PROSPECTUS | MAY 1, 2017
AB Variable Products Series Fund, Inc.
Class A Prospectus
AB VPS
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Small Cap Growth Portfolio |
This Prospectus describes the Portfolio that is available as an underlying investment through your variable contract. For information about your variable contract, including information about insurance-related expenses, see the prospectus for your variable contract which accompanies this Prospectus.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Investment Products Offered
Ø | Are Not FDIC Insured |
Ø | May Lose Value |
Ø | Are Not Bank Guaranteed |
AB VPS Small Cap Growth Portfolio
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The Portfolios 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 |
.75% | |||
Other Expenses: |
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Transfer Agent |
.03% | |||
Other Expenses |
.71% | |||
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Total Other Expenses |
.74% | |||
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Total Portfolio Operating Expenses |
1.49% | |||
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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 Portfolios 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 |
$ | 152 | ||
After 3 Years |
$ | 471 | ||
After 5 Years |
$ | 813 | ||
After 10 Years |
$ | 1,779 |
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 Portfolios performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolios portfolio turnover rate was 60% of the average value of its portfolio.
PRINCIPAL STRATEGIES
The Portfolio invests primarily in a diversified portfolio of equity securities with relatively smaller capitalizations as compared to the overall U.S. market. Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of smaller companies. For these purposes, smaller companies are those that, at the time of investment, fall within the lowest 20% of the total U.S. equity market capitalization (excluding, for purposes of this calculation, companies with market capitalizations of less than $10 million). As of December 31, 2016, there were approximately 4,200 smaller companies, and those smaller companies had market capitalizations ranging up to approximately $11 billion. Because the Portfolios definition of smaller companies is dynamic, the limits on market capitalization will change with the markets.
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The Portfolio may invest in any company and industry and in any type of equity security with potential for capital appreciation. It invests in well-known and established companies and in new and less-seasoned companies. The Portfolios investment policies emphasize investments in companies that are demonstrating improving financial results and a favorable earnings outlook. The Portfolio may invest in foreign securities.
When selecting securities, the Adviser typically looks for companies that have strong, experienced management teams, strong market positions, and the potential to support greater than expected earnings growth rates. In making specific investment decisions for the Portfolio, the Adviser combines fundamental and quantitative analysis in its stock selection process. The Portfolio may periodically invest in the securities of companies that are expected to appreciate due to a development particularly or uniquely applicable to that company regardless of general business conditions or movements of the market as a whole.
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities but may also invest in other types of securities, such as preferred stocks. The Portfolio may, at times, invest in shares of exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, in lieu of making direct investments in securities. ETFs may provide more efficient and economical exposure to the types of companies and geographic locations in which the Portfolio seeks to invest than direct investments. The Portfolio may also invest up to 20% of its total assets in rights or warrants.
The Portfolio may enter into derivatives transactions, such as options, futures contracts, forwards and swaps. The Portfolio may use options strategies involving the purchase and/or writing of various combinations of call and/or put options, including on individual securities and stock indices, futures contracts (including futures contracts on individual securities and stock indices) or shares of ETFs. These transactions may be used, for example, in an effort to earn extra income, to adjust exposure to individual securities or markets, or to protect all or a portion of the Portfolios portfolio from a decline in value, sometimes within certain ranges.
PRINCIPAL RISKS
| Market Risk: The value of the Portfolios 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 growth, may underperform the market generally. |
| Capitalization Risk: Investments in small- and mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile than investments in large-capitalization companies. Investments in small-capitalization companies may have additional risks because these companies have limited product lines, markets or financial resources. |
| 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. |
| 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 Portfolios performance changed from year to year over ten years; and |
| how the Portfolios average annual returns for one, five and ten years compare to those of a broad-based securities market index. |
The performance information does not take into account separate account charges. If separate account charges were included, an investors return would be lower. The Portfolios past performance, of course, does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future.
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Bar Chart
During the period shown in the bar chart, the Portfolios:
Best Quarter was up 20.66%, 2nd quarter, 2009; and Worst Quarter was down -29.52%, 4th quarter, 2008.
Performance Table
Average Annual Total Returns
(For the periods ended December 31, 2016)
1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | ||||||||||
Portfolio | 6.46% | 11.58% | 8.10% | |||||||||
Russell 2000® Growth Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) |
11.32% | 13.74% | 7.76% |
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 Portfolios portfolio:
Employee | Length of Service | Title | ||
Bruce K. Aronow | Since 2000 | Senior Vice President of the Adviser | ||
N. Kumar Kirpalani | Since 2005 | Senior Vice President of the Adviser | ||
Samantha S. Lau | Since 2005 | Senior Vice President of the Adviser | ||
Wen-Tse Tseng | Since 2006 | Senior Vice President of the Adviser |
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| PURCHASE AND SALE OF PORTFOLIO SHARES |
The Portfolio offers its shares through the separate accounts of participating life insurance companies (Insurers). You may only purchase and sell shares through these separate accounts. See the prospectus of the separate account of the Insurer for information on the purchase and sale of the Portfolios shares.
| TAX INFORMATION |
The Portfolio may pay income dividends or make capital gains distributions. The income and capital gains distributions are expected to be made in shares of the Portfolio. See the prospectus of the separate account of the Insurer 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 intermediarys website for more information.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PORTFOLIOS RISKS AND INVESTMENTS
This section of the Prospectus provides additional information about the Portfolios investment practices and risks, including principal and non-principal strategies and risks. Most of these investment practices are discretionary, which means that the Adviser may or may not decide to use them. This Prospectus does not describe all of the Portfolios investment practices and additional descriptions of the Portfolios strategies, investments, and risks can be found in the Portfolios Statement of Additional Information (SAI).
DERIVATIVES
The Portfolio may, but is not required to, use derivatives for hedging or other risk management purposes or as part of its investment strategies. Derivatives are financial contracts whose value depends on, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index. The Portfolio may use derivatives to earn income and enhance returns, to hedge or adjust the risk profile of its investments, to replace more traditional direct investments and to obtain exposure to otherwise inaccessible markets.
There are four principal types of derivativesoptions, futures contracts, forwards and swapseach of which is described below. Derivatives include listed and cleared transactions, where the Portfolios derivative trade counterparty is an exchange or clearinghouse and non-cleared bilateral over-the-counter transactions, where the Portfolios derivative trade counterparty is a financial institution. Exchange-traded or cleared derivatives transactions tend to be more liquid and subject to less counterparty credit risk than those that are privately negotiated.
