-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, H8sU3BX/1JRibCLlh040J7iJlgL2/cqeDSqI8V8uG22lU4DydIr2qDlTu5X7WnA8 3jZihEhccymXs7d+1QdnLg== 0000919574-96-000738.txt : 19960806 0000919574-96-000738.hdr.sgml : 19960806 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000919574-96-000738 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 497 PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 1 FILED AS OF DATE: 19960805 SROS: NONE FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: ALLIANCE VARIABLE PRODUCTS SERIES FUND INC CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000825316 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: [] FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 497 SEC ACT: 1933 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 033-18647 FILM NUMBER: 96603965 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: C/O ALLIANCE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LP STREET 2: 1345 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS 31ST FL CITY: NEW YORK STATE: NY ZIP: 10105 BUSINESS PHONE: 2125544623 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: ALLIANCE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LP STREET 2: 1345 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS CITY: NEW YORK STATE: NY ZIP: 10105 497 1 Filed pursuant to Rule 497(c). File Nos. 33-18647 and 811-5398. ALLIANCE VARIABLE PRODUCTS SERIES FUND, INC. _________________________________________________________________ P.O. Box 1520, Secaucus, New Jersey 07096-1520 Toll Free (800) 221-5672 _________________________________________________________________ Alliance Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the "Fund") is an open-end series investment company designed to fund variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies to be offered by the separate accounts of certain life insurance companies. _________________________________________________________________ QUASAR PORTFOLIO _________________________________________________________________ The Quasar Portfolio (the "Portfolio") seeks growth of capital by pursuing aggressive investment policies. The Portfolio invests principally in a diversified portfolio of equity securities of any company and industry and in any type of security which is believed to offer possibilities for capital appreciation. (R) : This is a registered mark used under license from the owner, Alliance Capital Management L.P. _________________________________________________________________ THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE. PROSPECTUS/July 22, 1996 Investors are advised to carefully read this Prospectus and to retain it for future reference. _________________________________________________________________ PURCHASE INFORMATION _________________________________________________________________ The Fund will offer and sell the Portfolio's shares only to separate accounts of certain life insurance companies, for the purpose of funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies. Sales will be made without sales charge at the Portfolio's per share net asset value. Further information can be obtained from Alliance Fund Services, Inc. at the address or telephone number shown above. An investment in the Portfolio is not a deposit or obligation of, or guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank and is not federally insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board or any other agency. _________________________________________________________________ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION _________________________________________________________________ This Prospectus sets forth concisely the information which a prospective investor should know about the Fund and the Portfolio before applying for certain variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies offered by participating insurance companies. It should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus of the separate account of the specific insurance product which accompanies this Prospectus. A "Statement of Additional Information" dated July 22, 1996 which provides a further discussion of certain areas in this Prospectus and other matters which may be of interest to some investors, has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is incorporated herein by reference. For a free copy, call or write Alliance Fund Services, Inc. at the address or telephone number shown above. 2 _________________________________________________________________ EXPENSE INFORMATION _________________________________________________________________ Shareholder Transaction Expenses The Portfolio has no sales load on purchases or reinvested dividends, deferred sales load, redemption fee or exchange fee. Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (as a percentage of average net assets) Management Fees.......................... 0%* Other Expenses........................... .95%* _____ Total Portfolio Operating Expenses......... .95% ===== ____________________ * Net of expense reimbursement Example You would pay the following expenses on a $1,000 investment, assuming a 5% annual return (cumulatively through the end of each time period). 1 Year 3 Years $10 $30 The purpose of the foregoing table is to assist the investor in understanding the various costs and expenses that an investor in the Portfolio will bear directly and indirectly. "Other Expenses" for the Portfolio are based on estimated amounts for the Portfolio's current fiscal year. The estimated expense information for the Portfolio is net of voluntary expense reimbursements which are not required to be continued indefinitely; however, the Adviser intends to continue such reimbursements for the foreseeable future. The estimated Management Fees and Other Expenses of the Portfolio before expense reimbursements would be 1.00% and 1.55%, respectively. The example should not be considered representative of future expenses; actual expenses may be greater or less than those shown. 3 _________________________________________________________________ DESCRIPTION OF THE PORTFOLIO _________________________________________________________________ Introduction to the Fund The Fund was established as a Maryland corporation in 1987. The Fund is an open-end management investment company commonly known as a "mutual fund" whose shares are offered in separate series each referred to as a "portfolio." Because the Fund offers multiple portfolios, it is known as a "series fund." Each portfolio is a separate pool of assets constituting, in effect, a separate fund with its own investment objectives and policies. A shareholder in the Portfolio will be entitled to his or her pro rata share of all dividends and distributions arising from the Portfolio's assets and, upon redeeming shares of the Portfolio, the shareholder will receive the then current net asset value of the Portfolio represented by the redeemed shares. (See "Purchase and Redemption of Shares"). While the Fund has no present intention of doing so, the Fund is empowered to establish, without shareholder approval, additional portfolios which may have different investment objectives. In addition to the Portfolio, the Fund currently has 17 other portfolios: the Money Market Portfolio, the Premier Growth Portfolio, the Growth and Income Portfolio, the U.S. Government/High Grade Securities Portfolio, the High-Yield Portfolio, the Total Return Portfolio, the International Portfolio, the Short-Term Multi-Market Portfolio, the Global Bond Portfolio, the North American Government Income Portfolio, the Global Dollar Government Portfolio, the Utility Income Portfolio, the Conservative Investors Portfolio, the Growth Investors Portfolio, the Growth Portfolio, the Worldwide Privatization Portfolio and the Technology Portfolio. The Fund is intended to serve as the investment medium for variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies to be offered by the separate accounts of certain life insurance companies. It is conceivable that in the future it may be disadvantageous for variable annuity and variable life insurance separate accounts to invest simultaneously in the Fund. Currently, however, the Fund does not foresee any disadvantage to the holders of variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies arising from the fact that the interests of the holders of such contracts and policies may differ. Nevertheless, the Fund's Directors intend to monitor events in 4 order to identify any material irreconcilable conflicts which may possibly arise and to determine what action, if any, should be taken in response thereto. The investment objective and policies of the Portfolio are set forth below. There can be, of course, no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective. Investment Objective and Policies General The Portfolio is a diversified investment company that seeks growth of capital by pursuing aggressive investment policies. It invests for capital appreciation and only incidentally for current income. The selection of securities based on the possibility of appreciation cannot prevent loss in value. Moreover, because the Portfolio's investment policies are aggressive, an investment in the Portfolio is risky and investors who want assured income or preservation of capital should not invest in the Portfolio. The Portfolio invests in any company and industry and in any type of security with potential for capital appreciation. It invests in well-known and established companies and in new and unseasoned companies. When selecting securities, Alliance Capital Management L.P., the Portfolio's adviser (the "Adviser"), considers economic and political outlook, the values of specific securities relative to other investments, trends in the determinants of corporate profits and management capability and practices. The Portfolio invests principally in equity securities, but it also invests to a limited degree in non-convertible bonds and preferred stocks. The Portfolio invests in listed and unlisted U.S. and foreign securities. The Portfolio periodically invests in special situations, which occur when the securities of a company are expected to appreciate due to a development particularly or uniquely applicable to that company and regardless of general business conditions or movements of the market as a whole. The Portfolio may also: (i) invest up to 15% of its total assets in securities for which there is no ready market; (ii) make short sales of securities "against the box," but not more than 15% of its net assets may be deposited on short sales; and (iii) write call options and purchase and sell put and call options written by others. For additional information on the use, risks and costs of the policies and practices, see "Other Investment Policies and Techniques," below. 