N-CSRS 1 a10-14400_1ncsrs.htm N-CSRS

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM N-CSR

 

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED
MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

 

Investment Company Act file number

811-03692

 

Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

 

522 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York

 

10036

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

(Zip code)

 

Randy Takian

522 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10036

(Name and address of agent for service)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:

212-296-6990

 

 

Date of fiscal year end:

December 31, 2010

 

 

Date of reporting period:

June 30, 2010

 

 



 

Item 1 - Report to Shareholders

 


 


MORGAN STANLEY
VARIABLE INVESTMENT SERIES

Semi-Annual Report

JUNE 30, 2010

The Portfolios are intended to be the funding vehicle for variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies offered by the separate accounts of certain life insurance companies.



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Table of Contents

Letter to the Shareholders     1    
Fund Performance     13    
Expense Example     15    
Investment Advisory Agreement Approval     19    
Portfolios of Investments:  
Money Market     23    
Limited Duration     25    
Income Plus     35    
Global Infrastructure     50    
European Equity     54    
Capital Opportunities     59    
Aggressive Equity     62    
Strategist     65    
Financial Statements:  
Statements of Assets and Liabilities     84    
Statements of Operations     86    
Statements of Changes in Net Assets     88    
Notes to Financial Statements     96    
Financial Highlights     128    

 




Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Letter to the Shareholders n June 30, 2010

Dear Shareholder,

The first half of 2010 was marked by slowing recovery in the economy and turbulence in the financial markets. Recent gross domestic product (GDP) data showed that the U.S. economy continued to expand in the first quarter of the year, albeit at a slower pace than the last quarter of 2009, and many of the characteristics of recovery remained in evidence. For example, industrial production, capacity utilization and purchasing manager surveys all pointed to sustained levels of global GDP growth. That said, investors remained concerned about the economy's future path. The government's fiscal stimulus packages did help to stabilize the housing market and consumer spending, but fears persisted about the potential impact on the economy as these programs are phased out. Furthermore, the labor market remained weak in spite of modest improvements in the latter months of the period.

After a relatively calm first quarter, financial markets turned choppy in the second quarter as investors focused on the unfolding sovereign debt crisis in Europe and weaker-than-expected economic data, particularly employment in the U.S. In emerging markets, central banks stepped up the movement toward the normalization of monetary policy. China's central bank announced a more flexible exchange rate policy while Chile's central bank surprised observers with a larger-than-expected 50 basis point increase in that country's key policy rate.

Domestic Equity Overview

Over the six-month review period, the U.S. equity market reversed course from the rally that had begun in March of 2009 to finish the period with a return of – 6.66%, as measured by the S&P 500® Index. Volatility returned to the markets, especially in the second quarter of 2010, as investor confidence in the global economic recovery fell. After several consecutive quarters of improving economic data in the U.S., employment and housing reports began to disappoint expectations, fueling concerns about the potential for a double-dip recession in the U.S. even as investors became increasingly concerned about markets elsewhere.

Both growth and value stocks lost ground during the period (as measured by the Russell 1000® Growth and Value Indexes, respectively), though overall small capitalization companies outperformed larger-caps (as measured by the Russell 2000® and S&P 500® Indexes, respectively). All sectors of the S&P 500® Index declined for the six month period, but performance varied widely. The industrial sector lost the least value, followed by the consumer discretionary and consumer staples sectors. The materials sector was the worst performer, followed closely by the energy sector, which suffered amidst the ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Letter to the Shareholders n June 30, 2010 continued

Fixed Income Overview

As with equities, the first quarter of 2010 was overall a good period for fixed income assets, which were supported by a positive macroeconomic backdrop of benign economic data and supportive monetary policy. However, bond markets became more volatile in the second quarter on mounting fiscal and political concerns. Against this backdrop, government bonds continued to be regarded as "safe haven" assets, leading U.S. Treasury yields to decline across the yield curve. With regard to agency debt, yield spreads (a measure of the compensation demanded by investors to assume credit risk) were relatively unchanged on intermediate maturities but widened somewhat on long maturities.

In other major bond market sectors, yield spreads on agency mortgage-backed securities (MBS) widened by approximately 10 basis points over the course of the period. For the period, 15-year mortgages outperformed 30-year mortgages and higher coupons outperformed lower coupons. Corporate credit spreads also widened during the period as credit concerns returned, leading high yield to underperform investment grade credit (as measured by the Barclays Capital U.S. Corporate High Yield – 2% Issuer Cap Index and Barclays Capital Corporate Bond Index, respectively). The best performing sectors in the investment grade market were real estate investment trusts (REITs), brokers and technology, while the worst performers were energy, communications and banking.

The money markets continued to gain stability from the expansion of the Federal Reserve's balance sheet. However, notable announcements by the Federal Reserve and Treasury beginning in February indicated that the extraordinary liquidity measures provided by emergency government actions were coming to an end and efforts to begin draining excess reserves from the banking system would soon be underway. Also in February, the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) published its final Money Market Fund Reform rules, which became effective in May.

International Equity Overview

International equity markets were increasingly volatile during the period as investors digested a spate of political and fiscal troubles in developed markets. In early 2010, sovereign debt woes in Greece reached a boiling point, leading to fears that similarly indebted countries elsewhere in Europe could create even greater danger for the global financial system. Germany ultimately led the rest of Europe to create a bailout fund, helping assuage investors' immediate concerns, but long-term worries remained. Equity markets in Asia also struggled in the wake of China's decision to enact mildly restrictive measures to cool its economy's heated growth (particularly in the property sector), triggering concerns about the potential for a slowdown


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Letter to the Shareholders n June 30, 2010 continued

in Chinese demand. Against this backdrop, international developed markets, as represented by the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) EAFE Index, finished the period with a double-digit decline.

Emerging markets as a whole also lost ground during the period, though performance varied by region and by country. Peripheral European markets were hit hard by concerns over fiscal viability on the Continent, with Hungary and Poland performing especially poorly. Performance was more mixed in Asia, with China's economic policy and steep market losses continuing to dominate headlines in the region. Latin American shares also generally declined, though as in Asia, performance was widely dispersed by country. The two best-performing emerging markets for the six-month period ended June 30, 2010 were Colombia and Indonesia.

Aggressive Equity Portfolio

For the six-month period ended June 30, 2010, Variable Investment Series – Aggressive Equity Portfolio Class X shares produced a total return of – 8.13%, underperforming the Russell 3000® Growth Index (the "Index"),1 which returned – 7.25%. For the same period, the Portfolio's Class Y shares returned – 8.22%. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

The performance of the Portfolio's two share classes varies because each has different expenses. The Portfolio's total returns assume the reinvestment of all distributions but do not reflect the deduction of any charges by your insurance company. Such costs would lower performance.

Stock selection in materials and processing had the largest negative effect on relative performance for the period. The sole position in the sector was in the fertilizer industry. Both stock selection and a sector overweight in financial services hampered returns. Within the sector, financial data and systems was the leading detracting industry. In the health care sector, stock selection in health care services also detracted.

Although the Portfolio underperformed the Index, there were areas that contributed to relative performance. Stock selection in technology had the largest positive effect, with the leading contributor in the computer services software and systems industry. Stock selection in producer durables was also positive, especially in the commercial services industry, although an underweight to the sector did detract. The Portfolio's lack of exposure to the utilities industry was also advantageous.

1  The Russell 3000® Growth Index measures the performance of the broad growth segment of the U.S. equity universe. It includes those Russell 3000® Index companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The Russell 3000® Index measures the performance of the largest 3000 U.S. companies representing approximately 98% of the investable U.S. equity market. The Index is unmanaged and its returns do not include any sales charges or fees. Such costs would lower performance. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.


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Letter to the Shareholders n June 30, 2010 continued

There is no guarantee that any sectors mentioned will continue to perform as discussed above or that securities in such sectors will be held by the Portfolio in the future.

Capital Opportunities Portfolio

For the six-month period ended June 30, 2010, Variable Investment Series – Capital Opportunities Portfolio Class X shares produced a total return of – 7.51%, underperforming the Russell 3000® Growth Index (the "Index"),2 which returned – 7.25%. For the same period, the Portfolio's Class Y shares returned – 7.63%. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

The performance of the Portfolio's two share classes varies because each has different expenses. The Portfolio's total returns assume the reinvestment of all distributions but do not reflect the deduction of any charges by your insurance company. Such costs would lower performance.

Stock selection in materials and processing had the largest negative effect on relative performance for the period. The sole position in the sector was in the fertilizer industry. Both stock selection and a sector overweight in financial services were disadvantageous to returns, particularly the Portfolio's exposure to the financial data and systems industry. Stock selection in health care services also hindered relative performance.

Although the Portfolio underperformed the Index, there were areas that positively contributed to relative performance. Stock selection in technology had the largest positive effect. Within the sector, the largest contributor was in the consumer software and service industry group. Stock selection in producer durables also supported returns, especially in the commercial services industry, although an underweight to the sector did detract. The Portfolio's lack of exposure to the utilities industry was also advantageous.

There is no guarantee that any sectors mentioned will continue to perform as discussed above or that securities in such sectors will be held by the Portfolio in the future.

European Equity Portfolio

For the six-month period ended June 30, 2010, Variable Investment Series – European Equity Portfolio Class X shares produced a total return of – 17.16%, underperforming the MSCI Europe Index (the

2  The Russell 3000® Growth Index measures the performance of the broad growth segment of the U.S. equity universe. It includes those Russell 3000® Index companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The Russell 3000® Index measures the performance of the largest 3000 U.S. companies representing approximately 98% of the investable U.S. equity market. The Index is unmanaged and its returns do not include any sales charges or fees. Such costs would lower performance. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

3  The Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Europe Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure developed market equity performance in Europe. The term "free float" represents the portion of shares outstanding that are deemed to be available for purchase in the public equity markets by investors. The performance of the Index is listed in U.S. dollars and assumes reinvestment of net dividends. The Index is unmanaged and its returns do not include any sales charges or fees. Such costs would lower performance. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.


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Letter to the Shareholders n June 30, 2010 continued

"Index"),3 which returned – 16.72%. For the same period, the Portfolio's Class Y shares returned – 17.27%. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

The performance of the Portfolio's two share classes varies because each has different expenses. The Portfolio's total returns assume the reinvestment of all distributions but do not reflect the deduction of any charges by your insurance company. Such costs would lower performance.

Key detractors from relative returns included stock selection in France and the United Kingdom, stock selection and an overweight allocation to Greece, and an underweight allocation to Denmark. Stock selection in financials, materials and health care also hindered relative returns. Positive contributors to relative returns included stock selection in Germany, stock selection and an overweight in Switzerland, stock selection and an underweight allocation to Italy, and an underweight allocation to Spain. Stock selection in industrials, consumer staples and telecommunications also supported relative returns, as did an underweight allocation to utilities.

European banks remain under pressure from the market due to the ongoing concerns over their lending exposure to struggling regional governments. We believe that the upcoming stress tests of over 91 European banks should help to draw a line in the sand between solid, well-capitalized banks and more fragile and weaker names. In this sector, the Portfolio is invested in what we believe are more solid names, many of which are pricing in worst-case scenarios in spite of their financial strength, as the market has differentiated little between banks so far.

The outlook for the European economy has improved, and global economic data, including in Europe, is rebounding from its lows and remains supportive, in our view. We expect that the European economy should be a major beneficiary of a global recovery, with its high exposure to emerging markets and exports boosted by a weak currency. We see recent weakness in the market as an opportunity to selectively add stocks to the Portfolio, as European valuations are cheap compared to historical levels. Current equity valuations are now pricing a low-growth scenario for Europe, which we believe seems to be the most likely scenario for the next few years. Nevertheless, we believe that European equities are well positioned to be a positive surprise for 2010. Our investment approach remains the same. We continue to seek high quality companies with high earnings visibility and predictability, stable and strong cash flow, and low levels of debt trading at attractive valuations.

There is no guarantee that any sectors mentioned will continue to perform as discussed above or that securities in such sectors will be held by the Portfolio in the future.


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Letter to the Shareholders n June 30, 2010 continued

Global Infrastructure Portfolio

For the six-month period ended June 30, 2010, Variable Investment Series – Global Infrastructure Portfolio Class X shares produced a total return of – 12.15%, underperforming the Dow Jones Brookfield Global Infrastructure Index (the "Index"),4 which returned – 7.45%, and the S&P Global BMI Index5 which returned – 8.26%, and outperforming the S&P 500® Utilities Index/S&P Global Infrastructure Index,6 which returned – 13.05%. For the same period, the Portfolio's Class Y shares returned – 12.10%. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

The performance of the Portfolio's two share classes varies because each has different expenses. The Portfolio's total returns assume the reinvestment of all distributions but do not reflect the deduction of any charges by your insurance company. Such costs would lower performance.

Portfolio performance over this time-period reflects a number of changes coincident with our assumption of portfolio management responsibilities at the end of March 2010, the two most important being (1) a change in the Portfolio's sector benchmark to the Dow Jones Brookfield Global Infrastructure Index and (2) a shift in Portfolio holdings to reflect our fundamental, value-driven investment strategy. Holdings in the Portfolio now generally reflect companies with "core" infrastructure characteristics such as asset ownership/control, high barriers to entry, and cash flow stability. Furthermore, companies with exposure to commodity price fluctuations have been significantly reduced. While these changes have had some marginal negative impact on short-term performance, we anticipate the changes in Portfolio strategy and company constituents will provide investors with a more attractive risk/return profile over the long-run.

We are committed to our core investment philosophy as an infrastructure value investor. This results in the ownership of stocks which we believe provide infrastructure exposure at the best valuation relative to their

4  The Dow Jones Brookfield Global Infrastructure IndexSM is a float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that measures the stock performance of companies that exhibit strong infrastructure characteristics. The Index intends to measure all sectors of the infrastructure market. The Index was first published in July 2008; however, back-tested hypothetical performance information is available for this Index since December 31, 2002. Returns are calculated using the return data of the S&P Global BMI Index through December 31, 2002 and the return data of the Dow Jones Brookfield Global Infrastructure Index for periods thereafter. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. The Portfolio's secondary benchmark was changed in March 2010 from the S&P 500 Utilities Index/S&P Global Infrastructure Index to the Dow Jones Brookfield Global Infrastructure Index to more accurately reflect the Portfolio's investable universe.

5  The Standard & Poor's Global BMI Index (S&P Global BMI Index) is a broad market index designed to capture exposure to equities in all countries in the world that meet minimum size and liquidity requirements. As of the date of this Report, there are approximately 10,000 index members representing 25 developed and 21 emerging market countries. The Index is unmanaged and its returns do not include any sales charges or fees. Such costs would lower performance. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

6  The S&P 500® Utilities Index/S&P Global Infrastructure Index is a custom index represented by the performance of the S&P 500® Utilities Index for periods from the Portfolio's inception to and including November 5, 2008 (the date the Portfolio completed implementation of the change to its principal investment strategy), and the performance of the S&P Global Infrastructure Index for periods thereafter. The Index is unmanaged and its returns do not include any sales charges or fees. Such costs would lower performance. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.


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Letter to the Shareholders n June 30, 2010 continued

underlying assets and growth prospects. Our research led us to an overweighting in the Portfolio to the communications, toll roads, and diversified sectors and an underweighting to companies in the European regulated utilities, transmission and distribution, ports and water sectors. The Portfolio's overweight position in communications reflected our belief that certain companies within the sector were trading at meaningful discounts to intrinsic value and possessed good growth prospects not dependent on a strong global macroeconomic recovery. For the toll road and diversified sectors, the Portfolio's overweight positions, in large part, reflected investments in companies domiciled in southern Europe, but with much more diversified geographic operating exposure. These companies were trading at what we believed to be significant discounts to intrinsic value that were unjustified given the companies' cash flow characteristics and ability to withstand long periods of capital markets instability, such as what was experienced in Europe through the first half of 2010.

There is no guarantee that any sectors mentioned will continue to perform as discussed above or that securities in such sectors will be held by the Portfolio in the future.

Income Plus Portfolio

For the six-month period ended June 30, 2010, Variable Investment Series – Income Plus Portfolio Class X shares produced a total return of 4.52%, underperforming the Barclays Capital U.S. Corporate Index (the "Index"),7 which returned 5.79%. For the same period, the Portfolio's Class Y shares returned 4.35%. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

The performance of the Portfolio's two share classes varies because each has different expenses. The Portfolio's total returns assume the reinvestment of all distributions but do not reflect the deduction of any charges by your insurance company. Such costs would lower performance.

The Portfolio maintained an underweight to more defensive sectors within the corporate credit market, namely aerospace and defense, health care and utilities. This positioning detracted from relative performance as recent corporate spread widening was more pronounced in economically sensitive sectors, where the Portfolio held more overweight positions. Additionally, macroeconomic concerns drove bank spreads wider from period lows in April, reducing performance of the Portfolio's overweight in banks. However, the Portfolio's overweight in REITs supported relative returns, as did its underweight in industrial credits.

7  The Barclays Capital U.S. Corporate Index covers U.S. dollar-denominated, investment-grade, fixed rate, taxable securities sold by industrial, utility and financial issuers. It includes publicly issued U.S. corporate and foreign debentures and secured notes that meet specified maturity, liquidity and quality requirements. The Index is unmanaged and its returns do not include any sales charges or fees. Such costs would lower performance. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.


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Letter to the Shareholders n June 30, 2010 continued

Overall, within the corporate credit market, we continued to focus on senior securities with intermediate maturities, and those issued by companies where we believe continued improvement in credit fundamentals will lead to spread tightening.

There is no guarantee that any sectors mentioned will continue to perform as discussed above or that securities in such sectors will be held by the Portfolio in the future.

Limited Duration Portfolio

For the six-month period ended June 30, 2010, Variable Investment Series – Limited Duration Portfolio Class X shares produced a total return of 1.30%, underperforming the Barclays Capital U.S. Credit Index (1-5 Year) (the "Index"),8 which returned 3.20%. For the same period, the Portfolio's Class Y shares returned 1.29%. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

The performance of the Portfolio's two share classes varies because each has different expenses. The Portfolio's total returns assume the reinvestment of all distributions but do not reflect the deduction of any charges by your insurance company. Such costs would lower performance.

Overall, within the corporate credit market, we continued to focus on relatively senior securities with intermediate maturities, and on issues of companies whose creditworthiness in our view would not be materially hurt by a cyclical decline in earnings. At the sector level, the Portfolio maintained an underweight to more defensive sectors, namely aerospace and defense, health care and utilities. This positioning detracted from relative performance as these sectors outperformed other sectors of the credit market. However, the Portfolio was slightly underweight corporate credit relative to the Index, which was additive to performance. The underweight was due to an allocation to asset-backed securities (or ABS, a sector not represented in the Index), which was also advantageous as ABS outperformed corporate credit for the period.

The Portfolio maintained a lower duration (or interest rate sensitivity) than that of the Index. This positioning hindered relative performance as it kept the Portfolio from more fully participating in the rally in Treasury prices as yields declined.

There is no guarantee that any sectors mentioned will continue to perform as discussed above or that securities in such sectors will be held by the Portfolio in the future.

8  The Barclays Capital U.S. Credit Index (1-5 Year) includes U.S. corporate and specified foreign debentures and secured notes with maturities of one to five years. The Index is unmanaged and its returns do not include any sales charges or fees. Such costs would lower performance. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.


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Letter to the Shareholders n June 30, 2010 continued

Money Market Portfolio

An investment in a money market fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Although money market funds seek to preserve the value of an investment at $1.00 per share, it is possible to lose money by investing in such funds.

As of June 30, 2010, the Money Market Portfolio had net assets of more than $140 million with an average portfolio maturity of 17 days. For the seven-day period ended June 30, 2010, the Portfolio's Class X shares provided an effective annualized yield of 0.01% (subsidized) and – 0.34% (non-subsidized) and a current yield of 0.01% (subsidized) and – 0.34% (non-subsidized), while its 30-day moving average yield for June was 0.01% (subsidized) and – 0.33% (non-subsidized). Yield quotations more closely reflect the current earnings of the Portfolio. The non-subsidized yield reflects what the yield would have been had a fee and/or expense waiver not been in place during the period shown. For the six-month period ended June 30, 2010, the Portfolio's Class X shares returned 0.01%. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

For the seven-day period ended June 30, 2010, the Portfolio's Class Y shares provided an effective annualized yield of 0.01% (subsidized) and – 0.59% (non-subsidized) and a current yield of 0.01% (subsidized) and – 0.59% (non-subsidized), while its 30-day moving average yield for June was 0.01% (subsidized) and – 0.58% (non-subsidized). Yield quotations more closely reflect the current earnings of the Portfolio. The non-subsidized yield reflects what the yield would have been had a fee and/or expense waiver not been in place during the period shown. For the six-month period ended June 30, 2010, the Portfolio's Class Y shares returned 0.01%. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

The performance of the Portfolio's two share classes varies because each has different expenses. The Portfolio's total returns assume the reinvestment of all distributions but do not reflect the deduction of any charges by your insurance company. Such costs would lower performance.

During the reporting period, we continued to place a strong emphasis on purchasing high quality corporate, financial, and banking obligations. We focused on maintaining high levels of liquidity and a short weighted average maturity to guard against the uncertainty caused by volatility in the financial markets. Our strategy in managing the Portfolio remained consistent with our long-term focus on capital preservation and very high liquidity, and as in the past, we adhered to a conservative approach. We continue to review all eligible securities on our purchase list to ensure that they continue to meet our high standards of minimal credit risk.

There is no guarantee that any sectors mentioned will continue to perform as discussed above or that securities in such sectors will be held by the Portfolio in the future.


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Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Letter to the Shareholders n June 30, 2010 continued

Strategist Portfolio

For the six-month period ended June 30, 2010, Variable Investment Series – Strategist Portfolio Class X shares produced a total return of – 4.31%, outperforming the S&P 500® Index (the "Index"),9 which returned – 6.66%, and underperforming the Barclays Capital U.S. Government/Credit Index,10 which returned 5.49%. For the same period, the Portfolio's Class Y shares returned – 4.40%. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

The performance of the Portfolio's two share classes varies because each has different expenses. The Portfolio's total returns assume the reinvestment of all distributions but do not reflect the deduction of any charges by your insurance company. Such costs would lower performance.

Strategist Portfolio's flexible investment approach allows investment across stocks, bonds, cash and other investment classes. To determine the specific allocation among asset classes throughout the period, we rigorously evaluate a comprehensive array of quantitative and qualitative factors. The quantitative analysis comprises an extensive "top-down" asset class review of many macroeconomic variables, with primary focus on three core factors: monetary policy and its impact on liquidity, inflation trends and corporate profitability. A second, more qualitative process then broadens the analysis to determine which individual sectors and industries would offer the best opportunities, in our view, given the macroeconomic climate. Individual holdings are then selected to provide desired exposure to asset classes and sectors.

The Portfolio's target allocation shifted slightly during the six-month period under review, as the management team reduced cash reserves and raised the Portfolio's exposure to equities. As of June 30, 2010, 62.0% of total net assets were allocated to equities (a slightly higher weight than an average balanced fund's 60.0%), 22.4% of total net assets were allocated to fixed income instruments (a significantly lower allocation than an average balanced fund's 35.0% weighting), and the remaining 15.6% of assets were allocated to cash equivalents (higher than an average balanced fund's 10.0% exposure).

The first half of 2010 continued to exhibit many of the characteristics of recovery that began during the latter half of 2009. For example, industrial production, capacity utilization and purchasing manager surveys all pointed to sustained levels of global GDP growth. For the developed nations (primarily the U.S., the

9  The Standard & Poor's 500® Index (S&P 500®) measures the performance of the large cap segment of the U.S. equities market, covering approximately 75% of the U.S. equities market. The Index includes 500 leading companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy. The Index is unmanaged and its returns do not include any sales charges or fees. Such costs would lower performance. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

10  The Barclays Capital U.S. Government/Credit Index tracks the performance of government and corporate obligations, including U.S. government agency and Treasury securities and corporate and Yankee bonds. The Index is unmanaged and its returns do not include any sales charges or fees. Such costs would lower performance. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.


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Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Letter to the Shareholders n June 30, 2010 continued

United Kingdom, Europe and Japan), the recovery looked rather "typical" of post-World War II cycles, as the massive inventory depletion during the recession led to product restocking and restarting of idle capacity. Also typical, deflation took hold as idle capacity was absorbed before new capacity investments could be made. This issue appeared most acute in the U.S. labor market, where sidelined workers found few new job opportunities as companies first sought to leverage existing employees prior to taking on new, permanent costs.

In the emerging market economies, growth rates fell in 2008 and early 2009, but generally remained positive. In most cases, traditional monetary and stimulative policies reignited growth in late 2009 and 2010 to date, as China, India, greater Asia and Latin America all resumed pre-crisis expansions. As the first half of 2010 came to an end, many of these regions were raising interest rates in an attempt to control rising inflation, a by-product of this rapid growth.

During the period under review, we increased cyclical sector exposures in both the equity and fixed income portions of the Portfolio. Within the equity portfolio, allocations to the industrial and basic materials sectors increased, while allocations to information technology, financials, consumer discretionary and telecommunications were reduced. A long-standing bias toward large capitalization, higher quality companies continued, as did the Portfolio's tilt toward U.S. exposures. Two international, tactical investments were made during the period, both via exchange-traded funds (ETFs), in Russian equities and the euro.

The fixed income component of the Portfolio shifted during the period under review as well, as cash positions were reduced moderately in order to fund purchases in municipal securities and agency debt. As of June 30, 2010, the Portfolio's cash exposure had been reduced from approximately 5.0% of fixed income assets to roughly 2.0%. Exposures to municipal credits rose from approximately 0.1% of fixed income assets to 1.1%, while agency exposure increased from 15.6% of fixed income assets to 16.0%.

At period-end, U.S. government-issued securities represented approximately 40.0% of overall fixed income assets, while corporate credits represented approximately 41.0% of the total. The balance of the Portfolio was distributed among various asset-backed securities.

There is no guarantee that any sectors mentioned will continue to perform as discussed above or that securities in such sectors will be held by the Portfolio in the future.


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Letter to the Shareholders n June 30, 2010 continued

We appreciate your ongoing support of Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series and look forward to continuing to serve your investment needs.

Very truly yours,

Randy Takian
President and Principal Executive Officer


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Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Fund Performance n June 30, 2010

Average Annual Total Returns—Period Ended June 30, 2010(1)   
Class X   1 Year   5 Years   10 Years   Since
Inception
  Date of
Inception
 
Aggressive Equity     18.86 %     4.38 %     -0.53 %     3.25 %   5/4/1999  
Capital Opportunities     20.09       4.04       -1.03       10.30     3/9/1984  
European Equity     4.02       0.37       -1.20       7.89     3/1/1991  
Global Infrastructure     3.19       0.91       -0.30       6.49     3/1/1990  
Income Plus     16.26       5.52       6.73       7.32     3/1/1987  
Limited Duration     3.68       -0.25       1.73       1.90     5/4/1999  
Money Market     0.01       2.72       2.46       4.60     3/9/1984  
Strategist     8.36       3.04       2.98       7.84     3/1/1987  

 

Performance data quoted represents past performance, which is no guarantee of future results and current performance may be lower or higher than the figures shown. For most recent month-end performance figures, please contact the issuing insurance company or speak with your Financial Advisor. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate. When you sell Portfolio shares, they may be worth less than their original cost. Total returns do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Portfolio distributions or the redemption of Portfolio shares. Performance for Class Y shares will vary from the performance of Class X shares due to differences in expenses.

(1)  Figure assumes reinvestment of all distributions for the underlying Portfolio based on net asset value (NAV). It does not reflect the deduction of insurance expenses, an annual contract maintenance fee, or surrender charges. If performance information included the effect of these additional charges, the total returns would be lower.


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Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Fund Performance n June 30, 2010

Average Annual Total Returns—Period Ended June 30, 2010(1)   
Class Y   1 Year   5 Years   10 Years   Since
Inception
  Date of
Inception
 
Aggressive Equity     18.59 %     4.12 %     -0.77 %     -0.53 %   6/5/2000  
Capital Opportunities     19.78       3.79       -1.27       -1.04     6/5/2000  
European Equity     3.75       0.12       -1.45       -1.67     6/5/2000  
Global Infrastructure     3.05       0.67       -0.54       -0.63     6/5/2000  
Income Plus     15.88       5.24       6.46       6.50     6/5/2000  
Limited Duration     3.55       -0.48       1.49       1.53     6/5/2000  
Money Market     0.01       2.54       2.24       2.27     6/5/2000  
Strategist     8.12       2.78       2.73       2.63     6/5/2000  

 

Performance data quoted represents past performance, which is no guarantee of future results and current performance may be lower or higher than the figures shown. For most recent month-end performance figures, please contact the issuing insurance company or speak with your Financial Advisor. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate. When you sell Portfolio shares, they may be worth less than their original cost. Total returns do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Portfolio distributions or the redemption of Portfolio shares. Performance for Class Y shares will vary from the performance of Class X shares due to differences in expenses.

(1)  Figure assumes reinvestment of all distributions for the underlying Portfolio based on net asset value (NAV). It does not reflect the deduction of insurance expenses, an annual contract maintenance fee, or surrender charges. If performance information included the effect of these additional charges, the total returns would be lower.


14



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Expense Example n June 30, 2010

As a shareholder of the Portfolio, you incur two types of costs: (1) insurance company charges; and (2) ongoing costs, including advisory fees; distribution and service (12b-1) fees; and other Portfolio expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Portfolio and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.

The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period 01/01/10 – 06/30/10.

Actual Expenses

The first line of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled "Expenses Paid During Period" to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes

The second line of the table below provides information about hypothetical expenses based on the Portfolio's actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5%per year before expenses, which is not the Portfolio's actual return. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing cost of investing in the Portfolio and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any insurance company charges. Therefore, the second line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs, and will not help you determine the relative total cost of owning different funds. In addition, if these insurance company charges were included, your costs would have been higher.


15



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Expense Example n June 30, 2010 continued

Money Market

    Beginning
Account Value
  Ending
Account Value
  Expenses Paid
During Period@
 
    01/01/10   06/30/10   01/01/10 –
06/30/10
 
Class X  
Actual (0.01% return)   $ 1,000.00     $ 1,000.10     $ 1.14    
Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)   $ 1,000.00     $ 1,023.65     $ 1.15    
Class Y  
Actual (0.01% return)   $ 1,000.00     $ 1,000.10     $ 1.14    
Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)   $ 1,000.00     $ 1,023.65     $ 1.15    

 

  @  Expenses are equal to the Portfolio's annualized expense ratios of 0.23% and 0.23% for Class X and Class Y shares, respectively, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 181/365 (to reflect the one-half year period). If the Portfolio had borne all of its expenses, the annualized expense ratios would have been 0.60% and 0.85% for Class X and Class Y shares, respectively.

Limited Duration

    Beginning
Account Value
  Ending
Account Value
  Expenses Paid
During Period@
 
    01/01/10   06/30/10   01/01/10 –
06/30/10
 
Class X  
Actual (1.30% return)   $ 1,000.00     $ 1,013.00     $ 2.60    
Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)   $ 1,000.00     $ 1,022.22     $ 2.61    
Class Y  
Actual (1.29% return)   $ 1,000.00     $ 1,012.90     $ 3.84    
Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)   $ 1,000.00     $ 1,020.98     $ 3.86    

 

  @  Expenses are equal to the Portfolio's annualized expense ratios of 0.52% and 0.77% for Class X and Class Y shares, respectively, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 181/365 (to reflect the one-half year period). If the Portfolio had borne all of its expenses, the annualized expense ratios would have been 0.53% and 0.78% for Class X and Class Y shares, respectively.

Income Plus

    Beginning
Account Value
  Ending
Account Value
  Expenses Paid
During Period@
 
    01/01/10   06/30/10   01/01/10 –
06/30/10
 
Class X  
Actual (4.52% return)   $ 1,000.00     $ 1,045.20     $ 2.94    
Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)   $ 1,000.00     $ 1,021.92     $ 2.91    
Class Y  
Actual (4.35% return)   $ 1,000.00     $ 1,043.50     $ 4.21    
Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)   $ 1,000.00     $ 1,020.68     $ 4.16    

 

  @  Expenses are equal to the Portfolio's annualized expense ratios of 0.58% and 0.83% for Class X and Class Y shares, respectively, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 181/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).


16



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Expense Example n June 30, 2010 continued

Global Infrastructure

    Beginning
Account Value
  Ending
Account Value
  Expenses Paid
During Period@
 
    01/01/10   06/30/10   01/01/10 –
06/30/10
 
Class X  
Actual (-12.15% return)   $ 1,000.00     $ 878.50     $ 4.24    
Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)   $ 1,000.00     $ 1,020.28     $ 4.56    
Class Y  
Actual (-12.10% return)   $ 1,000.00     $ 879.00     $ 5.40    
Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)   $ 1,000.00     $ 1,019.04     $ 5.81    

 

  @  Expenses are equal to the Portfolio's annualized expense ratios of 0.91% and 1.16% for Class X and Class Y shares, respectively, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 181/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).

European Equity

    Beginning
Account Value
  Ending
Account Value
  Expenses Paid
During Period@
 
    01/01/10   06/30/10   01/01/10 –
06/30/10
 
Class X  
Actual (-17.16% return)   $ 1,000.00     $ 828.40     $ 4.53    
Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)   $ 1,000.00     $ 1,019.84     $ 5.01    
Class Y  
Actual (-17.27% return)   $ 1,000.00     $ 827.30     $ 5.66    
Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)   $ 1,000.00     $ 1,018.60     $ 6.26    

 

  @  Expenses are equal to the Portfolio's annualized expense ratios of 1.00% and 1.25% for Class X and Class Y shares, respectively, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 181/365 (to reflect the one-half year period). If the Portfolio had borne all of its expenses, the annualized expense ratios would have been 1.13% and 1.38% for Class X and Class Y shares, respectively.

Capital Opportunities

    Beginning
Account Value
  Ending
Account Value
  Expenses Paid
During Period@
 
    01/01/10   06/30/10   01/01/10 –
06/30/10
 
Class X  
Actual (-7.51% return)   $ 1,000.00     $ 924.90     $ 2.77    
Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)   $ 1,000.00     $ 1,021.92     $ 2.91    
Class Y  
Actual (-7.63% return)   $ 1,000.00     $ 923.70     $ 3.96    
Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)   $ 1,000.00     $ 1,020.68     $ 4.16    

 

  @  Expenses are equal to the Portfolio's annualized expense ratios of 0.58% and 0.83% for Class X and Class Y shares, respectively, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 181/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).


17



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Expense Example n June 30, 2010 continued

Aggressive Equity

    Beginning
Account Value
  Ending
Account Value
  Expenses Paid
During Period@
 
    01/01/10   06/30/10   01/01/10 –
06/30/10
 
Class X  
Actual (-8.13% return)   $ 1,000.00     $ 918.70     $ 5.00    
Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)   $ 1,000.00     $ 1,019.59     $ 5.26    
Class Y  
Actual (-8.22% return)   $ 1,000.00     $ 917.80     $ 6.18    
Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)   $ 1,000.00     $ 1,018.35     $ 6.51    

 

  @  Expenses are equal to the Portfolio's annualized expense ratios of 1.05% and 1.30% for Class X and Class Y shares, respectively, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 181/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).

Strategist

    Beginning
Account Value
  Ending
Account Value
  Expenses Paid
During Period@
 
    01/01/10   06/30/10   01/01/10 –
06/30/10
 
Class X  
Actual (-4.31% return)   $ 1,000.00     $ 956.90     $ 2.77    
Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)   $ 1,000.00     $ 1,021.97     $ 2.86    
Class Y  
Actual (-4.40% return)   $ 1,000.00     $ 956.00     $ 3.98    
Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)   $ 1,000.00     $ 1,020.73     $ 4.11    

 

  @  Expenses are equal to the Portfolio's annualized expense ratios of 0.57% and 0.82% for Class X and Class Y shares, respectively, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 181/365 (to reflect the one-half year period). If the Portfolio had borne all of its expenses, the annualized expense ratios would have been 0.60% and 0.85% for Class X and Class Y shares, respectively.


