00%, 6/01/11

     425     465,494

Verizon Communications, Inc.
4.90%, 9/15/15

     380     410,176

5.25%, 4/15/13

     465     507,981

Vodafone Group PLC
7.75%, 2/15/10

     790     801,242
        
       7,027,726
        

Consumer Cyclical - Automotive – 0.2%

    

Daimler Finance North America LLC
5.75%, 9/08/11

     240     254,261

7.30%, 1/15/12

     211     232,080

7.75%, 1/18/11

     79     83,918

Harley-Davidson Funding Corp.
5.75%, 12/15/14(b)

     270     272,265

Volvo Treasury AB
5.95%, 4/01/15(b)

     497     519,845
        
       1,362,369
        

Consumer Cyclical - Entertainment – 0.2%

    

Time Warner, Inc.
6.875%, 5/01/12

     465     515,614

7.625%, 4/15/31

     600     695,709

 

18     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Portfolio of Investments


 

Company    Principal
Amount
(000)
  U.S. $ Value
 
    

Viacom, Inc.
5.625%, 9/15/19

   $ 535   $ 571,206
        
       1,782,529
        

Consumer Non-Cyclical – 1.1%

    

Altria Group, Inc.
9.70%, 11/10/18

     365     451,617

Baxter FinCo BV
4.75%, 10/15/10

     400     414,709

Bottling Group LLC
6.95%, 3/15/14

     525     617,910

Bunge Ltd. Finance Corp.
5.875%, 5/15/13

     415     442,459

Cadbury Schweppes US Finance LLC
5.125%, 10/01/13(b)

     590     624,684

Campbell Soup Co.
6.75%, 2/15/11

     505     541,035

Delhaize Group SA
5.875%, 2/01/14

     150     163,615

Diageo Capital PLC
7.375%, 1/15/14

     535     629,152

Fisher Scientific International, Inc.
6.125%, 7/01/15

     840     871,500

Fortune Brands, Inc.
3.00%, 6/01/12

     305     305,572

4.875%, 12/01/13

     355     366,230

Kroger Co.
6.80%, 4/01/11

     580     620,698

Pepsico, Inc.
4.65%, 2/15/13

     570     619,198

Pfizer, Inc.
5.35%, 3/15/15

     600     671,312

The Procter & Gamble Co.
4.70%, 2/15/19

     590     627,472

Whirlpool Corp.
8.60%, 5/01/14

     75     86,733

Wyeth
5.50%, 2/01/14

     480     533,344
        
       8,587,240
        

Energy – 0.7%

    

Anadarko Petroleum Corp.
5.95%, 9/15/16

     540     589,209

6.45%, 9/15/36

     190     199,474

Apache Corp.
5.25%, 4/15/13

     330     360,579

Baker Hughes, Inc.
6.50%, 11/15/13

     300     345,503

Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.
5.15%, 2/01/13

     250     269,249

Hess Corp.
8.125%, 2/15/19

     87     107,061

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     19

 

Portfolio of Investments


 

Company    Principal
Amount
(000)
  U.S. $ Value
 
    

Nabors Industries, Inc.
9.25%, 1/15/19

   $ 635   $ 790,919

Noble Energy, Inc.
8.25%, 3/01/19

     610     740,101

The Premcor Refining Group, Inc.
7.50%, 6/15/15

     614     637,942

Valero Energy Corp.
6.875%, 4/15/12

     580     634,859

Weatherford International Ltd.
5.15%, 3/15/13

     325     343,908

9.625%, 3/01/19

     280     349,814
        
       5,368,618
        

Other Industrial – 0.1%

    

Noble Group Ltd.
6.75%, 1/29/20(b)

     635     635,000
        

Services – 0.1%

    

The Western Union Co.
5.93%, 10/01/16

     820     904,531
        

Technology – 0.6%

    

Cisco Systems, Inc.
5.25%, 2/22/11

     560     591,160

Computer Sciences Corp.
5.50%, 3/15/13

     465     501,443

Dell, Inc.
5.625%, 4/15/14

     370     413,798

Electronic Data Systems Corp.
Series B
6.00%, 8/01/13

     820     923,258

Motorola, Inc.
6.50%, 9/01/25

     535     481,639

7.50%, 5/15/25

     90     87,242

Oracle Corp.
4.95%, 4/15/13

     391     427,840

Xerox Corp.
8.25%, 5/15/14

     630     732,951
        
       4,159,331
        

Transportation - Airlines – 0.1%

    

Southwest Airlines Co.
5.25%, 10/01/14

     842     863,200
        

Transportation - Railroads – 0.1%

    

CSX Corp.
5.50%, 8/01/13

     280     304,427
        
       49,809,366
        

Financial Institutions – 4.8%

    

Banking – 2.5%

    

American Express Co.
7.25%, 5/20/14

     270     308,503

8.125%, 5/20/19

     615     739,004

 

20     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Portfolio of Investments


 

Company    Principal
Amount
(000)
  U.S. $ Value
 
    

ANZ National International Ltd.
6.20%, 7/19/13(b)

   $ 375   $ 414,311

Bank of America Corp.
4.50%, 8/01/10

     595     608,435

Barclays Bank PLC
8.55%, 6/15/11(b)(c)

     705     662,700

The Bear Stearns Co., Inc.
5.55%, 1/22/17

     1,020     1,055,563

7.625%, 12/07/09

     850     850,649

Citigroup, Inc.
4.625%, 8/03/10

     760     776,254

5.50%, 4/11/13

     575     594,291

8.50%, 5/22/19

     675     762,329

Countrywide Financial Corp.
5.80%, 6/07/12

     382     408,429

6.25%, 5/15/16

     1,278     1,295,162

Countrywide Home Loans, Inc.
Series L
4.00%, 3/22/11

     32     32,689

Credit Agricole SA
8.375%, 10/13/19(b)

     373     391,650

Credit Suisse USA, Inc.
5.50%, 8/15/13

     248     273,291

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
4.75%, 7/15/13

     410     435,625

5.125%, 1/15/15

     370     392,761

6.00%, 5/01/14

     295     325,538

7.50%, 2/15/19

     605     714,460

Morgan Stanley
5.05%, 1/21/11

     840     869,938

5.30%, 3/01/13

     280     299,219

6.625%, 4/01/18

     715     775,714

Rabobank Nederland
11.00%, 6/30/19(b)(c)

     110     136,005

Regions Financial Corp.
6.375%, 5/15/12

     1,250     1,201,358

Sovereign Bank
5.125%, 3/15/13

     785     807,586

UBS Preferred Funding Trust II
7.247%, 6/26/11(c)

     1,000     881,862

Unicredito Italiano Capital Trust II
9.20%, 10/05/10(b)(c)

     1,320     1,240,800

Union Bank of California
5.95%, 5/11/16

     405     412,090

Wachovia Corp.
5.50%, 5/01/13

     820     888,191

Wells Fargo & Co.
4.20%, 1/15/10

     445     446,736

5.625%, 12/11/17

     335     349,558
        
       19,350,701
        

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     21

 

Portfolio of Investments


 

Company    Principal
Amount
(000)
  U.S. $ Value
 
    

Finance – 0.4%

    

General Electric Capital Corp.
4.80%, 5/01/13

   $ 840   $ 891,271

5.625%, 5/01/18

     710     732,065

HSBC Finance Corp.
7.00%, 5/15/12

     365     400,732

SLM Corp. Series A
5.375%, 1/15/13

     1,335     1,194,324
        
       3,218,392
        

Insurance – 1.5%

    

Aetna, Inc.
6.00%, 6/15/16

     190     204,745

Allied World Assurance Co. Holdings Ltd.
7.50%, 8/01/16

     165     177,335

Assurant, Inc.
5.625%, 2/15/14

     245     256,392

Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corp.
4.20%, 12/15/10

     590     612,127

CNA Financial Corp.
5.85%, 12/15/14

     340     341,116

Coventry Health Care, Inc.
5.95%, 3/15/17

     130     120,740

6.125%, 1/15/15

     55     53,696

6.30%, 8/15/14

     415     409,003

Genworth Financial, Inc.
6.515%, 5/22/18

     825     729,438

Guardian Life Insurance
7.375%, 9/30/39(b)

     315     320,069

Humana, Inc.
6.30%, 8/01/18

     90     88,695

6.45%, 6/01/16

     65     66,028

7.20%, 6/15/18

     430     449,464

Liberty Mutual Group, Inc.
5.75%, 3/15/14(b)

     795     802,116

Lincoln National Corp.
8.75%, 7/01/19

     172     200,652

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co.
8.875%, 6/01/39(b)

     345     422,734

MetLife, Inc.
7.717%, 2/15/19

     158     189,461

10.75%, 8/01/39

     205     246,000

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co.
5.81%, 12/15/24(b)(c)

     2,213     1,745,858

Principal Financial Group, Inc.
7.875%, 5/15/14

     490     554,854

Prudential Financial, Inc.
5.15%, 1/15/13

     520     549,801

6.20%, 1/15/15

     65     70,032

8.875%, 6/15/68

     250     257,500

Series D
7.375%, 6/15/19

     50     56,793

 

22     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Portfolio of Investments


 

Company    Principal
Amount
(000)
  U.S. $ Value
 
    

UnitedHealth Group, Inc.
5.25%, 3/15/11

   $ 635   $ 661,659

WellPoint, Inc.
5.25%, 1/15/16

     425     442,841

XL Capital Ltd.
Series E
6.50%, 4/15/17(c)

     355     257,375

ZFS Finance USA Trust I
6.15%, 12/15/65(b)(c)

     1,000     885,000
        
       11,171,524
        

REITS – 0.4%

    

ERP Operating LP
5.25%, 9/15/14

     935     965,338

HCP, Inc.
5.95%, 9/15/11

     885     919,932

Simon Property Group LP
5.00%, 3/01/12

     835     873,818
        
       2,759,088
        
       36,499,705
        

Utility – 1.1%

    

Electric – 0.8%

    

Allegheny Energy Supply
5.75%, 10/15/19(b)

     640     635,155

Ameren Corp.
8.875%, 5/15/14

     335     378,994

FirstEnergy Corp.
Series B
6.45%, 11/15/11

     46     49,787

Series C
7.375%, 11/15/31

     395     441,565

FPL Group Capital, Inc.
6.65%, 6/15/67(c)

     1,290     1,196,475

MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co.
5.875%, 10/01/12

     375     413,623

Nisource Finance Corp.
6.80%, 1/15/19

     865     932,411

The Southern Co.
Series A
5.30%, 1/15/12

     229     246,795

SPI Electricity & Gas Australia Holdings Pty Ltd.
6.15%, 11/15/13(b)

     1,200     1,286,309

Union Electric Co.
6.70%, 2/01/19

     60     68,360
        
       5,649,474
        

Natural Gas – 0.2%

    

Enterprise Products Operating LLC
Series G
5.60%, 10/15/14

     465     505,939

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     23

 

Portfolio of Investments


 

Company    Principal
Amount
(000)
  U.S. $ Value
 
    

TransCanada Pipelines Ltd.
6.35%, 5/15/67(c)

   $ 965   $ 902,948

Williams Co., Inc.
7.875%, 9/01/21

     368     410,637
        
       1,819,524
        

Other Utility – 0.1%

    

Veolia Environnement
6.00%, 6/01/18

     555     605,864
        
       8,074,862
        

Non Corporate Sectors – 0.4%

    

Agencies - Not Government Guaranteed – 0.4%

    

Gaz Capital SA
6.212%, 11/22/16(b)

     1,265     1,223,887

Petrobras International Finance
5.75%, 1/20/20

     960     978,000

TransCapitalInvest Ltd. for OJSC AK Transneft
8.70%, 8/07/18(b)

     690     779,700
        
       2,981,587
        

Total Corporates - Investment Grades
(cost $93,056,374)

       97,365,520
        
    

MORTGAGE PASS-THRU’S – 6.3%

    

Agency Fixed Rate 30-Year – 5.5%

    

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. Gold
Series 2005
4.50%, 10/01/35

     3,265     3,360,973

5.50%, 1/01/35

     4,522     4,834,325

Series 2008
6.50%, 5/01/35

     891     972,625

Federal National Mortgage Association
6.50%, TBA

     720     777,712

Series 2004
6.00%, 11/01/34

     2,531     2,732,593

Series 2006
5.00%, 2/01/36

     5,969     6,272,458

Series 2007
4.50%, 1/01/36

     5,378     5,558,574

Series 2008
5.50%, 8/01/37

     11,317     12,077,436

6.00%, 3/01/37

     4,857     5,231,809
        
       41,818,505
        

Agency ARMS – 0.8%

    

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.
Series 2006
5.908%, 1/01/37(d)

     430     451,500

6.241%, 12/01/36(d)

     443     466,113

 

24     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Portfolio of Investments


 

Company    Principal
Amount
(000)
  U.S. $ Value
 
    

Series 2007
5.978%, 2/01/37(d)

   $ 523   $ 549,803

6.074%, 1/01/37(d)

     238     250,501

Series 2009
4.741%, 4/01/36(c)

     1,549     1,619,389

Federal National Mortgage Association
Series 2007
4.729%, 3/01/34(c)

     1,310     1,367,905

4.941%, 8/01/37(c)

     582     610,444

5.93%, 2/01/37(d)

     431     454,349
        
       5,770,004
        

Total Mortgage Pass-Thru’s
(cost $45,402,345)

       47,588,509
        
    

