0001193125-13-344569.txt : 20130823 0001193125-13-344569.hdr.sgml : 20130823 20130823092254 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001193125-13-344569 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: N-CSRS PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 29 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 20130630 FILED AS OF DATE: 20130823 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20130823 EFFECTIVENESS DATE: 20130823 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN VARIABLE PRODUCTS SERIES FUND INC CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000825316 IRS NUMBER: 000000000 FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: N-CSRS SEC ACT: 1940 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 811-05398 FILM NUMBER: 131056329 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN LP STREET 2: 1345 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS CITY: NEW YORK STATE: NY ZIP: 10105 BUSINESS PHONE: 2129691000 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN LP STREET 2: 1345 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS CITY: NEW YORK STATE: NY ZIP: 10105 0000825316 S000010429 AllianceBernstein International Growth Portfolio C000028824 Class A C000028825 Class B 0000825316 S000010431 AllianceBernstein International Value Portfolio C000028828 Class A C000028829 Class B 0000825316 S000010432 AllianceBernstein Large Cap Growth Portfolio C000028830 Class A C000028831 Class B 0000825316 S000010434 AllianceBernstein Real Estate Investment Portfolio C000028834 Class A C000028835 Class B 0000825316 S000010435 AllianceBernstein Small Cap Growth Portfolio C000028836 Class A C000028837 Class B 0000825316 S000010436 AllianceBernstein Small/Mid Cap Value Portfolio C000028838 Class A C000028839 Class B 0000825316 S000010437 AllianceBernstein Intermediate Bond Portfolio C000028840 Class A C000028841 Class B 0000825316 S000010441 AllianceBernstein Value Portfolio C000028848 Class A C000028849 Class B 0000825316 S000010443 AllianceBernstein Balanced Wealth Strategy Portfolio C000028852 Class A C000028853 Class B 0000825316 S000010447 AllianceBernstein Global Thematic Growth Portfolio C000028860 Class A C000028861 Class B 0000825316 S000010448 AllianceBernstein Growth and Income Portfolio C000028862 Class A C000028863 Class B 0000825316 S000010449 AllianceBernstein Growth Portfolio C000028864 Class A C000028865 Class B 0000825316 S000031722 AllianceBernstein Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio C000098721 Class A C000098722 Class B N-CSRS 1 d562347dncsrs.htm ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN VARIABLE PRODUCTS SERIES FUND, INC. AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc.

 

 

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: 811-05398

 

 

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN VARIABLE PRODUCTS SERIES FUND, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

 

 

1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10105

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

 

 

Joseph J. Mantineo

Alliance Bernstein L.P.

1345 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10105

(Name and address of agent for service)

 

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (800) 221-5672

Date of fiscal year end: December 31, 2013

Date of reporting period: June 30, 2013

 

 

 


ITEM 1. REPORTS TO STOCKHOLDERS.


AllianceBernstein

Variable Products Series Fund, Inc.

 

 

 

LOGO   AllianceBernstein Balanced Wealth Strategy Portfolio

 

June 30, 2013

 

Semi-Annual Report

 

LOGO

 

SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT


 

 

 

Investment Products Offered

 

  Ø  

Are Not FDIC Insured

  Ø  

May Lose Value

  Ø  

Are Not Bank Guaranteed

AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (ABI) is the distributor of the AllianceBernstein family of mutual funds. ABI is a member of FINRA and is an affiliate of AllianceBernstein L.P., the manager of the funds.

You may obtain a description of the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures, and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, without charge. Simply visit AllianceBernstein’s website at www.alliancebernstein.com or go to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “Commission”) website at www.sec.gov, or call AllianceBernstein at (800) 227-4618.

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Commission for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Fund’s Forms N-Q are available on the Commission’s website at www.sec.gov. The Fund’s Forms N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC; information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330.

AllianceBernstein® and the AB Logo are registered trademarks and service marks used by permission of the owner, AllianceBernstein L.P.


 
BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
EXPENSE EXAMPLE (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments, contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution (12b-1) fees; and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund 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 as indicated below.

Actual Expenses

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. The estimate of expenses does not include fees or other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes

The table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed annual rate of return of 5% before expenses, which is not the Fund’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 costs of investing in the Fund and other funds by comparing this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds. The estimate of expenses does not include fees or other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads), or contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions. Therefore, the second line of each class’ table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

      Beginning
Account  Value
January 1, 2013
     Ending
Account Value
June 30, 2013
     Expenses Paid
During Period*
     Annualized
Expense Ratio*
 

Class A

           

Actual

   $   1,000       $   1,052.80       $   3.31         0.65

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $ 1,000       $ 1,021.57       $ 3.26         0.65
           

Class B

           

Actual

   $ 1,000       $ 1,051.60       $ 4.58         0.90

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $ 1,000       $ 1,020.33       $ 4.51         0.90

 

 

 

*   Expenses are equal to each classes’ annualized expense ratios, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 181/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).

 

1


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS*  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

COMPANY    U.S. $ VALUE      PERCENT OF NET ASSETS  

U.S. Treasury Bonds & Notes

   $ 38,530,609         6.9

Federal National Mortgage Association

     36,666,909         6.6   

Exxon Mobil Corp.

     6,351,605         1.1   

Biogen Idec, Inc.

     4,891,065         0.9   

Federal Farm Credit Banks

     4,719,795         0.8   

Bank of America Corp.

     4,438,006         0.8   

Google, Inc.—Class A

     4,366,635         0.8   

Pfizer, Inc.

     4,288,331         0.8   

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

     4,273,910         0.8   

Citigroup, Inc.

     4,236,258         0.8   
    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     $   112,763,123         20.3

SECURITY TYPE BREAKDOWN**

June 30, 2013 (unaudited)

 

 

SECURITY TYPE    U.S. $ VALUE      PERCENT OF TOTAL INVESTMENTS  

Common Stocks

   $ 349,976,995         60.4

Corporates—Investment Grades

     50,028,272         8.6   

Governments—Treasuries

     38,530,609         6.6   

Mortgage Pass-Throughs

     36,375,745         6.3   

Asset-Backed Securities

     24,815,124         4.3   

Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities

     17,919,037         3.1   

Agencies

     11,547,949         2.0   

Corporates—Non-Investment Grades

     3,081,590         0.5   

Collateralized Mortgage Obligations

     2,612,035         0.5   

Quasi-Sovereigns

     2,002,245         0.3   

Governments-Sovereign Bonds

     1,029,028         0.2   

Emerging Markets—Corporate Bonds

     668,525         0.1   

Other***

     735,891         0.1   

Short-Term Investments

     40,434,271         7.0   
    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Investments

   $   579,757,316         100.0

 

 

 

*   Long-term investments.

 

**   The Portfolio’s security type breakdown is expressed as a percentage of total investments (excluding security lending collateral) and may vary over time. The Portfolio also enters into derivative transactions, which may be used for hedging or investment purposes (see “Portfolio of Investments” section of the report for additional details).

 

***   “Other” represents less than 0.1% weightings in the following security types: Local Governments—Municipal Bonds, Preferred  Stocks, Warrants and Rights.

 

2


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
 

Shares

    U.S. $ Value  
   

COMMON STOCKS–63.1%

   
   

FINANCIALS–10.9%

   

CAPITAL MARKETS–1.3%

   

Affiliated Managers Group, Inc.(a)

    10,770      $ 1,765,634   

BlackRock, Inc.–Class A

    3,640        934,934   

Credit Suisse Group AG(a)

    13,530        358,194   

Deutsche Bank AG (REG)

    10,256        430,063   

Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)

    6,100        922,625   

Macquarie Group Ltd.

    18,157        692,524   

State Street Corp.

    6,600        430,386   

UBS AG(a)

    99,732        1,692,833   
   

 

 

 
      7,227,193   
   

 

 

 

COMMERCIAL BANKS–2.3%

   

Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd.

    11,760        305,282   

Banco do Brasil SA

    34,000        336,899   

Bank Hapoalim BM(a)

    36,650        165,401   

Barclays PLC

    84,770        361,013   

BNP Paribas SA

    2,900        158,760   

China Construction Bank Corp.–Class H

    196,000        137,733   

CIT Group, Inc.(a)

    41,200        1,921,156   

Fifth Third Bancorp

    13,200        238,260   

HSBC Holdings PLC

    87,740        908,297   

KB Financial Group, Inc.

    11,345        336,466   

KeyCorp

    15,100        166,704   

Lloyds Banking Group PLC(a)

    236,040        226,672   

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.

    140,400        867,092   

Mizuho Financial Group, Inc.

    76,200        158,244   

National Australia Bank Ltd.

    22,210        600,779   

Regions Financial Corp.

    20,700        197,271   

Sberbank of Russia (Sponsored ADR)

    23,279        267,243   

Societe Generale SA

    17,682        608,534   

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc.

    10,500        480,617   

SunTrust Banks, Inc.

    7,700        243,089   

US Bancorp

    15,800        571,170   

Wells Fargo & Co.

    79,800        3,293,346   
   

 

 

 
      12,550,028   
   

 

 

 

CONSUMER FINANCE–0.7%

   

Capital One Financial Corp.

    35,000        2,198,350   

Discover Financial Services

    30,000        1,429,200   

Muthoot Finance Ltd.

    63,481        108,416   

Shriram Transport Finance Co., Ltd.

    20,915        251,051   
   

 

 

 
      3,987,017   
   

 

 

 

DIVERSIFIED FINANCIAL SERVICES–2.7%

   

Bank of America Corp.

    227,100        2,920,506   

Citigroup, Inc.

    60,200        2,887,794   

IG Group Holdings PLC

    71,294        629,585   

ING Groep NV(a)

    84,340        770,790   

IntercontinentalExchange, Inc.(a)

    22,383        3,978,802   
   
   

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

    62,500      $ 3,299,375   

ORIX Corp.

    39,000        532,222   
   

 

 

 
      15,019,074   
   

 

 

 

INSURANCE–3.0%

   

Admiral Group PLC

    54,040        1,088,579   

Aegon NV

    51,769        347,321   

AIA Group Ltd.

    303,600        1,279,066   

Allianz SE

    1,740        253,972   

American International Group, Inc.(a)

    34,900        1,560,030   

Aviva PLC

    50,440        259,975   

BB Seguridade Participacoes SA(a)

    41,200        324,231   

Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.(a)

    7,600        850,592   

Brown & Brown, Inc.

    13,200        425,568   

Chubb Corp. (The)

    16,500        1,396,725   

Everest Re Group Ltd.

    7,600        974,776   

Fidelity National Financial, Inc.–Class A

    30,600        728,586   

Genworth Financial, Inc.–Class A(a)

    60,300        688,023   

Lancashire Holdings Ltd.

    50,040        603,471   

MetLife, Inc.

    3,300        151,008   

Muenchener Rueckversicherungs AG

    1,280        235,152   

PartnerRe Ltd.

    13,700        1,240,672   

Progressive Corp. (The)

    8,100        205,902   

Prudential PLC

    67,600        1,103,419   

Reinsurance Group of America, Inc.–Class A

    10,900        753,299   

Suncorp Group Ltd.

    31,250        339,409   

Torchmark Corp.

    8,100        527,634   

Travelers Cos., Inc. (The)

    6,300        503,496   

XL Group PLC

    21,500        651,880   
   

 

 

 
      16,492,786   
   

 

 

 

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS (REITS)–0.2%

   

Westfield Group

    113,150        1,185,091   
   

 

 

 

REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT–0.6%

   

Aeon Mall Co., Ltd.

    21,700        538,333   

Daito Trust Construction Co., Ltd.

    5,000        471,099   

Hang Lung Group Ltd.

    8,000        42,853   

Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.

    53,100        1,561,141   

Supalai PCL (NVDR)

    52,500        29,800   

Wharf Holdings Ltd.

    117,000        977,279   
   

 

 

 
      3,620,505   
   

 

 

 

THRIFTS & MORTGAGE FINANCE–0.1%

   

Housing Development Finance Corp.

    37,850        549,582   
   

 

 

 
      60,631,276   
   

 

 

 

 

3


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
 

Shares

    U.S. $ Value  
   

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY–10.1%

   

AUTO COMPONENTS–0.8%

   

Cie Generale des Etablissements Michelin–Class B

    7,380      $ 659,889   

GKN PLC

    94,750        433,708   

Lear Corp.

    11,300        683,198   

Magna International, Inc. (New York)–Class A

    12,200        868,884   

Nokian Renkaat Oyj

    4,900        199,387   

TRW Automotive Holdings Corp.(a)

    13,900        923,516   

Valeo SA(b)

    7,020        440,498   
   

 

 

 
      4,209,080   
   

 

 

 

AUTOMOBILES–1.3%

   

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG

    3,590        313,322   

Ford Motor Co.

    110,700        1,712,529   

Harley-Davidson, Inc.

    18,131        993,941   

Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

    14,700        546,097   

Kia Motors Corp.

    6,710        362,355   

Mazda Motor Corp.(a)

    93,000        367,670   

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

    43,400        434,981   

Renault SA

    2,840        191,295   

Toyota Motor Corp.

    31,800        1,918,106   

Volkswagen AG (Preference Shares)

    2,770        559,495   
   

 

 

 
      7,399,791   
   

 

 

 

DIVERSIFIED CONSUMER SERVICES–0.2%

   

Estacio Participacoes SA

    69,900        505,607   

Kroton Educacional SA

    21,100        292,101   
   

 

 

 
      797,708   
   

 

 

 

HOTELS, RESTAURANTS & LEISURE–1.2%

   

Autogrill SpA(a)

    13,790        191,402   

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.–Class A(a)

    1,950        710,483   

Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd.(a)

    90,000        435,443   

Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. (ADR)(a)

    12,520        279,947   

Melco International Development Ltd.

    163,000        306,678   

Sands China Ltd.

    148,000        695,399   

SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc.

    12,059        423,271   

Sodexo

    17,559        1,462,762   

Starbucks Corp.

    26,960        1,765,610   

Whitbread PLC

    8,620        400,999   
   

 

 

 
      6,671,994   
   

 

 

 

HOUSEHOLD DURABLES–0.5%

   

Brookfield Residential Properties, Inc.(a)

    22,431        494,828   

PulteGroup, Inc.(a)

    88,490        1,678,655   

Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.

    12,000        127,422   

Sony Corp.

    17,800        376,046   
   

Taylor Wimpey PLC

    134,582      $ 196,087   
   

 

 

 
      2,873,038   
   

 

 

 

INTERNET & CATALOG RETAIL–1.2%

   

Amazon.com, Inc.(a)

    11,090        3,079,582   

priceline.com, Inc.(a)

    4,080        3,374,691   
   

 

 

 
      6,454,273   
   

 

 

 

MEDIA–2.7%

   

Comcast Corp.–Class A

    68,460        2,867,105   

Gannett Co., Inc.

    16,200        396,252   

Liberty Global PLC(a)

    5,886        436,035   

Liberty Global PLC–Series C(a)

    10,000        678,900   

Liberty Media Corp.(a)

    10,290        1,304,360   

Naspers Ltd.

    13,150        970,623   

News Corp.–Class A

    41,800        1,362,680   

Regal Entertainment Group–Class A

    42,220        755,738   

Time Warner Cable, Inc.–Class A

    8,500        956,080   

Time Warner, Inc.

    12,700        734,314   

Viacom, Inc.–Class B

    21,500        1,463,075   

Walt Disney Co. (The)

    48,492        3,062,270   
   

 

 

 
      14,987,432   
   

 

 

 

MULTILINE RETAIL–0.3%

   

Macy’s, Inc.

    32,700        1,569,600   

Myer Holdings Ltd.(b)

    74,920        162,750   
   

 

 

 
      1,732,350   
   

 

 

 

SPECIALTY RETAIL–1.1%

   

GameStop Corp.–Class A

    21,600        907,848   

Home Depot, Inc. (The)

    3,100        240,157   

Kingfisher PLC

    37,890        197,551   

Lowe’s Cos., Inc.

    21,100        862,990   

Nitori Holdings Co., Ltd.

    7,250        583,691   

O’Reilly Automotive, Inc.(a)

    7,320        824,378   

Shimamura Co., Ltd.

    2,200        267,063   

Staples, Inc.

    9,100        144,326   

TJX Cos., Inc.

    34,500        1,727,070   

Yamada Denki Co., Ltd.(b)

    12,490        505,711   
   

 

 

 
      6,260,785   
   

 

 

 

TEXTILES, APPAREL & LUXURY GOODS–0.8%

   

Cie Financiere Richemont SA

    18,960        1,672,049   

Hugo Boss AG

    1,490        163,839   

Li & Fung Ltd.

    690,000        938,698   

LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA

    2,446        397,119   

Samsonite International SA

    157,500        378,683   

VF Corp.

    4,730        913,174   
   

 

 

 
      4,463,562   
   

 

 

 
      55,850,013   
   

 

 

 

 

4


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
 

Shares

    U.S. $ Value  
   

HEALTH CARE–7.3%

   

BIOTECHNOLOGY–2.1%

   

Actelion Ltd.(a)

    11,380      $ 685,505   

Biogen Idec, Inc.(a)

    22,728        4,891,065   

Celgene Corp.(a)

    20,890        2,442,250   

Gilead Sciences, Inc.(a)

    34,690        1,776,475   

Quintiles Transnational Holdings, Inc.(a)

    22,700        966,112   

Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)

    9,700        774,739   
   

 

 

 
      11,536,146   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES–0.8%

   

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.(a)

    5,750        2,912,835   

Medtronic, Inc.

    26,300        1,353,661   
   

 

 

 
      4,266,496   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS & SERVICES–1.3%

   

Aetna, Inc.

    19,900        1,264,446   

Health Net, Inc./CA(a)

    15,100        480,482   

McKesson Corp.

    7,150        818,675   

UnitedHealth Group, Inc.

    41,911        2,744,332   

WellPoint, Inc.

    24,900        2,037,816   
   

 

 

 
      7,345,751   
   

 

 

 

LIFE SCIENCES TOOLS & SERVICES–0.4%

   

Eurofins Scientific(a)

    4,904        1,034,855   

Illumina, Inc.(a)

    12,362        925,172   

Mettler-Toledo International, Inc.(a)

    2,010        404,412   
   

 

 

 
      2,364,439   
   

 

 

 

PHARMACEUTICALS–2.7%

   

Allergan, Inc./United States

    29,883        2,517,344   

GlaxoSmithKline PLC

    53,360        1,333,798   

Johnson & Johnson

    22,600        1,940,436   

Merck & Co., Inc.

    41,200        1,913,740   

Novartis AG

    11,434        809,877   

Pfizer, Inc.

    153,100        4,288,331   

Roche Holding AG

    4,810        1,193,828   

Roche Holding AG (Sponsored ADR)

    12,800        791,872   

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

    4,060        158,899   
   

 

 

 
      14,948,125   
   

 

 

 
      40,460,957   
   

 

 

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY–7.3%

   

COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT–0.3%

   

Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson–Class B

    14,118        160,096   

QUALCOMM, Inc.

    15,865        969,034   

Harris Corp.

    12,100        595,925   
   

 

 

 
      1,725,055   
   

 

 

 
   

COMPUTERS &
PERIPHERALS–1.3%

   

Apple, Inc.

    10,230      $ 4,051,898   

Hewlett-Packard Co.

    93,800        2,326,240   

Fujitsu Ltd.

    105,000        434,384   

Toshiba Corp.

    73,000        349,931   
   

 

 

 
      7,162,453   
   

 

 

 

ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT, INSTRUMENTS & COMPONENTS–0.2%

   

LG Display Co., Ltd.(a)

    16,600        396,073   

Amphenol Corp.–Class A

    10,210        795,768   
   

 

 

 
      1,191,841   
   

 

 

 

INTERNET SOFTWARE & SERVICES–2.0%

   

Google, Inc.–Class A(a)

    4,960        4,366,635   

Tencent Holdings Ltd.

    6,500        253,807   

Baidu, Inc. (Sponsored ADR)(a)(b)

    4,910        464,142   

LinkedIn Corp.(a)

    8,090        1,442,447   

eBay, Inc.(a)

    46,703        2,415,479   

Facebook, Inc.(a)

    74,840        1,860,523   
   

 

 

 
      10,803,033   
   

 

 

 

IT SERVICES–1.2%

   

Amdocs Ltd.

    11,200        415,408   

Visa, Inc.–Class A

    10,410        1,902,427   

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp.–Class A(a)

    66,680        4,174,835   
   

 

 

 
      6,492,670   
   

 

 

 

SEMICONDUCTORS & SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT–0.9%

   

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Sponsored ADR)

    46,730        856,094   

Micron Technology, Inc.(a)

    39,000        558,870   

SK Hynix, Inc.(a)

    15,200        412,568   

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

    510        596,100   

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (Preference Shares)

    710        547,536   

Sumco Corp.

    28,800        315,471   

Applied Materials, Inc.

    94,300        1,406,013   

Tokyo Electron Ltd.

    5,500        278,077   
   

 

 

 
      4,970,729   
   

 

 

 

SOFTWARE–1.4%

   

Dassault Systemes SA

    1,010        123,449   

SAP AG

    10,404        759,731   

Symantec Corp.