5 The Portfolio's investment objective cannot be changed without approval by the holders of a majority of the Portfolio's outstanding voting securities, as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Act"). Except as otherwise indicated, the investment policies of the Portfolio are not "fundamental policies" and may, therefore, be changed by the Board of Directors without shareholder approval. Other Investment Policies and Techniques Options The Portfolio may write call options and purchase and sell put and call options written by others. An option gives the purchaser of the option, upon payment of a premium, the right to deliver to (in the case of a put) or receive from (in the case of a call) the writer a specified amount of a security on or before a fixed date at a predetermined price. A call option written by the Portfolio is "covered" if the Portfolio owns the underlying security, has an absolute and immediate right to acquire that security upon conversion or exchange of another security it holds, or holds a call option on the underlying security with an exercise price equal to or less than that of the call option it has written. In purchasing an option, the Portfolio would be in a position to realize a gain, if, during the option period, the price of the underlying security increased (in the case of a call) or decreased (in the case of a put) by an amount in excess of the premium paid; otherwise the Portfolio would experience a loss equal to the premium paid for the option. If a call option written by the Portfolio were exercised, the Portfolio would be obligated to sell the underlying security at the exercise price. The risk involved in writing an option is that, if the option were exercised, the underlying security would then be purchased or sold by the Portfolio at a disadvantageous price. These risks could be reduced by entering into a closing transaction (i.e., by disposing of the option prior to its exercise). The Portfolio retains the premium received from writing a call option whether or not the option is exercised. The writing of covered call options could result in increases in a Fund's portfolio turnover rate, especially during periods when market prices of the underlying securities appreciate. The Portfolio will not write a call option if, as a result, the aggregate of the Portfolio's securities subject to outstanding call options (valued at the lower of the option price or market value of such securities) would exceed 15% of the Portfolio's total assets or more than 10% of the Portfolio's 6 assets would be committed to call options that at the time of sale have a remaining term of more than 100 days. The aggregate cost of all outstanding options purchased and held by the Portfolio will at no time exceed 10% of the Portfolio's total assets. Short Sales The Portfolio may only make short sales of securities "against the box". A short sale is effected by selling a security that the Portfolio does not own, or if the Portfolio does own such security, it is not to be delivered upon consummation of the sale. A short sale is "against the box" to the extent that the Portfolio contemporaneously owns or has the right to obtain securities identical to those sold short without payment. If the price of the security sold short increases between the time of the short sale and the time the Portfolio replaces the borrowed security, the Portfolio will incur a loss; conversely, if the price declines, the Portfolio will realize a capital gain. Certain special federal income tax considerations may apply to short sales entered into by the Portfolio. See "Dividends, Distributions and Taxes" in the Portfolio's Statement of Additional Information. Foreign Securities The Portfolio may invest in foreign securities. To the extent the Portfolio invests in foreign securities, consideration is given to certain factors comprising both risk and opportunity. The values of foreign securities investments are affected by changes in currency rates or exchange control regulations, application of foreign tax laws, including withholding taxes, changes in governmental administration or economic, taxation or monetary policy (in the United States and abroad) or changed circumstances in dealings between nations. Foreign securities markets may also be less liquid, more volatile, and less subject to governmental supervision than in the United States. Investments in foreign countries could be affected by other factors not present in the United States, including expropriation, confiscatory taxation, lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards and potential difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations and could be subject to extended settlement periods. Portfolio Turnover Generally, the Fund's policy with respect to turnover of securities held in the Portfolio is to purchase securities for investment purposes and not for the purpose of realizing short- term trading profits or for the purpose of exercising control. When circumstances warrant, however, securities may be sold 7 without regard to the length of time held. The Adviser anticipates that the Portfolio's annual rate of portfolio turnover generally will not be in excess of 200%. A high rate of portfolio turnover involves correspondingly greater expenses than a lower rate, which expenses must be borne by the Portfolio and its shareholders. High portfolio turnover also may result in the realization of substantial net short-term capital gains. In order to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company for Federal tax purposes, less than 30% of the annual gross income of a Portfolio must be derived from the sale of securities held by the Portfolio for less than three months. See "Dividends, Distributions and Taxes." Certain Fundamental Investment Policies The Fund has adopted certain fundamental investment policies applicable to the Portfolio which may not be changed without the approval of the shareholders of the Portfolio. Certain of those fundamental investment policies are set forth below. For a complete listing of such fundamental investment policies, see the Statement of Additional Information. The Portfolio may not: (i) purchase the securities of any one issuer, other than the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities, if as a result more than 5% of its total assets would be invested in such issuer or the Portfolio would own more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, except that up to 25% of its total assets may be invested without regard to these 5% and 10% limitations; (ii) invest more than 25% of its total assets in any particular industry; and (iii) borrow money except for temporary or emergency purposes in an amount not exceeding 5% of its total assets at the time the borrowing is made. _________________________________________________________________ MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND _________________________________________________________________ Adviser Alliance Capital Management L.P., a Delaware limited partnership with principal offices at 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10105 has been retained under an investment advisory agreement (the "Investment Advisory Agreement") to provide investment advice and, in general, to conduct the management and investment program of the Portfolio subject to the general supervision and control of the Board of Directors of the Fund. The employees of the Adviser principally 8 responsible for the Portfolio's investment program since its inception are Alden M. Stewart and Randall E. Haase. Mr. Stewart and Mr. Haase have each been associated with the Adviser since 1993. Prior thereto, Mr. Stewart and Mr. Haase each was associated with Equitable Capital Management Corporation since prior to 1991. The Adviser is a leading international investment manager supervising client accounts with assets as of March 31, 1996 totaling $163 billion (of which more than $53 billion represented the assets of investment companies). The Adviser's clients are primarily major corporate employee benefit funds, public employee retirement systems, investment companies, foundations and endowment funds. The 50 registered investment companies managed by the Adviser comprising 107 separate investment portfolios currently have over two million shareholders. As of March 31, 1996, the Adviser was retained as an investment manager by 34 of the Fortune 100 companies. ACMC, the sole general partner of, and the owner of a 1% general partnership interest in, the Adviser, is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States ("Equitable"), one of the largest life insurance companies in the United States and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Equitable Companies Incorporated, a holding company which is controlled by AXA, a French insurance holding company. Certain information concerning the ownership and control of Equitable by AXA is set forth in the Statement of Additional Information under "Management of the Fund." The Adviser provides investment advisory services and order placement facilities for each of the Fund's portfolios and pays all compensation of Directors and officers of the Fund who are affiliated persons of the Adviser. The Adviser or its affiliates also furnish the Fund, without charge, management supervision and assistance and office facilities and provide persons satisfactory to the Fund's Board of Directors to serve as the Fund's officers. The Portfolio pays the Adviser at an annual rate of 1.00% of the average daily value of its net assets. The fees are accrued daily and paid monthly. Expenses of the Portfolio In addition to the payments to the Adviser under the Investment Advisory Agreement described above, the Portfolio pays certain other costs including (a) custody, transfer and dividend disbursing expenses, (b) fees of Directors who are not affiliated with the Adviser, (c) legal and auditing expenses, (d) clerical, accounting and other office costs, (e) costs of printing the Fund's prospectuses and shareholder reports, (f) cost of maintaining the Fund's existence, (g) interest charges, taxes, 9 brokerage fees and commissions, (h) costs of stationery and supplies, (i) expenses and fees related to registration and filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") and with state regulatory authorities, and (j) cost of certain personnel of the Adviser or its affiliates rendering clerical, accounting and other services to the Fund. As to the obtaining of clerical and accounting services not required to be provided to the Fund by the Adviser under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Fund may employ its own personnel. For such services, it may also utilize personnel employed by the Adviser or by its affiliates; in such event, the services are provided to the Fund at cost and the payments specifically approved in advance by the Fund's Board of Directors. _________________________________________________________________ PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES _________________________________________________________________ Purchase of Shares Shares of the Portfolio are offered on a continuous basis directly by the Fund and by Alliance Fund Distributors, Inc., the Fund's Principal Underwriter, to the separate accounts of certain life insurance companies without any sales or other charge, at the Portfolio's net asset value, as described below. The separate accounts of insurance companies place orders to purchase shares of the Portfolio based on, among other things, the amount of premium payments to be invested and surrender and transfer requests to be effected on that day pursuant to variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies which are funded by shares of the Portfolios. The Fund reserves the right to suspend the sale of the Fund's shares in response to conditions in the securities markets or for other reasons. Individuals may not place orders directly with the Fund. See the Prospectus of the separate account of the participating insurance company for more information on the purchase of Portfolio shares. The public offering price of the Portfolio's shares is their net asset value. The per share net asset value of the Portfolio is computed in accordance with the Fund's Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws, at the next close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange") (currently 4:00 p.m. Eastern time), following receipt of a purchase