18



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Investment Advisory Agreement Approval n June 30, 2010

Nature, Extent and Quality of Services

The Board reviewed and considered the nature and extent of the investment advisory services provided by the Investment Adviser (as defined herein) under the advisory agreement, including portfolio management, investment research and equity and fixed income securities trading. The Board reviewed similar information and factors regarding the Sub-Advisers (as defined herein), to the extent applicable. The Board also reviewed and considered the nature and extent of the non-advisory, administrative services provided by the Administrator (as defined herein) under the administration agreement, including accounting, clerical, bookkeeping, compliance, business management and planning, and the provision of supplies, office space and utilities at the Investment Adviser's expense. (The Investment Adviser, Sub-Advisers and Administrator together are referred to as the "Adviser" and the advisory, sub-advisory and administration agreements together are referred to as the "Management Agreement.") The Board also compared the nature of the services provided by the Adviser with similar services provided by non-affiliated advisers as reported to the Board by Lipper, Inc. ("Lipper").

The Board reviewed and considered the qualifications of the portfolio managers, the senior administrative managers and other key personnel of the Adviser who provide the administrative and advisory services to the Portfolios. The Board determined that the Adviser's portfolio managers and key personnel are well qualified by education and/or training and experience to perform the services in an efficient and professional manner. The Board concluded that the nature and extent of the advisory and administrative services provided were necessary and appropriate for the conduct of the business and investment activities of the Portfolios and supported its decision to approve the Management Agreement.

Performance, Fees and Expenses of the Portfolios

The Board reviewed the performance, fees and expenses of the Portfolios compared to their peers, as determined by Lipper, and to appropriate benchmarks where applicable. The Board discussed with the Adviser the performance goals and the actual results achieved in managing the Portfolios. When considering a fund's performance, the Board and the Adviser place emphasis on trends and longer-term returns (focusing on one-year, three-year and five-year performance, as of December 31, 2009, as applicable). When a fund underperforms its benchmark and/or its peer group average, they discuss the causes of such underperformance and, where necessary, they discuss specific changes to investment strategy or investment personnel.

Performance

The Board noted that the performance of the Limited Duration and Money Market Portfolios was below the peer group averages for the one-, three- and five-year periods.

The Board noted that the performance of the Aggressive Equity, Capital Opportunities and Income Plus Portfolios was better than the peer group averages for the one-, three- and five-year periods.


19



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Investment Advisory Agreement Approval n June 30, 2010 continued

The Board noted that the performance of the Global Infrastructure Portfolio was better than its peer group average for the three- and five-year periods but below its peer group average for the one-year period.

The Board noted that the performance of the European Equity Portfolio was better than its peer group average for the three-year period but below its peer group average for the one- and five-year periods.

The Board noted that the performance of the Strategist Portfolio was better than its peer group average for the one- and five-year periods but below its peer group average for the three-year period.

Performance Conclusions

With respect to the European Equity, Limited Duration and Money Market Portfolios, after discussion, the Board concluded that performance was acceptable.

With respect to the Aggressive Equity, Capital Opportunities, Global Infrastructure, Income Plus and Strategist Portfolios, after discussion, the Board concluded that performance was competitive with the peer group averages.

Fees and Expenses

The Board members discussed with the Adviser the level of the advisory and administration fees (together, the "management fee") for the Portfolios relative to comparable funds advised by the Adviser and compared to their peers as determined by Lipper. In addition to the management fee, the Board also reviewed the Portfolios' total expense ratios.

The Board noted that the management fee and total expense ratio for the Aggressive Equity Portfolio were higher than its peer group average.

The Board noted that the management fees and total expense ratios for the Capital Opportunities, European Equity, Income Plus, Limited Duration and Strategist Portfolios were lower than the peer group averages.

The Board noted for the Money Market Portfolio that while the management fee was higher than its peer group average, the total expense ratio was lower than its peer group average.

The Board noted for the Global Infrastructure Portfolio that while the management fee was lower than its peer group average, the total expense ratio was higher but close to its peer group average.

Fee and Expense Conclusions

With respect to the Money Market Portfolio, after discussion, the Board concluded that (i) the management fee, although higher than its peer group average, was acceptable given the quality and nature of services provided, and (ii) the total expense ratio was competitive with its peer group average.


20



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Investment Advisory Agreement Approval n June 30, 2010 continued

With respect to Capital Opportunities, European Equity, Global Infrastructure, Income Plus, Limited Duration and Strategist Portfolios, after discussion, the Board concluded that the management fees and total expense ratios were competitive with the peer group averages.

With respect to the Aggressive Equity Portfolio, after discussion, the Board concluded that the the management fee and total expense ratio were acceptable given the quality and nature of services provided.

Economies of Scale

The Board considered the size and growth prospects of the Portfolios and how that relates to the Portfolios' total expense ratios and particularly the Portfolios' management fee rates (which, for all the Portfolios except Limited Duration, include one or more breakpoints). In conjunction with its review of the Adviser's profitability, the Board discussed with the Adviser how a change in assets can affect the efficiency or effectiveness of managing the Portfolios and whether the management fee level is appropriate relative to current and projected asset levels and/or whether the management fee structure reflects economies of scale as asset levels change. The Board has determined that its review of the actual and potential economies of scale of each Portfolio supports its decision to approve the Management Agreement.

Profitability of the Adviser and Affiliates

The Board considered information concerning the costs incurred and profits realized by the Adviser and its affiliates during the last year from their relationship with the Portfolios and during the last two years from their relationship with the Morgan Stanley Fund Complex and reviewed with the Adviser the cost allocation methodology used to determine the profitability of the Adviser and affiliates. The Board has determined that its review of the analysis of the Adviser's expenses and profitability supports its decision to approve the Management Agreement.

Other Benefits of the Relationship

The Board considered other benefits to the Adviser and its affiliates derived from their relationship with the Portfolios and other funds advised by the Adviser. These benefits may include, among other things, "float" benefits derived from handling of checks for purchases and sales, research received by the Adviser generated from commission dollars spent on funds' portfolio trading and fees for distribution and/or shareholder servicing. The Board reviewed with the Adviser each of these arrangements and the reasonableness of the Adviser's costs relative to the services performed. The Board has determined that its review of the other benefits received by the Adviser or its affiliates supports its decision to approve the Management Agreement.


21



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Investment Advisory Agreement Approval n June 30, 2010 continued

Resources of the Adviser and Historical Relationship Between the Portfolios and the Adviser

The Board considered whether the Adviser is financially sound and has the resources necessary to perform its obligations under the Management Agreement. The Board also reviewed and considered the historical relationship between the Portfolios and the Adviser, including the organizational structure of the Adviser, the policies and procedures formulated and adopted by the Adviser for managing the Portfolios' operations and the Board's confidence in the competence and integrity of the senior managers and key personnel of the Adviser. The Board concluded that the Adviser has the financial resources necessary to fulfill its obligations under the Management Agreement and that it is beneficial for the Portfolios to continue their relationship with the Adviser.

Other Factors and Current Trends

The Board considered the controls and procedures adopted and implemented by the Adviser and monitored by the Fund's Chief Compliance Officer and concluded that the conduct of business by the Adviser indicates a good faith effort on its part to adhere to high ethical standards in the conduct of the Fund's business.

General Conclusion

After considering and weighing all of the above factors, the Board concluded that it would be in the best interest of each Portfolio and its shareholders to approve renewal of the Management Agreement for another year. In reaching this conclusion the Board did not give particular weight to any single factor referenced above. The Board considered these factors over the course of numerous meetings, some of which were in executive session with only the Independent Board members and their counsel present. It is possible that individual Board members may have weighed these factors differently in reaching their individual decisions to approve the Management Agreement.


22




Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Money Market

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited)

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 


  ANNUALIZED
YIELD
ON DATE OF
PURCHASE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    Repurchase Agreements (40.6%)  
$ 15,000     Bank of America Securities (dated 06/30/10;
proceeds $15,000,004; fully collateralized by
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. 4.88% due
06/13/18; Federal National Mortgage Assoc.
0.00% due 03/23/17 - 03/02/40; Federal
Home Loan Bank 0.58% - 1.88%
due 06/10/11 - 06/21/13;
valued at $15,300,171)
    0.01 %   07/01/10   $ 15,000,000    
  21,831     Barclays Capital LLC (dated 06/30/10;
proceeds $21,831,012; fully collateralized by
Government National Mortgage Assoc.
3.00% - 5.00% due 12/20/38 - 03/20/40;
valued at $22,485,931)
    0.02     07/01/10     21,831,000    
  20,000     BNP Paribas Securities (dated 06/30/10;
proceeds $20,000,017; fully collateralized by
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.
2.61% due 10/01/36; Federal National
Mortgage Assoc. 3.99% due 09/01/39;
valued at $20,600,000)
    0.03     07/01/10     20,000,000    
    Total Repurchase Agreements
(Cost $56,831,000)
    56,831,000    
    Commercial Paper (30.3%)  
    International Banks  
  5,000     Atlantis One Funding (a)     0.35     07/15/10     4,999,319    
  5,000     Bank of Nova Scotia     0.14     07/02/10     4,999,981    
  6,500     BPCE SA (a)     0.52 - 0.60     09/13/10 - 10/18/10     6,490,609    
  5,000     Credit Agricole CIB N.A.     0.04     07/01/10     5,000,000    
  5,000     European Investment Bank     0.18     07/01/10     5,000,000    
  6,000     Lloyds TSB Bank PLC     0.17     07/02/10     5,999,972    
  5,000     NRW Bank     0.34     07/16/10     4,999,297    
  5,000     UBS Finance (Delaware) LLC     0.48     08/10/10     4,997,333    
    Total Commercial Paper
(Cost $42,486,511)
    42,486,511    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
23



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Money Market

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 


  ANNUALIZED
YIELD
ON DATE OF
PURCHASE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    Floating Rate Notes (18.6%)  
    International Banks (12.2%)  
$ 6,000     Barclays Bank PLC     0.47 - 0.51 (b) %   07/08/10 - 07/15/10(c)   $ 6,000,000    
  6,000     BNP Paribas     0.54 (b)   09/23/10(c)     6,000,000    
  5,000     Societe Generale     1.05 (b)   08/05/10(c)     5,000,000    
      17,000,000    
    U.S. Government Agency (6.4%)  
  9,000     Federal Home Loan Bank     0.24 (b)   08/08/10(c)     8,998,627    
    Total Floating Rate Notes
(Cost $25,998,627)
    25,998,627    
    Certificates of Deposit (11.4%)  
    International Banks  
  6,000     Credit Industriel et Commercial     0.32     07/01/10     6,000,000    
  5,000     Royal Bank of Scotland PLC     0.39     08/02/10     5,000,000    
  5,000     Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB     0.40     07/06/10     5,000,000    
    Total Certificates of Deposit
(Cost $16,000,000)
    16,000,000    
        Total Investments
(Cost $141,316,138) (d)
            100.9 %     141,316,138    
        Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets             (0.9 )     (1,271,983 )  
    Net Assets             100.0 %   $ 140,044,155    

 

  (a)  Resale is restricted to qualified institutional investors.

  (b)  Rate shown is the rate in effect at June 30, 2010.

  (c)  Date of next interest rate reset.

  (d)  Cost is the same for federal income tax purposes.

MATURITY SCHEDULE

30 Days     74 %  
31 60 Days     17    
61 90 Days     6    
91 120 Days     3    
      100 %  

 

†  As a percentage of total investments.

See Notes to Financial Statements
24



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Limited Duration

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited)

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    Corporate Bonds (58.8%)  
    Aerospace/Defense (0.6%)  
$ 400     BAE Systems Holdings, Inc. (144A) (a)     4.75 %   08/15/10   $ 401,553    
    Agricultural Chemicals (0.5%)  
  350     Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan, Inc. (Canada)     5.25     05/15/14     386,403    
    Agricultural Operations (0.4%)  
  260     Bunge Ltd. Finance Corp.     5.35     04/15/14     274,858    
    Auto - Cars/Light Trucks (0.5%)  
  360     Daimler Finance North America LLC     7.30     01/15/12     388,189    
    Beverages (0.5%)  
  170     Anheuser-Busch InBev Worldwide, Inc. (144A) (a)     2.50     03/26/13     172,128    
  205     Anheuser-Busch InBev Worldwide, Inc. (144A) (a)     5.375     11/15/14     224,350    
          396,478    
    Beverages - Wine/Spirits (0.4%)  
  265     Bacardi Ltd. (144A) (a)     7.45     04/01/14     309,228    
    Building Societies (0.4%)  
  270     Nationwide Building Society (144A)
(United Kingdom) (a)
    4.65     02/25/15     275,971    
    Cable/Satellite TV (1.2%)  
  335     Comcast Cable Holdings LLC     9.80     02/01/12     374,921    
  215     COX Communications, Inc.     4.625     06/01/13     229,399    
  220     DirecTV Holdings LLC / DirecTV Financing Co., Inc.     4.75     10/01/14     233,219    
          837,539    
    Capital Markets (0.5%)  
  365     UBS AG (Series DPNT) (Switzerland)     3.875     01/15/15     363,567    
    Cellular Telecommunications (0.5%)  
  340     Vodafone Group PLC     5.00     12/16/13     368,548    
    Chemicals - Diversified (0.5%)  
  350     Dow Chemical Co. (The)     5.90     02/15/15     382,877    
    Commercial Banks - Southern U.S. (0.5%)  
  385     BB&T Corp.     3.10     07/28/11     391,573    
    Commercial Banks (12.4%)  
  355     ANZ National Int'l Ltd. (144A) (a)     2.375     12/21/12     359,791    
  315     Barclays Bank PLC (United Kingdom)     2.50     01/23/13     313,917    
  900     Commonwealth Bank of Australia (144A)
(Australia) (a)
    2.50     12/10/12     924,077    
  575     Commonwealth Bank of Australia (144A)
(Australia) (a)
    2.75     10/15/12     586,520    
  340     Credit Suisse (Switzerland)     5.50     05/01/14     372,058    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
25



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Limited Duration

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
$ 250     National Australia Bank Ltd. (144A)
(Australia) (a)
    5.35 %   06/12/13   $ 271,039    
  365     Nordea Bank AB (144A) (Sweden) (a)     2.50     11/13/12     369,203    
  2,300     Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (The) (144A)
(United Kingdom) (a)
    2.625     05/11/12     2,353,470    
  380     Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (The)
(United Kingdom)
    4.875     03/16/15     378,478    
  300     Standard Chartered PLC (144A)
(United Kingdom) (a)
    3.85     04/27/15     303,008    
  320     Svenska Handelsbanken AB (144A) (Sweden) (a)     2.875     09/14/12     324,956    
  1,545     Swedbank AB (144A) (Sweden) (a)     2.90     01/14/13     1,601,088    
  810     Westpac Securities NZ Ltd. (144A)
(New Zealand) (a)
    2.50     05/25/12     828,915    
          8,986,520    
    Data Processing Services (0.6%)  
  370     Fiserv, Inc.     6.125     11/20/12     405,941    
    Diversified Financial Services (4.8%)  
  580     Citigroup, Inc. (See Note 6)     6.50     08/19/13     618,239    
  700     General Electric Capital Corp. (Series A)     5.45     01/15/13     752,695    
  265     General Electric Capital Corp.     5.90     05/13/14     292,765    
  405     Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)     5.25     10/15/13     427,235    
  325     Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)     6.875     01/15/11     333,260    
  525     JPMorgan Chase & Co.     3.40     06/24/15     526,789    
  515     JPMorgan Chase & Co.     5.375     10/01/12     556,925    
          3,507,908    
    Diversified Minerals (1.1%)  
  350     Anglo American Capital PLC (144A)
(United Kingdom) (a)
    9.375     04/08/14     418,741    
  355     Rio Tinto Finance USA Ltd. (Australia)     5.875     07/15/13     389,228    
          807,969    
    Electric - Distribution (0.5%)  
  355     Detroit Edison Co. (The)     6.125     10/01/10     359,459    
    Electric - Integrated (2.9%)  
  205     Columbus Southern Power Co. (Series E)     4.40     12/01/10     207,378    
  380     Dominion Resources, Inc.     5.70     09/17/12     410,953    
  350     EDF SA (144A) (a)     5.50     01/26/14     387,139    
  350     Enel Finance International SA (144A) (a)     3.875     10/07/14     353,198    
  215     Firstenergy Solutions Corp.     4.80     02/15/15     225,207    
  265     FPL Group Capital, Inc.     5.35     06/15/13     288,150    
  215     PPL Energy Supply LLC     6.30     07/15/13     238,573    
          2,110,598    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
26



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Limited Duration

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    Electronic Connectors (0.2%)  
$ 140     Amphenol Corp.     4.75 %   11/15/14   $ 148,494    
    Electronic Measuring Instrument (0.6%)  
  385     Agilent Technologies, Inc.     4.45     09/14/12     401,949    
    Fiduciary Banks (0.5%)  
  340     Northern Trust Corp.     5.50     08/15/13     378,577    
    Finance - Auto Loans (0.0%)  
  30     Nissan Motor Acceptance Corp. (144A) (a)     3.25     01/30/13     30,651    
    Finance - Consumer Loans (1.0%)  
  695     HSBC Finance Corp.     6.75     05/15/11     723,642    
    Finance - Credit Card (1.9%)  
  475     American Express Co.     7.25     05/20/14     540,361    
  750     MBNA Corp.     6.125     03/01/13     805,654    
          1,346,015    
    Finance - Investment Banker/Broker (1.5%)  
  200     Credit Suisse USA, Inc.     6.125     11/15/11     212,525    
  230     Macquarie Group Ltd. (144A) (a)     7.30     08/01/14     253,784    
  260     Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.     5.45     02/05/13     272,914    
  365     TD Ameritrade Holding Corp.     2.95     12/01/12     372,292    
          1,111,515    
    Food - Miscellaneous/Diversified (0.6%)  
  345     Kraft Foods, Inc.     6.75     02/19/14     396,953    
    Food - Retail (0.9%)  
  330     Delhaize Group SA (Belgium)     5.875     02/01/14     368,594    
  225     Kroger Co. (The)     7.50     01/15/14     263,157    
          631,751    
    Government Guaranteed - Non-U.S. (0.8%)  
  577     Societe Financement de l'Economie Francaise (144A)
(France) (a)
    3.375     05/05/14     603,293    
    Hotels & Motels (0.6%)  
  420     Marriott International, Inc.     4.625     06/15/12     435,327    
    Instruments - Scientific (0.3%)  
  220     Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.     3.25     11/20/14     227,436    
    Life/Health Insurance (1.4%)  
  350     Monumental Global Funding III (144A) (a)     5.25     01/15/14     381,308    
  325     Principal Life Income Funding Trusts (MTN)     5.15     06/17/11     333,035    
  315     Prudential Financial, Inc. (MTN)     3.625     09/17/12     324,612    
          1,038,955    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
27



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Limited Duration

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    Media (0.7%)  
$ 200     Time Warner Cable, Inc.     8.25 %   02/14/14   $ 236,597    
  250     Time Warner, Inc.     6.875     05/01/12     272,479    
          509,076    
    Medical - Biomedical/Genetics (0.7%)  
  325     Biogen Idec, Inc.     6.00     03/01/13     357,706    
  180     Genentech, Inc.     4.40     07/15/10     180,175    
          537,881    
    Medical - HMO (0.3%)  
  185     UnitedHealth Group, Inc.     5.25     03/15/11     189,858    
    Money Center Banks (1.2%)  
  355     Deutsche Bank AG (Germany)     2.375     01/11/13     357,107    
  500     Lloyds TSB Bank PLC (144A) (United Kingdom) (a)     2.80     04/02/12     511,143    
          868,250    
    Mortgage Banks (0.8%)  
  575     Abbey National Treasury Services PLC (144A)
(United Kingdom) (a)
    3.875     11/10/14     568,301    
    Multi-line Insurance (0.7%)  
  515     MetLife Global Funding I (See Note 6) (144A) (a)     5.75     07/25/11     533,150    
    Multimedia (0.9%)  
  245     News America, Inc.     5.30     12/15/14     272,617    
  350     Viacom, Inc.     4.375     09/15/14     372,360    
          644,977    
    Office Automation & Equipment (0.3%)  
  210     Xerox Corp.     8.25     05/15/14     246,358    
    Oil Companies - Exploration & Production (1.3%)  
  335     Devon Financing Corp. ULC (Canada)     6.875     09/30/11     357,775    
  350     EOG Co. of Canada (144A) (Canada) (a)     7.00     12/01/11     377,913    
  215     Nexen, Inc. (Canada)     5.05     11/20/13     230,435    
          966,123    
    Oil Company - Integrated (0.2%)  
  135     BP Capital Markets PLC (United Kingdom)     5.25     11/07/13     124,192    
    Pharmacy Services (0.6%)  
  350     Medco Health Solutions, Inc.     7.25     08/15/13     404,058    
    Pipelines (1.6%)  
  180     Enterprise Products Operating LLC (Series B)     7.50     02/01/11     185,447    
  225     Enterprise Products Operating LLC (Series O)     9.75     01/31/14     271,670    
  320     Plains All American Pipeline LP/PAA Finance Corp.     4.25     09/01/12     334,494    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
28



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Limited Duration

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
$ 305     Spectra Energy Capital LLC     5.90 %   09/15/13   $ 332,339    
          1,123,950    
    REIT - Regional Malls (0.2%)  
  110     Simon Property Group LP     6.75     05/15/14     123,737    
    Retail - Drug Store (0.3%)  
  180     CVS Caremark Corp.     5.75     08/15/11     188,125    
    Retail - Restaurants (0.3%)  
  185     Yum! Brands, Inc.     8.875     04/15/11     195,481    
    Special Purpose Banks (2.2%)  
  1,530     Kreditanstalt fuer Wiederaufbau (Series G)
(Germany)
    2.25 %   04/16/12     1,561,806    
    Special Purpose Entity (0.7%)  
  250     Harley-Davidson Funding Corp. (144A) (a)     5.25     12/15/12     258,690    
  260     Xlliac Global Funding (144A) (a)     4.80     08/10/10     260,613    
          519,303    
    Steel - Producers (0.3%)  
  190     ArcelorMittal (Luxembourg)     9.00     02/15/15     223,742    
    Super-Regional Banks - U.S. (2.8%)  
  405     Bank One Corp.     5.25     01/30/13     431,275    
  370     Capital One Financial Corp. (MTN)     5.70     09/15/11     385,018    
  215     KeyCorp (MTN)     6.50     05/14/13     235,337    
  195     U.S. Bancorp     4.20     05/15/14     208,776    
  750     Wells Fargo & Co. (Series I)     3.75     10/01/14     768,622    
          2,029,028    
    Telecommunication Services (0.2%)  
  150     Verizon Global Funding Corp.     7.25     12/01/10     154,075    
    Telephone - Integrated (2.2%)  
  350     AT&T, Inc.     4.95     01/15/13     380,144    
  395     BellSouth Corp.     6.00     10/15/11     419,452    
  175     British Telecommunications PLC (United Kingdom)     9.375 (b)   12/15/10     181,009    
  375     Telecom Italia Capital SA (Luxembourg)     5.25     11/15/13     387,633    
  220     Telefonica Europe BV (Netherlands)     7.75     09/15/10     222,763    
          1,591,001    
    Tobacco (0.6%)  
  350     Altria Group, Inc.     7.75     02/06/14     405,170    
    Transport - Rail (0.3%)  
  230     Union Pacific Corp.     6.50     04/15/12     250,108    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
29



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Limited Duration

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    Transport - Services (0.3%)  
$ 210     Ryder System, Inc. (MTN)     6.00    %   03/01/13   $ 227,438    
        Total Corporate Bonds
(Cost $41,700,595)
                42,614,925    
    Foreign Government Obligation (2.1%)  
  1,508     Denmark Government International Bond
(Series E) (Denmark) (Cost $1,532,826)
    2.75     11/15/11     1,548,826    
    U.S. Government Agencies & Obligation (9.7%)  
    Commercial Banks - FDIC Guaranteed (4.3%)  
  1,000     KeyBank NA     3.20     06/15/12     1,046,662    
  2,000     PNC Funding Corp.     2.30     06/22/12     2,060,264    
          3,106,926    
    U.S. Government Agency (0.9%)  
  700     FDIC Structured Sale Guaranteed Notes
Ser. A-1 - FDIC Guaranteed (144A) (a)
    0.00     10/25/11     691,691    
    U.S. Government Obligation (4.5%)  
  2,250     U.S. Treasury Bond     7.50     11/15/24     3,264,257    
        Total U.S. Government Agencies & Obligation
(Cost $6,816,399)
                7,062,874    
    U.S. Government Agencies - Mortgage-Backed Securities (4.1%)  
    Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. (ARM) (0.4%)  
  138         5.529 (b)   01/01/38     147,040    
  144         6.041 (b)   02/01/37     153,019    
          300,059    
    Federal National Mortgage Assoc. (3.1%)  
  1,475         4.00     (c)     1,528,009    
  461         6.50     01/01/32 - 11/01/33     513,883    
  140         7.00     08/01/29 - 06/01/32     158,246    
          2,200,138    
    Federal National Mortgage Assoc. (ARM) (0.6%)  
  351         2.628 (b)   05/01/35     353,375    
  80         5.708 (b)   03/01/38     84,817    
          438,192    
        Total U.S. Government Agencies - Mortgage-Backed Securities
(Cost $2,904,554)
                2,938,389    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
30



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Limited Duration

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    Asset-Backed Securities (21.4%)  
$ 425     Ally Auto Receivables Trust 2010-1 A3     1.45 %   05/15/14   $ 426,996    
  100     Ally Master Owner Trust 2010-1 A (144A) (a)     2.10 (b)   01/15/15     101,428    
  225     Ally Master Owner Trust 2010-3 A (144A) (a)     2.88     04/15/15     228,325    
  750     American Express Credit Account Master Trust
2010-1 A
    0.60 (b)   11/16/15     748,337    
  800     American Express Credit Account Master Trust
2009-2 A
    1.60 (b)   03/15/17     829,744    
  239     ARI Fleet Lease Trust 2010-A A (144A) (a)     1.80 (b)   08/15/18     238,766    
  551     Bank of America Auto Trust 2009-1A A2 (144A) (a)     1.70     12/15/11     552,186    
  38     Capital Auto Receivables Asset Trust 2007-3 A3A     5.02     09/15/11     38,364    
  807     Capital One Multi-Asset Execution Trust 2005-A10 A     0.43 (b)   09/15/15     801,212    
  275     Chesapeake Funding LLC 2009-1 A (144A) (a)     2.347 (b)   12/15/20     276,341    
  325     Chrysler Financial Auto Securitization Trust
2009-A A2
    1.85     06/15/11     325,613    
  600     Citibank Credit Card Issuance Trust 2009-A5 A5
(See Note 6)
    2.25     12/23/14     611,072    
  700     CNH Equipment Trust 2010-A A3     1.54     07/15/14     704,376    
  850     Discover Card Master Trust 2009-A1 A1     1.65 (b)   12/15/14     864,276    
  700     Ford Credit Auto Owner Trust 2009-E A3     1.51     01/15/14     704,318    
  775     Ford Credit Floorplan Master Owner Trust
2009-2 A
    1.90 (b)   09/15/14     782,450    
  375     Ford Credit Floorplan Master Owner Trust
2010-3 A1 (144A) (a)
    4.20     02/15/17     394,715    
  1,150     GE Capital Credit Card Master Note Trust
2009-1 A
    2.45 (b)   04/15/15     1,174,101    
  440     Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Trust 2009-4 A3     1.87     02/15/14     444,530    
  245     Honda Auto Receivables Owner Trust 2009-3 A2     1.50     08/15/11     245,303    
  750     Huntington Auto Trust 2009-1A A3 (144A) (a)     3.94     06/17/13     764,873    
  575     Hyundai Auto Receivables Trust 2010-A A3     1.50     10/15/14     578,414    
  425     MMAF Equipment Finance LLC 2009-AA A3 (144A) (a)     2.37     11/15/13     426,812    
  525     MMCA Automobile Trust 2010-A A3 (144A) (a)     1.39     01/15/14     526,491    
  725     Navistar Financial Corp. Owner Trust
2010-A A2 (144A) (a)
    1.47     10/18/12     726,363    
  200     Nissan Master Owner Trust Receivables
2010-AA A (144A) (a)
    1.487 (b)   01/15/15     200,632    
  775     Toyota Auto Receivables Owner Trust 2010-A A3     1.27     12/16/13     777,318    
  725     Volvo Financial Equipment LLC 2010-1A A2
(144A) (a)
    1.06     06/15/12     725,364    
  323     Wheels SPV LLC 2009-1 A (144A) (a)     1.90 (b)   03/15/18     323,327    
        Total Asset-Backed Securities
(Cost $15,420,763)
                15,542,047    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
31



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Limited Duration

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    Collateralized Mortgage Obligation (0.6%)  
    U.S. Government Agency  
$ 383,130     Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. 2182 ZC
(Cost $409,949)
  $ 435,750    
    Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (0.9%)  
    Private Issues  
  220,000     Bear Stearns Commercial Mortgage Securities 2004-T14 A4     235,450    
  230,000     LB-UBS Commercial Mortgage Trust 2004-C2 A4     233,232    
  190,000     Wachovia Bank Commercial Mortgage Trust 2004-C12 A4     201,760    
    Total Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities
(Cost $653,835)
    670,442    
    Municipal Bond (0.4%)  
  300     New Jersey Economic Development Authority
(Cost $300,000)
    1.48 (b)     %     06/15/13       299,850    
    Short-Term Investments (5.3%)  
    U.S. Government Obligations (d)(e) (1.0%)  
  700     U.S. Treasury Bills (Cost $699,547)     0.19 - 0.20       10/28/10       699,686    
NUMBER OF
SHARES (000)
 
 
 
 
 
    Investment Company (4.3%)  
  3,109     Morgan Stanley Institutional Liquidity Funds - Money
Market Portfolio - Institutional Class (See Note 6)
(Cost $3,109,366)
    3,109,366    
        Total Short-Term Investments
(Cost $3,808,913)
                3,809,052    
        Total Investments
(Cost $73,547,834) (f)(g)
        103.3 %     74,922,155    
        Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets         (3.3 )     (2,425,447 )  
        Net Assets         100.0 %   $ 72,496,708    

 

  ARM  Adjustable Rate Mortgage. Interest rate in effect as of June 30, 2010.

  FDIC  Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

  MTN  Medium Term Note.

  REIT  Real Estate Investment Trust.

  (a)  Resale is restricted to qualified institutional investors.

  (b)  Floating rate security. Rate shown is the rate in effect at June 30, 2010.

See Notes to Financial Statements
32



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Limited Duration

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

  (c)  Security was purchased on a forward commitment basis with an approximate principal amount and no definite maturity date, the actual principal amount and maturity date will be determined upon settlement.

  (d)  A portion of this security has been physically segregated in connection with open futures and swap contracts.

  (e)  Purchased on a discount basis. The interest rates shown have been adjusted to reflect a money market equivalent yield.

  (f)  Securities have been designated as collateral in connection with securities purchased on a forward commitment basis, open futures and swap contracts.

  (g)  The aggregate cost for federal income tax purposes approximates the aggregate cost for book purposes. The aggregate gross unrealized appreciation is $1,447,390 and the aggregate gross unrealized depreciation is $73,069 resulting in net unrealized appreciation of $1,374,321.

FUTURES CONTRACTS OPEN AT JUNE 30, 2010:

NUMBER OF
CONTRACTS
  LONG/SHORT   DESCRIPTION, DELIVERY
MONTH AND YEAR
  UNDERLYING FACE
AMOUNT AT VALUE
  UNREALIZED
APPRECIATION
(DEPRECIATION)
 
  49     Long   U.S. Treasury Notes 5 Year,
September 2010
  $ 5,799,226     $ 94,565    
  28     Long   U.S. Treasury Notes 10 Year,
September 2010
    3,431,313       67,504    
  3     Short   U.S. Treasury Bonds 30 year,
September 2010
    (382,500 )     (10,506 )  
  114     Short   U.S. Treasury Notes 2 Year,
September 2010
    (24,946,406 )     (101,818 )  
Net Unrealized Appreciation   $ 49,745    

 

INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACT OPEN AT JUNE 30, 2010:

SWAP
COUNTERPARTY
  NOTIONAL
AMOUNT
(000)
  FLOATING
RATE INDEX
  PAY/RECEIVE
FLOATING RATE
  FIXED RATE   TERMINATION
DATE
  UNREALIZED
DEPRECIATION
 
Bank of America, N.A.   $ 6,874       3 Month LIBOR     Receive     2.625 %     03/11/15     $ (206,426 )  

 

LIBOR  London Interbank Offered Rate.

See Notes to Financial Statements
33



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Limited Duration

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

ZERO COUPON SWAP CONTRACTS OPEN AT JUNE 30, 2010:

Barclays Bank PLC^     1,590     3 Month LIBOR   Receive   11/15/19     (205,022 )  
Deutsche Bank AG^^     1,100     3 Month LIBOR   Pay   11/15/21     21,866    
Deutsche Bank AG^     1,100     3 Month LIBOR   Receive   11/15/21     (120,845 )  
JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. New York^     705     3 Month LIBOR   Receive   11/15/19     (85,248 )  
JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. New York^     1,190     3 Month LIBOR   Receive   11/15/20     (157,708 )  
JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. New York^     2,260     3 Month LIBOR   Receive   11/15/22     (124,455 )  
Net Unrealized Depreciation           $(633,614)  

 

  LIBOR  London Interbank Offered Rate.

  ^  Portfolio will make payments of $616,586, $474,412, $267,984, $503,070, and $895,625, respectively on termination date.

  ^^  Portfolio will receive payments of $436,614 and $367,331, respectively, on termination date.

LONG TERM CREDIT ANALYSIS  
AAA     48.8 %  
AA     14.5    
A     15.4    
BBB     17.1    
NOT RATED     4.2    
      100.0 %+  

 

+  Does not include open long/short futures contracts with an underlying face amount of $34,559,445 and net unrealized appreciation of $49,745. Also does not include open swap contracts with net unrealized depreciation of $840,040.

