497K 1 f8542d1.htm FRANKLIN 85-15 DIVERSIFIED ALLOCATION SUMMARY PRO
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
AST Franklin 85/15 Diversified Allocation Portfolio
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS • April 26, 2021

Before you invest, you may want to review the Portfolio’s Prospectus, which contains more information about the Portfolio and its risks. You can find the Portfolio's Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information (SAI), Annual Report and other information about the Portfolio online at www.prudential.com/variableinsuranceportfolios. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 1-800-346-3778 or by sending an e-mail to: service@prudential.com. The Portfolio’s Prospectus and SAI, both dated April 26, 2021, as supplemented and amended from time to time, and the Portfolio’s most recent shareholder report, dated December 31, 2020 are all hereby incorporated by reference into (legally made a part of) this Summary Prospectus.
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The investment objective of the Portfolio is to seek high risk-adjusted returns compared to its blended index.
PORTFOLIO FEES AND EXPENSES
The table below shows the fees and expenses that you may pay if you invest in shares of the Portfolio. The table does not include Contract charges. Because Contract charges are not included, the total fees and expenses that you will incur will be higher than the fees and expenses set forth in the table. See your Contract prospectus for more information about Contract charges.
Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
 
Management Fees
0.73%
+ Distribution and/or Service Fees (12b-1 Fees)
0.25%
+ Other Expenses
0.09%
+ Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses
0.12%
= Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses
1.19%
- Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement
(0.12)%
= Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement(1)
1.07%
(1) The Manager has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its investment management fee equal to the subadvisory fee waiver due to investments in the underlying portfolios managed by the subadviser or an affiliate of the subadviser. The Manager has also contractually agreed to waive 0.018% of its investment management fee through June 30, 2022. In addition, the Manager has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its investment management fee and/or reimburse certain expenses of the Portfolio so that the Portfolio's investment management fee (after management fee waiver) plus other expenses (including net distribution fees, acquired fund fees and expenses due to investments in underlying Portfolios of the Trust and underlying portfolios managed or subadvised by the subadviser) (exclusive of certain expenses as described more fully in the Trust’s Statement of Additional Information) do not exceed 1.070% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets through June 30, 2022. Expenses waived/reimbursed by the Manager may be recouped by the Manager within the same fiscal year during which such waiver/reimbursement is made if such recoupment can be realized without exceeding the expense limit in effect at the time of the recoupment for that fiscal year. These arrangements may not be terminated or modified without the prior approval of the Trust’s Board of Trustees.
Example.  The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The table does not include Contract charges. Because Contract charges are not included, the total fees and expenses that you will incur will be higher than the fees and expenses set forth in the example. See your Contract prospectus for more information about Contract charges.
The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
 