GOVERNMENTS - TREASURIES – 5.6%

    

United States – 5.6%

    

U.S. Treasury Bonds
3.75%, 11/15/18

     6,785     7,115,769

4.50%, 2/15/36

     4,690     4,933,294

U.S. Treasury Notes
1.75%, 11/15/11-1/31/14

     14,460     14,654,344

2.375%, 8/31/14

     10,310     10,533,119

2.625%, 7/31/14

     4,910     5,078,781
        

Total Governments - Treasuries
(cost $41,594,372)

       42,315,307
        
    

COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES – 2.9%

    

Non-Agency Fixed Rate CMBS – 2.9%

    

Banc of America Commercial Mortgage, Inc.
Series 2007-5, Class A4
5.492%, 2/10/51

     1,510     1,272,193

Commercial Mortgage Pass Through Certificates
Series 2006-C8, Class A4
5.306%, 12/10/46

     1,230     1,038,886

Series 2007-C9, Class A4
6.01%, 12/10/49

     1,710     1,527,245

Credit Suisse Mortgage Capital Certificates
Series 2006-C3, Class A3
6.02%, 6/15/38

     1,325     1,114,493

Greenwich Capital Commercial Funding Corp.
Series 2005-GG5, Class AJ
5.478%, 4/10/37

     360     235,436

Series 2007-GG11, Class A4
5.736%, 12/10/49

     1,300     1,136,212

Series 2007-GG9, Class A4
5.444%, 3/10/39

     1,070     913,099

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     25

 

Portfolio of Investments


 

Company    Principal
Amount
(000)
  U.S. $ Value
 
    

JP Morgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Corp.
Series 2006-CB15, Class A4
5.814%, 6/12/43

   $ 1,630   $ 1,571,919

Series 2006-CB16, Class A4
5.552%, 5/12/45

     1,220     1,171,229

Series 2007-C1, Class A4
5.716%, 2/15/51

     1,720     1,327,812

Series 2007-CB18, Class A4
5.44%, 6/12/47

     1,735     1,493,202

Series 2007-LD11, Class A4
6.006%, 6/15/49

     1,735     1,496,263

LB-UBS Commercial Mortgage Trust
Series 2006-C7, Class A3
5.347%, 11/15/38

     1,020     962,492

Series 2007-C1, Class A4
5.424%, 2/15/40

     1,700     1,416,718

Merrill Lynch/Countrywide Commercial Mortgage Trust
Series 2006-3, Class A4
5.414%, 7/12/46

     1,805     1,692,121

Series 2006-4, Class AM
5.204%, 12/12/49

     435     314,191

Wachovia Bank Commercial Mortgage Trust
Series 2006-C27, Class A3
5.765%, 7/15/45

     1,705     1,530,482

Series 2007-C31, Class A4
5.509%, 4/15/47

     1,730     1,386,893

Series 2007-C32, Class A3
5.929%, 6/15/49

     693     575,594
        

Total Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities
(cost $24,447,092)

       22,176,480
        
    

CORPORATES - NON-INVESTMENT GRADES – 1.7%

    

Industrial – 0.9%

    

Basic – 0.3%

    

Steel Capital SA for OAO Severstal
9.75%, 7/29/13(b)

     315     317,772

United States Steel Corp.
5.65%, 6/01/13

     770     750,233

Weyerhaeuser Co.
7.375%, 3/15/32

     905     825,300
        
       1,893,305
        

Capital Goods – 0.3%

    

Bombardier, Inc.
6.75%, 5/01/12(b)

     370     375,550

Case New Holland, Inc.
7.125%, 3/01/14

     125     123,438

 

26     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Portfolio of Investments


 

Company    Principal
Amount
(000)
  U.S. $ Value
 
    

Hanson Australia Funding Ltd.
5.25%, 3/15/13

   $ 945   $ 907,200

Owens Corning, Inc.
6.50%, 12/01/16

     558     554,862

Textron Financial Corp.
4.60%, 5/03/10

     51     50,964

5.40%, 4/28/13

     103     101,875
        
       2,113,889
        

Communications - Media – 0.1%

    

Clear Channel Communications, Inc.
5.50%, 9/15/14

     840     428,400

CSC Holdings, Inc.
8.50%, 4/15/14(b)

     245     257,556

Univision Communications, Inc.
12.00%, 7/01/14(b)

     63     68,513
        
       754,469
        

Consumer Cyclical - Automotive – 0.0%

    

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.
9.00%, 7/01/15

     250     255,625
        

Consumer Cyclical - Other – 0.1%

    

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
7.875%, 5/01/12

     422     446,265

Wyndham Worldwide Corp.
6.00%, 12/01/16

     666     620,546
        
       1,066,811
        

Consumer Non-Cyclical – 0.1%

    

Bausch & Lomb, Inc.
9.875%, 11/01/15

     235     241,462

HCA, Inc.
7.875%, 2/15/20(b)

     185     189,625

8.50%, 4/15/19(b)

     65     68,575
        
       499,662
        

Energy – 0.0%

    

Tesoro Corp.
6.50%, 6/01/17

     285     255,788
        

Technology – 0.0%

    

Flextronics International Ltd.
6.50%, 5/15/13

     225     221,625
        
       7,061,174
        

Financial Institutions – 0.6%

    

Banking – 0.3%

    

BankAmerica Capital II
Series 2
8.00%, 12/15/26

     559     519,870

NB Capital Trust IV
8.25%, 4/15/27

     485     464,387

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     27

 

Portfolio of Investments


 

Company    Principal
Amount
(000)
  U.S. $ Value
 
    

Northern Rock PLC
5.60%, 4/30/14(b)(c)

   $ 2,975   $ 357,000

RBS Capital Trust III
5.512%, 9/30/14(c)

     1,100     492,250
        
       1,833,507
        

Brokerage – 0.0%

    

Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc.
7.875%, 11/01/09(e)

     845     164,775
        

Finance – 0.1%

    

American General Finance Corp.
5.85%, 6/01/13

     890     700,934

Series I
4.875%, 7/15/12

     405     337,648
        
       1,038,582
        

Insurance – 0.2%

    

ING Capital Funding Trust III
8.439%, 12/31/10(c)

     1,000     847,500

Liberty Mutual Group, Inc.
7.80%, 3/15/37(b)

     520     410,800
        
       1,258,300
        
       4,295,164
        

Utility – 0.2%

    

Electric – 0.2%

    

The AES Corp.
7.75%, 3/01/14-10/15/15

     250     250,625

Dynegy Holdings, Inc.
8.375%, 5/01/16

     395     362,412

Edison Mission Energy
7.00%, 5/15/17

     280     204,400

NRG Energy, Inc.
7.25%, 2/01/14

     365     368,194

RRI Energy, Inc.
7.625%, 6/15/14

     145     140,650
        
       1,326,281
        

Total Corporates - Non-Investment Grades
(cost $17,780,067)

       12,682,619
        
    

AGENCIES – 0.8%

    

Agency Debentures – 0.8%

    

Federal National Mortgage Association
6.25%, 5/15/29

     4,745     5,678,916

6.625%, 11/15/30

     375     470,003
        

Total Agencies
(cost $5,942,338)

       6,148,919
        

 

28     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Portfolio of Investments


 

Company    Principal
Amount
(000)
  U.S. $ Value
 
    

GOVERNMENTS - SOVEREIGN BONDS – 0.7%

    

Brazil – 0.2%

    

Republic of Brazil
8.25%, 1/20/34

   $ 945   $ 1,228,500
        

Croatia – 0.1%

    

Republic of Croatia
6.75%, 11/05/19(b)

     630     679,518
        

Lithuania – 0.1%

    

Republic of Lithuania
6.75%, 1/15/15(b)

     635     637,762
        

Peru – 0.2%

    

Republic of Peru
8.375%, 5/03/16

     385     471,625

9.875%, 2/06/15

     835     1,064,625
        
       1,536,250
        

Poland – 0.1%

    

Poland Government International Bond
6.375%, 7/15/19

     1,090     1,199,000
        

Total Governments - Sovereign Bonds
(cost $4,609,686)

       5,281,030
        
    

ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES – 0.6%

    

Home Equity Loans - Floating Rate – 0.4%

    

HFC Home Equity Loan Asset Backed Certificates
Series 2007-1, Class M1
0.62%, 3/20/36(d)

     2,680     1,154,630

Indymac Residential Asset Backed Trust
Series 2006-D, Class 2A2
0.35%, 11/25/36(d)

     1,285     879,166

Newcastle Mortgage Securities Trust
Series 2007-1, Class 2A1
0.37%, 4/25/37(d)

     1,516     913,278

Option One Mortgage Loan Trust
Series 2007-2, Class M1
0.60%, 3/25/37(d)

     930     7,798
        
       2,954,872
        

Credit Cards - Fixed Rate – 0.1%

    

Capital One Multi-Asset Execution Trust
Series 2008-A5, Class A5
4.85%, 2/18/14

     925     969,698
        

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     29

 

Portfolio of Investments


 

Company    Principal
Amount
(000)
  U.S. $ Value
 
    

Home Equity Loans - Fixed Rate – 0.1%

    

Countrywide Asset-Backed Certificates
Series 2007-S1, Class A3
5.81%, 11/25/36

   $ 2,219   $ 701,999
        

Other ABS - Floating Rate – 0.0%

    

Petra CRE CDO Ltd.
Series 2007-1A, Class C
1.344%, 2/25/47(b)(d)

     795     7,950
        

Total Asset-Backed Securities
(cost $10,347,389)

       4,634,519
        
     Shares    

PREFERRED STOCKS – 0.4%

    

Industrial – 0.2%

    

Communications - Telecommunications – 0.2%

    

Centaur Funding Corp.
9.08%(b)

     1,200     1,182,375
        
    

Utility – 0.1%

    

Other Utility – 0.1%

    

Dte Energy Trust I
7.80%

     45,000     1,158,750
        
    

Financial Institutions – 0.1%

    

Banking – 0.1%

    

Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC
5.75%

     50,000     645,000
        
    

Non Corporate Sectors – 0.0%

    

Agencies - Government Sponsored – 0.0%

    

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.
Series Z
8.375%(c)

     18,050     14,801

Federal National Mortgage Association
8.25%(c)

     26,650     19,188
        
       33,989
        

Total Preferred Stocks
(cost $4,939,590)

       3,020,114
        
     Principal
Amount
(000)
   

INFLATION-LINKED SECURITIES – 0.4%

    

United States – 0.4%

    

U.S. Treasury Notes
3.00%, 7/15/12 (TIPS)
(cost $2,514,707)

   $ 2,396     2,597,523
        

 

30     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Portfolio of Investments


 

Company    Principal
Amount
(000)
  U.S. $ Value  
   
    

QUASI-SOVEREIGNS – 0.3%

    

Quasi-Sovereign Bonds – 0.3%

    

Russia – 0.3%

    

RSHB Capital SA for OJSC Russian Agricultural Bank
6.299%, 5/15/17(b)

   $ 1,360   $ 1,349,800   

7.75%, 5/29/18(b)

     1,040     1,136,200   
          

Total Quasi-Sovereigns
(cost $2,339,183)

       2,486,000   
          
    

EMERGING MARKETS - CORPORATE BONDS – 0.0%

    

Industrial – 0.0%

    

Energy – 0.0%

    

Ecopetrol SA
7.625%, 7/23/19
(cost $217,239)

     218     246,078   
          
    

CMOS – 0.0%

    

Non-Agency ARMS – 0.0%

    

Deutsche Mortgage Securities, Inc.
Series 2005-WF1, Class 1A1
5.152%, 6/26/35(b)(c)

     56     55,417   
          

Non-Agency Floating Rate – 0.0%

    

Countrywide Alternative Loan Trust
Series 2007-OA3, Class M1
0.55%, 4/25/47(d)

     780     2,899   
          

Total CMOs
(cost $834,154)

       58,316   
          
     Shares      

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS – 3.3%

    

Investment Companies – 3.3%

    

AllianceBernstein Fixed-Income Shares, Inc. – Government STIF Portfolio, 0.10%(f)
(cost $24,643,358)

     24,643,358     24,643,358   
          

Total Investments – 100.5%
(cost $708,259,199)

       759,414,363   

Other assets less liabilities – (0.5)%

       (3,825,211
          

Net Assets – 100.0%

     $ 755,589,152   
          

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     31

 

Portfolio of Investments


 

(a)   Non-income producing security.

 

(b)   Security is exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. These securities are considered liquid and may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. At November 30, 2009, the aggregate market value of these securities amounted to $21,503,996 or 2.8% of net assets.

 

(c)   Variable rate coupon, rate shown as of November 30, 2009.

 

(d)   Floating Rate Security. Stated interest rate was in effect at November 30, 2009.

 

(e)   Security is in default and is non-income producing.

 

(f)   Investment in affiliated money market mutual fund. The rate shown represents the 7-day yield as of period end.

 

    The fund currently owns investments collateralized by subprime mortgage loans. Subprime loans are offered to homeowners who do not have a history of debt or who have had problems meeting their debt obligations. Because repayment is less certain, subprime borrowers pay a higher rate of interest than prime borrowers. As of November 30, 2009, the fund’s total exposure to subprime investments was 0.49% of net assets. These investments are valued in accordance with the fund’s Valuation Policies (see Note A for additional details).