See Notes to Financial Statements
34




Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Income Plus

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited)

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    Corporate Bonds (95.7%)  
    Advertising Agencies (0.1%)  
$ 200     Omnicom Group, Inc.     6.25 %   07/15/19   $ 228,032    
    Advertising Services (0.6%)  
  1,195     WPP Finance (United Kingdom)     8.00     09/15/14     1,402,360    
    Aerospace & Defense (0.3%)  
  255     Bombardier, Inc. (144A) (Canada) (a)     7.50     03/15/18     263,925    
  505     Bombardier, Inc. (144A) (Canada) (a)     7.75     03/15/20     526,463    
      790,388    
    Agricultural Chemicals (0.2%)  
  495     Agrium, Inc. (Canada)     6.75     01/15/19     575,108    
    Agricultural Operations (0.3%)  
  580     Bunge Ltd. Finance Corp.     8.50     06/15/19     693,746    
    Airlines (0.4%)  
  970     America West Airlines LLC
(Series 011G) (AMBAC Insd)
    7.10     04/02/21     912,094    
    Apparel Manufacturers (0.1%)  
  285     Levi Strauss & Co. (144A) (a)     7.625     05/15/20     280,725    
    Appliances (0.2%)  
  450     Whirlpool Corp.     8.60     05/01/14     530,994    
    Auto - Cars/Light Trucks (0.2%)  
  395     Daimler Finance North America LLC     8.50     01/18/31     505,967    
    Beverages (0.0%)  
  85     Anheuser-Busch InBev
Worldwide, Inc. (144A) (a)
    8.20     01/15/39     112,187    
    Beverages - Wine/Spirits (0.1%)  
  165     Constellation Brands, Inc.     7.25     09/01/16     167,269    
    Brewery (0.3%)  
  700     FBG Finance Ltd. (144A) (Australia) (a)     5.125     06/15/15     751,194    
    Broadcast Service/Program (0.3%)  
  575     Discovery Communications LLC     5.05     06/01/20     598,858    
    Building Product - Cement/Aggregation (0.9%)  
  820     CRH America, Inc.     6.00     09/30/16     915,331    
  480     CRH America, Inc.     8.125     07/15/18     579,739    
  545     Holcim US Finance Sarl & Cie SCS (144A)
(Luxembourg) (a)
    6.00     12/30/19     582,444    
      2,077,514    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
35



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Income Plus

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    Building Societies (1.2%)  
$ 2,655     Nationwide Building Society (144A)
(United Kingdom) (a)
    6.25 %   02/25/20   $ 2,806,662    
    Cable/Satellite TV (1.3%)  
  310     Cablevision Systems Corp.     7.75     04/15/18     311,550    
  355     COX Communications, Inc. (144A) (a)     8.375     03/01/39     484,137    
  320     CSC Holdings LLC     7.625     07/15/18     325,200    
  735     DirecTV Holdings LLC/DirecTV
Financing Co., Inc.
    5.875     10/01/19     804,350    
  620     DirecTV Holdings LLC/Financing Co., Inc.     7.625     05/15/16     674,274    
  510     DISH DBS Corp.     7.125     02/01/16     513,825    
      3,113,336    
    Capital Markets (4.6%)  
  5,585     Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)     6.15     04/01/18     5,859,380    
  1,565     Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)     6.75     10/01/37     1,538,946    
  1,305     Macquarie Group Ltd. (144A) (Australia) (a)     6.00     01/14/20     1,325,012    
  605     Macquarie Group Ltd. (144A) (Australia) (a)     7.625     08/13/19     680,910    
  1,300     UBS AG/Stamford CT (Switzerland)     5.875     12/20/17     1,378,099    
      10,782,347    
    Chemicals (0.6%)  
  1,275     Mosaic Co. (The) (144A) (a)     7.625     12/01/16     1,377,510    
    Chemicals - Diversified (0.3%)  
  660     Dow Chemical Co. (The)     8.55     05/15/19     809,225    
    Commercial Banks (5.5%)  
  545     Barclays Bank PLC (144A) (United Kingdom) (a)     6.05     12/04/17     550,852    
  1,495     Barclays Bank PLC (United Kingdom)     6.75     05/22/19     1,665,908    
  280     Credit Suisse (Switzerland)     6.00     02/15/18     292,616    
  290     Credit Suisse AG (Switzerland)     5.40     01/14/20     288,868    
  425     Discover Bank/Greenwood     7.00     04/15/20     429,889    
  715     Discover Bank/Greenwood     8.70     11/18/19     795,084    
  1,185     Hana Bank (144A) (a)     4.50     10/30/15     1,185,209    
  1,675     HBOS PLC (144A) (United Kingdom) (a)     6.75     05/21/18     1,570,128    
  260     Rabobank Nederland N.V. (144A)
(Netherlands) (a)
    11.00 (b)   06/30/19(c)     322,003    
  1,240     Regions Financial Corp.     5.75     06/15/15     1,233,466    
  925     Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC
(United Kingdom)
    6.40     10/21/19     939,244    
  1,175     Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (The)
(United Kingdom)
    4.875     03/16/15     1,170,293    
  1,300     Santander US Debt SA Unipersonal (144A) (a)     3.724     01/20/15     1,250,200    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
36



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Income Plus

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
$ 885     Standard Chartered Bank (144A)
(United Kingdom) (a)
    6.40   %   09/26/17   $ 954,915    
  295     Standard Chartered PLC (144A)
(United Kingdom) (a)
    3.85     04/27/15     297,958    
      12,946,633    
    Commercial Services & Supplies (0.5%)  
  1,105     Waste Management, Inc.     6.125     11/30/39     1,199,055    
    Communications Equipment (0.3%)  
  650     Cisco Systems, Inc.     5.90     02/15/39     725,142    
    Consumer Finance (0.3%)  
  525     American Express Co.     8.125     05/20/19     652,915    
    Consumer Products - Miscellaneous (0.2%)  
  460     Fortune Brands, Inc.     6.375     06/15/14     512,471    
    Containers - Paper/Plastic (0.2%)  
  515     Sealed Air Corp. (144A) (a)     7.875     06/15/17     539,039    
    Diversified Financial Services (9.0%)  
  795     Bank of America Corp.     5.625     07/01/20     802,834    
  1,115     Bank of America Corp. (Series L)     5.65     05/01/18     1,144,463    
  1,865     Bank of America Corp.     5.75     12/01/17     1,937,064    
  1,735     Citigroup, Inc. (See Note 6)     5.875     05/29/37     1,632,427    
  480     Citigroup, Inc. (See Note 6)     6.125     05/15/18     501,747    
  785     Citigroup, Inc. (See Note 6)     8.125     07/15/39     939,394    
  4,500     Citigroup, Inc. (See Note 6)     8.50     05/22/19     5,373,230    
  1,305     Credit Agricole SA (144A) (France) (a)     8.375 (b)   10/13/19(c)     1,239,750    
  735     General Electric Capital Corp.     5.625     05/01/18     782,333    
  75     General Electric Capital Corp. (MTN)     5.875     01/14/38     73,793    
  6,350     General Electric Capital Corp. (Series G)     6.00     08/07/19     6,886,460    
      21,313,495    
    Diversified Manufactured Operation (0.5%)  
  1,150     Tyco Electronics Group SA (Luxembourg)     5.95     01/15/14     1,272,818    
    Diversified Minerals (2.6%)  
  990     Anglo American Capital PLC (144A)
(United Kingdom) (a)
    9.375     04/08/19     1,275,351    
  1,940     Rio Tinto Finance USA Ltd. (Australia)     9.00     05/01/19     2,549,930    
  475     Teck Resources Ltd. (Canada)     10.25     05/15/16     561,134    
  650     Vale Overseas Ltd. (Cayman Islands)     5.625     09/15/19     689,067    
  595     Vale Overseas Ltd. (Cayman Islands)     6.875     11/21/36     621,781    
  345     Vale Overseas Ltd. (Cayman Islands)     6.875     11/10/39     362,146    
      6,059,409    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
37



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Income Plus

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    Diversified Telecommunication Services (3.2%)  
$ 2,730     AT&T Corp.     8.00 %   11/15/31   $ 3,524,195    
  1,855     AT&T, Inc.     6.15     09/15/34     1,953,858    
  530     Verizon Communications, Inc.     6.40     02/15/38     586,079    
  1,015     Verizon Communications, Inc.     8.95     03/01/39     1,442,426    
      7,506,558    
    Electric - Generation (0.7%)  
  1,610     AES Corp. (The)     8.00     06/01/20     1,626,100    
    Electric - Integrated (3.6%)  
  775     CMS Energy Corp.     6.25     02/01/20     741,208    
  65     CMS Energy Corp.     6.30     02/01/12     67,304    
  435     Dominion Resources, Inc.     7.00     06/15/38     528,352    
  1,175     Enel Finance International SA (144A)
(Luxembourg) (a)
    5.125     10/07/19     1,182,393    
  800     Entergy Gulf States Louisiana LLC     5.59     10/01/24     875,009    
  150     NiSource Finance Corp.     6.125     03/01/22     160,442    
  965     NiSource Finance Corp.     6.80     01/15/19     1,076,072    
  1,510     PPL Energy Supply LLC     6.50     05/01/18     1,672,686    
  230     Progress Energy, Inc.     7.05     03/15/19     272,185    
  710     Southwestern Public Service Co. (Series G)     8.75     12/01/18     908,926    
  710     Virginia Electric & Power Co.     8.875     11/15/38     1,033,177    
      8,517,754    
    Electric Utilities (0.8%)  
  975     FirstEnergy Solutions Corp.     6.05     08/15/21     996,449    
  975     FirstEnergy Solutions Corp.     6.80     08/15/39     967,695    
      1,964,144    
    Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components (0.3%)  
  640     Corning, Inc.     7.25     08/15/36     718,673    
    Energy Equipment & Services (0.9%)  
  900     Weatherford International Ltd. (Switzerland)     9.625     03/01/19     1,085,431    
  1,035     Weatherford International, Inc.     6.35     06/15/17     1,092,300    
      2,177,731    
    Filtration/Separation Products (0.2%)  
  440     Pall Corp.     5.00     06/15/20     457,291    
    Finance - Auto Loans (0.2%)  
  465     Ford Motor Credit Co. LLC     7.00     04/15/15     460,423    
    Finance - Consumer Loans (0.8%)  
  785     American General Finance Corp. (Series H)     4.625     09/01/10     785,000    
  510     SLM Corp. (Series A)     5.00     10/01/13     487,900    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
38



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Income Plus

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
$ 495     SLM Corp. (MTN)     8.00 %   03/25/20   $ 435,399    
  240     SLM Corp. (MTN)     8.45     06/15/18     221,784    
      1,930,083    
    Finance - Credit Card (1.3%)  
  1,840     American Express Credit Corp. (Series C)     7.30     08/20/13     2,084,731    
  780     Capital One Bank USA NA     8.80     07/15/19     975,355    
      3,060,086    
    Finance - Investment Banker/Broker (5.1%)  
  610     Bear Stearns Cos. LLC (The)     5.55     01/22/17     639,916    
  1,060     Bear Stearns Cos. LLC (The)     7.25     02/01/18     1,239,607    
  2,610     JPMorgan Chase Capital XXVII (Series AA)     7.00     11/01/39     2,662,534    
  3,625     Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. (MTN)     6.875     04/25/18     3,872,939    
  930     Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.     7.75     05/14/38     997,629    
  1,305     Nomura Holdings, Inc.     6.70     03/04/20     1,383,082    
  1,120     TD Ameritrade Holding Corp.     5.60     12/01/19     1,182,064    
      11,977,771    
    Finance - Other Services (0.7%)  
  875     Iberdrola Finance Ireland Ltd. (144A) (Ireland) (a)     5.00     09/11/19     858,661    
  875     NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (The)     5.55     01/15/20     894,596    
      1,753,257    
    Food - Baking (0.2%)  
  490     Grupo Bimbo SAB de CV (144A) (a)     4.875     06/30/20     496,378    
    Food - Miscellaneous/Diversified (0.8%)  
  860     ConAgra Foods, Inc.     7.00     10/01/28     1,014,400    
  740     ConAgra Foods, Inc.     8.25     09/15/30     955,523    
      1,969,923    
    Food - Retail (0.5%)  
  835     Delhaize America, Inc.     9.00     04/15/31     1,144,380    
    Food Products (1.1%)  
  1,110     Kraft Foods, Inc.     5.375     02/10/20     1,191,664    
  700     Kraft Foods, Inc.     6.875     02/01/38     816,333    
  610     Kraft Foods, Inc.     6.875     01/26/39     709,972    
      2,717,969    
    Gold Mining (0.3%)  
  605     Newmont Mining Corp.     6.25     10/01/39     662,565    
    Health Care Equipment & Supplies (0.7%)  
  1,570     Boston Scientific Corp.     6.00     01/15/20     1,561,533    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
39



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Income Plus

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    Hotels & Motels (0.2%)  
$ 405     Hyatt Hotels Corp. (144A) (a)     6.875 %   08/15/19   $ 436,180    
    Independent Power Producer (0.1%)  
  295     NRG Energy, Inc.     8.50     06/15/19     301,269    
    Instruments - Scientific (0.4%)  
  820     Fisher Scientific International, Inc.     6.125     07/01/15     844,617    
    Insurance (2.5%)  
  290     MetLife, Inc. (Series A) (See Note 6)     6.817     08/15/18     328,523    
  590     MetLife, Inc. (See Note 6)     7.717     02/15/19     703,370    
  965     MetLife, Inc. (See Note 6)     10.75     08/01/39     1,149,691    
  1,025     Principal Financial Group, Inc.     8.875     05/15/19     1,258,822    
  635     Prudential Financial, Inc. (MTN)     6.625     12/01/37     668,147    
  1,520     Prudential Financial, Inc. (Series D)     7.375     06/15/19     1,763,048    
      5,871,601    
    Investment Management/Advisor Services (0.4%)  
  855     Blackstone Holdings Finance Co. LLC (144A) (a)     6.625     08/15/19     883,832    
    Life/Health Insurance (1.7%)  
  660     Aflac, Inc.     8.50     05/15/19     795,381    
  745     Lincoln National Corp.     8.75     07/01/19     914,549    
  1,325     Pacific Life Corp. (144A) (a)     6.00     02/10/20     1,408,675    
  925     Protective Life Corp.     7.375     10/15/19     1,006,023    
      4,124,628    
    Media (3.6%)  
  675     CBS Corp.     8.875     05/15/19     850,602    
  1,050     Comcast Corp.     5.15     03/01/20     1,101,389    
  180     Comcast Corp.     5.70     05/15/18     198,181    
  820     Comcast Corp.     6.40     05/15/38     886,426    
  270     Comcast Corp.     6.45     03/15/37     292,915    
  1,200     Time Warner Cable, Inc.     6.75     07/01/18     1,379,622    
  375     Time Warner Cable, Inc.     6.75     06/15/39     415,660    
  350     Time Warner Cable, Inc.     8.25     04/01/19     431,130    
  350     Time Warner, Inc.     4.875     03/15/20     361,641    
  610     Time Warner, Inc.     6.50     11/15/36     665,590    
  715     Time Warner, Inc.     7.70     05/01/32     864,797    
  850     Viacom, Inc.     6.875     04/30/36     965,346    
      8,413,299    
    Medical - Biomedical/Genetics (0.3%)  
  725     Life Technologies Corp.     6.00     03/01/20     786,560    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
40



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Income Plus

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    Medical - Drugs (0.1%)  
$ 150     Wyeth     6.45 %   02/01/24   $ 177,858    
    Medical - Hospitals (0.3%)  
  305     HCA, Inc.     8.50     04/15/19     324,825    
  380     Tenet Healthcare Corp.     7.375     02/01/13     381,900    
      706,725    
    Metal - Aluminum (0.4%)  
  530     Alcoa, Inc.     5.87     02/23/22     493,789    
  465     Alcoa, Inc.     6.75     07/15/18     470,000    
      963,789    
    Metal - Copper (0.3%)  
  255     Southern Copper Corp.     5.375     04/16/20     256,868    
  375     Southern Copper Corp.     6.75     04/16/40     372,554    
      629,422    
    Metals & Mining (0.6%)  
  820     ArcelorMittal (Luxembourg)     9.85     06/01/19     1,026,310    
  390     Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Inc.     8.375     04/01/17     429,557    
      1,455,867    
    Money Center Banks (0.2%)  
  505     Lloyds TSB Bank PLC (144A)
(United Kingdom) (a)
    5.80     01/13/20     477,519    
    Multi-line Insurance (4.2%)  
  800     Aegon N.V. (Netherlands)     4.625     12/01/15     819,127    
  840     Allstate Corp. (The) (See Note 6)     7.45     05/16/19     991,646    
  1,285     American Financial Group, Inc.     9.875     06/15/19     1,539,397    
  1,335     CNA Financial Corp.     7.35     11/15/19     1,421,042    
  1,750     Farmers Insurance Exchange (144A) (a)     8.625     05/01/24     1,952,975    
  1,195     Genworth Financial, Inc.     7.70     06/15/20     1,195,754    
  1,250     Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.     5.50     03/30/20     1,215,490    
  850     XL Capital Ltd. (Cayman Islands)     5.25     09/15/14     870,556    
      10,005,987    
    Multimedia (1.4%)  
  680     NBC Universal, Inc. (144A) (a)     5.15     04/30/20     710,599    
  170     News America, Inc.     6.40     12/15/35     185,621    
  930     News America, Inc.     6.65     11/15/37     1,047,228    
  370     News America, Inc.     7.85     03/01/39     458,010    
  760     Vivendi SA (144A) (France) (a)     6.625     04/04/18     848,343    
      3,249,801    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
41



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Income Plus

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    Office Electronics (0.5%)  
$ 255     Xerox Corp.     5.625 %   12/15/19   $ 271,850    
  815     Xerox Corp.     6.35     05/15/18     910,503    
      1,182,353    
    Oil Companies - Exploration & Production (3.5%)  
  600     Anadarko Petroleum Corp.     6.95     06/15/19     524,654    
  775     Anadarko Petroleum Corp.     8.70     03/15/19     732,798    
  665     Chesapeake Energy Corp.     7.625     07/15/13     701,575    
  1,220     EnCana Corp. (Canada)     6.50     02/01/38     1,360,476    
  715     EQT Corp.     8.125     06/01/19     842,467    
  400     Gaz Capital SA (144A) (Luxembourg) (a)     6.51     03/07/22     387,400    
  445     Newfield Exploration Co.     7.125     05/15/18     442,775    
  950     Nexen, Inc. (Canada)     7.50     07/30/39     1,116,953    
  180     Pioneer Natural Resources Co.     6.65     03/15/17     181,811    
  480     Plains Exploration & Production Co.     7.625     06/01/18     471,600    
  1,370     Questar Market Resources, Inc.     6.80     04/01/18     1,436,081    
      8,198,590    
    Oil Company - Integrated (0.6%)  
  950     Petro-Canada (Canada)     5.95     05/15/35     995,695    
  410     Petrobras International Finance Co.
(Cayman Islands)
    5.75     01/20/20     414,940    
      1,410,635    
    Oil Refining & Marketing (0.3%)  
  700     Valero Energy Corp.     6.125     02/01/20     720,615    
    Paper & Related Products (1.3%)  
  130     Georgia-Pacific LLC (144A) (a)     8.25     05/01/16     139,262    
  860     International Paper Co.     7.50     08/15/21     1,008,937    
  460     International Paper Co.     9.375     05/15/19     595,083    
  1,325     MeadWestvaco Corp.     7.375     09/01/19     1,442,154    
      3,185,436    
    Pipelines (5.4%)  
  670     CenterPoint Energy Resources Corp.     6.25     02/01/37     711,606    
  375     CenterPoint Energy Resources Corp. (Series B)     7.875     04/01/13     429,972    
  364     Colorado Interstate Gas Co.     6.80     11/15/15     421,241    
  1,750     Energy Transfer Partners LP     9.00     04/15/19     2,061,274    
  275     Enterprise Products Operating LLC     5.25     01/31/20     283,649    
  1,265     Enterprise Products Operating LLC (Series G)     5.60     10/15/14     1,374,005    
  1,480     Kinder Morgan Finance Co. ULC (Canada)     5.70     01/05/16     1,420,800    
  775     Midcontinent Express Pipeline LLC (144A) (a)     6.70     09/15/19     803,122    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
42



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Income Plus

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
$ 1,095     Plains All American Pipeline LP/
PAA Finance Corp.
    6.70 %   05/15/36   $ 1,096,887    
  705     Plains All American Pipeline LP/
PAA Finance Corp.
    8.75     05/01/19     842,866    
  225     Spectra Energy Capital LLC     8.00     10/01/19     271,080    
  960     Texas Eastern Transmission LP     7.00     07/15/32     1,140,478    
  1,625     Williams Partners LP/Williams Partners
Finance Corp.
    7.25     02/01/17     1,847,176    
      12,704,156    
    Property Trust (0.6%)  
  1,200     WEA Finance LLC/WT Finance
Aust Pty Ltd. (144A) (a)
    6.75     09/02/19     1,336,058    
    Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) (0.4%)  
  975     Boston Properties LP     5.875     10/15/19     1,044,994    
    Real Estate Management & Development (0.5%)  
  1,225     Brookfield Asset Management, Inc. (Canada)     5.80     04/25/17     1,239,483    
    Reinsurance (0.5%)  
  370     Platinum Underwriters Finance, Inc. (Series B)     7.50     06/01/17     397,047    
  775     Reinsurance Group of America, Inc.     6.45     11/15/19     829,760    
      1,226,807    
    REIT - Diversified (0.9%)  
  680     Digital Realty Trust LP (144A) (a)(d)     4.50     07/15/15     677,940    
  735     Duke Realty LP     6.75     03/15/20     773,513    
  745     Vornado Realty LP     4.25     04/01/15     741,401    
      2,192,854    
    REIT - Health Care (0.4%)  
  860     Health Care, Inc.     6.125     04/15/20     891,256    
    REIT - Office Property (0.1%)  
  245     BioMed Realty LP (144A) (a)     6.125     04/15/20     255,563    
    REIT - Regional Malls (0.4%)  
  825     Simon Property Group LP     5.65     02/01/20     875,342    
    REIT - Shopping Centers (0.2%)  
  430     Federal Realty Investment Trust     5.90     04/01/20     455,224    
    REIT - Single Tenant (0.3%)  
  760     Tanger Properties LP     6.125     06/01/20     801,507    
    Retail - Automobile (0.3%)  
  630     AutoNation, Inc.     6.75     04/15/18     623,700    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
43



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Income Plus

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    Retail - Drug Store (0.7%)  
$ 1,532     CVS Pass-Through Trust     6.036 %   12/10/28   $ 1,571,354    
  118     CVS Pass-Through Trust (144A) (a)     8.353     07/10/31     143,651    
      1,715,005    
    Retail - Mail Order (0.3%)  
  620     QVC, Inc. (144A) (a)     7.125     04/15/17     610,700    
    Retail - Regional Department Store (0.4%)  
  210     JC Penney Co., Inc.     5.65     06/01/20     206,325    
  455     JC Penney Corp., Inc.     6.375     10/15/36     432,250    
  185     Kohl's Corp.     6.875     12/15/37     224,271    
      862,846    
    Retail - Restaurants (0.5%)  
  1,040     Yum! Brands, Inc.     6.875     11/15/37     1,197,847    
    Satellite Telecommunication (0.1%)  
  310     Intelsat Subsidiary Holding Co., Ltd. (Bermuda)     8.50     01/15/13     313,875    
    Semiconductor Equipment (0.4%)  
  905     KLA-Tencor Corp.     6.90     05/01/18     1,013,971    
    Special Purpose Entity (1.3%)  
  800     Capital One Capital VI     8.875     05/15/40     839,098    
  820     Harley-Davidson Funding Corp. (144A) (a)     6.80     06/15/18     864,733    
  605     LBI Escrow Corp. (144A) (a)     8.00     11/01/17     624,663    
  775     New Communications Holdings, Inc. (144A) (a)     8.50     04/15/20     780,812    
      3,109,306    
    Specialty Retail (0.4%)  
  955     Home Depot, Inc.     5.875     12/16/36     982,282    
    Super-Regional Banks - U.S. (0.4%)  
  775     KeyCorp (MTN)     6.50     05/14/13     848,307    
    Telecommunication Services (0.9%)  
  715     Qwest Corp.     6.50     06/01/17     723,937    
  260     Qwest Corp.     6.875     09/15/33     239,850    
  280     Qwest Corp.     8.375     05/01/16     307,300    
  545     Sable International Finance Ltd. (144A)
(Cayman Islands) (a)
    7.75     02/15/17     550,450    
  305     SBA Telecommunications, Inc. (144A) (a)     8.25     08/15/19     322,538    
      2,144,075    
    Telephone - Integrated (2.8%)  
  415     CenturyTel, Inc. (Series Q)     6.15     09/15/19     407,038    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
44



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Income Plus

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
$ 315     Deutsche Telekom International Finance BV
(Netherlands)
    6.75 %   08/20/18   $ 365,590    
  555     Deutsche Telekom International Finance BV
(Netherlands)
    8.75     06/15/30     718,797    
  1,045     GTE Corp.     6.94     04/15/28     1,152,674    
  1,470     Telecom Italia Capital SA (Luxembourg)     6.999     06/04/18     1,568,175    
  810     Telecom Italia Capital SA (Luxembourg)     7.175     06/18/19     873,507    
  1,330     Telefonica Europe BV (Netherlands)     8.25     09/15/30     1,643,341    
      6,729,122    
    Tobacco (1.5%)  
  280     Altria Group, Inc.     9.25     08/06/19     350,036    
  790     Altria Group, Inc.     9.70     11/10/18     1,001,951    
  505     Altria Group, Inc.     10.20     02/06/39     679,325    
  445     BAT International Finance PLC (144A)
(United Kingdom) (a)
    9.50     11/15/18     584,037    
  835     Lorillard Tobacco Co.     8.125     06/23/19     927,557    
  45     Philip Morris International, Inc.     6.375     05/16/38     52,992    
      3,595,898    
    Transport - Rail (0.4%)  
  840     CSX Corp.     6.15     05/01/37     921,671    
    Transport - Services (0.2%)  
  455     Ryder System, Inc. (MTN)     7.20     09/01/15     528,291    
    Total Corporate Bonds
(Cost $211,939,442)
    226,685,835    
    Convertible Bonds (1.8%)  
    Advertising Agencies (0.2%)  
  375     Omnicom Group, Inc. (e)     0.00     07/01/38     352,031    
    Brewery (0.2%)  
  330     Molson Coors Brewing Co.     2.50     07/30/13     355,575    
    Building - Residential/Commercial (0.2%)  
  344     DR Horton, Inc. (Series DHI)     2.00     05/15/14     351,310    
    Casino Gaming (0.1%)  
  208     International Game Technology (144A)     3.25     05/01/14     228,800    
    Coal (0.1%)  
  282     Massey Energy Co.     3.25     08/01/15     235,823    
    Containers - Metal & Glass (0.1%)  
  374     Owens-Brockway Glass Container,
Inc. (144A) (a)
    3.00     06/01/15     345,482    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
45



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Income Plus

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    Food - Meat Products (0.1%)  
$ 294     Tyson Foods, Inc.     3.25   %   10/15/13   $ 344,715    
    Gold Mining (0.2%)  
  203     Goldcorp, Inc.     2.00     08/01/14     237,002    
  173     Newmont Mining Corp.     1.25     07/15/14     247,390    
      484,392    
    Oil Company - Exploration & Production (0.1%)  
  394     Chesapeake Energy Corp.     2.75     11/15/35     345,243    
    Oil Field Machine & Equipment (0.1%)  
  310     Cameron International Corp.     2.50     06/15/26     348,750    
    Retail - Consumer Electron (0.2%)  
  427     RadioShack Corp. (144A) (a)     2.50     08/01/13     463,295    
    Wireless Equipment (0.2%)  
  351     SBA Communications Corp.     1.875     05/01/13     354,510    
    Total Convertible Bonds
(Cost $4,305,619)
    4,209,926    
    Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (1.0%)  
  475     Banc of America Commercial
Mortgage, Inc. 2007-4 A4
    5.935 (b)   02/10/51     496,785    
  850     Bear Stearns Commercial Mortgage
Securities 2007-T26 A4
    5.471 (b)   01/12/45     881,027    
  930     LB-UBS Commercial Mortgage
Trust 2006-C6 A4
    5.372     09/15/39     963,371    
    Total Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities
(Cost $1,888,441)
    2,341,183    
    Foreign Government Obligations (0.8%)  
  565     Export-Import Bank of Korea (South Korea)     4.125     09/09/15     574,991    
  1,345     Korea Development Bank (South Korea)     4.375     08/10/15     1,372,976    
    Total Foreign Government Obligations
(Cost $1,906,138)
    1,947,967    
    Municipal Bond (0.3%)  
  600     State of California - Various Purpose
General Obligation Bonds
(Cost $602,604)
    5.95     04/01/16     641,112    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
46



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Income Plus

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    U.S. Government Agencies - Mortgage-Backed Security (0.0%)  
$ 1     Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. Gold
(Cost $1,502)
    6.50 %   12/01/28   $ 1,609    
    Short-Term Investments (1.3%)  
    U.S. Government Obligations (f)(g) (0.8%)  
  1,880     U.S. Treasury Bills
(Cost $1,878,793)
    0.17 - 0.22     10/28/10     1,878,466    
NUMBER OF
SHARES (000)
 
 
 
 
 
    Investment Company (0.5%)  
  1,137     Morgan Stanley Institutional Liquidity Funds – Money
Market Portfolio – Institutional Class (See Note 6)
(Cost $1,137,273)
    1,137,273    
    Total Short-Term Investments
(Cost $3,016,066)
    3,015,739    
        Total Investments
(Cost $223,659,811) (h)(i)
        100.9 %     238,843,371    
        Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets         (0.9 )     (2,107,303 )  
    Net Assets         100.0 %   $ 236,736,068    

 

  MTN  Medium Term Note.

  (a)  Resale is restricted to qualified institutional investors.

  (b)  Floating rate security. Rate shown is the rate in effect at June 30, 2010.

  (c)  Security issued with perpetual maturity.

  (d)  Security purchased on a when-issued basis.

  (e)  Capital appreciation bond.

  (f)  Purchased on a discount basis. The interest rates shown have been adjusted to reflect a money market equivalent yield.

  (g)  A portion of this security has been physically segregated in connection with open futures and swap contracts.

  (h)  Securities have been designated as collateral in connection with securities purchsed on a when-issued basis, open futures and swap contracts.

  (i)  The aggregate cost for federal income tax purposes approximates the aggregate cost for book purposes. The aggregate gross unrealized appreciation is $16,232,403 and the aggregate gross unrealized depreciation is $1,048,843 resulting in net unrealized appreciation of $15,183,560.

Bond Insurance:

AMBAC  AMBAC Assurance Corporation.

See Notes to Financial Statements
47



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Income Plus

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

FUTURES CONTRACTS OPEN AT JUNE 30, 2010:

NUMBER OF
CONTRACTS
  LONG/ SHORT   DESCRIPTION, DELIVERY
MONTH AND YEAR
  UNDERLYING FACE
AMOUNT AT VALUE
  UNREALIZED
APPRECIATION
(DEPRECIATION)
 
  468     Long   U.S. Treasury Notes 5 Year
September 2010
  $ 55,388,530     $ 912,364    
  34     Long   U.S. Treasury Notes 2 Year
September 2010
    7,440,156       35,523    
  107     Short   U.S. Treasury Bonds 30 year
September 2010
    (13,642,500 )     (299,819 )  
  338     Short   U.S. Treasury Notes 10 Year
September 2010
    (41,420,845 )     (694,651 )  
Net Unrealized Depreciation   $ (46,583 )  

 

CREDIT DEFAULT SWAP CONTRACTS OPEN AT JUNE 30, 2010:

SWAP
COUNTERPARTY &
REFERENCE
OBLIGATION
  BUY/SELL
PROTECTION
  NOTIONAL
AMOUNT
(000's)
  INTEREST
RATE
  TERMINATION
DATE
  UNREALIZED
APPRECIATION
(DEPRECIATION)
  UPFRONT
PAYMENTS
  VALUE   CREDIT
RATING OF
REFERENCE
OBLIGATION+
 
                                                    (unaudited)  
Goldman Sachs
International  
Sealed Air Corp.
  Buy   $ 505       1.08 %   March 20, 2018   $ 31,763     $     $ 31,763     BB+  
Bank of America, N.A.
Tyco Electronics Ltd.
  Buy     925       5.00     June 20, 2014     (112,631 )     (38,859 )     (151,490 )   BBB-  
Barclays Capital
Whirlpool Corp.
  Buy     450       1.00     June 20, 2014     (23,386 )     24,263       877     BBB-  
Total Credit Default Swaps                           $ (104,254 )   $ (14,596 )   $ (118,850 )      

 

  +  Credit rating as issued by Standard & Poor's.

See Notes to Financial Statements
48



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Income Plus

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACT OPEN AT JUNE 30, 2010:

SWAP
COUNTERPARTY
  NOTIONAL
AMOUNT
(000)
  FLOATING
RATE INDEX
  PAY/RECEIVE
FLOATING RATE
  FIXED RATE   TERMINATION
DATE
  UNREALIZED
DEPRECIATION
 
Bank of America, N.A.   $ 27,340       3 Month LIBOR     Receive     2.625 %     03/11/15     $ (821,020 )  

 

LIBOR  London Interbank Offered Rate.

LONG-TERM CREDIT ANALYSIS  
AAA     1.3 %  
AA     7.5    
A     31.6    
BBB     51.3    
BB     6.7    
B or BELOW     0.9    
NOT RATED     0.7    
      100.0 %++  

 

  ++  Does not include open long/short futures contracts with an underlying face amount of $117,892,031 with net unrealized depreciation of $46,583. Also does not include open swap contracts with net unrealized depreciation of $925,274.

See Notes to Financial Statements
49



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Global Infrastructure

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited)

NUMBER OF
SHARES
 

  VALUE  
    Common Stocks (96.4%)
Australia (2.7%)
 
    Airports  
  130,645     Australian Infrastructure Fund
(Stapled Securities) (a)(b)
  $ 185,023    
  188,113     MAP Group (Stapled
Securities) (b)
    422,303    
      607,326    
    Oil & Gas Storage &
Transportation
 
  105,100     APA Group (Stapled
Securities) (b)
    316,357    
    Toll Roads  
  830,995     Intoll Group (Stapled
Securities) (a)(b)
    722,643    
    Transmission & Distribution  
  234,660     Spark Infrastructure
Group
    225,001    
        Total Australia     1,871,327    
    Brazil (0.5%)  
    Water  
  7,800     Cia de Saneamento
Basico do Estado
de Sao Paulo (ADR)
    322,452    
    Canada (14.8%)  
    Oil & Gas Storage &
Transportation
 
  80,140     Enbridge, Inc.     3,732,414    
  164,160     TransCanada Corp.     5,491,276    
      9,223,690    
    Ports  
  10,150     Westshore Terminals Income
Fund (Units) (a)
    165,043    
    Transmission & Distribution  
  35,940     Fortis, Inc.     917,617    
        Total Canada     10,306,350    

 

NUMBER OF
SHARES
 

  VALUE  
    China (5.6%)  
    Airports  
  370,000     Beijing Capital International
Airport Co., Ltd. (c)
  $ 217,105    
    Oil & Gas Storage &
Transportation
 
  173,000     Beijing Enterprises
Holdings Ltd. (c)
    1,123,824    
  463,000     Xinao Gas Holdings Ltd. (c)     1,006,914    
      2,130,738    
    Ports  
  255,000     China Merchants Holdings
International Co., Ltd. (c)
    847,672    
    Toll Roads  
  809,000     Jiangsu Expressway
Co., Ltd. (c)
    732,381    
        Total China     3,927,896    
    France (6.8%)  
    Airports  
  5,300     Aeroports de Paris (ADP)     337,764    
    Communications  
  23,530     Eutelsat Communications     786,107    
  108,367     SES SA     2,250,918    
      3,037,025    
    Toll Roads  
  200,636     Groupe Eurotunnel SA     1,355,976    
        Total France     4,730,765    
    Germany (0.5%)  
    Airports  
  9,025     Fraport AG Frankfurt Airport
Services Worldwide
    383,580    
    Hong Kong (3.8%)  
    Oil & Gas Storage & Transportation  
  1,067,000     Hong Kong & China Gas
Co., Ltd.
    2,637,275    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
50



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Global Infrastructure

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

NUMBER OF
SHARES
 

  VALUE  
    Italy (4.7%)  
    Oil & Gas Storage &
Transportation
 
  221,998     Snam Rete Gas SpA   $ 882,548    
    Toll Roads  
  91,668     Atlantia SpA     1,625,153    
    Transmission & Distribution  
  214,500     Terna Rete Elettrica
Nazionale SpA
    772,504    
        Total Italy     3,280,205    
    Japan (0.4%)  
    Airports  
  18,100     Japan Airport Terminal
Co., Ltd.
    268,327    
    Mexico (1.3%)  
    Airports  
  17,400     Grupo Aeroportuario del
Pacifico SAB de CV (ADR)
    505,470    
  8,900     Grupo Aeroportuario del
Sureste SAB de CV (ADR)
    405,306    
        Total Mexico     910,776    
    Netherlands (0.3%)  
    Oil & Gas Storage &
Transportation
 
  6,502     Koninklijke Vopak N.V.     238,616    
    New Zealand (0.7%)  
    Airports  
  382,511     Auckland International
Airport Ltd.
    488,927    
    Spain (9.4%)  
    Diversified  
  204,242     Ferrovial SA     1,319,479    

 

NUMBER OF
SHARES
 

  VALUE  
    Oil & Gas Storage &
Transportation
 
  92,841     Enagas   $ 1,395,271    
    Toll Roads  
  199,015     Abertis Infraestructuras SA     2,867,600    
    Transmission & Distribution  
  27,459     Red Electrica Corp. SA     981,564    
        Total Spain     6,563,914    
    Switzerland (0.4%)  
    Airports  
  936     Flughafen Zuerich AG     277,312    
    United Kingdom (10.3%)  
    Transmission & Distribution  
  618,900     National Grid PLC     4,559,106    
    Water  
  49,700     Northumbrian Water
Group PLC
    225,138    
  65,400     Pennon Group PLC     535,934    
  37,900     Severn Trent PLC     691,509    
  147,600     United Utilities Group PLC     1,150,176    
      2,602,757    
        Total United Kingdom     7,161,863    
    United States (34.2%)  
    Communications  
  108,080     American Tower Corp.
(Class A) (d)
    4,809,560    
  69,620     Crown Castle International
Corp. (d)
    2,594,041    
  34,630     SBA Communications Corp.
(Class A) (d)
    1,177,766    
      8,581,367    
    Diversified  
  161,930     Centerpoint Energy, Inc.     2,130,999    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
51



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Global Infrastructure

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

NUMBER OF
SHARES
 

  VALUE  
    Oil & Gas Storage &
Transportation
 
  13,950     AGL Resources, Inc.   $ 499,689    
  17,030     Atmos Energy Corp.     460,491    
  18,372     Kinder Morgan
Management LLC (d)
    1,039,672    
  5,090     New Jersey Resources
Corp.
    179,168    
  56,810     NiSource, Inc.     823,745    
  23,440     Oneok, Inc.     1,013,780    
  26,470     Southern Union Co.     578,634    
  6,650     Southwest Gas Corp.     196,175    
  151,766     Spectra Energy Corp.     3,045,944    
      7,837,298    
    Transmission & Distribution  
  48,910     Consolidated Edison, Inc.     2,108,021    
  11,850     ITC Holdings Corp.     626,983    
  36,200     Northeast Utilities     922,376    
  9,710     NorthWestern Corp.     254,402    
  21,180     NSTAR     741,300    
      4,653,082    
    Water  
  12,690     American Water
Works Co., Inc.
    261,414    
  22,620     Aqua America, Inc.     399,922    
      661,336    
        Total United States     23,864,082    
        Total Common Stocks
(Cost $72,567,653)
    67,233,667    

 

NUMBER OF
SHARES (000)
 
  VALUE  
    Short-Term Investment (3.0%)      
    Investment Company      
2,073   Morgan Stanley Institutional
Liquidity Funds - Money
Market Portfolio - Institutional
Class (See Note 6)
(Cost $2,072,728)
  $ 2,072,728    
Total Investments
(Cost $74,640,381) (e)(f)
  99.4%     69,306,395    
Other Assets in Excess
of Liabilities
  0.6     394,203    
Net Assets   100.0%   $ 69,700,598    

 

ADR  American Depositary Receipt.