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
AST Franklin 85/15 Diversified Allocation (formerly, AST Legg Mason Diversified Growth)
$109
$366
$643
$1,433
Portfolio Turnover.  The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the example, affect the Portfolio's performance. During the Portfolio's most recent fiscal year ended December 31, the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 114% of the average value of its portfolio.
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INVESTMENTS, RISKS AND PERFORMANCE
Principal Investment Strategies.  The Portfolio seeks to meet its investment goals by allocating its assets among a number of different investment strategies implemented by multiple affiliated subadvisers.
The Portfolio allocates, under normal circumstances, approximately 85% of its net assets to equity strategies and 15% of its net assets to fixed income strategies. This mix may vary over shorter time periods under normal circumstances; the equity portion may range between 80-90% of the Portfolio’s total assets and the fixed income portion between 10-20% of the Portfolio’s total assets. The Portfolio’s equity investments include common stock investments in larger, more established companies as well as in small and medium-sized companies in both developed and emerging economies. Up to 40% of the equity portion of the Portfolio may be allocated to investment strategies that are invested primarily in foreign (non-US dollar denominated) equity securities. The fixed income portion of the Portfolio may be allocated among investment grade securities; high yield or junk bonds; foreign (non-US dollar denominated) high quality debt securities and emerging market debt securities; and cash reserves. Cash reserves may consist of investments denominated in US-dollar and non US-dollar currencies. The Portfolio's subadvisers seek exposure to the relevant asset classes by investing the Portfolio’s assets in varying combinations of: (i) securities, including, without limitation, common stocks, preferred stocks, bonds and depositary receipts; (ii) other pooled investment vehicles, including, without limitation, open-end or closed-end investment companies and exchange-traded funds (ETFs); and (iii) certain structured notes and financial and derivative instruments, including swap agreements. Derivative instruments of the Portfolio and underlying funds and ETFs may include futures, foreign currency contracts, options, and swaps, such as total return swaps, credit default swaps and interest rate swaps.
The Portfolio allocates approximately 15-25% of its net assets to a liquidity strategy, which is employed through an overlay sleeve. The liquidity strategy seeks to allow for the efficient management of Portfolio-level risk and changes in the Portfolio's asset levels, liquidity, and asset allocations. The liquidity strategy is also used to access and adjust exposures to various asset classes and underlying strategy allocations. The liquidity strategy is invested primarily in (i) derivative instruments including, but not limited to, mortgage TBAs (mortgage TBAs are to-be-announced mortgage derivatives), swaps, forwards, index futures, other futures contracts, and options thereon to provide liquid exposure to the applicable equity and fixed income benchmark indices; and (ii) cash, money market equivalents, short-term debt instruments, money market funds, and short-term debt funds to satisfy all applicable margin requirements for the futures contracts and to provide additional portfolio liquidity to satisfy large-scale redemptions. The liquidity strategy may also invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for additional exposure to relevant markets. The liquidity strategy may temporarily deviate from the allocation indicated due to redemptions in the Portfolio or other circumstances relevant to the Portfolio’s overall investment process.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Portfolio. The risks summarized below are the principal risks of investing in the Portfolio. All investments have risks to some degree and it is possible that you could lose money by investing in the Portfolio. An investment in the Portfolio is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. While the Portfolio makes every effort to achieve its objective, the Portfolio cannot guarantee success. The order of the below risk factors does not indicate the significance of any particular risk factor.
Asset Allocation Risk. The Portfolio’s overall allocations to stocks and bonds, and the allocations to the various asset classes and market sectors within those broad categories, could cause the Portfolio to underperform other funds with a similar investment objective. As a fund that has a larger allocation to equity securities relative to its fixed income allocation, the Portfolio risk of loss and share price fluctuation (and potential for gain) will tend to be more closely aligned with funds investing a greater portion of assets in equity securities and notably more than funds investing primarily in fixed income securities. Additionally, both equity and fixed income securities may decline in value.
Asset-Backed and/or Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. Asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities are fixed income securities that represent an interest in an underlying pool of assets, such as credit card receivables or, in the case of mortgage-backed securities, mortgage loans. Like fixed income securities, asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities are subject to interest rate risk, liquidity risk, and credit risk, which may be heightened in connection with investments in loans to subprime borrowers. Certain asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities are subject to the risk that those obligations will be repaid sooner than expected or later than expected, either of which may result in lower than expected returns. Mortgage-backed securities, because they are backed by mortgage loans, are also subject to risks related to real estate, and securities backed by private-issued mortgages may experience higher rates of default on the underlying mortgages than securities backed by government-issued mortgages.
Asset Transfer Program Risk. Predetermined, nondiscretionary mathematical formulas used by the Participating Insurance Companies to manage the guarantees offered in connection with certain benefit programs under the Contracts may result in systematic transfers of assets among the investment options under the Contracts, including the Portfolio. These formulas may result in large-scale asset flows into and out of the Portfolio, which could adversely affect the Portfolio, including its risk profile, expenses and performance. For example, the asset flows may adversely affect performance by requiring the Portfolio to purchase or sell securities at inopportune times, by otherwise limiting the subadviser’s ability to fully