    37,900        851,613   

Nintendo Co., Ltd.

    1,800        211,930   

Citrix Systems, Inc.(a)

    37,640        2,270,821   

CA, Inc.

    6,100        174,643   

ANSYS, Inc.(a)

    22,705        1,659,736   

 

5


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
 

Shares

    U.S. $ Value  
   

Red Hat, Inc.(a)

    12,090      $ 578,144   

Electronic Arts, Inc.(a)

    41,700        957,849   

SolarWinds, Inc.(a)

    8,102        314,439   
   

 

 

 
      7,902,355   
   

 

 

 
      40,248,136   
   

 

 

 

INDUSTRIALS–7.1%

   

AEROSPACE & DEFENSE–1.7%

   

Boeing Co. (The)

    38,100        3,902,964   

European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. NV

    11,550        617,933   

Northrop Grumman Corp.

    4,100        339,480   

Precision Castparts Corp.

    17,144        3,874,716   

Safran SA

    7,290        380,585   

Zodiac Aerospace

    3,140        415,773   
   

 

 

 
      9,531,451   
   

 

 

 

AIRLINES–0.4%

   

Delta Air Lines, Inc.(a)

    61,100        1,143,181   

Japan Airlines Co., Ltd.

    6,900        355,217   

Qantas Airways Ltd.(a)

    211,450        259,721   

Turk Hava Yollari

    44,677        173,582   
   

 

 

 
      1,931,701   
   

 

 

 

BUILDING PRODUCTS–0.2%

   

Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.(b)

    39,000        252,790   

LIXIL Group Corp.

    11,000        267,858   

Masco Corp.

    24,851        484,346   
   

 

 

 
      1,004,994   
   

 

 

 

COMMERCIAL SERVICES & SUPPLIES–0.2%

   

Aggreko PLC

    5,890        147,217   

Edenred

    10,589        324,232   

Stericycle, Inc.(a)

    8,179        903,207   
   

 

 

 
      1,374,656   
   

 

 

 

ELECTRICAL
EQUIPMENT–0.5%

   

AMETEK, Inc.

    17,612        744,988   

Roper Industries, Inc.

    6,740        837,243   

Sensata Technologies Holding NV(a)

    21,380        746,162   

Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd.

    56,700        674,959   
   

 

 

 
      3,003,352   
   

 

 

 

INDUSTRIAL CONGLOMERATES–1.1%

   

Danaher Corp.

    39,689        2,512,314   

General Electric Co.

    135,000        3,130,650   

Siemens AG

    2,900        293,664   
   

 

 

 
      5,936,628   
   

 

 

 

INDUSTRIAL WAREHOUSE DISTRIBUTION–0.9%

   

Daiwa House REIT Investment Corp.

    25        179,797   

Global Logistic Properties Ltd.

    771,000        1,667,726   

GLP J-Reit

    289        282,298   

Granite Real Estate Investment(a)

    13,250        457,788   
   

Hopewell Holdings Ltd.

    74,000      $ 245,127   

Mapletree Logistics Trust

    351,000        304,212   

Nippon Prologis REIT, Inc.

    25        216,931   

ProLogis, Inc.

    21,043        793,742   

STAG Industrial, Inc.

    29,590        590,320   
   

 

 

 
      4,737,941   
   

 

 

 

MACHINERY–0.7%

   

FANUC Corp.

    3,200        463,126   

Flowserve Corp.

    11,607        626,894   

IHI Corp.

    32,000        121,073   

Illinois Tool Works, Inc.

    17,900        1,238,143   

Komatsu Ltd.

    29,700        684,048   

Parker Hannifin Corp.

    1,900        181,260   

Timken Co.

    6,000        337,680   
   

 

 

 
      3,652,224   
   

 

 

 

MIXED OFFICE
INDUSTRIAL–0.0%

   

Goodman Group

    36,620        162,811   
   

 

 

 

PROFESSIONAL
SERVICES–1.1%

   

Bureau Veritas SA

    56,362        1,459,514   

Capita PLC

    125,656        1,847,017   

Intertek Group PLC

    39,562        1,758,593   

SGS SA

    372        798,655   
   

 

 

 
      5,863,779   
   

 

 

 

ROAD & RAIL–0.0%

   

Tokyu Corp.

    25,000        163,694   
   

 

 

 

TRADING COMPANIES & DISTRIBUTORS–0.3%

   

Mitsubishi Corp.

    18,000        307,506   

WW Grainger, Inc.

    6,000        1,513,080   
   

 

 

 
      1,820,586   
   

 

 

 
      39,183,817   
   

 

 

 

ENERGY–4.7%

   

ENERGY EQUIPMENT & SERVICES–1.5%

   

Aker Solutions ASA

    24,480        334,201   

AMEC PLC

    30,398        464,913   

Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc.

    12,200        839,238   

Halliburton Co.

    21,500        896,980   

Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc.(a)

    21,800        502,272   

Nabors Industries Ltd.

    37,400        572,594   

National Oilwell Varco, Inc.

    9,210        634,569   

Oceaneering International, Inc.

    13,632        984,231   

Schlumberger Ltd.

    30,344        2,174,451   

Seadrill Ltd.

    9,210        370,945   

Technip SA

    5,555        564,567   
   

 

 

 
      8,338,961   
   

 

 

 

OIL, GAS & CONSUMABLE FUELS–3.2%

   

Chevron Corp.

    22,900        2,709,986   

ENI SpA

    34,740        713,003   

EOG Resources, Inc.

    6,111        804,696   

 

6


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
 

Shares

    U.S. $ Value  
   

Exxon Mobil Corp.

    70,300      $ 6,351,605   

Gazprom OAO (Sponsored ADR)

    43,510        285,861   

HollyFrontier Corp.

    2,700        115,506   

JX Holdings, Inc.

    57,100        275,702   

Marathon Petroleum Corp.

    19,700        1,399,882   

Noble Energy, Inc.

    22,202        1,333,008   

Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Sponsored ADR)

    17,860        261,828   

Phillips 66

    8,300        488,953   

Royal Dutch Shell PLC (ADR)

    13,000        829,400   

Royal Dutch Shell PLC (Euronext Amsterdam)–Class A

    18,375        587,151   

Valero Energy Corp.

    39,100        1,359,507   
   

 

 

 
      17,516,088   
   

 

 

 
      25,855,049   
   

 

 

 

CONSUMER STAPLES–4.1%

   

BEVERAGES–0.2%

   

Anheuser-Busch InBev NV

    6,160        554,604   

Asahi Group Holdings Ltd.

    14,500        359,190   

Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc.

    4,000        140,640   
   

 

 

 
      1,054,434   
   

 

 

 

FOOD & STAPLES RETAILING–1.3%

   

Costco Wholesale Corp.

    16,900        1,868,633   

CVS Caremark Corp.

    6,400        365,952   

Jeronimo Martins SGPS SA

    37,165        783,309   

Koninklijke Ahold NV

    36,660        545,242   

Kroger Co. (The)

    48,300        1,668,282   

Olam International Ltd.

    818,412        1,053,439   

Sugi Holdings Co., Ltd.(b)

    7,400        281,458   

Tesco PLC

    57,580        289,962   

Tsuruha Holdings, Inc.

    1,400        132,330   

Wesfarmers Ltd.

    3,750        135,698   

WM Morrison Supermarkets PLC

    77,970        310,355   
   

 

 

 
      7,434,660   
   

 

 

 

FOOD PRODUCTS–0.4%

   

Danone SA

    2,920        219,783   

Hershey Co. (The)

    19,810        1,768,637   

Nestle SA

    4,650        305,135   
   

 

 

 
      2,293,555   
   

 

 

 

HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS–0.5%

   

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

    13,681        1,071,495   

LG Household & Health Care Ltd.

    650        316,612   

Procter & Gamble Co. (The)

    12,200        939,278   

Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC

    2,690        190,281   
   

 

 

 
      2,517,666   
   

 

 

 

PERSONAL PRODUCTS–0.2%

   

Estee Lauder Cos., Inc. (The)–Class A

    12,880        847,118   
   

 

 

 

TOBACCO–1.5%

   

British American Tobacco PLC

    43,889        2,251,046   

Imperial Tobacco Group PLC

    15,610        541,271   

Japan Tobacco, Inc.

    67,500        2,382,583   
   

Philip Morris International, Inc.

    37,765      $ 3,271,204   
   

 

 

 
      8,446,104   
   

 

 

 
      22,593,537   
   

 

 

 

EQUITY:OTHER–3.4%

   

DIVERSIFIED/SPECIALTY–2.5%

   

Armada Hoffler Properties, Inc.

    26,112        307,599   

British Land Co. PLC

    63,044        543,098   

Buzzi Unicem SpA

    15,980        239,695   

Chambers Street Properties

    6,142        61,420   

Cheung Kong Holdings Ltd.

    18,000        242,720   

Cofinimmo

    1,910        208,903   

Country Garden Holdings Co., Ltd.

    632,000        326,005   

CyrusOne, Inc.

    23,274        482,703   

Dexus Property Group

    479,220        467,335   

Digital Realty Trust, Inc.(b)

    6,270        382,470   

Duke Realty Corp.

    32,770        510,884   

Dundee Real Estate Investment Trust

    10,136        314,575   

Evergrande Real Estate Group Ltd.(a)(b)

    904,000        333,642   

Fibra Uno Administracion SA de CV

    113,690        381,761   

Hang Lung Properties Ltd.

    313,000        1,084,178   

Henderson Land Development Co., Ltd.

    26,400        157,294   

ICADE

    5,449        449,475   

Land Securities Group PLC

    15,731        211,279   

LPN Development PCL

    230,700        179,264   

Mapletree Commercial Trust

    291,000        271,198   

Mexico Real Estate Management SA de CV(a)

    279,540        604,063   

Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd.

    61,000        1,624,057   

New World Development Co., Ltd.

    582,958        799,248   

Sumitomo Realty & Development Co., Ltd.

    23,000        916,643   

Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd.

    73,708        946,561   

Supalai PCL

    336,700        192,152   

Telecity Group PLC

    52,488        808,843   

UOL Group Ltd.

    78,516        415,067   

Vornado Realty Trust

    4,920        407,622   

Wheelock & Co., Ltd.

    46,000        228,921   
   

 

 

 
      14,098,675   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE–0.9%

   

Chartwell Retirement Residences

    26,140        243,827   

HCP, Inc.

    17,290        785,658   

Health Care REIT, Inc.

    8,300        556,349   

LTC Properties, Inc.

    14,400        562,320   

Medical Properties Trust, Inc.

    40,275        576,738   

Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc.

    19,850        615,747   

Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.

    11,990        313,059   

Senior Housing Properties Trust

    17,310        448,848   

Ventas, Inc.

    10,330        717,522   
   

 

 

 
      4,820,068   
   

 

 

 

 

7


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
 

Shares

    U.S. $ Value  
   

TRIPLE NET–0.0%

   

Realty Income Corp.

    3,330      $ 139,594   
   

 

 

 
      19,058,337   
   

 

 

 

MATERIALS–2.2%

   

CHEMICALS–1.4%

   

Arkema SA

    3,693        338,520   

Axiall Corp.

    19,700        838,826   

BASF SE

    1,730        154,305   

Denki Kagaku Kogyo KK

    30,000        108,596   

Essentra PLC

    80,384        859,578   

Huntsman Corp.

    51,100        846,216   

Incitec Pivot Ltd.

    90,431        235,451   

Koninklijke DSM NV

    5,618        366,256   

LyondellBasell Industries NV–Class A

    22,300        1,477,598   

Monsanto Co.

    22,529        2,225,865   

Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd.

    4,000        40,915   

Teijin Ltd.

    67,000        146,762   

Ube Industries Ltd./Japan

    41,000        75,853   
   

 

 

 
      7,714,741   
   

 

 

 

CONSTRUCTION
MATERIALS–0.1%

   

Boral Ltd.

    57,750        220,971   

Holcim Ltd.(a)

    3,026        210,629   

Taiheiyo Cement Corp.

    87,000        277,634   
   

 

 

 
      709,234   
   

 

 

 

CONTAINERS &
PACKAGING–0.2%

   

Rock Tenn Co.

    9,700        968,836   
   

 

 

 

METALS & MINING–0.5%

   

Anglo American PLC

    12,350        237,992   

BHP Billiton PLC

    26,390        672,888   

Dowa Holdings Co., Ltd.

    22,000        196,589   

Glencore Xstrata PLC

    37,911        156,932   

KGHM Polska Miedz SA

    5,300        192,760   

MMC Norilsk Nickel OJSC (ADR)

    33,220        478,700   

Rio Tinto PLC

    13,250        538,864   

Vale SA (Sponsored ADR) (Local Preference Shares)

    29,640        360,422   
   

 

 

 
      2,835,147   
   

 

 

 
      12,227,958   
   

 

 

 

RETAIL–1.4%

   

REGIONAL MALL–0.7%

   

General Growth Properties, Inc.

    37,300        741,151   

Glimcher Realty Trust

    21,349        233,131   

Macerich Co. (The)

    2,820        171,935   

Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust

    27,410        517,501   

Simon Property Group, Inc.

    12,276        1,938,626   
   

 

 

 
      3,602,344   
   

 

 

 

SHOPPING CENTER/OTHER RETAIL–0.7%

   

Corio NV

    5,773        229,755   

DDR Corp.

    12,490        207,959   
   

Fukuoka REIT Co.

    19      $ 150,695   

Japan Retail Fund Investment Corp.

    149        311,283   

Kimco Realty Corp.

    9,030        193,513   

Klepierre

    10,463        412,340   

Link REIT (The)

    68,268        335,477   

RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust (Toronto)

    4,973        119,490   

Unibail-Rodamco SE

    5,389        1,255,125   

Vastned

    5,730        234,972   

Westfield Retail Trust

    217,950        616,382   
   

 

 

 
      4,066,991   
   

 

 

 
      7,669,335   
   

 

 

 

RESIDENTIAL–1.3%

   

MULTI-FAMILY–1.0%

   

Associated Estates Realty Corp.

    31,540        507,163   

AvalonBay Communities, Inc.

    2,200        296,802   

Berkeley Group Holdings PLC

    6,980        226,092   

China Overseas Land & Investment Ltd.

    198,000        512,950   

China Vanke Co., Ltd.–Class B

    132,960        236,259   

Equity Residential

    6,960        404,098   

LEG Immobilien AG(a)

    10,329        537,789   

Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc.

    9,160        620,773   

Mirvac Group

    131,633        192,710   

Persimmon PLC(a)

    13,630        244,671   

Rossi Residencial SA(a)

    178,840        235,637   

Stockland

    274,529        873,514   

Sun Communities, Inc.

    11,310        562,786   

Wing Tai Holdings Ltd.

    168,000        270,828   
   

 

 

 
      5,722,072   
   

 

 

 

SELF STORAGE–0.2%

   

Extra Space Storage, Inc.

    15,190        636,917   

Public Storage

    4,300        659,319   
   

 

 

 
      1,296,236   
   

 

 

 

SINGLE FAMILY–0.1%

   

Ply Gem Holdings, Inc.(a)

    11,318        227,039   
   

 

 

 
      7,245,347   
   

 

 

 

UTILITIES–1.1%

   

ELECTRIC UTILITIES–0.6%

   

American Electric Power Co., Inc.

    14,100        631,398   

Edison International

    20,600        992,096   

EDP–Energias de Portugal SA

    104,430        336,866   

Electricite de France SA

    14,720        341,601   

NV Energy, Inc.

    56,200        1,318,452   
   

 

 

 
      3,620,413   
   

 

 

 

GAS UTILITIES–0.1%

   

Atmos Energy Corp.

    17,100        702,126   
   

 

 

 

INDEPENDENT POWER PRODUCERS & ENERGY TRADERS–0.1%

   

APR Energy PLC

    34,588        528,696   
   

 

 

 

 

8


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
 

Shares

    U.S. $ Value  
     

MULTI-UTILITIES–0.3%

     

CenterPoint Energy, Inc.

      28,600      $ 671,814   

Centrica PLC

      60,160        329,058   

DTE Energy Co.

      2,500        167,525   

National Grid PLC

      31,870        361,266   
     

 

 

 
        1,529,663   
     

 

 

 
        6,380,898   
     

 

 

 

TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES–1.0%

     

DIVERSIFIED TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES–0.6%

     

AT&T, Inc.

      53,900        1,908,060   

Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp.

      17,200        896,479   

TDC A/S

      41,761        338,455   

Telenor ASA

      11,440        227,233   

Vivendi SA

      16,994        322,063   
     

 

 

 
        3,692,290   
     

 

 

 

WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES–0.4%

     

NTT DoCoMo, Inc.

      168        261,358   

Vodafone Group PLC

      272,253        780,189   

Vodafone Group PLC (Sponsored ADR)

      38,400        1,103,616   
     

 

 

 
        2,145,163   
     

 

 

 
        5,837,453   
     

 

 

 

OFFICE–0.8%

     

OFFICE–0.8%

     

Allied Properties Real Estate Investment Trust

      11,906        362,376   

Boston Properties, Inc.

      1,974        208,198   

Brandywine Realty Trust

      9,450        127,764   

CapitaCommercial Trust

      290,000        334,545   

Cominar Real Estate Investment Trust

      19,103        378,536   

Corporate Office Properties Trust

      4,841        123,445   

Hongkong Land Holdings Ltd.

      27,000        184,867   

Investa Office Fund

      123,270        327,517   

Japan Excellent, Inc.(b)

      42        236,482   

Japan Real Estate Investment Corp.

      35        390,976   

Kenedix Realty Investment Corp.–Class A(b)

      79        314,481   

Mack-Cali Realty Corp.

      13,910        340,656   

Nippon Building Fund, Inc.(b)

      17        196,886   

Orix JREIT, Inc.

      304        346,983   

Parkway Properties, Inc./MD

      30,638        513,493   
     

 

 

 
        4,387,205   
     

 

 

 

LODGING–0.4%

     

LODGING–0.4%

     

Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc.

      44,830        513,303   

Great Eagle Holdings Ltd.

      71,113        270,531   
 

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC

      12,391      $ 340,532   

Pebblebrook Hotel Trust

      11,860        306,581   

RLJ Lodging Trust

      27,320        614,427   

Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc.(a)

      34,120        302,303   
        2,347,677   
     

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks
(cost $290,794,182)

        349,976,995   
     

 

 

 
    Principal
Amount
(000)
       

CORPORATES–INVESTMENT GRADES–9.0%

   

   

INDUSTRIAL–4.3%

     

BASIC–0.6%

     

AngloGold Ashanti
Holdings PLC
5.375%, 4/15/20

    U.S.$        189        176,695   

Basell Finance Co. BV
8.10%, 3/15/27(c)

      145        183,547   

Cia Minera Milpo SAA
4.625%, 3/28/23(c)

      240        217,568   

Dow Chemical Co. (The)

     

4.125%, 11/15/21

      165        168,735   

4.375%, 11/15/42

      183        161,965   

8.55%, 5/15/19

      253        322,797   

Gerdau Trade, Inc.

     

4.75%, 4/15/23(c)

      395        362,038   

5.75%, 1/30/21(c)

      101        99,485   

Glencore Funding LLC
2.50%, 1/15/19(c)

      520        470,449   

International Paper Co.
7.95%, 6/15/18

      55        67,343   

LyondellBasell Industries NV
5.75%, 4/15/24

      435        478,355   

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA
3.625%, 4/03/23(c)

      237        217,242   

Vale SA
5.625%, 9/11/42

      480        418,748   
     

 

 

 
        3,344,967   
     

 

 

 

CAPITAL GOODS–0.2%

     

Embraer SA
5.15%, 6/15/22

      130        130,325   

Odebrecht Finance Ltd.
5.125%, 6/26/22(c)

      200        196,000   

Owens Corning
6.50%, 12/01/16(d)

      178        198,699   

Republic Services, Inc.

     

3.80%, 5/15/18

      17        17,956   

5.25%, 11/15/21

      165        181,156   

5.50%, 9/15/19

      233        263,712   
     

 

 

 
        987,848   
     

 

 

 

 

9


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
            
Principal
Amount
(000)
    U.S. $ Value  
 

COMMUNICATIONS–
MEDIA–0.8%

   

   

CBS Corp.

     

5.75%, 4/15/20

    U.S.$        250      $ 283,365   

8.875%, 5/15/19

      190        244,861   

Comcast Corp.
5.15%, 3/01/20

      451        515,622   

DirecTV Holdings LLC/DirecTV Financing Co., Inc.

     

3.80%, 3/15/22

      215        206,527   

4.60%, 2/15/21

      255        264,471   

4.75%, 10/01/14

      155        162,204   

Globo Comunicacao e Participacoes SA
5.307%, 5/11/22(c)(e)

      221        227,078   

NBCUniversal Enterprise, Inc.
5.25%, 3/19/21(c)

      233        233,000   

News America, Inc.
6.15%, 3/01/37–2/15/41

      352        385,093   

Omnicom Group, Inc.
3.625%, 5/01/22

      165        159,139   

Reed Elsevier Capital, Inc.
8.625%, 1/15/19

      435        541,484   

Time Warner Cable, Inc.