The Portfolios use of derivatives may involve risks that are different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities or other more traditional instruments. These risks include the risk that the value of a derivative instrument may not correlate perfectly, or at all, with the value of the assets, reference rates, or indices that they are designed to track. Other risks include: the possible absence of a liquid secondary market for a particular instrument and possible exchange-imposed price fluctuation limits, either of which may make it difficult or impossible to close out a position when desired; and the risk that the counterparty will not perform its obligations. Certain derivatives may have a leverage component and involve leverage risk. Adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, note or index can result in a loss substantially greater than the Portfolios investment (in some cases, the potential loss is unlimited).
The Portfolios investments in derivatives may include, but are not limited to, the following:
| Forward Contracts. A forward contract is an agreement that obligates one party to buy, and the other party to sell, a specific quantity of an underlying commodity or other tangible asset for an agreed-upon price at a future date. A forward contract generally is settled by physical delivery of the commodity or tangible asset to an agreed-upon location (rather than settled by cash) or is rolled forward into a new forward contract. The Portfolios investments in forward contracts may include the following: |
| Forward Currency Exchange Contracts. The Portfolio may purchase or sell forward currency exchange contracts for hedging purposes to minimize the risk from adverse changes in the relationship between the U.S. Dollar and other currencies or for non-hedging purposes as a means of making direct investments in foreign currencies, as described below under Other Derivatives and Strategies Currency Transactions. The Portfolio, for example, may enter into a forward contract as a transaction hedge (to lock in the U.S. Dollar price of a non-U.S. Dollar security), as a position hedge (to protect the value of securities the Portfolio owns that are denominated in a foreign currency against substantial changes in the value of the foreign currency) or as a cross-hedge (to protect the value of securities the Portfolio owns that are denominated in a foreign currency against substantial changes in the value of that foreign currency by entering into a forward contract for a different foreign currency that is expected to change in the same direction as the currency in which the securities are denominated). |
| Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts. A futures contract is a standardized, exchange-traded agreement that obligates the buyer to buy and the seller to sell a specified quantity of an underlying asset (or settle for cash the value of a contract based on an underlying asset, rate or index) at a specific price on the contract maturity date. Options on futures contracts are options that call for the delivery of futures contracts upon exercise. The Portfolio may purchase or sell futures contracts and options thereon to hedge against changes in interest rates, securities (through index futures or options) or currencies. The Portfolio may also purchase or sell futures contracts for foreign currencies or options thereon for non-hedging purposes as a means of making direct investments in foreign currencies, as described below under Other Derivatives and StrategiesCurrency Transactions. |
| Options. An option is an agreement that, for a premium payment or fee, gives the option holder (the buyer) the right but not the obligation to buy (a call option) or sell (a put option) the underlying asset (or settle for cash an amount based on an underlying asset, rate or index) at a specified price (the exercise price) during a period of time or on a specified date. Investments in options are considered speculative. The Portfolio may lose the premium paid for them if the price of the underlying security or other asset decreased or remained the same (in the case of a call option) or increased or remained the same (in the case of a put option). If a put or call option purchased by the Portfolio were permitted to expire without being sold or exercised, its premium would represent a loss to the Portfolio. The Portfolios investments in options include the following: |
| Options on Foreign Currencies. The Portfolio may invest in options on foreign currencies that are privately negotiated or traded on U.S. or foreign exchanges for hedging |
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purposes to protect against declines in the U.S. Dollar value of foreign currency denominated securities held by the Portfolio and against increases in the U.S. Dollar cost of securities to be acquired. The purchase of an option on a foreign currency may constitute an effective hedge against fluctuations in exchange rates, although if rates move adversely, the Portfolio may forfeit the entire amount of the premium plus related transaction costs. The Portfolio may also invest in options on foreign currencies for non-hedging purposes as a means of making direct investments in foreign currencies, as described below under Other Derivatives and StrategiesCurrency Transactions. |
| Options on Securities. The Portfolio may purchase or write a put or call option on securities. The Portfolio may write covered options, which means writing an option for securities the Portfolio owns, and uncovered options. |
| Other Option Strategies. In an effort to earn extra income, to adjust exposure to individual securities or markets, or to protect all or a portion of its portfolio from a decline in value, sometimes within certain ranges, the Portfolio may use option strategies such as the concurrent purchase of a call or put option, including on individual securities and stock indices, futures contracts (including on individual securities and stock indices) or shares of exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, at one strike price and the writing of a call or put option on the same individual security, stock index, futures contract or ETF at a higher strike price in the case of a call option or at a lower strike price in the case of a put option. The maximum profit from this strategy would result for the call options from an increase in the value of the individual security, stock index, futures contract or ETF above the higher strike price or for the put options the decline in the value of the individual security, stock index, futures contract or ETF below the lower strike price. If the price of the individual security, stock index, futures contract or ETF declines, in the case of the call option, or increases, in the case of the put option, the Portfolio has the risk of losing the entire amount paid for the call or put options. |
| Swap Transactions. A swap is an agreement that obligates two parties to exchange a series of cash flows at specified intervals (payment dates) based upon, or calculated by, reference to changes in specified prices or rates (e.g., interest rates in the case of interest rate swaps, currency exchange rates in the case of currency swaps) for a specified amount of an underlying asset (the notional principal amount). Generally, the notional principal amount is used solely to calculate the payment stream, but is not exchanged. Most swaps are entered into on a net basis (i.e., the two payment streams are netted out, with the Portfolio receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments). Certain standardized swaps, including certain interest rate swaps and credit default swaps, are (or soon will be) subject to mandatory central clearing. Cleared swaps are transacted through futures commission merchants (FCMs) that are members of central clearinghouses with the clearinghouse serving as central counterparty, similar to transactions in futures contracts. Portfolios post initial and variation margin to support their obligations under cleared swaps by making payments to their clearing member FCMs. Central clearing is expected to reduce counterparty credit risks and increase liquidity, but central clearing does not make swap transactions risk free. Centralized clearing will be required for additional categories of swaps on a phased-in basis based on Commodity Futures Trading Commission approval of contracts for central clearing. Bilateral swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors and are not cleared through a third party. |
| Other Derivatives and Strategies |
| Currency Transactions. The Portfolio may invest in non-U.S. Dollar-denominated securities on a currency hedged or unhedged basis. The Adviser may actively manage the Portfolios currency exposures and may seek investment opportunities by taking long or short positions in currencies through the use of currency-related derivatives, including forward currency exchange contracts, futures contracts and options on futures contracts, swaps and options. The Adviser may enter into transactions for investment opportunities when it anticipates that a foreign currency will appreciate or depreciate in value but securities denominated in that currency are not held by the Portfolio and do not present attractive investment opportunities. Such transactions may also be used when the Adviser believes that it may be more efficient than a direct investment in a foreign currency-denominated security. The Portfolio may also conduct currency exchange contracts on a spot basis (i.e., for cash at the spot rate prevailing in the currency exchange market for buying or selling currencies). |
DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS
The Portfolio may invest in depositary receipts. American Depositary Receipts, or ADRs, are depositary receipts typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company that evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. Global Depositary Receipts, or GDRs, European Depositary Receipts, or EDRs, and other types of depositary receipts are typically issued by non-U.S. banks or trust companies and evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by either a U.S. or a non-U.S. company. Depositary receipts may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the underlying securities into which they may be converted. In addition, the issuers of the stock underlying unsponsored depositary receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States. Generally, depositary receipts in registered form are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, and depositary receipts in bearer form are designed for use in securities markets outside of the United States. For purposes of determining the country of issuance, investments in depositary receipts of either type are deemed to be investments in the underlying securities.