implement the Portfolio’s investment strategies, or by requiring the Portfolio to hold a larger portion of its assets in highly liquid securities than it otherwise would hold. The asset flows may also result in high turnover, low asset levels and high operating expense ratios for the Portfolio. The asset flows could remove all or substantially all of the assets of the Portfolio. The efficient operation of the asset flows depends on active and liquid markets. If market liquidity is strained, the asset flows may not operate as intended which in turn could adversely affect performance.
Blend Style Risk. The Portfolio's blend investment style may subject the Portfolio to risks of both value and growth investing. The portion of the Portfolio's portfolio that makes investments pursuant to a growth strategy may be subject to above-average fluctuations as a result of seeking high quality stocks with good future growth prospects. The portion of the Portfolio's portfolio that makes investments pursuant to a value strategy may be subject to the risk that the market may not recognize a security's intrinsic value for long periods of time or that a stock judged to be undervalued may actually be appropriately priced. Issuers of value stocks may have experienced adverse business developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the stock to be out of favor. If the Portfolio's assessment of market conditions or a company’s value is inaccurate, the Portfolio could suffer losses or produce poor performance relative to other funds. Historically, growth stocks have performed best during later stages of economic expansion and value stocks have performed best during periods of economic recovery. Therefore, both styles may over time go in and out of favor with the markets. At times when a style is out of favor, that portion of the portfolio may lag the other portion of the portfolio, which may cause the overall Portfolio to underperform the market in general, its benchmark and other mutual funds. Growth and value stocks have historically produced similar long-term results, though each category has periods when it outperforms the other.
Derivatives Risk. A derivative is a financial contract, the value of which depends upon, or is derived from, the value of one or more underlying investments, such as an asset, reference rate, or index. The use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that involves a variety of risks in addition to and greater than those associated with investing directly in securities, including the risk that: the party on the other side of a derivative transaction will be unable to honor its financial obligation; leverage created by investing in derivatives may result in losses to the Portfolio; derivatives may be difficult or impossible for the Portfolio to buy or sell at an opportune time or price, and may be difficult to terminate or otherwise offset; derivatives used for hedging may reduce or magnify losses but also may reduce or eliminate gains; and the price of commodity-linked derivatives may be more volatile than the prices of traditional equity and debt securities.
Economic and Market Events Risk. Events in the US and global financial markets, including actions taken by the US Federal Reserve or foreign central banks to stimulate or stabilize economic growth, may at times result in periods of unusually high volatility in a market or a segment of a market, which could negatively impact performance. Reduced liquidity in credit and fixed income markets could adversely affect issuers worldwide.
Emerging Markets Risk. The risks of non-US investments are greater for investments in or exposed to emerging markets. Emerging market countries typically have economic, political and social systems that are less developed, and can be expected to be less stable, than those of more developed countries. For example, the economies of such countries can be subject to currency devaluations and rapid and unpredictable (and in some cases, extremely high) rates of inflation or deflation. Low trading volumes may result in a lack of liquidity, price volatility and valuation difficulties.  Emerging market countries may have policies that restrict investments by foreign investors, or that prevent foreign investors from withdrawing their money at will, which may make it difficult for a Portfolio to invest in such countries or increase the administrative costs of such investments. Countries with emerging markets can be found in regions such as Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Africa. A Portfolio may invest in some emerging markets through trading structures or protocols that subject it to risks such as those associated with decreased liquidity, custody of assets, different settlement and clearance procedures and asserting legal title under a developing legal and regulatory regime to a greater degree than in developed markets or even in other emerging markets.
Equity Securities Risk. The value of a particular stock or equity-related security held by the Portfolio could fluctuate, perhaps greatly, in response to a number of factors, such as changes in the issuer’s financial condition or the value of the equity markets or a sector of those markets. Such events may result in losses to the Portfolio.
Exchange-Traded Funds (ETF) Risk. An investment in an ETF generally presents the same primary risks as an investment in a mutual fund that has the same investment objective, strategies and policies. In addition, the market price of an ETF’s shares may trade above or below its net asset value and there may not be an active trading market for an ETF’s shares. The Portfolio could lose money investing in an ETF if the prices of the securities owned by the ETF go down.
Expense Risk. The actual cost of investing in the Portfolio may be higher than the expenses shown in the Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses table above for a variety of reasons, including, for example, if the Portfolio’s average net assets decrease.
Fixed Income Securities Risk. Investment in fixed income securities involves a variety of risks, including that: an issuer or guarantor of a security will be unable or unwilling to pay obligations when due; due to decreases in liquidity, the Portfolio may be unable to sell its securities holdings within a reasonable time at the price it values the security or at any price; and the Portfolio’s investment may decrease in value when interest rates rise. Volatility in interest rates and in fixed income markets may increase the risk that the Portfolio’s investment in fixed income securities will go down in value. Risks

