497K 1 d497k.htm AB VARIABLE PRODUCTS SERIES FUND, INC. - VALUE PORTFOLIO - CLASS A AB Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. - Value Portfolio - Class A
LOGO    SUMMARY PROSPECTUS    May 2, 2011

AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc.

Value Portfolio—Class A

 

Before you invest, you may want to review the Portfolio’s Prospectus, which contains more information about the Portfolio and its risks. The Portfolio’s Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, both dated May 2, 2011, are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus. For free paper or electronic copies of the Portfolio’s Prospectus and other information about the Portfolio, go to http://www.alliancebernstein.com/links/variable, email a request to prorequest@alliancebernstein.com, call (800) 227-4618, or ask any insurance company that offers shares of the Portfolio.

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

The Portfolio’s investment objective is long-term growth of capital.

FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE PORTFOLIO

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Portfolio. The operating expenses information below is designed to assist Contractholders of variable products that invest in the Portfolio in understanding the fees and expenses that they may pay as an investor. Because the information does not reflect deductions at the separate account level or contract level for any charges that may be incurred under a contract, Contractholders that invest in the Portfolio should refer to the variable contract prospectus for a description of fees and expenses that apply to Contractholders. Inclusion of these charges would increase the fees and expenses provided below.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

N/A

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

 

   
Management Fees      .55%   
Other Expenses      .16%   
        
Total Portfolio Operating Expenses      .71%   
        
   

Examples

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

 

   
After 1 Year    $ 73   
After 3 Years    $ 227   
After 5 Years    $ 395   
After 10 Years    $ 883   

Portfolio Turnover

The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys or sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These transaction costs, which are not reflected in the Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses or in the Examples, affect the Portfolio’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio’s portfolio turnover rate was 73% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

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PRINCIPAL STRATEGIES

The Portfolio invests primarily in a diversified portfolio of equity securities of U.S. companies, generally representing approximately 95-150 companies, with relatively large market capitalizations that the Adviser believes are undervalued. The Portfolio invests in companies that are determined by the Adviser to be undervalued using the fundamental value approach of the Adviser’s Bernstein unit (“Bernstein”). The fundamental value approach seeks to identify a universe of securities that are considered to be undervalued because they are attractively priced relative to their future earnings power and dividend-paying capability.

In selecting securities for the Portfolio’s portfolio, Bernstein uses its fundamental and quantitative research to identify companies whose long-term earnings power and dividend-paying capability are not reflected in the current market price of their securities.

Bernstein’s fundamental analysis depends heavily upon its large internal research staff. The research staff of company and industry analysts covers a research universe of approximately 650 companies. This universe covers approximately 90% of the capitalization of the Russell 1000™ Value Index. The Adviser typically projects a company’s financial performance over a full economic cycle, including a trough and a peak, within the context of forecasts for real economic growth, inflation and interest rate changes. The research staff focuses on the valuation implied by the current price, relative to the earnings the company will be generating five years from now, or “normalized” earnings, assuming average mid-economic cycle growth for the fifth year.

The Portfolio’s management team and other senior investment professionals work in close collaboration to weigh each investment opportunity identified by the research staff relative to the entire portfolio, and determine the timing and position size for purchases and sales. Final stock selection decisions are made by the Chief Investment Officer and Director of Research and are implemented by the Senior Portfolio Managers. Analysts remain responsible for monitoring new developments that would affect the securities they cover.

The team will generally sell a security when it no longer meets appropriate valuation criteria, although sales may be delayed, when positive return trends are favorable.

The Portfolio may invest in securities of non-U.S. issuers and enter into forward commitments. The Portfolio may enter into derivatives transactions, such as options, futures, forwards, and swap agreements.

PRINCIPAL RISKS

 

Market Risk: The value of the Portfolio’s assets will fluctuate as the stock or bond market fluctuates. The value of its investments may decline, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably, simply because of economic changes or other events that affect large portions of the market. It includes the risk that a particular style of investing, such as value, may underperform the market generally.

 

 

Foreign (Non-U.S.) Risk: Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may involve more risk than those of U.S. issuers. These securities may fluctuate more widely in price and may be less liquid due to adverse market, economic, political, regulatory or other factors.

 

 

Currency Risk: Fluctuations in currency exchange rates may negatively affect the value of the Portfolio’s investments or reduce its returns.

 

 

Derivatives Risk: Derivatives may be illiquid, difficult to price, and leveraged so that small changes may produce disproportionate losses for the Portfolio, and may be subject to counterparty risk to a greater degree than more traditional investments.

 

 

Management Risk: The Portfolio is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment fund. The Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Portfolio, but there is no guarantee that its techniques will produce the intended results.

As with all investments, you may lose money by investing in the Portfolio.

BAR CHART AND PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

The bar chart and performance information provide an indication of the historical risk of an investment in the Portfolio by showing:

 

 

how the Portfolio’s performance changed from year to year over the life of the Portfolio; and

 

 

how the Portfolio’s average annual returns for one and five years and over the life of the Portfolio compare to those of a broad-based securities market index.

You may obtain updated performance information on the Portfolio’s website at www.AllianceBernstein.com (click on “Pricing & Performance”).

The performance information does not take into account separate account charges. If separate account charges were included, an investor’s return would be lower. The Portfolio’s past performance, of course, does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future.

 

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Bar Chart

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During the period shown in the bar chart, the Portfolio’s:

Best Quarter was up 18.44%, 3rd quarter, 2009; and Worst Quarter was down -21.97%, 4th quarter, 2008.

Performance Table

Average Annual Total Returns

(For the periods ended December 31, 2010)

 

        1 Year        5 Years     

Since

Inception

 
Portfolio (Inception Date: July 22, 2002)        11.81%         -1.36%        5.50%   
Russell 1000® Value Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
       15.51%         1.28%        7.66%   

INVESTMENT ADVISER

AllianceBernstein L.P. is the investment adviser for the Portfolio.

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

The following table lists the persons responsible for day-to-day management of the Portfolio’s portfolio:

 

Employee    Length of Service    Title
Christopher W. Marx    Since 2005    Senior Vice President of the Adviser
     
Joseph G. Paul    Since 2009    Senior Vice President of the Adviser
     
John D. Phillips, Jr.    Since 2005    Senior Vice President of the Adviser
     
Greg L. Powell    Since 2011    Senior Vice President of the Adviser
     

PURCHASE AND SALE OF PORTFOLIO SHARES

The Portfolio offers its shares through the separate accounts of life insurance companies (“Insurers”). You may only purchase and sell shares through these separate accounts. See the prospectus of the separate account of the participating insurance company for information on the purchase and sale of the Portfolio’s shares.

TAX INFORMATION

The Portfolio may make income dividends or capital gains distribution. The income and capital gains distribution are expected to be made in shares of the Portfolio. See the prospectus of the separate account of the participating insurance company for federal income tax information.

PAYMENTS TO INSURERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

If you purchase shares of the Portfolio through an Insurer or other financial intermediary, the Portfolio and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Portfolio shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Insurer or other financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Portfolio over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

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