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ILLIQUID SECURITIES
The Portfolio limits its investments in illiquid securities to 15% of its net assets. Until the Portfolios compliance date of December 1, 2018 for new Rule 22e-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act), the term illiquid securities for this purpose means securities that cannot be disposed of within seven days in the ordinary course of business at approximately the amount the Portfolio has valued the securities. After such date, the term shall mean any security or investment that the Portfolio reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment.
The Portfolio may not be able to sell such securities and may not be able to realize their full value upon sale. Restricted securities (securities subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale) may be illiquid. Some restricted securities (such as securities issued pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933 (Rule 144A Securities) or certain commercial paper) may be treated as liquid, although they may be less liquid than registered securities traded on established secondary markets.
INVESTMENT IN EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT COMPANIES
The Portfolio may invest in shares of ETFs, subject to the restrictions and limitations of the 1940 Act, or any applicable rules, exemptive orders or regulatory guidance thereunder. ETFs are pooled investment vehicles, which may be managed or unmanaged, that generally seek to track the performance of a specific index. ETFs will not track their underlying indices precisely since the ETFs have expenses and may need to hold a portion of their assets in cash, unlike the underlying indices, and the ETFs may not invest in all of the securities in the underlying indices in the same proportion as the indices for varying reasons. The Portfolio will incur transaction costs when buying and selling ETF shares, and indirectly bear the expenses of the ETFs. In addition, the market value of an ETFs shares, which is based on supply and demand in the market for the ETFs shares, may differ from its net asset value, or NAV. Accordingly, there may be times when an ETFs shares trade at a discount to its NAV.
The Portfolio may also invest in investment companies other than ETFs, as permitted by the 1940 Act, and the rules and regulations or exemptive orders thereunder. As with ETF investments, if the Portfolio acquires shares in other investment companies, Contractholders would bear, indirectly, the expenses of such investment companies (which may include management and advisory fees), which are in addition to the Portfolios expenses. The Portfolio intends to invest uninvested cash balances in an affiliated money market fund as permitted by Rule 12d1-1 under the 1940 Act.
LOANS OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES
For the purposes of achieving income, the Portfolio may make secured loans of portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and financial institutions (borrowers) to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act or the rules and regulations thereunder (as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended from time to time) or by guidance regarding, interpretations of or exemptive orders under the 1940 Act. Under the Portfolios securities lending program, all securities loans will be secured continually by cash collateral. The loans will be made only to borrowers deemed by the Adviser to be creditworthy, and when, in the judgment of the Adviser, the consideration that can be earned currently from securities loans justifies the attendant risk. The Portfolio will be compensated for the loan from a portion of the net return from the interest earned on cash collateral after a rebate paid to the borrower (in some cases this rebate may be a negative rebate, or fee paid by the borrower to the Portfolio in connection with the loan) and payments for fees of the securities lending agent and for certain other administrative expenses.
The Portfolio will have the right to call a loan and obtain the securities loaned at any time on notice to the borrower within the normal and customary settlement time for the securities. While the securities are on loan, the borrower is obligated to pay the Portfolio amounts equal to any income or other distributions from the securities. The Portfolio will not have the right to vote any securities during the existence of a loan, but will have the right to regain ownership of loaned securities in order to exercise voting or other ownership rights. When the Portfolio lends securities, its investment performance will continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned.
The Portfolio will invest cash collateral in a money market fund approved by the Portfolios Board of Directors (the Board) and expected to be managed by the Adviser. Any such investment will be at the Portfolios risk. The Portfolio may pay reasonable finders, administrative, and custodial fees in connection with a loan.
A principal risk of lending portfolio securities is that the borrower will fail to return the loaned securities upon termination of the loan and that the collateral will not be sufficient to replace the loaned securities.
PREFERRED STOCK
The Portfolio may invest in preferred stock. Preferred stock is subordinated to any debt the issuer has outstanding. Accordingly, preferred stock dividends are not paid until all debt obligations are first met. Preferred stock may be subject to more fluctuations in market value, due to changes in market participants perceptions of the issuers ability to continue to pay dividends, than debt of the same issuer. These investments include convertible preferred stock, which includes an option for the holder to convert the preferred stock into the issuers common stock under certain conditions, among which may be the specification of a future date when the conversion may begin, a certain number of common shares per preferred share, or a certain price per share for the common stock. Convertible preferred stock tends to be more volatile than non-convertible preferred stock, because its value is related to the price of the issuers common stock as well as the dividends payable on the preferred stock.
RIGHTS AND WARRANTS
Rights and warrants are option securities permitting their holders to subscribe for other securities. Rights are similar to warrants except that they have a substantially shorter duration.
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Rights and warrants do not carry with them dividend or voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, or any rights in the assets of the issuer. As a result, an investment in rights and warrants may be considered more speculative than certain other types of investments. In addition, the value of a right or a warrant does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and a right or a warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date.