     

5.00%, 2/01/20

      157        163,889   

7.50%, 4/01/14

      145        152,078   

Time Warner Entertainment Co. LP
8.375%, 3/15/23

      311        387,375   

WPP Finance 2010
4.75%, 11/21/21

      77        79,643   

WPP Finance UK
8.00%, 9/15/14

      350        377,724   
     

 

 

 
        4,383,553   
     

 

 

 

COMMUNICATIONS–
TELECOMMUNICATIONS–0.5%

   

   

American Tower Corp.
5.05%, 9/01/20

      380        399,339   

AT&T, Inc.

     

4.30%, 12/15/42

      23        20,030   

4.45%, 5/15/21

      251        270,338   

5.35%, 9/01/40

      328        331,883   

Deutsche Telekom International Finance BV
4.875%, 3/06/42(c)

      490        477,989   

Rogers Communications, Inc.
4.00%, 6/06/22

    CAD        46        43,230   

Telecom Italia Capital SA

     

6.00%, 9/30/34

    U.S.$        65        58,942   

7.175%, 6/18/19

      170        189,191   

Telefonica Emisiones SAU
5.462%, 2/16/21

      185        190,725   
 

United States Cellular Corp.
6.70%, 12/15/33

    U.S.$        135      $ 131,524   

Vodafone Group PLC

     

6.15%, 2/27/37

      375        414,041   

7.875%, 2/15/30

       100        128,374   
     

 

 

 
        2,655,606   
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER CYCLICAL–
AUTOMOTIVE–0.2%

   

   

Ford Motor Credit Co. LLC
5.00%, 5/15/18

      725        773,158   

Harley-Davidson Funding Corp.
5.75%, 12/15/14(c)

      341        364,092   
     

 

 

 
        1,137,250   
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER CYCLICAL–
ENTERTAINMENT–0.1%

   

   

Time Warner, Inc.

     

4.70%, 1/15/21

      123        131,620   

7.625%, 4/15/31

      275        346,652   

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
8.375%, 7/01/13

      225        225,000   

Viacom, Inc.
5.625%, 9/15/19

      83        95,276   
     

 

 

 
        798,548   
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER CYCLICAL–
OTHER–0.0%

   

   

Host Hotels & Resorts LP
5.25%, 3/15/22

      195        202,016   
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER CYCLICAL–
RETAILERS–0.1%

   

   

Dollar General Corp.
4.125%, 7/15/17

      79        83,328   

Macy’s Retail Holdings, Inc.
3.875%, 1/15/22

      475        476,240   
     

 

 

 
        559,568   
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER NON-
CYCLICAL–0.4%

   

   

Actavis, Inc.
3.25%, 10/01/22

      171        159,423   

Ahold Finance USA LLC
6.875%, 5/01/29

      420        509,679   

Bunge Ltd. Finance Corp.

     

5.10%, 7/15/15

      69        74,184   

8.50%, 6/15/19

      153        188,833   

Cadbury Schweppes US Finance LLC
5.125%, 10/01/13(c)

      260        262,716   

ConAgra Foods, Inc.
3.20%, 1/25/23

      146        139,616   

Kroger Co. (The)
3.40%, 4/15/22

      340        331,942   

Reynolds American, Inc.
3.25%, 11/01/22

      220        204,511   

 

10


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
            
Principal
Amount
(000)
    U.S. $ Value  
 

Tyson Foods, Inc.
4.50%, 6/15/22

  U.S.$          480      $ 490,476   
     

 

 

 
        2,361,380   
     

 

 

 

ENERGY–0.7%

     

Anadarko Petroleum Corp.
6.45%, 9/15/36

      109        126,303   

ConocoPhillips Holding Co.
6.95%, 4/15/29

      66        84,064   

Encana Corp.
3.90%, 11/15/21

      580        588,753   

Marathon Petroleum Corp.
5.125%, 3/01/21

      163        179,756   

Nabors Industries, Inc.
9.25%, 1/15/19

      269        333,756   

Noble Energy, Inc.
8.25%, 3/01/19

      374        471,004   

Noble Holding International Ltd.
4.90%, 8/01/20

      36        37,915   

Phillips 66
4.30%, 4/01/22

      665        687,095   

Transocean, Inc.
2.50%, 10/15/17

      212        209,507   

Valero Energy Corp.
6.125%, 2/01/20

      275        319,563   

Weatherford International Ltd./Bermuda

     

5.125%, 9/15/20

      175        183,425   

9.625%, 3/01/19

      285        360,303   
     

 

 

 
        3,581,444   
     

 

 

 

TECHNOLOGY–0.4%

  

   

Agilent Technologies, Inc.
5.00%, 7/15/20

      71        76,495   

Baidu, Inc.
2.25%, 11/28/17

      380        369,661   

Hewlett-Packard Co.
4.65%, 12/09/21

      214        214,020   

Intel Corp.
4.80%, 10/01/41

      265        263,478   

Motorola Solutions, Inc.

     

3.50%, 3/01/23

      300        282,807   

7.50%, 5/15/25

      35        42,483   

Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
4.125%, 5/15/22

      495        484,069   

Total System Services, Inc.

     

2.375%, 6/01/18

      141        136,607   

3.75%, 6/01/23

      139        129,062   
     

 

 

 
        1,998,682   
     

 

 

 

TRANSPORTATION–
AIRLINES–0.1%

   

   

Southwest Airlines Co.

     

5.25%, 10/01/14

      307        321,359   

5.75%, 12/15/16

      155        171,960   
     

 

 

 
        493,319   
     

 

 

 
 

TRANSPORTATION–RAILROADS–0.1%

   

   

CSX Corp.

     

4.75%, 5/30/42

  U.S.$          465      $ 444,772   

5.50%, 8/01/13

      35        35,130   
     

 

 

 
        479,902   
     

 

 

 

TRANSPORTATION–
SERVICES–0.1%

   

   

Asciano Finance Ltd.
3.125%, 9/23/15(c)

      470        480,272   

Ryder System, Inc.

     

5.85%, 11/01/16

      127        142,120   

7.20%, 9/01/15

      127        142,530   
     

 

 

 
        764,922   
     

 

 

 
        23,749,005   
     

 

 

 

FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS–3.6%

   

   

BANKING–2.3%

     

Bank of America Corp.

     

3.30%, 1/11/23

      275        259,915   

5.00%, 5/13/21

      315        335,873   

5.875%, 1/05/21–2/07/42

      414        464,015   

7.375%, 5/15/14

      340        357,709   

Series L

     

5.65%, 5/01/18

      90        99,988   

Barclays Bank PLC

     

6.625%, 3/30/22(c)

    EUR        300        437,648   

7.625%, 11/21/22

  U.S.$          480        471,000   

Citigroup, Inc.

     

5.375%, 8/09/20

      571        631,411   

8.50%, 5/22/19

      190        239,405   

Compass Bank
5.50%, 4/01/20

      314        317,171   

Cooperatieve Centrale Raiffeisen-Boerenleenbank BA/Netherlands
3.95%, 11/09/22

      485        463,792   

Countrywide Financial Corp.
6.25%, 5/15/16

      92        100,324   

Danske Bank A/S
Series E
5.684%, 2/15/17

    GBP        182        261,588   

Fifth Third Bancorp
3.50%, 3/15/22

  U.S.$          188        186,347   

Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)

     

5.75%, 1/24/22

      290        319,874   

6.00%, 6/15/20

      440        494,394   

Series G

     

7.50%, 2/15/19

      335        397,837   

HSBC Holdings PLC

     

4.00%, 3/30/22

      515        527,269   

5.10%, 4/05/21

      320        351,571   

 

11


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
            
Principal
Amount
(000)
    U.S. $ Value  
 

ING Bank NV
2.00%, 9/25/15(c)

  U.S.$          480      $ 486,497   

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

     

4.40%, 7/22/20

      390        407,834   

4.50%, 1/24/22

      165        172,775   

4.625%, 5/10/21

      233        246,288   

Series Q

     

5.15%, 5/01/23

      155        147,638   

Macquarie Bank Ltd.
5.00%, 2/22/17(c)

      90        96,434   

Macquarie Group Ltd.
4.875%, 8/10/17(c)

      194        204,899   

Morgan Stanley

     

3.75%, 2/25/23

      105        100,410   

Series G

     

5.50%, 7/24/20–7/28/21

      676        725,021   

6.625%, 4/01/18

      345        391,042   

Murray Street Investment Trust I
4.647%, 3/09/17

      44        46,584   

National Capital Trust II
5.486%, 3/23/15(c)

      91        91,455   

Nationwide Building Society
6.25%, 2/25/20(c)

      465        518,365   

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (The)
9.50%, 3/16/22(c)

      121        133,729   

Santander US Debt SAU
2.991%, 10/07/13(c)

      500        502,851   

Societe Generale SA
2.50%, 1/15/14(c)

      245        246,813   

SouthTrust Corp.
5.80%, 6/15/14

      225        235,832   

Standard Chartered PLC
Series E
4.00%, 7/12/22(c)

      470        464,877   

UBS AG/Stamford CT
7.625%, 8/17/22

      380        417,030   

Unicredit Luxembourg Finance SA
6.00%, 10/31/17(c)

      230        233,738   

Vesey Street Investment Trust I
4.404%, 9/01/16

      115        122,463   

Wachovia Bank NA
5.85%, 2/01/37

      250        278,591   
     

 

 

 
        12,988,297   
     

 

 

 

BROKERAGE–0.1%

     

Nomura Holdings, Inc.
2.00%, 9/13/16

      468        462,778   
     

 

 

 

FINANCE–0.1%

     

General Electric Capital Corp.

     

4.65%, 10/17/21

      193        204,727   

Series G

     

5.625%, 5/01/18

      480        550,562   
     

 

 

 
        755,289   
     

 

 

 
 

INSURANCE–0.8%

     

Allied World Assurance
Co., Ltd.
7.50%, 8/01/16

  U.S.$          160      $ 184,404   

American International Group, Inc.

     

4.875%, 6/01/22

      195        207,855   

6.40%, 12/15/20

      300        347,906   

Coventry Health Care, Inc.

     

5.95%, 3/15/17

      90        101,507   

6.125%, 1/15/15

      40        42,932   

6.30%, 8/15/14

      275        290,689   

Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America
7.375%, 9/30/39(c)

      163        209,597   

Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.

     

4.00%, 3/30/15

      95        99,331   

5.125%, 4/15/22

      180        195,861   

5.50%, 3/30/20

      242        267,641   

Humana, Inc.

     

6.45%, 6/01/16

      40        45,319   

7.20%, 6/15/18

      285        339,493   

Lincoln National Corp.
8.75%, 7/01/19

      98        125,649   

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co.
8.875%, 6/01/39(c)

      90        131,895   

MetLife, Inc.

     

7.717%, 2/15/19

      112        140,680   

10.75%, 8/01/39

      140        216,300   

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co.
9.375%, 8/15/39(c)

      335        453,284   

Prudential Financial, Inc.
5.625%, 6/15/43

      320        313,600   

WellPoint, Inc.
3.30%, 1/15/23

      170        161,832   

XL Group PLC

     

5.25%, 9/15/14

      135        141,655   

6.375%, 11/15/24

      157        178,189   
     

 

 

 
        4,195,619   
     

 

 

 

OTHER FINANCE–0.1%

  

   

ORIX Corp.
4.71%, 4/27/15

      336        353,253   
     

 

 

 

REITS–0.2%

     

ERP Operating LP
5.25%, 9/15/14

      105        110,448   

HCP, Inc.
5.375%, 2/01/21

      505        547,794   

Health Care REIT, Inc. 5.25%, 1/15/22

      505        542,757   
     

 

 

 
        1,200,999   
     

 

 

 
        19,956,235   
     

 

 

 

UTILITY–1.0%

  

   

ELECTRIC–0.3%

  

   

CMS Energy Corp.
5.05%, 3/15/22

      155        167,462   

 

12


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
            
Principal
Amount
(000)
    U.S. $ Value  
 

Constellation Energy Group, Inc.
5.15%, 12/01/20

  U.S.$          89      $ 97,608   

FirstEnergy Corp.
Series B
4.25%, 3/15/23

      70        65,038   

MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co.
6.125%, 4/01/36

      395        448,114   

Pacific Gas & Electric Co.

     

4.50%, 12/15/41

      190        182,998   

6.05%, 3/01/34

      38        44,305   

SPI Electricity & Gas Australia Holdings Pty Ltd.
6.15%, 11/15/13(c)

      348        353,954   

TECO Finance, Inc.

     

4.00%, 3/15/16

      100        106,605   

5.15%, 3/15/20

      125        138,174   
     

 

 

 
        1,604,258   
     

 

 

 

NATURAL GAS–0.7%

  

   

DCP Midstream LLC
5.35%, 3/15/20(c)

      137        145,877   

Energy Transfer Partners LP

     

6.70%, 7/01/18

      127        149,143   

7.50%, 7/01/38

      410        479,198   

Enterprise Products Operating LLC
5.20%, 9/01/20

      305        341,302   

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP

     

3.95%, 9/01/22

      424        418,265   

4.15%, 3/01/22

      220        221,132   

Nisource Finance Corp.
6.80%, 1/15/19

      502        594,017   

ONEOK, Inc.
4.25%, 2/01/22

      480        472,253   

Talent Yield Investments Ltd.
4.50%, 4/25/22(c)

      490        476,823   

TransCanada PipeLines Ltd.
6.35%, 5/15/67

      120        125,141   

Williams Cos., Inc. (The)
3.70%, 1/15/23

      434        403,222   

Williams Partners LP
5.25%, 3/15/20

      298        320,261   
        4,146,634   
     

 

 

 
        5,750,892   
     

 

 

 

NON CORPORATE
SECTORS–0.1%

   

   

AGENCIES–NOT GOVERNMENT GUARANTEED–0.1%

    

   

CNOOC Finance 2013 Ltd.
3.00%, 5/09/23

      286        258,360   
 

Gazprom OAO Via Gaz Capital SA
6.212%, 11/22/16(c)

  U.S.$          290      $ 313,780   
     

 

 

 
        572,140   
     

 

 

 

Total Corporates—Investment Grades
(cost $48,157,104)

        50,028,272   
     

 

 

 

GOVERNMENTS–TREASURIES–6.9%

   

   

UNITED STATES–6.9%

  

   

U.S. Treasury Bonds

     

2.75%, 8/15/42

      280        241,675   

3.00%, 5/15/42

      900        820,406   

3.125%, 2/15/43

      670        625,403   

4.50%, 2/15/36

      1,490        1,774,264   

4.625%, 2/15/40

      3,835        4,673,308   

5.375%, 2/15/31

      5        6,513   

U.S. Treasury Notes

     

0.50%, 7/31/17

      1,155        1,127,299   

0.625%, 11/30/17–4/30/18

      3,195        3,100,995   

0.75%, 6/30/17–12/31/17

      1,555        1,528,433   

0.875%, 11/30/16

      7,325        7,329,578   

1.00%, 8/31/16–3/31/17

      9,490        9,544,435   

1.375%, 6/30/18

      2,015        2,013,898   

1.625%, 11/15/22

      2,175        2,030,397   

1.75%, 5/15/22–5/15/23

      1,920        1,812,440   

2.00%, 11/15/21–2/15/23

      1,962        1,901,565   

Total Governments—Treasuries
(cost $38,269,554)

        38,530,609   
     

 

 

 

MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGHS–6.6%

   

   

AGENCY FIXED RATE
30-YEAR–5.2%

   

   

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. Gold

     

4.50%, 10/01/39

      2,105        2,216,690   

Series 2005

     

5.50%, 1/01/35

      552        597,323   

Series 2007

     

5.50%, 7/01/35

      59        63,526   

Federal National Mortgage Association

     

3.00%, 7/01/43, TBA

      2,550        2,491,430   

3.50%, 7/01/43, TBA

      14,710        14,932,948   

4.00%, 7/01/43, TBA

      3,455        3,599,273   

4.50%, 7/01/43, TBA

      900        952,312   

4.50%, 8/01/40

      619        655,852   

5.00%, 12/01/39

      349        385,271   

Series 2003

     

5.00%, 11/01/33

      148        160,545   

Series 2004

     

5.50%, 2/01/34–11/01/34

      217        237,415   

Series 2005

     

4.50%, 8/01/35

      147        155,459   

 

13


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
            
Principal
Amount
(000)
    U.S. $ Value  
 

Series 2006

     

5.00%, 2/01/36

  U.S.$          515      $ 554,607   

Series 2007

     

4.50%, 9/01/35

      131        139,216   

5.00%, 11/01/35–7/01/36

      166        179,130   

5.50%, 1/01/37–8/01/37

      826        903,242   

Series 2008

     

5.50%, 8/01/37

      361        393,295   
     

 

 

 
        28,617,534   
     

 

 

 

AGENCY FIXED
RATE 15-YEAR–1.1%

   

   

Federal National Mortgage Association
2.50%, 7/01/28, TBA

      6,260        6,296,190   
     

 

 

 

AGENCY ARMS–0.3%

  

   

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.

     

2.372%, 4/01/35(d)

      768        816,841   

Series 2008

     

2.718%, 11/01/37(f)

      62        66,385   

Federal National Mortgage Association

     

2.464%, 8/01/37(d)

      324        346,940   

Series 2007

     

2.379%, 3/01/34(f)

      218        231,855   
     

 

 

 
        1,462,021   
     

 

 

 

Total Mortgage Pass-Throughs
(cost $36,401,371)

        36,375,745   
     

 

 

 

ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES–4.5%

     

AUTOS–FIXED
RATE–3.0%

     

Ally Auto Receivables Trust
Series 2013-SN1,
Class A3
0.72%, 5/20/16

      776        774,526   

Ally Master Owner Trust

     

Series 2011-3, Class A2

     

1.81%, 5/15/16

      775        781,997   

Series 2013-1, Class A2

     

1.00%, 2/15/18

      390        387,047   

AmeriCredit Automobile Receivables Trust

     

Series 2011-4, Class A2

     

0.92%, 3/09/15

      12        11,736   

Series 2011-5, Class A2

     

1.19%, 8/08/15

      46        46,168   

Series 2012-4, Class A2

     

0.49%, 4/08/16

      549        547,814   

Series 2013-1, Class A2

     

0.49%, 6/08/16

      423        422,629   

Series 2013-3, Class A3

     

0.92%, 4/09/18

      670        669,468   
 

Avis Budget Rental Car Funding AESOP LLC

     

Series 2012-2A, Class A

     

2.802%, 5/20/18(c)

  U.S.$          945      $ 974,455   

Series 2012-3A, Class A

     

2.10%, 3/20/19(c)

      345        338,857   

Bank of America Auto Trust
Series 2012-1, Class A4
1.03%, 12/15/16

      395        396,256   

Capital Auto Receivables Asset Trust
Series 2013-1, Class A2
0.62%, 7/20/16

      364        362,898   

CarMax Auto Owner Trust
Series 2012-3, Class A2
0.43%, 9/15/15

      318        318,369   

CFC LLC
Series 2013-1A, Class A
1.65%, 7/17/17(c)

      381        379,949   

Exeter Automobile Receivables Trust

     

Series 2012-2A, Class A

     

1.30%, 6/15/17(c)

      308        309,271   

Series 2013-1A, Class A

     

1.29%, 10/16/17(c)

      264        263,390   

Fifth Third Auto Trust
Series 2013-A, Class A3
0.61%, 9/15/17

      386        385,257   

Flagship Credit Auto Trust
Series 2013-1, Class A
1.32%, 4/16/18(c)

      210        209,741   

Ford Auto Securitization Trust

     

Series 2011-R3A,
Class A2

     

1.96%, 7/15/15(c)

    CAD        381        362,608   

Series 2013-R1A,
Class A2

     

1.676%, 9/15/16(c)

      341        325,145   

Ford Credit Auto Lease Trust
Series 2012-B, Class A2
0.54%, 11/15/14

  U.S.$          486        485,455   

Ford Credit Auto Owner Trust
Series 2012-D, Class B
1.01%, 5/15/18

      155        153,567   

Ford Credit Floorplan Master Owner Trust

     

Series 2012-4, Class A1

     

0.74%, 9/15/16

      590        590,750   

Series 2013-1, Class A1

     

0.85%, 1/15/18

      279        276,774   

Hertz Vehicle Financing LLC

     

Series 2013-1A, Class A1

     

1.12%, 8/25/17(c)

      345        341,152   

 

14


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
            
Principal
Amount
(000)
    U.S. $ Value  
 

Series 2013-1A, Class A2

     

1.83%, 8/25/19(c)

  U.S.$          870      $ 847,965   

Huntington Auto Trust
Series 2011-1A, Class A3
1.01%, 1/15/16(c)

      227        227,201   

Hyundai Auto Lease Securitization Trust
Series 2013-A, Class A3
0.66%, 6/15/16(c)

      505        503,562   

Hyundai Auto Receivables Trust
Series 2012-B, Class C
1.95%, 10/15/18

      140        142,010   

Mercedes-Benz Auto Lease Trust
Series 2013-A, Class A3
0.59%, 2/15/16

      340        338,963   

Mercedes-Benz Master Owner Trust
Series 2012-AA, Class A
0.79%, 11/15/17(c)