or redemption order by the Fund, on each Fund business day on which such an order is received and trading in the types of securities in which the Fund invests might materially affect the value of Fund shares. The Fund's per share net asset value is computed by dividing the value of the Fund's total assets, less its 10 liabilities, by the total number of its shares then outstanding. A Fund business day is any weekday exclusive of days on which the Exchange is closed (most national holidays and Good Friday). For purposes of this computation, the securities in the Portfolio are valued at their current market value determined on the basis of market quotations or, if such quotations are not readily available, such other methods as the Directors believe would accurately reflect fair market value. Portfolio securities may also be valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service when such prices are believed by the Adviser to reflect the fair market value of such securities. Redemption of Shares An insurance company separate account may redeem all or any portion of the shares of the Portfolio in its account at any time at the net asset value per share of the Portfolio next determined after a redemption request in proper form is furnished to the Fund or the Principal Underwriter. Any certificates representing shares being redeemed must be submitted with the redemption request. Shares redeemed are entitled to earn dividends, if any, up to and including the day redemption is effected. There is no redemption charge. Payment of the redemption price will normally be made within seven days after receipt of such tender for redemption. The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment may be postponed for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings) or during which the Commission determines that trading thereon is restricted, or for any period during which an emergency (as determined by the Commission) exists as a result of which disposal by the Fund of securities owned by the Portfolio is not reasonably practicable or as a result of which it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund fairly to determine the value of the Portfolio's net assets, or for such other periods as the Commission may by order permit for the protection of security holders of the Fund. _________________________________________________________________ DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES _________________________________________________________________ The Portfolio will declare and distribute dividends from net investment income and will distribute its net capital gains, if any, at least annually. Such income and capital gains distributions will be made in shares of the Portfolio. The Portfolio intends to qualify to be taxed as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code (the "Code"). If so qualified, the Portfolio will not be subject to Federal income or excise taxes on its 11 investment company taxable income and net capital gains to the extent such investment company taxable income and net capital gains are distributed to the separate accounts of insurance companies which hold its shares. Under current tax law, capital gains or dividends from the Portfolio are not currently taxable when left to accumulate within a variable annuity (other than an annuity interest owned by a person who is not a natural person) or variable life insurance contract. Distributions of net investment income and net short-term capital gain will be treated as ordinary income and distributions of net long-term capital gain will be treated as long-term capital gain in the hands of the insurance companies. Section 817(h) of the Code requires that the investments of a segregated asset account of an insurance company be "adequately diversified," in accordance with Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, in order for the holders of the variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies underlying the account to receive the tax-deferred or tax-free treatment generally afforded holders of annuities or life insurance policies under the Code. The Department of the Treasury has issued Regulations under section 817(h) which, among other things, provide the manner in which a segregated asset account will treat investments in a regulated investment company for purposes of the applicable diversification requirements. Under the Regulations, if a regulated investment company satisfies certain conditions, a segregated asset account owning shares of the regulated investment company will not be treated as a single investment for these purposes, but rather the account will be treated as owning its proportionate share of each of the assets of the regulated investment company. The Portfolio plans to satisfy these conditions at all times so that the shares of the Portfolio owned by a segregated asset account of a life insurance company will be subject to this treatment under the Code. For information concerning federal income tax consequences for the holders of variable annuity contracts and variable rate insurance policies, such holders should consult the prospectus used in connection with the issuance of their particular contracts or policies. _________________________________________________________________ GENERAL INFORMATION _________________________________________________________________ Portfolio Transactions Subject to the general supervision of the Board of Directors of the Fund, the Adviser is responsible for the investment decisions and the placing of the orders for portfolio transactions for the Portfolio. 12 The Fund has no obligation to enter into transactions in portfolio securities with any broker, dealer, issuer, underwriter or other entity. In placing orders, it is the policy of the Fund to obtain the best price and execution for its transactions. Consistent with the objective of obtaining best execution, the Fund may use brokers and dealers who provide research, statistical and other information to the Adviser. There may be occasions where the transaction cost charged by a broker may be greater than that which another broker may charge if the Fund determines in good faith that the amount of such transaction cost is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research and statistical services provided by the executing broker. Consistent with the Rules of Fair Practice of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., and subject to seeking best price and execution, the Fund may consider sales of shares of the Fund as a factor in the selection of brokers and dealers to enter into portfolio transactions with the Fund. The Fund may from time to time place orders for the purchase or sale of securities on an agency basis with Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation, an affiliate of the Adviser, and with brokers which may have their transactions cleared or settled, or both, by the Pershing Division of Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette Securities Corporation, for which Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette Securities Corporation may receive a portion of the brokerage commission. In such instances, the placement of orders with such brokers would be consistent with the Fund's objective of obtaining best execution and would not be dependent upon the fact that Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation is an affiliate of the Adviser. Organization The Fund is a Maryland corporation organized on November 17, 1987. The authorized capital stock of the Fund consists solely of 9,000,000,000 shares of Common Stock having a par value of $.001 per share, which may, without shareholder approval, be divided into an unlimited number of series. Such shares are currently divided into 18 series, one underlying each portfolio. Shares of each portfolio are normally entitled to one vote for all purposes. Generally, shares of all portfolios vote as a single series on matters, such as the election of Directors, that affect all portfolios in substantially the same manner. Maryland law does not require a registered investment company to hold annual meetings of shareholders and it is anticipated that shareholder meetings will be held only when specifically required by federal or state law. Shareholders have available certain procedures for the removal of Directors. Shares of each portfolio are freely transferable, are entitled to dividends as determined by the Board of Directors and, in liquidation of the Fund, are entitled to receive the net assets of that portfolio. Shareholders have no preference, pre-emptive or conversion 13 rights. In accordance with current law, it is anticipated that an insurance company issuing a variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy that participates in the Fund will request voting instructions from contract or policyholders and will vote shares in the separate account in accordance with the voting instructions received. Principal Underwriter Alliance Fund Distributors, Inc., 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10105, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, is the Principal Underwriter of shares of the Fund. Custodian State Street Bank and Trust Company, 225 Franklin Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, acts as Custodian for the securities and cash of the Fund and as its dividend disbursing agent, but plays no part in deciding on the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. Registrar and Dividend-Disbursing Agent Alliance Fund Services, Inc., an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, located at 500 Plaza Drive, Secaucus, New Jersey, 07094, acts as the Fund's registrar and dividend- disbursing agent. Additional Information Any shareholder inquiries may be directed to Alliance Fund Services, Inc. at the address or telephone number shown on the front cover of this Prospectus. This Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information which has been incorporated by reference herein, does not contain all the information set forth in the Registration Statement filed by the Fund with the Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Copies of the Registration Statement may be obtained at a reasonable charge from the Commission or may be examined, without charge, at the offices of the Commission in Washington, D.C. This Prospectus does not constitute an offering in any state in which such offering may not lawfully be made. 14 00250292.AW7 Filed pursuant to Rule 497(c). File Nos. 33-18647 and 811-5398. ALLIANCE VARIABLE PRODUCTS SERIES FUND, INC. - Quasar Portfolio _________________________________________________________________ P. O. Box 1520, Secaucus, New Jersey 07096-1520 Toll Free (800) 221-5672 _________________________________________________________________ STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION July 22, 1996 _________________________________________________________________ This Statement of Additional Information is not a prospectus but supplements and should be read in conjunction with the Portfolio's current Prospectus dated July 22, 1996. Copies of such Prospectus may be obtained by contacting Alliance Fund Services, Inc. at the address or telephone number shown above. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Description of the Portfolio............................ 2 Management of the Fund.................................. 8 Purchase and Redemption of Shares....................... 15 Net Asset Value......................................... 16 Portfolio Transactions.................................. 17 Dividends, Distributions and Taxes...................... 