SHORT SALES
The Portfolio may make short sales as a part of overall portfolio management or to offset a potential decline in the value of a security. A short sale involves the sale of a security that the Portfolio does not own, or if the Portfolio owns the security, is not to be delivered upon consummation of the sale. When the Portfolio makes a short sale of a security that it does not own, it must borrow from a broker-dealer the security sold short and deliver the security to the broker-dealer upon conclusion of the short sale.
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 short-term capital gain. Although the Portfolios gain is limited to the price at which it sold the security short, its potential loss is theoretically unlimited because there is a theoretically unlimited potential for the price of a security sold short to increase.
STRUCTURED PRODUCTS
The Portfolio may invest in certain hybrid derivatives-type investments that combine features of a traditional stock or bond with those of, for example, a futures contract or an option. These investments include structured notes and indexed securities, commodity-linked notes and commodity index-linked notes and credit-linked securities. The performance of the structured product, which is generally a fixed-income security, is tied (positively or negatively) to the price or prices of an unrelated reference indicator such as a security or basket of securities, currencies, commodities, a securities or commodities index or a credit default swap or other kinds of swaps. The structured product may not pay interest or protect the principal invested. The structured product or its interest rate may be a multiple of the reference indicator and, as a result, may be leveraged and move (up or down) more rapidly than the reference indicator. Investments in structured products may provide a more efficient and less expensive means of investing in underlying securities, commodities or other derivatives, but may potentially be more volatile, less liquid and carry greater market risk than investments in traditional securities. The purchase of a structured product also exposes the Portfolio to the credit risk of the structured product.
Structured notes are derivative debt instruments. The interest rate or principal of these notes is determined by reference to an unrelated indicator (for example, a currency, security, or indices thereof) unlike a typical note where the borrower agrees to make fixed or floating interest payments and to pay a fixed sum at maturity. Indexed securities may include structured notes as well as securities other than debt securities, the interest or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator.
Commodity-linked notes and commodity index-linked notes provide exposure to the commodities markets. These are derivative securities with one or more commodity-linked components that have payment features similar to commodity futures contracts, commodity options, commodity indices or similar instruments. Commodity-linked products may be either equity or debt securities, leveraged or unleveraged, and have both security and commodity-like characteristics. A portion of the value of these instruments may be derived from the value of a commodity, futures contract, index or other economic variable.
ADDITIONAL RISK AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Investments in the Portfolio involve the risk considerations described below.
FOREIGN (NON-U.S.) SECURITIES
Investing in securities of foreign issuers involves special risks and considerations not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities. The securities markets of many foreign countries are relatively small, with the majority of market capitalization and trading volume concentrated in a limited number of companies representing a small number of industries. If the Portfolio invests in securities of foreign issuers it may experience greater price volatility and significantly lower liquidity than a portfolio invested solely in securities of U.S. companies. These markets may be subject to greater influence by adverse events generally affecting the market, and by large investors trading significant blocks of securities, than is usual in the United States.
Securities registration, custody, and settlement may in some instances be subject to delays and legal and administrative uncertainties. Foreign investment in the securities markets of certain foreign countries is restricted or controlled to varying degrees. These restrictions or controls may at times limit or preclude investment in certain securities and may increase the costs and expenses of the Portfolio. In addition, the repatriation of investment income, capital or the proceeds of sales of securities from certain countries is controlled under regulations, including in some cases the need for certain advance government notification or authority, and if a deterioration occurs in a countrys balance of payments, the country could impose temporary restrictions on foreign capital remittances.
The Portfolio also could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, any required governmental approval for repatriation, as well as by the application to it of other restrictions on investment. Investing in local markets may require the Portfolio to adopt special procedures or seek local governmental approvals or other actions, any of which may involve additional costs to the Portfolio. These factors may affect the liquidity of the Portfolios investments in any country and the Adviser will monitor the effect of any such factor or factors on the Portfolios investments. Transaction costs, including brokerage commissions for transactions both on and off the securities exchanges, in many foreign countries are generally higher than in the United States.
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Issuers of securities in foreign jurisdictions are generally not subject to the same degree of regulation as are U.S. issuers with respect to such matters as insider trading rules, restrictions on market manipulation, shareholder proxy requirements, and timely disclosure of information. The reporting, accounting, and auditing standards of foreign countries may differ, in some cases significantly, from U.S. standards in important respects, and less information may be available to investors in securities of foreign issuers than to investors in U.S. securities. Substantially less information is publicly available about certain non-U.S. issuers than is available about most U.S. issuers.
The economies of individual foreign countries may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross domestic product or gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, and balance of payments position. Nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, currency blockage, political changes, government regulation, political or social instability, revolutions, wars or diplomatic developments could affect adversely the economy of a foreign country. In the event of nationalization, expropriation, or other confiscation, the Portfolio could lose its entire investment in securities in the country involved. In addition, laws in foreign countries governing business organizations, bankruptcy and insolvency may provide less protection to security holders such as the Portfolio than that provided by U.S. laws.
In June 2016, the United Kingdom (UK) voted in a referendum to leave the European Union (EU). On March 29, 2017, the UK notified the European Council of its intention to withdraw from the EU. It is expected that the UKs withdrawal will be completed within two years of such notification. There is still considerable uncertainty relating to the potential consequences of the withdrawal. During this period and beyond, the impact on the UK and European economies and the broader global economy could be significant, resulting in increased volatility and illiquidity, currency fluctuations, impacts on arrangements for trading and on other existing cross-border cooperation arrangements (whether economic, tax, fiscal, legal, regulatory or otherwise), and in potentially lower growth for companies in the UK, Europe and globally, which could have an adverse effect on the value of the Portfolios investments.
FOREIGN (NON-U.S.) CURRENCIES
The Portfolio invests some portion of its assets in securities denominated in, and receives revenues in, foreign currencies and will be adversely affected by reductions in the value of those currencies relative to the U.S. Dollar. Foreign currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly. They are determined by supply and demand in the foreign exchange markets, the relative merits of investments in different countries, actual or perceived changes in interest rates, and other complex factors. Currency exchange rates also can be affected unpredictably by intervention (or the failure to intervene) by U.S. or non-U.S. governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments. In light of these risks, the Portfolio may engage in certain currency hedging transactions, as described above, which involve certain special risks. The Portfolio may also invest directly in foreign currencies for non-hedging purposes directly on a spot basis (i.e., cash) or through derivatives transactions, such as forward currency exchange contracts, futures contracts and options thereon, swaps and options as described above. These investments will be subject to the same risks. In addition, currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time, causing the Portfolios NAV to fluctuate.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
The Portfolio may take advantage of other investment practices that are not currently contemplated for use by the Portfolio, or are not available but may yet be developed, to the extent such investment practices are consistent with the Portfolios investment objective and legally permissible for the Portfolio. Such investment practices, if they arise, may involve risks that are different from or exceed those involved in the practices described above.