      714        708,369   

Navistar Financial Corp. Owner Trust
Series 2012-A, Class A2
0.85%, 3/18/15(c)

      411        410,978   

Nissan Auto Lease Trust

     

Series 2012-A, Class A2A

     

0.68%, 7/15/14

      232        231,896   

Series 2012-B, Class A2A

     

0.45%, 6/15/15

      231        230,486   

Santander Drive Auto Receivables Trust

     

Series 2012-3, Class A3

     

1.08%, 4/15/16

      530        531,873   

Series 2012-6, Class A2

     

0.47%, 9/15/15

      195        195,035   

Series 2013-3, Class C

     

1.81%, 4/15/19

      489        474,217   

SMART Trust/Australia
Series 2012-4US,
Class A2A
0.67%, 6/14/15

      317        316,816   

Volkswagen Auto Loan Enhanced Trust
Series 2011-1, Class A3
1.22%, 6/22/15

      513        513,924   

World Omni Automobile Lease Securitization Trust
Series 2012-A, Class A3
0.93%, 11/16/15

      572        571,949   
     

 

 

 
        16,360,523   
     

 

 

 

CREDIT CARDS–FIXED RATE–1.0%

     

American Express Credit Account Master Trust

     

Series 2012-2, Class A

     

0.68%, 3/15/18

      1,010        1,008,513   
 

Series 2012-5, Class A

     

0.59%, 5/15/18

  U.S.$          565      $ 562,183   

Cabela’s Master Credit Card Trust
Series 2013-1A, Class A
2.71%, 2/17/26(c)

      480        451,355   

Chase Issuance Trust
Series 2013-A1, Class A1
1.30%, 2/18/20

      195        190,856   

Discover Card Execution Note Trust
Series 2012-A1, Class A1
0.81%, 8/15/17

      304        304,533   

Discover Card Master Trust
Series 2012-A3, Class A3
0.86%, 11/15/17

      260        260,506   

Dryrock Issuance Trust
Series 2012-2, Class A
0.64%, 8/15/18

      560        557,338   

GE Capital Credit Card Master Note Trust

     

Series 2012-6, Class A

     

1.36%, 8/17/20

      515        507,010   

Series 2012-7, Class A

     

1.76%, 9/15/22

      445        425,031   

Series 2013-1, Class A

     

1.35%, 3/15/21

      490        476,115   

World Financial Network Credit Card Master Trust

     

Series 2012-B, Class A

     

1.76%, 5/17/21

      310        308,310   

Series 2013-A, Class A

     

1.61%, 12/15/21

      246        240,942   
     

 

 

 
        5,292,692   
     

 

 

 

CREDIT CARDS–
FLOATING RATE–0.2%

     

Gracechurch Card Funding PLC
Series 2012-1A, Class A1
0.89%, 2/15/17(c)(d)

      490        490,803   

Penarth Master Issuer PLC
Series 2012-1A, Class A1
0.763%, 3/18/14(c)(d)

      545        546,052   
     

 

 

 
        1,036,855   
     

 

 

 

OTHER ABS–FIXED RATE–0.2%

     

CIT Equipment Collateral
Series 2012-VT1, Class A3
1.10%, 8/22/16(c)

      268        267,918   

CNH Equipment Trust

     

Series 2010-C, Class A3

     

1.17%, 5/15/15

      52        52,023   

Series 2012-A, Class A3

     

0.94%, 5/15/17

      375        375,303   

 

15


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
            
Principal
Amount
(000)
    U.S. $ Value  
 

GE Equipment Midticket LLC
Series 2011-1, Class A3
1.00%, 8/24/15

  U.S.$          185      $ 185,301   

GE Equipment Small Ticket LLC
Series 2011-2A, Class A2
1.14%, 6/23/14(c)

      77        76,628   
     

 

 

 
        957,173   
     

 

 

 

AUTOS–
FLOATING RATE–0.1%

     

GE Dealer Floorplan Master Note Trust
Series 2012-3, Class A
0.682%, 6/20/17(d)

      790        790,000   
     

 

 

 

HOME EQUITY LOANS–
FLOATING RATE–0.0%

     

GSAA Home Equity Trust
Series 2006-5, Class 2A3
0.463%, 3/25/36(d)

      435        276,172   

Residential Asset Securities Corp. Trust
Series 2003-KS3,
Class A2
0.793%, 5/25/33(d)

      1        933   
     

 

 

 
        277,105   
     

 

 

 

HOME EQUITY LOANS–FIXED RATE–0.0%

   

   

Credit-Based Asset Servicing and Securitization LLC
Series 2003-CB1,
Class AF
3.95%, 1/25/33

      102        100,776   
     

 

 

 

Total Asset-Backed Securities
(cost $25,016,765)

        24,815,124   
     

 

 

 

COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES–3.2%

   

   

NON-AGENCY FIXED RATE CMBS–2.7%

   

   

Bear Stearns Commercial Mortgage Securities, Inc.
Series 2006-T24,
Class AJ
5.598%, 10/12/41

      200        188,461   

CGRBS Commercial Mortgage Trust
Series 2013-VN05
3.369%, 3/13/23(c)

      495        471,578   

Citigroup Commercial Mortgage Trust

     

Series 2004-C1, Class A4

     

5.615%, 4/15/40

      108        110,940   

Series 2006-C4,
Class A1A

     

5.939%, 3/15/49

      320        352,265   
 

Commercial Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates

     

Series 2006-C3, Class AJ

     

5.989%, 6/15/38

  U.S.$          190      $ 185,081   

Series 2013-SFS,
Class A1

     

1.873%, 4/12/35(c)

      249        240,871   

Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage Securities Corp.

     

Series 2004-C1, Class A4

     

4.75%, 1/15/37

      59        59,817   

Series 2005-C1, Class A4

     

5.014%, 2/15/38

      255        265,513   

Credit Suisse Mortgage Capital Certificates
Series 2006-C3, Class A3
5.989%, 6/15/38

      618        680,746   

CW Capital Cobalt Ltd.
Series 2007-C3, Class A4
5.985%, 5/15/46

      535        599,659   

Extended Stay America Trust
Series 2013-ESH7,
Class A17
2.295%, 12/05/31(c)

      330        321,367   

Greenwich Capital Commercial Funding Corp.

     

Series 2005-GG5, Class AJ

     

5.406%, 4/10/37

      215        183,722   

Series 2007-GG9, Class A4

     

5.444%, 3/10/39

      776        858,205   

Series 2007-GG9, Class AM

     

5.475%, 3/10/39

      326        342,214   

GS Mortgage Securities Corp. II

     

Series 2004-GG2, Class A6

     

5.396%, 8/10/38

      80        82,274   

Series 2012-GCJ7, Class A4

     

3.377%, 5/10/45

      960        946,189   

Series 2013-KING, Class A

     

2.706%, 12/10/27(c)

      519        512,780   

JP Morgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Corp.

     

Series 2005-CB11,
Class A4

     

5.335%, 8/12/37

      168        177,895   

Series 2007-CB19,
Class AM

     

5.901%, 2/12/49

      175        189,633   

Series 2007-LD11, Class A4

     

6.003%, 6/15/49

      251        280,678   

Series 2007-LD12,
Class AM

     

6.197%, 2/15/51

      280        303,042   

 

16


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
            
Principal
Amount
(000)
    U.S. $ Value  
 

Series 2010-C2, Class A1

     

2.749%, 11/15/43(c)

  U.S.$          381      $ 392,876   

LB-UBS Commercial Mortgage Trust

     

Series 2004-C4, Class A4

     

5.712%, 6/15/29

      40        41,141   

Series 2006-C1, Class A4

     

5.156%, 2/15/31

      1,095        1,182,781   

Merrill Lynch Mortgage Trust

     

Series 2005-CIP1,
Class A2

     

4.96%, 7/12/38

      302        305,223   

Series 2006-C2,
Class A1A

     

5.739%, 8/12/43

      324        360,534   

Merrill Lynch/Countrywide Commercial Mortgage Trust
Series 2006-3, Class A4
5.414%, 7/12/46

      480        527,919   

ML-CFC Commercial Mortgage Trust
Series 2006-4, Class A1A
5.166%, 12/12/49

      1,218        1,340,468   

Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust
Series 2007-T27,
Class A1A
5.816%, 6/11/42

      747        847,288   

Motel 6 Trust
Series 2012-MTL6,
Class A2
1.948%, 10/05/25(c)

      480        470,612   

UBS-Barclays Commercial Mortgage Trust

     

Series 2012-C3, Class A4

     

3.091%, 8/10/49

      86        80,778   

Series 2012-C4, Class A5

     

2.85%, 12/10/45

      168        155,298   

Series 2013-C5, Class A4

     

3.185%, 3/10/46

      813        771,033   

Wachovia Bank Commercial Mortgage Trust
Series 2006-C25,
Class A1A
5.914%, 5/15/43

      846        938,262   

WF-RBS Commercial Mortgage Trust
Series 2013-C14,
Class A5
3.337%, 6/15/46

      456        434,269   
     

 

 

 
        15,201,412   
     

 

 

 

NON-AGENCY FLOATING RATE CMBS–0.4%

   

   

Banc of America Merrill Lynch Commercial Mortgage, Inc.
Series 2007-5, Class AM
5.772%, 2/10/51(f)

      150        161,323   
 

Extended Stay America Trust
Series 2013-ESFL, Class A2FL
0.894%, 12/05/31(c)(d)

  U.S.$          250      $ 247,844   

GS Mortgage Securities Corp. II

     

Series 2007-EOP, Class E

     

2.476%, 3/06/20(c)(d)

      75        75,304   

Series 2013-KYO, Class A

     

1.043%, 11/08/29(c)(d)

      505        500,156   

GS Mortgage Securities Trust
Series 2013-G1, Class A2
3.557%, 4/10/31(c)(f)

      276        269,108   

Merrill Lynch/Countrywide Commercial Mortgage Trust
Series 2006-3, Class A2
5.291%, 7/12/46(f)

      791        796,599   
     

 

 

 
        2,050,334   
     

 

 

 

AGENCY CMBS–0.1%

     

FHLMC Multifamily Structured Pass Through Certificates
Series K008, Class A2
3.531%, 6/25/20

      634        667,291   
     

 

 

 

Total Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities
(cost $17,930,065)

        17,919,037   
     

 

 

 

AGENCIES–2.1%

     

AGENCY
DEBENTURES–2.1%

     

Federal Farm Credit Banks
0.223%, 2/13/15(d)

      4,715        4,719,795   

Federal National Mortgage Association

     

6.25%, 5/15/29

      740        961,980   

6.625%, 11/15/30

      2,277        3,089,949   

Residual Funding Corp. Principal Strip
Zero Coupon, 7/15/20

      3,249        2,776,225   
     

 

 

 

Total Agencies
(cost $10,794,664)

        11,547,949   
     

 

 

 

CORPORATES–NON-INVESTMENT GRADES–0.6%

     

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS–0.4%

     

BANKING–0.2%

     

ABN Amro Bank NV
4.31%, 3/10/16

    EUR        90        103,969   

Citigroup, Inc.
5.95%, 1/30/23

  U.S.$          480        477,648   

LBG Capital No.1 PLC
8.00%, 6/15/20(c)

      235        238,508   

 

17


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
            
Principal
Amount
(000)
    U.S. $ Value  
 

LBG Capital No.2 PLC
Series 22
15.00%, 12/21/19(c)

    EUR        140      $ 254,048   
     

 

 

 
        1,074,173   
     

 

 

 

FINANCE–0.1%

     

SLM Corp.

     

7.25%, 1/25/22

  U.S.$          340        357,000   

Series A

     

5.375%, 5/15/14

      270        275,400   
     

 

 

 
        632,400   
     

 

 

 

OTHER FINANCE–0.1%

     

Aviation Capital Group Corp.
7.125%, 10/15/20(c)

      173        188,258   
     

 

 

 
        1,894,831   
     

 

 

 

INDUSTRIAL–0.2%

     

BASIC–0.0%

     

Eagle Spinco, Inc.
4.625%, 2/15/21(c)

      40        38,400   
     

 

 

 

CAPITAL GOODS–0.1%

     

B/E Aerospace, Inc.
5.25%, 4/01/22

      295        293,525   

Ball Corp.
5.00%, 3/15/22

      290        288,550   
     

 

 

 
        582,075   
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER CYCLICAL–
OTHER–0.1%

     

Wynn Las Vegas LLC/Wynn Las Vegas Capital Corp.
5.375%, 3/15/22

      295        297,950   
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER NON-CYCLICAL–0.0%

     

Olam International Ltd. 6.75%, 1/29/18(c)

      128        118,259   
     

 

 

 

ENERGY–0.0%

     

Cimarex Energy Co.
5.875%, 5/01/22

      145        150,075   
     

 

 

 
        1,186,759   
     

 

 

 

Total Corporates—Non-Investment Grades
(cost $2,850,157)

        3,081,590   
     

 

 

 

COLLATERALIZED MORTGAGE OBLIGATIONS–0.5%

     

AGENCY FIXED RATE – 0.2%

  

   

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.

     

Series 4119, Class LI

     

3.50%, 6/15/39(g)

      1,764        327,732   

Series 4182, Class DI

     

3.50%, 5/15/39(g)

      1,645        296,528   
 

Freddie Mac
Series 4135, Class AI
3.50%, 11/15/42

  U.S.$          927      $ 199,079   

Freddie Mac Strip
Series 283, Class IO
3.50%, 10/15/27(g)

      1,177        192,203   
     

 

 

 
        1,015,542   
     

 

 

 

NON-AGENCY FLOATING RATE–0.1%

   

   

Deutsche Alt-A Securities Mortgage Loan Trust
Series 2006-AR4,
Class A2
0.383%, 12/25/36(d)

      456        265,952   

HomeBanc Mortgage Trust
Series 2005-1, Class A1
0.443%, 3/25/35(d)

      246        198,626   

IndyMac INDX Mortgage Loan Trust

     

Series 2006-AR15,
Class A1

     

0.313%, 7/25/36(d)

      343        237,529   

Series 2006-AR27,
Class 2A2

     

0.393%, 10/25/36(d)

      364        296,442   
     

 

 

 
        998,549   
     

 

 

 

NON-AGENCY FIXED
RATE–0.1%

   

   

Citigroup Mortgage Loan Trust, Inc.
Series 2005-2, Class 1A4
2.641%, 5/25/35

      39        38,454   

First Horizon Alternative Mortgage Securities Trust
Series 2006-FA3,
Class A9
6.00%, 7/25/36

      308        267,040   

Merrill Lynch Mortgage Investors, Inc.
Series 2005-A8,
Class A1C1
5.25%, 8/25/36

      11        10,991   
     

 

 

 
        316,485   
     

 

 

 

NON-AGENCY ARMs–0.1%

  

   

Countrywide Home Loan Mortgage Pass Through Trust
Series 2007-HYB2,
Class 3A1
2.863%, 2/25/47

      366        281,459   
     

 

 

 

Total Collateralized Mortgage Obligations
(cost $2,720,881)

        2,612,035   
     

 

 

 

 

18


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
            
Principal
Amount
(000)
    U.S. $ Value  
 

QUASI-SOVEREIGNS–0.4%

  

   

QUASI-SOVEREIGN
BONDS–0.4%

   

   

INDONESIA–0.0%

     

Perusahaan Listrik
Negara PT
5.50%, 11/22/21(c)

  U.S.$          250      $ 245,000   
     

 

 

 

KAZAKHSTAN–0.1%

     

KazMunayGas National Co. JSC
7.00%, 5/05/20(c)

      251        283,630   
     

 

 

 

MALAYSIA–0.1%

     

Petronas Capital Ltd.
5.25%, 8/12/19(c)

      460        502,254   
     

 

 

 

SOUTH KOREA–0.1%

     

Korea National Oil Corp.
3.125%, 4/03/17(c)

      485        487,761   
     

 

 

 

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES–0.1%

     

IPIC GMTN Ltd.
3.75%, 3/01/17(c)

      465        483,600   
     

 

 

 

Total Quasi-Sovereigns
(cost $1,906,759)

        2,002,245   
   

 

 

 

GOVERNMENTS–
SOVEREIGN
BONDS–0.2%

    

   

INDONESIA–0.0%

     

Indonesia Government International Bond
3.375%, 4/15/23(c)

      259        232,453   
     

 

 

 

QATAR–0.1%

     

State of Qatar
4.50%, 1/20/22(c)

      270        289,575   
     

 

 

 

RUSSIA–0.1%

     

Russian Foreign Bond–Eurobond
7.50%, 3/31/30(c)

      231        270,500   
     

 

 

 

TURKEY–0.0%

     

Republic of Turkey
4.875%, 4/16/43

      275        236,500   
     

 

 

 

Total Governments–Sovereign Bonds
(cost $1,050,814)

        1,029,028   
     

 

 

 

EMERGING MARKETS–
CORPORATE
BONDS–0.1%

    

   

INDUSTRIAL–0.1%

     

COMMUNICATIONS–
TELECOMMUNICATIONS–0.1%

   

   

MTS International Funding Ltd.
5.00%, 5/30/23(c)

      200        186,912   

VimpelCom Holdings BV
5.20%, 2/13/19(c)

      200        193,662   
     

 

 

 
        380,574   
     

 

 

 
 

CONSUMER NON-CYCLICAL–0.0%

     

Marfrig Overseas Ltd. 9.50%, 5/04/20(c)

  U.S.$          195      $ 193,294   
     

 

 

 

ENERGY–0.0%

     

Pacific Rubiales Energy Corp.
5.125%, 3/28/23(c)

      100        94,657   
     

 

 

 

Total Emerging Markets—Corporate Bonds
(cost $694,515)

        668,525   
     

 

 

 

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS–
MUNICIPAL BONDS–0.1%

   

   

UNITED STATES–0.1%

     

California GO

     

7.625%, 3/01/40
(cost $350,671)

      345        463,394   
     

 

 

 
          Shares        

PREFERRED STOCKS–0.0%

  

   

FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS–0.0%

   

   

INSURANCE–0.0%

     

Allstate Corp. (The)
5.10%
(cost $245,156)

      9,175        234,788   
     

 

 

 

WARRANTS–0.0%

  

   

CONSUMER STAPLES–0.0%

  

   

FOOD & STAPLES RETAILING–0.0%

     

Olam International Ltd., expiring 12/03/17(a)
(cost $0)

      117,840        37,709   
     

 

 

 

RIGHTS–0.0%

     

EQUITY:OTHER–0.0%

  

   

DIVERSIFIED/SPECIALTY–0.0%

  

   

New Hotel , expiring 6/11/13(a)
(cost $0)

      5,574        0   
     

 

 

 
          Principal
Amount
(000)
       

SHORT-TERM
INVESTMENTS–7.3%

   

   

TIME DEPOSIT–5.1%

     

State Street Time Deposit
0.01%, 7/01/13
(cost $28,364,940)

  U.S.$          28,365        28,364,940   
     

 

 

 

GOVERNMENTS–
TREASURIES–1.1%

   

   

Japan Treasury Discount Bill
Series 359
Zero Coupon 7/16/13
(cost $5,997,717)

    JPY        600,000        6,049,411   
     

 

 

 

 

19


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

Company        

Principal

Amount

(000)

    U.S. $ Value  
 

AGENCY DISCOUNT
NOTE–1.1%

     

Federal Home Loan Bank Zero Coupon, 7/10/13
(cost $6,019,920)

  U.S.$          6,020      $ 6,019,920   
     

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Investments
(cost $40,382,577)

        40,434,271   
     

 

 

 

Total Investments Before Security Lending Collateral for Securities Loaned–104.6%
(cost $517,565,235)

        579,757,316   
     

 

 

 
Company      

Shares

    U.S. $ Value  
 

INVESTMENTS OF CASH COLLATERAL FOR SECURITIES
LOANED–0.5%

     

INVESTMENT COMPANIES–0.5%

     

Alliancebernstein Exchange Reserves–Class I, 0.07%(h)
(cost $2,600,978)

      2,600,978      $ 2,600,978   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL
INVESTMENTS–105.1%

(cost $520,166,213)

        582,358,294   

Other assets less liabilities–(5.1)%

        (28,083,348
     

 

 

 

NET ASSETS–100.0%

      $ 554,274,946   
     

 

 

 

FUTURES (see Note D)

 

Type    Number of
Contracts
    

Expiration

Month

     Original
Value
    

Value at

June 30,

2013

    

Unrealized

Appreciation/

(Depreciation)

 

Purchased Contracts

              

Euro Stoxx 50 Futures

     4         September 2013       $   139,879       $   135,267       $   (4,612

Topix Index Futures

     1         September 2013         110,972         114,035         3,063   
              

 

 

 
               $ (1,549
              

 

 

 

FORWARD CURRENCY EXCHANGE CONTRACTS (see Note D)

 

Counterparty   

Contracts to
Deliver

(000)

    

In Exchange

For

(000)

    

Settlement

Date

     Unrealized
Appreciation/
(Depreciation)
 