18 General Information..................................... 19 Appendix A: Options..................................... A-1 (R): This registered service mark used under license from the owner, Alliance Capital Management L.P. _________________________________________________________________ DESCRIPTION OF THE PORTFOLIO _________________________________________________________________ The Quasar Portfolio (the "Portfolio") is a portfolio of the Alliance Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. ("the Fund"), an open-end series investment company designed to fund variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies offered by the separate accounts of certain life insurance companies. The investment objective of the Portfolio is growth of capital by pursuing aggressive investment policies. Investments will be made based upon their potential for capital appreciation. Therefore, current income will be incidental to the objective of capital growth. Because of the market risks inherent in any investment, the selection of securities on the basis of their appreciation possibilities cannot ensure against possible loss in value. Moreover, to the extent the Portfolio seeks to achieve its objective through the more aggressive investment policies described below, risk of loss increases. The Portfolio is therefore not intended for investors whose principal objective is assured income or preservation of capital. Except as otherwise indicated, the investment policies of the Portfolio are not "fundamental policies" and may, therefore, be changed by the Board of Directors without a shareholder vote. However, the Portfolio will not change its investment policies without contemporaneous written notice to its shareholders. The Portfolio's investment objective, may not be changed without shareholder approval. Within this basic framework, the policy of the Portfolio is to invest in any companies and industries and in any types of securities which are believed to offer possibilities for capital appreciation. Investments may be made in well-known and established companies as well as in new and unseasoned companies. Critical factors considered in the selection of securities include the economic and political outlook, the values of individual securities relative to other investment alternatives, trends in the determinants of corporate profits, and management capability and practices. It is the policy of the Portfolio to invest principally in equity securities (common stocks, securities convertible into common stocks or rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase common stocks); however, it may also invest to a limited degree in non-convertible bonds and preferred stocks when, in the judgment of Alliance Capital Management L.P., the Portfolio's adviser (the "Adviser"), such investments are warranted to achieve the Fund's investment objective. When business or 2 financial conditions warrant, a more defensive position may be assumed and the Portfolio may invest in short-term fixed-income securities, in investment grade debt securities, in preferred stocks or hold its assets in cash. The Portfolio may invest in both listed and unlisted domestic and foreign securities, in restricted securities, and in other assets having no ready market, but not more than 15% of the Portfolio's total assets may be invested in all such restricted or not readily marketable assets at any one time. Restricted securities may be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or in a public offering with respect to which a registration statement is in effect under Rule 144 or 144A promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). Where registration is required, the Portfolio may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expense, and a considerable period may elapse between the time of the decision to sell and the time the Portfolio may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period adverse market conditions were to develop, the Portfolio might obtain a less favorable price than that which prevailed when it decided to sell. Restricted securities and other not readily marketable assets will be valued in such manner as the Board of Directors of the Fund in good faith deems appropriate to reflect their fair market value. The Portfolio intends to invest in special situations from time to time. A special situation arises when, in the opinion of the Fund's management, the securities of a particular company will, within a reasonably estimable period of time, be accorded market recognition at an appreciated value solely by reason of a development particularly or uniquely applicable to that company and regardless of general business conditions or movements of the market as a whole. Developments creating special situations might include, among others, the following: liquidations, reorganizations, recapitalizations or mergers, material litigation, technological breakthroughs and new management or management policies. Although large and well-known companies may be involved, special situations often involve much greater risk than is inherent in ordinary investment securities. The Portfolio will not, however, purchase securities of any company with a record of less than three years continuous operation (including that of predecessors) if such purchase would cause the Portfolio's investments in such companies, taken at cost, to exceed 25% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets. Additional Investment Policies And Practices The following additional investment policies supplement those set forth above. 3 General. In seeking to attain its investment objective of growth of capital, the Portfolio will supplement customary investment practices by engaging in a broad range of investment techniques including short sales "against the box," writing call options, purchases and sales of put and call options written by others and investing in special situations. These techniques are speculative, may entail greater risk, may be considered of a more short-term nature, and to the extent used, may result in greater turnover of the Portfolio's portfolio and a greater expense than is customary for most investment companies. Consequently, the Portfolio is not a complete investment program and is not a suitable investment for those who cannot afford to take such risks or whose objective is income or preservation of capital. No assurance can be given that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective. However, by buying shares in the Portfolio an investor may receive advantages he would not readily obtain as an individual, including professional management and continuous supervision of investments. The Portfolio will be subject to the overall limitation (in addition to the specific restrictions referred to below) that the aggregate value of all restricted and not readily marketable securities of the Portfolio, and of all cash and securities covering outstanding call options written or guaranteed by the Portfolio, shall at no time exceed 15% of the value of the total assets of the Portfolio. There is also no assurance that the Portfolio will at any particular time engage in all or any of the investment activities in which it is authorized to engage. In the opinion of the Portfolio's management, however, the power to engage in such activities provides an opportunity which is deemed to be desirable in order to achieve the Portfolio's investment objective. Short Sales. The Portfolio may only make short sales of securities "against the box." A short sale is effected by selling a security which the Portfolio does not own, or if the Portfolio does own such security, it is not to be delivered upon consummation of the sale. A short sale is "against the box" to the extent that the Portfolio contemporaneously owns or has the right to obtain securities identical to those sold short without payment. Short sales may be used by the Portfolio to defer the realization of gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes on securities then owned by the Portfolio. Gains or losses will be short- or long-term for Federal income tax purposes depending upon the length of the period the securities are held by the Portfolio before closing out the short sales by delivery to the lender. The Portfolio may, in certain instances, realize short- term gain on short sales "against the box" by covering the short position through a subsequent purchase. Not more than 15% of the value of the Portfolio's net assets will be in deposits on short sales "against the box". 4 Puts and Calls. The Portfolio may write call options and may purchase and sell put and call options written by others, combinations thereof, or similar options. The Portfolio may not write put options. A put option gives the buyer of such option, upon payment of a premium, the right to deliver a specified number of shares of a stock to the writer of the option on or before a fixed date at a predetermined price. A call option gives the purchaser of the option, upon payment of a premium, the right to call upon the writer to deliver a specified number of shares of a specified stock on or before a fixed date, at a predetermined price, usually the market price at the time the contract is negotiated. When calls written by the Portfolio are exercised, the Portfolio will be obligated to sell stocks below the current market price. The writing of call options will, therefore, involve a potential loss of opportunity to sell securities at higher prices. In exchange for the premium received, the writer of a fully collateralized call option assumes the full downside risk of the securities subject to such option. In addition, the writer of the call gives up the gain possibility of the stock protecting the call. Generally, the opportunity for profit from the writing of options is higher, and consequently the risks are greater when the stocks involved are lower priced or volatile, or both. While an option that has been written is in force, the maximum profit that may be derived from the optioned stock is the premium less brokerage commissions and fees. (For a discussion regarding certain tax consequences of the writing of call options by the Fund, see "Dividends, Distributions and Taxes".) Writing, purchasing and selling call options are highly specialized activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. It is the Portfolio's policy not to write a call option if the premium to be received by the Portfolio in connection with such option would not produce an annualized return of at least 15% of the then market value of the securities subject to option. Commissions, stock transfer taxes and other expenses of the Fund must be deducted from such premium receipts. Option premiums vary widely depending primarily on supply and demand. Calls written by the Portfolio will ordinarily be sold either on a national securities exchange or through put and call dealers, most, if not all, of whom are members of a national securities exchange on which options are traded, and will in such cases be endorsed or guaranteed by a member of a national securities exchange or qualified broker-dealer, which may be Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation ("DLJ"), an affiliate of the Adviser. The endorsing or guaranteeing firm requires that the option writer (in this case the Portfolio) maintain a margin account containing either corresponding stock or other equity as required by the endorsing or guaranteeing firm. A call written by the Portfolio will not be sold unless 5 the Portfolio at all times during the option period owns either (a) the optioned securities, or