CHANGES IN INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES
The AB Variable Products Series (VPS) Funds (the Fund) Board may change the Portfolios investment objective without shareholder approval. The Portfolio will provide shareholders with 60 days prior written notice of any change to the Portfolios investment objective. A fund that has a policy to invest at least 80% of its net assets in securities indicated by its name, such as the Portfolio, will not change such policy without 60 days prior written notice to shareholders. Unless otherwise noted, all other investment policies of the Portfolio may be changed without shareholder approval.
TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE POSITION
For temporary defensive purposes to attempt to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, the Portfolio may invest in certain types of short-term, liquid, investment grade or high-quality debt securities. While the Portfolio is investing for temporary defensive purposes, it may not meet its investment objectives.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
The Portfolios SAI includes a description of the policies and procedures that apply to disclosure of the Portfolios portfolio holdings.
CYBER SECURITY RISK
Mutual funds, including the Portfolio, are susceptible to cyber security risk. Cyber security breaches may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Portfolio assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Portfolio and/or its service providers to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. In addition, cyber security breaches in companies in which the Portfolio invests may affect the value of your investment in the Portfolio.
12
HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES
The Portfolio offers its shares through the separate accounts of the Insurers. You may only purchase and sell shares through these separate accounts. See the prospectus of the separate account of the Insurer for information on the purchase and sale of the Portfolios shares. AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (ABI) may, from time to time, receive payments from Insurers in connection with the sale of the Portfolios shares through the Insurers separate accounts.
The purchase or sale of the Portfolios shares is priced at the next-determined NAV after the order is received in proper form.
The Insurers maintain omnibus account arrangements with the Fund in respect of the Portfolio and place aggregate purchase, redemption and exchange orders for shares of the Portfolio corresponding to orders placed by the Insurers customers, or Contractholders, who have purchased contracts from the Insurers, in each case, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the relevant contract. Omnibus account arrangements maintained by the Insurers are discussed below under Policy Regarding Short-Term Trading.
ABI may refuse any order to purchase shares. The Portfolio reserves the right to suspend the sale of its shares to the public in response to conditions in the securities markets or for other reasons.
PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
Financial intermediaries, such as the Insurers, market and sell shares of the Portfolio and typically receive compensation for selling shares of the Portfolio. This compensation is paid from various sources.
Insurers or your financial intermediary receive compensation from ABI and/or the Adviser in several ways from various sources, which include some or all of the following:
- | defrayal of costs for educational seminars and training; |
- | additional distribution support; and |
- | payments related to providing Contractholder recordkeeping and/or administrative services. |
ABI and/or the Adviser may pay Insurers or other financial intermediaries to perform recordkeeping and administrative services in connection with the Portfolio. Such payments will generally not exceed 0.35% of the average daily net assets of the Portfolio attributable to the Insurer.
Other Payments for Educational Support and Distribution Assistance
In addition to the fees described above, ABI, at its expense, currently provides additional payments to the Insurers that sell shares of the Portfolio. These sums include payments to reimburse directly or indirectly the costs incurred by the Insurers and their employees in connection with educational seminars and training efforts about the Portfolio for the Insurers employees and/or their clients and potential clients and may include payments for distribution analytical data regarding Portfolio sales by the Insurer. The costs and expenses associated with these efforts may include travel, lodging, entertainment and meals.
For 2017, ABIs additional payments to these firms for educational support and distribution assistance related to the Funds Portfolios are expected to be approximately $400,000. In 2016, ABI paid additional payments of approximately $400,000 for the Funds Portfolios.
If one mutual fund sponsor that offers shares to separate accounts of an Insurer makes greater distribution assistance payments than another, the Insurer may have an incentive to recommend or offer the shares of funds of one fund sponsor over another.
Please speak with your financial intermediary to learn more about the total amounts paid to your financial intermediary by the Adviser, ABI and by other mutual fund sponsors that offer shares to Insurers that may be recommended to you. You should also consult disclosures made by your financial intermediary at the time of purchase.
As of the date of this Prospectus, ABI anticipates that the Insurers or their affiliates that will receive additional payments for educational support include:
AXA Advisors
Global Atlantic Financial Company
Jackson National Life
Lincoln Financial Distributors
MetLife Inc.
Minnesota Life Insurance Company
Ohio National Financial Services
Pacific Life Insurance Company
Prudential Financial
SunAmerica Retirement Markets
Transamerica Capital, Inc.
Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company
Although the Portfolio may use brokers and dealers who sell shares of the Portfolio to effect portfolio transactions, the Portfolio does not consider the sale of AB Mutual Fund shares as a factor when selecting brokers or dealers to effect portfolio transactions.
FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF PORTFOLIO SHARES
The Board has adopted policies and procedures designed to detect and deter frequent purchases and redemptions of Portfolio shares or excessive or short-term trading that may disadvantage long-term Contractholders. These policies are
13
described below. There is no guarantee that the Portfolio will be able to detect excessive or short-term trading or to identify Contractholders engaged in such practices, particularly with respect to transactions in omnibus accounts. Contractholders should be aware that application of these policies may have adverse consequences, as described below, and should avoid frequent trading in Portfolio shares through purchases, sales and exchanges of shares. The Portfolio reserves the right to restrict, reject, or cancel, without any prior notice, any purchase or exchange order for any reason, including any purchase or exchange order accepted by any Insurer or a Contractholders financial intermediary.
Risks Associated With Excessive Or Short-Term Trading Generally. While the Fund will try to prevent market timing by utilizing the procedures described below, these procedures may not be successful in identifying or stopping excessive or short-term trading in all circumstances. By realizing profits through short-term trading, Contractholders that engage in rapid purchases and sales or exchanges of the Portfolios shares dilute the value of shares held by long-term Contractholders. Volatility resulting from excessive purchases and sales or exchanges of shares of the Portfolio, especially involving large dollar amounts, may disrupt efficient portfolio management and cause the Portfolio to sell portfolio securities at inopportune times to raise cash to accommodate redemptions relating to short-term trading activity. In particular, the Portfolio may have difficulty implementing its long-term investment strategies if it is forced to maintain a higher level of its assets in cash to accommodate significant short-term trading activity. In addition, the Portfolio may incur increased administrative and other expenses due to excessive or short-term trading and increased brokerage costs.