  (a)  Consists of one or more class of securities traded together as a unit; stocks with attached warrants.

  (b)  Comprised of securities in separate entities that are traded as a single stapled security.

  (c)  Security trades on the Hong Kong exchange.

  (d)  Non-income producing security.

  (e)  The market value and percentage of total investments, $31,830,007 and 45.9%, respectively, represent the securities that have been fair valued under the fair valuation policy for international investments as described in Note 1A within the Notes to the Financial Statements.

  (f)  The aggregate cost for federal income tax purposes approximates the aggregate cost for book purposes. The aggregate gross unrealized appreciation is $1,737,097 and the aggregate gross unrealized depreciation is $7,071,083 resulting in net unrealized depreciation of $5,333,986.

See Notes to Financial Statements
52



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Global Infrastructure

Summary of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited)

INDUSTRY   VALUE   PERCENT OF
TOTAL
INVESTMENTS
 
Oil & Gas Storage & Transportation   $ 24,661,793       35.6 %  
Transmission & Distribution     12,108,874       17.5    
Communications     11,618,392       16.8    
Toll Roads     7,303,753       10.5    
Water     3,586,545       5.1    
Airports     3,491,117       5.0    
Diversified     3,450,478       5.0    
Investment Company     2,072,728       3.0    
Ports     1,012,715       1.5    
    $ 69,306,395       100.0 %  

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
53




Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - European Equity

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited)

NUMBER OF
SHARES
 

  VALUE  
    Common Stocks (96.9%)
Belgium (1.8%)
 
    Chemicals  
  37,255     Umicore   $ 1,078,001    
    Finland (1.9%)  
    Machinery  
  29,601     Kone Oyj (Class B)     1,176,999    
    France (10.0%)  
    Commercial Banks  
  27,038     BNP Paribas     1,443,681    
  26,475     Societe Generale     1,076,972    
      2,520,653    
    Electrical Equipment  
  14,830     Schneider Electric SA     1,501,019    
    Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure  
  22,211     Accor SA (a)(b)     1,020,017    
    Multi-Utilities  
  38,934     GDF Suez     1,101,546    
        Total France     6,143,235    
    Germany (15.1%)  
    Automobiles  
  32,400     Daimler AG (b)     1,640,649    
    Diversified Telecommunication
Services
 
  88,347     Deutsche Telecom AG
(Registered Shares)
    1,041,459    
    Food & Staples Retailing  
  16,281     Metro AG     827,722    
    Industrial Conglomerates  
  20,804     Siemens AG (Registered
Shares)
    1,861,690    
    Insurance  
  8,503     Muenchener
Rueckversicherungs AG
(Registered Shares)
    1,064,512    
    Machinery  
  16,004     MAN SE     1,319,407    

 

NUMBER OF
SHARES
 

  VALUE  
    Pharmaceuticals  
  27,248     Bayer AG   $ 1,520,307    
        Total Germany     9,275,746    
    Greece (0.8%)  
    Commercial Banks  
  47,580     National Bank of
Greece SA (b)
    518,441    
    Luxembourg (1.8%)  
    Metals & Mining  
  40,483     ArcelorMittal (a)     1,076,692    
    Netherlands (1.8%)  
    Diversified Telecommunication
Services
 
  86,232     Koninklijke KPN N.V.     1,101,086    
    Portugal (1.3%)  
    Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels  
  51,670     Galp Energia SGPS SA
(Class B)
    771,518    
    Spain (1.7%)  
    Commercial Banks  
  102,755     Banco Bilbao Vizcaya
Argentaria SA
    1,060,070    
    Switzerland (14.3%)  
    Food Products  
  68,142     Nestle SA (Registered
Shares)
    3,287,850    
    Insurance  
  6,281     Zurich Financial Services AG     1,378,748    
    Pharmaceuticals  
  39,985     Novartis AG (Registered
Shares)
    1,939,930    
  15,468     Roche Holding AG     2,124,122    
      4,064,052    
        Total Switzerland     8,730,650    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
54



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - European Equity

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

NUMBER OF
SHARES
 

  VALUE  
    United Kingdom (44.6%)  
    Aerospace & Defense  
  137,415     Rolls-Royce Group PLC (b)   $ 1,144,326    
    Commercial Banks  
  378,858     Barclays PLC     1,501,989    
  292,197     HSBC Holdings PLC     2,665,720    
      4,167,709    
    Diversified Telecommunication
Services
 
  401,264     TalkTalk Telecom
Group PLC (b)
    741,594    
    Food & Staples Retailing  
  274,512     WM Morrison
Supermarkets PLC
    1,082,223    
    Health Care Equipment &
Supplies
 
  77,066     SSL International PLC     922,268    
    Insurance  
  129,725     Prudential PLC     972,301    
    Media  
  137,415     Reed Elsevier PLC     1,014,439    
    Metals & Mining  
  49,153     Anglo American PLC (b)     1,708,735    
    Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels  
  117,195     BG Group PLC     1,734,847    
  207,525     BP PLC     996,683    
  79,997     Royal Dutch Shell PLC
(Class A)
    2,020,199    
  68,388     Tullow Oil PLC     1,018,686    
      5,770,415    
    Pharmaceuticals  
  103,986     GlaxoSmithKline PLC     1,762,267    
    Professional Services  
  112,693     Experian PLC     975,742    

 

NUMBER OF
SHARES
 

  VALUE  
    Specialty Retail  
  238,608     Carphone Warehouse
Group PLC (b)
  $ 665,248    
  2,191,988     DSG International PLC (b)     800,652    
      1,465,900    
    Tobacco  
  57,641     British American
Tobacco PLC
    1,825,188    
  54,420     Imperial Tobacco
Group PLC
    1,517,352    
      3,342,540    
    Wireless Telecommunication
Services
 
  1,077,950     Vodafone Group PLC     2,233,748    
        Total United Kingdom     27,304,207    
    United States (1.8%)  
    Auto Components  
  22,455     Autoliv, Inc. (SDR) (a)(b)     1,074,027    
        Total Common Stocks
(Cost $63,618,821)
    59,310,672    
    Preferred Stock (1.8%)
Germany
 
    Health Care Equipment &
Supplies
 
  16,203     Fresenius SE
(Cost $1,277,576)
    1,071,399    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
55



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - European Equity

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
    VALUE  
    Short-Term Investments (3.8%)
Securities Held as Collateral
on Loaned Securities (2.6%)
 
    Repurchase Agreement (0.4%)  
$ 284,696     Bank of America Securities,
LLC (0.05%, dated 06/30/10,
due 07/01/10; proceeds
$284,696; fully collateralized
by a U.S. Government Agency
security at the date of this
Portfolio of Investments as
follows: Government National
Mortgage Association;
5.00% due 05/20/40;
valued at $290,389)
(Cost $284,696)
  $ 284,696    
NUMBER OF
SHARES (000)
 
 
 
    Investment Company (2.2%)  
  1,332     Morgan Stanley Institutional
Liquidity Funds - Money
Market Portfolio - Institutional
Class (See Note 6)
(Cost $1,332,366)
  $ 1,332,366    
    Total Securities Held as
Collateral on Loaned
Securities
(Cost $1,617,062)
    1,617,062    

 

NUMBER OF
SHARES (000)
    VALUE  
    Investment Company (1.2%)      
749   Morgan Stanley Institutional
Liquidity Funds - Money
Market Portfolio - Institutional
Class (See Note 6)
(Cost $748,717)
  $ 748,717    
    Total Short-Term
Investments
(Cost $2,365,779)
    2,365,779    
Total Investments
(Cost $67,262,176) (c)(d)
  102.5%     62,747,850    
Liabilities in Excess of
Other Assets
  (2.5)     (1,539,884 )  
Net Assets   100.0%   $ 61,207,966    

 

SDR  Swedish Depositary Receipt.

  (a)  All or a portion of this security was on loan at June 30, 2010.

  (b)  Non-income producing security.

  (c)  The market value and percentage of total investments, $60,382,071 and 96.2%, respectively, represent the securities that have been fair valued under the fair valuation policy for international investments as described in Note 1A within the Notes to the Financial Statements.

  (d)  The aggregate cost for federal income tax purposes approximates the aggregate cost for book purposes. The aggregate gross unrealized appreciation is $6,641,001 and the aggregate gross unrealized depreciation is $11,155,327 resulting in net unrealized depreciation of $4,514,326.

See Notes to Financial Statements
56



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - European Equity

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

FORWARD FOREIGN CURRENCY CONTRACTS OPEN AT JUNE 30, 2010:

CONTRACTS
TO DELIVER
  IN EXCHANGE
FOR
  DELIVERY
DATE
  UNREALIZED
DEPRECIATION
 
GBP 4,410,000     EUR 5,364,115       07/30/2010     $ (28,390 )  

 

Currency Abbreviations:

EUR  Euro.

GBP  British Pound.

See Notes to Financial Statements
57



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - European Equity

Summary of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited)

INDUSTRY   VALUE   PERCENT OF
TOTAL
INVESTMENTS
 
Commercial Banks   $ 8,266,873       13.5 %  
Pharmaceuticals     7,346,626       12.0    
Oil, Gas & Consumable
Fuels
    6,541,933       10.7    
Insurance     3,415,561       5.6    
Tobacco     3,342,540       5.5    
Food Products     3,287,850       5.4    
Diversified
Telecommunication
Services
    2,884,139       4.7    
Metals & Mining     2,785,427       4.5    
Machinery     2,496,406       4.1    
Wireless
Telecommunication
Services
    2,233,748       3.6    
Health Care Equipment &
Supplies
    1,993,667       3.3    
Food & Staples Retailing     1,909,945       3.1    
Industrial Conglomerates     1,861,690       3.0    

 

INDUSTRY   VALUE   PERCENT OF
TOTAL
INVESTMENTS
 
Automobiles   $ 1,640,649       2.7 %  
Electrical Equipment     1,501,019       2.4    
Specialty Retail     1,465,900       2.4    
Aerospace & Defense     1,144,326       1.9    
Multi-Utilities     1,101,546       1.8    
Chemicals     1,078,001       1.8    
Auto Components     1,074,027       1.8    
Hotels, Restaurants &
Leisure
    1,020,017       1.7    
Media     1,014,439       1.7    
Professional Services     975,742       1.6    
Investment Company     748,717       1.2    
    $ 61,130,788 ^      100.0 %  

 

^  Does not reflect the value of securities held as collateral on loaned securities and does not include open forward foreign currency contracts with total unrealized depreciation of $28,390.

See Notes to Financial Statements
58



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Capital Opportunities

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited)

NUMBER OF
SHARES
 

  VALUE  
    Common Stocks (95.8%)  
    Air Freight & Logistics (2.3%)  
  154,010     Expeditors International of
Washington, Inc.
  $ 5,314,885    
    Capital Markets (3.2%)  
  118,634     Greenhill & Co., Inc.     7,252,096    
    Chemicals (2.6%)  
  129,255     Monsanto Co.     5,974,166    
    Computers &
Peripherals (11.2%)
 
  71,838     Apple, Inc. (a)     18,069,412    
  243,274     Teradata Corp. (a)     7,414,992    
      25,484,404    
    Distributors (3.9%)  
  2,010,000     Li & Fung Ltd. (Bermuda) (b)     8,997,816    
    Diversified Financial
Services (6.7%)
 
  756,375     BM&F Bovespa SA (Brazil)     4,877,675    
  224,821     Leucadia National Corp. (a)     4,386,258    
  223,158     MSCI, Inc. (Class A) (a)     6,114,529    
      15,378,462    
    Food Products (2.7%)  
  124,556     Mead Johnson Nutrition Co.     6,242,747    
    Health Care
Technology (2.0%)
 
  170,087     athenahealth, Inc. (a)     4,444,373    
    Hotels, Restaurants &
Leisure (10.4%)
 
  70,447     Accor SA (France) (a)     3,235,204    
  199,107     Ctrip.com International Ltd.
(ADR) (Cayman Islands) (a)
    7,478,459    
  264,575     Las Vegas Sands Corp. (a)     5,857,691    
  95,415     Wynn Resorts Ltd.     7,277,302    
      23,848,656    

 

NUMBER OF
SHARES
 

  VALUE  
    Information Technology
Services (5.5%)
 
  336,599     Redecard SA (Brazil)   $ 4,684,414    
  112,045     Visa, Inc. (Class A)     7,927,183    
      12,611,597    
    Internet & Catalog
Retail (6.4%)
 
  133,873     Amazon.com, Inc. (a)     14,626,964    
    Internet Software &
Services (12.2%)
 
  97,776     Baidu, Inc. (ADR) (Cayman
Islands) (a)
    6,656,590    
  30,676     Google, Inc. (Class A) (a)     13,649,286    
  466,100     Tencent Holdings Ltd.
(Cayman Islands) (b)
    7,686,178    
      27,992,054    
    Life Sciences Tools &
Services (6.0%)
 
  181,201     Illumina, Inc. (a)     7,887,679    
  102,339     Techne Corp.     5,879,376    
      13,767,055    
    Oil, Gas & Consumable
Fuels (6.1%)
 
  127,706     Range Resources Corp.     5,127,396    
  200,051     Ultra Petroleum Corp.
(Canada) (a)
    8,852,257    
      13,979,653    
    Professional Services (5.7%)  
  147,773     CoStar Group, Inc. (a)     5,733,593    
  246,957     Verisk Analytics, Inc.
(Class A) (a)
    7,384,014    
      13,117,607    
    Real Estate Management &
Development (3.9%)
 
  391,554     Brookfield Asset Management,
Inc. (Class A) (Canada)
    8,856,951    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
59



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Capital Opportunities

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

NUMBER OF
SHARES
 

  VALUE  
    Semiconductors &
Semiconductor
Equipment (1.9%)
     
  262,522     Tessera
Technologies, Inc. (a)
  $ 4,213,478    
    Software (3.1%)      
  82,063     Salesforce.com, Inc. (a)     7,042,647    
        Total Common Stocks
(Cost $205,066,803)
    219,145,611    
    Convertible Preferred
Stock (0.6%)
     
    Alternative Energy      
  488,605     Better Place, LLC
(Cost $1,465,815) (c)(d)
    1,465,815    
NUMBER OF
SHARES (000)
 
 
 
    Short-Term Investment (2.4%)      
    Investment Company      
5,513   Morgan Stanley Institutional
Liquidity Funds - Money
Market Portfolio - Institutional
Class (See Note 6)
(Cost $5,513,382)
    5,513,382    
Total Investments
(Cost $212,046,000) (e)(f)
  98.8%     226,124,808    
Other Assets in Excess
of Liabilities
  1.2     2,686,961    
Net Assets   100.0%   $ 228,811,769    

 

  ADR  American Depositary Receipt.

  (a)  Non-income producing security.

  (b)  Security trades on the Hong Kong exchange.

  (c)  At June 30, 2010, the Portfolio held $1,465,815 of fair valued securities, representing 0.6% of net assets. These securities have been fair valued as determined in good faith under procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Fund's Trustees.

  (d)  Illiquid security. Resale is restricted to qualified institutional investors.

  (e)  The market value and percentage of total investments, $19,919,198 and 8.8%, respectively, represent the securities that have been fair valued under the fair valuation policy for international investments as described in Note 1A within the Notes to the Financial Statements.

  (f)  The aggregate cost for federal income tax purposes approximates the aggregate cost for book purposes. The aggregate gross unrealized appreciation is $40,668,968 and the aggregate gross unrealized depreciation is $26,590,160 resulting in net unrealized appreciation of $14,078,808.

See Notes to Financial Statements
60



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Capital Opportunities

Summary of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited)

INDUSTRY   VALUE   PERCENT OF
TOTAL
INVESTMENTS
 
Internet Software &
Services
  $ 27,992,054       12.4 %  
Computers & Peripherals     25,484,404       11.3    
Hotels, Restaurants &
Leisure
    23,848,656       10.5    
Diversified Financial
Services
    15,378,462       6.8    
Internet & Catalog Retail     14,626,964       6.5    
Oil, Gas & Consumable
Fuels
    13,979,653       6.2    
Life Sciences Tools &
Services
    13,767,055       6.1    
Professional Services     13,117,607       5.8    
Information Technology
Services
    12,611,597       5.6    
Distributors     8,997,816       4.0    

 

INDUSTRY   VALUE   PERCENT OF
TOTAL
INVESTMENTS
 
Real Estate Management &
Development
  $ 8,856,951       3.9 %  
Capital Markets     7,252,096       3.2    
Software     7,042,647       3.1    
Food Products     6,242,747       2.8    
Chemicals     5,974,166       2.6    
Investment Company     5,513,382       2.4    
Air Freight & Logistics     5,314,885       2.3    
Health Care Technology     4,444,373       2.0    
Semiconductors &
Semiconductor
Equipment
    4,213,478       1.9    
Alternative Energy     1,465,815       0.6    
    $ 226,124,808       100.0 %  

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
61



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Aggressive Equity

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited)

NUMBER OF
SHARES
 

  VALUE  
    Common Stocks (94.0%)  
    Air Freight & Logistics (2.3%)  
  17,695     Expeditors International of
Washington, Inc.
  $ 610,654    
    Capital Markets (3.1%)  
  13,630     Greenhill & Co., Inc.     833,202    
    Chemicals (2.5%)  
  14,850     Monsanto Co.     686,367    
    Computers &
Peripherals (11.1%)
 
  8,578     Apple, Inc. (a)     2,157,624    
  27,950     Teradata Corp. (a)     851,916    
      3,009,540    
    Distributors (3.8%)  
  230,000     Li & Fung Ltd. (Bermuda) (b)     1,029,601    
    Diversified Financial
Services (6.5%)
 
  86,901     BM&F Bovespa SA (Brazil)     560,406    
  25,830     Leucadia National Corp. (a)     503,943    
  25,639     MSCI, Inc. (Class A) (a)     702,509    
      1,766,858    
    Food Products (2.7%)  
  14,874     Mead Johnson Nutrition Co.     745,485    
    Health Care Technology (1.9%)  
  19,542     athenahealth, Inc. (a)     510,633    
    Hotels, Restaurants &
Leisure (10.5%)
 
  8,416     Accor SA (France)     386,496    
  23,721     Ctrip.com International Ltd.
(ADR) (Cayman Islands) (a)
    890,961    
  31,593     Las Vegas Sands Corp. (a)     699,469    
  11,394     Wynn Resorts Ltd.     869,020    
      2,845,946    
    Information Technology
Services (5.5%)
 
  38,673     Redecard SA (Brazil)     538,208    
  13,379     Visa, Inc. (Class A)     946,564    
      1,484,772    

 

NUMBER OF
SHARES
 

  VALUE  
    Internet & Catalog Retail (6.2%)  
  15,381     Amazon.com, Inc. (a)   $ 1,680,528    
    Internet Software &
Services (12.0%)
 
  11,607     Baidu, Inc. (ADR) (Cayman
Islands) (a)
    790,205    
  3,524     Google, Inc. (Class A) (a)     1,568,004    
  55,000     Tencent Holdings Ltd.
(Cayman Islands) (b)
    906,972    
      3,265,181    
    Life Sciences Tools &
Services (5.8%)
 
  20,819     Illumina, Inc. (a)     906,251    
  11,758     Techne Corp.     675,497    
      1,581,748    
    Oil, Gas & Consumable
Fuels (5.9%)
 
  14,672     Range Resources Corp.     589,081    
  22,984     Ultra Petroleum Corp.
(Canada) (a)
    1,017,042    
      1,606,123    
    Professional Services (5.6%)  
  16,978     CoStar Group, Inc. (a)     658,746    
  28,373     Verisk Analytics, Inc.
(Class A) (a)
    848,353    
      1,507,099    
    Real Estate Management &
Development (3.7%)
 
  44,986     Brookfield Asset Management,
Inc. (Class A) (Canada)
    1,017,583    
    Semiconductors &
Semiconductor
Equipment (1.8%)
 
  30,162     Tessera
Technologies, Inc. (a)
    484,100    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
62



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Aggressive Equity

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

NUMBER OF
SHARES
 

  VALUE  
    Software (3.1%)      
  9,799     Salesforce.com, Inc. (a)   $ 840,950    
        Total Common Stocks
(Cost $23,682,545)
    25,506,370    
    Convertible Preferred
Stock (0.6%)
     
    Alternative Energy      
  59,090     Better Place, LLC
(Cost $177,270) (c)(d)
    177,270    
NUMBER OF
SHARES (000)
 
 
 
    Short-Term Investment (4.5%)      
    Investment Company      
1,208   Morgan Stanley Institutional
Liquidity Funds - Money
Market Portfolio - Institutional
Class (See Note 6)
(Cost $1,208,373)
    1,208,373    
Total Investments
(Cost $25,068,188) (e)(f)
  99.1%     26,892,013    
Other Assets in Excess
of Liabilities
  0.9     240,967    
Net Assets   100.0%   $ 27,132,980    

 

  ADR  American Depositary Receipt.

  (a)  Non-income producing security.

  (b)  Security trades on the Hong Kong exchange.

  (c)  Illiquid security. Resale is restricted to qualified institutional investors.

  (d)  At June 30, 2010, the Portfolio held $177,270 of fair valued securities, representing 0.6% of net assets. These securities have been fair valued as determined in good faith under procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Fund's Trustees.

  (e)  The market value and percentage of total investments, $2,323,069 and 8.6%, respectively, represent the securities that have been fair valued under the fair valuation policy for international investments as described in Note 1A within the Notes to the Financial Statements.

  (f)  The aggregate cost for federal income tax purposes approximates the aggregate cost for book purposes. The aggregate gross unrealized appreciation is $4,748,213 and the aggregate gross unrealized depreciation is $2,924,388 resulting in net unrealized appreciation of $1,823,825.

See Notes to Financial Statements
63



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Aggressive Equity

Summary of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited)

INDUSTRY   VALUE   PERCENT OF
TOTAL
INVESTMENTS
 
Internet Software &
Services
  $ 3,265,181       12.1 %  
Computers & Peripherals     3,009,540       11.2    
Hotels, Restaurants &
Leisure
    2,845,946       10.6    
Diversified Financial
Services
    1,766,858       6.6    
Internet & Catalog Retail     1,680,528       6.2    
Oil, Gas & Consumable
Fuels
    1,606,123       6.0    
Life Sciences Tools &
Services
    1,581,748       5.9    
Professional Services     1,507,099       5.6    
Information Technology
Services
    1,484,772       5.5    
Investment Company     1,208,373       4.5    

 

INDUSTRY   VALUE   PERCENT OF
TOTAL
INVESTMENTS
 
Distributors   $ 1,029,601       3.8 %  
Real Estate Management &
Development
    1,017,583       3.8    
Software     840,950       3.1    
Capital Markets     833,202       3.1    
Food Products     745,485       2.8    
Chemicals     686,367       2.5    
Air Freight & Logistics     610,654       2.3    
Health Care Technology     510,633       1.9    
Semiconductors &
Semiconductor
Equipment
    484,100       1.8    
Alternative Energy     177,270       0.7    
    $ 26,892,013       100.0 %  

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
64




Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Strategist

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited)

NUMBER OF
SHARES
 
  VALUE  
    Common Stocks (56.9%)  
    Aerospace & Defense (2.6%)  
  19,290     Boeing Co. (The)   $ 1,210,448    
  26,755     Northrop Grumman Corp.     1,456,542    
  41,255     Raytheon Co.     1,996,329    
      4,663,319    
    Automobiles (0.7%)  
  41,110     Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (ADR) (Japan)     1,181,913    
    Biotechnology (4.3%)  
  31,500     Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (a)     1,612,485    
  23,010     Amgen, Inc. (a)     1,210,326    
  42,680     Biogen Idec, Inc. (a)     2,025,166    
  14,930     Celgene Corp. (a)     758,742    
  28,460     Gilead Sciences, Inc. (a)     975,609    
  30,620     Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (a)     1,007,398    
      7,589,726    
    Capital Markets (0.8%)  
  56,090     Lazard Ltd. (Class A) (Bermuda)     1,498,164    
    Chemicals (1.3%)  
  67,770     EI Du Pont de Nemours & Co.     2,344,164    
    Commercial Banks (0.8%)  
  55,925     Wells Fargo & Co.     1,431,680    
    Commercial Services & Supplies (1.4%)  
  77,490     Waste Management, Inc.     2,424,662    
    Communications Equipment (0.8%)  
  70,100     Cisco Systems, Inc. (a)     1,493,831    
    Computers & Peripherals (2.7%)  
  8,795     Apple, Inc. (a)     2,212,206    
  54,645     EMC Corp. (a)     1,000,004    
  12,623     International Business Machines Corp.     1,558,688    
      4,770,898    
    Consumer Finance (0.9%)  
  40,950     American Express Co.     1,625,715    
    Diversified Financial Services (2.6%)  
  69,525     Bank of America Corp.     999,074    
  602,800     Citigroup, Inc. (See Note 6) (a)     2,266,528    
  34,920     JPMorgan Chase & Co.     1,278,421    
      4,544,023    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
65



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Strategist

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

NUMBER OF
SHARES
 
  VALUE  
    Diversified Telecommunication Services (0.8%)  
  52,400     Verizon Communications, Inc.   $ 1,468,248    
    Electric Utilities (1.0%)  
  56,200     American Electric Power Co., Inc.     1,815,260    
    Electrical Equipment (1.0%)  
  41,770     Emerson Electric Co.     1,824,931    
    Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components (0.4%)  
  44,060     Corning, Inc.     711,569    
    Energy Equipment & Services (1.7%)  
  12,750     Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc.     792,923    
  47,920     Halliburton Co.     1,176,436    
  74,725     Weatherford International Ltd. (Switzerland) (a)     981,886    
      2,951,245    
    Food & Staples Retailing (0.6%)  
  18,685     Costco Wholesale Corp.     1,024,499    
    Food Products (1.1%)  
  21,090     Kellogg Co.     1,060,827    
  28,570     Kraft Foods, Inc. (Class A)     799,960    
      1,860,787    
    Health Care Equipment & Supplies (1.0%)  
  11,290     C.R. Bard, Inc.     875,314    
  22,660     Covidien PLC (Ireland)     910,479    
      1,785,793    
    Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure (1.3%)  
  28,440     Carnival Corp. (Units) (Panama) (b)     860,026    
  20,460     McDonald's Corp.     1,347,700    
      2,207,726    
    Hotels/Resorts/Cruiselines (1.7%)  
  159,420     Chicago Bridge & Iron Co. N.V. (NY Registered Shares) (Netherlands) (a)     2,998,690    
    Household Durables (1.6%)  
  48,570     DR Horton, Inc.     477,443    
  53,060     Gafisa SA (ADR) (Brazil)     642,557    
  45,400     Lennar Corp. (Class A)     631,514    
  22,355     Sony Corp. (ADR) (Japan)     596,431    
  141,750     Standard Pacific Corp. (a)     472,028    
      2,819,973    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
66



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Strategist

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

NUMBER OF
SHARES
 
  VALUE  
    Household Products (0.4%)  
  8,910     Colgate-Palmolive Co.   $ 701,752    
    Industrial Conglomerates (1.3%)  
  160,150     General Electric Co.     2,309,363    
    Information Technology Services (0.6%)  
  13,695     Visa, Inc. (Class A)     968,921    
    Insurance (1.6%)  
  23,770     Chubb Corp.     1,188,738    
  106,250     XL Capital Ltd. (Class A) (Cayman Islands)     1,701,062    
      2,889,800    
    Internet Software & Services (0.7%)  
  21,350     eBay, Inc. (a)     418,673    
  1,745     Google, Inc. (Class A) (a)     776,438    
      1,195,111    
    Life Sciences Tools & Services (0.7%)  
  25,560     Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (a)     1,253,718    
    Machinery (1.6%)  
  24,810     Parker Hannifin Corp.     1,375,963    
  84,670     Trinity Industries, Inc.     1,500,352    
      2,876,315    
    Metals & Mining (1.7%)  
  145,575     AK Steel Holding Corp.     1,735,254    
  25,775     Kinross Gold Corp. (Canada)     440,495    
  23,255     United States Steel Corp.     896,480    
      3,072,229    
    Multiline Retail (0.5%)  
  19,240     Kohl's Corp. (a)     913,900    
    Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels (1.7%)  
  17,020     Exxon Mobil Corp.     971,331    
  40,435     Hess Corp.     2,035,498    
      3,006,829    
    Pharmaceuticals (2.7%)  
  26,280     Johnson & Johnson     1,552,097    
  53,685     Merck & Co., Inc.     1,877,364    
  92,360     Pfizer, Inc.     1,317,054    
      4,746,515    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
67



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Strategist

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

NUMBER OF
SHARES
 
  VALUE  
    Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) (0.7%)  
  38,040     Plum Creek Timber Co., Inc.   $ 1,313,521    
    Real Estate Management & Development (1.5%)  
  136,220     CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc. (Class A) (a)     1,853,954    
  50,680     E-House China Holdings Ltd. (ADR) (Cayman Islands)     750,571    
      2,604,525    
    Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment (2.6%)  
  73,700     Applied Materials, Inc.     885,874    
  94,105     Intel Corp.     1,830,342    
  30,000     KLA-Tencor Corp.     836,400    
  101,117     Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (ADR) (Taiwan)     986,902    
      4,539,518    
    Software (3.8%)  
  179,585     Activision Blizzard, Inc.     1,883,847    
  88,050     Microsoft Corp.     2,026,030    
  131,745     Oracle Corp.     2,827,248    
      6,737,125    
    Specialty Retail (1.2%)  
  51,120     Staples, Inc.     973,836    
  25,670     TJX Cos., Inc.     1,076,857    
      2,050,693    
    Tobacco (1.5%)  
  53,010     Altria Group, Inc.     1,062,320    
  35,245     Philip Morris International, Inc.     1,615,631    
      2,677,951    
    Water Utilities (1.0%)  
  87,945     American Water Works Co., Inc.     1,811,667    
        Total Common Stocks
(Cost $92,726,662)
    100,706,269    

 

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

 
COUPON
RATE
 
MATURITY
DATE
 
 
    Corporate Bonds (9.7%)  
    Advertising Services (0.1%)  
$ 100     WPP Finance (United Kingdom)     8.00 %   09/15/14     117,352    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
68



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Strategist

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    Aerospace & Defense (0.1%)  
$ 20     Bombardier, Inc. (144A) (Canada) (c)     7.50 %   03/15/18   $ 20,700    
  40     Bombardier, Inc. (144A) (Canada) (c)     7.75     03/15/20     41,700    
  79     Systems 2001 Asset Trust (144A)
(Cayman Islands) (c)
    6.664     09/15/13     83,868    
      146,268    
    Agricultural Operations (0.0%)  
  45     Bunge Ltd. Finance Corp.     8.50     06/15/19     53,825    
    Airlines (0.1%)  
  140     America West Airlines LLC (Series 011G)
(AMBAC Insd)
    7.10     04/02/21     131,611    
    Auto - Cars/Light Trucks (0.0%)  
  60     Daimler Finance North America LLC     7.30     01/15/12     64,698    
    Beverages (0.1%)  
  25     Anheuser-Busch InBev Worldwide, Inc. (144A) (c)     5.375     11/15/14     27,360    
  50     Anheuser-Busch InBev Worldwide, Inc. (144A) (c)     7.20     01/15/14     57,537    
      84,897    
    Beverages - Wine/Spirits (0.0%)  
  25     Constellation Brands, Inc.     7.25     09/01/16     25,344    
    Brewery (0.1%)  
  95     FBG Finance Ltd. (144A) (Australia) (c)     5.125     06/15/15     101,948    
    Broadcast Service/Program (0.0%)  
  60     Discovery Communications LLC     5.05     06/01/20     62,490    
    Building Product - Cement/Aggregation (0.1%)  
  75     CRH America, Inc.     6.00     09/30/16     83,719    
  30     Holcim US Finance Sarl & Cie SCS (144A)
(Luxembourg) (c)
    6.00     12/30/19     32,061    
      115,780    
    Building Societies (0.1%)  
  170     Nationwide Building Society (144A)
(United Kingdom) (c)
    6.25     02/25/20     179,711    
    Cable/Satellite TV (0.1%)  
  15     COX Communications, Inc. (144A) (c)     8.375     03/01/39     20,457    
  45     CSC Holdings LLC     7.625     07/15/18     45,731    
  30     DirecTV Holdings LLC/DirecTV Financing Co., Inc.     5.875     10/01/19     32,831    
  30     DirecTV Holdings LLC/Financing Co., Inc.     7.625     05/15/16     32,626    
  40     DISH DBS Corp.     7.125     02/01/16     40,300    
      171,945    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
69