associated with changing interest rates are currently heightened because any increase or decrease may be sudden and significant, with unpredictable effects on the markets and the Portfolio’s investments. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Portfolio’s investments in fixed income securities.
Foreign Investment Risk. Investments in foreign securities generally involve more risk than investments in securities of US issuers, including: changes in currency exchange rates may affect the value of foreign securities held by the Portfolio; foreign markets generally are more volatile than, and generally are not subject to regulatory requirements comparable to, US markets; foreign financial reporting standards usually differ from those in the US; foreign exchanges are often less liquid than US markets; political or social developments may adversely affect the value of foreign securities; foreign holdings may be subject to special taxation and limitations on repatriating investment proceeds; and certain events in foreign markets may adversely affect foreign and domestic issuers, including interruptions in the global supply chain, natural disasters and outbreaks of infectious diseases.
Fund of Funds Risk. In addition to the risks associated with the investment in the Underlying Portfolios, the Portfolio is exposed to the investment objectives, investment risks, and investment performance of the Underlying Portfolios. The Portfolio is also subject to a potential conflict of interest between the Portfolio and its investment manager(s) and subadviser(s), which could impact the Portfolio. Moreover, the Portfolio will incur its pro rata share of the Underlying Portfolios’ expenses, which will reduce the Portfolio’s performance.
High Yield Risk. Investments in fixed income securities rated below investment grade and unrated securities of similar credit quality (i.e., high yield securities or junk bonds) may be more sensitive to interest rate, credit, call and liquidity risks than investments in investment grade securities, and have predominantly speculative characteristics.
Investment Style Risk. Securities held by the Portfolio as a result of a particular investment style, such as growth or value, tend to perform differently (i.e., better or worse than other segments of, or the overall, stock market) depending on market and economic conditions and investor sentiment. At times when the investment style is out of favor, the Portfolio may underperform other funds that invest in similar asset classes but use different investment styles.
Market Capitalization Risk. Investing in issuers within the same market capitalization category carries the risk that the category may be out of favor due to current market conditions or investor sentiment. Because the Portfolio may invest a portion of its assets in securities issued by small-cap companies, it is likely to be more volatile than a portfolio that focuses on securities issued by larger companies. Small-sized companies often have less experienced management, narrower product lines, more limited financial resources, and less publicly available information than larger companies. In addition, smaller companies are typically more sensitive to changes in overall economic conditions and their securities may be difficult to trade.
Market and Management Risk. Markets in which the Portfolio invests may experience volatility and go down in value, and possibly sharply and unpredictably. Investment techniques, risk analyses and investment strategies, which may include quantitative models or methods, used by a subadviser in making investment decisions for the Portfolio are subject to human error and may not produce the intended or desired results. The value of the Portfolio’s investments may be negatively affected by the occurrence of domestic or global events, including war, terrorism, environmental disasters, natural disasters or events, political or civil instability, and public health emergencies (such as the spread of infectious diseases, pandemics, or epidemics), among others. Such events may reduce consumer demand or economic output, result in market closures, travel restrictions or quarantines, and significantly adversely impact the economy. There is no guarantee that the investment objective of the Portfolio will be achieved.
Real Estate Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real estate-linked derivative instruments are subject to risks similar to those associated with direct ownership of real estate. Poor performance by the manager of the REIT and adverse changes to or inability to qualify with favorable tax laws will adversely affect the Portfolio. In addition, some REITs have limited diversification because they invest in a limited number of properties, a narrow geographic area, or a single type of property.
Regulatory Risk. The Portfolio is subject to a variety of laws and regulations which govern its operations. The Portfolio is subject to regulation by the SEC, and depending on the Portfolio, the CFTC. Similarly, the businesses and other issuers of the securities and other instruments in which the Portfolio invests are also subject to considerable regulation. Changes in laws and regulations may materially impact the Portfolio, a security, business, sector or market.
Past Performance. The bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's performance from year to year and by showing how the Portfolio's average annual returns for 1 year, 5 years and since inception of the Portfolio compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. Past performance does not mean that the Portfolio will achieve similar results in the future.
The annual returns and average annual returns shown in the chart and table are after deduction of expenses and do not include Contract charges. If Contract charges were included, the returns shown would have been lower than those shown. Consult your Contract prospectus for information about Contract charges.