Investments in securities of foreign issuers may be particularly susceptible to short-term trading strategies. This is because securities of foreign issuers are typically traded on markets that close well before the time the Portfolio ordinarily calculates its NAV at 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, which gives rise to the possibility that developments may have occurred in the interim that would affect the value of these securities. The time zone differences among international stock markets can allow a Contractholder engaging in a short-term trading strategy to exploit differences in share prices that are based on closing prices of securities of foreign issuers established some time before the Portfolio calculates its own share price (referred to as time zone arbitrage). The Portfolio has procedures, referred to as fair value pricing, designed to adjust closing market prices of securities of foreign issuers to reflect what is believed to be fair value of those securities at the time the Portfolio calculates its NAV. While there is no assurance, the Portfolio expects that the use of fair value pricing, in addition to the short-term trading policies discussed below, will significantly reduce a Contractholders ability to engage in time zone arbitrage to the detriment of other Contractholders.
Contractholders engaging in a short-term trading strategy may also target the Portfolio irrespective of its investments in securities of foreign issuers. If the Portfolio invests in securities that are, among other things, thinly traded, traded infrequently, or relatively illiquid, it has the risk that the current market price for the securities may not accurately reflect current market values. Contractholders may seek to engage in short-term trading to take advantage of these pricing differences (referred to as price arbitrage). The Portfolio may be adversely affected by price arbitrage.
Policy Regarding Short-Term Trading. Purchases and exchanges of shares of the Portfolio should be made for investment purposes only. The Fund seeks to prevent patterns of excessive purchases and sales or exchanges of shares of the Portfolio to the extent they are detected by the procedures described below, subject to the Funds ability to monitor purchase, sale and exchange activity. Insurers utilizing omnibus account arrangements may not identify to the Fund, ABI or AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (ABIS) Contractholders transaction activity relating to shares of the Portfolio on an individual basis. Consequently, the Fund, ABI and ABIS may not be able to detect excessive or short-term trading in shares of the Portfolio attributable to a particular Contractholder who effects purchase and redemption and/or exchange activity in shares of the Portfolio through an Insurer acting in an omnibus capacity. In seeking to prevent excessive or short-term trading in shares of the Portfolio, including the maintenance of any transaction surveillance or account blocking procedures, the Fund, ABI and ABIS consider the information actually available to them at the time. The Fund reserves the right to modify this policy, including any surveillance or account blocking procedures established from time to time to effectuate this policy, at any time without notice.
| Transaction Surveillance Procedures. The Portfolio, through its agents, ABI and ABIS, maintains surveillance procedures to detect excessive or short-term trading in Portfolio shares. This surveillance process involves several factors, which include scrutinizing each individual Insurers omnibus transaction activity in Portfolio shares in order to seek to ascertain whether any such activity attributable to one or more Contractholders might constitute excessive or short-term trading. Insurers omnibus transaction activity identified by these surveillance procedures, or as a result of any other information actually available at the time, will be evaluated to determine whether such activity might indicate excessive or short-term trading activity attributable to one or more Contractholders. These surveillance procedures may be modified from time to time, as necessary or appropriate to improve the detection of excessive or short-term trading or to address specific circumstances. |
| Account Blocking Procedures. If the Fund determines, in its sole discretion, that a particular transaction or pattern of transactions identified by the transaction surveillance procedures described above is excessive or short-term trading in nature, the relevant Insurers omnibus account(s) will be immediately blocked and no future purchase or exchange activity will be permitted, except to the extent the Fund, ABI or ABIS has been informed in writing that the terms and conditions of a particular contract may limit the Funds ability to apply its short-term trading policy to Contractholder activity as discussed below. As a result, any Contractholder |
14
seeking to engage through an Insurer in purchase or exchange activity in shares of the Portfolio under a particular contract will be prevented from doing so. However, sales of Portfolio shares back to the Portfolio or redemptions will continue to be permitted in accordance with the terms of the Portfolios current prospectus. In the event an account is blocked, certain account-related privileges, such as the ability to place purchase, sale and exchange orders over the internet or by phone, may also be suspended. As a result, unless the Contractholder redeems his or her shares, the Contractholder effectively may be locked into an investment in shares of one or more of the Portfolio that the Contractholder did not intend to hold on a long-term basis or that may not be appropriate for the Contractholders risk profile. To rectify this situation, a Contractholder with a blocked account may be forced to redeem Portfolio shares, which could be costly if, for example, these shares have declined in value. To avoid this risk, a Contractholder should carefully monitor the purchases, sales, and exchanges of Portfolio shares and should avoid frequent trading in Portfolio shares. An Insurers omnibus account that is blocked will generally remain blocked unless and until the Insurer provides evidence or assurance acceptable to the Fund that one or more Contractholders did not or will not in the future engage in excessive or short-term trading. |
| Applications of Surveillance Procedures and Restrictions to Omnibus Accounts. The Portfolio applies its surveillance procedures to Insurers. As required by Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) rules, the Portfolio has entered into agreements with all of its financial intermediaries that require the financial intermediaries to provide the Portfolio, upon the request of the Portfolio or its agents, with individual account level information about their transactions. If the Portfolio detects excessive trading through its monitoring of omnibus accounts, including trading at the individual account level, Insurers will also execute instructions from the Portfolio to take actions to curtail the activity, which may include applying blocks to accounts to prohibit future purchases and exchanges of Portfolio shares. |
HOW THE PORTFOLIO VALUES ITS SHARES
The Portfolios NAV is calculated on any day the New York Stock Exchange (the Exchange) is open at the close of regular trading (ordinarily, 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, but sometimes earlier, as in the case of scheduled half-day trading or unscheduled suspensions of trading). To calculate NAV, the Portfolios assets are valued and totaled, liabilities are subtracted, and the balance, called net assets, is divided by the number of shares outstanding. If the Portfolio invests in securities that are primarily traded on foreign exchanges that trade on weekends or other days when the Portfolio does not price its shares, the NAV of the Portfolios shares may change on days when Contractholders will not be able to purchase or redeem their shares in the Portfolio.