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Strategist

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    Capital Markets (0.4%)  
$ 305     Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)     6.15 %   04/01/18   $ 319,984    
  80     Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)     6.75     10/01/37     78,668    
  60     Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)     7.50     02/15/19     67,175    
  125     Macquarie Group Ltd. (144A) (Australia) (c)     6.00     01/14/20     126,917    
  65     UBS AG/Stamford CT (Switzerland)     5.875     12/20/17     68,905    
      661,649    
    Chemicals (0.1%)  
  110     Mosaic Co. (The) (144A) (c)     7.625     12/01/16     118,844    
    Commercial Banks (1.2%)  
  175     Barclays Bank PLC (United Kingdom)     6.75     05/22/19     195,006    
  110     Commonwealth Bank of Australia (144A)
(Australia) (c)
    5.00     10/15/19     114,397    
  100     Credit Agricole SA (144A) (France) (c)     3.50     04/13/15     97,972    
  25     Credit Suisse (Switzerland)     6.00     02/15/18     26,126    
  240     Credit Suisse AG (Switzerland)     5.40     01/14/20     239,063    
  130     HBOS PLC (144A) (United Kingdom) (c)     6.75     05/21/18     121,861    
  100     HSBC Bank PLC (144A) (c)     3.50     06/28/15     101,077    
  115     National Australia Bank Ltd. (144A) (Australia) (c)     3.75     03/02/15     117,862    
  105     PNC Funding Corp.     5.125     02/08/20     109,387    
  60     PNC Funding Corp.     6.70     06/10/19     68,877    
  160     Rabobank Nederland N.V. (144A) (Netherlands) (c)     4.75     01/15/20     164,594    
  100     Regions Financial Corp.     5.75     06/15/15     99,473    
  100     Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (The) (United Kingdom)     4.875     03/16/15     99,599    
  100     Standard Chartered Bank (144A)
(United Kingdom) (c)
    6.40     09/26/17     107,900    
  100     Svenska Handelsbanken AB (144A) (Sweden) (c)     5.125     03/30/20     102,668    
  270     Wells Fargo & Co.     5.625     12/11/17     295,614    
      2,061,476    
    Commercial Services & Supplies (0.1%)  
  80     Waste Management, Inc.     6.125     11/30/39     86,809    
    Computers & Peripherals (0.1%)  
  100     International Business Machines Corp.     7.625     10/15/18     128,782    
    Consumer Finance (0.1%)  
  70     American Express Co.     8.125     05/20/19     87,055    
    Diversified Financial Services (0.8%)  
  135     Bank of America Corp. (Series L)     5.65     05/01/18     138,567    
  145     Bank of America Corp.     5.75     12/01/17     150,603    
  110     Citigroup, Inc. (See Note 6)     5.875     05/29/37     103,497    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
70



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Strategist

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
$ 185     Citigroup, Inc. (See Note 6)     6.125 %   11/21/17   $ 193,483    
  70     Citigroup, Inc. (See Note 6)     6.125     05/15/18     73,171    
  70     Citigroup, Inc. (See Note 6)     8.50     05/22/19     83,584    
  160     General Electric Capital Corp.     5.625     05/01/18     170,304    
  280     General Electric Capital Corp. (Series G)     6.00     08/07/19     303,655    
  20     JPMorgan Chase & Co.     3.40     06/24/15     20,068    
  55     JPMorgan Chase & Co.     4.95     03/25/20     57,269    
  30     JPMorgan Chase & Co.     6.00     01/15/18     33,178    
      1,327,379    
    Diversified Manufactured Operation (0.2%)  
  90     Cooper US, Inc.     5.25     11/15/12     97,150    
  200     Tyco Electronics Group SA (Luxembourg)     5.95     01/15/14     221,360    
      318,510    
    Diversified Minerals (0.2%)  
  100     Anglo American Capital PLC (144A)
(United Kingdom) (c)
    9.375     04/08/19     128,823    
  150     Rio Tinto Finance USA Ltd. (Australia)     9.00     05/01/19     197,160    
  60     Vale Overseas Ltd. (Cayman Islands)     5.625     09/15/19     63,606    
  25     Vale Overseas Ltd. (Cayman Islands)     6.875     11/10/39     26,243    
      415,832    
    Diversified Telecommunication Services (0.3%)  
  95     AT&T, Inc.     6.15     09/15/34     100,063    
  155     AT&T, Inc.     6.30     01/15/38     168,775    
  15     Verizon Communications, Inc.     5.85     09/15/35     15,524    
  80     Verizon Communications, Inc.     6.35     04/01/19     92,730    
  65     Verizon Communications, Inc.     8.95     03/01/39     92,372    
      469,464    
    Electric - Integrated (0.5%)  
  120     CMS Energy Corp.     6.25     02/01/20     114,768    
  50     EDF SA (144A) (c)     4.60     01/27/20     51,449    
  125     Enel Finance International SA (144A) (Luxembourg) (c)     5.125     10/07/19     125,786    
  150     Exelon Generation Co. LLC     5.20     10/01/19     159,861    
  100     NiSource Finance Corp.     6.125     03/01/22     106,961    
  75     NiSource Finance Corp.     6.80     01/15/19     83,633    
  75     Ohio Power Co. (Series M)     5.375     10/01/21     80,200    
  55     PPL Energy Supply LLC     6.30     07/15/13     61,030    
  35     PPL Energy Supply LLC     6.50     05/01/18     38,771    
  80     Progress Energy, Inc.     7.05     03/15/19     94,673    
      917,132    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
71



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Strategist

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    Electric Utilities (0.1%)  
$ 140     FirstEnergy Solutions Corp.     6.05 %   08/15/21   $ 143,080    
    Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components (0.0%)  
  20     Agilent Technologies, Inc.     5.50     09/14/15     21,552    
  10     Corning, Inc.     6.625     05/15/19     11,717    
  20     Corning, Inc.     7.25     08/15/36     22,458    
      55,727    
    Energy Equipment & Services (0.1%)  
  85     Weatherford International Ltd. (Switzerland)     9.625     03/01/19     102,513    
    Filtration/Separation Products (0.0%)  
  35     Pall Corp.     5.00     06/15/20     36,375    
    Finance - Auto Loans (0.0%)  
  35     Nissan Motor Acceptance Corp. (144A) (c)     4.50     01/30/15     36,151    
    Finance - Consumer Loans (0.1%)  
  75     HSBC Finance Corp.     6.375     10/15/11     78,404    
  60     SLM Corp. (Series A)     5.00     10/01/13     57,400    
      135,804    
    Finance - Credit Card (0.1%)  
  110     American Express Credit Corp. (Series C)     7.30     08/20/13     124,631    
    Finance - Investment Banker/Broker (0.4%)  
  60     Bear Stearns Cos. LLC (The)     6.40     10/02/17     66,742    
  200     Bear Stearns Cos. LLC (The)     7.25     02/01/18     233,888    
  225     Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. (MTN)     6.875     04/25/18     240,389    
  80     Nomura Holdings, Inc.     6.70     03/04/20     84,787    
  105     TD Ameritrade Holding Corp.     5.60     12/01/19     110,819    
      736,625    
    Finance - Other Services (0.1%)  
  75     Iberdrola Finance Ireland Ltd. (144A) (Ireland) (c)     5.00     09/11/19     73,599    
  80     NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (The)     5.55     01/15/20     81,792    
      155,391    
    Food - Baking (0.1%)  
  100     Grupo Bimbo SAB de CV (144A) (c)     4.875     06/30/20     101,302    
    Food - Miscellaneous/Diversified (0.1%)  
  30     ConAgra Foods, Inc.     7.00     10/01/28     35,386    
  55     ConAgra Foods, Inc.     8.25     09/15/30     71,019    
      106,405    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
72



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Strategist

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    Food - Retail (0.0%)  
$ 15     Delhaize America, Inc.     9.00 %   04/15/31   $ 20,558    
    Food Products (0.1%)  
  20     Kraft Foods, Inc.     5.375     02/10/20     21,472    
  180     Kraft Foods, Inc.     7.00     08/11/37     212,787    
      234,259    
    Health Care Equipment & Supplies (0.1%)  
  125     Boston Scientific Corp.     6.00     01/15/20     124,326    
    Health Care Providers & Services (0.0%)  
  60     Medco Health Solutions, Inc.     7.125     03/15/18     71,789    
    Hotels & Motels (0.0%)  
  40     Hyatt Hotels Corp. (144A) (c)     6.875     08/15/19     43,079    
    Independent Power Producer (0.0%)  
  45     NRG Energy, Inc.     8.50     06/15/19     45,956    
    Insurance (0.2%)  
  85     MetLife, Inc. (See Note 6)     7.717     02/15/19     101,333    
  50     Principal Financial Group, Inc.     8.875     05/15/19     61,406    
  85     Prudential Financial, Inc. (MTN)     4.75     09/17/15     87,857    
  40     Prudential Financial, Inc. (MTN)     6.625     12/01/37     42,088    
  20     Prudential Financial, Inc. (Series D)     7.375     06/15/19     23,198    
      315,882    
    Life/Health Insurance (0.0%)  
  75     Pacific LifeCorp (144A) (c)     6.00     02/10/20     79,736    
    Media (0.4%)  
  50     CBS Corp.     8.875     05/15/19     63,008    
  50     Comcast Corp.     5.15     03/01/20     52,447    
  115     Comcast Corp.     5.70     05/15/18     126,615    
  15     Comcast Corp.     6.45     03/15/37     16,273    
  45     Time Warner Cable, Inc.     6.75     06/15/39     49,879    
  65     Time Warner Cable, Inc.     8.75     02/14/19     82,144    
  25     Time Warner, Inc.     4.875     03/15/20     25,832    
  40     Time Warner, Inc.     5.875     11/15/16     45,153    
  60     Time Warner, Inc.     7.70     05/01/32     72,570    
  80     Viacom, Inc.     6.875     04/30/36     90,856    
      624,777    
    Medical - Biomedical/Genetics (0.1%)  
  55     Genzyme Corp. (144A) (c)     3.625     06/15/15     55,695    
  60     Life Technologies Corp.     6.00     03/01/20     65,095    
      120,790    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
73



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Strategist

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    Metal - Copper (0.0%)  
$ 20     Southern Copper Corp.     5.375 %   04/16/20   $ 20,147    
  30     Southern Copper Corp.     6.75     04/16/40     29,804    
      49,951    
    Metals & Mining (0.1%)  
  15     ArcelorMittal (Luxembourg)     7.00     10/15/39     15,894    
  50     ArcelorMittal (Luxembourg)     9.85     06/01/19     62,580    
  30     Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Inc.     8.375     04/01/17     33,043    
      111,517    
    Mortgage Banks (0.1%)  
  100     Abbey National Treasury Services PLC (144A)
(United Kingdom) (c)
    3.875     11/10/14     98,835    
    Multi-line Insurance (0.1%)  
  75     Aegon N.V. (Netherlands)     4.625     12/01/15     76,793    
  50     Allstate Corp. (The) (See Note 6)     7.45     05/16/19     59,027    
  85     Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.     5.50     03/30/20     82,653    
      218,473    
    Multimedia (0.1%)  
  65     NBC Universal, Inc. (144A) (c)     5.15     04/30/20     67,925    
  100     News America, Inc.     7.85     03/01/39     123,786    
  45     Vivendi SA (144A) (France) (c)     6.625     04/04/18     50,231    
      241,942    
    Office Electronics (0.0%)  
  15     Xerox Corp.     5.625     12/15/19     15,991    
  45     Xerox Corp.     6.35     05/15/18     50,273    
      66,264    
    Oil Companies - Exploration & Production (0.2%)  
  95     Anadarko Petroleum Corp.     6.95     06/15/19     83,070    
  35     EQT Corp.     8.125     06/01/19     41,240    
  100     Gaz Capital SA (144A) (Luxembourg) (c)     6.51     03/07/22     96,850    
  30     Pioneer Natural Resources Co.     6.65     03/15/17     30,302    
  95     Questar Market Resources, Inc.     6.80     04/01/18     99,582    
      351,044    
    Oil Company - Integrated (0.1%)  
  50     Cenovus Energy, Inc.     5.70     10/15/19     54,711    
  80     Petrobras International Finance Co. (Cayman Islands)     5.75     01/20/20     80,964    
      135,675    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
74



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Strategist

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    Oil Refining & Marketing (0.0%)  
$ 55     Motiva Enterprises LLC (144A) (c)     5.75 %   01/15/20   $ 60,630    
    Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels (0.0%)  
  75     Hess Corp.     6.00     01/15/40     77,811    
    Paper & Related Products (0.1%)  
  25     International Paper Co.     7.30     11/15/39     27,656    
  75     International Paper Co.     7.50     08/15/21     87,989    
      115,645    
    Pipelines (0.5%)  
  55     CenterPoint Energy Resources Corp.     6.25     02/01/37     58,415    
  25     CenterPoint Energy Resources Corp. (Series B)     7.875     04/01/13     28,665    
  20     Colorado Interstate Gas Co.     6.80     11/15/15     23,145    
  50     El Paso Corp. (MTN)     8.25     02/15/16     52,625    
  75     Energy Transfer Partners LP     8.50     04/15/14     86,967    
  35     Enterprise Products Operating LLC     5.25     01/31/20     36,101    
  90     Enterprise Products Operating LLC (Series N)     6.50     01/31/19     101,077    
  50     Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP     5.95     02/15/18     54,085    
  135     Kinder Morgan Finance Co. ULC (Canada)     5.70     01/05/16     129,600    
  60     Plains All American Pipeline LP/PAA Finance Corp.     6.70     05/15/36     60,103    
  60     Plains All American Pipeline LP/PAA Finance Corp.     8.75     05/01/19     71,733    
  50     Spectra Energy Capital LLC     7.50     09/15/38     56,157    
  55     Texas Eastern Transmission LP     7.00     07/15/32     65,340    
      824,013    
    Property Trust (0.0%)  
  75     WEA Finance LLC/WT Finance Aust
Pty Ltd. (144A) (c)
    6.75     09/02/19     83,504    
    Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) (0.1%)  
  35     Boston Properties LP     5.625     11/15/20     36,685    
  50     Boston Properties LP     5.875     10/15/19     53,589    
      90,274    
    Real Estate Management & Development (0.0%)  
  65     Brookfield Asset Management, Inc. (Canada)     5.80     04/25/17     65,769    
    Reinsurance (0.1%)  
  60     Platinum Underwriters Finance, Inc. (Series B)     7.50     06/01/17     64,386    
  60     Reinsurance Group of America, Inc.     6.45     11/15/19     64,240    
      128,626    
    REIT - Apartments (0.0%)  
  60     AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (MTN)     6.10     03/15/20     66,437    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
75



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Strategist

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    REIT - Diversified (0.1%)  
$ 115     Digital Realty Trust LP (144A) (d)     4.50 %   07/15/15   $ 114,652    
  75     Duke Realty LP     6.75     03/15/20     78,930    
  60     Vornado Realty LP     4.25     04/01/15     59,710    
      253,292    
    REIT - Health Care (0.0%)  
  60     Health Care, Inc.     6.125     04/15/20     62,181    
    REIT - Office Property (0.0%)  
  40     BioMed Realty LP (144A) (c)     6.125     04/15/20     41,725    
    REIT - Regional Malls (0.1%)  
  100     Simon Property Group LP     6.75     05/15/14     112,489    
    Retail - Automobile (0.0%)  
  40     AutoNation, Inc.     6.75     04/15/18     39,600    
    Retail - Discount (0.0%)  
  40     Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.     5.25     09/01/35     42,278    
    Retail - Drug Store (0.1%)  
  151     CVS Pass-Through Trust     6.036     12/10/28     154,790    
    Retail - Mail Order (0.0%)  
  70     QVC, Inc. (144A) (c)     7.125     04/15/17     68,950    
    Retail - Regional Department Store (0.0%)  
  25     JC Penney Co., Inc.     5.65     06/01/20     24,563    
  49     JC Penney Corp., Inc.     6.375     10/15/36     46,550    
      71,113    
    Retail - Restaurants (0.0%)  
  60     Yum! Brands, Inc.     5.30     09/15/19     64,630    
  5     Yum! Brands, Inc.     6.875     11/15/37     5,759    
      70,389    
    Satellite Telecommunication (0.0%)  
  50     Intelsat Subsidiary Holding Co., Ltd. (Bermuda)     8.50     01/15/13     50,625    
    Schools (0.0%)  
  65     Duke University     5.15     04/01/19     72,313    
    Semiconductor Equipment (0.0%)  
  45     KLA-Tencor Corp.     6.90     05/01/18     50,418    
    Special Purpose Entity (0.4%)  
  190     AIG SunAmerica Global Financing VI (144A) (c)     6.30     05/10/11     192,850    
  140     Farmers Exchange Capital (144A) (c)     7.05     07/15/28     133,873    
  65     Harley-Davidson Funding Corp. (144A) (c)     6.80     06/15/18     68,546    
  130     New Communications Holdings, Inc. (144A) (c)     8.50     04/15/20     130,975    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
76



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Strategist

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
$ 130     Xlliac Global Funding (144A) (c)     4.80 %   08/10/10   $ 130,307    
      656,551    
    Specialty Retail (0.1%)  
  90     Home Depot, Inc.     5.875     12/16/36     92,571    
    Super-Regional Banks - U.S. (0.2%)  
  155     Capital One Financial Corp.     6.75     09/15/17     177,785    
  95     KeyCorp (MTN)     6.50     05/14/13     103,986    
      281,771    
    Telecommunication Services (0.1%)  
  50     Qwest Corp.     6.50     06/01/17     50,625    
  40     Qwest Corp.     6.875     09/15/33     36,900    
  45     Qwest Corp.     8.375     05/01/16     49,387    
  100     Sable International Finance Ltd. (144A)
(Cayman Islands) (c)
    7.75     02/15/17     101,000    
      237,912    
    Telephone - Integrated (0.2%)  
  25     CenturyTel, Inc. (Series Q)     6.15     09/15/19     24,520    
  45     Deutsche Telekom International Finance BV
(Netherlands)
    8.75     06/15/30     58,281    
  60     Telecom Italia Capital SA (Luxembourg)     6.999     06/04/18     64,007    
  130     Telecom Italia Capital SA (Luxembourg)     7.175     06/18/19     140,192    
  95     Telefonica Europe BV (Netherlands)     8.25     09/15/30     117,382    
      404,382    
    Tobacco (0.1%)  
  50     Altria Group, Inc.     4.125     09/11/15     51,003    
  60     Altria Group, Inc.     9.25     08/06/19     75,007    
  50     BAT International Finance PLC (144A)
(United Kingdom) (c)
    9.50     11/15/18     65,622    
      191,632    
    Transport - Rail (0.0%)  
  25     CSX Corp.     6.15     05/01/37     27,431    
  40     Union Pacific Corp.     6.125     02/15/20     46,498    
      73,929    
    Transport - Services (0.0%)  
  35     Ryder System, Inc. (MTN)     7.20     09/01/15     40,638    
    Total Corporate Bonds
(Cost $16,182,965)
    17,119,916    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
77



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Strategist

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    Foreign Government Obligations (0.2%)  
$ 230     Brazilian Government International Bond (Brazil)     6.00 %   01/17/17   $ 254,150    
  25     Peruvian Government International Bond (Peru)     7.125     03/30/19     29,688    
  105     Republic of Italy (Italy)     6.875     09/27/23     119,728    
    Total Foreign Government Obligations
(Cost $376,062)
    403,566    
    U.S. Government Agencies & Obligations (12.0%)  
    Commercial Banks - FDIC Guaranteed (0.1%)  
  200     KeyBank NA     3.20     06/15/12     209,332    
    Diversified Financial Services - FDIC Guaranteed (1.7%)  
  1,200     Citigroup Funding, Inc. (See Note 6)     2.25     12/10/12     1,236,014    
  300     General Electric Capital Corp.     2.20     06/08/12     308,062    
  1,200     General Electric Capital Corp. (Series G)     2.625     12/28/12     1,247,771    
  200     GMAC, Inc.     2.20     12/19/12     205,600    
      2,997,447    
    Finance - Consumer Loans - FDIC Guaranteed (0.6%)  
  1,000     John Deere Capital Corp.     2.875     06/19/12     1,040,382    
    U.S. Government Agencies (1.3%)  
    Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.  
  150         3.75     03/27/19     156,790    
  400         4.875     06/13/18     453,498    
  250         6.75     03/15/31     331,943    
Federal National Mortgage Assoc.  
  500         2.875     12/11/13     525,268    
  700         4.375     10/15/15     775,119    
      2,242,618    
U.S. Government Obligations (8.3%)  
    U.S. Treasury Bonds  
  1,300         3.50     02/15/39     1,207,782    
  200         4.375     11/15/39     215,938    
  270         4.625     02/15/40     303,539    
  500         6.875     08/15/25     693,828    
  1,090         7.50     11/15/24     1,581,351    
    U.S. Treasury Notes  
  1,500         1.375     09/15/12     1,523,086    
  1,300         1.75     03/31/14     1,318,180    
  815         2.25     01/31/15     835,439    
  5,000         2.375     10/31/14     5,159,375    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
78



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Strategist

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
$ 485         2.75   %   02/15/19   $ 483,257    
  1,375         3.625     08/15/19     1,454,170    
      14,775,945    
    Total U.S. Government Agencies & Obligations
(Cost $20,705,947)
    21,265,724    
    Asset-Backed Securities (0.2%)  
  40     Brazos Student Finance Corp. 2010-1 A1     2.085 (e)   06/25/35     39,985    
  175     Ford Credit Floorplan Master Owner Trust
2010-3 A2 (144A) (c)
    2.05 (e)   02/15/17     179,405    
  100     GE Dealer Floorplan Master Note Trust
2009-2A A (144A) (c)
    1.898 (e)   10/20/14     100,056    
  30     Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Trust 2005-3 A2     4.41     06/15/12     30,046    
    Total Asset-Backed Securities
(Cost $344,997)
    349,492    
    U.S. Government Agencies - Mortgage-Backed Securities (0.0%)  
    Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. (ARM) (0.0%)  
          2       6.50     05/01/29 - 12/01/31     2,864    
    Federal National Mortgage Assoc. (0.0%)  
          2       6.50     11/01/29     2,516    
    Total U.S. Government Agencies - Mortgage-Backed Securities
(Cost $5,010)
    5,380    
    Municipal Bonds (0.3%)  
    Airport (0.0%)  
  30     City of Chicago O'Hare Int'l Airport Ser B     6.395     01/01/40     32,643    
    General Obligation (0.1%)  
  75     Chicago Transit Authority Ser B     6.20     12/01/40     79,026    
  70     City of New York Ser G-1     5.968     03/01/36     73,923    
  65     New York City Transitional Finance Authority     5.267     05/01/27     68,474    
  45     State of California Various Purpose General
Obligation Bonds
    5.95     04/01/16     48,083    
  30     State of California     6.65     03/01/22     31,928    
      301,434    
    Power Conversion/Supply Equipment (0.1%)  
  95     Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia Plant Vogtle     6.655     04/01/57     94,325    
  50     Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia Plant Vogtle
Units 3 & 4 Ser 2010 J
    6.637     04/01/57     49,523    
      143,848    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
79



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Strategist

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

  COUPON
RATE
  MATURITY
DATE
  VALUE  
    Transportation (0.1%)  
$ 85     Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (The)
2009 (Series A)
    6.184 %   01/01/34   $ 88,824    
    Total Municipal Bonds
(Cost $547,328)
    566,749    

 

NUMBER OF
SHARES
     
    Investment Trusts/Mutual Funds (5.1%)  
  45,100     CurrencyShares Euro Trust (ETF)     5,496,337    
  126,600     Market Vectors - Russia (ETF)     3,551,130    
    Total Investment Trusts/Mutual Funds
(Cost $8,938,412)
    9,047,467    

 

PRINCIPAL
AMOUNT IN
THOUSANDS
 

 
COUPON
RATE
 
MATURITY
DATE
 
 
    Short-Term Investments (15.6%)  
    U.S. Government Obligation (f)(g) (0.2%)  
$ 450     U.S. Treasury Bill
(Cost $449,702)
    0.10 %     10/28/10       449,851    
NUMBER OF
SHARES (000)
 
 
 
 
 
    Investment Company (15.4%)  
  27,203     Morgan Stanley Institutional Liquidity Funds - Money
Market Portfolio - Institutional Class (See Note 6)
(Cost $27,203,151)
    27,203,151    
  Total Short-Term Investments
(Cost $27,652,853)
    27,653,002    
    Total Investments
(Cost $167,480,236) (h)(i)
      100.0 %     177,117,565    
    Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets       0.0       (80,550 )  
    Net Assets       100.0 %   $ 177,037,015    

 

  ADR  American Depositary Receipt.

  ARM  Adjustable Rate Mortgage. Interest rate in effect as of June 30, 2010.

  ETF  Exchange Trade Fund.

See Notes to Financial Statements
80



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Strategist

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

  FDIC  Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

  MTN  Medium Term Note.

  (a)  Non-income producing security.

  (b)  Consists of one or more class of securities traded together as a unit; stocks with attached warrants.

  (c)  Resale is restricted to qualified institutional investors.

  (d)  Security purchased on a when-issued basis.

  (e)  Floating rate security. Rate shown is the rate in effect at June 30, 2010.

  (f)  Purchased on a discount basis. The interest rates shown have been adjusted to reflect a money market equivalent yield.

  (g)  A portion of this security has been physically segregated in connection with open futures and swap contracts.

  (h)  Securities have been designated as collateral in connection with securities purchased on a when-issued basis, open futures and swap contracts.

  (i)  The aggregate cost for federal income tax purposes approximates the aggregate cost for book purposes. The aggregate gross unrealized appreciation is $16,569,932 and the aggregate gross unrealized depreciation is $6,932,603 resulting in net unrealized appreciation of $9,637,329.

Bond Insurance:

AMBAC  AMBAC Assurance Corporation.

FUTURES CONTRACTS OPEN AT JUNE 30, 2010:

NUMBER OF
CONTRACTS
  LONG/SHORT   DESCRIPTION, DELIVERY
MONTH AND YEAR
  UNDERLYING FACE
AMOUNT AT VALUE
  UNREALIZED
APPRECIATION
(DEPRECIATION)
 
  51     Long   U.S. Treasury Notes 5 Year
September 2010
  $ 6,035,929     $ 99,182    
  7     Short   U.S. Treasury Bonds 30 year
September 2010
    (892,500 )     (18,968 )  
  23     Short   U.S. Treasury Notes 10 Year
September 2010
    (2,818,578 )     (44,900 )  
  42     Short   U.S. Treasury Notes 2 Year
September 2010
    (9,190,781 )     (37,317 )  
Net Unrealized Depreciation   $ (2,003 )  

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
81



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Strategist

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

CREDIT DEFAULT SWAP CONTRACTS OPEN AT JUNE 30, 2010:

SWAP
COUNTERPARTY &
REFERENCE
OBLIGATION
  BUY/SELL
PROTECTION
  NOTIONAL
AMOUNT
(000's)
  INTEREST
RATE
  TERMINATION
DATE
  UNREALIZED
DEPRECIATION
  UPFRONT
PAYMENTS
  VALUE   CREDIT
RATING OF
REFERENCE
OBLIGATION+
 
                                                    (unaudited)  
Bank of America, N.A.
Tyco Electronics Ltd.
  Buy   $ 165       5.00 %   June 20, 2014   $ (20,091 )   $ (6,932 )   $ (27,023 )   BBB-  

 

  +  Credit rating as issued by Standard and Poor's.

INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OPEN AT JUNE 30, 2010:

SWAP
COUNTERPARTY
  NOTIONAL
AMOUNT
(000)
  FLOATING
RATE INDEX
  PAY/RECEIVE
FLOATING RATE
  FIXED RATE   TERMINATION
DATE
  UNREALIZED
DEPRECIATION
 
Bank of America, N.A.***   CAD 1,910     3 Month LIBOR   Pay     5.45 %   05/05/25   $ (3,906 )  
Bank of America, N.A.***   $ 1,840     3 Month LIBOR   Receive     4.915     05/07/25     (22,006 )  
Credit Suisse Group   $ 4,022     3 Month LIBOR   Receive     2.625     03/11/15     (120,781 )  
Total Unrealized Depreciation   $ (146,693 )  

 

  CAD  Canadian Dollar.

  ***  Forward interest rate swap. Periodic payments on specified notional amount with future effective date, unless terminated earlier.

ZERO COUPON SWAP CONTRACTS OPEN AT JUNE 30, 2010:

SWAP
COUNTERPARTY
  NOTIONAL
AMOUNT
(000)
  FLOATING
RATE INDEX
  PAY/RECEIVE
FLOATING RATE
  TERMINATION
DATE
  UNREALIZED
APPRECIATION
(DEPRECIATION)
 
Barclays Bank PLC^^   $ 710     3 Month LIBOR   Pay   11/15/19   $ 16,878    
Barclays Bank PLC^     710     3 Month LIBOR   Receive   11/15/19     (91,551 )  
JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.
New York^
    735     3 Month LIBOR   Receive   11/15/19     (88,875 )  
JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.
New York^
    1,330     3 Month LIBOR   Receive   11/15/21     (162,046 )  
Net Unrealized Depreciation   $ (325,594 )  

 

LIBOR - London Interbank Offered Rate.

  ^  Portfolio will make payments of $275,331, $279,388, and $589,387, respectively, on termination date.

  ^^  Portfolio will receive payment of $194,966 on termination date.

See Notes to Financial Statements
82



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series - Strategist

Portfolio of Investments n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION   VALUE   PERCENT OF
TOTAL
INVESTMENTS
 
Common Stocks   $ 100,706,269       56.9 %  
Investment Companies     27,203,151       15.4    
U.S. Government Agencies & Obligations     21,265,724       12.0    
Corporate Bonds     17,119,916       9.7    
Investment Trusts/Mutual Funds     9,047,467       5.1    
Municipal Bonds     566,749       0.3    
U.S. Government Obligation     449,851       0.2    
Foreign Government Obligations     403,566       0.2    
Asset-Backed Securities     349,492       0.2    
U.S. Government Agencies - Mortgage-Backed Securities     5,380       0.0    
    $ 177,117,565 ^     100.0 %  

 

  ^  Does not include open long/short futures contracts with an underlying face amount of $18,937,788 with net unrealized depreciation of $2,003. Also does not include open swap contracts with net unrealized depreciation of $492,378.

See Notes to Financial Statements
83




Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Financial Statements

Statements of Assets and Liabilities
June 30, 2010 (unaudited)

    Money
Market
  Limited
Duration
  Income
Plus
  Global
Infrastructure
 
Assets:  
Investments in securities, at value*   $ 141,316,138 (1)    $ 70,050,328     $ 226,086,070     $ 67,233,667    
Investment in affiliates, at value**           4,871,827       12,757,301       2,072,728    
Unrealized appreciation on open swap contracts           59,664       31,763          
Cash     5,441                   62,494 (3)   
Receivable for:  
Investments sold           1,531,407                
Interest     23,731       570,832       3,247,978          
Dividends                       430,254    
Shares of beneficial interest sold                       7,502    
Interest and dividends from affiliates           27,217       159,316       264    
Foreign withholding taxes reclaimed                       31,253    
Principal paydowns           14,490                
Periodic interest on open swap contracts           2,049       8,150          
Variation margin           829                
Swap contracts termination           28,464                
Prepaid expenses and other assets     7,801       5,602       12,938       7,063    
Total Assets     141,353,111       77,162,708       242,303,516       69,845,225    
Liabilities:  
Collateral on securities loaned, at value                          
Unrealized depreciation on open swap contracts           899,704       957,037          
Unrealized depreciation on open forward foreign currency contracts                          
Payable for:  
Shares of beneficial interest redeemed     1,245,683       330,685       3,425,874       43,988    
Investments purchased           3,311,871       677,940          
Investment advisory fee     13,820       19,439       90,490       36,337    
Periodic interest on open swap contracts           54,939       219,945          
Variation margin                 83,567          
Distribution fee (Class Y)           12,937       29,273       3,283    
Administration fee     6,448       5,284       17,263       5,150    
Premium received on open swap contracts                 14,596          
Transfer agent fee     250       250       250       250    
Accrued expenses and other payables     42,755       30,892       51,213       55,619    
Total Liabilities     1,308,956       4,666,000       5,567,448       144,627    
Net Assets   $ 140,044,155     $ 72,496,708     $ 236,736,068     $ 69,700,598    
Composition of Net Assets:  
Paid-in-capital   $ 140,042,685     $ 107,639,614     $ 251,148,360     $ 70,205,283    
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation)           584,026       14,211,703       (5,333,112 )  
Accumulated undistributed net investment income (net investment loss)     1,359       426,339       6,000,586       620,983    
Accumulated net realized gain (loss)     111       (36,153,271 )     (34,624,581 )     4,207,444    
Net Assets   $ 140,044,155     $ 72,496,708     $ 236,736,068     $ 69,700,598    
* Cost   $ 141,316,138     $ 68,688,176     $ 212,027,964     $ 72,567,653    
** Affiliated Cost   $     $ 4,859,658     $ 11,631,847     $ 2,072,728    
Class X Shares:  
Net Assets   $ 68,619,193     $ 15,772,435     $ 109,768,915     $ 55,427,543    
Shares Outstanding (unlimited shares authorized, $.01 par value)     68,618,444       2,058,090       10,190,311       8,297,471    
Net Asset Value Per Share   $ 1.00     $ 7.66     $ 10.77     $ 6.68    
Class Y Shares:  
Net Assets   $ 71,424,962     $ 56,724,273     $ 126,967,153     $ 14,273,055    
Shares Outstanding (unlimited shares authorized, $.01 par value)     71,424,247       7,419,103       11,819,030       2,141,215    
Net Asset Value Per Share   $ 1.00     $ 7.65     $ 10.74     $ 6.67    

 

(1)  Including repurchase agreements of $56,831,000.

(2)  Including securities loaned at value of $1,493,425.

(3)  Including foreign currency valued at $62,490 and $422, respectively with a cost of $62,434 and $1,121, respectively.