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

   JPY 86,344       USD 875         8/16/13       $ 4,086   

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

   EUR 569       USD 753         9/17/13         12,197   

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

   JPY 169,772       USD 1,713         9/17/13         605   

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

   USD 499       SEK 3,303         9/17/13         (7,741

BNP Paribas SA

   AUD 4,416       USD 4,272         8/16/13         246,889   

BNP Paribas SA

   JPY 187,702       USD 1,893         8/16/13         423   

BNP Paribas SA

   KRW  2,282,878       USD 2,061         8/16/13         67,609   

BNP Paribas SA

   USD 3,591       JPY 344,311         8/16/13         (119,272

BNP Paribas SA

   USD 1,464       SEK 9,574         8/16/13         (37,482

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

   CAD 491       USD 475         9/17/13         9,197   

Citibank, NA

   USD 2,021       EUR 1,543         8/16/13         (11,808

Credit Suisse International

   CHF 1,711       USD 1,833         8/16/13         20,677   

Credit Suisse International

   USD 365       AUD 397         8/16/13         (3,465

Credit Suisse International

   USD 3,351       GBP  2,206         8/16/13         3,450   

Credit Suisse International

   USD 617       GBP 406         9/17/13         606   

Deutsche Bank AG London

   CAD 929       USD 897         7/18/13         14,476   

 

20


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Counterparty    Contracts to
Deliver (000)
    

In Exchange

For

(000)

    

Settlement

Date

     Unrealized
Appreciation/
(Depreciation)
 

Deutsche Bank AG London

   USD 2,326       SEK 15,232         8/16/13       $ (57,242

Goldman Sachs Capital Markets LP

   EUR 640       USD 837         8/07/13         3,841   

Goldman Sachs Capital Markets LP

   AUD 1,643       USD 1,553         8/16/13         54,858   

Goldman Sachs Capital Markets LP

   BRL 1,276       USD 580         8/16/13         13,064   

Goldman Sachs Capital Markets LP

   GBP 844       USD 1,308         8/16/13         24,895   

Goldman Sachs Capital Markets LP

   JPY 34,189       USD 350         8/16/13         5,536   

Goldman Sachs Capital Markets LP

   USD 1,357       GBP 882         8/16/13         (16,340

Goldman Sachs Capital Markets LP

   USD 715       NZD 840         8/16/13         (66,031

Goldman Sachs Capital Markets LP

   JPY 49,678       USD 508         9/17/13         7,100   

Goldman Sachs Capital Markets LP

   USD 1,436       EUR 1,097         9/17/13         (7,266

Goldman Sachs Capital Markets LP

   USD 1,800       JPY 169,772         9/17/13         (87,353

HSBC BankUSA

   HKD 34,126       USD 4,399         8/16/13         (1,383

HSBC BankUSA

   USD 1,634       GBP 1,050         8/16/13         (37,229

JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA

   GBP 3,022       USD 4,672         8/16/13         76,765   

Royal Bank of Canada

   CAD 977       USD 957         9/17/13         30,048   

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

   JPY 318,816       USD 3,243         8/16/13         28,063   

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

   NZD 840       USD 648         8/16/13         (409

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

   USD 715       AUD 695         8/16/13         (81,359

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

   AUD 564       USD 544         9/17/13         30,847   

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

   USD 581       CHF 543         9/17/13         (5,839

Societe Generale

   USD 4,106       AUD 4,066         8/16/13         (400,130

Standard Chartered Bank

   BRL 515       USD 227         8/02/13         (2,123

Standard Chartered Bank

   USD 397       SGD 489         8/16/13         (10,724

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

   JPY 600,000       USD 6,023         7/16/13         (26,701

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

   USD 155       CAD 162         7/18/13         (1,162

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

   GBP 171       USD 263         8/07/13         3,587   

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

   CHF 529       USD 566         8/16/13         5,605   

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

   JPY 54,422       USD 552         8/16/13         3,385   

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

   SEK 1,005       USD 149         8/16/13         (1,156

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

   USD 1,776       CHF 1,664         8/16/13         (13,735

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

   USD 3,084       EUR 2,353         8/16/13         (20,235

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

   USD 215       HKD 1,669         8/16/13         138   

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

   USD 259       JPY 25,894         8/16/13         2,281   

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

   USD 419       NOK 2,455         8/16/13         (15,345

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

   USD 150       SEK 1,006         8/16/13         (62

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

   CHF 298       USD 317         9/17/13         1,390   

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

   USD 1,020       SEK 6,846         9/17/13         (556

UBS AG

   USD 480       AUD 466         8/16/13         (55,180

UBS AG

   AUD 811       USD 744         9/17/13         6,921   

UBS AG

   SEK 4,844       USD 720         9/17/13         (1,578
           

 

 

 
            $ (410,367
           

 

 

 

 

21


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

INTEREST RATE SWAPS (see Note D)

 

                   Rate Type         
Swap Counterparty   

Notional

Amount

(000)

    

Termination

Date

    

Payments

made

by the

Fund

   

Payments

received

by the

Fund

    

Unrealized

Appreciation/

(Depreciation)

 

JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA

   $ 1,970         1/30/17         1.059     3 Month LIBOR       $ (9,427

JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA

     2,200         2/7/22         2.043     3 Month LIBOR         59,571   
             

 

 

 
              $ 50,144   
             

 

 

 

CREDIT DEFAULT SWAPS (see Note D)

 

Swap

Counterparty

&

Referenced

Obligation

  

Fixed

Rate

(Pay)

Receive

    

Implied

Credit

Spread at

June 30,

2013

    

Notional

Amount

(000)

    

Market

Value

    

Upfront

Premiums

Paid

(Received)

    

Unrealized

Appreciation/

(Depreciation)

 

Sale Contracts

                 

BNP Paribas SA:

                 

Anadarko Petroleum Corp. 5.95%, 9/15/16, 9/20/17*

     1.00      0.85    $ 530       $ 3,424       $ (15,153    $ 18,577   

 

*   Termination date

 

(a)   Non-income producing security.

 

(b)   Represents entire or partial securities out on loan. See Note E for securities lending information.

 

(c)   Security is exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. These securities are considered liquid and may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. At June 30, 2013, the aggregate market value of these securities amounted to $25,132,658 or 4.5% of net assets.

 

(d)   Floating Rate Security. Stated interest rate was in effect at June 30, 2013.

 

(e)   Coupon rate adjusts periodically based upon a predetermined schedule. Stated interest rate in effect at June 30, 2013.

 

(f)   Variable rate coupon, rate shown as of June 30, 2013.

 

(g)   IO—Interest Only

 

(h)   Investment in affiliated money market mutual fund. The rate shown represents the 7-day yield as of period end.

Currency Abbreviations:

AUD—Australian Dollar

BRL—Brazilian Real

CAD—Canadian Dollar

CHF—Swiss Franc

EUR—Euro

GBP—Great British Pound

HKD—Hong Kong Dollar

JPY—Japanese Yen

KRW—South Korean Won

NOK—Norwegian Krone

NZD—New Zealand Dollar

SEK—Swedish Krona

SGD—Singapore Dollar

USD—United States Dollar

 

22


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Glossary:

ABS—Asset-Backed Securities

ADR—American Depositary Receipt

ARMs—Adjustable Rate Mortgages

CMBS—Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities

FHLMC—Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation

GO—General Obligation

LIBOR—London Interbank Offered Rates

NVDR—Non Voting Depositary Receipt

OJSC—Open Joint Stock Company

REG—Registered Shares

REIT—Real Estate Investment Trust

TBA—To Be Announced

TOPIX—Tokyo Price Index

See notes to financial statements.

 

23


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

ASSETS

  

Investments in securities, at value

  

Unaffiliated issuers (cost $517,565,235)

   $ 579,757,316 (a) 

Affiliated issuers (cost $2,600,978—investment of cash collateral for securities loaned)

     2,600,978   

Cash

     15,854 (b) 

Foreign currencies, at value (cost $524,490)

     520,155   

Receivable for investment securities sold and foreign currency transactions

     6,332,211   

Interest and dividends receivable

     1,886,311   

Unrealized appreciation of forward currency exchange contracts

     679,970   

Receivable for capital stock sold

     175,013   

Unrealized appreciation on interest rate swaps

     59,571   

Unrealized appreciation on credit default swaps

     18,577   

Receivable for variation margin on futures

     1,327   
  

 

 

 

Total assets

     592,047,283   
  

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

  

Payable for investment securities purchased and foreign currency transactions

     33,034,463   

Payable for collateral received on securities loaned

     2,600,978   

Unrealized depreciation of forward currency exchange contracts

     1,090,337   

Payable for capital stock redeemed

     504,019   

Advisory fee payable

     237,283   

Distribution fee payable

     99,947   

Premium received on credit default swaps

     15,153   

Unrealized depreciation on interest rate swaps

     9,427   

Administrative fee payable

     7,918   

Transfer Agent fee payable

     120   

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

     172,692   
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     37,772,337   
  

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 554,274,946   
  

 

 

 

COMPOSITION OF NET ASSETS

  

Capital stock, at par

   $ 43,864   

Additional paid-in capital

     471,425,662   

Undistributed net investment income

     13,312,311   

Accumulated net realized gain on investment and foreign currency transactions

     7,678,838   

Net unrealized appreciation on investments and foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities

     61,814,271   
  

 

 

 
   $ 554,274,946   
  

 

 

 

Net Asset Value Per Share—1 billion shares of capital stock authorized, $.001 par value

 

Class      Net Assets        Shares
Outstanding
       Net Asset
Value
 

A

     $ 40,725,295           3,192,717         $   12.76   

B

     $   513,549,651           40,671,033         $ 12.63   

 

 

 

(a)   Includes securities on loan with a value of $2,458,292 (see Note E).

 

(b)   An amount of $15,854 has been segregated to collateralize margin requirements for open futures contracts outstanding at June 30, 2013.

See notes to financial statements.

 

24


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
Six Months Ended June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

  

Dividends

  

Unaffiliated issuers (net of foreign taxes withheld of $174,882)

   $ 4,271,810   

Affiliated issuers

     2,231   

Interest

     2,730,907   

Securities lending income

     58,926   
  

 

 

 
     7,063,874   
  

 

 

 

EXPENSES

  

Advisory fee (see Note B)

     1,547,781   

Distribution fee—Class B

     651,427   

Transfer agency—Class A

     328   

Transfer agency—Class B

     4,094   

Custodian

     143,390   

Printing

     38,572   

Audit

     35,834   

Administrative

     22,125   

Legal

     20,126   

Directors’ fees

     2,229   

Miscellaneous

     21,772   
  

 

 

 

Total expenses

     2,487,678   
  

 

 

 

Net investment income

     4,576,196   
  

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENT AND FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSACTIONS

  

Net realized gain on:

  

Investment transactions

     19,442,777 (a) 

Futures

     42,582   

Swaps

     1,228   

Foreign currency transactions

     1,038,644   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of:

  

Investments

     4,156,481 (b) 

Futures

     (10,291

Swaps

     169,756   

Foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities

     (1,317,172
  

 

 

 

Net gain on investment and foreign currency transactions

     23,524,005   
  

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

   $ 28,100,201   
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(a)   Net of foreign capital gains taxes of $594.

 

(b)   Net of increase in accrued foreign capital gains taxes of $8,000.

See notes to financial statements.

 

25


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

     Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 

INCREASE IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

    

Net investment income

   $ 4,576,196      $ 9,337,388   

Net realized gain on investment and foreign currency transactions

     20,525,231        19,738,955   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments and foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities

     2,998,774        40,255,467   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets from operations

     28,100,201        69,331,810   

DIVIDENDS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM

    

Net investment income

    

Class A

     –0 –      (924,872

Class B

     –0 –      (9,652,511

CAPITAL STOCK TRANSACTIONS

    

Net decrease

     (23,767,581     (47,254,527
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total increase

     4,332,620        11,499,900   

NET ASSETS

    

Beginning of period

     549,942,326        538,442,426   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period (including undistributed net investment income of $13,312,311 and $8,736,115, respectively)

   $ 554,274,946      $ 549,942,326   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

26


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE A: Significant Accounting Policies

The AllianceBernstein Balanced Wealth Strategy Portfolio (the “Portfolio”) is a series of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”). The Portfolio’s investment objective is to maximize total return consistent with the Adviser’s determination of reasonable risk. The Portfolio is diversified as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Fund was incorporated in the State of Maryland on November 17, 1987, as an open-end series investment company. The Fund offers thirteen separately managed pools of assets which have differing investment objectives and policies. The Portfolio offers Class A and Class B shares. Both classes of shares have identical voting, dividend, liquidating and other rights, except that Class B shares bear a distribution expense and have exclusive voting rights with respect to the Class B distribution plan.

The Portfolio offers and sells its shares only to separate accounts of certain life insurance companies for the purpose of funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies. Sales are made without a sales charge at the Portfolio’s net asset value per share.

The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) which require management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Portfolio.

1. Security Valuation

Portfolio securities are valued at their current market value determined on the basis of market quotations or, if market quotations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable, at “fair value” as determined in accordance with procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Fund’s Board of Directors (the “Board”).

In general, the market values of securities which are readily available and deemed reliable are determined as follows: securities listed on a national securities exchange (other than securities listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. (“NASDAQ”)) or on a foreign securities exchange are valued at the last sale price at the close of the exchange or foreign securities exchange. If there has been no sale on such day, the securities are valued at the last traded price from the previous day. Securities listed on more than one exchange are valued by reference to the principal exchange on which the securities are traded; securities listed only on NASDAQ are valued in accordance with the NASDAQ Official Closing Price; listed or over the counter (“OTC”) market put or call options are valued at the mid level between the current bid and ask prices. If either a current bid or current ask price is unavailable, AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) will have discretion to determine the best valuation (e.g. last trade price in the case of listed options); open futures are valued using the closing settlement price or, in the absence of such a price, the most recent quoted bid price. If there are no quotations available for the day of valuation, the last available closing settlement price is used; U.S. government securities and other debt instruments having 60 days or less remaining until maturity are valued at amortized cost if their original maturity was 60 days or less; or by amortizing their fair value as of the 61st day prior to maturity if their original term to maturity exceeded 60 days; fixed-income securities, including mortgage backed and asset backed securities, may be valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service or at a price obtained from one or more of the major broker/dealers. In cases where broker/dealer quotes are obtained, the Adviser may establish procedures whereby changes in market yields or spreads are used to adjust, on a daily basis, a recently obtained quoted price on a security. Swaps and other derivatives are valued daily, primarily using independent pricing services, independent pricing models using market inputs, as well as third party broker-dealers or counterparties. Investments in money market funds are valued at their net asset value each day.

Securities for which market quotations are not readily available (including restricted securities) or are deemed unreliable are valued at fair value. Factors considered in making this determination may include, but are not limited to, information obtained by contacting the issuer, analysts, analysis of the issuer’s financial statements or other available documents. In addition, the Portfolio may use fair value pricing for securities primarily traded in non-U.S. markets because most foreign markets close well before the Portfolio values its securities at 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The earlier close of these foreign markets gives rise to the possibility that significant events, including broad market moves, may have occurred in the interim and may materially affect the value of those securities. To account for this, the Portfolio may frequently value many of its foreign equity securities using fair value prices based on third party vendor modeling tools to the extent available.

2. Fair Value Measurements

In accordance with U.S. GAAP regarding fair value measurements, fair value is defined as the price that the Portfolio would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. U.S. GAAP establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and a three-level hierarchy for fair value measurements based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability (including those valued based on their market values as described in Note A.1 above). Inputs may be observable or unobservable and refer broadly to the assumptions that market

 

27


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Portfolio. Unobservable inputs reflect the Portfolio’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on the best information available in the circumstances. Each investment is assigned a level based upon the observability of the inputs which are significant to the overall valuation. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized below.

 

   

Level 1—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 Portfolio’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The fair value of debt instruments, such as bonds, and over-the-counter derivatives is generally based on market price quotations, recently executed market transactions (where observable) or industry recognized modeling techniques and are generally classified as Level 2. Pricing vendor inputs to Level 2 valuations may include quoted prices for similar investments in active markets, interest rate curves, coupon rates, currency rates, yield curves, option adjusted spreads, default rates, credit spreads and other unique security features in order to estimate the relevant cash flows which is then discounted to calculate fair values. If these inputs are unobservable and significant to the fair value, these investments will be classified as Level 3. In addition, non-agency rated investments are classified as Level 3.

Where readily available market prices or relevant bid prices are not available for certain equity investments, such investments may be valued based on similar publicly traded investments, movements in relevant indices since last available prices or based upon underlying company fundamentals and comparable company data (such as multiples to earnings or other multiples to equity). Where an investment is valued using an observable input, such as another publicly traded security, the investment will be classified as Level 2. If management determines that an adjustment is appropriate based on restrictions on resale, illiquidity or uncertainty, and such adjustment is a significant component of the valuation, the investment will be classified as Level 3. An investment will also be classified as Level 3 where management uses company fundamentals and other significant inputs to determine the valuation.

Valuations of mortgage-backed or other asset backed securities, by pricing vendors, are based on both proprietary and industry recognized models and discounted cash flow techniques. Significant inputs to the valuation of these instruments are value of the collateral, the rates and timing of delinquencies, the rates and timing of prepayments, and default and loss expectations, which are driven in part by housing prices for residential mortgages. Significant inputs are determined based on relative value analyses, which incorporate comparisons to instruments with similar collateral and risk profiles, including relevant indices. Mortgage and asset backed securities for which management has collected current observable data through pricing services are generally categorized within Level 2. Those investments for which current observable data has not been provided are classified as Level 3.

Other fixed income investments, including non-U.S. government and corporate debt, are generally valued using quoted market prices, if available, which are typically impacted by current interest rates, maturity dates and any perceived credit risk of the issuer. Additionally, in the absence of quoted market prices, these inputs are used by pricing vendors to derive a valuation based upon industry or proprietary models which incorporate issuer specific data with relevant yield/spread comparisons with more widely quoted bonds with similar key characteristics. Those investments for which there are observable inputs are classified as Level 2. Where the inputs are not observable, the investments are classified as Level 3.

The following table summarizes the valuation of the Portfolio’s investments by the above fair value hierarchy levels as of June 30, 2013:

 

       Level 1        Level 2        Level 3      Total  

Investments in Securities:

                 

Assets:

                 

Common Stocks:

                 

Financials

     $ 38,985,166         $ 21,646,110         $             –0 –     $ 60,631,276   

Consumer Discretionary

       40,455,957           15,394,056           –0 –       55,850,013   

Health Care

       35,244,195           5,216,762           –0 –       40,460,957   

Information Technology

       35,408,983           4,839,153           –0 –       40,248,136   

 

28


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

       Level 1      Level 2      Level 3     Total  

Industrials

     $ 24,358,158       $ 14,825,659       $ –0 –    $ 39,183,817   

Energy

       22,544,567         3,310,482         –0 –      25,855,049   

Consumer Staples

       10,869,744         11,723,793         –0 –      22,593,537   

Equity:Other

       8,412,759         10,645,578         –0 –      19,058,337   

Materials

       7,196,463         5,031,495         –0 –      12,227,958   

Retail

       4,123,306         3,546,029         –0 –      7,669,335   

Residential

       4,688,323         2,557,024         –0 –      7,245,347   

Utilities

       5,012,107         1,368,791         –0 –      6,380,898   

Telecommunication Services

       3,350,131         2,487,322         –0 –      5,837,453   

Office

       2,054,468         2,332,737         –0 –      4,387,205   

Lodging

       1,736,614         611,063         –0 –      2,347,677   

Corporates—Investment Grades

       –0 –       50,028,272         –0 –      50,028,272   

Governments—Treasuries

       –0 –       38,530,609         –0 –      38,530,609   

Mortgage Pass-Throughs

       –0 –       36,375,745         –0 –      36,375,745   

Asset-Backed Securities

       –0 –       23,480,070         1,335,054        24,815,124   

Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities

       –0 –       16,009,579         1,909,458        17,919,037   

Agencies

       –0 –       11,547,949         –0 –      11,547,949   

Corporates—Non-Investment Grades

       –0 –       2,963,331         118,259        3,081,590   

Collateralized Mortgage Obligations

       –0 –       1,015,542         1,596,493        2,612,035   

Quasi-Sovereigns

       –0 –       2,002,245         –0 –      2,002,245   

Governments—Sovereign Bonds

       –0 –       1,029,028         –0 –      1,029,028   

Emerging Markets—Corporate Bonds

       –0 –       668,525         –0 –      668,525   

Local Governments—Municipal Bonds

       –0 –       463,394         –0 –      463,394   

Preferred Stocks

       234,788         –0 –       –0 –      234,788   

Warrants

       37,709         –0 –       –0 –      37,709   

Rights

       –0 –       –0 –       –0 –^      –0 – 

Short-Term Investments:

            

Time Deposit

       –0 –       28,364,940         –0 –      28,364,940   

Governments—Treasuries

       –0 –       6,049,411         –0 –      6,049,411   

Agency Discount Note

       –0 –       6,019,920         –0 –      6,019,920   

Investments of Cash Collateral for Securities Loaned in Affiliated Money Market Fund

       2,600,978         –0 –       –0 –      2,600,978   
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Investments in Securities

       247,314,416         330,084,614      4,959,264        582,358,294   

Other Financial Instruments*:

            

Assets:

            

Futures

       –0 –       3,063         –0 –      3,063

Forward Currency Exchange Contracts

       –0 –       679,970         –0 –      679,970   

Interest Rate Swaps

       –0 –       59,571         –0 –      59,571   

Credit Default Swaps

       –0 –       18,577         –0 –      18,577   

Liabilities:

            

Futures

       –0 –       (4,612      –0 –      (4,612 )# 

Forward Currency Exchange Contracts

       –0 –       (1,090,337      –0 –      (1,090,337

Interest Rate Swaps

       –0 –       (9,427      –0 –      (9,427
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total++

     $ 247,314,416       $ 329,741,419       $ 4,959,264      $ 582,015,099   
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

^   The Portfolio held securities with zero market value at period end.