Glossary:

ABS – Asset-Backed Securities

ADR – American Depositary Receipt

ARMS – Adjustable Rate Mortgages

CDO – Collateralized Debt Obligation

CMBS – Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities

CMOs – Collateralized Mortgage Obligations

LP – Limited Partnership

OJSC – Open Joint Stock Company

REIT – Real Estate Investment Trust

TBA – To Be Announced

TIPS – Treasury Inflation Protected Security

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

32     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Portfolio of Investments


STATEMENT OF ASSETS & LIABILITIES

November 30, 2009

 

Assets   

Investments in securities, at value

  

Unaffiliated issuers (cost $683,615,841)

   $ 734,771,005   

Affiliated issuers (cost $24,643,358)

     24,643,358   

Cash

     27,241   

Interest and dividends receivable

     4,068,971   

Receivable for capital stock sold

     3,174,368   

Receivable for investment securities sold

     1,875,176   
        

Total assets

     768,560,119   
        
Liabilities   

Payable for investment securities purchased

     8,409,301   

Payable for capital stock redeemed

     3,725,089   

Advisory fee payable

     288,730   

Distribution fee payable

     280,894   

Transfer Agent fee payable

     61,428   

Administrative fee payable

     25,250   

Accrued expenses

     180,275   
        

Total liabilities

     12,970,967   
        

Net Assets

   $ 755,589,152   
        
Composition of Net Assets   

Capital stock, at par

   $ 572,476   

Additional paid-in capital

     869,373,103   

Undistributed net investment income

     3,402,840   

Accumulated net realized loss on investment transactions

         (168,914,431

Net unrealized appreciation on investments

     51,155,164   
        
   $ 755,589,152   
        

Net Asset Value Per Share—21 billion shares of capital stock authorized, $.01 par value

 

Class   Net Assets      Shares
Outstanding
     Net Asset
Value
 
A   $   481,426,648      35,859,864      $   13.43
   
B   $ 121,871,057      9,676,740      $ 12.59   
   
C   $ 84,098,479      6,639,887      $ 12.67   
   
Advisor   $ 56,024,226      4,162,571      $ 13.46   
   
R   $ 6,645,047      496,532      $ 13.38   
   
K   $ 3,377,840      252,085      $ 13.40   
   
I   $ 2,145,855      159,888      $ 13.42   
   

 

*   The maximum offering price per share for Class A shares was $14.03 which reflects a sales charge of 4.25%.

See notes to financial statements.

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     33

 

Statement of Assets & Liabilities


STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS

Year Ended November 30, 2009

 

Investment Income      

Interest

   $     14,064,554   

Dividends

     

Unaffiliated issuers (net of foreign taxes withheld of $166,103)

     11,124,349   

Affiliated issuers

     47,459    $ 25,236,362   
         
Expenses      

Advisory fee (see Note B)

     3,585,369   

Distribution fee—Class A

     1,302,785   

Distribution fee—Class B

     1,383,678   

Distribution fee—Class C

     809,190   

Distribution fee—Class R

     29,528   

Distribution fee—Class K

     11,963   

Transfer agency—Class A

     936,529   

Transfer agency—Class B

     371,620   

Transfer agency—Class C

     185,708   

Transfer agency—Advisor Class

     108,870   

Transfer agency—Class R

     13,996   

Transfer agency—Class K

     8,886   

Transfer agency—Class I

     15,131   

Custodian

     209,875   

Printing

     156,254   

Registration fees

     138,829   

Administrative

     98,250   

Audit

     53,421   

Directors’ fees

     49,170   

Legal

     37,945   

Miscellaneous

     34,854   
         

Total expenses

        9,541,851   
           

Net investment income

        15,694,511   
           
Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investment Transactions      

Net realized loss on investment transactions

        (77,544,459

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments

        221,914,904   
           

Net gain on investment transactions

        144,370,445   
           

Net Increase in Net Assets from Operations

      $     160,064,956   
           

See notes to financial statements.

 

34     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Statement of Operations


STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS

 

     Year Ended
November 30,
2009
    Year Ended
November 30,
2008
 
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets from Operations     

Net investment income

   $ 15,694,511      $ 26,216,643   

Net realized loss on investment transactions

     (77,544,459     (90,231,960

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments

     221,914,904        (383,752,000
                

Net increase (decrease) in net assets from operations

     160,064,956        (447,767,317
Dividends and Distributions to Shareholders from     

Net investment income

    

Class A

     (10,906,053     (18,162,850

Class B

     (2,619,342     (4,721,935

Class C

     (1,470,168     (2,273,916

Advisor Class

     (1,410,239     (2,037,633

Class R

     (130,574     (184,388

Class K

     (128,205     (179,051

Class I

     (493,163     (627,657

Net realized gain on investment transactions

    

Class A

     – 0  –      (68,968,279

Class B

     – 0  –      (27,906,108

Class C

     – 0  –      (12,931,278

Advisor Class

     – 0  –      (6,687,542

Class R

     – 0  –      (660,323

Class K

     – 0  –      (571,991

Class I

     – 0  –      (1,169,102
Capital Stock Transactions     

Net decrease

         (158,605,119         (229,219,286
Capital Contributions     

Proceeds from third party regulatory settlement (see Note E)

     62,038        – 0  – 
                

Total decrease

     (15,635,869     (824,068,656
Net Assets     

Beginning of period

     771,225,021        1,595,293,677   
                

End of period (including undistributed net investment income of $3,402,840 and $4,732,881, respectively)

   $ 755,589,152      $ 771,225,021   
                

See notes to financial statements.

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     35

 

Statement of Changes in Net Assets


NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

November 30, 2009

 

NOTE A

Significant Accounting Policies

AllianceBernstein Balanced Shares, Inc. (the “Fund”) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as a diversified, open-end management investment company. The Fund offers Class A, Class B, Class C, Advisor Class, Class R, Class K and Class I shares. Class A shares are sold with a front-end sales charge of up to 4.25% for purchases not exceeding $1,000,000. With respect to purchases of $1,000,000 or more, Class A shares redeemed within one year of purchase may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge of 1%. Class B shares are currently sold with a contingent deferred sales charge which declines from 4% to zero depending on the period of time the shares are held. Effective January 31, 2009, sales of Class B shares of the Fund 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 Fund’s Automatic Investment Program (the “Program”) for accounts that established the Program prior to January 31, 2009, and (iv) for purchases of additional shares by Class B shareholders as of January 31, 2009. The ability to establish a new Program for accounts containing Class B shares was suspended as of January 31, 2009. Class B shares will automatically convert to Class A shares eight years after the end of the calendar month of purchase. Class C shares are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge of 1% on redemptions made within the first year after purchase. Class R and Class K shares are sold without an initial or contingent deferred sales charge. Advisor Class and Class I shares are sold without an initial or contingent deferred sales charge and are not subject to ongoing distribution expenses. All seven classes of shares have identical voting, dividend, liquidation and other rights, except that the classes bear different distribution and transfer agency expenses. Each class has exclusive voting rights with respect to its distribution plan. The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) which require management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Fund.

1. Security Valuation

Portfolio securities are valued at their current market value determined on the basis of market quotations or, if market quotations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable, at “fair value” as determined in accordance with procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Fund’s Board of Directors.

In general, the market value of securities which are readily available and deemed reliable are determined as follows. Securities listed on a national securities exchange (other than securities listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc.

 

36     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Notes to Financial Statements


 

(“NASDAQ”)) or on a foreign securities exchange are valued at the last sale price at the close of the exchange or foreign securities exchange. If there has been no sale on such day, the securities are valued at the mean of the closing bid and asked prices on such day. Securities listed on more than one exchange are valued by reference to the principal exchange on which the securities are traded; securities listed only on NASDAQ are valued in accordance with the NASDAQ Official Closing Price; listed put or call options are valued at the last sale price. If there has been no sale on that day, such securities will be valued at the closing bid prices on that day; open futures contracts and options thereon are valued using 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 day of valuation, the last available closing settlement price is used; securities traded in the over-the-counter market (“OTC”) are valued at the mean of the current bid and asked prices as reported by the National Quotation Bureau or other comparable sources; U.S. government securities and other debt instruments having 60 days or less remaining until maturity are valued at amortized cost if their original maturity was 60 days or less; or by amortizing their fair value as of the 61st day prior to maturity if their original term to maturity exceeded 60 days; fixed-income securities, including mortgage backed and asset backed securities, may be valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service or at a price obtained from one or more of the major broker/dealers. In cases where broker/dealer quotes are obtained, AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) may establish procedures whereby changes in market yields or spreads are used to adjust, on a daily basis, a recently obtained quoted price on a security; and OTC and other derivatives are valued on the basis of a quoted bid price or spread from a major broker/dealer in such security. Investments in money market funds are valued at their net asset value each day.

Securities for which market quotations are not readily available (including restricted securities) or are deemed unreliable are valued at fair value. Factors considered in making this determination may include, but are not limited to, information obtained by contacting the issuer, analysts, analysis of the issuer’s financial statements or other available documents. In addition, the Fund may use fair value pricing for securities primarily traded in non-U.S. markets because most foreign markets close well before the Fund 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 and may materially affect the value of those securities. To account for this, the Fund may frequently value many of its foreign equity securities using fair value prices based on third party vendor modeling tools to the extent available.

2. Fair Value Measurements

In accordance with U.S. GAAP regarding fair value measurements, fair value is defined as the price that the Fund would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     37

 

Notes to Financial Statements


 

date. The disclosure requirements also establish a framework for measuring fair value, and a three-level hierarchy for fair value measurements based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability. Inputs may be observable or unobservable and refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Fund. Unobservable inputs reflect the Fund’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances. Each investment is assigned a level based upon the observability of the inputs which are significant to the overall valuation. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized below.

 

   

Level 1—quoted prices in active markets for identical investments

   

Level 2—other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar investments, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

   

Level 3—significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The following table summarizes the valuation of the Fund’s investments by the above fair value hierarchy levels as of November 30, 2009:

 

Investments in
Securities

  Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total

Common Stocks

  $ 488,170,071   $   $   $ 488,170,071

Corporates – Investment Grades

        94,675,357     2,690,163     97,365,520

Mortgage Pass-Thru’s

        47,588,509         47,588,509

Governments – Treasuries

        42,315,307         42,315,307

Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities

        18,351,357     3,825,123     22,176,480

Corporates – Non-Investment Grades

        12,364,847     317,772     12,682,619

Agencies

        6,148,919         6,148,919

Governments – Sovereign Bonds

        2,853,530     2,427,500     5,281,030

Asset-Backed Securities

        969,698     3,664,821     4,634,519

Preferred Stocks

        3,020,114         3,020,114

Inflation-Linked Securities

        2,597,523         2,597,523

Quasi-Sovereigns

            2,486,000     2,486,000

Emerging Markets – Corporate Bonds

        246,078         246,078

CMOs

            58,316     58,316

Short-Term Investments

    24,643,358             24,643,358
                       

Total Investments in Securities

    512,813,429     231,131,239     15,469,695     759,414,363

Other Financial Instruments*

               
                       

Total

  $   512,813,429   $   231,131,239   $   15,469,695   $   759,414,363
                       

 

*   Other financial instruments are derivative instruments, such as futures, forwards and swap contracts, which are valued at the unrealized appreciation/depreciation on the instrument.

 

38     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Notes to Financial Statements


 

Following is a reconciliation of investments in which significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) were used in determining fair value:

 

     Corporates -
Investment
Grades
    Commercial
Mortgage-
Backed
Securities
  Corporates -
Non-Investment
Grades
    Governments -
Sovereign
Bonds
 

Balance as of 11/30/08

  $ 353,576      $   $      $ 1,724,250   

Accrued discounts /premiums

    7,422        85,196     (184     (1,931

Realized gain (loss)

    (12,997                94,246   

Change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation

    931,275        792,212     182,506        426,795   

Net purchases (sales)

    291,253        910,000            184,140   

Net transfers in and/or out of Level 3

    1,119,634        2,037,715     135,450          
                             

Balance as of 11/30/09

  $   2,690,163      $   3,825,123   $   317,772      $   2,427,500   
                             

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation from Investments held as of 11/30/09*

  $ 931,275      $ 792,212   $ 182,506      $ 426,795   
                             

 

     Asset-
Backed
Securities
    Quasi-
Sovereigns
    CMOs     Total  

Balance as of 11/30/08

  $ 5,025,609      $ 443,450      $ 652,257      $ 8,199,142   

Accrued discounts /premiums

    535        4,896        254        96,188   

Realized gain (loss)

    137        21,372        9,660        112,418   

Change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation

    (317,361     1,342,606        147,496        3,505,529   

Net purchases (sales)

      (1,044,099     (464,769       (751,351     (874,826

Net transfers in and/or out of Level 3

           1,138,445               4,431,244   
                               

Balance as of 11/30/09

  $ 3,664,821      $   2,486,000      $ 58,316      $   15,469,695   
                               

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation from Investments held as of 11/30/09*

  $ (317,361   $ 1,342,606      $ 147,496      $ 3,505,529   
                               

 

*   The unrealized appreciation/depreciation is included in net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments in the accompanying statement of operations.

3. Currency Translation

Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies and commitments under forward currency exchange contracts are translated into U.S. dollars at the mean of the quoted bid and asked prices of such currencies against the U.S. dollar. Purchases and sales of portfolio securities are translated into U.S. dollars at the

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     39

 

Notes to Financial Statements


 

rates of exchange prevailing when such securities were acquired or sold. Income and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars at rates of exchange prevailing when accrued.