securities convertible into or carrying rights to acquire the optioned securities or (b) an offsetting call option on the same securities. The Portfolio will not sell a call option written or guaranteed by it if, as a result of such sale, the aggregate of the Portfolio's portfolio securities subject to outstanding call options (valued at the lower of the option price or market value of such securities) would exceed 15% of the Portfolio's total assets. The Portfolio will not sell any call option if such sale would result in more than 10% of the Portfolio's assets being committed to call options written by the Portfolio, which, at the time of sale by the Portfolio, have a remaining term of more than 100 days. The aggregate cost of all outstanding options purchased and held by the Portfolio shall at no time exceed 10% of the Portfolio's total assets. In buying a call, the Portfolio would be in a position to realize a gain if, during the option period, the price of the shares increased by an amount in excess of the premium paid and commissions payable on exercise. It would realize a loss if the price of the security declined or remained the same or did not increase during the period by more than the amount of the premium and commissions payable on exercise. By buying a put, the Portfolio would be in a position to realize a gain if, during the option period, the price of the shares declined by an amount in excess of the premium paid and commissions payable on exercise. It would realize a loss if the price of the security increased or remained the same or did not decrease during that period by more than the amount of the premium and commissions payable on exercise. In addition, the Portfolio could realize a gain or loss on such options by selling them. As noted above, the Portfolio may purchase and sell put and call options written by others, combinations thereof, or similar options. There are markets for put and call options written by others and the Portfolio may from time to time sell or purchase such options in such markets. If an option is not so sold and is permitted to expire without being exercised, its premium would be lost by the Portfolio. Portfolio Turnover. Generally, the Portfolio's policy with respect to portfolio turnover is to purchase securities with a view to holding them for periods of time sufficient to assure long-term capital gains treatment upon their sale and not for trading purposes. However, it is also the Portfolio's policy to sell any security whenever, in the judgment of the Adviser, its appreciation possibilities have been substantially realized or the business or market prospects for such security have deteriorated, irrespective of the length of time that such 6 security has been held. This policy may result in the Portfolio realizing short-term capital gains or losses on the sale of certain securities. See "Dividends, Distributions and Taxes". It is anticipated that the Portfolio's rate of portfolio turnover will not exceed 200% during the current fiscal year. A 200% annual turnover rate would occur, for example, if all the stocks in the Portfolio's portfolio were replaced twice within a period of one year. A portfolio turnover rate approximating 200% involves correspondingly greater brokerage commission expenses than would a lower rate, which expenses must be borne by the Portfolio and its shareholders. Investment Restrictions. The following restrictions may not be changed without approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Portfolio, which means the vote of (i) 67% or more of the shares represented at a meeting at which more than 50% of the outstanding shares are represented or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares, whichever is less. As a matter of fundamental policy, the Portfolio may not: (i) purchase the securities of any one issuer, other than the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities, if immediately after such purchase more than 5% of the value of its total assets would be invested in such issuer or the Portfolio would own more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, except that up to 25% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets may be invested without regard to such 5% and 10% limitations; (ii) invest more than 25% of the value of its total assets in any particular industry; (iii) borrow money except for temporary or emergency purposes in an amount not exceeding 5% of its total assets at the time the borrowing is made; (iv) purchase or sell real estate; (v) participate on a joint or joint and several basis in any securities trading account; (vi) invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control; (vii) purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts; 7 (viii) except as permitted in connection with short sales of securities "against the box" described under the heading "Short Sales" above, make short sales of securities; (ix) make loans of its funds or assets to any other person, which shall not be considered as including the purchase of a portion of an issue of publicly distributed bonds, debentures, or other securities, whether or not the purchase was made upon the original issuance of the securities; except that the Portfolio may not purchase non-publicly distributed securities subject to the limitations applicable to restricted securities; (x) except as permitted in connection with short sales of securities or writing of call options, described under the headings "Short Sales" and "Puts and Calls" above, pledge, mortgage or hypothecate any of its assets; (xi) except as permitted in connection with short sales of securities "against the box" described under the heading "Additional Investment Policies and Practices" above, make short sales of securities; and (xii) purchase securities on margin, but it may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of securities. _________________________________________________________________ MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND _________________________________________________________________ DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS The Directors and principal officers of the Fund, their ages and their primary occupations during the past five years are set forth below. Each such Director and officer is also a trustee, director or officer of other registered investment companies sponsored by the Adviser. Unless otherwise specified, the address of each such persons is 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10105. 8 DIRECTORS JOHN D. CARIFA*, 51, Chairman of the Board, is the President, Chief Operating Officer and a Director of Alliance Capital Management Corporation ("ACMC"**), the sole general partner of the Adviser, with which he has been associated since prior to 1991. RUTH BLOCK, 65, was formerly Executive Vice President and the Chief Insurance Officer of The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. She is a Director of Ecolab Incorporated (specialty chemicals) and Amoco Corporation (oil and gas). Her address is Box 4653, Stamford, Connecticut 06905. DAVID H. DIEVLER, 66, was formerly Chairman and President of the Fund and a Senior Vice President of ACMC, with which he had been associated since prior to 1991 through 1994. He is currently an independent consultant. His address is P.O. Box 167, Spring Lake, New Jersey 07762. JOHN H. DOBKIN, 54, has been the President of Historic Hudson Valley (historic preservation) since prior to 1991. Previously, he was Director of the National Academy of Design. From 1987 to 1992, he was a Director of ACMC. His address is Historic Hudson Valley, 150 White Plains Rd., Tarrytown, New York 10591. WILLIAM H. FOULK, JR., 63, is an investment adviser and independent consultant. He was formerly Senior Manager of Barrett Associates, Inc., a registered investment adviser since prior to 1991. His address is 2 Hekma Road, Greenwich, Connecticut 06831. - ---------------------- * An "interested person" of the Fund, as defined in the 1940 Act. ** For purposes of this Statement of Additional Information, ACMC refers to Alliance Capital Management Corporation, the sole general partner of the Adviser, and to the predecessor general partner of the Adviser of the same name. 9 DR. JAMES M. HESTER, 72, is President of the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation and a Director of Union Carbide Corporation with which he has been associated since prior to 1991. He was formerly President of New York University, The New York Botanical Garden and Rector of the United Nations University. His address is 45 East 89th Street, New York, New York 10128. CLIFFORD L. MICHEL, 56, is a partner in the law firm of Cahill Gordon & Reindel, with which he has been associated since prior to 1991. He is Chief Executive Officer of Wenonah Development Company (investments) and a Director of Placer Dome, Inc. (mining) and Faber-Castell Corporation (writing products). His address is 80 Pine Street, New York, New York 10005. ROBERT C. WHITE, 75, is a retired Trustee of St. Clair Fixed Income Fund, St. Clair Tax-Free Fund and St. Clair Equity Fund (registered investment companies) and a retired Director of MEDSTAT Systems, Inc. (health care information). Formerly, he was Assistant Treasurer of the Ford Motor Company and a Vice President and the Chief Financial Officer of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. His address is 30835 River Crossing, Bingham Farms, Michigan 48025. OFFICERS ALFRED L. HARRISON, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, 57, is a Vice Chairman of ACMC, with which he has been associated with since prior to 1991. WAYNE D. LYSKI, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, 53, is an Executive Vice President of ACMC, with which he has been associated with since prior to 1991. KATHLEEN A. CORBET, 35, Senior Vice President, has been a Senior Vice President of ACMC since July 1993. Previously, she held various responsibilities as head of Equitable Capital Management Corporation's Fixed Income Management Department, Private Placement Secondary Trading and Fund Management since prior to 1991. EDMUND P. BERGAN, Jr., 45, Secretary, is a Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Alliance Fund Distributors, Inc. and Alliance Fund Services, Inc. and is a Vice President and Assistant General Counsel of ACMC with which he has been associated since prior to 1991. MARK D. GERSTEN, TREASURER AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, 45, is a Senior Vice President of Alliance Fund Services, Inc. ("AFS"), with which he has been associated since prior to 1991. 10 ANDREW GANGOLF, ASSISTANT SECRETARY, 41, has been a Vice President and Assistant General Counsel of AFD since December 1994. Prior thereto he was a Vice President and Assistant Secretary of Delaware Management Company, Inc. since October 1992 and a Vice President and Counsel to Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States since prior to 1991. LAURA MAH, CONTROLLER, 39, has been a Vice President of ACMC since July 1992. Previously she was associated with Equitable Capital Management Corporation ("ECMC") since prior to 1991. THOMAS R. MANLEY, ASSISTANT CONTROLLER, 43, has been an Assistant Vice President of ACMC since July 1993. Previously he was associated with ECMC since prior to 1991. STEVEN YU, ASSISTANT CONTROLLER, 35, has been an Assistant Vice President of ACMC since 1993. Previously he was associated with ECMC since prior to 1991. The aggregate compensation paid by the Fund to each of the Directors during its fiscal year ended December 31, 1995, the aggregate compensation paid to each of the Directors during calendar year 1995 by all of the registered investment companies to which the Adviser provides investment advisory services (collectively, the "Alliance Fund Complex") and the total number of registered investment companies in the Alliance Fund Complex with respect to which each of the Directors serves as a director or trustee, are set forth below. Neither the Fund nor any other Fund in the Alliance Fund Complex provides compensation in the form of pension or retirement benefits to any of its directors or trustees. Each of the Directors is a director or trustee of one or more other registered investment companies in the Alliance Fund Complex. 