See Notes to Financial Statements
84



    European
Equity
  Capital
Opportunities
  Aggressive
Equity
  Strategist  
Assets:  
Investments in securities, at value*   $ 60,666,767 (2)    $ 220,611,426     $ 25,683,640     $ 145,797,777    
Investment in affiliates, at value**     2,081,083       5,513,382       1,208,373       31,319,788    
Unrealized appreciation on open swap contracts                       16,878    
Cash     422 (3)                     
Receivable for:  
Investments sold           2,622,657       307,296       152,455    
Interest                       396,775    
Dividends     202,683       34,221       4,059       111,731    
Shares of beneficial interest sold     11,524       266,815             38,054    
Interest and dividends from affiliates     92       719       165       11,749    
Foreign withholding taxes reclaimed     167,570                      
Principal paydowns                          
Periodic interest on open swap contracts                       1,199    
Variation margin                          
Swap contracts termination                       20,697    
Prepaid expenses and other assets     18,566       33,618       4,093       8,222    
Total Assets     63,148,707       229,082,838       27,207,626       177,875,325    
Liabilities:  
Collateral on securities loaned, at value     1,617,062                      
Unrealized depreciation on open swap contracts                       509,256    
Unrealized depreciation on open forward foreign currency contracts     28,390                      
Payable for:  
Shares of beneficial interest redeemed     70,314       79,245       25,325       32,540    
Investments purchased     132,602                   114,652    
Investment advisory fee     41,911       92,810       17,531       62,873    
Periodic interest on open swap contracts                       32,348    
Variation margin                       5,000    
Distribution fee (Class Y)     3,518       13,368       3,622       12,691    
Administration fee     4,598       17,782       2,110       13,246    
Premium received on open swap contracts                       6,932    
Transfer agent fee     250       250       250       250    
Accrued expenses and other payables     42,096       67,614       25,808       48,522    
Total Liabilities     1,940,741       271,069       74,646       838,310    
Net Assets   $ 61,207,966     $ 228,811,769     $ 27,132,980     $ 177,037,015    
Composition of Net Assets:  
Paid-in-capital   $ 80,791,051     $ 359,479,796     $ 38,600,520     $ 161,149,423    
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation)     (4,539,537 )     14,078,750       1,823,819       9,142,948    
Accumulated undistributed net investment income (net investment loss)     1,081,105       155,011       (109,269 )     2,313,690    
Accumulated net realized gain (loss)     (16,124,653 )     (144,901,788 )     (13,182,090 )     4,430,954    
Net Assets   $ 61,207,966     $ 228,811,769     $ 27,132,980     $ 177,037,015    
* Cost   $ 65,181,093     $ 206,532,618     $ 23,859,815     $ 135,683,074    
** Affiliated Cost   $ 2,081,083     $ 5,513,382     $ 1,208,373     $ 31,797,162    
Class X Shares:  
Net Assets   $ 46,179,899     $ 173,623,643     $ 12,252,856     $ 122,938,543    
Shares Outstanding (unlimited shares authorized, $.01 par value)     3,726,483       5,984,101       867,496       10,586,628    
Net Asset Value Per Share   $ 12.39     $ 29.01     $ 14.12     $ 11.61    
Class Y Shares:  
Net Assets   $ 15,028,067     $ 55,188,126     $ 14,880,124     $ 54,098,472    
Shares Outstanding (unlimited shares authorized, $.01 par value)     1,216,563       1,913,891       1,075,269       4,671,514    
Net Asset Value Per Share   $ 12.35     $ 28.84     $ 13.84     $ 11.58    

 


85



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Financial Statements continued

Statements of Operations
For the six months ended June 30, 2010 (unaudited)

    Money
Market
  Limited
Duration
  Income
Plus
  Global
Infrastructure
 
Net Investment Income:  
Income  
Dividends†               $     $ 1,495,642    
Interest†   $ 177,139     $ 1,021,673       7,110,177          
Interest and dividends from affiliates           59,986       411,929       1,093    
Income from securities loaned - net                       24,115    
Total Income     177,139       1,081,659       7,522,106       1,520,850    
†Net of foreign withholding taxes                       96,720    
Expenses  
Investment advisory fee     337,342       112,218       521,477       222,561    
Administration fee     37,483       29,925       99,329       31,237    
Distribution fee (Class Y shares)     95,065       73,325       171,143       20,008    
Professional fees     24,765       20,942       31,247       26,297    
Shareholder reports and notices     36,352       16,226       36,516       20,174    
Custodian fees     3,394       3,057       5,800       42,391    
Trustees' fees and expenses     2,620       1,680       5,242       1,563    
Transfer agent fees and expenses     250       250       250       250    
Registration fees                          
Other     6,098       12,238       22,357       11,229    
Total Expenses     543,369       269,861       893,361       375,710    
Less: amounts waived     (371,568 )                    
Less: rebate from Morgan Stanley affiliated cash sweep (Note 6)           (1,200 )     (2,127 )     (921 )  
Net Expenses     171,801       268,661       891,234       374,789    
Net Investment Income (Loss)     5,338       812,998       6,630,872       1,146,061    
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss):  
Net Realized Gain (Loss) on:  
Investments     111       704,434       7,624,158       5,594,275    
Investments in affiliates           78,125       68,797          
Futures contracts           (55,993 )     (277,741 )        
Swap contracts           (172,207 )     (1,202,588 )        
Options written                       (20,534 )  
Forward foreign currency contracts                       (158,552 )  
Foreign currency translation                       (46,266 )  
Net Realized Gain (Loss)     111       554,359       6,212,626       5,368,923    
Change in Unrealized Appreciation/Depreciation on:  
Investments           259,439       (254,429 )     (16,466,287 )  
Investments in affiliates           (37,910 )     281,445          
Futures contracts           (63,734 )     (1,270,565 )        
Swap contracts           (577,986 )     (634,815 )        
Options written                       23,542    
Forward foreign currency contracts                       (55,094 )  
Foreign currency translation                       (4,829 )  
Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation/Depreciation           (420,191 )     (1,878,364 )     (16,502,668 )  
Net Gain (Loss)     111       134,168       4,334,262       (11,133,745 )  
Net Increase (Decrease)   $ 5,449     $ 947,166     $ 10,965,134     $ (9,987,684 )  

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
86



    European
Equity
  Capital
Opportunities
  Aggressive
Equity
  Strategist  
Net Investment Income:  
Income  
Dividends†   $ 1,439,600     $ 903,166     $ 108,794     $ 1,067,595    
Interest†                       732,914    
Interest and dividends from affiliates     744       4,693       599       55,947    
Income from securities loaned - net     43,518                      
Total Income     1,483,862       907,859       109,393       1,856,456    
†Net of foreign withholding taxes     138,933       25,849       3,129       193    
Expenses  
Investment advisory fee     310,478       533,614       101,884       402,121    
Administration fee     28,550       101,641       12,165       76,594    
Distribution fee (Class Y shares)     21,613       76,642       20,616       73,007    
Professional fees     30,079       35,184       22,185       32,560    
Shareholder reports and notices     8,220       27,754       12,618       29,625    
Custodian fees     15,262       16,452       4,390       8,237    
Trustees' fees and expenses     1,358       10,856       1,154       4,165    
Transfer agent fees and expenses     250       250       250       250    
Registration fees           705                
Other     9,492       12,097       5,764       18,732    
Total Expenses     425,302       815,195       181,026       645,291    
Less: amounts waived     (46,054 )                    
Less: rebate from Morgan Stanley affiliated cash sweep (Note 6)     (708 )     (3,632 )     (581 )     (22,343 )  
Net Expenses     378,540       811,563       180,445       622,948    
Net Investment Income (Loss)     1,105,322       96,296       (71,052 )     1,233,508    
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss):  
Net Realized Gain (Loss) on:  
Investments     (2,585,109 )     15,330,709       2,024,840       5,743,051    
Investments in affiliates                       16,960    
Futures contracts                       78,914    
Swap contracts                       (127,113 )  
Options written                          
Forward foreign currency contracts     (157,440 )     14,807       1,785       274    
Foreign currency translation     (68,317 )     (29,216 )     (4,924 )     (289 )  
Net Realized Gain (Loss)     (2,810,866 )     15,316,300       2,021,701       5,711,797    
Change in Unrealized Appreciation/Depreciation on:  
Investments     (11,531,588 )     (34,103,522 )     (4,381,475 )     (14,652,522 )  
Investments in affiliates                       253,658    
Futures contracts                       (61,700 )  
Swap contracts                       (327,056 )  
Options written                          
Forward foreign currency contracts     (28,390 )                    
Foreign currency translation     (3,549 )     (333 )     (40 )        
Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation/Depreciation     (11,563,527 )     (34,103,855 )     (4,381,515 )     (14,787,620 )  
Net Gain (Loss)     (14,374,393 )     (18,787,555 )     (2,359,814 )     (9,075,823 )  
Net Increase (Decrease)   $ (13,269,071 )   $ (18,691,259 )   $ (2,430,866 )   $ (7,842,315 )  

 


87



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Financial Statements continued

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

    Money Market   Limited Duration   Income Plus  
    For The Six
Months Ended
June 30, 2010
  For The Year
Ended
December 31, 2009
  For The Six
Months Ended
June 30, 2010
  For The Year
Ended
December 31, 2009
  For The Six
Months Ended
June 30, 2010
  For The Year
Ended
December 31, 2009
 
    (unaudited)     (unaudited)     (unaudited)    
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets:  
Operations:  
Net investment income   $ 5,338     $ 41,093     $ 812,998     $ 1,877,885     $ 6,630,872     $ 13,833,429    
Net realized gain (loss)     111       3,704       554,359       2,468,081       6,212,626       5,583,226    
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation                 (420,191 )     (118,469 )     (1,878,364 )     31,176,875    
Net Increase (Decrease)     5,449       44,797       947,166       4,227,497       10,965,134       50,593,530    
Dividends and Distributions to Shareholders from:  
Net investment income  
Class X shares     (3,742 )     (27,542 )     (562,429 )     (750,368 )     (6,824,575 )     (5,671,232 )  
Class Y shares     (3,853 )     (13,660 )     (1,897,146 )     (2,578,098 )     (7,792,022 )     (6,874,880 )  
Net realized gain  
Class X shares                                      
Class Y shares                                      
Total Dividends and Distributions     (7,595 )     (41,202 )     (2,459,575 )     (3,328,466 )     (14,616,597 )     (12,546,112 )  
Net increase (decrease) from transactions in shares of
beneficial interest
    (25,584,894 )     (61,899,672 )     (3,632,596 )     (2,885,461 )     (22,208,125 )     (21,134,851 )  
Net Increase (Decrease)     (25,587,040 )     (61,896,077 )     (5,145,005 )     (1,986,430 )     (25,859,588 )     16,912,567    
Net Assets:  
Beginning of period     165,631,195       227,527,272       77,641,713       79,628,143       262,595,656       245,683,089    
End of Period   $ 140,044,155     $ 165,631,195     $ 72,496,708     $ 77,641,713     $ 236,736,068     $ 262,595,656    
Accumulated Undistributed Net Investment
Income
  $ 1,359     $ 3,616     $ 426,339     $ 2,072,916     $ 6,000,586     $ 13,986,311    

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
88



    Global Infrastructure   European Equity  
    For The Six
Months Ended
June 30, 2010
  For The Year
Ended
December 31, 2009
  For The Six
Months Ended
June 30, 2010
  For The Year
Ended
December 31, 2009
 
    (unaudited)     (unaudited)    
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets:  
Operations:  
Net investment income   $ 1,146,061     $ 2,670,875     $ 1,105,322     $ 1,879,463    
Net realized gain (loss)     5,368,923       4,675,280       (2,810,866 )     (5,368,903 )  
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation     (16,502,668 )     6,249,227       (11,563,527 )     21,084,750    
Net Increase (Decrease)     (9,987,684 )     13,595,382       (13,269,071 )     17,595,310    
Dividends and Distributions to Shareholders from:  
Net investment income  
Class X shares     (1,869,791 )     (2,101,457 )     (1,420,614 )     (2,185,883 )  
Class Y shares     (440,577 )     (498,225 )     (416,655 )     (624,553 )  
Net realized gain  
Class X shares     (5,105,356 )     (20,597,967 )           (2,763,964 )  
Class Y shares     (1,313,510 )     (5,301,817 )           (880,063 )  
Total Dividends and Distributions     (8,729,234 )     (28,499,466 )     (1,837,269 )     (6,454,463 )  
Net increase (decrease) from transactions in shares of
beneficial interest
    1,851,156       13,974,171       (4,205,539 )     (6,200,158 )  
Net Increase (Decrease)     (16,865,762 )     (929,913 )     (19,311,879 )     4,940,689    
Net Assets:  
Beginning of period     86,566,360       87,496,273       80,519,845       75,579,156    
End of Period   $ 69,700,598     $ 86,566,360     $ 61,207,966     $ 80,519,845    
Accumulated Undistributed Net Investment
Income
  $ 620,983     $ 1,785,290     $ 1,081,105     $ 1,813,052    

 


89



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Financial Statements continued

Statements of Changes in Net Assets continued

    Capital Opportunities   Aggressive Equity  
    For The Six
Months Ended
June 30, 2010
  For The Year
Ended
December 31, 2009
  For The Six
Months Ended
June 30, 2010
  For The Year
Ended
December 31, 2009
 
    (unaudited)     (unaudited)    
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets:  
Operations:  
Net investment income (loss)   $ 96,296     $ 852,071     $ (71,052 )   $ (43,741 )  
Net realized gain (loss)     15,316,300       (6,524,739 )     2,021,701       26,304    
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation     (34,103,855 )     124,982,359       (4,381,515 )     14,260,270    
Net Increase (Decrease)     (18,691,259 )     119,309,691       (2,430,866 )     14,242,833    
Dividends and Distributions to Shareholders from:  
Net investment income  
Class X shares     (333,905 )     (639,379 )              
Class Y shares           (66,814 )              
Net realized gain  
Class X shares                          
Class Y shares                          
Total Dividends and Distributions     (333,905 )     (706,193 )              
Net decrease from transactions in shares of beneficial interest     (18,564,308 )     (37,914,310 )     (2,874,737 )     (4,365,317 )  
Net Increase (Decrease)     (37,589,472 )     80,689,188       (5,305,603 )     9,877,516    
Net Assets:  
Beginning of period     266,401,241       185,712,053       32,438,583       22,561,067    
End of Period   $ 228,811,769     $ 266,401,241     $ 27,132,980     $ 32,438,583    
Accumulated Undistributed Net Investment Income (Loss)   $ 155,011     $ 392,620     $ (109,269 )   $ (38,217 )  

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
90



    Strategist  
    For The Six
Months Ended
June 30, 2010
  For The Year
Ended
December 31, 2009
 
    (unaudited)    
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets:  
Operations:  
Net investment income (loss)   $ 1,233,508     $ 2,490,748    
Net realized gain (loss)     5,711,797       7,795,921    
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation     (14,787,620 )     23,313,269    
Net Increase (Decrease)     (7,842,315 )     33,599,938    
Dividends and Distributions to Shareholders from:  
Net investment income  
Class X shares     (2,078,386 )     (3,009,491 )  
Class Y shares     (786,800 )     (1,156,509 )  
Net realized gain  
Class X shares     (699,178 )        
Class Y shares     (311,234 )        
Total Dividends and Distributions     (3,875,598 )     (4,166,000 )  
Net decrease from transactions in shares of beneficial interest     (8,713,182 )     (19,679,309 )  
Net Increase (Decrease)     (20,431,095 )     9,754,629    
Net Assets:  
Beginning of period     197,468,110       187,713,481    
End of Period   $ 177,037,015     $ 197,468,110    
Accumulated Undistributed Net Investment Income (Loss)   $ 2,313,690     $ 3,945,368    

 


91



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Financial Statements continued

Statements of Changes in Net Assets continued
Summary of Transactions in Shares of Beneficial Interest

    Money Market   Limited Duration   Income Plus  
    For The Six
Months Ended
June 30, 2010
  For The Year
Ended
December 31, 2009
  For The Six
Months Ended
June 30, 2010
  For The Year
Ended
December 31, 2009
  For The Six
Months Ended
June 30, 2010
  For The Year
Ended
December 31, 2009
 
    (unaudited)     (unaudited)     (unaudited)    
Class X Shares  
Shares  
Sold     3,644,465       14,093,090       73,048       320,280       26,546       217,229    
Reinvestment of dividends and distributions     3,742       27,542       73,810       97,959       646,266       574,011    
Redeemed     (19,514,432 )     (45,050,887 )     (243,199 )     (379,007 )     (899,974 )     (1,994,330 )  
Net increase (Decrease) - Class X     (15,866,225 )     (30,930,255 )     (96,341 )     39,232       (227,162 )     (1,203,090 )  
Amount  
Sold   $ 3,644,465     $ 14,093,090     $ 574,368     $ 2,506,478     $ 292,687     $ 2,222,728    
Reinvestment of dividends and distributions     3,742       27,542       562,429       750,368       6,824,575       5,671,232    
Redeemed     (19,514,432 )     (45,050,887 )     (1,911,453 )     (2,959,936 )     (10,008,816 )     (20,079,631 )  
Net increase (Decrease) - Class X   $ (15,866,225 )   $ (30,930,255 )   $ (774,656 )   $ 296,910     $ (2,891,554 )   $ (12,185,671 )  
Class Y Shares  
Shares  
Sold     5,024,477       19,989,089       155,599       525,769       105,050       527,412    
Reinvestment of dividends and distributions     3,852       13,660       249,624       337,447       739,983       697,250    
Redeemed     (14,746,998 )     (50,972,166 )     (764,497 )     (1,262,117 )     (2,556,847 )     (2,115,187 )  
Net increase (Decrease) - Class Y     (9,718,669 )     (30,969,417 )     (359,274 )     (398,901 )     (1,711,814 )     (890,525 )  
Amount  
Sold   $ 5,024,477     $ 19,989,089     $ 1,215,474     $ 4,083,133     $ 1,162,500     $ 5,391,890    
Reinvestment of dividends and distributions     3,852       13,660       1,897,146       2,578,098       7,792,022       6,874,880    
Redeemed     (14,746,998 )     (50,972,166 )     (5,970,560 )     (9,843,602 )     (28,271,093 )     (21,215,950 )  
Net increase (Decrease) - Class Y   $ (9,718,669 )   $ (30,969,417 )   $ (2,857,940 )   $ (3,182,371 )   $ (19,316,571 )   $ (8,949,180 )  

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
92



    Global Infrastructure   European Equity  
    For The Six
Months Ended
June 30, 2010
  For The Year
Ended
December 31, 2009
  For The Six
Months Ended
June 30, 2010
  For The Year
Ended
December 31, 2009
 
    (unaudited)     (unaudited)    
Class X Shares  
Shares  
Sold     33,904       38,571       4,709       24,684    
Reinvestment of dividends and distributions     1,047,320       3,071,641       111,246       403,082    
Redeemed     (708,394 )     (1,464,640 )     (358,046 )     (793,662 )  
Net increase (Decrease) - Class X     372,830       1,645,572       (242,091 )     (365,896 )  
Amount  
Sold   $ 285,744     $ 350,423     $ 66,323     $ 337,718    
Reinvestment of dividends and distributions     6,975,147       22,699,424       1,420,614       4,949,847    
Redeemed     (5,687,580 )     (13,246,644 )     (5,033,554 )     (10,207,492 )  
Net increase (Decrease) - Class X   $ 1,573,311     $ 9,803,203     $ (3,546,617 )   $ (4,919,927 )  
Class Y Shares  
Shares  
Sold     21,176       114,210       4,448       9,175    
Reinvestment of dividends and distributions     263,773       786,980       32,730       122,926    
Redeemed     (204,908 )     (308,094 )     (79,520 )     (221,102 )  
Net increase (Decrease) - Class Y     80,041       593,096       (42,342 )     (89,001 )  
Amount  
Sold   $ 173,448     $ 1,092,329     $ 61,066     $ 113,978    
Reinvestment of dividends and distributions     1,754,087       5,800,042       416,655       1,504,616    
Redeemed     (1,649,690 )     (2,721,403 )     (1,136,643 )     (2,898,825 )  
Net increase (Decrease) - Class Y   $ 277,845     $ 4,170,968     $ (658,922 )   $ (1,280,231 )  

 


93



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Financial Statements continued

Statements of Changes in Net Assets continued
Summary of Transactions in Shares of Beneficial Interest

    Capital Opportunities   Aggressive Equity  
    For The Six
Months Ended
June 30, 2010
  For The Year
Ended
December 31, 2009
  For The Six
Months Ended
June 30, 2010
  For The Year
Ended
December 31, 2009
 
    (unaudited)     (unaudited)    
Class X Shares  
Shares  
Sold     11,094       20,590       11,909       30,502    
Reinvestment of dividends and distributions     10,719       26,421                
Redeemed     (475,992 )     (1,215,413 )     (113,844 )     (195,172 )  
Net Decrease - Class X     (454,179 )     (1,168,402 )     (101,935 )     (164,670 )  
Amount  
Sold   $ 348,155     $ 531,421     $ 180,533     $ 374,527    
Reinvestment of dividends and distributions     333,905       639,379                
Redeemed     (14,872,680 )     (28,719,023 )     (1,752,873 )     (2,305,220 )  
Net Decrease - Class X   $ (14,190,620 )   $ (27,548,223 )   $ (1,572,340 )   $ (1,930,693 )  
Class Y Shares  
Shares  
Sold     14,822       21,100       21,329       17,153    
Reinvestment of dividends and distributions           2,776                
Redeemed     (155,579 )     (466,830 )     (109,599 )     (229,185 )  
Net Decrease - Class Y     (140,757 )     (442,954 )     (88,270 )     (212,032 )  
Amount  
Sold   $ 441,250     $ 497,162     $ 314,200     $ 238,698    
Reinvestment of dividends and distributions           66,814                
Redeemed     (4,814,938 )     (10,930,063 )     (1,616,597 )     (2,673,322 )  
Net Decrease - Class Y   $ (4,373,688 )   $ (10,366,087 )   $ (1,302,397 )   $ (2,434,624 )  

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
94



    Strategist  
    For The Six
Months Ended
June 30, 2010
  For The Year
Ended
December 31, 2009
 
    (unaudited)    
Class X Shares  
Shares  
Sold     40,042       143,881    
Reinvestment of dividends and distributions     229,551       274,839    
Redeemed     (790,154 )     (2,013,942 )  
Net Decrease - Class X     (520,561 )     (1,595,222 )  
Amount  
Sold   $ 492,928     $ 1,613,235    
Reinvestment of dividends and distributions     2,777,565       3,009,491    
Redeemed     (9,929,176 )     (22,149,953 )  
Net Decrease - Class X   $ (6,658,683 )   $ (17,527,227 )  
Class Y Shares  
Shares  
Sold     77,735       319,879    
Reinvestment of dividends and distributions     90,972       105,907    
Redeemed     (333,420 )     (611,314 )  
Net Decrease - Class Y     (164,713 )     (185,528 )  
Amount  
Sold   $ 987,974     $ 3,458,405    
Reinvestment of dividends and distributions     1,098,034       1,156,509    
Redeemed     (4,140,507 )     (6,766,996 )  
Net Decrease - Class Y   $ (2,054,499 )   $ (2,152,082 )  

 


95




Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Notes to Financial Statements n June 30, 2010 (unaudited)

1. Organization and Accounting Policies

Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series (the "Fund") is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Act"), as a diversified, open-end management investment company. The Fund is offered exclusively to life insurance companies in connection with particular life insurance and/or annuity contracts they offer.

The Fund, organized on February 25, 1983 as a Massachusetts business trust, consists of eight Portfolios ("Portfolios") which commenced operations as follows:

PORTFOLIO   COMMENCEMENT OF
OPERATIONS
  PORTFOLIO   COMMENCEMENT OF
OPERATIONS
 
Money Market   March 9, 1984   European Equity   March 1, 1991  
Limited Duration   May 4, 1999   Capital Opportunities   March 9, 1984  
Income Plus   March 1, 1987   Aggressive Equity   May 4, 1999  
Global Infrastructure   March 1, 1990   Strategist   March 1, 1987  

 

On June 5, 2000, the Fund commenced offering one additional class of shares (Class Y shares). The two classes are identical except that Class Y shares incur distribution expenses. Class X shares are generally available to holders of contracts offered before May 1, 2000. Class Y shares are available to holders of contracts offered on or after June 5, 2000.

The investment objectives of each Portfolio are as follows:

Money Market   Seeks high current income, preservation of capital and liquidity.  
Limited Duration   Seeks to provide a high level of current income consistent with the preservation of capital.  
Income Plus   Seeks, as its primary objective, to provide a high level of current income and, as a secondary objective, capital appreciation, but only when consistent with its primary objective.  
Global Infrastructure   Seeks both capital appreciation and current income.  
European Equity   Seeks to maximize the capital appreciation of its investments.  
Capital Opportunities   Seeks, as its primary objective, growth of capital and, as a secondary objective, income, but only when consistent with its primary objective.  
Aggressive Equity   Seeks long-term capital growth.  
Strategist   Seeks high total investment return.  

 


96



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Notes to Financial Statements n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

On June 1, 2010, Invesco Ltd., a leading independent global investment management company, completed its purchase of substantially all of the retail asset management business of Morgan Stanley Investment Management (the "Transaction"). In contemplation of the Transaction, the Trustees of the Fund approved an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization (the "Reorganization") with respect to the High Yield, Income Builder, Dividend Growth, Global Dividend and S&P 500 Index Portfolios (each "affected Portfolio"), pursuant to which substantially all of the assets of each affected Portfolio would be combined with those of a newly organized mutual fund advised by an affiliate of Invesco Ltd. (the "New Fund"). On May 11, 2010, the Reorganization was approved by the shareholders of each affected Portfolio at a special meeting of shareholders. On June 1, 2010, the Reorganization was completed and shareholders of each affected Portfolio received shares of the New Fund in exchange for their shares of each affected Portfolio. Accordingly, the financial statements of each affected Portfolio are no longer contained in this report but may be found in the report of their corresponding New Funds.

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies:

A. Valuation of Investments — Money Market: Portfolio securities are valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value, in accordance with Rule 2a-7 under the Act. All remaining Portfolios: (1) an equity portfolio security listed or traded on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") or American Stock Exchange or other exchange is valued at its latest sale price prior to the time when assets are valued; if there were no sales that day, the security is valued at the mean between the last reported bid and ask price; (2) an equity portfolio security listed or traded on the Nasdaq is valued at the Nasdaq Official Closing Price; if there were no sales that day, the security is valued at the mean between the last reported bid and ask price; (3) all other portfolio securities for which over-the-counter market quotations are readily available are valued at the mean between the last reported bid and ask price. In cases where a security is traded on more than one exchange, the security is valued on the exchange designated as the primary market; (4) swaps are marked-to-market daily based upon quotations from market makers; (5) for equity securities traded on foreign exchanges, the last reported sale price or the latest bid price may be used if there were no sales on a particular day; (6) listed options are valued at the latest sale price on the exchange on which they are listed unless no sales of such options have taken place that day, in which case they are valued at the mean between their latest bid and ask price; (7) futures are valued at the latest price published by the commodities exchange on which they trade; (8) when market quotations are not readily available including circumstances under which Morgan Stanley Investment Advisors Inc. (the "Investment Adviser"), or Morgan Stanley Investment Management Limited or Morgan Stanley Investment Management Company (each, a "Sub-Adviser"), each a wholly owned subsidiary of Morgan Stanley, determines that the latest sale price, the bid price or the mean between the last reported bid and ask price do not reflect a security's market value, portfolio securities are


97



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Notes to Financial Statements n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

valued at their fair value as determined in good faith under procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Fund's Trustees. Occasionally, developments affecting the closing prices of securities and other assets may occur between the times at which valuations of such securities are determined (that is, close of the foreign market on which the securities trade) and the close of business on the NYSE. If developments occur during such periods that are expected to materially affect the value of such securities, such valuations may be adjusted to reflect the estimated fair value of such securities as of the close of the NYSE, as determined in good faith by the Fund's Trustees or by the Investment Adviser using a pricing service and/or procedures approved by the Trustees of the Fund; (9) certain portfolio securities may be valued by an outside pricing service approved by the Fund's Trustees; (10) investments in open-end mutual funds, including the Morgan Stanley Institutional Liquidity Funds, are valued at the net asset value as of the close of each business day; and (11) short-term debt securities having a maturity date of more than sixty days at time of purchase are valued on a mark-to-market basis until sixty days prior to maturity and thereafter at amortized cost based on their value on the 61st day. Short-term debt securities having a maturity date of sixty days or less at the time of purchase are valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value.

B. Accounting for Investments — Security transactions are accounted for on the trade date (date the order to buy or sell is executed). Realized gains and losses on security transactions are determined by the identified cost method. Dividend income and other distributions are recorded on the ex-dividend date except for certain dividends on foreign securities which are recorded as soon as the Fund is informed after the ex-dividend date. Interest income is accrued daily except where collection is not expected. Discounts are accreted and premiums are amortized over the life of the respective securities and are included in interest income. Interest income is accrued daily as earned.

C. Repurchase Agreements — The Fund may invest directly with institutions in repurchase agreements. The Fund's custodian receives the collateral, which is marked-to-market daily, to determine that the value of the collateral does not decrease below the repurchase price plus accrued interest as earned. If such a decrease occurs, additional collateral will be requested and, when received, will be added to the account to maintain full collateralization.

D. Multiple Class Allocations — Investment income, expenses (other than distribution fees), and realized and unrealized gains and losses are allocated to each class of shares based upon the relative net asset value on the date such items are recognized. Distribution fees are charged directly to the respective class.

E. Options — When the Fund writes a call or put option, an amount equal to the premium received is included in the Fund's Statement of Assets and Liabilities as a liability which is subsequently marked-to-market to reflect the current market value of the option written. If a written option either expires or the Fund enters into a


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closing purchase transaction, the Fund realizes a gain or loss without regard to any unrealized gain or loss on the underlying security or currency and the liability related to such option is extinguished. If a written call option is exercised, the Fund realizes a gain or loss from the sale of the underlying security or currency and the proceeds from such sale are increased by the premium originally received. If a written put option is exercised, the amount of the premium originally received reduces the cost of the security which the Fund purchases upon exercise of the option. By writing a covered call option, the Fund, in exchange for the premium, foregoes the opportunity for capital appreciation above the exercise price, should the market price of the underlying security increase. By writing a put option, the Fund, in exchange for the premium, accepts the risk of having to purchase a security at an exercise price that is above the current market price.

When the Fund purchases a call or put option, the premium paid is recorded as an investment which is subsequently marked-to-market to reflect the current market value. If a purchased option expires, the Fund will realize a loss to the extent of the premium paid. If the Fund enters into a closing sale transaction, a gain or loss is realized for the difference between the proceeds from the sale and the cost of the option. If a put option is exercised, the cost of the security or currency sold upon exercise will be increased by the premium originally paid. If a call option is exercised, the cost of the security purchased upon exercise will be increased by the premium originally paid. The maximum exposure to loss for any purchased option is limited to the premium initially paid for the option.

F. Futures — A futures contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell financial instruments or contracts based on financial indices at a set price on a future date. Upon entering into such a contract, the Fund is required to pledge to the broker: cash, U.S. Government securities or other liquid portfolio securities equal to the minimum initial margin requirements of the applicable futures exchange. Pursuant to the contract, the Fund agrees to receive from or pay to the broker an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in the value of the contract. Such receipts or payments known as variation margin are recorded by the Fund as unrealized gains and losses. Upon closing of the contract, the Fund realizes a gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed.

G. Foreign Currency Translation and Forward Foreign Currency Contracts — The books and records of the Fund are maintained in U.S. dollars as follows: (1) the foreign currency market value of investment securities, other assets and liabilities and forward foreign currency contracts ("forward contracts") are translated at the exchange rates prevailing at the end of the period; and (2) purchases, sales, income and expenses are translated at the exchange rates prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions. The resultant exchange gains and losses are recorded as realized and unrealized gains/losses on


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forward contracts and foreign currency translations. Pursuant to U.S. federal income tax regulations, certain foreign exchange gains/losses included in realized and unrealized gains/losses are included in or are a reduction of ordinary income for federal income tax purposes. The Fund does not isolate that portion of the results of operations arising as a result of changes in the foreign exchange rates from the changes in the market prices of the securities held. Forward contracts are valued daily at the appropriate exchange rates. The resultant unrealized exchange gains and losses are recorded as unrealized foreign currency translation gains or losses. The Fund records realized gains or losses on delivery of the currency or at the time the forward contract is extinguished (compensated) by entering into a closing transaction prior to delivery.

H. Securities Lending — The Fund may lend securities to qualified financial institutions, such as broker-dealers, to earn additional income. Any increase or decrease in the fair value of the securities loaned that might occur and any interest earned or dividends declared on those securities during the term of the loan would remain in the Fund. The Fund receives cash or securities as collateral in an amount equal to or exceeding 100% of the current fair value of the loaned securities. The collateral is marked-to-market daily, by the securities lending agent, to ensure that a minimum of 100% collateral coverage is maintained.

Based on pre-established guidelines, the securities lending agent invests any cash collateral that is received in high-quality short-term investments. Securities lending income is generated from the earnings on the invested collateral and borrowing fees, less any rebates owed to the borrowers and compensation to the lending agent.

PORTFOLIO   VALUE OF LOANED
SECURITIES
  VALUE OF COLLATERAL
CASH(1)
 
European Equity   $ 1,493,425     $ 1,617,062    

 

(1)  The Portfolio received cash collateral which was subsequently invested in Repurchase Agreements and Morgan Stanley Institutional Liquidity Funds as reported in the Portfolio of Investments.

The Portfolio has the right under the lending agreement to recover the securities from the borrower on demand.

I. Swaps — Certain Portfolios may enter into credit default swap contracts, a type of credit derivative, for hedging purposes or to gain exposure to a credit or index of credits of underlying issue in which the Portfolio may otherwise invest. A credit default swap is an agreement between two parties to exchange the credit risk of an issuer or index of issuers. A buyer of a credit default swap is said to buy protection by paying periodic fees in return for a contingent payment from the seller if the issuer has a credit event such as bankruptcy, a failure to pay outstanding obligations or deteriorating credit while the swap is outstanding. A


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seller of a credit default swap is said to sell protection and thus collects the periodic fees and profits if the credit of the issuer remains stable or improves while the swap is outstanding. The seller in a credit default swap contract would be required to pay an agreed-upon amount, to the buyer in the event of an adverse credit event of the issuer. This agreed-upon amount approximates the notional amount of the swap as disclosed in the table following the Portfolio of Investments and is estimated to be the maximum potential future payment that the seller could be required to make under the credit default swap contract. In the event of an adverse credit event, the seller generally does not have any contractual remedies against the issuer or any other third party. However, if a physical settlement is elected, the seller would receive the defaulted credit and, as a result, become a creditor of the issuer.

The current credit rating of each individual issuer is listed in the table following the Portfolio of Investments and serves as indicator of the current status of the payment/performance risk of the credit derivative. Alternatively, for credit default swaps on an index of credits, the quoted market prices and current values serve as an indicator of the current status of the payment/performance risk of the credit derivative. Generally, lower credit ratings and increasing market values, in absolute terms, represent a deterioration of the credit and a greater likelihood of an adverse credit event of the issuer.

The Portfolios accrue for the periodic fees on credit default swaps on a daily basis as earned with the net amount accrued recorded within realized gains/losses on swap contracts on the Statement of Operations. Net unrealized gains are recorded as an asset or net unrealized losses are reported as a liability on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. The change in value of the swap contracts is reported as unrealized gains or losses on the Statement of Operations. Payments received or made upon entering into a credit default swap contract, if any, are recorded as realized gains or losses on the Statement of Operations upon termination or maturity of the swap. Credit default swaps may involve greater risks than if a Portfolio had invested in the issuer directly. Credit default swaps are subject to general market risk, counterparty risk and credit risk.

Certain Portfolios may also enter into interest rate swaps and asset swaps (where parties combine the purchase or sale of a bond/note with an interest rate swap) primarily to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of its portfolio, as a duration management technique or to protect against any increase in the price of securities the Portfolio anticipates purchasing at a later date. These are contractual agreements to exchange periodic interest payment streams calculated on a predetermined notional principal amount. They generally involve one party paying a fixed interest rate and the other party paying a variable rate. The Portfolio will usually enter into them on a net basis, i.e, the two payment streams


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are netted out in a cash settlement on the payment date or date specified in the instrument, with the Portfolio receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. The Portfolio accrues the net amount with respect to each swap on a daily basis. This net amount is recorded within realized gains/losses on swap contracts on the Statement of Operations. Risk may arise as a result of the potential inability of the counterparties to meet the terms of the contracts.

Swap agreements are not entered into or traded on exchanges and there is no central clearing or guaranty function for swaps. Therefore, swaps are subject to the risk of default or non-performance by the counterparty. If there is a default by the counterparty to a swap agreement, the Portfolio will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. Counterparties are required to pledge collateral daily (based on the valuation of each swap) on behalf of the Portfolio with a value approximately equal to the amount of any unrealized gain. Reciprocally, when the Portfolio has an unrealized loss on a swap contract, the Portfolio has instructed the custodian to pledge cash or liquid securities as collateral with a value approximately equal to the amount of the unrealized loss. Collateral pledges are monitored and subsequently adjusted if and when the swap valuations fluctuate. For cash collateral received, the Portfolio pays a monthly fee to the counterparty based on the effective rate for Federal Funds.

J. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities — Certain Portfolios may invest in Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities ("TIPS"), including structured bonds in which the principal amount is adjusted daily to keep pace with inflation, as measured by the U.S. Consumer Pricing Index for Urban Consumers. The adjustments to principal due to inflation/deflation are reflected as increases/decreases to interest income with a corresponding adjustment to cost. Such adjustments may have a significant impact on the Portfolio's distributions and may result in a return of capital to shareholders. The repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity is guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.

K. Federal Income Tax Policy — It is the Fund's policy to comply with the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute substantially all of its taxable income to its shareholders. Therefore, no federal income tax provision is required. The Fund files tax returns with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, New York State and New York City. The Fund recognizes the tax effects of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return only if it is more likely than not to be sustained based solely on its technical merits as of the reporting date. The more-likely-than-not threshold must continue to be met in each reporting period to support continued recognition of the benefit. The difference between the tax benefit recognized in the financial statements for a tax position taken and the tax


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benefit claimed in the income tax return is referred to as an unrecognized tax benefit. There are no unrecognized tax benefits in the accompanying financial statements. If applicable, the Fund recognizes interest accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits in interest expense and penalties in other expenses in the Statement of Operations. Each of the tax years filed in the four-year period ended December 31, 2009 remains subject to examination by taxing authorities.