Net realized gain or loss on foreign currency transactions represents foreign exchange gains and losses from sales and maturities of foreign fixed income investments, foreign currency exchange contracts, holding of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on foreign investment transactions, and the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the Fund’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized currency gains and losses from valuing foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities at period end exchange rates are reflected as a component of net unrealized appreciation or depreciation of investments and foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities.

4. Taxes

It is the Fund’s policy to meet the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute all of its investment company taxable income and net realized gains, if any, to shareholders. Therefore, no provisions for federal income or excise taxes are required. The Fund may be subject to taxes imposed by countries in which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on income and/or capital gains earned or repatriated. Taxes are accrued and applied to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized appreciation/depreciation as such income and/or gains are earned.

In accordance with U.S. GAAP requirements regarding accounting for uncertainties in income taxes, management has analyzed the Fund’s tax positions taken on federal and state income tax returns for all open tax years (the current and the prior three tax years) and has concluded that no provision for income tax is required in the Fund’s financial statements.

5. Investment Income and Investment Transactions

Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date or as soon as the Fund is informed of the dividend. Interest income is accrued daily. Investment transactions are accounted for on the date the securities are purchased or sold. Investment gains or losses are determined on the identified cost basis. The Fund amortizes premiums and accretes discounts as adjustments to interest income.

6. Class Allocations

All income earned and expenses incurred by the Fund are borne on a pro-rata basis by each outstanding class of shares, based on the proportionate interest in the Fund represented by the net assets of such class, except for class specific expenses which are allocated to the respective class. Realized and unrealized gains and losses are allocated among the various share classes based on respective net assets.

 

40     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Notes to Financial Statements


 

7. Dividends and Distributions

Dividends and distributions to shareholders, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income dividends and capital gains distributions are determined in accordance with federal tax regulations and may differ from those determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. To the extent these differences are permanent, such amounts are reclassified within the capital accounts based on their federal tax basis treatment; temporary differences do not require such reclassification.

NOTE B

Advisory Fee and Other Transactions with Affiliates

Under the terms of the investment advisory agreement, the Fund pays the Adviser an advisory fee at an annual rate of .60% of the first $200 million, .50% of the next $200 million and .40% in excess of $400 million of the Fund’s average daily net assets. The fee is accrued daily and paid monthly.

Pursuant to the investment advisory agreement, the Fund may reimburse the Adviser for certain legal and accounting services provided to the Fund by the Adviser. For the year ended November 30, 2009, such fee amounted to $98,250.

The Fund compensates AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, under a Transfer Agency Agreement for providing personnel and facilities to perform transfer agency services for the Fund. ABIS may make payments to intermediaries that provide omnibus account services, sub-accounting services and/or networking services. Such compensation retained by ABIS amounted to $693,142 for the year ended November 30, 2009.

AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (the “Distributor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, serves as the distributor of the Fund’s shares. The Distributor has advised the Fund that it has retained front-end sales charges of $7,634 from the sale of Class A shares and received $7,258, $66,174 and $2,235 in contingent deferred sales charges imposed upon redemptions by shareholders of Class A, Class B and Class C shares, respectively, for the year ended November 30, 2009.

The Fund may invest in the AllianceBernstein Fixed-Income Shares, Inc.—Government STIF Portfolio, an open-end management investment company managed by the Adviser. The Government STIF Portfolio is offered as a cash management option to mutual funds and other institutional accounts of the Adviser, and is not available for direct purchase by members of the public. The Government STIF Portfolio pays no investment management fees but does bear

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     41

 

Notes to Financial Statements


 

its own expenses. A summary of the Fund’s transactions in shares of the Government STIF Portfolio for the year ended November 30, 2009 is as follows:

 

Market Value

November 30, 2008

(000)

  Purchases
at Cost
(000)
  Sales
Proceeds
(000)
  Market Value
November 30, 2009
(000)
  Dividend
Income
(000)
$    9,786   $     280,947   $     266,090   $     24,643   $     47

Brokerage commissions paid on investment transactions for the year ended November 30, 2009 amounted to $1,236,344, of which $128,579 and $0, respectively, was paid to Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. LLC and Sanford C. Bernstein Limited, affiliates of the Adviser.

NOTE C

Distribution Services Agreement

The Fund has adopted a Distribution Services Agreement (the “Agreement”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Under the Agreement, the Fund pays distribution and servicing fees to the Distributor at an annual rate of up to .30% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class A shares, 1% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to both Class B and Class C shares, .50% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class R shares and .25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class K shares. There are no distribution and servicing fees on the Advisor Class and Class I shares. The fees are accrued daily and paid monthly. The Agreement provides that the Distributor will use such payments in their entirety for distribution assistance and promotional activities. Since the commencement of the Fund’s operations, the Distributor has incurred expenses in excess of the distribution costs reimbursed by the Fund in the amounts of $2,461,517, $2,978,679, $313,639 and $204,802 for Class B, Class C, Class R and Class K shares, respectively. While such costs may be recovered from the Fund in future periods so long as the Agreement is in effect, the rate of the distribution and servicing fees payable under the Agreement may not be increased without a shareholder vote. In accordance with the Agreement, there is no provision for recovery of unreimbursed distribution costs incurred by the Distributor beyond the current fiscal year for Class A shares. The Agreement also provides that the Adviser may use its own resources to finance the distribution of the Fund’s shares.

NOTE D

Investment Transactions

Purchases and sales of investment securities (excluding short-term investments) for the year ended November 30, 2009 were as follows:

 

     Purchases    Sales

Investment securities (excluding U.S. government securities)

   $     668,665,332    $     824,339,188

U.S. government securities

     147,095,012      143,078,385

 

42     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Notes to Financial Statements


 

The cost of investments for federal income tax purposes, gross unrealized appreciation and unrealized depreciation are as follows:

 

Cost

   $     715,170,258   
        

Gross unrealized appreciation

   $ 68,155,934   

Gross unrealized depreciation

     (23,911,829
        

Net unrealized appreciation

   $ 44,244,105   
        

1. Derivative Financial Instruments

The Fund may use derivatives to earn income and enhance returns, to hedge or adjust the risk profile of its portfolio, to replace more traditional direct investments, or to obtain exposure to otherwise inaccessible markets. The Fund may also use derivatives for non-hedging purposes as a means of making direct investment in foreign currencies, as described below under “Currency Transactions”.

The principal types of derivatives utilized by the Fund, as well as the methods in which they may be used are:

 

   

Forward Currency Exchange Contracts

The Fund may enter into forward currency exchange contracts in order to hedge its exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates on its foreign portfolio holdings, to hedge certain firm purchase and sale commitments denominated in foreign currencies and for non-hedging purposes as a means of making direct investments in foreign currencies, as described below under “Currency Transactions.”

A forward currency exchange contract is a commitment to purchase or sell a foreign currency at a future date at a negotiated forward rate. The gain or loss arising from the difference between the original contract and the closing of such contract would be included in net realized gain or loss on foreign currency transactions. Fluctuations in the value of open forward currency exchange contracts are recorded for financial reporting purposes as unrealized appreciation and/or depreciation by the Fund. Risks may arise from the potential inability of a counterparty to meet the terms of a contract and from unanticipated movements in the value of a foreign currency relative to the U.S. dollar. The face or contract amount, in U.S. dollars reflects the total exposure the Fund has in that particular currency contract.

 

   

Option Transactions

For hedging and investment purposes, the Fund may purchase and write (sell) put and call options on U.S. and foreign securities and foreign currencies that are traded on U.S. and foreign securities exchanges and over-the-counter markets. The Fund may also use options transactions for non-hedging purposes as a means of making direct investments in foreign currencies, as described below under “Currency Transactions”.

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     43

 

Notes to Financial Statements


 

The risk associated with purchasing an option is that the Fund pays a premium whether or not the option is exercised. Additionally, the Fund bears the risk of loss of the premium and change in market value should the counterparty not perform under the contract. Put and call options purchased are accounted for in the same manner as portfolio securities. The cost of securities acquired through the exercise of call options is increased by premiums paid. The proceeds from securities sold through the exercise of put options are decreased by the premiums paid.

When the Fund writes an option, the premium received by the Fund is recorded as a liability and is subsequently adjusted to the current market value of the option written. Premiums received from written options which expire unexercised are recorded by the Fund on the expiration date as realized gains from options written. The difference between the premium received and the amount paid on effecting a closing purchase transaction, including brokerage commissions, is also treated as a realized gain, or if the premium received is less than the amount paid for the closing purchase transaction, as a realized loss. If a call option is exercised, the premium received is added to the proceeds from the sale of the underlying security or currency in determining whether the Fund has realized a gain or loss. If a put option is exercised, the premium received reduces the cost basis of the security or currency purchased by the Fund. In writing an option, the Fund bears the market risk of an unfavorable change in the price of the security or currency underlying the written option. Exercise of an option written by the Fund could result in the Fund selling or buying a security or currency at a price different from the current market value.

The Fund did not engage in derivatives transactions for the year ended November 30, 2009.

2. Currency Transactions

The Fund may invest in non-U.S. Dollar securities on a currency hedged or unhedged basis. The Fund 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 Fund 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 the Fund 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. The Fund 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).

 

44     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Notes to Financial Statements


 

3. Dollar Rolls

The Fund may enter into dollar rolls. Dollar rolls involve sales by the Fund of securities for delivery in the current month and the Fund’s simultaneously contracting to repurchase substantially similar (same type and coupon) securities on a specified future date. During the roll period, the Fund forgoes principal and interest paid on the securities. The Fund 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. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase under the agreement may decline below the repurchase price. Dollar rolls are speculative techniques and may be considered to be borrowings by the Fund. For the year ended November 30, 2009, the Fund earned drop income of $1,737 which is included in interest income in the accompanying statement of operations.

NOTE E

Capital Stock

Each class consists of 3,000,000,000 authorized shares. Transactions in capital shares for each class were as follows:

 

            
     Shares         Amount      
     Year Ended
November 30,
2009
    Year Ended
November 30,
2008
        Year Ended
November 30,
2009
    Year Ended
November 30,
2008
     
        
Class A             

Shares sold

   4,570,762      5,838,765        $ 53,286,824      $ 87,305,543     
     

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends and distributions

   857,964      4,988,402          10,019,458        81,441,109     
     

Shares converted from Class B

   2,529,323      2,212,498          30,540,226        32,908,138     
     

Shares redeemed

   (13,040,621   (24,414,110       (151,960,151     (354,263,158  
     

Net decrease

   (5,082,572   (11,374,445     $ (58,113,643   $ (152,608,368  
     
            
Class B             

Shares sold

   460,951      577,724        $ 4,968,544      $ 8,096,275     
     

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends and distributions

   221,588      1,956,606          2,418,173        30,278,362     
     

Shares converted to Class A

   (2,693,798   (2,352,061       (30,540,226     (32,908,138  
     

Shares redeemed

   (3,268,874   (6,105,985       (35,840,896     (83,476,640  
     

Net decrease

   (5,280,133   (5,923,716     $ (58,994,405   $ (78,010,141  
     

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     45

 

Notes to Financial Statements


 

            
     Shares         Amount      
     Year Ended
November 30,
2009
    Year Ended
November 30,
2008
        Year Ended
November 30,
2009
    Year Ended
November 30,
2008
     
        
Class C             

Shares sold

   668,517      513,294        $ 7,415,255      $ 7,059,136     
     

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends and distributions

   114,440      876,090          1,261,223        13,612,395     
     

Shares redeemed

   (1,987,907   (3,257,992       (21,881,703     (45,054,181  
     

Net decrease

   (1,204,950   (1,868,608     $ (13,205,225   $ (24,382,650  
     
            
Advisor Class             

Shares sold

   633,400      810,525        $ 7,497,507      $ 12,598,864     
     

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends and distributions

   117,663      516,272          1,376,725        8,422,656     
     

Shares redeemed

   (1,259,184   (1,634,199       (14,739,002     (24,576,885  
     

Net decrease

   (508,121   (307,402     $ (5,864,770   $ (3,555,365  
     
            
Class R             

Shares sold

   120,378      282,607        $ 1,411,661      $ 4,395,788     
     

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends and distributions

   11,137      51,996          129,787        844,713     
     

Shares redeemed

   (156,954   (275,180       (1,820,260     (3,786,574  
     

Net increase (decrease)

   (25,439   59,423        $ (278,812   $ 1,453,927     
     
            
Class K             

Shares sold

   81,445      163,555        $ 952,055      $ 2,493,446     
     

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends and distributions

   11,141      46,271          128,203        750,149     
     

Shares redeemed

   (333,387   (139,899       (3,975,671     (2,004,859  
     

Net increase (decrease)

   (240,801   69,927        $ (2,895,413   $ 1,238,736     
     

 

46     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Notes to Financial Statements


 

            
     Shares         Amount      
     Year Ended
November 30,
2009
    Year Ended
November 30,
2008
        Year Ended
November 30,
2009
    Year Ended
November 30,
2008
     
        
Class I             

Shares sold

   101,243      1,879,835        $ 1,168,877      $ 31,421,843     
     

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends and distributions

   42,623      112,524          493,161        1,796,754     
     

Shares redeemed

   (1,650,935   (475,885       (20,914,889     (6,574,022  
     

Net increase (decrease)

   (1,507,069   1,516,474        $ (19,252,851   $ 26,644,575     
     

For the year ended November 30, 2009, the Fund received $62,038 related to a third-party’s settlement of regulatory proceedings involving allegations of improper trading. This amount is presented in the Fund’s statement of changes in net assets. Neither the Fund nor its affiliates were involved in the proceedings or the calculation of the payment.