 

*   Other financial instruments are derivative instruments, such as futures, forwards and swaps, which are valued at the unrealized appreciation/depreciation on the instrument.

 

+   A significant portion of the Portfolio’s foreign equity investments are categorized as Level 2 investments since they are valued using fair value prices based on third party vendor modeling tools to the extent available, see Note A.1.

 

#   Only variation margin receivable/payable at period end is reported within the statement of assets and liabilities. This amount reflects cumulative appreciation/(depreciation) of futures contracts as reported in the portfolio of investments.

 

++   There were de minimis transfers under 1% of net assets between Level 1 and Level 2 during the reporting period.

 

29


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Portfolio recognizes all transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy assuming the financial instruments were transferred at the beginning of the reporting period.

The following is a reconciliation of investments in which significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) were used in determining fair value.

 

     Common Stock-
Residential
    Asset-Backed
Securities
    Commercial
Mortgage-Backed
Securities
 

Balance as of 12/31/12

   $ 297,587      $ 1,397,999      $ 1,601,699   

Accrued discounts/(premiums)

     –0 –      1,011        1,481   

Realized gain (loss)

     –0 –      2,951        47,995   

Change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation

     –0 –      (28,674     (80,629

Purchases

     –0 –      297,499        1,222,608   

Sales

     –0 –      (335,732     (883,696

Transfers in to Level 3

     –0 –      –0 –      –0 – 

Transfers out of Level 3

     (297,587     –0 –      –0 – 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance as of 6/30/13+

   $ –0 –    $ 1,335,054      $ 1,909,458   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation from Investments held as of 6/30/13*

   $ –0 –    $ (26,133   $ (80,629
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     Corporates- Non-
Investment Grades
    Collateralized
Mortgage Obligation
    Rights^  

Balance as of 12/31/12

   $ –0 –    $ 60,916      $ –0 – 

Accrued discounts/(premiums)

     674        1,134        –0 – 

Realized gain (loss)

     3,023        2,024        –0 – 

Change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation

     (3,519     (95,496     –0 – 

Purchases

     216,295        1,660,677        –0 – 

Sales

     (98,214     (32,762     –0 – 

Transfers in to Level 3

     –0 –      –0 –      –0 – 

Transfers out of Level 3

     –0 –      –0 –      –0 – 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance as of 6/30/13

   $ 118,259      $ 1,596,493      $ –0 – 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation from Investments held as of 6/30/13*

   $ (3,519   $ (95,496   $ –0 – 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     Total              

Balance as of 12/31/12

   $ 3,358,201       

Accrued discounts/(premiums)

     4,300       

Realized gain (loss)

     55,993       

Change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation

     (208,318    

Purchases

     3,397,079       

Sales

     (1,350,404    

Transfers in to Level 3

     –0 –     

Transfers out of Level 3

     (297,587    
  

 

 

     

Balance as of 6/30/13

   $ 4,959,264       
  

 

 

     

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation from Investments held as of 6/30/13*

   $ (205,777    
  

 

 

     

 

^   The Portfolio held securities with zero market value at period end.

 

*   The unrealized appreciation/depreciation is included in net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments in the accompanying statement of operations.

 

+   There were de minimis transfers under 1% of net assets during the reporting period.

 

30


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Adviser has established a Valuation Committee (the “Committee”) which is responsible for overseeing the pricing and valuation of all securities held in the Portfolio. The Committee operates under pricing and valuation policies and procedures established by the Adviser and approved by the Board, including pricing policies which set forth the mechanisms and processes to be employed on a daily basis to implement these policies and procedures. In particular, the pricing policies describe how to determine market quotations for securities and other instruments. The Committee’s responsibilities include: 1) fair value and liquidity determinations (and oversight of any third parties to whom any responsibility for fair value and liquidity determinations is delegated), and 2) regular monitoring of the Adviser’s pricing and valuation policies and procedures and modification or enhancement of these policies and procedures (or recommendation of the modification of these policies and procedures) as the Committee believes appropriate.

The Committee is also responsible for monitoring the implementation of the pricing policies by the Adviser’s Pricing Group (the “Pricing Group”) and a third party which performs certain pricing functions in accordance with the pricing policies. The Pricing Group is responsible for the oversight of the third party on a day-to-day basis. The Committee and the Pricing Group perform a series of activities to provide reasonable assurance of the accuracy of prices including: 1) periodic vendor due diligence meetings, review of methodologies, new developments and process at vendors, 2) daily compare of security valuation versus prior day for all securities that exceeded established thresholds, and 3) daily review of unpriced, stale, and variance reports with exceptions reviewed by senior management and the Committee.

In addition, several processes outside of the pricing process are used to monitor valuation issues including: 1) performance and performance attribution reports are monitored for anomalous impacts based upon benchmark performance, and 2) portfolio managers review all portfolios for performance and analytics (which are generated using the Adviser’s prices).

3. Currency Translation

Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies and commitments under forward currency exchange contracts are translated into U.S. dollars at the mean of the quoted bid and ask prices of such currencies against the U.S. dollar. Purchases and sales of portfolio securities are translated into U.S. dollars at the rates of exchange prevailing when such securities were acquired or sold. Income and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars at rates of exchange prevailing when accrued.

Net realized gain or loss on foreign currency transactions represents foreign exchange gains and losses from sales and maturities of foreign fixed income investments, foreign currency exchange contracts, holding of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on foreign investment transactions, and the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the Portfolio’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized currency gains and losses from valuing foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities at period end exchange rates are reflected as a component of net unrealized appreciation or depreciation of foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities.

4. Taxes

It is the Portfolio’s policy to meet the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute all of its investment company taxable income and net realized gains, if any, to shareholders. Therefore, no provisions for federal income or excise taxes are required. The Portfolio may be subject to taxes imposed by countries in which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on income and/or capital gains earned or repatriated. Taxes are accrued and applied to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized appreciation/depreciation as such income and/or gains are earned.

In accordance with U.S. GAAP requirements regarding accounting for uncertainties in income taxes, management has analyzed the Portfolio’s tax positions taken or expected to be taken on federal and state income tax returns for all open tax years (the current and the prior three tax years) and has concluded that no provision for income tax is required in the Portfolio’s financial statements.

5. Investment Income and Investment Transactions

Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date or as soon as the Portfolio is informed of the dividend. Interest income is accrued daily. Investment transactions are accounted for on the date the securities are purchased or sold. Investment gains or losses are determined on the identified cost basis. The Portfolio amortizes premiums and accretes discounts as adjustments to interest income.

 

31


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

6. Class Allocations

All income earned and expenses incurred by the Portfolio are borne on a pro-rata basis by each outstanding class of shares, based on the proportionate interest in the Portfolio represented by the net assets of such class, except for class specific expenses which are allocated to the respective class. Realized and unrealized gains and losses are allocated among the various share classes based on respective net assets.

7. Dividends and Distributions

Dividends and distributions to shareholders, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income dividends and capital gains distributions are determined in accordance with federal tax regulations and may differ from those determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. To the extent these differences are permanent, such amounts are reclassified within the capital accounts based on their federal tax basis treatment; temporary differences do not require such reclassification.

8. Repurchase Agreements

It is the Portfolio’s policy that its custodian or designated subcustodian take control of securities as collateral under repurchase agreements and to determine on a daily basis that the value of such securities are sufficient to cover the value of the repurchase agreements. If the seller defaults and the value of the collateral declines or if bankruptcy proceedings are commenced with respect to the seller of the security, realization of collateral by the Portfolio may be delayed or limited.

NOTE B: Advisory Fee and Other Transactions with Affiliates

Under the terms of the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio pays the Adviser an advisory fee at an annual rate of .55% of the first $2.5 billion, ..45% of the next $2.5 billion and .40% in excess of $5 billion, of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets. The fee is accrued daily and paid monthly. The Adviser has agreed to waive its fees and bear certain expenses to the extent necessary to limit total operating expenses on an annual basis to .75% and 1.00% of daily average net assets for Class A and Class B shares, respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, there were no expenses waived by the Adviser.

Pursuant to the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio may reimburse the Adviser for certain legal and accounting services provided to the Portfolio by the Adviser. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, the reimbursement for such services amounted to $22,125.

Brokerage commissions paid on investment transactions for the six months ended June 30, 2013 amounted to $262,428, of which $5 and $60, respectively, was paid to Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. LLC and Sanford C. Bernstein Limited, affiliates of the Adviser.

The Portfolio compensates AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, under a Transfer Agency Agreement for providing personnel and facilities to perform transfer agency services for the Portfolio. Such compensation retained by ABIS amounted to $692 for the six months ended June 30, 2013.

NOTE C: Distribution Plan

The Portfolio has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Under the Plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (the “Distributor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, at an annual rate of up to .50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The fees are accrued daily and paid monthly. The Board currently limits payments under the Plan to .25% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The Plan provides that the Distributor will use such payments in their entirety for distribution assistance and promotional activities.

The Portfolio is not obligated under the Plan to pay any distribution and servicing fees in excess of the amounts set forth above. The purpose of the payments to the Distributor under the Plan is to compensate the Distributor for its distribution services with respect to the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. Since the Distributor’s compensation is not directly tied to its expenses, the amount of compensation received by it under the Plan during any year may be more or less than its actual expenses. For this reason, the Plan is characterized by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission as being of the “compensation” variety.

In the event that the Plan is terminated or not continued, no distribution or servicing fees (other than current amounts accrued but not yet paid) would be owed by the Portfolio to the Distributor.

The Plan also provides that the Adviser may use its own resources to finance the distribution of the Portfolio’s shares.

 

32


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE D: Investment Transactions

Purchases and sales of investment securities (excluding short-term investments) for the six months ended June 30, 2013 were as follows:

 

       Purchases        Sales  

Investment securities (excluding U.S. government securities)

     $ 152,252,342         $ 167,644,640   

U.S. government securities

       150,425,962           141,616,381   

The cost of investments for federal income tax purposes was substantially the same as the cost for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, gross unrealized appreciation and unrealized depreciation (excluding futures, swap contracts and foreign currency transactions) are as follows:

 

Gross unrealized appreciation

   $ 72,367,929   

Gross unrealized depreciation

     (10,175,848
  

 

 

 

Net unrealized appreciation

   $ 62,192,081   
  

 

 

 

1. Derivative Financial Instruments

The Portfolio may use derivatives in an effort to earn income and enhance returns, to replace more traditional direct investments, to obtain exposure to otherwise inaccessible markets (collectively, “investment purposes”), or to hedge or adjust the risk profile of its portfolio.

The principal types of derivatives utilized by the Portfolio, as well as the methods in which they may be used are:

 

   

Futures

The Portfolio may buy or sell futures for investment purposes or for the purpose of hedging its portfolio against adverse effects of potential movements in the market. The Portfolio bears the market risk that arises from changes in the value of these instruments and the imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the futures and movements in the price of the assets, reference rates or indices which they are designed to track. Among other things, the Portfolio may purchase or sell futures for foreign currencies or options thereon for non-hedging purposes as a means of making direct investment in foreign currencies, as described below under “Currency Transactions”.

At the time the Portfolio enters into a futures, the Portfolio deposits and maintains as collateral an initial margin with the broker, as required by the exchange on which the transaction is effected. Pursuant to the contract, the Portfolio 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 are known as variation margin and are recorded by the Portfolio as unrealized gains or losses. Risks may arise from the potential inability of a counterparty to meet the terms of the contract. The credit/counterparty risk for exchange-traded futures is generally less than privately negotiated futures, since the clearinghouse, which is the issuer or counterparty to each exchange-traded future, provides a guarantee of performance. This guarantee is supported by a daily payment system (i.e., margin requirements). When the contract is closed, the Portfolio records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the time it was closed.

Use of long futures subjects the Portfolio to risk of loss in excess of the amounts shown on the statement of assets and liabilities, up to the notional value of the futures. Use of short futures subjects the Portfolio to unlimited risk of loss. Under some circumstances, futures exchanges may establish daily limits on the amount that the price of a futures can vary from the previous day’s settlement price, which could effectively prevent liquidation of unfavorable positions.

During the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio held futures for hedging and non-hedging purposes.

 

   

Forward Currency Exchange Contracts

The Portfolio may enter into forward currency exchange contracts in order to hedge its exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates on its foreign portfolio holdings, to hedge certain firm purchase and sale commitments denominated in foreign currencies and for non-hedging purposes as a means of making direct investments in foreign currencies, as described below under “Currency Transactions”.

A forward currency exchange contract is a commitment to purchase or sell a foreign currency at a future date at a negotiated forward rate. The gain or loss arising from the difference between the original contract and the closing of

 

33


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

such contract would be included in net realized gain or loss on foreign currency transactions. Fluctuations in the value of open forward currency exchange contracts are recorded for financial reporting purposes as unrealized appreciation and/or depreciation by the Portfolio. Risks may arise from the potential inability of a counterparty to meet the terms of a contract and from unanticipated movements in the value of a foreign currency relative to the U.S. dollar.

During the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio held forward currency exchange contracts for hedging and non-hedging purposes.

 

   

Swaps

The Portfolio may enter into swaps to hedge its exposure to interest rates, credit risk, or currencies. The Portfolio may also enter into swaps for non-hedging purposes as a means of gaining market exposures, including by making direct investments in foreign currencies, as described below under “Currency Transactions”. A swap is an agreement that obligates two parties to exchange a series of cash flows at specified intervals based upon or calculated by reference to changes in specified prices or rates for a specified amount of an underlying asset. The payment flows are usually netted against each other, with the difference being paid by one party to the other. In addition, collateral may be pledged or received by the Portfolio in accordance with the terms of the respective swaps to provide value and recourse to the Portfolio or its counterparties in the event of default, bankruptcy or insolvency by one of the parties to the swap.

Risks may arise as a result of the failure of the counterparty to the swap to comply with the terms of the swap. The loss incurred by the failure of a counterparty is generally limited to the net interim payment to be received by the Portfolio, and/or the termination value at the end of the contract. Therefore, the Portfolio considers the creditworthiness of each counterparty to a swap in evaluating potential counterparty risk. This risk is mitigated by having a netting arrangement between the Portfolio and the counterparty and by the posting of collateral by the counterparty to the Portfolio to cover the Portfolio’s exposure to the counterparty. Additionally, risks may arise from unanticipated movements in interest rates or in the value of the underlying securities. The Portfolio accrues for the interim payments on swaps on a daily basis, with the net amount recorded within unrealized appreciation/depreciation of swaps on the statement of assets and liabilities, where applicable. Once the interim payments are settled in cash, the net amount is recorded as realized gain/(loss) on swaps on the statement of operations, in addition to any realized gain/(loss) recorded upon the termination of swaps. Upfront premiums paid or received are recognized as cost or proceeds on the statement of assets and liabilities and are amortized on a straight line basis over the life of the contract. Amortized upfront premiums are included in net realized gain/(loss) from swaps on the statement of operations. Fluctuations in the value of swaps are recorded as a component of net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of swaps on the statement of operations.

Interest Rate Swaps:

The Portfolio is subject to interest rate risk exposure in the normal course of pursuing its investment objectives. Because the Portfolio holds fixed rate bonds, the value of these bonds may decrease if interest rates rise. To help hedge against this risk and to maintain its ability to generate income at prevailing market rates, the Portfolio may enter into interest rate swaps. Interest rate swaps are agreements between two parties to exchange cash flows based on a notional amount. The Portfolio may elect to pay a fixed rate and receive a floating rate, or, receive a fixed rate and pay a floating rate on a notional amount.

In addition, the Portfolio may also enter into interest rate swap transactions to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of its portfolio, or protecting against an increase in the price of securities the Portfolio anticipates purchasing at a later date. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by a Portfolio with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest (e.g., an exchange of floating rate payments for fixed rate payments) computed based on a contractually-based principal (or “notional”) amount. Interest rate swaps are entered into on a net basis (i.e., the two payment streams are netted out, with the Portfolio receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments).

During the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio held interest rate swaps for hedging purposes.

Credit Default Swaps:

The Portfolio may enter into credit default swaps, including to manage its exposure to the market or certain sectors of the market, to reduce its risk exposure to defaults by corporate and sovereign issuers held by the Portfolio, or to create exposure to corporate or sovereign issuers to which it is not otherwise exposed. The Portfolio may purchase credit protection (“Buy Contract”) or provide credit protection (“Sale Contract”) on the referenced obligation of the credit default swap. During the term of the swap, the Portfolio receives/(pays) fixed payments from/(to) the

 

34


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

respective counterparty, calculated at the agreed upon rate applied to the notional amount. If the Portfolio is a buyer/(seller) of protection and a credit event occurs, as defined under the terms of the swap, the Portfolio will either (i) receive from the seller/(pay to the buyer) of protection an amount equal to the notional amount of the swap (the “Maximum Payout Amount”) and deliver/(take delivery of) the referenced obligation or (ii) receive/(pay) a net settlement amount in the form of cash or securities equal to the notional amount of the swap less the recovery value of the referenced obligation.

Credit default swaps may involve greater risks than if a Portfolio had invested in the referenced obligation directly. Credit default swaps are subject to general market risk, liquidity risk, counterparty risk and credit risk. If the Portfolio is a buyer of protection and no credit event occurs, it will lose the payments it made to its counterparty. If the Portfolio is a seller of protection 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 net loss to the Portfolio.

During the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio held credit default swaps for non-hedging purposes.

Implied credit spreads utilized in determining the market value of credit default swaps on issuers as of period end are disclosed in the portfolio of investments. The implied spreads serve as an indicator of the current status of the payment/performance risk and typically reflect the likelihood of default by the issuer of the referenced obligation. The implied credit spread of a particular reference obligation also reflects the cost of buying/selling protection and may reflect upfront payments required to be made to enter into the agreement. Widening credit spreads typically represent a deterioration of the referenced obligation’s credit soundness and greater likelihood of default or other credit event occurring as defined under the terms of the agreement. A credit spread identified as “Defaulted” indicates a credit event has occurred for the referenced obligation.

At June 30, 2013, the Portfolio had Sale Contracts outstanding with a Maximum Payout Amount of $530,000, with net unrealized appreciation of $18,577, and a term of less than 5 years, as reflected in the portfolio of investments.

In certain circumstances Maximum Payout Amounts may be partially offset by recovery values of the respective referenced obligations, upfront premium received upon entering into the agreement, or net amounts received from settlement of buy protection credit default swap agreements entered into by the Portfolio for the same reference obligation with the same counterparty. As of June 30, 2013, the Portfolio did not have Buy Contracts outstanding with respect to the same referenced obligation and same counterparty for its Sale Contracts outstanding.

The Portfolio typically enters into International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. Master Agreements (“ISDA Master Agreement”) or similar master agreements (collectively, “Master Agreements”) with its OTC derivative contract counterparties in order to, among other things, reduce its credit risk to counterparties. ISDA Master Agreements include provisions for general obligations, representations, collateral and events of default or termination. Under an ISDA Master Agreement, the Portfolio typically may offset with the counterparty certain derivative financial instrument’s payables and/or receivables with collateral held and/or posted and create one single net payment (close-out netting) in the event of default or termination.

Various master agreements govern the terms of certain transactions with counterparties, including transactions such as exchange-traded derivative transactions, repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements and certain securities lending transactions. These master agreements typically attempt to reduce the counterparty risk associated with such transactions by specifying credit protection mechanisms and providing standardization that improves legal certainty. Cross-termination provisions under Master Agreements typically provide that a default in connection with one transaction between the Portfolio and a counterparty gives the non-defaulting party the right to terminate any other transactions in place with the defaulting party to create one single net payment due to/due from the defaulting party.

The Portfolio’s Master Agreements may contain provisions for early termination of derivative transactions in the event the net assets of the Portfolio decline below specific levels (“net asset contingent features”). If these levels are triggered, the Portfolio’s counterparty has the right to terminate such transaction and require the Portfolio to pay or receive a settlement amount in connection with the terminated transaction.