The Portfolio values its securities at their current market value determined on the basis of market quotations or, if market quotations are not readily available or are unreliable, at fair value as determined in accordance with procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Board. When the Portfolio uses fair value pricing, it may take into account any factors it deems appropriate. The Portfolio may determine fair value based upon developments related to a specific security, current valuations of foreign stock indices (as reflected in U.S. futures markets) and/or U.S. sector or broader stock market indices. The prices of securities used by the Portfolio to calculate its NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determined for a security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of that security.
The Portfolio expects to use fair value pricing for securities primarily traded on U.S. exchanges only under very limited circumstances, such as the early closing of the exchange on which a security is traded or suspension of trading in the security. The Portfolio may use fair value pricing more frequently for securities primarily traded in foreign markets because, among other things, most foreign markets close well before the Portfolio ordinarily values its securities at 4:00 p.m., Eastern time. The earlier close of these foreign markets gives rise to the possibility that significant events, including broad market moves, may have occurred in the interim. For example, the Portfolio believes that foreign security values may be affected by events that occur after the close of foreign securities markets. To account for this, the Portfolio may frequently value many of its foreign equity securities using fair value prices based on third-party vendor modeling tools to the extent available.
Subject to its oversight, the Board has delegated responsibility for valuing the Portfolios assets to the Adviser. The Adviser has established a Valuation Committee, which operates under the policies and procedures approved by the Board, to value the Portfolios assets on behalf of the Portfolio. The Valuation Committee values Portfolio assets as described above. More information about the valuation of the Portfolios assets is available in the Portfolios SAI.
15
INVESTMENT ADVISER
The Portfolios adviser is AllianceBernstein L.P., 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10105. The Adviser is a leading global investment adviser managing client accounts with assets as of December 31, 2016, totaling more than $480 billion (of which approximately $94 billion represented assets of registered investment companies sponsored by the Adviser). As of December 31, 2016, the Adviser managed retirement assets for many of the largest public and private employee benefit plans (including 17 of the nations FORTUNE 100 companies), for public employee retirement funds in 29 states and the District of Columbia, for investment companies, and for foundations, endowments, banks and insurance companies worldwide. The 31 registered investment companies managed by the Adviser, comprising 129 separate investment portfolios, had as of December 31, 2016 approximately 2.4 million retail accounts.
The Adviser provides investment advisory services and order placement facilities for the Portfolio. For these advisory services, the Portfolio paid the Adviser for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 as a percentage of average daily net assets ..75%.
A discussion regarding the basis for the Boards most recent approval of the Portfolios investment advisory agreement will be available in the Portfolios semi-annual report for the fiscal period ending June 30, 2017. A discussion regarding the basis for the Boards earlier approval of the Portfolios investment advisory agreement is available in the Portfolios annual report to shareholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016.
The Adviser may act as an investment adviser to other persons, firms, or corporations, including investment companies, hedge funds, pension funds, and other institutional investors. The Adviser may receive management fees, including performance fees, that may be higher or lower than the advisory fees it receives from the Portfolio. 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 that result in the purchase or sale of a 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 or quantity. It is the policy of the Adviser to allocate advisory recommendations and the placing of orders in a manner that 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-dealer, such transactions may be averaged as to price.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
The day-to-day management of, and investment decisions for, the Portfolio are made by the Advisers Small Cap Growth Investment Team. The Small Cap Growth Investment Team relies heavily on the fundamental analysis and research of the Advisers internal research staff. No one person is principally responsible for making recommendations for the Portfolios portfolio.
The following table lists the persons within the Small Cap Growth Investment Team with the most significant responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Portfolios portfolio, the length of time that each person has been jointly and primarily responsible for the Portfolio, and each persons principal occupation during the past five years:
Employee; Year; Title | Principal Occupation During the Past Five (5) Years | |
Bruce K. Aronow; since 2000; Senior Vice President of the Adviser | Senior Vice President of the Adviser, with which he has been associated in a substantially similar capacity to his current position since prior to 2012. | |
N. Kumar Kirpalani; since 2005; Senior Vice President of the Adviser | Senior Vice President of the Adviser, with which he has been associated in a substantially similar capacity to his current position since prior to 2012. | |
Samantha S. Lau; since 2005; Senior Vice President of the Adviser | Senior Vice President of the Adviser, with which she has been associated in a substantially similar capacity to her current position since prior to 2012. | |
Wen-Tse Tseng; since 2006; Senior Vice President of the Adviser | Senior Vice President of the Adviser, with which he has been associated in a substantially similar capacity to his current position since prior to 2012. |
The Portfolios SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers compensation, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers, and the Portfolio Managers ownership of securities in the Portfolio.
16
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
The Portfolio declares dividends on its shares at least annually. The income and capital gains distributions are expected to be made in shares of the Portfolio.
See the prospectus of the separate account of the Insurer for federal income tax information.
Investment income received by the Portfolio from sources within foreign countries may be subject to foreign income
taxes withheld at the source. Provided that certain requirements are met, the Portfolio may pass-through to its Contractholders credits or deductions to foreign income taxes paid. Non-U.S. investors may not be able to credit or deduct such foreign taxes.
17
Russell 2000® Growth Index measures the performance of the small-capitalization growth segment of the U.S. equity universe. It includes those Russell 2000® companies with higher price-to-value ratios and higher forecasted growth values.
18
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Portfolios financial performance for the past five years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single share of a class of the Portfolio. The total returns in the table represent the rate that a Contractholder would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Portfolio (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The total returns in the table do not take into account separate account charges. If separate account charges were included, a Contractholders return would have been lower. This information has been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm for the Portfolio, whose report, along with the Portfolios financial statements, are included in the Portfolios annual report to Contractholders, which is available upon request.