The table also demonstrates how the Portfolio’s average annual returns compare to the returns of a custom blended index which consists of the Russell 3000 Index (52%), Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Index (15%) and MSCI Europe, Australasia and the Far East (EAFE) Index (GD) (33%). PGIM Investments LLC determined the weight of each index comprising the blended index.
Best Quarter:
Worst Quarter:
14.59%
2nd
Quarter
2020
-21.80%
1st
Quarter
2020
Average Annual Total Returns (For the periods ended December 31, 2020)
 
1 Year
5 Years
Since
Inception
Inception
Date
Portfolio
6.07%
8.00%
6.27%
11/24/14
Index
S&P 500 Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
18.40%
15.21%
12.55%*
-
Blended Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
15.09%
11.48%
9.20%*
-
*Since Inception returns for the Indexes are measured from the month-end closest to the inception date.
MANAGEMENT OF THE PORTFOLIO
Investment Manager
Subadvisers
Portfolio Managers
Title
Service Date
PGIM Investments LLC
QS Investors LLC
Thomas Picciochi, CAIA
Co-Head of Asset
Allocation Portfolio
Management
November 2014
 
 
Lisa Wang, CFA
Portfolio Manager
August 2019
 
Franklin Advisers, Inc.
 
 
April 2021
 
Brandywine Global Investment Management,
LLC
 
 
November 2014
 
ClearBridge Investments, LLC
 
 
November 2014
 
Western Asset Management Company, LLC/
Western Asset Management Company Limited
 
 
November 2014
TAX INFORMATION
Contract owners should consult their Contract prospectus for information on the federal tax consequences to them. In addition, Contract owners may wish to consult with their own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of investments in the Contracts and the Portfolio, including the application of state and local taxes. The Portfolio currently intends to be treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes. As a result, the Portfolio's income, gains, losses, deductions, and credits are passed through pro rata directly to the Participating Insurance Companies and retain the same character for federal income tax purposes.
FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARY COMPENSATION
If you purchase your Contract through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Participating Insurance Company, the Portfolio or their related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of the Contract, the selection of the Portfolio and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Contract over another investment or insurance product, or to recommend the Portfolio over another investment option under the Contract. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

Notes

Notes

 
 
By Mail:
Advanced Series Trust, 655 Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102
By Telephone:
1-800-346-3778
On the Internet:
www.prudential.com/variableinsuranceportfolios
684SUMPROS