NOTE F

Risks Involved in Investing in the Fund

Interest Rate Risk and Credit Risk—Interest rate risk is the risk that changes in interest rates will affect the value of the Fund’s investments in fixed-income debt securities such as bonds or notes. Increases in interest rates may cause the value of the Fund’s investments to decline. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer or guarantor of a debt security, or the counterparty to a derivative contract, will be unable or unwilling to make timely principal and/or interest payments, or to otherwise honor its obligations. The degree of risk for a particular security may be reflected in its credit risk rating. Credit risk is greater for medium quality and lower-rated securities. Lower-rated debt securities and similar unrated securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”) have speculative elements or are predominantly speculative risks.

Foreign Securities Risk—Investing in securities of foreign companies or foreign governments involves special risks which include changes in foreign currency exchange rates and the possibility of future political and economic developments which could adversely affect the value of such securities. Moreover, securities of many foreign companies or foreign governments and their markets may be less liquid and their prices more volatile than those of comparable U.S. companies or of the U.S. government.

Currency Risk—This is the risk that changes in foreign currency exchange rates may negatively affect the value of the Fund’s investments or reduce the returns of the Fund. For example, the value of the Fund’s investments in foreign currency-denominated securities or currencies may decrease if the U.S. Dollar is

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     47

 

Notes to Financial Statements


 

strong (i.e., gaining value relative to other currencies) and other currencies are weak (i.e., losing value relative to the U.S. Dollar). Currency markets are generally not as regulated as securities markets. Independent of the Fund’s investments denominated in foreign currencies, the Fund’s positions in various foreign currencies may cause the Fund to experience investment losses due to the changes in exchange rates and interest rates.

Derivatives Risk—The Fund may invest in derivatives such as forwards, options, futures and swaps. These investments may be illiquid, difficult to price, and leveraged so that small changes may produce disproportionate losses for the Fund, and subject to counterparty risk to a greater degree than more traditional investments.

Indemnification Risk—In the ordinary course of business, the Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of indemnifications. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown. However, the Fund has not had prior claims or losses pursuant to these indemnification provisions and expects the risk of loss thereunder to be remote. As such, the Fund has not accrued any liability in connection with these indemnification provisions.

NOTE G

Joint Credit Facility

A number of open-end mutual funds managed by the Adviser, including the Fund, participate in a $140 million revolving credit facility (the “Facility”) intended to provide short-term financing, if necessary, subject to certain restrictions in connection with abnormal redemption activity. Commitment fees related to the Facility are paid by the participating funds and are included in miscellaneous expenses in the statement of operations. The Fund did not utilize the Facility during the year ended November 30, 2009.

NOTE H

Distributions to Shareholders

The tax character of distributions paid during the fiscal years ended November 30, 2009 and November 30, 2008 were as follows:

 

     2009     2008

Distributions paid from:

    

Ordinary income

   $ 17,157,744      $ 29,734,963

Long-term capital gains

     – 0  –      117,347,091
              

Total taxable distributions

     17,157,744        147,082,054
              

Total distributions paid

   $     17,157,744      $     147,082,054
              

 

48     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Notes to Financial Statements


 

As of November 30, 2009, the components of accumulated earnings/(deficit) on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed ordinary income

   $ 3,402,843   

Accumulated capital and other losses

     (162,003,369 )(a) 

Unrealized appreciation/(depreciation)

     44,244,105 (b) 
        

Total accumulated earnings/(deficit)

   $     (114,356,421
        

 

(a)  

On November 30, 2009, the Fund had a net capital loss carryforward for federal income tax purposes of $162,003,369 of which $85,220,715 expires in the year 2016 and $76,782,654 expires in the year 2017. To the extent future capital gains are offset by capital loss carryforwards, such gains will not be distributed.

 

(b)  

The differences between book-basis and tax-basis unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) is attributed to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales.

During the current fiscal year, permanent differences primarily due to premium adjustment on disposition of securities, paydown gain/loss reclassification and consent fee reclassification resulted in an increase in undistributed net investment income and a corresponding increase in accumulated net realized loss on investment transactions. This reclassification had no effect on net assets.

NOTE I

Legal Proceedings

On October 2, 2003, a purported class action complaint entitled Hindo, et al. v. AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Fund, et al. (“Hindo Complaint”) was filed against the Adviser, Alliance Capital Management Holding L.P. (“Alliance Holding”), Alliance Capital Management Corporation, AXA Financial, Inc., the AllianceBernstein Funds, certain officers of the Adviser (“AllianceBernstein defendants”), and certain other unaffiliated defendants, as well as unnamed Doe defendants. The Hindo Complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York by alleged shareholders of two of the AllianceBernstein Funds. The Hindo Complaint alleges that certain of the AllianceBernstein defendants failed to disclose that they improperly allowed certain hedge funds and other unidentified parties to engage in “late trading” and “market timing” of AllianceBernstein Fund securities, violating Sections 11 and 15 of the Securities Act, Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Exchange Act and Sections 206 and 215 of the Advisers Act. Plaintiffs seek an unspecified amount of compensatory damages and rescission of their contracts with the Adviser, including recovery of all fees paid to the Adviser pursuant to such contracts.

Following October 2, 2003, 43 additional lawsuits making factual allegations generally similar to those in the Hindo Complaint were filed in various federal and state courts against the Adviser and certain other defendants. On September 29, 2004, plaintiffs filed consolidated amended complaints with respect to four claim types: mutual fund shareholder claims; mutual fund derivative claims; derivative claims brought on behalf of Alliance Holding; and

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     49

 

Notes to Financial Statements


 

claims brought under ERISA by participants in the Profit Sharing Plan for Employees of the Adviser. All four complaints include substantially identical factual allegations, which appear to be based in large part on the Order of the SEC dated December 18, 2003 as amended and restated January 15, 2004 (“SEC Order”) and the New York State Attorney General Assurance of Discontinuance dated September 1, 2004 (“NYAG Order”).

On April 21, 2006, the Adviser and attorneys for the plaintiffs in the mutual fund shareholder claims, mutual fund derivative claims, and ERISA claims entered into a confidential memorandum of understanding containing their agreement to settle these claims. The agreement will be documented by a stipulation of settlement and will be submitted for court approval at a later date. The settlement amount ($30 million), which the Adviser previously accrued and disclosed, has been disbursed. The derivative claims brought on behalf of Alliance Holding, in which plaintiffs seek an unspecified amount of damages, remain pending.

It is possible that these matters and/or other developments resulting from these matters could result in increased redemptions of the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds’ shares or other adverse consequences to the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds. This may require the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds to sell investments held by those funds to provide for sufficient liquidity and could also have an adverse effect on the investment performance of the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds. However, the Adviser believes that these matters are not likely to have a material adverse effect on its ability to perform advisory services relating to the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds.

NOTE J

Subsequent Events

Management has evaluated subsequent events for possible recognition or disclosure in the financial statements through January 26, 2010, the date the financial statements are issued. Management has determined that there are no material events that would require disclosure in the Fund’s financial statements through this date.

 

50     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Notes to Financial Statements


 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    Class A  
    Year Ended November 30,  
    2009     2008     2007     2006     2005  
     
         

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $  11.06      $  18.28      $  18.29      $  17.60      $  16.81   
     

Income From Investment Operations

         

Net investment income(a)

  .27      .34      .38      .34      .28   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions

  2.39      (5.85   .46      1.61      .81   

Contributions from Adviser

  – 0  –    – 0  –    .03      .00 (b)    – 0  – 
     

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

  2.66      (5.51   .87      1.95      1.09   
     

Less: Dividends and Distributions

         

Dividends from net investment income

  (.29   (.36   (.39   (.32   (.30

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

  – 0  –    (1.35   (.49   (.94   – 0  – 
     

Total dividends and distributions

  (.29   (1.71   (.88   (1.26   (.30
     

Net asset value, end of period

  $  13.43      $  11.06      $  18.28      $  18.29      $  17.60   
     

Total Return

         

Total investment return based on net asset value(c)

  24.43  %*    (33.06 )%*    4.82  %*    11.81  %    6.55  % 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

         

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

  $481,427      $452,619      $956,157      $972,991      $935,414   

Ratio to average net assets of:

         

Expenses

  1.08  %    .97  %    .92  %    .88  %(d)    1.04  % 

Net investment income

  2.30  %    2.30  %    2.10  %    2.00  %(d)    1.64  % 

Portfolio turnover rate

  111  %    118  %    66  %    52  %    57  % 

See footnote summary on page 58.

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     51

 

Financial Highlights


 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    Class B  
    Year Ended November 30,  
    2009     2008     2007     2006     2005  
     
         

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $  10.39      $  17.27      $  17.32      $  16.74      $  16.00   
     

Income From Investment Operations

         

Net investment income(a)

  .17      .22      .23      .20      .15   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions

  2.23      (5.51   .43      1.52      .78   

Contributions from Adviser

  – 0  –    – 0  –    .03      .00 (b)    – 0  – 
     

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

  2.40      (5.29   .69      1.72      .93   
     

Less: Dividends and Distributions

         

Dividends from net investment income

  (.20   (.24   (.25   (.20   (.19

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

  – 0  –    (1.35   (.49   (.94   – 0  – 
     

Total dividends and distributions

  (.20   (1.59   (.74   (1.14   (.19
     

Net asset value, end of period

  $  12.59      $  10.39      $  17.27      $  17.32      $  16.74   
     

Total Return

         

Total investment return based on net asset value(c)

  23.41  %*    (33.56 )%*    4.06  %*    10.94  %    5.82  % 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

         

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

  $121,871      $155,339      $360,548      $478,595      $571,214   

Ratio to average net assets of:

         

Expenses

  1.85  %    1.72  %    1.67  %    1.62  %(d)    1.76  % 

Net investment income

  1.53  %    1.54  %    1.34  %    1.24  %(d)    .90  % 

Portfolio turnover rate

  111  %    118  %    66  %    52  %    57  % 

See footnote summary on page 58.

 

52     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Financial Highlights


 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    Class C  
    Year Ended November 30,  
    2009     2008     2007     2006     2005  
     
         

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $  10.44      $  17.35      $  17.40      $  16.80      $  16.06   
     

Income From Investment Operations

         

Net investment income(a)

  .18      .22      .24      .21      .15   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions

  2.25      (5.54   .42      1.53      .78   

Contributions from Adviser

  – 0  –    – 0  –    .03      .00 (b)    – 0  – 
     

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

  2.43      (5.32   .69      1.74      .93   
     

Less: Dividends and Distributions

         

Dividends from net investment income

  (.20   (.24   (.25   (.20   (.19

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

  – 0  –    (1.35   (.49   (.94   – 0  – 
     

Total dividends and distributions

  (.20   (1.59   (.74   (1.14   (.19
     

Net asset value, end of period

  $  12.67      $  10.44      $  17.35      $  17.40      $  16.80   
     

Total Return

         

Total investment return based on net asset value(c)

  23.59  %*    (33.58 )%*    4.04  %*    11.02  %    5.80  % 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

         

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

  $84,098      $81,907      $168,496      $176,454      $181,746   

Ratio to average net assets of:

         

Expenses

  1.81  %    1.70  %    1.66  %    1.61  %(d)    1.76  % 

Net investment income

  1.57  %    1.58  %    1.36  %    1.27  %(d)    .91  % 

Portfolio turnover rate

  111  %    118  %    66  %    52  %    57  % 

See footnote summary on page 58.

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     53

 

Financial Highlights


 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    Advisor Class  
    Year Ended November 30,  
    2009     2008     2007     2006     2005  
     
         

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $  11.08      $  18.32      $  18.33      $  17.64      $  16.84   
     

Income From Investment Operations

         

Net investment income(a)

  .31      .39      .44      .39      .33   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions

  2.39      (5.87   .45      1.61      .82   

Contributions from Adviser

  – 0  –    – 0  –    .03      .00 (b)    – 0  – 
     

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

  2.70      (5.48   .92      2.00      1.15   
     

Less: Dividends and Distributions

         

Dividends from net investment income

  (.32   (.41   (.44   (.37   (.35

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

  – 0  –    (1.35   (.49   (.94   – 0  – 
     

Total dividends and distributions

  (.32   (1.76   (.93   (1.31   (.35
     

Net asset value, end of period

  $  13.46      $  11.08      $  18.32      $  18.33      $  17.64   
     

Total Return

         

Total investment return based on net asset value(c)

  24.84  %*    (32.89 )%*    5.11  %*    12.10  %    6.89  % 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

         

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

  $56,024      $51,761      $91,198      $107,657      $115,873   

Ratio to average net assets of:

         

Expenses

  .79  %    .68  %    .63  %    .60  %(d)    .74  % 

Net investment income

  2.59  %    2.61  %    2.38  %    2.28  %(d)    1.92  % 

Portfolio turnover rate

  111  %    118  %    66  %    52  %    57  % 

See footnote summary on page 58.