11 Total Total Number Compensation of Funds in the from the Alliance Fund Alliance Fund Complex, Including Aggregate Complex, the Fund, as to which Name of Director Compensation Including the the Director is a of the Fund from the Fund Fund Director or Trustee _______________ _____________ _____________ _____________________ John D. Carifa $-0- $-0- 49 Ruth Block $3,165 $ 159,000 36 David H. Dievler $3,300 $ 179,200 42 John H. Dobkin $3,165 $ 117,200 29 William H. Foulk, Jr. $3,300 $ 143,500 30 Dr. James M. Hester $3,165 $ 156,000 37 Clifford L. Michel $3,165 $ 131,500 36 Robert C. White $3,165 $ 133,200 36 ___________________________ As of April 30, 1996, the Directors and officers of the Fund as a group owned less than 1% of the shares of the Fund. ADVISER The Adviser is a leading international investment manager supervising client accounts with assets as of March 31, 1996 of $163 billion (of which more than $53 billion represented the assets of investment companies). The Adviser's clients are primarily major corporate employee benefit funds, public employee retirement systems, investment companies, foundations and endowment funds and included, as of March 31, 1996, 34 of the FORTUNE 100 Companies. As of that date, the Adviser and its subsidiaries employed approximately 1,350 employees who operated out of domestic offices and the overseas offices of subsidiaries in Bombay, Istanbul, London, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, Bahrain, Luxembourg and Singapore. The 50 registered investment companies comprising 107 separate investment portfolios managed by the Adviser currently have more than two million shareholders. Alliance Capital Management Corporation, the sole general partner of, and the owner of a 1% general partnership interest in, the Adviser, is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States ("Equitable"), one of the largest life insurance companies in the United States and a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Equitable Companies Incorporated ("ECI"), a holding company controlled by AXA, a French insurance holding company. As of March 31, 1996, ACMC, Inc. and Equitable Capital Management Corporation, each a wholly-owned direct or indirect subsidiary of Equitable, together with Equitable, owned in the aggregate approximately 57.6% of the 12 issued and outstanding units representing assignments of beneficial ownership of limited partnership interests in the Adviser ("Units"). As of March 31, 1996, approximately 32.4% and 10.0% of the Units were owned by the public and employees of the Adviser and its subsidiaries, respectively, including employees of the Adviser who serve as Directors of the Fund. AXA and its subsidiaries own approximately 63.9% of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of ECI. AXA is the holding company for an international group of insurance and related financial services companies. AXA's insurance operations include activities in life insurance, property and casualty insurance and reinsurance. The insurance operations are diverse geographically, with activities in France, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and other countries, principally in Europe and the Asia Pacific area. AXA is also engaged in asset management, investment banking, securities trading, brokerage, real estate and other financial services activities in the United States, Europe and the Asia Pacific area. Based on information provided by AXA, as of March 1, 1996, 42.1% of the issued ordinary shares (representing 53.4% of the voting power) of AXA were owned by Midi Participations, a French holding company ("Midi"). The shares of Midi were, in turn, owned 61.4% (representing 62.5% of the voting power) by Finaxa, a French holding company, and 38.6% (representing 37.5% of the voting power) by subsidiaries of Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A., an Italian corporation (one of which, Belgica Insurance Holding S.A., a Belgian corporation, owned 30.8%, representing 33.1% of the voting power). As of March 1, 1996, 61.1% of the voting shares (representing 73.4% of the voting power) of Finaxa were owned by five French mutual insurance companies (the "Mutuelles AXA") (one of which, AXA Assurances I.A.R.D. Mutuelle, owned 34.7% of the voting shares representing 40.4% of the voting power), and 25.5% of the voting shares (representing 16% of the voting power) of Finaxa were owned by Banque Paribas, a French bank. Including the ordinary shares owned by Midi, as of March 1, 1996, the Mutuelles AXA directly or indirectly owned 51% of the issued ordinary shares (representing 64.7% of the voting power) of AXA. Acting as a group, the Mutuelles AXA control AXA, Midi and Finaxa. The Adviser provides investment advisory services and order placement facilities for the Portfolio and pays all compensation of Directors and officers of the Fund who are affiliated persons of the Adviser. The Adviser or its affiliates also furnish the Fund, without charge, management supervision and assistance and office facilities and provide persons satisfactory to the Fund's Board of Directors to serve as the Fund's officers. The Portfolio pays the Adviser at an annual rate of 1.00% of the average daily value of its net assets. 13 Certain other clients of the Adviser may have investment objectives and policies similar to those of the Portfolio. The Adviser may, from time to time, make recommendations which result in the purchase or sale of the particular security by its other clients simultaneously with the Portfolio. If transactions on behalf of more than one client during the same period increase the demand for securities being purchased or the supply of securities being sold, there may be an adverse effect on price. It is the policy of the Adviser to allocate advisory recommendations and the placing of orders in a manner which is deemed equitable by the Adviser to the accounts involved, including the Portfolio. When two or more of the clients of the Adviser (including the Portfolio) are purchasing or selling the same security on a given day from the same broker or dealer, such transactions may be averaged as to price. As to the obtaining of services other than those specifically provided to the Portfolio by the Adviser, the Portfolio may employ its own personnel. For such services, it also may utilize personnel employed by the Adviser or by other subsidiaries of Equitable. In such event, the services will be provided to the Portfolio at cost and the payments specifically approved by the Fund's Board of Directors. The Investment Advisory Agreement is terminable with respect to the Portfolio without penalty on 60 days' written notice by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such Portfolio or by a vote of a majority of the Fund's Directors, or by the Adviser on 60 days' written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. The Advisory Agreement provides that in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Adviser, or of reckless disregard of its obligations thereunder, the Adviser shall not be liable for any action or failure to act in accordance with its duties thereunder. The Investment Advisory Agreement continues in effect until each December 31, and thereafter for successive twelve month periods computed from each January 1, provided that such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a vote of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting securities or by the Fund's Board of Directors, including in either case approval by a majority of the Directors who are not parties to the Advisory Agreement or interested persons of such parties as defined by the 1940 Act. The Investment Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser will reimburse the Fund as to the Portfolio for its expenses (exclusive of interest, taxes, brokerage, expenditures pursuant to the Distribution Services Agreement and extraordinary expenses to the extent permitted by applicable state securities 14 laws and regulations) which in any year exceed the limits prescribed by any state in which the Fund's shares are qualified for sale. The Fund may not qualify its shares for sale in every state. The Adviser may act as an investment adviser to other persons, firms or corporations, including investment companies, and is investment adviser to the following registered investment companies: ACM Institutional Reserves, Inc., AFD Exchange Reserves, The Alliance Fund, Inc., Alliance All-Asia Investment Fund, Inc., Alliance Balanced Shares, Inc., Alliance Bond Fund, Inc., Alliance Capital Reserves, Alliance Developing Markets Fund, Inc., Alliance Global Dollar Government Fund, Inc., Alliance Global Small Cap Fund, Inc., Alliance Global Strategic Income Trust, Inc., Alliance Government Reserves, Alliance Growth and Income Fund, Inc., Alliance Income Builder Fund, Inc., Alliance International Fund, Alliance Limited Maturity Government Fund, Inc., Alliance Money Market Fund, Alliance Mortgage Securities Income Fund, Inc., Alliance Multi-Market Strategy Trust, Inc., Alliance Municipal Income Fund, Inc., Alliance Municipal Income Fund II, Inc., Alliance Municipal Trust, Alliance New Europe Fund, Inc., Alliance North American Government Income Trust, Inc., Alliance Premier Growth Fund, Inc., Alliance Quasar Fund, Inc., Alliance Short-Term Multi- Market Trust, Inc., Alliance Technology Fund, Inc., Alliance Utility Income Fund, Inc., Alliance World Income Trust, Inc., Alliance Worldwide Privatization Fund, Inc., Fiduciary Management Associates, The Alliance Portfolios, and The Hudson River Trust, all open-end investment companies; and to ACM Government Income Fund, Inc., ACM Government Opportunity Fund, Inc., ACM Government Securities Fund, Inc., ACM Government Spectrum Fund, Inc., ACM Managed Dollar Income Fund, Inc., ACM Managed Income Fund, Inc., ACM Municipal Securities Income Fund, Inc., Alliance All-Market Advantage Fund, Inc., Alliance Global Environment Fund, Inc., Alliance World Dollar Government Fund, Inc., Alliance World Dollar Government Fund II, Inc., The Austria Fund, Inc., The Global Privatization Fund, Inc., The Korean Investment Fund, Inc., The Southern Africa Fund, Inc. and The Spain Fund, Inc., all closed-end investment companies. _________________________________________________________________ PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES _________________________________________________________________ The following information supplements that set forth in the Portfolio's Prospectus under the heading "Purchase and Redemption of Shares." 