 

35


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

At June 30, 2013, the Portfolio had entered into the following derivatives:

 

   

Asset Derivatives

   

Liability Derivatives

 

Derivative Type

 

Statement of
Assets and Liabilities
Location

  Fair Value    

Statement of
Assets and Liabilities
Location

  Fair Value  

Equity contracts

  Receivable/Payable for variation margin on futures   $ 3,063 *+    Receivable/Payable for variation margin on futures   $ 4,612 *+ 

Foreign exchange contracts

  Unrealized appreciation of forward currency exchange contracts     679,970      Unrealized depreciation of forward currency exchange contracts     1,090,337   

Interest rate contracts

  Unrealized appreciation on interest rate swaps     59,571      Unrealized depreciation on interest rate swaps     9,427   

Credit contracts

  Unrealized appreciation on credit default swaps     18,577       
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total

    $ 761,181        $ 1,104,376   
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

*   Only variation margin receivable/payable at period end is reported within the statement of assets and liabilities. This amount reflects cumulative appreciation/(depreciation) as reported in the portfolio of investments.

 

+   Exchange-traded investments.

The effect of derivative instruments on the statement of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2013:

 

Derivative Type

  

Location of Gain or (Loss) on Derivatives

   Realized Gain or
(Loss) on
Derivatives
    Change in Unrealized
Appreciation or
(Depreciation)
 

Equity contracts

   Net realized gain (loss) on futures; Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of futures    $ 42,582      $ (10,291

Foreign exchange contracts

   Net realized gain (loss) on foreign currency transactions; Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities      1,076,743        (1,284,296

Interest rate contracts

   Net realized gain (loss) on swaps; Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of swaps      (26,477     178,012   

Credit contracts

   Net realized gain (loss) on swaps; Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of swaps      27,705        (8,256
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

      $ 1,120,553      $ (1,124,831
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

The following table represents the volume of the Portfolio’s derivative transactions during the six months ended June 30, 2013:

 

Forward Currency Exchange Contracts:

  

Average principal amount of buy contracts

   $ 39,131,215   

Average principal amount of sale contracts

   $ 49,715,305   

Futures:

  

Average original value of buy contracts

   $ 265,688   

Interest Rate Swaps:

  

Average notional amount

   $ 4,170,000   

Credit Default Swaps:

  

Average notional amount of sale contracts

   $ 632,857   

 

36


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

For financial reporting purposes, the Portfolio does not offset derivative assets and derivative liabilities that are subject to netting arrangements in the statement of assets and liabilities.

The following tables present the Portfolio’s dervative assets and liabilities by counterparty net of amounts available for offset under Master Agreements (“MA”) and net of the related collateral received/pledged by the Portfolio as of June 30, 2013:

 

Counterparty   

Derivative Assets

Subject to MA

    

Derivatives

Available
for Offset

     Collateral
Received
     Net Amount of
Derivatives Assets
 

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

   $ 16,888       $ (7,741    $   –0 –     $ 9,147   

BNP Paribas SA

     333,498         (156,754      –0 –       176,744   

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

     9,197         –0 –       –0 –       9,197   

Credit Suisse International

     24,733         (3,465      –0 –       21,268   

Deutsche Bank AG London

     14,476         (14,476      –0 –       –0 – 

Goldman Sachs Capital Markets LP

     109,293         (109,293      –0 –       –0 – 

JPMorgan Chase Bank NA

     136,336         (9,427      –0 –       126,909   

Royal Bank of Canada

     30,048         –0 –       –0 –       30,048   

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

     60,288         (60,288      –0 –       –0 – 

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

     16,440         (16,440      –0 –       –0 – 

UBS AG

     6,921         (6,921      –0 –       –0 – 
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $   758,118       $ (384,805    $ –0 –     $   373,313   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
Counterparty    Derivative Liabilites
Subject to MA
     Derivatives
Available for
Offset
    

Collateral

Pledged

     Net Amount of
Derivatives Liabilities
 

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

   $ 7,741       $ (7,741    $   –0 –     $ –0 – 

BNP Paribas SA

     156,754         (156,754      –0 –       –0 – 

Citibank, NA

     11,808         –0 –       –0 –       11,808   

Credit Suisse International

     3,465         (3,465      –0 –       –0 – 

Deutsche Bank AG London

     57,242         (14,476      –0 –       42,766   

Goldman Sachs Capital Markets LP

     176,989         (109,293      –0 –       67,696   

HSBC Bank USA

     38,612         –0 –       –0 –       38,612   

JPMorgan Chase Bank NA

     9,427         (9,427      –0 –       –0–   

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

     88,985         (60,288      –0 –       28,697   

Societe Generale

     400,130         –0 –       –0 –       400,130   

Standard Chartered Bank

     12,847         –0 –       –0 –       12,847   

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

     79,006         (16,440      –0 –       62,566   

UBS AG

     56,758         (6,921      –0 –       49,837   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $   1,099,764       $ (384,805    $ –0 –     $   714,959   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

2. Currency Transactions

The Portfolio may invest in non-U.S. Dollar securities on a currency hedged or unhedged basis. The Portfolio may seek investment opportunities by taking long or short positions in currencies through the use of currency-related derivatives, including forward currency exchange contracts, futures and options on futures, swaps, and other options. The Portfolio may enter into transactions for investment opportunities when it anticipates that a foreign currency will appreciate or depreciate in value but securities denominated in that currency are not held by the Portfolio and do not present attractive investment opportunities. Such transactions may also be used when the Adviser believes that it may be more efficient than a direct investment in a foreign currency-denominated security. The Portfolio may also conduct currency exchange contracts on a spot basis (i.e., for cash at the spot rate prevailing in the currency exchange market for buying or selling currencies).

3. Dollar Rolls

The Portfolio may enter into dollar rolls. Dollar rolls involve sales by the Portfolio of securities for delivery in the current month and the Portfolio’s simultaneously contracting to repurchase substantially similar (same type and coupon) securities on a specified future date. During the roll period, the Portfolio forgoes principal and interest paid on the securities.

 

37


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Portfolio is compensated by the difference between the current sales price and the lower forward price for the future purchase (often referred to as the “drop”) as well as by the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sale. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Portfolio is obligated to repurchase under the agreement may decline below the repurchase price. Dollar rolls are speculative techniques and may be considered to be borrowings by the Portfolio. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio earned drop income of $164,044 which is included in interest income in the accompanying statement of operations.

NOTE E: Securities Lending

The Portfolio may enter into securities lending transactions. Under the Portfolio’s securities lending program, all loans of securities will be collateralized continually by cash. The Portfolio will be compensated for the loan from a portion of the net return from the income earned on cash collateral after a rebate is paid to the borrower (in some cases, this rebate may be a “negative rebate” or fee paid by the borrower to the Portfolio in connection with the loan), and payments are made for fees of the securities lending agent and for certain other administrative expenses. It is the policy of the Portfolio to receive collateral consisting of cash in an amount exceeding the value of the securities loaned. The Portfolio will have the right to call a loan and obtain the securities loaned at any time on notice to the borrower within the normal and customary settlement time for the securities. While the securities are on loan, the borrower is obligated to pay the Portfolio amounts equal to any income or other distributions from the securities. The Portfolio will not have the right to vote any securities during the existence of a loan, but will have the right to regain ownership of loaned securities in order to exercise voting or other ownership rights. The lending agent has agreed to indemnify the Portfolio in the case of default of any securities borrower. Collateral received and securities loaned are marked to market daily to ensure that the securities loaned are secured by collateral. The lending agent will invest the cash collateral received in AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves, an eligible money market vehicle, in accordance with the investment restrictions of the Portfolio, and as approved by the Board. The collateral received on securities loaned is recorded as an asset as well as a corresponding liability in the statement of assets and liabilities. When the Portfolio lends securities, its investment performance will continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned. At June 30, 2013, the Portfolio had securities on loan with a value of $2,458,292 and had received cash collateral which has been invested into AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves of $2,600,978. The cash collateral will be adjusted on the next business day to maintain the required collateral amount. The Portfolio earned securities lending income of $58,926 and $2,231 from the borrowers and AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2013; these amounts are reflected in the statement of operations. A principal risk of lending portfolio securities is that the borrower will fail to return the loaned securities upon termination of the loan and that the collateral will not be sufficient to replace the loaned securities. A summary of the Portfolio’s transactions in shares of AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves for the six months ended June 30, 2013 is as follows:

 

Market Value

December 31, 2012

(000)

   

Purchases

at Cost

(000)

   

Sales

Proceeds

(000)

   

Market Value

June 30, 2013

(000)

   

Dividend

Income

(000)

 
$ 5,278      $ 45,771      $ 48,448      $ 2,601      $ 2   

NOTE F: Capital Stock

Each class consists of 500,000,000 authorized shares. Transactions in capital shares for each class were as follows:

 

     SHARES          AMOUNT  
     Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
         Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 

Class A

           

Shares sold

     61,696        59,264         $ 800,336      $ 696,079   

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends

     –0 –      80,006           –0 –      924,871   

Shares redeemed

     (317,563     (1,774,706        (4,029,725     (20,596,189
  

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease

     (255,867     (1,635,436      $ (3,229,389   $ (18,975,239
  

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

Class B

           

Shares sold

     2,439,893        3,910,605         $ 30,801,823      $ 45,197,855   

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends

     –0 –      841,544           –0 –      9,652,511   

Shares redeemed

     (4,064,856     (7,177,099        (51,340,015     (83,129,654
  

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease

     (1,624,963     (2,424,950      $ (20,538,192   $ (28,279,288
  

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

38


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE G: Risks Involved in Investing in the Portfolio

Interest Rate Risk and Credit Risk—Interest rate risk is the risk that changes in interest rates will affect the value of the Portfolio’s investments in fixed-income debt securities such as bonds or notes. Increases in interest rates may cause the value of the Portfolio’s investments to decline. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer or guarantor of a debt security, or the counterparty to a derivative contract, will be unable or unwilling to make timely principal and/or interest payments, or to otherwise honor its obligations. The degree of risk for a particular security may be reflected in its credit risk rating. Credit risk is greater for medium quality and lower-rated securities. Lower-rated debt securities and similar unrated securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”) have speculative elements or are predominantly speculative risks.

Foreign Securities Risk—Investing in securities of foreign companies or foreign governments involves special risks which include changes in foreign currency exchange rates and the possibility of future political and economic developments which could adversely affect the value of such securities. Moreover, securities of many foreign companies or foreign governments and their markets may be less liquid and their prices more volatile than those of comparable U.S. companies or of the U.S. government.

Currency Risk—This is the risk that changes in foreign currency exchange rates may negatively affect the value of the Portfolio’s investments or reduce the returns of the Portfolio. For example, the value of the Portfolio’s investments in foreign currency-denominated securities or currencies may decrease if the U.S. Dollar is strong (i.e., gaining value relative to other currencies) and other currencies are weak (i.e., losing value relative to the U.S. Dollar). Currency markets are generally not as regulated as securities markets. Independent of the Portfolio’s investments denominated in foreign currencies, the Portfolio’s positions in various foreign currencies may cause the Portfolio to experience investment losses due to the changes in exchange rates and interest rates.

Derivatives Risk—The Portfolio may enter into derivative transactions such as forwards, options, futures and swaps. Derivatives may be illiquid, difficult to price, and leveraged so that small changes may produce disproportionate losses for the Portfolio, and subject to counterparty risk to a greater degree than more traditional investments. Derivatives may result in significant losses, including losses that are far greater than the value of the derivatives reflected in the statement of assets and liabilities.

Indemnification Risk—In the ordinary course of business, the Portfolio enters into contracts that contain a variety of indemnifications. The Portfolio’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown. However, the Portfolio has not had prior claims or losses pursuant to these indemnification provisions and expects the risk of loss thereunder to be remote. Therefore, the Portfolio has not accrued any liability in connection with these indemnification provisions.

NOTE H: Joint Credit Facility

A number of open-end mutual funds managed by the Adviser, including the Portfolio, participate in a $140 million revolving credit facility (the “Facility”) intended to provide short-term financing, if necessary, subject to certain restrictions in connection with abnormal redemption activity. Commitment fees related to the Facility are paid by the participating funds and are included in miscellaneous expenses in the statement of operations. The Portfolio did not utilize the Facility during the six months ended June 30, 2013.

NOTE I: Distributions to Shareholders

The tax character of distributions to be paid for the year ending December 31, 2013 will be determined at the end of the current fiscal year. The tax character of distributions paid during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 were as follows:

 

       2012        2011  

Distributions paid from:

         

Ordinary income

     $ 10,577,383         $ 12,921,163   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total taxable distributions paid

     $ 10,577,383         $ 12,921,163   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

39


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

As of December 31, 2012, the components of accumulated earnings/(deficit) on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed ordinary income

   $ 12,599,785   

Accumulated capital and other losses

     (8,616,975 )(a) 

Unrealized appreciation/(depreciation)

     50,722,406 (b) 
  

 

 

 

Total accumulated earnings/(deficit)

   $ 54,705,216   
  

 

 

 

 

(a)   As of December 31, 2012, the Portfolio had a net capital loss carryforward of $8,418,141. During the fiscal year, the Portfolio utilized $15,520,821 of capital loss carryforwards to offset current year net realized gains. At December 31, 2012, the Portfolio had a post-October short-term capital loss deferral of $198,834, which is deemed to arise on January 1, 2013.

 

(b)   The differences between book-basis and tax-basis unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) are attributable primarily to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales, the tax treatment of swaps, return of capital distributions received from underlying securities, the tax treatment of passive foreign investment companies (PFICs) and partnerships, and the realization for tax purposes of gains/losses on certain derivative instruments.

For tax purposes, net capital losses may be carried over to offset future capital gains, if any. Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, funds are permitted to carry forward capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 for an indefinite period. These post-enactment capital losses must be utilized prior to the pre-enactment capital losses, which are subject to expiration. Post-enactment capital loss carryforwards will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses rather than being considered short-term as under previous regulation.

As of December 31, 2012, the Portfolio had a net capital loss carryforward of $8,418,141 which will expire as follows:

 

SHORT-TERM

AMOUNT

  

LONG-TERM

AMOUNT

  

EXPIRATION

$  8,418,141    n/a    2017

NOTE J: Subsequent Events

Management has evaluated subsequent events for possible recognition or disclosure in the financial statements through the date the financial statements are issued. Management has determined that there are no material events that would require disclosure in the Portfolio’s financial statements through this date.

 

40


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    CLASS A  
    Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2013

(unaudited)
    Year Ended December 31,  
      2012     2011     2010     2009     2008  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $12.12        $10.90        $11.48        $10.66        $8.63        $13.05   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Income From Investment Operations

           

Net investment income (a)

    .12        .22        .23        .23        .24        .22 (b) 

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment and foreign currency transactions

    .52        1.25        (.53     .88        1.89        (3.97

Contributions from Adviser

    –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      .00 (c) 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

    .64        1.47        (.30     1.11        2.13        (3.75
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Less: Dividends and Distributions

           

Dividends from net investment income

    –0 –      (.25     (.28     (.29     (.10     (.39

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

    –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      (.28
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total dividends and distributions

    –0 –      (.25     (.28     (.29     (.10     (.67
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $12.76        $12.12        $10.90        $11.48        $10.66        $8.63   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Total Return

           

Total investment return based on net asset value (d)

    5.28     13.63     (2.81 )%*      10.61 %*      24.88 %*      (30.01 )%* 
           

Ratios/Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

    $40,725        $41,801        $55,395        $68,914        $73,120        $67,526   

Ratio to average net assets of:

           

Expenses, net of waivers/reimbursements

    .65 %(e)      .65     .66     .68 %(f)      .69     .75 %(f) 

Expenses, before waivers/reimbursements

    .65 %(e)      .65     .66     .68 %(f)      .69     .78 %(f) 

Net investment income

    1.86 %(e)      1.91     2.03     2.14 %(f)      2.66     3.08 %(b)(f) 

Portfolio turnover rate

    56     90     94     101     85     93

 

 

 

 

See footnote summary on page 42.

 

41


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    CLASS B  
    Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2013

(unaudited)
    Year Ended December 31,  
      2012     2011     2010     2009     2008  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $12.01        $10.80        $11.38        $10.58        $8.58        $12.97   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Income From Investment Operations

           

Net investment income (a)

    .10        .19        .20        .20        .22        .26 (b) 

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
on investment and foreign currency transactions

    .52        1.24        (.53     .87        1.86        (4.02

Contributions from Adviser

    –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      .00 (c) 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

    .62        1.43        (.33     1.07        2.08        (3.76
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Less: Dividends and Distributions

           

Dividends from net investment income

    –0 –      (.22     (.25     (.27     (.08     (.35

Distributions from net realized gain on investment and foreign currency transactions

    –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      (.28
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total dividends and distributions

    –0 –      (.22     (.25     (.27     (.08     (.63
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $12.63        $12.01        $10.80        $11.38        $10.58        $8.58   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Total Return

           

Total investment return based on net asset value (d)

    5.16     13.38     (3.06 )%*      10.30 %*      24.45 %*      (30.20 )%* 
           

Ratios/Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

    $513,550        $508,141        $483,047        $518,572        $458,669        $285,962   

Ratio to average net assets of:

           

Expenses, net of waivers/reimbursements

    .90 %(e)      .90     .91     .93 %(f)      .95     1.00 %(f) 

Expenses, before waivers/reimbursements

    .90 %(e)      .90     .91     .93 %(f)      .95     1.02 %(f) 

Net investment income

    1.61 %(e)      1.67     1.78     1.89 %(f)      2.36     2.48 %(b)(f) 

Portfolio turnover rate

    56     90     94     101     85     93

 

 

 

(a)   Based on average shares outstanding.

 

(b)   Net of expenses waived or reimbursed by the Adviser.

 

(c)   Amount is less than $.005.

 

(d)   Total investment return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption on the last day of the period. Total return does not reflect (i) insurance company’s separate account related expense charges and (ii) the deductions of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Portfolio distributions or the redemption of Portfolio shares. Total investment return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized.

 

(e)   Annualized.

 

(f)   The ratio includes expenses attributable to costs of proxy solicitation.

 

*   Includes the impact of proceeds received and credited to the Portfolio resulting from class action settlements, which enhanced the Portfolio’s performance for the years ended December 31, 2011, December 31, 2010, December 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008 by 0.02, 0.03%, 0.06% and 0.10%, respectively.

See notes to financial statements.

 

42


 
BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

THE FOLLOWING IS NOT PART OF THE SHAREHOLDER REPORT OR THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

SUMMARY OF SENIOR OFFICER’S EVALUATION OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT1

The following is a summary of the evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement between AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) and the AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund (the “Fund”), in respect of AllianceBernstein Balanced Wealth Strategy Portfolio (the “Portfolio”).2 The evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement was prepared by Philip L. Kirstein, the Senior Officer of the Fund, for the Directors of the Fund, as required by the August 2004 agreement between the Adviser and the New York State Attorney General (the “NYAG”). The purpose of the summary is to provide shareholders with a synopsis of the independent evaluation of the reasonableness of the advisory fees proposed to be paid by the Portfolio which was provided to the Directors in connection with their review of the proposed approval of the continuance of the Investment Advisory Agreement.

The Senior Officer’s evaluation considered the following factors:

 

  1. Management fees charged to institutional and other clients of the Adviser for like services;

 

  2. Management fees charged by other mutual fund companies for like services;

 

  3. Costs to the Adviser and its affiliates of supplying services pursuant to the advisory agreement, excluding any intra-corporate profit;

 

  4. Profit margins of the Adviser and its affiliates from supplying such services;

 

  5. Possible economies of scale as the Portfolio grows larger; and

 

  6. Nature and quality of the Adviser’s services including the performance of the Portfolio.

These factors, with the exception of the first factor, are generally referred to as the “Gartenberg factors,” which were articulated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1982. Gartenberg v. Merrill Lynch Asset Management, Inc., 694 F. 2d 923 (2d Cir. 1982). The first factor is an additional factor required to be considered by the Assurance of Discontinuance between the NYAG and the Adviser. On March 30, 2010, the Supreme Court held the Gartenberg decision was correct in its basic formulation of what §36(b) requires: to face liability under §36(b), “an investment adviser must charge a fee that is so disproportionately large that it bears no reasonable relationship to the services rendered and could not have been the product of arm’s length bargaining.” Jones v. Harris Associates L.P., 130 S. Ct. 1418 (2010). In the Jones decision, the Court stated the Gartenberg approach fully incorporates the correct understanding of fiduciary duty within the context of section 36(b) and noted with approval that “Gartenberg insists that all relevant circumstances be taken into account” and “uses the range of fees that might result from arm’s-length bargaining as the benchmark for reviewing challenged fees.”

PORTFOLIO ADVISORY FEES, NET ASSETS & EXPENSE RATIOS

The Adviser proposed that the Portfolio pay the advisory fee set forth in the table below for receiving the services to be provided pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement. The fee schedule below, implemented in January 2004 in consideration of the Adviser’s settlement with the NYAG in December 2003, is based on a master schedule that contemplates eight categories of funds with almost all funds in each category having the same advisory fee schedule.3

 

Category  

Advisory Fee Based on % of

Average Daily Net Assets

 

Net Assets

06/30/12

($MM)

    Portfolio

Balanced

 

55 bp on 1st $2.5 billion

45 bp on next $2.5 billion

40 bp on the balance

  $ 543.0     

Balanced Wealth

Strategy Portfolio

The Adviser is reimbursed as specified in the Investment Advisory Agreement for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services provided to the Portfolio. During the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year, the Adviser received $61,488 (0.01% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets) for such services.