 

54     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Financial Highlights


 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    Class R  
    Year Ended November 30,  
    2009     2008     2007     2006     2005  
     
         

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $  11.02      $  18.23      $  18.25      $  17.58      $  16.80   
     

Income From Investment Operations

         

Net investment income(a)

  .24      .31      .34      .30      .24   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions

  2.38      (5.85   .43      1.58      .82   

Contributions from Adviser

  – 0  –    – 0  –    .03      .00 (b)    – 0  – 
     

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

  2.62      (5.54   .80      1.88      1.06   
     

Less: Dividends and Distributions

         

Dividends from net investment income

  (.26   (.32   (.33   (.27   (.28

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

  – 0  –    (1.35   (.49   (.94   – 0  – 
     

Total dividends and distributions

  (.26   (1.67   (.82   (1.21   (.28
     

Net asset value, end of period

  $  13.38      $  11.02      $  18.23      $  18.25      $  17.58   
     

Total Return

         

Total investment return based on net asset value(c)

  24.15  %*    (33.27 )%*    4.47  %*    11.37  %    6.36  % 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

         

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

  $6,645      $5,753      $8,432      $3,197      $1,393   

Ratio to average net assets of:

         

Expenses

  1.32  %    1.25  %    1.24  %    1.22  %(d)    1.33  % 

Net investment income

  2.06  %    2.06  %    1.83  %    1.72  %(d)    1.39  % 

Portfolio turnover rate

  111  %    118  %    66  %    52  %    57  % 

See footnote summary on page 58.

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     55

 

Financial Highlights


 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    Class K  
    Year Ended November 30,     March 1,
2005(e) to
November 30,
2005
 
    2009     2008     2007     2006    
     
         

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $  11.03      $  18.24      $  18.28      $  17.60      $  17.34   
     

Income From Investment Operations

         

Net investment income(a)

  .28      .35      .42      .65      .22   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions

  2.38      (5.85   .40      1.29     .24   

Contributions from Adviser

  – 0  –    – 0  –    .03      .00 (b)    – 0  – 
     

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

  2.66      (5.50   .85      1.94      .46   
     

Less: Dividends and Distributions

         

Dividends from net investment income

  (.29   (.36   (.40   (.32   (.20

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

  – 0  –    (1.35   (.49   (.94   – 0  – 
     

Total dividends and distributions

  (.29   (1.71   (.89   (1.26   (.20
     

Net asset value, end of period

  $  13.40      $  11.03      $  18.24      $  18.28      $  17.60   
     

Total Return

         

Total investment return based on net asset value(c)

  24.57  %*    (33.07 )%*    4.74  %*    11.74  %    2.68  % 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

         

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

  $3,378      $5,437      $7,715      $285      $10   

Ratio to average net assets of:

         

Expenses

  1.02  %    .97  %    .93  %    .91  %(d)    1.01  %(f) 

Net investment income

  2.37  %    2.35  %    2.14  %    2.15  %(d)    1.69  %(f) 

Portfolio turnover rate

  111  %    118  %    66  %    52  %    57  % 

See footnote summary on page 58.

 

56     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Financial Highlights


 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    Class I  
    Year Ended November 30,    

March 1,
2005(e) to
November 30,

2005

 
    2009     2008     2007     2006    
     
         

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $  11.04      $  18.26      $  18.27      $  17.60      $  17.34   
     

Income From Investment Operations

         

Net investment income(a)

  .33      .42      .44      .39      .24   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions

  2.39      (5.87   .45      1.60      .26   

Contributions from Adviser

  – 0  –    – 0  –    .03      .00 (b)    – 0  – 
     

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

  2.72      (5.45   .92      1.99      .50   
     

Less: Dividends and Distributions

         

Dividends from net investment income

  (.34   (.42   (.44   (.38   (.24

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

  – 0  –    (1.35   (.49   (.94   – 0  – 
     

Total dividends and distributions

  (.34   (1.77   (.93   (1.32   (.24
     

Net asset value, end of period

  $  13.42      $  11.04      $  18.26      $  18.27      $  17.60   
     

Total Return

         

Total investment return based on net asset value(c)

  25.09  %*    (32.84 )%*    5.12  %*    12.07  %    2.93  % 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

         

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

  $2,146      $18,409      $2,748      $3,968      $4,128   

Ratio to average net assets of:

         

Expenses

  .69  %    .62  %    .60  %    .59  %(d)    .81  %(f) 

Net investment income

  2.69  %    2.72  %    2.40  %    2.28  %(d)    2.41  %(f) 

Portfolio turnover rate

  111  %    118  %    66  %    52  %    57  % 

See footnote summary on page 58.

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     57

 

Financial Highlights


 

(a)   Based on average shares outstanding.

 

(b)   Amount is less than $.005.

 

(c)   Total investment return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption on the last day of the period. Initial sales charges or contingent deferred sales charges are not reflected in the calculation of total investment return. Total return does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of fund shares. Total investment return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized.

 

(d)   The ratio includes expenses attributable to costs of proxy solicitation.

 

(e)   Commencement of distributions.

 

(f)   Annualized.

 

*   Includes the impact of proceeds received and credited to the Fund resulting from class action settlements, which enhanced the Fund’s performance for the years ended November 30, 2009, November 30, 2008 and November 30, 2007 by 0.27%, 0.05% and 0.13%, respectively.

 

  Due to the timing of sales and repurchase of capital shares, the net realized and unrealized gain (loss) per share is not in accord with the Fund’s change in net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions for the period.

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

58     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Financial Highlights


 

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED

PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Board of Directors and Shareholders AllianceBernstein Balanced Shares Fund, Inc.

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the portfolio of investments, of AllianceBernstein Balanced Shares Fund, Inc. as of November 30, 2009, and the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statement of changes in net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the years in the four-year period then ended. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. The financial highlights for the year or period ended prior to December 1, 2005 were audited by other independent registered public accountants whose report thereon, dated January 23, 2006, expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial highlights.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of November 30, 2009, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers or by other appropriate auditing procedures where replies from brokers were not received. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of AllianceBernstein Balanced Shares Fund, Inc. as of November 30, 2009, and the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the years in the four-year period then ended, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

LOGO

New York, New York

January 26, 2010

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     59

 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm


 

TAX INFORMATION

(unaudited)

For the fiscal year ended November 30, 2009, the Fund designates the maximum amount allowable, but not less than $11,212,117 of the ordinary income dividends paid during the fiscal year as qualified dividend income. The Fund also designates the maximum amount allowable, but not less than $9,968,141 of ordinary income dividends paid during the fiscal year for the dividends received deduction under Section 854 of the Internal Revenue Code. The Fund also designates the maximum amount allowable but not less than $8,256,091 as interest related dividends paid during the fiscal year in accordance with Sections 871(k)(l) and 881(e) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Shareholders should not use the above information to prepare their income tax returns. The information necessary to complete your income tax returns will be included with your Form 1099-DIV which will be sent to you separately in January 2010.

 

60     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Tax Information


 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

William H. Foulk, Jr.(1), Chairman

John H. Dobkin(1)

Michael J. Downey (1)

D. James Guzy(1)

 

Nancy P. Jacklin(1)

Garry L. Moody (1)

Marshall C. Turner, Jr.(1)

Earl D. Weiner(1)

OFFICERS

Robert M. Keith,

President and Chief Executive Officer

Philip L. Kirstein,

Senior Vice President and Independent Compliance Officer

Frank V. Caruso(2), Vice President

Paul J. DeNoon(2), Vice President

Shawn E. Keegan(2), Vice President

 

Joran Laird(2), Vice President

Alison M. Martier(2), Vice President

Douglas J. Peebles(2)Vice President

Greg J. Wilensky(2), Vice President

Emilie D. Wrapp, Secretary

Joseph J. Mantineo, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer

Phyllis J. Clarke, Controller

 

Custodian and Accounting Agent

State Street Bank and Trust Company

One Lincoln Street

Boston, MA 02111

 

Principal Underwriter

AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc.

1345 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10105

 

Legal Counsel

Seward & Kissel LLP

One Battery Park Plaza

New York, NY 10004

 

Transfer Agent

AllianceBernstein Investor

Services, Inc.

P.O. Box 786003

San Antonio, TX 78278-6003

Toll-Free (800) 221-5672

 

Independent Registered Public

Accounting Firm

KPMG LLP

345 Park Avenue

New York, NY 10154

 

(1)   Member of the Audit Committee, the Governance and Nominating Committee and the Independent Directors Committee. Mr. Foulk is the sole member of the Fair Value Pricing Committee.

 

(2)   The management of, and investment decisions for, the Fund’s portfolio are made by the Balanced Shares Investment Team, comprised of senior members of the Relative Value Investment Team and senior members of the U.S. Investment Grade Core Fixed-Income Team. Mr. Frank Caruso is the investment professional responsible for the day-to-day management of the equity component of the Fund’s portfolio and Messrs. Paul DeNoon, Shawn Keegan, Joran Laird, Douglas Peebles and Greg Wilensky and Ms. Alison Martier are the investment professionals responsible for the day-to-day management of the debt component of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     61

 

Board of Directors


MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

 

Board of Directors Information

The business and affairs of the Fund are managed under the direction of the Board of Directors. Certain information concerning the Fund’s Directors is set forth below.

 

NAME,
ADDRESS* AND AGE
(FIRST YEAR ELECTED**)
  PRINCIPAL
OCCUPATION(S)
DURING PAST 5 YEARS
  PORTFOLIOS
IN FUND
COMPLEX
OVERSEEN BY
DIRECTOR
  OTHER
DIRECTORSHIPS
HELD BY
DIRECTOR
DISINTERESTED DIRECTORS    

William H. Foulk, Jr.,#, + Chairman of the Board

77

(1992)

  Investment Adviser and an Independent Consultant. Previously, he was Senior Manager of Barrett Associates, Inc., a registered investment adviser, with which he had been associated since prior to 2005. 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.   87   None
     

John H. Dobkin, #

67

(1992)

  Consultant. Formerly, 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.   85   None
     

Michael J. Downey, #

66

(2005)

  Private Investor since prior to 2005. Formerly, managing partner of Lexington Capital, LLC (investment advisory firm) from December 1997 until December 2003. From 1987 until 1993, Chairman and CEO of Prudential Mutual Fund Management.   85   Asia Pacific Fund, Inc. and The Merger Fund
     

D. James Guzy, #

73

(2005)

  Chairman of the Board of PLX Technology (semi-conductors) and of SRC Computers Inc., with which he has been associated since prior to 2005. He was formerly a Director of the Intel Corporation (semi-conductors) until May 2008.   85   Cirrus Logic Corporation (semi-conductors)

 

62     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Management of the Fund


 

NAME,
ADDRESS* AND AGE
(FIRST YEAR ELECTED**)
  PRINCIPAL
OCCUPATION(S)
DURING PAST 5 YEARS
  PORTFOLIOS
IN FUND
COMPLEX
OVERSEEN BY
DIRECTOR
  OTHER
DIRECTORSHIPS
HELD BY
DIRECTOR
DISINTERESTED DIRECTORS
(continued)
   

Nancy P. Jacklin, #

61

(2006)

  Professorial Lecturer at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in the 2009-2010 academic year. 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.   85   None
     

Garry L. Moody, #

57

(2008)

  Formerly, Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP, Vice Chairman, and U.S. and Global Managing Partner, Investment Management Services Group 1995-2008.   84   None
     

Marshall C. Turner, Jr., #

68

(2005)

  Interim CEO of MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc. (semi-conductor and solar cell substrates) from November 2008 until March 2, 2009. He was Chairman and CEO of Dupont Photomasks, Inc. (components of semi-conductor manufacturing), 2003-2005, and President and CEO, 2005-2006, after the company was renamed Toppan Photomasks, Inc.   85   Xilinx, Inc. (programmable logic semi-conductors) and MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc.

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     63

 

Management of the Fund


 

NAME,
ADDRESS* AND AGE
(FIRST YEAR ELECTED**)
  PRINCIPAL
OCCUPATION(S)
DURING PAST 5 YEARS
  PORTFOLIOS
IN FUND
COMPLEX
OVERSEEN BY
DIRECTOR
  OTHER
DIRECTORSHIPS
HELD BY
DIRECTOR
DISINTERESTED DIRECTORS
(continued)
   

Earl D. Weiner, #

70

(2007)

  Of Counsel, and Partner prior to January 2007, of the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and member of ABA Federal Regulation of Securities Committee Task Force on Fund Director’s Guidebook.   85   None

 

*   The address for each of the Fund’s disinterested Directors 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 Fund’s Directors.

 

#   Member of the Audit Committee, the Governance and Nominating Committee and the Independent Directors Committee.

 

+   Member of the Fair Value Pricing Committee.

 

64     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Management of the Fund


 

Officer Information

Certain information concerning the Fund’s Officers is set forth below.

 

NAME, ADDRESS*
AND AGE
   POSITION(S)
HELD WITH FUND
   PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION
DURING PAST 5 YEARS**

Robert M. Keith

49

   President and Chief Executive Officer    Executive Vice President of AllianceBernstein L.P. (“AllianceBernstein”)** and the head of AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (“ABI”)** since July 2008; 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 AllianceBernstein’s institutional investment management business since 2004. Prior thereto, Managing Director and Head of North American Client Service and Sales in AllianceBernstein’s institutional investment management business, with which he had been associated since prior to 2005.
     
Philip L. Kirstein
64
   Senior Vice President and Independent Compliance Officer    Senior Vice President and Independent Compliance Officer of the AllianceBernstein Funds, 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 2005.
     
Frank V. Caruso
53
   Vice President    Senior Vice President of AllianceBernstein**, with which he has been associated since prior to 2005.
     