15 REDEMPTION OF SHARES The value of a shareholder's shares on redemption or repurchase may be more or less than the cost of such shares to the shareholder, depending upon the market value of the Portfolio's securities at the time of such redemption or repurchase. Payment either in cash or in portfolio securities received by a shareholder upon redemption or repurchase of his shares, assuming the shares constitute capital assets in his hands, will result in long-term or short-term capital gains (or loss) depending upon the shareholder's holding period and basis in respect of the shares redeemed. _________________________________________________________________ NET ASSET VALUE _________________________________________________________________ The net asset value of shares of the Portfolio on which the subscription and redemption prices are based is computed in accordance with the Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws of the Fund at the next close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange") (currently 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) following receipt of a purchase or redemption order by the Fund, on each Fund business day on which such an order is received and trading in the types of securities in which the Portfolio invests might materially affect the value of the Portfolio's shares, by dividing the value of the Portfolio's assets less its liabilities, by the total number of shares then outstanding. For this purpose, a Fund business day is any weekday exclusive of days on which the Exchange is closed (most national holidays and Good Friday). Portfolio securities that are actively traded in the over-the-counter market, including listed securities for which the primary market is believed to be over-the-counter, are valued at the mean between the most recently quoted bid and asked prices provided by the principal market makers. Any security for which the primary market is on an exchange is valued at the last sale price on such exchange on the day of valuation or, if there was no sale on such day, the last bid price quoted on such day. Options will be valued at market value or fair market value if no market exists. Securities and assets for which market quotations are not readily available are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by or under the direction of the Board of Directors of the Fund. However, readily marketable fixed-income securities may be valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service when such prices are believed by the Adviser to reflect the fair market value of such securities. The prices provided by a pricing service take into account institutional size trading in similar groups of securities and any developments related to 16 specific securities. U.S. Government Securities and other debt instruments having 60 days or less remaining until maturity are stated 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 (unless in either case the Fund's Board of Directors determines that this method does not represent fair value). All assets of the Portfolio, including restricted and not readily marketable securities, are valued in such manner as the Board of Directors of the Fund in good faith deems appropriate to reflect their fair market value. _________________________________________________________________ PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS _________________________________________________________________ Neither the Fund nor the Adviser has entered into agreements or understandings with any brokers or dealers regarding the placement of securities transactions because of research or statistical services they provide. To the extent that such persons or firms supply investment information to the Adviser for use in rendering investment advice to the Fund, such information may be supplied at no cost to the Adviser and, therefore, may have the effect of reducing the expenses of the Adviser in rendering advice to the Fund. While it is impossible to place an actual dollar value on such investment information, its receipt by the Adviser probably does not reduce the overall expenses of the Adviser to any material extent. The investment information provided to the Adviser is of the types described in Section 28(e)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is designed to augment the Adviser's own internal research and investment strategy capabilities. Research and statistical services furnished by brokers through which the Fund effects securities transactions are used by the Adviser in carrying out its investment management responsibilities with respect to all its client accounts but not all such services may be utilized by the Adviser in connection with the Fund. The Fund will deal in some instances in equity securities which are not listed on a national stock exchange but are traded in the over-the-counter market. Where transactions are executed in the over-the-counter market, the Fund will seek to deal with the primary market makers, but when necessary in order to obtain the best price and execution, it will utilize the services of others. In all cases, the Fund will attempt to negotiate best execution. The Fund may from time to time place orders for the purchase or sale of securities (including listed call options) 17 with Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation ("DLJ"), an affiliate of the Adviser, the Fund's distributor, and with brokers which may have their transactions cleared or settled, or both, by the Pershing Division of DLJ for which DLJ may receive a portion of the brokerage commission. With respect to orders placed with DLJ for execution on a national securities exchange, commissions received must conform to Section 17(e)(2)(A) of the 1940 Act and Rule 17e-1 thereunder, which permit an affiliated person of a registered investment company (such as the Fund), or any affiliated person of such person, to receive a brokerage commission from such registered investment company provided that such commission is reasonable and fair compared to the commissions received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities during a comparable period of time. _________________________________________________________________ DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES _________________________________________________________________ The Portfolio intends to qualify to be taxed as a "regulated investment company" under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the "Code"). If so qualified, the Portfolio will not be subject to federal income and excise taxes on its investment company taxable income and net capital gains to the extent such investment company taxable income and net capital gains are distributed to the separate accounts of insurance companies which hold its shares. Under current tax law, capital gains or dividends from any Portfolio are not currently taxable when left to accumulate within a variable annuity or variable life insurance contract. Distributions of net investment income and net short-term capital gains will be treated as ordinary income and distributions of net long-term capital gains will be treated as long-term capital gain in the hands of the insurance companies. Investment income received by the Portfolio from sources within foreign countries may be subject to foreign income taxes withheld at the source. If more than 50% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets at the close of its taxable year consists of stocks or securities of foreign corporations (which for this purpose should include obligations issued by foreign governments), the Portfolio will be eligible to file an election with the Internal Revenue Service to pass through to its shareholders the amount of foreign taxes paid by the Portfolio. If eligible, the Portfolio intends to file such an election, although there can be no assurance that such Portfolio will be able to do so. 18 Section 817(h) of the Code requires that the investments of a segregated asset account of an insurance company be "adequately diversified", in accordance with Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, in order for the holders of the variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies underlying the account to receive the tax-deferred or tax-free treatment generally afforded holders of annuities or life insurance policies under the Code. The Department of the Treasury has issued Regulations under section 817(h) which, among other things, provide the manner in which a segregated asset account will treat investments in a regulated investment company for purposes of the applicable diversification requirements. Under the Regulations, if a regulated investment company satisfies certain conditions, a segregated asset account owning shares of the regulated investment company will not be treated as a single investment for these purposes, but rather the account will be treated as owning its proportionate share of each of the assets of the regulated investment company. The Portfolio plans to satisfy these conditions at all times so that the shares of the Portfolio owned by a segregated asset account of a life insurance company will be subject to this treatment under the Code. For information concerning the federal income tax consequences for the holders of variable annuity contracts and variable rate insurance policies, such holders should consult the prospectus used in connection with the issuance of their particular contracts or policies. ________________________________________________________________ GENERAL INFORMATION ________________________________________________________________ COMMON STOCK; VOTING RIGHTS The Fund's shares have non-cumulative voting rights, which means that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voting for the election of Directors can elect 100% of the Directors if they choose to do so, and in such election of Directors will not be able to elect any person or persons to the Board of Directors. All shares of the Fund when duly issued will be fully paid and nonassessable. The Board of Directors is authorized to reclassify and issue any unissued shares to any number of additional series without shareholder approval. Accordingly, the Board of Directors in the future, for reasons such as the desire to establish one or more additional portfolios with different investment objectives, policies or restrictions, may create additional series of shares. Any issuance of shares of such 19 additional series would be governed by the 1940 Act and the law of the State of Maryland. If shares of another series were issued in connection with the creation of the new portfolio, each share of any of the Fund's portfolios would normally be entitled to one vote for all purposes. Generally, shares of each portfolio would vote as a single series for the election of directors and on any other matter that affected each portfolios in substantially the same manner. As to matters affecting each portfolio differently, such as approval of the Investment Advisory Agreement and changes in investment policy, shares of each portfolio would vote as separate series. Procedures for calling a shareholders' meeting for the removal of Directors of the Fund, similar to those set forth in Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act, are available to any shareholder of the Fund. Meetings of shareholders may be called by 10% of the Fund's outstanding shareholders. CUSTODIAN State Street Bank and Trust Company, 225 Franklin Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, acts as Custodian for the securities and cash of the Fund but plays no part in deciding the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITER Alliance Fund Distributors, Inc., 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10105, serves as the Fund's Principal Underwriter, and as such may solicit orders from the public to purchase shares of the Fund. Under the Distribution Services Agreement between the Fund and the Principal Underwriter, the Fund has agreed to indemnify the distributor, in the absence of its willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations thereunder, against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. COUNSEL Legal matters in connection with the issuance of the shares of the Fund offered hereby will be passed upon by Seward & Kissel, One Battery Park Plaza, New York, New York 10004. INDEPENDENT AUDITORS Ernst & Young LLP, 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019, have been appointed as independent auditors for the Fund. 20 SHAREHOLDER APPROVAL The capitalized term "Shareholder Approval" as used in this Statement of Additional Information means (1) the vote of 67% or more of the shares of the Portfolio represented at a meeting at which more than 50% of the outstanding shares are represented or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Portfolio, whichever is less. Total Return Quotations From time to time the Portfolio advertises its "total return." The Portfolio's "total return" is its average annual compounded total return for recent one, five, and ten-year periods (or the period since the Portfolio's inception). The Portfolio's total return for such a period is computed by finding, through the use of a formula prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the average annual compounded rate of return over the period that would equate an assumed initial amount invested to the value of such investment at the end of the period. For purposes of computing total return, income dividends and capital gains distributions paid on shares of the Portfolio are assumed to have been reinvested when paid. The Portfolio's total return is not fixed and will fluctuate in response to prevailing market conditions or as a function of the type and quality of the securities in the Portfolio's portfolio and its expenses. Total return information is useful in reviewing the Portfolio's performance but such information may not provide a basis for comparison with bank deposits or other investments which pay a fixed yield for a stated period of time. An investor's principal invested in the Portfolio is not fixed and will fluctuate in response to prevailing market conditions. Advertisements quoting performance ratings of the Portfolio as measured by financial publications or by independent organizations such as Lipper Analytical Services, Inc. ("Lipper") and advertisements presenting the historical record of payments of income dividends by the Portfolio may also from time to time be sent to investors or placed in newspapers and magazines such as BARRONS, BUSINESS WEEK, CHANGING TIMES, FORBES, INVESTOR'S DAILY, MONEY MAGAZINE, THE NEW YORK TIMES and THE WALL STREET JOURNAL or other media on behalf of the Portfolio. Additional Information Any shareholder inquiries may be directed to the shareholder's broker or to Alliance Fund Services, Inc. at the address or telephone numbers shown on the front cover of this Statement of Additional Information. This Statement of 21 Additional Information does not contain all the information set forth in the Registration Statement filed by the Fund with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933. Copies of the Registration Statement may be obtained at a reasonable charge from the Securities and Exchange Commission or may be examined, without charge, at the offices of the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C. 22 00250292.AW7 APPENDIX A OPTIONS The Portfolio will only write "covered" put and call options, unless such options are written for cross-hedging purposes. The manner in which such options will be deemed "covered" is described in the Prospectus under the heading "Other Investment Policies and Techniques -- Options." The writer of an option may have no control over when the underlying securities must be sold, in the case of a call option, or purchased, in the case of a put option, since with regard to certain options, the writer may be assigned an exercise notice at any time prior to the termination of the obligation. Whether or not an option expires unexercised, the writer retains the amount of the premium. This amount, of course, may, in the case of a covered call option, be offset by a decline in the market value of the underlying security during the option period. If a call option is exercised, the writer experiences a profit or loss from the sale of the underlying security. If a put option is exercised, the writer must fulfill the obligation to purchase the underlying security at the exercise price, which will usually exceed the then market value of the underlying security. The writer of a listed option that wishes to terminate its obligation may effect a "closing purchase transaction." This is accomplished by buying an option of the same series as the option previously written. The effect of the purchase is that the writer's position will be cancelled by the clearing corporation. However, a writer may not effect a closing purchase transaction after being notified of the exercise of an option. Likewise, an investor who is the holder of a listed option may liquidate its position by effecting a "closing sale transaction". This is accomplished by selling an option of the same series as the option previously purchased. There is no guarantee that either a closing purchase or a closing sale transaction can be effected. Effecting a closing transaction in the case of a written call option will permit the Portfolio to write another call option on the underlying security with either a different exercise price or expiration date or both, or in the case of a written put option will permit the Portfolio to write another put option to the extent that the exercise price thereof is secured by deposited cash or short-term securities. Also, effecting a closing transaction will permit the cash or proceeds from the concurrent sale of any securities subject to the option to be used for other Portfolio investments. If the Portfolio desires to sell a particular security from its portfolio on which it has A-1 written a call option, it will effect a closing transaction prior to or concurrent with the sale of the security. The Portfolio will realize a profit from a closing transaction if the price of the transaction is less than the premium received from writing the option or is more than the premium paid to purchase the option; the Portfolio will realize a loss from a closing transaction if the price of the transaction is more than the premium received from writing the option or is less than the premium paid to purchase the option. Because increases in the market price of a call option will generally reflect increases in the market price of the underlying security, any loss resulting from the repurchase of a call option is likely to be offset in whole or in part by appreciation of the underlying security owned by the Portfolio. An option position may be closed out only where there exists a secondary market for an option of the same series. If a secondary market does not exist, it might not be possible to effect closing transactions in particular options with the result that the Portfolio would have to exercise the options in order to realize any profit. If the Portfolio is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction in a secondary market, it will not be able to sell the underlying security until the option expires or it delivers the underlying security upon exercise. Reasons for the absence of a liquid secondary market include the following: (i) there may be insufficient trading interest in certain options, (ii) restrictions may be imposed by a national securities exchange ("Exchange") on opening transactions or closing transactions or both, (iii) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options or underlying securities, (iv) unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an Exchange, (v) the facilities of an Exchange or the Options Clearing Corporation may not at all times be adequate to handle current trading volume, or (vi) one or more Exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event the secondary market on that Exchange (or in that class or series of options) would cease to exist, although outstanding options on that Exchange that had been issued by the Options Clearing Corporation as a result of trades on that Exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms. The Portfolio may write options in connection with buy- and-write transactions; that is, the Portfolio may purchase a security and then write a call option against that security. The exercise price of the call the Portfolio determines to write will depend upon the expected price movement of the underlying security. The exercise price of a call option may be below ("in- A-2 the-money"), equal to ("at-the-money") or above ("out-of-the- money") the current value of the underlying security at the time the option is written. Buy-and-write transactions using in-the- money call options may be used when it is expected that the price of the underlying security will remain flat or decline moderately during the option period. Buy-and-write transactions using at- the-money call options may be used when it is expected that the price of the underlying security will remain fixed or advance moderately during the option period. Buy-and-write transactions using out- of-the-money call options may be used when it is expected that the premiums received from writing the call option plus the appreciation in the market price of the underlying security up to the exercise price will be greater than the appreciation in the price of the underlying security alone. If the call options are exercised in such transactions, the Portfolio's maximum gain will be the premium received by it for writing the option, adjusted upwards or downwards by the difference between the Portfolio's purchase price of the security and the exercise price. If the options are not exercised and the price of the underlying security declines, the amount of such decline will be offset in part, or entirely, by the premium received. The writing of covered put options is similar in terms of risk/return characteristics to buy-and-write transactions. If the market price of the underlying security rises or otherwise is above the exercise price, the put option will expire worthless and the Portfolio's gain will be limited to the premium received. If the market price of the underlying security declines or otherwise is below the exercise price, the Portfolio may elect to close the position or take delivery of the security at the exercise price and the Portfolio's return will be the premium received from the put option minus the amount by which the market price of the security is below the exercise price. Out-of-the- money, at-the-money, and in-the-money put options may be used by the Portfolio in the same market environments that call options are used in equivalent buy- and-write transactions. A portfolio may purchase put options to hedge against a decline in the value of its portfolio. By using put options in this way, the Portfolio will reduce any profit it might otherwise have realized in the underlying security by the amount of the premium paid for the put option and by transaction costs. The Portfolio may purchase call options to hedge against an increase in the price of securities that the Portfolio anticipates purchasing in the future. The premium paid for the call option plus any transaction costs will reduce the benefit, if any, realized by the Portfolio upon exercise of the option, and, unless the price of the underlying security rises sufficiently, the option may expire worthless to the Portfolio. A-3 00250292.AW7 -----END PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----