L. Dividends and Distributions to Shareholders — The Fund records dividends and distributions to its shareholders on the ex-dividend date.

M. Expenses — Direct expenses are charged to the respective Portfolio and general Fund expenses are allocated on the basis of relative net assets or equally among the Portfolios.

N. Use of Estimates — The preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP") requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosures. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

O. Subsequent Events — The Fund considers events or transactions that occur after the date of the Statement of Assets and Liabilities but before the financial statements are issued to provide additional evidence relative to certain estimates or to identify matters that require additional disclosure. Subsequent events have been evaluated through the date of issuance of these financial statements.

P. Indemnifications — The Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of indemnifications. The Fund's maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown. However, the Fund has not had prior claims or losses pursuant to these contracts and expects the risk of loss to be remote.

2. Fair Valuation Measurements

Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (ASC 820) (formerly known as FAS 157), defines fair value as the price that the Fund would receive to sell an investment or pay to transfer a liability in a timely transaction with an independent buyer in the principal market, or in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market for the investment or liability. ASC 820 establishes a three-tier hierarchy to distinguish between (1) inputs that reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity (observable inputs) and (2) inputs that reflect the reporting entity's own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the


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circumstances (unobservable inputs) and to establish classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes. Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund's investments. The inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below.

•  Level 1 — unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical investments

•  Level 2 — other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar investments, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

•  Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs including the Fund's own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments. Factors considered in making this determination may include, but are not limited to, information obtained by contacting the issuer, analysts, or the appropriate stock exchange (for exchange-traded securities), analysis of the issuer's financial statements or other available documents and, if necessary, available information concerning other securities in similar circumstances

The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities and the determination of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment and considers factors specific to each security.

The following is a summary of the inputs used as of June 30, 2010 in valuing the Fund's investments carried at fair value:

        Fair Value Measurements at June 30, 2010 Using  
Investment Type   Total   Unadjusted
Quoted Prices In
Active Market for
Identical Investments
(Level 1)
  Other
Significant
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
  Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
 
Money Market  
Assets:  
Repurchase Agreements   $ 56,831,000           $ 56,831,000          
Commercial Paper     42,486,511             42,486,511          
Floating Rate Notes — Corporate     17,000,000             17,000,000          
Floating Rate Notes — U.S.
Government Agency
    8,998,627             8,998,627          
Certificates of Deposit     16,000,000             16,000,000          
Total   $ 141,316,138           $ 141,316,138          

 


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        Fair Value Measurements at June 30, 2010 Using  
Investment Type   Total   Unadjusted
Quoted Prices In
Active Market for
Identical Investments
(Level 1)
  Other
Significant
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
  Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
 
Limited Duration  
Assets:  
Corporate Bonds   $ 42,614,925           $ 42,614,925          
Foreign Government Obligation     1,548,826             1,548,826          
U.S. Government Agencies &
Obligation
    7,062,874             7,062,874          
U.S. Government Agencies —
Mortgage-Backed Securities
    2,938,389             2,938,389          
Asset-Backed Securities     15,542,047             15,542,047          
Collateralized Mortgage Obligation     435,750             435,750          
Commercial Mortgage-Backed
Securities
    670,442             670,442          
Municipal Bond     299,850             299,850          
Short-Term Investments  
U.S. Government Obligations     699,686             699,686          
Investment Company     3,109,366     $ 3,109,366                
Total Short-Term Investments     3,809,052       3,109,366       699,686          
Futures     162,069       162,069                
Zero Coupon Swaps     59,664             59,664          
Total   $ 75,143,888     $ 3,271,435     $ 71,872,453          
Liabilities:  
Futures   $ (112,324 )   $ (112,324 )              
Interest Rate Swaps     (206,426 )         $ (206,426 )        
Zero Coupon Swaps     (693,278 )           (693,278 )        
Total   $ (1,012,028 )   $ (112,324 )   $ (899,704 )        
Income Plus  
Assets:  
Corporate Bonds   $ 226,685,835           $ 226,685,835          
Convertible Bonds     4,209,926             4,209,926          
Commercial Mortgage-Backed
Securities
    2,341,183             2,341,183          

 


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Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

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        Fair Value Measurements at June 30, 2010 Using  
Investment Type   Total   Unadjusted
Quoted Prices In
Active Market for
Identical Investments
(Level 1)
  Other
Significant
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
  Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
 
Foreign Government Obligations   $ 1,947,967           $ 1,947,967          
Municipal Bond     641,112             641,112          
U.S. Government Agencies —
Mortgage-Backed Security
    1,609             1,609          
Short-Term Investments  
U.S. Government Obligations     1,878,466             1,878,466          
Investment Company     1,137,273     $ 1,137,273                
Total Short-Term Investments     3,015,739       1,137,273       1,878,466          
Futures     947,887       947,887                
Credit Default Swaps     31,763             31,763          
Total   $ 239,823,021     $ 2,085,160     $ 237,737,861          
Liabilities:  
Futures   $ (994,470 )   $ (994,470 )              
Credit Default Swaps     (136,017 )         $ (136,017 )        
Interest Rate Swaps     (821,020 )           (821,020 )        
Total   $ (1,951,507 )   $ (994,470 )   $ (957,037 )        
Global Infrastructure  
Long-Term Investments  
Common Stocks  
Airports   $ 3,491,117     $ 910,776     $ 2,580,341          
Communications     11,618,392       8,581,367       3,037,025          
Diversified     3,450,478       2,130,999       1,319,479          
Oil & Gas Storage & Transportation     24,661,793       17,060,988       7,600,805          
Ports     1,012,715       165,043       847,672          
Toll Roads     7,303,753             7,303,753          
Transmission & Distribution     12,108,874       5,570,699       6,538,175          
Water     3,586,545       983,788       2,602,757          
Total Common Stocks     67,233,667       35,403,660       31,830,007          
Investment Company     2,072,728       2,072,728                
Total   $ 69,306,395     $ 37,476,388     $ 31,830,007          

 


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Notes to Financial Statements n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

        Fair Value Measurements at June 30, 2010 Using  
Investment Type   Total   Unadjusted
Quoted Prices In
Active Market for
Identical Investments
(Level 1)
  Other
Significant
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
  Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
 
European Equity Portfolio  
Assets:  
Common Stocks  
Aerospace & Defense   $ 1,144,326           $ 1,144,326          
Auto Components     1,074,027             1,074,027          
Automobiles     1,640,649             1,640,649          
Chemicals     1,078,001             1,078,001          
Commercial Banks     8,266,873             8,266,873          
Diversified Telecommunication
Services
    2,884,139             2,884,139          
Electrical Equipment     1,501,019             1,501,019          
Food & Staples Retailing     1,909,945             1,909,945          
Food Products     3,287,850             3,287,850          
Health Care Equipment & Supplies     922,268             922,268          
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure     1,020,017             1,020,017          
Industrial Conglomerates     1,861,690             1,861,690          
Insurance     3,415,561             3,415,561          
Machinery     2,496,406             2,496,406          
Media     1,014,439             1,014,439          
Metals & Mining     2,785,427             2,785,427          
Multi-Utilities     1,101,546             1,101,546          
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels     6,541,933             6,541,933          
Pharmaceuticals     7,346,626             7,346,626          
Professional Services     975,742             975,742          
Specialty Retail     1,465,900             1,465,900          
Tobacco     3,342,540             3,342,540          
Wireless Telecommunication Services     2,233,748             2,233,748          
Total Common Stocks     59,310,672             59,310,672          
Preferred Stock     1,071,399             1,071,399          
Short-Term Investments  
Repurchase Agreement     284,696             284,696          
Investment Company     2,081,083     $ 2,081,083                
Total Short-Term Investments     2,365,779       2,081,083       284,696          
Total   $ 62,747,850     $ 2,081,083     $ 60,666,767          
Liabilities:  
Forward Foreign Currency Contracts   $ (28,390 )         $ (28,390 )        

 


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        Fair Value Measurements at June 30, 2010 Using  
Investment Type   Total   Unadjusted
Quoted Prices In
Active Market for
Identical Investments
(Level 1)
  Other
Significant
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
  Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
 
Capital Opportunities  
Common Stocks  
Air Freight & Logistics   $ 5,314,885     $ 5,314,885                
Capital Markets     7,252,096       7,252,096                
Chemicals     5,974,166       5,974,166                
Computers & Peripherals     25,484,404       25,484,404                
Distributors     8,997,816           $ 8,997,816          
Diversified Financial Services     15,378,462       15,378,462                
Food Products     6,242,747       6,242,747                
Health Care Technology     4,444,373       4,444,373                
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure     23,848,656       20,613,452       3,235,204          
Information Technology Services     12,611,597       12,611,597                
Internet & Catalog Retail     14,626,964       14,626,964                
Internet Software & Services     27,992,054       20,305,876       7,686,178          
Life Sciences Tools & Services     13,767,055       13,767,055                
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels     13,979,653       13,979,653                
Professional Services     13,117,607       13,117,607                
Real Estate Management &
Development
    8,856,951       8,856,951                
Semiconductors & Semiconductor
Equipment
    4,213,478       4,213,478                
Software     7,042,647       7,042,647                
Total Common Stocks     219,145,611       199,226,413       19,919,198          
Convertible Preferred Stock     1,465,815                 $ 1,465,815    
Short-Term Investment —
Investment Company
    5,513,382       5,513,382                
Total   $ 226,124,808     $ 204,739,795     $ 19,919,198     $ 1,465,815    

 


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        Fair Value Measurements at June 30, 2010 Using  
Investment Type   Total   Unadjusted
Quoted Prices In
Active Market for
Identical Investments
(Level 1)
  Other
Significant
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
  Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
 
Aggressive Equity  
Assets:  
Common Stocks  
Air Freight & Logistics   $ 610,654     $ 610,654                
Capital Markets     833,202       833,202                
Chemicals     686,367       686,367                
Computers & Peripherals     3,009,540       3,009,540                
Distributors     1,029,601           $ 1,029,601          
Diversified Financial Services             1,766,858       1,766,858          
Food Products     745,485       745,485                
Health Care Technology     510,633       510,633                
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure     2,845,946       2,459,450       386,496          
Information Technology Services     1,484,772       1,484,772                
Internet & Catalog Retail     1,680,528       1,680,528                
Internet Software & Services     3,265,181       2,358,209       906,972          
Life Sciences Tools & Services     1,581,748       1,581,748                
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels     1,606,123       1,606,123                
Professional Services     1,507,099       1,507,099                
Real Estate Management &
Development
    1,017,583       1,017,583                
Semiconductors & Semiconductor
Equipment
    484,100       484,100                
Software     840,950       840,950                
Total Common Stocks     25,506,370       23,183,301     $ 2,323,069          
Convertible Preferred Stocks     177,270                 $ 177,270    
Short-Term Investment —
Investment Company
    1,208,373       1,208,373                
Total   $ 26,892,013     $ 24,391,674     $ 2,323,069     $ 177,270    

 


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        Fair Value Measurements at June 30, 2010 Using  
Investment Type   Total   Unadjusted
Quoted Prices In
Active Market for
Identical Investments
(Level 1)
  Other
Significant
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
  Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
 
Strategist  
Assets:  
Common Stocks  
Aerospace & Defense   $ 4,663,319     $ 4,663,319                
Automobiles     1,181,913       1,181,913                
Biotechnology     7,589,726       7,589,726                
Capital Markets     1,498,164       1,498,164                
Chemicals     2,344,164       2,344,164                
Commercial Banks     1,431,680       1,431,680                
Commercial Services & Supplies     2,424,662       2,424,662                
Communications Equipment     1,493,831       1,493,831                
Computers & Peripherals     4,770,898       4,770,898                
Consumer Finance     1,625,715       1,625,715                
Diversified Financial Services     4,544,023       4,544,023                
Diversified Telecommunication
Services
    1,468,248       1,468,248                
Electric Utilities     1,815,260       1,815,260                
Electrical Equipment     1,824,931       1,824,931                
Electronic Equipment, Instruments &
Components
    711,569       711,569                
Energy Equipment & Services     2,951,245       2,951,245                
Food & Staples Retailing     1,024,499       1,024,499                
Food Products     1,860,787       1,860,787                
Health Care Equipment & Supplies     1,785,793       1,785,793                
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure     2,207,726       2,207,726                
Hotels/Resorts/Cruiselines     2,998,690       2,998,690                
Household Durables     2,819,973       2,819,973                
Household Products     701,752       701,752                
Industrial Conglomerates     2,309,363       2,309,363                
Information Technology Services     968,921       968,921                
Insurance     2,889,800       2,889,800                
Internet Software & Services     1,195,111       1,195,111                
Life Sciences Tools & Services     1,253,718       1,253,718                
Machinery     2,876,315       2,876,315                
Metals & Mining     3,072,229       3,072,229                

 


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        Fair Value Measurements at June 30, 2010 Using  
Investment Type   Total   Unadjusted
Quoted Prices In
Active Market for
Identical Investments
(Level 1)
  Other
Significant
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
  Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
 
Multiline Retail   $ 913,900     $ 913,900                
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels     3,006,829       3,006,829                
Pharmaceuticals     4,746,515       4,746,515                
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)     1,313,521       1,313,521                
Real Estate Management &
Development
    2,604,525       2,604,525                
Semiconductors & Semiconductor
Equipment
    4,539,518       4,539,518                
Software     6,737,125       6,737,125                
Specialty Retail     2,050,693       2,050,693                
Tobacco     2,677,951       2,677,951                
Water Utilities     1,811,667       1,811,667                
Total Common Stocks     100,706,269       100,706,269                
Corporate Bonds     17,119,916           $ 17,119,916          
Foreign Government Obligations     403,566             403,566          
U.S. Government Agencies &
Obligations
    21,265,724             21,265,724          
Asset-Backed Securities     349,492             349,492          
U.S. Government Agencies —
Mortgage-Backed Securities
    5,380             5,380          
Municipal Bonds     566,749             566,749          
Investment Trusts/Mutual Funds     9,047,467       9,047,467                
Short-Term Investments  
U.S. Government Obligation     449,851             449,851          
Investment Company     27,203,151       27,203,151                
Total Short-Term Investments     27,653,002       27,203,151       449,851          
Futures     99,182       99,182                
Zero Coupon Swaps     16,878             16,878          
Total   $ 177,233,625     $ 137,056,069     $ 40,177,556          
Liabilities:  
Futures   $ (101,185 )   $ (101,185 )              
Credit Default Swaps     (20,091 )         $ (20,091 )        
Interest Rate Swaps     (146,693 )           (146,693 )        
Zero Coupon Swaps     (342,472 )           (342,472 )        
Total   $ (610,411 )   $ (101,185 )   $ (509,256 )        

 


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Transfers between investment levels may occur as the markets fluctuate and/or the availability of data used in an investment's valuation changes. The Portfolios recognize transfers between the Levels as of the end of the period. As of June 30, 2010, securities transferred from Level 2 to Level 1. At December 31, 2009, the fair market value of certain securities were adjusted due to developments which occurred between the time of the close of the foreign markets on which they trade and the close of business on the NYSE which resulted in their Level 2 classification. The values of the transfers were as follows:

    Capital Opportunities   Aggressive Equity  
  $ 9,562,089     $ 1,098,614    

 

Following is a reconciliation of investments in which significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) were used in determining fair value:

    Capital
Opportunities
  Aggressive
Equity
 
Beginning Balance              
Net purchases (sales)   $ 1,465,815     $ 177,270    
Amortization of discount              
Transfers in              
Transfers out              
Change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation              
Realized gains (losses)              
Ending Balance   $ 1,465,815     $ 177,270    
Net change in unrealized appreciation/
depreciation from investments still held
as of June 30, 2010
             

 

3. Derivative Financial Instruments

A derivative financial instrument in very general terms refers to a security whose value is "derived" from the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index.

The Fund may use derivative instruments for a variety of reasons, such as to attempt to protect the Fund against possible changes in the market value of its portfolio or to manage the Fund's foreign currency exposure or to generate potential gain. All of the Fund's portfolio holdings, including derivative instruments, are marked-to-market each day with the change in value reflected in unrealized


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appreciation/depreciation. Upon disposition, a realized gain or loss is recognized accordingly, except when taking delivery of a security underlying a contract. In these instances, the recognition of gain or loss is postponed until the disposal of the security underlying the contract. Risk may arise as a result of the potential inability of the counterparties to meet the terms of their contracts.

Summarized below are specific types of derivative financial instruments used by certain Portfolios.

Forward Foreign Currency Contracts Certain Portfolios may enter into forward contracts for many purposes, including to facilitate settlement of foreign currency denominated portfolio transactions or to manage foreign currency exposure associated with foreign currency denominated securities. Forward contracts involve elements of market risk in excess of the amount reflected in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. The respective Portfolios bear the risk of an unfavorable change in the foreign exchange rates underlying the forward contracts. Risks may also arise upon entering into these contracts from the potential inability of the counterparties to meet the terms of their contracts.

During the six months ended June 30, 2010, the value of forward foreign currency contracts opened and closed were as follows:

PORTFOLIO   OPEN   CLOSE  
Global Infrastructure   $ 90,497,056     $ 103,483,267    
European Equity     28,263,081       33,076,310    
Capital Opportunities     3,636,260       8,983,777    
Aggressive Equity     434,409       1,259,157    
Strategist           11,170    

 

Futures Certain Portfolios may purchase and sell interest rate, Eurodollar and index futures ("futures contracts") to facilitate trading, increase or decrease the Portfolio's market exposure, seek higher investment returns or to seek to protect against a decline in the value of the Portfolio's securities or an increase in prices of securities that may be purchased. These futures involve elements of market risk in excess of the amount reflected in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. The respective Portfolios bear the risk of an unfavorable change in the value of the underlying securities. Risks may also arise upon entering into these contracts from the potential inability of the counterparties to meet the terms of their contracts.


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Transactions in futures contracts for the six months ended June 30, 2010, were as follows:

Limited Duration  
    NUMBER OF
CONTRACTS
 
Futures, outstanding at beginning of the period     243    
Futures opened     881    
Futures closed     (930 )  
Futures, outstanding at end of the period     194    
Income Plus  
    NUMBER OF
CONTRACTS
 
Futures, outstanding at beginning of the period     864    
Futures opened     3,146    
Futures closed     (3,063 )  
Futures, outstanding at end of the period     947    
Strategist  
    NUMBER OF
CONTRACTS
 
Futures, outstanding at beginning of the period     73    
Futures opened     421    
Futures closed     (371 )  
Futures, outstanding at end of the period     123    

 

Options For hedging and investment purposes, certain Portfolios may engage in transactions in listed and over-the-counter options. Risks may arise from an imperfect correlation between the change in the market value of the securities held by the Portfolio and the price of options relating to the securities purchased or sold by the Portfolio and from the possible lack of a liquid secondary market for an option.


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Transactions in options for the six months ended June 30, 2010, were as follows:

Global Infrastructure  
    NUMBER OF
CONTRACTS
  PREMIUM  
Options written, outstanding at beginning of period     595     $ 29,784    
Options written     1,243       34,530    
Options closed     (1,168 )     (39,436 )  
Options expired     (670 )     (24,878 )  
Options written, outstanding at end of period         $    

 

Swaps Certain Portfolios may enter into interest rate swaps and asset swaps (where parties combine the purchase or sale of a bond/note with an interest rate swap) and may purchase or sell interest rate caps, floors and collars. The Portfolio expects to enter into these transactions primarily to manage interest rate risk, hedge portfolio positions and preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of its portfolio. The Portfolio may also enter into these transactions to protect against any increase in the price of securities the Portfolio anticipates purchasing at a later date. These transactions are subject to market risk, risk of default by the other party to the transaction, risk of imperfect correlation and manager risk. Such risks may exceed the related amounts shown in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.

Certain Portfolios may enter into credit default swaps for hedging purposes, to add leverage to its portfolio or to gain exposure to a credit in which the Portfolio may otherwise invest. Credit default swaps may involve greater risks than if the Portfolio had invested in the issuer directly. Credit default swaps are subject to general market risk, counterparty risk and credit risk. If the Portfolio is a buyer and no credit event occurs, it will lose its investment. In addition, if the Portfolio is a seller and a credit event occurs, the value of the referenced obligation received by the Portfolio coupled with the periodic payments previously received may be less than the maximum payout amount it pays to the buyer, resulting in a loss to the Portfolio.

Transactions in swap contracts for the six months ended June 30, 2010, were as follows:

Limited Duration  
    NOTIONAL
AMOUNT
(000'S)
 
Swaps, outstanding at beginning of period   $ 24,683    
Swaps opened     25,275    
Swaps closed     (33,549 )  
Swaps, outstanding at end of period   $ 16,409    

 


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Income Plus  
    NOTIONAL
AMOUNT
(000'S)
 
Swaps, outstanding at beginning of period   $ 5,665    
Swaps opened     96,621    
Swaps closed     (73,066 )  
Swaps, outstanding at end of period   $ 29,220    
Strategist  

 

    NOTIONAL
AMOUNT
(000'S)
  NOTIONAL
AMOUNT
(000'S)
 
Swaps, outstanding at beginning of period         $ 18,882    
Swaps opened   CAD 1,910       33,101    
Swaps closed           (42,471 )  
Swaps, outstanding at end of period   CAD 1,910     $ 9,512    

 

The following table sets forth the fair value of the Fund's derivative contracts by primary risk exposure as of June 30, 2010.

PORTFOLIO   PRIMARY RISK
EXPOSURE
  ASSET DERIVATIVE
BALANCE SHEET
LOCATION
  FAIR VALUE   LIABILITIES DERIVATIVE
BALANCE SHEET
LOCATION
  FAIR VALUE  
Limited   Interest Rate   Variation margin   $ 162,069   Variation margin   $ (112,324 )†  
Duration   Risk   Unrealized appreciation
on open swap contracts
    59,664     Unrealized depreciation
on open swap contracts
    (899,704 )  
            $ 221,733         $ (1,012,028 )  
Income Plus   Interest Rate   Variation margin   $ 947,887   Variation margin   $ (994,470 )†  
    Risk   Unrealized appreciation
on open swap contracts
        Unrealized depreciation
on open swap contracts
  $ (821,020 )  
    Credit Risk   Unrealized appreciation
on open swap contracts
    31,763     Unrealized depreciation
on open swap contracts
    (136,017 )  
            $ 979,650         $ (1,951,507 )  
European   Foreign   Unrealized appreciation         Unrealized appreciation        
Equity   Currency
Risk
  on open forward foreign
currency contracts
        on open forward foreign
currency contracts
  $ (28,390 )  
                      $ (28,390 )  

 


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PORTFOLIO   PRIMARY RISK
EXPOSURE
  ASSET DERIVATIVE
BALANCE SHEET
LOCATION
  FAIR VALUE   LIABILITIES DERIVATIVE
BALANCE SHEET
LOCATION
  FAIR VALUE  
Strategist   Interest Rate   Variation Margin   $ 99,182   Variation Margin   $ (101,185 )†  
    Risk   Unrealized appreciation
on open swap contracts
    16,878     Unrealized depreciation
on open swap contracts
    (489,165 )  
    Credit Risk   Unrealized appreciation
on open swap contracts
        Unrealized depreciation
on open swap contracts
    (20,091 )  
            $ 116,060         $ (610,441 )  

 

  Includes cumulative appreciation/depreciation of futures contracts as reported in the Portfolio of Investments. Only current day's variation margin is reported within the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.

The following tables set forth by primary risk exposure the Fund's realized gains (losses) and change in unrealized gains (losses) by type of derivative contract for the six months ended June 30, 2010.

AMOUNT OF REALIZED GAIN (LOSS) ON DERIVATIVE CONTRACTS

PORTFOLIO   PRIMARY RISK
EXPOSURE
  FUTURES   SWAPS   OPTIONS
WRITTEN
  FORWARD
FOREIGN
CURRENCY
 
Limited Duration   Interest Rate Risk   $ (55,993 )   $ (172,207 )              
Income Plus   Interest Rate Risk   $ (277,741 )   $ (1,051,427 )              
    Credit Risk           (151,161 )              
    Total   $ (277,741 )   $ (1,202,588 )              
Global Infrastructure   Equity Risk               $ (20,534 )        
    Foreign Exchange Risk                     $ (158,552 )  
    Total               $ (20,534 )   $ (158,552 )  
European Equity   Foreign Currency Risk                     $ (157,440 )  
Capital Opportunities   Foreign Currency Risk                     $ 14,807    
Aggressive Equity   Foreign Currency Risk                     $ 1,785    
Strategist   Interest Rate Risk   $ 78,914     $ (122,243 )              
    Credit Risk           (4,870 )              
    Foreign Currency Risk                       274    
    Total   $ 78,914     $ (127,113 )         $ 274    

 


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CHANGE IN UNREALIZED APPRECIATION/DEPRECIATION ON DERIVATIVE CONTRACTS

    PRIMARY RISK
EXPOSURE
  FUTURES   SWAPS   OPTIONS
WRITTEN
  FORWARD
FOREIGN
CURRENCY
 
Limited Duration   Interest Rate Risk   $ (63,734 )   $ (577,986 )              
Income Plus   Interest Rate Risk   $ (1,270,565 )   $ (821,020 )              
    Credit Risk           186,205                
    Total   $ (1,270,565 )   $ (634,815 )              
Global Infrastructure   Foreign Currency Risk                     $ (55,094 )  
    Equity Risk               $ 23,542          
    Total               $ 23,542     $ (55,094 )  
European Equity   Foreign Currency Risk                     $ (28,390 )  
Strategist   Interest Rate Risk   $ (61,700 )   $ (330,763 )              
    Credit Risk         $ 3,707                
    Total   $ (61,700 )   $ (327,056 )              

 

4. Investment Advisory/Administration and Sub-Advisory Agreements

Pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement, the Fund pays the Investment Adviser an advisory fee, accrued daily and payable monthly, by applying the annual rates listed below to each Portfolio's net assets determined at the close of each business day.

Money Market — 0.45% to the portion of the daily net assets not exceeding $250 million; 0.375% to the portion of the daily net assets exceeding $250 million but not exceeding $750 million; 0.325% to the portion of the daily net assets exceeding $750 million but not exceeding $1.25 billion; 0.30% to the portion of the daily net assets exceeding $1.25 billion but not exceeding $1.5 billion and 0.275% to the portion of the daily net assets in excess of $1.5 billion.

Limited Duration — 0.30%.

Income Plus — 0.42% to the portion of the daily net assets not exceeding $500 million; 0.35% to the portion of the daily net assets exceeding $500 million but not exceeding $1.25 billion and 0.22% to the portion of the daily net assets in excess of $1.25 billion.

Global Infrastructure — 0.57% to the portion of the daily net assets not exceeding $500 million; 0.47% to the portion of the daily net assets exceeding $500 million but not exceeding $1 billion; 0.445% to the portion of the daily net assets exceeding $1 billion but not exceeding $1.5 billion; 0.42% to the portion of the daily net assets exceeding $1.5 billion but not exceeding $2.5 billion; 0.395% to the portion of the daily net assets exceeding


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$2.5 billion but not exceeding $3.5 billion; 0.37% to the portion of the daily net assets exceeding $3.5 billion but not exceeding $5 billion and 0.345% to the portion of the daily net assets in excess of $5 billion.

European Equity — 0.87% to the portion of the daily net assets not exceeding $500 million; 0.82% to the portion of the daily net assets exceeding $500 million but not exceeding $2 billion; 0.77% to the portion of the daily net assets exceeding $2 billion but not exceeding $3 billion and 0.745% to the portion of the daily net assets in excess of $3 billion.

Capital Opportunities — 0.42% to the portion of the daily net assets not exceeding $1 billion; 0.395% to the portion of the daily net assets exceeding $1 billion but not exceeding $2 billion and 0.37% to the portion of the daily net assets in excess of $2 billion.

Aggressive Equity — 0.67% to the portion of the daily net assets not exceeding $500 million; 0.645% to the portion of the daily net assets exceeding $500 million but not exceeding $2 billion; 0.62% to the portion of the daily net assets exceeding $2 billion but not exceeding $3 billion and 0.595% to the portion of the daily net assets in excess of $3 billion.

Strategist — 0.42% to the portion of the daily net assets not exceeding $1.5 billion and 0.395% to the portion of the daily net assets in excess of $1.5 billion.

Under the Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Investment Adviser and the Sub-Adviser, the Sub-Adviser provides, Global Infrastructure, and European Equity with investment advisory services, subject to the overall supervision of the Investment Adviser and the Fund's Officers and Trustees. The Investment Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser on a monthly basis a portion of the net advisory fees the Investment Adviser receives from each Portfolio.

The Investment Adviser has voluntarily agreed to cap European Equity's operating expenses (except for brokerage and 12b-1 fees) by assuming the Portfolio's "other expenses" and/or waiving the Portfolio's advisory fees, and Morgan Stanley Services Company Inc. (the "Administrator") has agreed to waive the Portfolio's administrative fees, to the extent such operating expenses exceed 1.00% of the average daily net assets of the Portfolio on an annualized basis.

Pursuant to an Administration Agreement with the Administrator, an affiliate of the Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser, each Portfolio pays an administration fee, accrued daily and payable monthly, by applying the annual rate of 0.08% (Money Market 0.05%) to the Portfolio's daily net assets.


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Under an agreement between the Administrator and State Street Bank and Trust Company ("State Street"), State Street provides certain administrative services to the Fund. For such services, the Administrator pays State Street a portion of the fee the Administrator receives from the Fund.

5. Plan of Distribution

Shares of the Fund are distributed by Morgan Stanley Distributors Inc. (the "Distributor"), an affiliate of the Investment Adviser, Administrator and Sub-Adviser. The Fund has adopted a Plan of Distribution (the "Plan") pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Act. Under the Plan, Class Y shares of each Portfolio bear a distribution fee which is accrued daily and paid monthly at the annual rate of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the class.

The Distributor, Investment Adviser and Administrator have voluntarily agreed to waive/reimburse all or a portion of the Money Market Portfolio's distribution fee, investment advisory fee and administration fee, respectively, to the extent that total expenses exceed total income of the Money Market Portfolio on a daily basis. For the six months ended June 30, 2010, the Distributor waived $95,065 and the Investment Adviser waived $276,503. The fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements are expected to continue until such time that the Board of Trustees acts to discontinue such waivers and/or reimbursements when it deems such action is appropriate.

6. Security Transactions and Transactions with Affiliates

Each Portfolio (except Money Market) may invest in Morgan Stanley Institutional Liquidity Funds – Money Market Portfolio – Institutional Class, an open-end management investment company managed by an affiliate of the Investment Adviser, both directly, and as a portion of the securities held as collateral on loaned securities. Investment advisory fees paid by the Portfolios are reduced by an amount equal to the advisory and administrative services fees paid by Morgan Stanley Institutional Liquidity Funds – Money Market Portfolio – Institutional Class with respect to assets invested by the Portfolio in Morgan Stanley Institutional Liquidity Funds – Money Market Portfolio – Institutional Class. For the six months ended June 30, 2010, the tables below identify, for each Portfolio that invested in Morgan Stanley Institutional Liquidity Funds – Money Market Portfolio – Institutional Class, that amount by which that Portfolio's advisory fees were reduced in relation to that Portfolio's investment in Morgan Stanley Institutional Liquidity Funds – Money Market Portfolio – Institutional Class.

In addition, the table also identifies the income distributions earned, if any, by each Portfolio for that Portfolio's investment in Morgan Stanley Institutional Liquidity Funds – Money Market Portfolio – Institutional Class.


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Notes to Financial Statements n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

Income distributions are included in "interest and dividends from affiliates" in the Statements of Operations.

PORTFOLIO   INCOME
DISTRIBUTION
EARNED
  ADVISORY FEE
REDUCTION
 
Limited Duration   $ 1,245     $ 1,200    
Income Plus     2,028       2,127    
Global Infrastructure     1,093       921    
European Equity     744       708    
Capital Opportunities     4,693       3,632    
Aggressive Equity     599       581    
Strategist     23,591       22,343    

 

During the six months ended June 30, 2010, each Portfolio's cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of investments in Morgan Stanley Institutional Liquidity Funds – Money Market Portfolio – Institutional Class were as follows:

PORTFOLIO   PURCHASES   SALES  
Limited Duration   $ 24,052,675     $ 22,904,124    
Income Plus     40,100,577       44,581,754    
Global Infrastructure     18,981,826       17,188,018    
European Equity     7,265,766       8,820,703    
Capital Opportunities     23,398,719       25,393,602    
Aggressive Equity     4,656,690       4,263,748    
Strategist     9,319,100       20,112,708    

 

Purchases and sales/prepayments/maturities of portfolio securities, excluding short-term investments (except Money Market), for the six months ended June 30, 2010 were as follows:

    U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES   OTHER  
    PURCHASES   SALES/PREPAYMENTS
MATURITIES
  PURCHASES   SALES/PREPAYMENTS
MATURITIES
 
Money Market               $ 11,078,873,542     $ 11,103,542,222    
Limited Duration   $ 20,382,596     $ 29,651,009       23,607,091       18,230,014    
Income Plus           19       72,552,308       96,211,656    
Global Infrastructure                 107,456,293       115,568,528    
European Equity                 12,313,760       15,793,215    
Capital Opportunities                 26,193,158       45,831,489    
Aggressive Equity                 3,130,183       6,776,530    
Strategist     10,457,844       11,711,165       29,084,397       28,653,493    

 


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Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Notes to Financial Statements n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

The following Portfolios had transactions with the following affiliates of the Fund:

PORTFOLIO   ISSUER   PURCHASES   SALES/
MATURITIES
  NET REALIZED
GAINS(LOSS)
  INCOME   VALUE  
Limited Duration   MetLife Global                     $ 14,774     $ 533,150    
Income Plus   Allstate Corp. (The)                       31,160       991,646    
    MetLife, Inc.                       84,221       2,181,584    
Strategist   Allstate Corp. (The)                       1,855       59,027    
    MetLife, Inc.   $ 86,929     $ 168,463     $ 13,076       1,939       101,333    

 

For the six months ended June 30, 2010, the following Portfolios had transactions with Citigroup, Inc. an affiliate of the Investment Adviser, Distributor, Sub-Adviser and Administrator:

PORTFOLIO   PURCHASES   SALES   NET REALIZED
GAIN
  INCOME   VALUE  
Limited Duration   $ 625,031     $ 2,629,009     $ 78,125     $ 43,967     $ 1,229,311    
Income Plus     589,815       383,226       68,797       294,520       8,446,798    
Strategist     1,501,056       58,951       3,884       28,562       3,956,277    

 

For the six months ended June 30, 2010, the following Portfolios incurred brokerage commissions with Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc. an affiliate of the Investment Adviser, Distributor, Sub-Adviser, and Administrator for portfolio transactions executed on behalf of each Portfolio:

EUROPEAN EQUITY   STRATEGIST  
$ 433     $ 17,898    

 

For the six months ended June 30, 2010, the following Portfolios incurred brokerage commissions with Citigroup, Inc., an affiliate of the Investment Adviser, Distributor, Sub-Adviser, and Administrator for portfolio transactions executed on behalf of each Portfolio:

GLOBAL INFRASTRUCTURE   CAPITAL OPPORTUNITIES   AGGRESSIVE EQUITY   STRATEGIST  
$ 65     $ 143     $ 17     $ 235    

 

Morgan Stanley Services Company Inc., an affiliate of the Investment Adviser, Distributor, and Sub-Adviser is the Fund's transfer agent.

The Fund has an unfunded noncontributory defined benefit pension plan covering certain independent Trustees of the Fund who will have served as independent Trustees for at least five years at the time of retirement. Benefits under this plan are based on factors which include years of service and compensation.


122



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Notes to Financial Statements n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

The Trustees voted to close the plan to new participants and eliminate the future benefits growth due to increases to compensation after July 31, 2003.