Paul J. DeNoon
47
   Vice President    Senior Vice President of AllianceBernstein**, with which he has been associated since prior to 2005.
     
Shawn E. Keegan
38
   Vice President    Vice President of AllianceBernstein**, with which he has been associated since prior to 2005.
     
Joran Laird
34
   Vice President    Vice President of AllianceBernstein**, with which he has been associated since prior to 2005.
     
Alison M. Martier
53
   Vice President    Senior Vice President of AllianceBernstein**, with which she has been associated since prior to 2005.
     
Douglas J. Peebles
44
   Vice President    Executive Vice President of AllianceBernstein**, with which he has been associated since prior to 2005.

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     65

 

Management of the Fund


 

NAME, ADDRESS*
AND AGE
   POSITION(S)
HELD WITH FUND
   PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION
DURING PAST 5 YEARS**
Greg J. Wilensky
42
   Vice President    Senior Vice President of AllianceBernstein**, with which he has been associated since prior to 2005.
     
Emilie D. Wrapp
54
   Secretary    Senior Vice President, Assistant General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of ABI**, with which she has been associated since prior to 2005.
     

Joseph J. Mantineo

50

   Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer    Senior Vice President of AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”)**, with which he has been associated since prior to 2005.
     

Phyllis J. Clarke

49

   Controller    Vice President of ABIS**, with which she has been associated since prior to 2005.

 

*   The address for each of the Fund’s Officers is 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10105.

 

**   AllianceBernstein, ABI and ABIS are affiliates of the Fund.

 

       The Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) has additional information about the Fund’s Directors and Officers and is available without charge upon request. Contact your financial representative or AllianceBernstein at (800) 227-4618 for a free prospectus or SAI.

 

66     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

 

Management of the Fund


 

THE FOLLOWING IS NOT PART OF THE SHAREHOLDER REPORT OR THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

SUMMARY OF SENIOR OFFICER’S EVALUATION OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT1

The following is a summary of the evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement between AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) and the AllianceBernstein Balanced Shares, Inc. (the “Fund”).2 The evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement was prepared by Philip L. Kirstein, the Senior Officer of the Fund, for the Directors of the Fund, as required by a September 2004 agreement between the Adviser and the New York State Attorney General (the “NYAG”). The Senior Officer’s evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement is not meant to diminish the responsibility or authority of the Board of Directors of the Fund to perform its duties pursuant to Section 15 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “40 Act”) and applicable state law. The purpose of the summary is to provide shareholders with a synopsis of the independent evaluation of the reasonableness of the advisory fees proposed to be paid by the Fund which was provided to the Directors in connection with their review of the proposed approval of the continuance of the Investment Advisory Agreement. The Senior Officer’s evaluation considered the following factors:

 

  1. Advisory fees charged to institutional and other clients of the Adviser for like services;

 

  2. Advisory fees charged by other mutual fund companies for like services;

 

  3. Costs to the Adviser and its affiliates of supplying services pursuant to the advisory agreement, excluding any intra-corporate profit;

 

  4. Profit margins of the Adviser and its affiliates from supplying such services;

 

  5. Possible economies of scale as the Fund grows larger; and

 

  6. Nature and quality of the Adviser’s services including the performance of the Fund.

 

1   It should be noted that the information in the fee summary was completed on April 23, 2009 and presented to the Board of Directors on May 5-7, 2009.

 

2   Future references to the Fund do not include “AllianceBernstein.” References in the fee summary pertaining to performance and expense ratio rankings refer to the Class A shares of the Fund.

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     67


 

FUND ADVISORY FEES, NET ASSETS & EXPENSE RATIOS

The Adviser proposed that the Fund pay the advisory fee set forth in the table below for receiving the services to be provided pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement.3

 

Fund  

Net Assets

02/28/09

($MIL)

  

Advisory Fee Based on % of

Average Daily Net Assets

Balanced Shares, Inc.   $675.3   

60 bp on 1st $200 million

50 bp on next $200 million

40 bp on the balance

The Adviser is reimbursed as specified in the Investment Advisory Agreement for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services provided to the Fund. During the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, the Adviser received $100,125 (0.01% of the Fund’s average daily net assets) for such services.

Set forth below are the Fund’s total expense ratios for the most recently completed fiscal year:

 

Fund   Total Expense
Ratio4
  Fiscal
Year
Balanced Shares, Inc.  

Advisor

Class A

Class B

Class C

Class R

Class K

Class I

 

0.68%

0.97%

1.72%

1.70%

1.25%

0.97%

0.62%

  November 30

 

I. MANAGEMENT FEES CHARGED TO INSTITUTIONAL AND OTHER CLIENTS

The advisory fees charged to investment companies which the Adviser manages and sponsors are normally higher than those charged to similar sized institutional accounts, including pension plans and sub-advised investment companies. The fee differential reflects, among other things, different services provided to such clients, and different liabilities assumed. Services provided by the Adviser to the Fund that are not provided to non-investment company clients and sub-advised investment companies include providing office space and personnel to serve as Fund Officers, who among other responsibilities make the certifications required under the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, and coordinating with and monitoring the Fund’s third party service providers such as Fund counsel,

 

3   The Fund’s fee schedule was not amended in connection with the Adviser’s settlement with the NYAG in December 2003 since the Fund’s fee schedule already had lower breakpoints than the NYAG related fee schedule for AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds in the “Balanced” category.

 

4   Annualized.

 

68     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES


 

auditors, custodians, transfer agents and pricing services. The accounting, administrative, legal and compliance requirements for the Fund are more costly than those for institutional assets due to the greater complexities and time required for investment companies, although as previously noted, a portion of these expenses are reimbursed by the Fund to the Adviser. Also, retail mutual funds managed by the Adviser are widely held. Servicing the Fund’s investors is more time consuming and labor intensive compared to institutional clients since the Adviser needs to communicate with a more extensive network of financial intermediaries and shareholders. The Adviser also believes that it incurs substantial entrepreneurial risk when offering a new mutual fund since establishing a new mutual fund requires a large upfront investment and it may take a long time for the fund to achieve profitability since the fund must be priced to scale from inception in order to be competitive and assets are acquired one account at a time. In addition, managing the cash flow of an investment company may be more difficult than managing that of a stable pool of assets, such as an institutional account with little cash movement in either direction, particularly, if a fund is in net redemption and the Adviser is frequently forced to sell securities to raise cash for redemptions. However, managing a fund with positive cash flow may be easier at times than managing a stable pool of assets. Finally, in recent years, investment advisers have been sued by institutional clients and have suffered reputational damage both by the attendant publicity and outcomes other than complete victories. Accordingly, the legal and reputational risks associated with institutional accounts are greater than previously thought, although still not equal to those related to the mutual fund industry.

Notwithstanding the Adviser’s view that managing an investment company is not comparable to managing other institutional accounts because the services provided are different and legal and reputational risks are greater, it is worth considering information regarding the advisory fees charged to institutional accounts with a substantially similar investment style as the Fund. However, with respect to the Fund, the Adviser represented that there is no institutional product that has a similar investment style as the Fund.

The Adviser represented that it does not sub-advise any registered investment company with a substantially similar investment style as the Fund.

 

II. MANAGEMENT FEES CHARGED BY OTHER MUTUAL FUND COMPANIES FOR LIKE SERVICES.

Lipper, Inc. (“Lipper”), an analytical service that is not affiliated with the Adviser, compared the fees charged to the Fund with fees charged to other investment companies for similar services offered by other investment advisers. Lipper’s analysis included the Fund’s ranking with respect to the proposed

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     69


 

management fee relative to the median of the Fund’s Lipper Expense Group (“EG”)5 at the approximate current asset level of the Fund.6

Lipper describes an EG as a representative sample of comparable funds. Lipper’s standard methodology for screening funds to be included in an EG entails the consideration of several fund criteria, including fund type, investment classification/objective, load type and similar 12b-1/non-12b-1 service fees, asset (size) comparability, expense components and attributes. An EG will typically consist of seven to twenty funds.

 

Fund    Contractual
Management
Fee (%)7
  

Lipper
Exp. Group

Median (%)

   Rank
Balanced Shares, Inc.    0.477    0.667    2/9

Lipper also analyzed the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year total expense ratio in comparison to the Fund’s EG and Lipper Expense Universe (“EU”). The EU8 is a broader group compared to the EG, consisting of all funds that have the same investment classification/objective and load type as the subject Fund. It should be noted that Lipper uses expense ratio data from financial statements of the most current fiscal year in their database. This has several implications: the total expense ratio of each fund that Lipper uses in their report is based on each fund’s average net assets during its fiscal year. Since funds have different fiscal year ends, the total expense ratios of the funds may cover different twelve month periods, depending on the funds’ fiscal year ends. This is the process that Lipper utilizes but given market conditions during 2008, especially the last three months of 2008, the effects on the funds’ total expense ratio

 

5   It should be noted that Lipper does not consider average account size when constructing EGs. Funds with relatively small average account sizes tend to have higher transfer agent expense ratios than comparable sized funds that have relatively large average account sizes. Note that there are limitations on Lipper expense category data because different funds categorize expenses differently.

 

6   The contractual management fee is calculated by Lipper using the Fund’s contractual management fee rate at a hypothetical asset level. The hypothetical asset level is based on the combined net assets of all classes of the Fund, rounded up to the next $25 million. Lipper’s total expense ratio information is based on the most recent annual report except as otherwise noted. A ranking of “1” would mean that the Fund had the lowest effective fee rate in the Lipper peer group.

 

7   The contractual management fee does not reflect any expense reimbursements made by the Fund to the Adviser for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services.

 

8   Except for asset (size) comparability, Lipper uses the same criteria for selecting an EG when selecting an EU. Unlike the EG, the EU allows for the same adviser to be represented by more than just one fund.

 

70     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES


 

caused by the differences in fiscal year ends may be more pronounced in 2008 compared to other years under more normal market conditions.9

 

Fund  

Expense

Ratio (%)10

 

Lipper Exp.

Group

Median (%)

 

Lipper

Group

Rank

 

Lipper Exp.

Universe

Median (%)

 

Lipper
Universe

Rank

Balanced Shares, Inc.   0.973   1.118   3/9   1.210   12/69

Based on this analysis, the Fund has a more favorable ranking on a management fee basis than it does on a total expense ratio basis.

 

III. COSTS TO THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES OF SUPPLYING SERVICES PURSUANT TO THE MANAGEMENT FEE ARRANGEMENT, EXCLUDING ANY INTRA-CORPORATE PROFIT.

The Adviser utilizes two profitability reporting systems, which operate independently but are aligned with each other, to estimate the Adviser’s profitability in connection with investment advisory services provided to the Fund. The Senior Officer has retained a consultant to provide independent advice regarding the alignment of the two profitability systems as well as the methodologies and allocations utilized by both profitability systems. See Section IV for additional discussion.

 

IV. PROFIT MARGINS OF THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES FOR SUPPLYING SUCH SERVICES.

The Fund’s profitability information, prepared by the Adviser for the Board of Directors, was reviewed by the Senior Officer and the consultant. The Adviser’s profitability from providing investment advisory services to the Fund decreased during calendar year 2008, relative to 2007.

In addition to the Adviser’s direct profits from managing the Fund, certain of the Adviser’s affiliates have business relationships with the Fund and may earn a profit from providing other services to the Fund. The courts have referred to this type of business opportunity as “fall-out benefits” to the Adviser and indicated that such benefits should be factored into the evaluation of the total relationship between the Fund and the Adviser. Neither case law nor common business practice precludes the Adviser’s affiliates from earning a reasonable profit on this type of relationship provided the affiliates’ charges and services are competitive and the relationship otherwise complies with the 40 Act restrictions. These affiliates provide transfer agent, distribution and brokerage related services to the Fund and receive transfer agent fees, Rule 12b-1 payments, front-end sales loads, contingent deferred sales charges (“CDSC”) and brokerage commissions. In addition, the Adviser benefits from soft dollar arrangements which offset expenses the Adviser would otherwise incur.

 

9   To cite an example, the average net assets and total expense ratio of a fund with a fiscal year end of March 31, 2009 will not be reflective of the market declines that occurred in the second half of 2009, in contrast to a fund with a fiscal year end of December 31, 2009.

 

10   Most recently completed fiscal year end Class A total expense ratio.

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     71


 

AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (“ABI”), an affiliate of the Adviser, is the Fund’s principal underwriter. ABI and the Adviser have disclosed in the Fund’s prospectus that they may make revenue sharing payments from their own resources, in addition to resources derived from sales loads and Rule 12b-1 fees, to firms that sell shares of the Fund. In 2008, ABI paid approximately 0.04% of the average monthly assets of the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds or approximately $21 million for distribution services and educational support (revenue sharing payments). During the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, ABI received from the Fund $13,735, $6,158,605 and $254,209 in front-end sales charges, Rule 12b-1 and CDSC fees, respectively.

Fees and reimbursements for out of pocket expenses charged by AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”), the affiliated transfer agent for the Fund, are charged on a per account basis, based on the level of service provided and the class of share held by the account. ABIS also receives a fee per shareholder sub-account for each account maintained by an intermediary on an omnibus basis. During the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, ABIS received $802,955 in fees from the Fund.11

The Fund effected brokerage transactions through the Adviser’s affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., LLC (“SCB & Co.”) and/or its U.K. affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein Limited (“SCB Ltd.”), collectively “SCB,” and paid commissions for such transactions during the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year. The Adviser represented that SCB’s profitability from any business conducted with the Fund is comparable to the profitability of SCB’s dealings with other similar third party clients. In the ordinary course of business, SCB receives and pays liquidity rebates from electronic communications networks (“ECNs”) derived from trading for its clients. These credits and charges are not being passed onto any SCB client, including the Fund. The Adviser also receives certain soft dollar benefits from brokers that execute agency trades for the Fund and other clients. These soft dollar benefits reduce the Adviser’s cost of doing business and increase its profitability.

