| Technology Growth Portfolio A Series of Dreyfus Investment Portfolios | |||||
Summary Prospectus May 1, 2011 | ||||||
Initial Shares | ||||||
Before you invest, you may want to review the fund's prospectus, which contains more information about the fund and its risks. You can find the fund's prospectus and other information about the fund, including the statement of additional information and most recent reports to shareholders, online at www.dreyfus.com/vifunddocuments. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 1-800-554-4611 or 516-338-3300 or by sending an e-mail request to info@dreyfus.com. The fund's prospectus and statement of additional information, dated May 1, 2011, are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus.
The fund seeks capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. These figures do not reflect any fees or charges imposed by participating insurance companies under their Variable Annuity contracts (VA contracts) or Variable Life Insurance policies (VLI policies).
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | ||
Initial Shares | Service Shares | |
Management fees | .75 | .75 |
Distribution and/or service (Rule 12b-1) fees | none | .25 |
Other expenses | .06 | .06 |
Total annual fund operating expenses | .81 | 1.06 |
Example
The Example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the fund's operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses incurred under VA contracts and VLI policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
Initial Shares | $83 | $259 | $450 | $1,002 |
Service Shares | $108 | $337 | $585 | $1,294 |
Portfolio Turnover
The fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund's portfolio turnover rate was 103.90% of the average value of its portfolio.
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To pursue its goal, the fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in the stocks of growth companies of any size that The Dreyfus Corporation believes to be leading producers or beneficiaries of technological innovation. Up to 25% of the fund's assets may be invested in foreign securities.
In choosing stocks, the fund looks for technology companies with the potential for strong earnings or revenue growth rates, although some of the fund's investments may currently be experiencing losses. The fund's investment process centers on a multi-dimensional approach that looks for opportunities across emerging growth, cyclical or stable growth companies. The fund's investment approach seeks companies that appear to have strong earnings momentum, positive earnings revisions, favorable growth, product or market cycles and/or favorable valuations.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit. It is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. It is not a complete investment program. The fund's share price fluctuates, sometimes dramatically, which means you could lose money.
· Risks of stock investing. Stocks generally fluctuate more in value than bonds and may decline significantly over short time periods. There is the chance that stock prices overall will decline because stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and falling prices. The market value of a stock may decline due to general weakness in the stock market or because of factors that affect the company or its particular industry.
· Growth stock risk. Investors often expect growth companies to increase their earnings at a certain rate. If these expectations are not met, investors can punish the stocks inordinately, even if earnings do increase. In addition, growth stocks may lack the dividend yield that may cushion stock prices in market downturns.
· Technology company risk. The technology sector has been among the most volatile sectors of the stock market. Because the fund's investments are concentrated in the technology sector, its performance will be significantly affected by developments in that sector. Technology companies, especially small-cap technology companies, involve greater risk because their revenue and/or earnings tend to be less predictable (and some companies may be experiencing significant losses) and their share prices tend to be more volatile. Certain technology companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, or may depend on a limited management group. In addition, these companies are strongly affected by worldwide technological developments, and their products and services may not be economically successful or may quickly become outdated. Investor perception may play a greater role in determining the day-to-day value of tech stocks than it does in other sectors. Fund investments made in anticipation of future products and services may decline dramatically in value if the anticipated products or services are delayed or cancelled. The risks associated with technology companies are magnified in the case of small-cap technology companies. The shares of smaller technology companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger, more established companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on the fund's ability to sell these securities.
The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the fund. The bar chart shows changes in the performance of the fund's Initial shares from year to year. The table compares the average annual total returns of the fund's shares to those of a broad measure of market performance. The fund's past performance is no guarantee of future results. More recent performance information may be available at www.dreyfus.com.
Performance information reflects the fund's expenses only and does not reflect the fees and charges imposed by participating insurance companies under their VA contracts or VLI policies. Because these fees and charges will reduce total return, policyowners should consider them when evaluating and comparing the fund's performance. Policyowners should consult the prospectus for their contract or policy for more information.
Technology Growth Portfolio Summary | 2 |
Year-by-Year Total Returns as of 12/31 each year (%) Initial Shares | |
| Best
Quarter Worst Quarter |
Average Annual Total Returns (as of 12/31/10) | |||
1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
Initial Shares | 29.93 | 7.59 | -0.83 |
Service Shares | 29.65 | 7.34 | -1.10 |
S&P 500® Index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes | 15.08 | 2.29 | 1.42 |
Morgan Stanley High Technology 35® Index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes | 16.03 | 5.75 | 0.50 |
The fund's investment adviser is The Dreyfus Corporation. Barry K. Mills has been a primary portfolio manager of the fund since October 2007. He is an analyst with the Core Research Team of The Boston Company Asset Management, an affiliate of The Dreyfus Corporation, covering the technology sector.
Fund shares are offered only to separate accounts established by insurance companies to fund VA contracts and VLI policies. Individuals may not purchase shares directly from, or place sell orders directly with, the fund. The VA contracts and the VLI policies are described in the separate prospectuses issued by the participating insurance companies, over which the fund assumes no responsibility. Policyowners should consult the prospectus of the separate account of the participating insurance company for more information about buying, selling, or exchanging fund shares.
The fund's distributions are taxable as ordinary income or capital gains. Since the fund's shareholders are the participating insurance companies and their separate accounts, the tax treatment of dividends and distributions will depend on the tax status of the participating insurance company. Accordingly, no discussion is included as to the federal personal income tax consequences to policyowners. For this information, policyowners should consult the prospectus of the separate account of the participating insurance company or their tax advisers.
If you purchase shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as an insurance company), the fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.
Technology Growth Portfolio Summary | 3 |
Technology Growth Portfolio Summary | 4 |