Aggregate pension costs for the six months ended June 30, 2010, included in "trustees' fees and expenses" in the Statement of Operations and the accrued pension liability included in "accrued expenses and other payables" in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities are as follows:

AGGREGATE PENSION COSTS

MONEY
MARKET
  LIMITED
DURATION
  INCOME
PLUS
  GLOBAL
INFRASTRUCTURE
 
$ 118     $ 450     $ 1,387     $ 236    
EUROPEAN
EQUITY
  CAPITAL
OPPORTUNITIES
  AGGRESSIVE
EQUITY
  STRATEGIST  
$ 102     $ 3,356     $ 213     $ 1,433    

 

AGGREGATE PENSION LIABILITY

MONEY
MARKET
  LIMITED
DURATION
  INCOME
PLUS
  GLOBAL
INFRASTRUCTURE
 
$ 5,753     $ 2,998     $ 9,974     $ 3,036    
EUROPEAN
EQUITY
  CAPITAL
OPPORTUNITIES
  AGGRESSIVE
EQUITY
  STRATEGIST  
$ 2,736     $ 10,496     $ 1,246     $ 7,836    

 

The Fund has an unfunded Deferred Compensation Plan (the "Compensation Plan") which allows each independent Trustee to defer payment of all, or a portion, of the fees he or she receives for serving on the Board of Trustees. Each eligible Trustee generally may elect to have the deferred amounts credited with a return equal to the total return on one or more of the Morgan Stanley funds that are offered as investment options under the Compensation Plan. Appreciation/depreciation and distributions received from these investments are recorded with an offsetting increase/decrease in the deferred compensation obligation and do not affect the net asset value of the Fund.

7. Federal Income Tax Status

The amount of dividends and distributions from net investment income and net realized capital gains are determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations which may differ from GAAP. These "book/tax" differences are either considered temporary or permanent in nature. To the extent these


123



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Notes to Financial Statements n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

differences are permanent in nature, such amounts are reclassified within the capital accounts based on their federal tax-basis treatment; temporary differences do not require reclassification. Dividends and distributions which exceed net investment income and net realized capital gains for tax purposes are reported as distributions of paid-in-capital.

As of December 31, 2009, the following Portfolios had a net capital loss carryforward which may be used to offset future capital gains to the extent provided by regulations.

    (AMOUNTS IN THOUSANDS)  
AVAILABLE THROUGH
DECEMBER 31,
  2010   2011   2012   2013   2014   2015   2016   2017   TOTAL  
Limited Duration   $ 328     $ 1,546     $ 4,026     $ 1,267     $ 2,232     $ 1,063     $ 17,119     $ 8,980     $ 36,561    
Income Plus     15,205                               5,172       19,232             39,609    
European Equity                                               11,893       11,893    
Capital Opportunities     130,806                                     20,502       7,587       158,895    
Aggressive Equity     13,085                                     1,612       412       15,109    
Strategist                                         158             158    

 

At December 31, 2009, the primary reason(s) for significant temporary/permanent book/tax differences were as follows:

    TEMPORARY DIFFERENCES  
    POST-
OCTOBER
LOSSES
  LOSS
DEFERRALS FROM
WASH SALES
 
Limited Duration      
Income Plus      
Global Infrastructure      
European Equity      
Capital Opportunities      
Aggressive Equity      
Strategist      

 

Additionally, the following Portfolios had other temporary differences: Global Infrastructure — income from the mark-to-market of forward foreign currency contracts; Global Infrastructure and European Equity — foreign tax credit pass-through; Limited Duration, Income Plus and Strategist — capital gain/loss from the mark-to-market of futures contracts and/or options contracts. The following Portfolios had temporary and permanent differences attributable to book amortization of premiums/discounts on debt securities: Limited Duration, Income Plus and Strategist. The following Portfolios had temporary and/or


124



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Notes to Financial Statements n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

permanent differences attributable to tax adjustment on swaps: Limited Duration, Income Plus and Strategist. The following Portfolios had temporary and permanent differences attributable to tax adjustments on passive foreign investment companies held/sold: Global Infrastructure and Strategist.

8. Purposes of and Risks Relating to Certain Financial Instruments

Certain Portfolios may lend securities to qualified financial institutions, such as broker-dealers, to earn additional income. Risks in securities lending transactions are that a borrower may not provide additional collateral when required or return the securities when due, and that the value of the short-term investments will be less than the amount of cash collateral plus any rebate that is required to be returned to the borrower.

Certain Portfolios may invest in mortgage securities, including securities issued by Federal National Mortgage Assoc. ("FNMA") and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. ("FHLMC"). These are fixed income securities that derive their value from or represent interests in a pool of mortgages or mortgage securities. An unexpectedly high rate of defaults on the mortgages held by a mortgage pool may adversely affect the value of a mortgage backed security and could result in losses to the Portfolio. The risk of such defaults is generally higher in the case of mortgage pools that include subprime mortgages. Subprime mortgages refer to loans made to borrowers with weakened credit histories or with a lower capacity to make timely payments on their mortgages. The securities held by the Portfolios are not backed by sub-prime mortgages.

Additionally, securities issued by FNMA and FHLMC are not backed by or entitled to the full faith and credit of the United States; rather, they are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the Treasury.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency ("FHFA") serves as conservator of FNMA and FHLMC and the U.S. Department of the Treasury has agreed to provide capital as needed to ensure FNMA and FHLMC continue to provide liquidity to the housing and mortgage markets.

At June 30, 2010, European Equity's investments in securities of issuers in the United Kingdom and Germany represented 44.6% and 16.9%, respectively of the Portfolio's net assets. These investments, as well as other non-U.S. investments, which involve risks and considerations not present with respect to U.S. securities, may be affected by economic or political developments in these countries.

9. New Accounting Pronouncement

On January 21, 2010, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2010-06. The ASU amends Accounting Standards Codification 820 to add new requirements for disclosures about transfers into and out of Levels 1 and 2 and separate disclosures about purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements relating to Level 3 measurements. It also clarifies existing fair value disclosures


125



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Notes to Financial Statements n June 30, 2010 (unaudited) continued

about the level of disaggregation and about inputs and valuation techniques in Level 2 and Level 3 fair value measurements. The application of ASU 2010-06 is required for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2009, except for disclosures about purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements relating to Level 3 measurements, which are required for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2010 and for interim periods within those fiscal years.


126




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Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Financial Highlights

                               

FOR THE YEAR
ENDED
DECEMBER 31
  NET ASSET
VALUE
BEGINNING
OF PERIOD
 
NET
INVESTMENT
INCOME(a)
  NET REALIZED
AND
UNREALIZED
GAIN (LOSS)
 
TOTAL FROM
INVESTMENT
OPERATIONS
 
DIVIDENDS
TO
SHAREHOLDERS
 
DISTRIBUTIONS
TO
SHAREHOLDERS
  TOTAL
DIVIDENDS
AND
DISTRIBUTIONS
 
MONEY MARKET
CLASS X SHARES
     
  2005     $ 1.00     $ 0.030           $ 0.030     $ (0.030 )         $ (0.030 )  
  2006       1.00       0.045     $ 0.005       0.050       (0.050 )           (0.050 )  
  2007       1.00       0.050             0.050       (0.050 )           (0.050 )  
  2008       1.00       0.020             0.020       (0.020 )           (0.020 )  
  2009       1.00       0.000 (e)           0.000 (e)     (0.000 )(e)           (0.000 )(e)  
  2010 ^     1.00       0.000 (e)           0.000 (e)     (0.000 )(e)           (0.000 )(e)  
CLASS Y SHARES      
  2005       1.00       0.030             0.030       (0.030 )           (0.030 )  
  2006       1.00       0.043       (0.003 )     0.040       (0.040 )           (0.040 )  
  2007       1.00       0.050             0.050       (0.050 )           (0.050 )  
  2008       1.00       0.020             0.020       (0.020 )           (0.020 )  
  2009       1.00       0.000 (e)           0.000 (e)     (0.000 )(e)           (0.000 )(e)  
  2010 ^     1.00       0.000 (e)           0.000 (e)     (0.000 )(e)           (0.000 )(e)  
LIMITED DURATION
CLASS X SHARES
     
  2005       9.74       0.31       (0.13 )     0.18       (0.38 )           (0.38 )  
  2006       9.54       0.40       0.00       0.40       (0.45 )           (0.45 )  
  2007       9.49       0.47       (0.19 )     0.28       (0.50 )           (0.50 )  
  2008       9.27       0.36       (1.72 )     (1.36 )     (0.15 )           (0.15 )  
  2009       7.76       0.20       0.24       0.44       (0.36 )           (0.36 )  
  2010 ^     7.84       0.09       0.01       0.10       (0.28 )           (0.28 )  
CLASS Y SHARES      
  2005       9.73       0.28       (0.14 )     0.14       (0.35 )           (0.35 )  
  2006       9.52       0.37       0.01       0.38       (0.42 )           (0.42 )  
  2007       9.48       0.44       (0.19 )     0.25       (0.47 )           (0.47 )  
  2008       9.26       0.34       (1.73 )     (1.39 )     (0.14 )           (0.14 )  
  2009       7.73       0.18       0.24       0.42       (0.34 )           (0.34 )  
  2010 ^     7.81       0.08       0.02       0.10       (0.26 )           (0.26 )  
INCOME PLUS
CLASS X SHARES
     
  2005       10.68       0.51       (0.15 )     0.36       (0.55 )           (0.55 )  
  2006       10.49       0.51       0.05       0.56       (0.54 )           (0.54 )  
  2007       10.51       0.53       0.08       0.61       (0.56 )           (0.56 )  
  2008       10.56       0.53       (1.46 )     (0.93 )     (0.18 )           (0.18 )  
  2009       9.45       0.57       1.50       2.07       (0.53 )           (0.53 )  
  2010 ^     10.99       0.30       0.18       0.48       (0.70 )           (0.70 )  

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
128



                RATIO TO AVERAGE
NET ASSETS(c)
         

FOR THE YEAR
ENDED
DECEMBER 31
  NET ASSET
VALUE
END OF
PERIOD
 

TOTAL
RETURN(b)
  NET ASSETS
END OF
PERIOD
(000'S)
 


EXPENSES
 
NET
INVESTMENT
INCOME
 
REBATE FROM
MORGAN STANLEY
AFFILIATE
  PORTFOLIO
TURNOVER
RATE
 
MONEY MARKET
CLASS X SHARES
 
  2005     $ 1.00       2.79 %   $ 144,352       0.54 %     2.74 %           N/A    
  2006       1.00       4.61       132,690       0.55       4.53             N/A    
  2007       1.00       4.93 (d)     111,478       0.55       4.79             N/A    
  2008       1.00       2.45       115,415       0.57       2.40             N/A    
  2009       1.00       0.03       84,486       0.40 (f)(g)     0.03 (f)(g)           N/A    
  2010 ^     1.00       0.01 (k)     68,619       0.23 (l)(g)     0.01 (l)(g)           N/A    
CLASS Y SHARES  
  2005       1.00       2.53       97,936       0.79       2.49             N/A    
  2006       1.00       4.35       102,296       0.80       4.28             N/A    
  2007       1.00       4.67 (d)     101,524       0.80       4.54             N/A    
  2008       1.00       2.19       112,113       0.82       2.15             N/A    
  2009       1.00       0.01       81,145       0.41 (f)(g)     0.01 (f)(g)           N/A    
  2010 ^     1.00       0.01 (k)     71,425       0.23 (l)(g)     0.01 (l)(g)           N/A    
LIMITED DURATION
CLASS X SHARES
 
  2005       9.54       1.87       42,872       0.45       3.17             56 %  
  2006       9.49       4.28       34,047       0.47       4.18             51    
  2007       9.27       2.95       26,214       0.47       4.95             49    
  2008       7.76       (14.91 )     16,405       0.48 (h)     4.27 (h)     0.01 %     54    
  2009       7.84       5.76       16,889       0.49 (h)     2.61 (h)     0.00 (i)     105    
  2010 ^     7.66       1.30 (k)     15,772       0.52 (h)(l)     2.37 (h)(l)     0.01 (l)     60 (k)  
CLASS Y SHARES  
  2005       9.52       1.51       126,020       0.70       2.92             56    
  2006       9.48       4.03       114,818       0.72       3.93             51    
  2007       9.26       2.80       101,066       0.72       4.70             49    
  2008       7.73       (15.22 )     63,223       0.73 (h)     4.02 (h)     0.01       54    
  2009       7.81       5.56       60,753       0.74 (h)     2.36 (h)     0.00 (i)     105    
  2010 ^     7.65       1.29 (k)     56,724       0.77 (h)(l)     2.12 (h)(l)     0.01 (l)     60 (k)  
INCOME PLUS
CLASS X SHARES
 
  2005       10.49       3.33       235,256       0.54       4.80             57    
  2006       10.51       5.69       183,594       0.56       4.95             38    
  2007       10.56       5.99       155,879       0.55       5.02             125    
  2008       9.45       (8.92 )     109,833       0.55 (h)     5.34 (h)     0.00 (i)     55    
  2009       10.99       22.57       114,488       0.56 (h)     5.64 (h)     0.00 (i)     75    
  2010 ^     10.77       4.52 (k)     109,769       0.58 (h)(l)     5.48 (h)(l)     0.00 (i)(l)     30 (k)  

 


129



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Financial Highlights continued

                               
FOR THE YEAR
ENDED
DECEMBER 31
  NET ASSET
VALUE
BEGINNING
OF PERIOD
  NET
INVESTMENT
INCOME(a)
  NET REALIZED
AND
UNREALIZED
GAIN (LOSS)
  TOTAL FROM
INVESTMENT
OPERATIONS
  DIVIDENDS
TO
SHAREHOLDERS
  DISTRIBUTIONS
TO
SHAREHOLDERS
  TOTAL
DIVIDENDS
AND
DISTRIBUTIONS
 
INCOME PLUS
CLASS Y SHARES
     
  2005     $ 10.67     $ 0.48     $ (0.16 )   $ 0.32     $ (0.52 )         $ (0.52 )  
  2006       10.47       0.49       0.05       0.54       (0.52 )           (0.52 )  
  2007       10.49       0.50       0.08       0.58       (0.53 )           (0.53 )  
  2008       10.54       0.51       (1.45 )     (0.94 )     (0.18 )           (0.18 )  
  2009       9.42       0.55       1.49       2.04       (0.51 )           (0.51 )  
  2010 ^     10.95       0.29       0.17       0.46       (0.67 )           (0.67 )  
GLOBAL INFRASTRUCTURE
CLASS X SHARES
     
  2005       14.73       0.37       1.77       2.14       (0.37 )           (0.37 )  
  2006       16.50       0.36       2.95       3.31       (0.37 )           (0.37 )  
  2007       19.44       0.39       3.38       3.77       (0.39 )   $ (2.16 )     (2.55 )  
  2008       20.66       0.40       (6.21 )     (5.81 )     (0.11 )     (3.44 )     (3.55 )  
  2009       11.30       0.31       1.16       1.47       (0.38 )     (3.71 )     (4.09 )  
  2010 ^     8.68       0.12       (1.18 )     (1.06 )     (0.25 )     (0.69 )     (0.94 )  
CLASS Y SHARES      
  2005       14.72       0.33       1.77       2.10       (0.33 )           (0.33 )  
  2006       16.49       0.32       2.95       3.27       (0.33 )           (0.33 )  
  2007       19.43       0.34       3.38       3.72       (0.34 )     (2.16 )     (2.50 )  
  2008       20.65       0.35       (6.20 )     (5.85 )     (0.09 )     (3.44 )     (3.53 )  
  2009       11.27       0.28       1.15       1.43       (0.35 )     (3.71 )     (4.06 )  
  2010 ^     8.64       0.11       (1.16 )     (1.05 )     (0.23 )     (0.69 )     (0.92 )  
EUROPEAN EQUITY
CLASS X SHARES
     
  2005       18.47       0.30       1.28       1.58       (0.23 )           (0.23 )  
  2006       19.82       0.36       5.55       5.91       (0.39 )           (0.39 )  
  2007       25.34       0.47       3.48       3.95       (0.46 )           (0.46 )  
  2008       28.83       0.63       (11.31 )     (10.68 )     (0.61 )     (4.22 )     (4.83 )  
  2009       13.32       0.36       3.01       3.37       (0.56 )     (0.71 )     (1.27 )  
  2010 ^     15.42       0.22       (2.86 )     (2.64 )     (0.39 )           (0.39 )  
CLASS Y SHARES      
  2005       18.37       0.25       1.26       1.51       (0.18 )           (0.18 )  
  2006       19.70       0.29       5.54       5.83       (0.34 )           (0.34 )  
  2007       25.19       0.40       3.46       3.86       (0.40 )           (0.40 )  
  2008       28.65       0.58       (11.25 )     (10.67 )     (0.52 )     (4.22 )     (4.74 )  
  2009       13.24       0.32       3.00       3.32       (0.50 )     (0.71 )     (1.21 )  
  2010 ^     15.35       0.20       (2.85 )     (2.65 )     (0.35 )           (0.35 )  

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
130



                RATIO TO AVERAGE
NET ASSETS(c)
         
FOR THE YEAR
ENDED
DECEMBER 31
  NET ASSET
VALUE
END OF
PERIOD
  TOTAL
RETURN(b)
  NET ASSETS
END OF
PERIOD
(000'S)
  EXPENSES   NET
INVESTMENT
INCOME
  REBATE FROM
MORGAN STANLEY
AFFILIATE
  PORTFOLIO
TURNOVER
RATE
 
INCOME PLUS
CLASS Y SHARES
 
  2005     $ 10.47       3.08 %   $ 197,968       0.79 %     4.55 %           57 %  
  2006       10.49       5.34       210,681       0.81       4.70             38    
  2007       10.54       5.73       196,774       0.80       4.77             125    
  2008       9.42       (9.11 )     135,850       0.80 (h)     5.09 (h)     0.00 %(i)     55    
  2009       10.95       22.29       148,108       0.81 (h)     5.39 (h)     0.00 (i)     75    
  2010 ^     10.74       4.35 (k)     126,967       0.83 (h)(l)     5.23 (h)(l)     0.00 (i)(l)     30 (k)  
GLOBAL INFRASTRUCTURE
CLASS X SHARES
 
  2005       16.50       14.62       154,413       0.70       2.31             29    
  2006       19.44       20.32       142,721       0.71       2.05             19    
  2007       20.66       20.34       133,507       0.70       1.90             8    
  2008       11.30       (33.27 )     70,951       0.74 (h)     2.46 (h)     0.00 (i)     76    
  2009       8.68       19.26       68,748       0.96 (h)     3.37 (h)     0.00 (i)     280    
  2010 ^     6.68       (12.15 )(k)     55,428       0.91 (h)(l)     2.99 (h)(l)     0.00 (i)(l)     142 (k)  
CLASS Y SHARES  
  2005       16.49       14.35       33,068       0.95       2.06             29    
  2006       19.43       20.03       34,305       0.96       1.80             19    
  2007       20.65       20.04       31,780       0.95       1.65             8    
  2008       11.27       (33.45 )     16,545       0.99 (h)     2.21 (h)     0.00 (i)     76    
  2009       8.64       18.83       17,818       1.21 (h)     3.12 (h)     0.00 (i)     280    
  2010 ^     6.67       (12.10 )(k)     14,273       1.16 (h)(l)     2.74 (h)(l)     0.00 (i)(l)     142 (k)  
EUROPEAN EQUITY
CLASS X SHARES
 
  2005       19.82       8.69       144,969       1.02 (j)     1.60 (j)           61    
  2006       25.34       30.21       142,000       1.00 (j)     1.59 (j)           62    
  2007       28.83       15.59       127,071       1.00 (j)     1.73 (j)           41    
  2008       13.32       (42.70 )     57,734       1.00 (h)(j)     3.01 (h)(j)     0.00 (i)     15    
  2009       15.42       27.73       61,197       1.00 (h)(j)     2.67 (h)(j)     0.00 (i)     26    
  2010 ^     12.39       (17.16 )(k)     46,180       1.00 (h)(j)(l)     3.16 (h)(j)(l)     0.00 (i)(l)     18 (k)  
CLASS Y SHARES  
  2005       19.70       8.36       39,404       1.27 (j)     1.35 (j)           61    
  2006       25.19       29.88       45,637       1.25 (j)     1.34 (j)           62    
  2007       28.65       15.34       40,721       1.25 (j)     1.48 (j)           41    
  2008       13.24       (42.84 )     17,845       1.25 (h)(j)     2.76 (h)(j)     0.00 (i)     15    
  2009       15.35       27.41       19,323       1.25 (h)(j)     2.42 (h)(j)     0.00 (i)     26    
  2010 ^     12.35       (17.27 )(k)     15,028       1.25 (h)(j)(l)     2.91 (h)(j)(l)     0.00 (i)(l)     18 (k)  

 


131



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Financial Highlights continued

                               
FOR THE YEAR
ENDED
DECEMBER 31
  NET ASSET
VALUE
BEGINNING
OF PERIOD
  NET
INVESTMENT
INCOME (LOSS)(a)
  NET REALIZED
AND
UNREALIZED
GAIN (LOSS)
  TOTAL FROM
INVESTMENT
OPERATIONS
  DIVIDENDS
TO
SHAREHOLDERS
  DISTRIBUTIONS
TO
SHAREHOLDERS
  TOTAL
DIVIDENDS
AND
DISTRIBUTIONS
 
CAPITAL OPPORTUNITIES
CLASS X SHARES
     
  2005     $ 24.07     $ 0.00     $ 4.39     $ 4.39                      
  2006       28.46       0.02       1.15       1.17                      
  2007       29.63       0.21       5.57       5.78     $ (0.18 )         $ (0.18 )  
  2008       35.23       0.03       (16.78 )     (16.75 )     (0.07 )           (0.07 )  
  2009       18.41       0.11       12.99       13.10       (0.09 )           (0.09 )  
  2010 ^     31.42       0.02       (2.37 )     (2.35 )     (0.06 )           (0.06 )  
CLASS Y SHARES      
  2005       24.03       (0.06 )     4.37       4.31                      
  2006       28.34       (0.05 )     1.14       1.09                      
  2007       29.43       0.13       5.54       5.67       (0.04 )           (0.04 )  
  2008       35.06       (0.05 )     (16.67 )     (16.72 )     (0.05 )           (0.05 )  
  2009       18.29       0.05       12.90       12.95       (0.03 )           (0.03 )  
  2010 ^     31.21       (0.02 )     (2.35 )     (2.37 )                    
AGGRESSIVE EQUITY
CLASS X SHARES
     
  2005       11.18       (0.03 )     2.62       2.59                      
  2006       13.77       (0.04 )     1.12       1.08                      
  2007       14.85       0.06       2.86       2.92                      
  2008       17.77       (0.04 )     (8.63 )     (8.67 )     (0.03 )           (0.03 )  
  2009       9.07       0.00       6.30       6.30                      
  2010 ^     15.37       (0.03 )     (1.22 )     (1.25 )                    
CLASS Y SHARES      
  2005       11.09       (0.06 )     2.58       2.52                      
  2006       13.61       (0.07 )     1.11       1.04                      
  2007       14.65       0.02       2.82       2.84                      
  2008       17.49       (0.08 )     (8.49 )     (8.57 )                    
  2009       8.92       (0.03 )     6.19       6.16                      
  2010 ^     15.08       (0.04 )     (1.20 )     (1.24 )                    
STRATEGIST
CLASS X SHARES
     
  2005       16.60       0.30       0.96       1.26       (0.32 )   $ (1.49 )     (1.81 )  
  2006       16.05       0.41       1.86       2.27       (0.44 )     (1.35 )     (1.79 )  
  2007       16.53       0.46       0.92       1.38       (0.46 )     (1.90 )     (2.36 )  
  2008       15.55       0.30       (3.76 )     (3.46 )     (0.10 )     (1.39 )     (1.49 )  
  2009       10.60       0.16       1.90       2.06       (0.26 )           (0.26 )  
  2010 ^     12.40       0.08       (0.60 )     (0.52 )     (0.20 )     (0.07 )     (0.27 )  

 

See Notes to Financial Statements
132



                RATIO TO AVERAGE
NET ASSETS(c)
         
FOR THE YEAR
ENDED
DECEMBER 31
  NET ASSET
VALUE
END OF
PERIOD
  TOTAL
RETURN(b)
  NET ASSETS
END OF
PERIOD
(000'S)
  EXPENSES   NET
INVESTMENT
INCOME (LOSS)
  REBATE FROM
MORGAN STANLEY
AFFILIATE
  PORTFOLIO
TURNOVER
RATE
 
CAPITAL OPPORTUNITIES
CLASS X SHARES
 
  2005     $ 28.46       18.16 %   $ 485,662       0.53 %     0.02 %           72 %  
  2006       29.63       4.18       370,757       0.54       0.06             111    
  2007       35.23       19.54       331,243       0.54       0.66             55    
  2008       18.41       (47.62 )     140,041       0.55 (h)     0.08 (h)     0.01 %     33    
  2009       31.42       71.32       202,279       0.55 (h)     0.44 (h)     0.00 (i)     23    
  2010 ^     29.01       (7.51 )(k)     173,624       0.58 (h)(l)     0.13 (h)(l)     0.00 (i)(l)     11 (k)  
CLASS Y SHARES  
  2005       28.34       17.89       123,803       0.78       (0.23 )           72    
  2006       29.43       3.92       113,707       0.79       (0.19 )           111    
  2007       35.06       19.24       107,710       0.79       0.41             55    
  2008       18.29       (47.75 )     45,671       0.80 (h)     (0.17 )(h)     0.01       33    
  2009       31.21       70.85       64,122       0.80 (h)     0.19 (h)     0.00 (i)     23    
  2010 ^     28.84       (7.63 )(k)     55,188       0.83 (h)(l)     (0.12 )(h)(l)     0.00 (i)(l)     11 (k)  
AGGRESSIVE EQUITY
CLASS X SHARES
 
  2005       13.77       23.17       37,130       0.86       (0.29 )           85    
  2006       14.85       7.84       30,720       0.85       (0.27 )           59    
  2007       17.77       19.66       26,035       0.87       0.34             56    
  2008       9.07       (48.86 )     10,289       0.90 (h)     (0.29 )(h)     0.00 (i)     33    
  2009       15.37       69.46       14,898       1.01 (h)     (0.02 )(h)     0.01       23    
  2010 ^     14.12       (8.13 )(k)     12,253       1.05 (h)(l)     (0.33 )(h)(l)     0.00 (i)(l)     11 (k)  
CLASS Y SHARES  
  2005       13.61       22.72       30,283       1.11       (0.54 )           85    
  2006       14.65       7.64       32,039       1.10       (0.52 )           59    
  2007       17.49       19.39       29,837       1.12       0.09             56    
  2008       8.92       (49.00 )     12,272       1.15 (h)     (0.54 )(h)     0.00 (i)     33    
  2009       15.08       69.06       17,541       1.26 (h)     (0.27 )(h)     0.01       23    
  2010 ^     13.84       (8.22 )(k)     14,880       1.30 (h)(l)     (0.58 )(h)(l)     0.00 (i)(l)     11 (k)  
STRATEGIST
CLASS X SHARES
 
  2005       16.05       8.32       289,876       0.54       1.84             46    
  2006       16.53       15.01       258,164       0.55       2.53             36    
  2007       15.55       8.63       217,265       0.54       2.84             34    
  2008       10.60       (23.98 )     134,668       0.54 (h)     2.28 (h)     0.02       52    
  2009       12.40       19.74       137,731       0.55 (h)     1.41 (h)     0.03       96    
  2010 ^     11.61       (4.31 )(k)     122,939       0.57 (h)(l)     1.37 (h)(l)     0.03 (l)     25 (k)  

 


133



Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

Financial Highlights continued

                               
FOR THE YEAR
ENDED
DECEMBER 31
  NET ASSET
VALUE
BEGINNING
OF PERIOD
  NET
INVESTMENT
INCOME(a)
  NET REALIZED
AND
UNREALIZED
GAIN (LOSS)
  TOTAL FROM
INVESTMENT
OPERATIONS
  DIVIDENDS
TO
SHAREHOLDERS
  DISTRIBUTIONS
TO
SHAREHOLDERS
  TOTAL
DIVIDENDS
AND
DISTRIBUTIONS
 
STRATEGIST
CLASS Y SHARES
     
  2005     $ 16.58     $ 0.26     $ 0.96     $ 1.22     $ (0.28 )   $ (1.49 )   $ (1.77 )  
  2006       16.03       0.37       1.86       2.23       (0.40 )     (1.35 )     (1.75 )  
  2007       16.51       0.42       0.92       1.34       (0.42 )     (1.90 )     (2.32 )  
  2008       15.53       0.27       (3.76 )     (3.49 )     (0.09 )     (1.39 )     (1.48 )  
  2009       10.56       0.13       1.89       2.02       (0.23 )           (0.23 )  
  2010 ^     12.35       0.07       (0.60 )     (0.53 )     (0.17 )     (0.07 )     (0.24 )  

 

  ^  For the six months ended June, 30, 2010 (unaudited).

  (a)  The per share amounts were computed using an average number of shares outstanding during the period.

  (b)  Calculated based on the net asset value as of the last business day of the period. Performance shown does not reflect fees and expenses imposed by your insurance company. If performance information included the effect of these charges, the total returns would be lower.

  (c)  Reflects overall Portfolio ratios for investment income and non-class specific expenses.

  (d)  The Investment Adviser fully reimbursed the Portfolio for losses incurred resulting from the disposal of investments. Without this reimbursement, the total return was 4.79% and 4.52% for Class X and Y, respectively.

  (e)  Amount is less than $0.001.

  (f)  Reflects fees paid in connection with the U.S. Treasury Guarantee Program for Money Market Funds. This fee had an effect of 0.04% for the year ended 2009.

  (g)  If the Portfolio had borne all expenses that were reimbursed or waived by the Distributor, Investment Adviser and Administrator, the annualized expense and net investment loss ratios would have been as follows:

PERIOD ENDED   EXPENSE
RATIO
  NET INVESTMENT
LOSS RATIO
 
June 30, 2010  
Class X     0.60 %     (0.36 )%  
Class Y     0.85       (0.61 )  
December 31, 2009  
Class X     0.59       (0.16 )  
Class Y     0.84       (0.42 )  

 

  (h)  The ratios reflect the rebate of certain Portfolio expenses in connection with investments in a Morgan Stanley affiliate during the period. The effect of the rebate on the ratios is disclosed in the above table as "Rebate from Morgan Stanley affiliate".

  (i)  Amount is less than 0.005%.

See Notes to Financial Statements
134



                RATIO TO AVERAGE
NET ASSETS(c)
         
FOR THE YEAR
ENDED
DECEMBER 31
  NET ASSET
VALUE
END OF
PERIOD
  TOTAL
RETURN(b)
  NET ASSETS
END OF
PERIOD
(000'S)
  EXPENSES   NET
INVESTMENT
INCOME
  REBATE FROM
MORGAN STANLEY
AFFILIATE
  PORTFOLIO
TURNOVER
RATE
 
STRATEGIST
CLASS Y SHARES
 
  2005     $ 16.03       8.06 %   $ 98,066       0.79 %     1.59 %           46 %  
  2006       16.51       14.75       101,878       0.80       2.28             36    
  2007       15.53       8.37       88,651       0.79       2.59             34    
  2008       10.56       (24.20 )     53,046       0.79 (h)     2.03 (h)     0.02 %     52    
  2009       12.35       19.44       59,737       0.80 (h)     1.16 (h)     0.03       96    
  2010 ^     11.58       (4.40 )(k)     54,098       0.82 (h)(l)     1.12 (h)(l)     0.03 (l)     25 (k)  

 

  (j)  If the Portfolio had borne all expenses that were reimbursed or waived by the Investment Adviser and Administrator, the annualized expense and net investment income ratios would have been as follows:

PERIOD ENDED   EXPENSE
RATIO
  NET INVESTMENT
INCOME RATIO
 
June 30, 2010  
Class X     1.13 %     3.03 %  
Class Y     1.38       2.78    
December 31, 2009  
Class X     1.12       2.55    
Class Y     1.37       2.30    
December 31, 2008  
Class X     1.08       2.93    
Class Y     1.33       2.68    
December 31, 2007  
Class X     1.04       1.69    
Class Y     1.29       1.44    
December 31, 2006  
Class X     1.07       1.52    
Class Y     1.32       1.27    
June 1 through
December 31, 2005
 
Class X     1.06       1.56    
Class Y     1.31       1.31    

 

  (k)  Not annualized.

  (l)  Annualized.


135




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Trustees  
    Frank L. Bowman   Joseph J. Kearns  
    Michael Bozic   Michael F. Klein  
    Kathleen A. Dennis   Michael E. Nugent  
    James F. Higgins   W. Allen Reed  
    Dr. Manuel H. Johnson   Fergus Reid  
Officers  
Michael E. Nugent
Chairperson of the Board
 
Randy Takian
President and Principal Executive Officer
 
Mary Ann Picciotto
Chief Compliance Officer
 
Stefanie V. Chang Yu
Vice President
 
Francis J. Smith
Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer
 
Mary E. Mullin
Secretary
 
    Transfer Agent   Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm  


  Morgan Stanley Services Company, Inc.
Harborside Financial Center, Plaza Two
Jersey City, New Jersey 07311
  Deloitte & Touche LLP
Two World Financial Center
New York, New York 10281
 
    Legal Counsel   Counsel to the Independent Trustees  
    Dechert LLP
1095 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10036
  Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP
1177 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10036
 
    Investment Adviser   Sub-Adviser (Global Infrastructure and
European Equity)
 
    Morgan Stanley Investment Advisors Inc.
522 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10036
  Morgan Stanley Investment Management Limited
25 Cabot Square, Canary Wharf
London, E14 4QA, England
 
        Morgan Stanley Investment Management Company
23 Church Street
16-01 Capital Square 049481 Singapore
 

 

This report is submitted for the general information of shareholders of the Fund. For more detailed information about the Fund, its fees and expenses and other pertinent information, please read its Prospectus. The Fund's Statement of Additional Information contains additional information about the Fund, including its trustees. It is available without charge, by calling (800) 869-NEWS.

This report is not authorized for distribution to prospective investors in the Fund unless preceded or accompanied by an effective Prospectus. Read the Prospectus carefully before investing.

Morgan Stanley Distributors Inc., member FINRA.




#40113A

VARINSAN
IU10-03021P-Y06/10




 

Item 2.  Code of Ethics.

 

Not applicable for semiannual reports.

 

Item 3.  Audit Committee Financial Expert.

 

Not applicable for semiannual reports.

 

Item 4. Principal Accountant Fees and Services

 

Not applicable for semiannual reports.

 

Item 5. Audit Committee of Listed Registrants.

 

Not applicable for semiannual reports.

 

Item 6.

 

(a) Refer to Item 1.

 

(b) Not applicable.

 

Item 7. Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

 

Not applicable for semiannual reports.

 

Item 8. Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies

 

Applicable only to reports filed by closed-end funds.

 

Item 9. Closed-End Fund Repurchases

 

Applicable to reports filed by closed-end funds.

 

Item 10. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

 

Not applicable.

 



 

Item 11. Controls and Procedures

 

(a)  The Fund’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that the Fund’s disclosure controls and procedures are sufficient to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Fund in this Form N-CSR was recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms, based upon such officers’ evaluation of these controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of the report.

 

(b)  There were no changes in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the second fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Item 12. Exhibits

 

(a) Code of Ethics — Not applicable for semiannual reports.

 

(b) A separate certification for each principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the registrant are attached hereto as part of EX-99.CERT.

 


 


 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

 

/s/ Randy Takian

 

Randy Takian

 

Principal Executive Officer

 

August 17, 2010

 

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

/s/ Randy Takian

 

Randy Takian

 

Principal Executive Officer

 

August 17, 2010

 

 

 

/s/ Francis Smith

 

Francis Smith

 

Principal Financial Officer

 

August 17, 2010