 

V. POSSIBLE ECONOMIES OF SCALE

The Adviser has indicated that economies of scale are being shared with shareholders through fee structures,12 subsidies and enhancement to services. Based on some of the professional literature that has considered economies of scale in the mutual fund industry, it is thought that to the extent economies of scale

 

11   The fees disclosed are net of any expense offsets with ABIS. An expense offset is created by the interest earned on the positive cash balance that occurs within the transfer agent account as there is a one day lag with regards to money movement from the shareholder’s account to the transfer agent’s account and then the transfer agent’s account to the Fund’s account. During the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, the fees paid by the Fund to ABIS were reduced by $30,343 under the offset agreement between the Fund and ABIS.

 

12   Fee structures include fee reductions, pricing at scale and breakpoints in advisory fee schedules.

 

72     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES


 

exist, they may more often exist across a fund family as opposed to a specific fund. This is because the costs incurred by the Adviser, such as investment research or technology for trading or compliance systems can be spread across a greater asset base as the fund family increases in size. It is also possible that as the level of services required to operate a successful investment company has increased over time, and advisory firms make such investments in their business to provide services, there may be a sharing of economies of scale without a reduction in advisory fees.

An independent consultant, retained by the Senior Officer, provided the Board of Directors an update of the Deli13 study on advisory fees and various fund characteristics. The independent consultant first reiterated the results of his previous two dimensional comparison analysis (fund size and family size) with the Board of Directors.14 The independent consultant then discussed the results of the regression model that was utilized to study the effects of various factors on advisory fees. The regression model output indicated that the bulk of the variation in fees predicted were explained by various factors, but substantially by fund AUM, family AUM, index fund indicator and investment style. The independent consultant also compared the advisory fees of the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds to similar funds managed by 19 other large asset managers, regardless of the fund size and each Adviser’s proportion of mutual fund assets to non-mutual fund assets.

 

VI. NATURE AND QUALITY OF THE ADVISER’S SERVICES, INCLUDING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE FUND

With assets under management of approximately $411 billion as of March 31, 2009, the Adviser has the investment experience to manage and provide non-investment services (described in Section I) to the Fund.

 

13   The Deli study was originally published in 2002 based on 1997 data.

 

14   The two dimensional analysis showed patterns of lower advisory fees for funds with larger asset sizes and funds from larger family sizes compared to funds with smaller asset sizes and funds from smaller family sizes, which according to the independent consultant is indicative of a sharing of economies of scale and scope. However, in less liquid and active markets, such is not the case, as the empirical analysis showed potential for diseconomies of scale in those markets. The empirical analysis also showed diminishing economies of scale and scope as funds surpassed a certain high level of assets.

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     73


 

The information prepared by Lipper shows the 1, 3, 5 and 10 year performance rankings of the Fund15 relative to its Lipper Performance Group (“PG”) and Lipper Performance Universe (“PU”)16 for the periods ended January 31, 2009.17

 

    Fund Return
(%)
  PG Median
(%)
  PU Median
(%)
  PG Rank   PU Rank

1 year

  -28.69   -33.39   -30.33   4/9   49/133

3 year

    -7.57     -9.71     -8.03   3/9   48/109

5 year

    -2.00     -3.02     -1.73   4/9   49/89

10 year

    1.84     -0.33     -0.09   1/7   12/62

Set forth below are the 1, 3, 5, 10 year and since inception performance returns of the Fund (in bold)18 versus its benchmark.19

 

     Periods Ending January 31, 2009
Annualized Performance
     1 Year
(%)
  3 Year
(%)
  5 Year
(%)
  10 Year
(%)
  Since
Inception
(%)
Balanced Shares, Inc.   -28.69   -7.57   -2.00   1.84   8.71
60% Russell 1000 Value Index/40% Barclays Capital Aggregate Bond Index   -26.34   -5.85   -0.21   2.49   N/A
Russell 1000 Value Index   -41.78   -13.09   -3.52   0.05   N/A
Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Index   2.59   5.19   4.30   5.46   N/A
Inception Date: June 8, 1932          

CONCLUSION:

Based on the factors discussed above the Senior Officer’s conclusion is that the proposed advisory fee for the Fund is reasonable and within the range of what would have been negotiated at arm’s-length in light of all the surrounding circumstances. This conclusion in respect of the Fund is based on an evaluation of all of these factors and no single factor was dispositive.

Dated: May 29, 2009

 

15   The performance rankings are for the Class A shares of the Fund. It should be noted that the performance returns of the Fund shown were provided by the Adviser. Lipper maintains its own database that includes the Fund’s performance returns. Rounding differences may cause the Adviser’s Fund returns to be one or two basis points different from Lipper’s own Fund returns. To maintain consistency, the performance returns of the Fund, as reported by the Adviser, are provided instead of Lipper.

 

16   The Fund’s PG is identical to the Fund’s EG. The Fund’s PU is not identical to the Fund’s EU as the criteria for including or excluding a fund in a PU is somewhat different from that of an EU.

 

17   Note that the current Lipper investment classification/objective dictates the PG and PU throughout the life of the fund even if a fund had a different investment classification/objective at a different point in time.

 

18   The performance returns shown in the table are for the Class A shares of the Fund.

 

19   The Adviser provided Fund and benchmark performance return information for periods through January 31, 2009.

 

74     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES


THIS PAGE IS NOT PART OF THE SHAREHOLDER REPORT OR THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN FAMILY OF FUNDS

 

Wealth Strategies Funds

Balanced Wealth Strategy

Wealth Appreciation Strategy

Conservative Wealth Strategy*

Tax-Managed Balanced Wealth Strategy

Tax-Managed Wealth Appreciation Strategy

Tax-Managed Conservative Wealth Strategy*

Blended Style Funds

U.S. Large Cap Portfolio

International Portfolio

Tax-Managed International Portfolio

Growth Funds

Domestic

Growth Fund

Large Cap Growth Fund

Small Cap Growth Portfolio

Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund

U.S. Strategic Research Portfolio*

Global & International

Global Growth Fund

Global Thematic Growth Fund

Greater China ‘97 Fund

International Growth Fund

Value Funds

Domestic

Balanced Shares

Focused Growth & Income Fund

Growth & Income Fund

Small/Mid Cap Value Fund

Utility Income Fund

Value Fund

Global & International

Global Real Estate Investment Fund

Global Value Fund

International Value Fund

 

Taxable Bond Funds

Diversified Yield Fund

Global Bond Fund

High Income Fund

Intermediate Bond Portfolio

Short Duration Portfolio

Municipal Bond Funds

 

National

Arizona

California

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

  

New Jersey

New York

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Virginia

Intermediate Municipal Bond Funds

Intermediate California

Intermediate Diversified

Intermediate New York

Closed-End Funds

AllianceBernstein Global High Income Fund

AllianceBernstein Income Fund

AllianceBernstein National Municipal Income Fund

Alliance California Municipal Income Fund

Alliance New York Municipal Income Fund

The Ibero-America Fund*


Retirement Strategies Funds

 

2000 Retirement Strategy

 

2020 Retirement Strategy

 

2040 Retirement Strategy

2005 Retirement Strategy

 

2025 Retirement Strategy

 

2045 Retirement Strategy

2010 Retirement Strategy

 

2030 Retirement Strategy

 

2050 Retirement Strategy

2015 Retirement Strategy

 

2035 Retirement Strategy

 

2055 Retirement Strategy

We also offer Exchange Reserves,** which serves as the money market fund exchange vehicle for the AllianceBernstein mutual funds.

You should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of any AllianceBernstein fund/portfolio carefully before investing. For free copies of our prospectuses, which contain this and other information, visit us online at www.alliancebernstein.com or contact your financial advisor. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

 

*   Prior to December 31, 2009, Conservative Wealth Strategy was named Wealth Preservation Strategy, and Tax-Managed Conservative Wealth Strategy was named Tax-Managed Wealth Preservation Strategy. U.S. Strategic Research Portfolio was incepted on December 23, 2009. Prior to January 20, 2010, the Ibero-America Fund was named The Spain Fund.

 

** An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Although the Fund seeks to preserve the value of your investment at $1.00 per share, it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund.

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES     75

 

AllianceBernstein Family of Funds


NOTES

 

76     ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES


 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN BALANCED SHARES

1345 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10105

800.221.5672

LOGO

 

 

BAL-0151-1109   LOGO


ITEM 2. CODE OF ETHICS.

(a) The registrant has adopted a code of ethics that applies to its principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer. A copy of the registrant’s code of ethics is filed herewith as Exhibit 12(a)(1).

(b) During the period covered by this report, no material amendments were made to the provisions of the code of ethics adopted

in 2(a) above.

(c) During the period covered by this report, no implicit or explicit waivers to the provisions of the code of ethics adopted in

2(a) above were granted.

 

ITEM 3. AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT.

The registrant’s Board of Directors has determined that independent directors Garry L. Moody and William H. Foulk, Jr. qualify as audit committee financial experts.

 

ITEM 4. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES.

(a) - (c) The following table sets forth the aggregate fees billed by the independent registered public accounting firm KPMG LLP, for the Fund’s last two fiscal years, for professional services rendered for: (i) the audit of the Fund’s annual financial statements included in the Fund’s annual report to stockholders; (ii) assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit of the Fund’s financial statements and are not reported under (i), which include advice and education related to accounting and auditing issues, quarterly press release review (for those Funds that issue quarterly press releases), and preferred stock maintenance testing (for those Funds that issue preferred stock); and (iii) tax compliance, tax advice and tax return preparation.

 

          Audit Fees    Audit - Related
Fees
   Tax Fees

AB Balanced Shares

   2008    $     38,000    $     3,329    $     6,988
   2009    $ 33,132    $ —      $ 18,025

(d) Not applicable.

(e) (1) Beginning with audit and non-audit service contracts entered into on or after May 6, 2003, the Fund’s Audit Committee policies and procedures require the pre-approval of all audit and non-audit services provided to the Fund by the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. The Fund’s Audit Committee policies and procedures also require pre-approval of all audit and non-audit services provided to the Adviser and Service Affiliates to the extent that these services are directly related to the operations or financial reporting of the Fund.

(e) (2) All of the amounts for Audit Fees, Audit-Related Fees and Tax Fees in the table under Item 4 (a) – (c) are for services pre-approved by the Fund’s Audit Committee.


(f) Not applicable.

(g) The following table sets forth the aggregate non-audit services provided to the Fund, the Fund’s Adviser and entities that control, are controlled by or under common control with the Adviser that provide ongoing services to the Fund, which include conducting an annual internal control report pursuant to Statement on Auditing Standards No. 70 (“Service Affiliates”):

 

        All Fees for
Non-Audit Services
Provided to the
Portfolio, the Adviser
and Service Affiliates
  Pre-approved by the
Audit Committee
(Portion Comprised of
Audit Related Fees)
(Portion Comprised of
Tax Fees)
 

AB Balanced Shares

  2008   $ 387,022   $ 8,672   
      $ (1,684
      $ (6,988
  2009   $ 177,274   $ 18,025   
      $ —     
      $ (18,025

(h) The Audit Committee of the Fund has considered whether the provision of any non-audit services not pre-approved by the Audit Committee provided by the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm to the Adviser and Service Affiliates is compatible with maintaining the auditor’s independence.

 

ITEM 5. AUDIT COMMITTEE OF LISTED REGISTRANTS.

Not applicable to the registrant.

 

ITEM 6. SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS.

Please see Schedule of Investments contained in the Report to Shareholders included under Item 1 of this Form N-CSR.

 

ITEM 7. DISCLOSURE OF PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.

Not applicable to the registrant.

 

ITEM 8. PORTFOLIO MANAGERS OF CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.

Not applicable to the registrant.


ITEM 9. PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS.

Not applicable to the registrant.

 

ITEM 10. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS.

There have been no material changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the Fund’s Board of Directors since the Fund last provided disclosure in response to this item.

ITEM 11. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.

(a) The registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3 (c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended) are effective at the reasonable assurance level based on their evaluation of these controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of this document.

(b) There were no changes in the registrant’s internal controls over financial reporting that occurred during the second fiscal quarter of the period that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.


ITEM 12. EXHIBITS.

The following exhibits are attached to this Form N-CSR:

 

EXHIBIT
NO.

 

DESCRIPTION OF EXHIBIT

12 (a) (1)   Code of Ethics that is subject to the disclosure of Item 2 hereof
12 (b) (1)   Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
12 (b) (2)   Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
12 (c)   Certification of Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

(Registrant): AllianceBernstein Balanced Shares, Inc.
By:  

/s/    ROBERT M. KEITH        

  Robert M. Keith
  President
Date: January 29, 2010

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

By:

 

/s/    ROBERT M. KEITH        

  Robert M. Keith
  President
Date: January 29, 2010

 

By:

 

/s/    JOSEPH J. MANTINEO        

  Joseph J. Mantineo
  Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer
Date: January 29, 2010