AB VPS Small Cap Growth Portfolio
CLASS A | ||||||||||||||||||||
Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||
2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | ||||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period |
$ | 17.31 | $ | 20.97 | $ | 23.47 | $ | 18.96 | $ | 17.09 | ||||||||||
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Income From Investment Operations | ||||||||||||||||||||
Net investment loss(a) |
(.12 | )(b) | (.19 | ) | (.15 | ) | (.21 | ) | (.12 | ) | ||||||||||
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions |
1.05 | .18 | (.30 | ) | 8.30 | 2.69 | ||||||||||||||
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Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations |
.93 | (.01 | ) | (.45 | ) | 8.09 | 2.57 | |||||||||||||
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Less: Distributions | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions |
(5.17 | ) | (3.65 | ) | (2.05 | ) | (3.58 | ) | (.70 | ) | ||||||||||
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Net asset value, end of period |
$ | 13.07 | $ | 17.31 | $ | 20.97 | $ | 23.47 | $ | 18.96 | ||||||||||
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Total Return | ||||||||||||||||||||
Total investment return based on net asset value(c) |
6.46 | %* | (1.25 | )%* | (1.81 | )%* | 45.66 | %* | 15.02 | % | ||||||||||
Ratios/Supplemental Data | ||||||||||||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (000s omitted) |
$ | 22,405 | $ | 25,033 | $ | 28,055 | $ | 33,510 | $ | 27,479 | ||||||||||
Ratio to average net assets of: |
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Expenses, net of waivers/reimbursements(d) |
1.48 | % | 1.31 | % | 1.11 | % | 1.17 | % | 1.18 | % | ||||||||||
Expenses, before waivers/reimbursements(d) |
1.49 | % | 1.31 | % | 1.11 | % | 1.17 | % | 1.18 | % | ||||||||||
Net investment loss |
(.83 | )%(b) | (.92 | )% | (.67 | )% | (.96 | )% | (.64 | )% | ||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate |
60 | % | 72 | % | 84 | % | 81 | % | 105 | % |
(a) | Based on average shares outstanding. |
(b) | Net of expenses waived and reimbursed by the Adviser. |
(c) | Total investment return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption on the last day of the period. Total return does not reflect (i) insurance companys separate account related expense charges and (ii) the deductions of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Portfolio distributions or the redemption of Portfolio shares. Total investment return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized. |
(d) | The Portfolios investments in affiliated underlying portfolios incur no direct expenses, but bear proportionate shares of the acquired fund fees (i.e., operating, administrative and investment advisory fee) of the affiliated underlying portfolios. The Adviser has voluntarily agreed to waive certain acquired fund fees and for the year ended December 31, 2016, such waiver amounted to .01% for the Portfolio. |
* | Includes the impact of proceeds received and credited to the Portfolio resulting from class action settlements, which enhanced the Portfolios performance for the years ended December 31, 2016, December 31, 2015, December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 by 0.08%, 0.02%, 0.01% and 0.23%, respectively. |
| For the year ended December 31, 2016 the amount includes a non-recurring refund for overbilling of prior years custody out of pocket fees as follows: |
Net Investment Income Per Share | Net Investment Income Ratio | Total Return | ||||||
$.004 | 0.03% | 0.03% |
19
Hypothetical Investment and Expense Information
The following supplemental hypothetical investment information provides additional information calculated and presented in a manner different from expense information found under Fees and Expenses of the Portfolio in this Prospectus about the effect of the Portfolios expenses, including investment advisory fees and other Portfolio costs, on the Portfolios returns over a 10-year period. The chart shows the estimated expenses that would be charged on a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in Class A shares of the Portfolio assuming a 5% return each year. Except as otherwise indicated, the chart also assumes that the current annual expense ratio stays the same throughout the 10-year period. The current annual expense ratio for the Portfolio is the same as stated under Fees and Expenses of the Portfolio. There are additional fees and expenses associated with variable products. These fees can include mortality and expense risk charges, administrative charges, and other charges that can significantly affect expenses. These fees and expenses are not reflected in the following expense information. Your actual expenses may be higher or lower.
AB VPS Small Cap Growth Portfolio
Year | Hypothetical Investment |
Hypothetical Performance Earnings |
Investment After Returns |
Hypothetical Expenses |
Hypothetical Ending Investment |
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1 |
$ | 10,000.00 | $ | 500.00 | $ | 10,500.00 | $ | 156.45 | $ | 10,343.55 | ||||||||||
2 |
10,343.55 | 517.18 | 10,860.73 | 161.82 | 10,698.91 | |||||||||||||||
3 |
10,698.91 | 534.95 | 11,233.86 | 167.38 | 11,066.48 | |||||||||||||||
4 |
11,066.48 | 553.32 | 11,619.80 | 173.14 | 11,446.66 | |||||||||||||||
5 |
11,446.66 | 572.33 | 12,018.99 | 179.08 | 11,839.91 | |||||||||||||||
6 |
11,839.91 | 592.00 | 12,431.91 | 185.24 | 12,246.67 | |||||||||||||||
7 |
12,246.67 | 612.33 | 12,859.00 | 191.60 | 12,667.40 | |||||||||||||||
8 |
12,667.40 | 633.37 | 13,300.77 | 198.18 | 13,102.59 | |||||||||||||||
9 |
13,102.59 | 655.13 | 13,757.72 | 204.99 | 13,552.73 | |||||||||||||||
10 |
13,552.73 | 677.64 | 14,230.37 | 212.03 | 14,018.34 | |||||||||||||||
Cumulative |
$ | 5,848.25 | $ | 1,829.91 |
A-1
For more information about the Portfolio, the following documents are available upon request:
| ANNUAL/SEMI-ANNUAL REPORTS TO CONTRACTHOLDERS |
The Portfolios annual and semi-annual reports to Contractholders contain additional information on the Portfolios investments. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Portfolios performance during its last fiscal year.
| STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (SAI) |
The Portfolio has an SAI, which contains more detailed information about the Portfolio, including its operations and investment policies. The Portfolios SAI and the independent registered public accounting firms report and financial statements in the Portfolios most recent annual report to Contractholders are incorporated by reference into (and are legally part of) this Prospectus.
You may request a free copy of the current annual/semi-annual report or the SAI, or make inquiries concerning the Portfolio, by contacting your broker or other financial intermediary, or by contacting the Adviser:
By Mail: | AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. P.O. Box 786003 San Antonio, TX 78278-6003 | |
By Phone: | For Information: (800) 221-5672 For Literature: (800) 227-4618 |
Or you may view or obtain these documents from the Securities and Exchange Commission:
| Call the Commission at 1-202-551-8090 for information on the operation of the Public Reference Room. |
| Reports and other information about the Fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the Commissions Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. |
| Copies of the information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing to the Commissions Public Reference Section, Washington, DC 20549-1520. |
You also may find these documents and more information about the Adviser and the Portfolio on the Internet at: www.abfunds.com.
The [A/B] Logo is a service mark of AllianceBernstein and AllianceBernstein® is a registered trademark used by permission of the owner, AllianceBernstein L.P.
SEC File No. 811-05398
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