 

1   The information in the fee evaluation was completed on July 19, 2012 and discussed with the Board of Directors on July 31-August 2, 2012.

 

2   Future references to the Fund and the Portfolio do not include “AllianceBernstein.” References in the fee summary pertaining to performance and expense ratios refer to the Class A shares of the Portfolio.

 

3   Most of the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds, which the Adviser manages, were affected by the Adviser’s settlement with the NYAG.

 

43


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Adviser agreed to waive that portion of its management fees and/or reimburse the Portfolio for that portion of its total operating expenses to the degree necessary to limit the Portfolio’s expense ratios to the amounts set forth below for the Portfolio’s fiscal year. The agreement for such reimbursement is terminable by the Adviser on May 1st of each year upon at least 60 days of written notice. All share classes of the Portfolio were operating below their expense caps during the most recently completed fiscal year. Accordingly, the expense limitation was of no effect. Also set forth below are the Portfolio’s gross expense ratios for the most recently completed fiscal year:

 

Portfolio   Expense Cap Pursuant
to Expense Limitation
Undertaking
  Gross
Expense
Ratio
(12/31/11)
    Fiscal Year End

Balanced Wealth Strategy Portfolio

 

Class A    0.75%

Class B    1.00%

   

 

0.66%

0.91%

  

  

  December 31

I. ADVISORY FEES CHARGED TO INSTITUTIONAL AND OTHER CLIENTS

The advisory fees charged to investment companies which the Adviser manages and sponsors are normally higher than those charged to similar sized institutional accounts, including pension plans and sub-advised investment companies. The fee differential reflects, among other things, different services provided to such clients, and different liabilities assumed. Services provided by the Adviser to the Portfolio that are not provided to non-investment company clients and sub-advised investment companies include providing office space and personnel to serve as Fund Officers, who among other responsibilities make the certifications required under the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, and coordinating with and monitoring the Portfolio’s third party service providers such as Fund counsel, auditors, custodians, transfer agents and pricing services. The accounting, administrative, legal and compliance requirements for the Portfolio are more costly than those for institutional assets due to the greater complexities and time required for investment companies, although as previously noted, the Adviser is reimbursed for providing such services. Also, retail mutual funds managed by the Adviser are widely held. Servicing the Portfolio’s investors is more time consuming and labor intensive compared to institutional clients since the Adviser needs to communicate with a more extensive network of financial intermediaries and shareholders. The Adviser also believes that it incurs substantial entrepreneurial risk when offering a new mutual fund since establishing a new mutual fund requires a large upfront investment, and it may take a long time for the fund to achieve profitability since the fund must be priced to scale from inception in order to be competitive and assets are acquired one account at a time. In addition, managing the cash flow of an investment company may be more difficult than managing a stable pool of assets, such as an institutional account with little cash movement in either direction, particularly, if a fund is in net redemption and the Adviser is frequently forced to sell securities to raise cash for redemptions. However, managing a fund with positive cash flow may be easier at times than managing a stable pool of assets. Finally, in recent years, investment advisers have been sued by institutional clients and have suffered reputational damage both by the attendant publicity and outcomes other than complete victories. Accordingly, the legal and reputational risks associated with institutional accounts are greater than previously thought, although still not equal to those related to the mutual fund industry.

Notwithstanding the Adviser’s view that managing an investment company is not comparable to managing other institutional accounts because the services provided are different, the Supreme Court has indicated consideration should be given to the advisory fees charged to institutional accounts that have a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio.4 However, the Adviser represented that there is no category in the Form ADV for institutional products that has a similar investment style as the Portfolio.

The Adviser manages The AllianceBernstein Portfolios—Balanced Wealth Strategy (“TAP—Balanced Wealth Strategy”), a retail mutual fund which has a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio.5 The Adviser also manages AllianceBernstein Balanced Shares, Inc. (“Balanced Shares, Inc.), a retail mutual fund in the Balanced category, and the advisory fee schedules of TAP—Balanced Wealth Strategy and Balanced Shares, Inc. are also shown in the table below.6

 

4   The Supreme Court stated that “courts may give such comparisons the weight that they merit in light of the similarities and differences between the services that the clients in question require, but the courts must be wary of inapt comparisons.” Among the significant differences the Supreme Court noted that may exist between services provided to mutual funds and institutional accounts are “higher marketing costs.” Jones v. Harris at 1428.

 

5   The AllianceBernstein Mutual Fund was also affected by the settlement between the Adviser and the NYAG. As a result, the Portfolio has the same breakpoints in its advisory fee schedule as the AllianceBernstein Mutual Fund.

 

6   There was no change to the advisory fee schedule of AllianceBernstein Balanced Shares, Inc. since the retail mutual fund had already lower breakpoints than that of the NYAG related category.

 

44


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

Portfolio   AllianceBernstein Mutual Fund   Fee Schedule

Balanced Wealth Strategy Portfolio

  TAP—Balanced Wealth Strategy  

0.55% on first $2.5 billion

0.45% on next $2.5 billion

0.40% on the balance

  Balanced Shares, Inc.  

0.60% on first $200 million

0.50% on next $200 million

0.40% on the balance

The AllianceBernstein Investment Trust Management mutual funds (“ITM”), which are offered to investors in Japan, have an “all-in” fee to compensate the Adviser for investment advisory as well as fund accounting and administrative services, but not for distribution services. The fee schedule of the ITM mutual fund that has a somewhat similar investment style as the Portfolio is as follows:

 

Portfolio      ITM Mutual Fund      Fee

Balanced Wealth Strategy Portfolio

     Alliance Global Balance Neutral7      0.70%

The Adviser represented that it does not sub-advise any registered investment company with a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio.

II. MANAGEMENT FEES CHARGED BY OTHER MUTUAL FUND COMPANIES FOR LIKE SERVICES.

Lipper, Inc. (“Lipper”), an analytical service that is not affiliated with the Adviser, compared the fees charged to the Portfolio with fees charged to other investment companies for similar services offered by other investment advisers.8 Lipper’s analysis included the Portfolio’s contractual management fee9 estimated at the approximate current asset level of the Portfolio to the median of the Portfolio’s Lipper Expense Group (“EG”)10.

Lipper describes an EG as a representative sample of comparable funds. Lipper’s standard methodology for screening funds to be included in an EG entails the consideration of several fund criteria, including fund type, investment classification/objective, load type and similar 12b-1/non-12b-1 service fees, asset (size) comparability, expense components and attributes. An EG will typically consist of seven to twenty funds.

 

Portfolio    Contractual
Management
Fee11
    

Lipper

Group

Median (%)

     Rank  

Balanced Wealth Strategy Portfolio

     0.550         0.604         4/9   

Lipper also compared the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year total expense ratio to the medians of the Portfolio’s EG and Lipper Expense Universe (“EU”). The EU is a broader group compared to the EG, consisting of all funds that have the same investment classification/objective and load type as the subject Portfolio.12

 

7   This ITM is privately placed or institutional.

 

8   The Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since “these comparisons are problematic because these fees, like those challenged, may not be the product of the negotiations conducted at arm’s length.” Jones v. Harris at 1429.

 

9   The contractual management fee is calculated by Lipper using the Portfolio’s contractual management fee rate at a hypothetical asset level. The hypothetical asset level is based on the combined net assets of all classes of the Portfolio, rounded up to the next $25 million. Lipper’s total expense ratio information is based on the most recent annual report except as otherwise noted. A ranking of “1” would mean that the Portfolio had the lowest effective fee rate in the Lipper peer group.

 

10   Lipper does not consider average account size when constructing EGs. Funds with relatively small average account sizes tend to have higher transfer agent expense ratios than comparable sized funds that have relatively large average account sizes. In addition, there are limitations in Lipper’s expense category data because different funds categorize expenses differently.

 

11   The contractual management fee does not reflect any expense reimbursements made by the Portfolio to the Adviser for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services. In addition, the contractual management fee does not reflect any advisory fee waivers for expense caps that would effectively reduce the actual management fee.

 

12   Except for asset (size) comparability, Lipper uses the same criteria for selecting an EG when selecting an EU. Unlike the EG, the EU allows for the same adviser to be represented by more than just one fund.

 

45


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

Portfolio   

Total

Expense

Ratio (%)13

    

Lipper Exp.

Group

Median (%)

    

Lipper Exp.

Group

Rank

    

Lipper Exp.

Universe

Median (%)

    

Lipper Exp.

Universe
Rank

 

Balanced Wealth Strategy Portfolio

     0.660         0.670         4/9         0.688         12/26   

Based on this analysis, the Portfolio has equally favorable rankings on a management fee and total expense ratio basis.

III. COSTS TO THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES OF SUPPLYING SERVICES PURSUANT TO THE ADVISORY FEE ARRANGEMENT, EXCLUDING ANY INTRA-CORPORATE PROFIT.

The Adviser utilizes two profitability reporting systems, which operate independently but are aligned with each other, to estimate the Adviser’s profitability in connection with investment advisory services provided to the Portfolio. The Senior Officer has retained a consultant to provide independent advice regarding the alignment of the two profitability systems as well as the methodologies and allocations utilized by both profitability systems.

IV. PROFIT MARGINS OF THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES FOR SUPPLYING SUCH SERVICES.

The Portfolio’s profitability information, prepared by the Adviser for the Board of Directors, was reviewed by the Senior Officer and the consultant. The Adviser’s profitability from providing investment advisory services to the Portfolio increased during calendar year 2011, relative to 2010.

In addition to the Adviser’s direct profits from managing the Portfolio, certain of the Adviser’s affiliates have business relationships with the Portfolio and may earn a profit from providing other services to the Portfolio. The courts have referred to this type of business opportunity as “fall-out benefits” to the Adviser and indicated that such benefits should be factored into the evaluation of the total relationship between the Portfolio and the Adviser. Neither case law nor common business practice precludes the Adviser’s affiliates from earning a reasonable profit on this type of relationship. These affiliates provide transfer agent, distribution and brokerage related services to the Portfolio and receive transfer agent fees, Rule 12b-1 payments, and brokerage commissions. In addition, the Adviser benefits from soft dollar arrangements which offset expenses the Adviser would otherwise incur.

The Portfolio has adopted a distribution plan for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 40 Act. Under the distribution plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to its principal underwriter and distributor, AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (“ABI”), an affiliate of the Adviser, at an annual rate of up to 0.50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The current annual rate that the Portfolio pays to ABI for 12b-1 fees is 0.25%. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, ABI received $1,264,561 in Rule 12b-1 fees from the Portfolio.

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, the Adviser incurred distribution expenses in the amount of $3,110,664 in connection with activities primarily intended to result in the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. This amount includes the 12b-1 fees paid by the Portfolio to the Adviser.

Financial intermediaries, such as insurers, market and sell shares of the Portfolio and typically receive compensation from ABI, the Advisers and/or the Portfolio for selling shares of the Portfolio. These financial intermediaries receive compensation in any or all of the following forms: 12b-1 fees, defrayal of costs for educational seminars and training, additional distribution support, recordkeeping and/or administrative services. Payments related to providing contract-holder recordkeeping and/or administrative services will generally not exceed 0.35% of the average daily net assets of the Portfolio attributable to the relevant intermediary over the year.

The transfer agent of the Portfolio is AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”). During the most recently completed fiscal year, ABIS received a fee of approximately $1,310 from the Portfolio.14

The Portfolio effected brokerage transactions through the Adviser’s affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., LLC (“SCB & Co.”) and/or its U.K. affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein Limited (“SCB Ltd.”), collectively “SCB,” and paid commissions for such transactions during the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year. The Adviser represented that SCB’s profitability from business conducted with the Portfolio is comparable to the profitability of SCB’s dealings with other similar third party clients. In the ordinary course of business, SCB receives and pays liquidity rebates from electronic communications

 

13   Most recently completed fiscal year Class A total expense ratio.

 

14   The Fund (which includes the Portfolio and other series of the Fund) paid ABIS a flat fee of $18,000 in 2011.

 

46


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

networks (“ECNs”) derived from trading for its clients. These credits and charges are not being passed onto any SCB client. The Adviser also receives certain soft dollar benefits from brokers that execute agency trades for its clients. These soft dollar benefits reduce the Adviser’s cost of doing business and increase its profitability.

V. POSSIBLE ECONOMIES OF SCALE

The Adviser has indicated that economies of scale are being shared with shareholders through pricing to scale, breakpoints, fee reductions/waivers and enhancement to services.

An independent consultant, retained by the Senior Officer, provided the Board of Directors information on the Adviser’s firm-wide average costs from 2005 through 2011 and the potential economies of scale. The independent consultant noted that from 2005 through 2007 the Adviser experienced significant growth in assets under management (“AUM”). During this period, operating expenses increased, in part to keep up with growth, and in part reflecting market returns. However, from 2008 through the first quarter of 2009, AUM rapidly and significantly decreased due to declines in market value and client withdrawals. When AUM rapidly decreased, some operating expenses categories, including base compensation and office space, adjusted more slowly during this period, resulting in an increase in average costs. Since 2009, AUM has experienced less significant changes. The independent consultant noted that changes in operating expenses reflect changes in business composition and business practices in response to changes in financial markets. Finally, the independent consultant concluded that the increase in average cost and the decline in net operating margin across the Adviser since late 2008 are inconsistent with the view that there are currently reductions in average costs due to economies of scale that can be shared with the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds managed by the Adviser through lower fees.

Previously in February 2008, the independent consultant provided the Board of Directors an update of the Deli15 study on advisory fees and various fund characteristics.16 The independent consultant first reiterated the results of his previous two dimensional comparison analysis (fund size and family size) with the Board of Directors.17 The independent consultant then discussed the results of the regression model that was utilized to study the effects of various factors on advisory fees. The regression model output indicated that the bulk of the variation in fees predicted were explained by various factors, but substantially by fund AUM, family AUM, index fund indicator and investment style. The independent consultant also compared the advisory fees of the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds to similar funds managed by 19 other large asset managers, regardless of the fund size and each Adviser’s proportion of mutual fund assets to non-mutual fund assets.

VI. NATURE AND QUALITY OF THE ADVISER’S SERVICES, INCLUDING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PORTFOLIO

With assets under management of approximately $407 billion as of June 30, 2012, the Adviser has the investment experience to manage and provide non-investment services (described in Section I) to the Portfolio.

 

15   The Deli study, originally published in 2002 based on 1997 data and updated for the February 2008 Presentation, may be of diminished value due to the age of the data used in the presentation and the changes experienced in the industry over the last four years.

 

16   As mentioned previously, the Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since the fees may not be the product of negotiations conducted at arm’s length. See Jones V. Harris at 1429.

 

17   The two dimensional analysis showed patterns of lower advisory fees for funds with larger asset sizes and funds from larger family sizes compared to funds with smaller asset sizes and funds from smaller family sizes, which according to the independent consultant is indicative of a sharing of economies of scale and scope. However, in less liquid and active markets, such is not the case, as the empirical analysis showed potential for diseconomies of scale in those markets. The empirical analysis also showed diminishing economies of scale and scope as funds surpassed a certain high level of assets.

 

 

47


BALANCED WEALTH STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The information prepared by Lipper shows the 1, 3 and 5 year net performance returns and rankings18 of the Portfolio relative to its Lipper Performance Group (“PG”) and Lipper Performance Universe (“PU”)19 for the periods ended May 31, 2012.20

 

Portfolio   Portfolio
Return (%)
   

PG

Median (%)

   

PU

Median (%)

   

PG

Rank

   

PU

Rank

 

Balanced Wealth Strategy Portfolio

         

1 year

    -4.83        -2.15        -2.15        9/9        94/106   

3 year

    9.55        10.26        10.43        8/9        71/95   

5 year

    -0.76        0.76        1.58        8/9        69/72   

Set forth below are the 1, 3 and 5 year and since inception net performance returns of the Portfolio (in bold) versus its benchmark for the periods ended May 31, 2012.21

 

    

Periods Ending May 31, 2012

Annualized Net Performance (%)

 
    

1
Year

(%)

   

3
Year

(%)

   

5
Year

(%)

   

Since
Inception

(%)

 

Balanced Wealth Strategy Portfolio

    -4.83        9.55        -0.76        3.72   

60% S&P 500 Stock Index / 40% Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index

    2.55        12.49        2.12        5.16   

S&P 500 Stock Index

    -0.41        14.92        -0.92        4.01   

Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index

    7.12        7.12        6.72        5.73   

Inception Date: July 1, 2004

       

CONCLUSION:

Based on the factors discussed above the Senior Officer’s conclusion is that the proposed advisory fee for the Portfolio is reasonable and within the range of what would have been negotiated at arm’s-length in light of all the surrounding circumstances. This conclusion in respect of the Portfolio is based on an evaluation of all of these factors and no single factor was dispositive.

Dated: August 28, 2012

 

18   The performance rankings are for the Class A shares of the Portfolio. The performance returns of the Portfolio shown were provided by Lipper.

 

19   The Portfolio’s PG is identical to the Portfolio’s EG. The Portfolio’s PU is not identical to the Portfolio’s EU as the criteria for including/excluding a fund from a PU is somewhat different from that of an EU.

 

20   The current Lipper investment classification/objective dictates the PG and PU throughout the life of the fund even if a fund had a different investment classification/objective at a different point in time.

 

21   The performance returns shown in the table are for the Class A shares of the Portfolio. The performance returns for the Portfolio and the benchmark were provided by the Adviser.

 

48


AllianceBernstein

Variable Products Series Fund, Inc.

 

 

 

LOGO   AllianceBernstein Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio

 

June 30, 2013

 

Semi-Annual Report

 

LOGO

 

SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT


 

 

 

Investment Products Offered

 

  Ø  

Are Not FDIC Insured

  Ø  

May Lose Value

  Ø  

Are Not Bank Guaranteed

AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (ABI) is the distributor of the AllianceBernstein family of mutual funds. ABI is a member of FINRA and is an affiliate of AllianceBernstein L.P., the manager of the funds.

You may obtain a description of the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures, and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, without charge. Simply visit AllianceBernstein’s website at www.alliancebernstein.com or go to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “Commission”) website at www.sec.gov, or call AllianceBernstein at (800) 227-4618.

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Commission for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Fund’s Forms N-Q are available on the Commission’s website at www.sec.gov. The Fund’s Forms N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC; information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330.

AllianceBernstein® and the AB Logo are registered trademarks and service marks used by permission of the owner, AllianceBernstein L.P.


 
DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
EXPENSE EXAMPLE (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments, contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution (12b-1) fees; and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund 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 as indicated below.

Actual Expenses

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. The estimate of expenses does not include fees or other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes

The table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed annual rate of return of 5% before expenses, which is not the Fund’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 costs of investing in the Fund and other funds by comparing this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds. The estimate of expenses does not include fees or other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads), or contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions. Therefore, the second line of each class’ table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

      Beginning
Account Value
January 1, 2013
     Ending
Account Value
June 30, 2013
     Expenses Paid
During Period*
     Annualized
Expense Ratio*
 

Class A

           

Actual

   $ 1,000       $ 1,034.20       $ 4.29         0.85

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $ 1,000       $ 1,020.58       $ 4.26         0.85
           

Class B

           

Actual

   $ 1,000       $ 1,033.40       $ 5.55         1.10

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $   1,000       $   1,019.34       $   5.51         1.10

 

 

 

 

*   Expenses are equal to each classes’ annualized expense ratios, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 181/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).

 

1


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS*  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

COMPANY    U.S. $ VALUE        PERCENT OF NET ASSETS  

U.S. Treasury Bonds & Notes

   $ 76,085,454           27.3

iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund

     2,303,061           0.8   

Exxon Mobil Corp.

     1,182,411           0.4   

Apple, Inc.

     1,090,408           0.4   

Microsoft Corp.

     759,660           0.3   

Nestle SA

     738,557           0.3   

Royal Dutch Shell PLC

     719,581           0.3   

General Electric Co.

     703,121           0.3   

Google, Inc.—Class A

     701,655           0.2   

Johnson & Johnson

     700,188           0.2   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 
     $   84,984,096           30.5

PORTFOLIO BREAKDOWN**

June 30, 2013 (unaudited)

 

 

ASSET CLASSES      CURRENT ALLOCATION  

Equities

      

U.S. Large Cap

       24.2

International Large Cap

       25.1   

U.S. Mid-Cap

       3.4   

U.S. Small-Cap

       3.4   

Emerging Market Equities

       2.6   

Real Estate Equities

       3.1   
      

 

 

 

Sub-total

       61.8   
      

 

 

 

Fixed Income

      

U.S. Bonds

       38.2   
      

 

 

 

Cash

       0.0   
      

 

 

 

Total

       100.0

SECURITY TYPE BREAKDOWN

June 30, 2013 (unaudited)

 

 

SECURITY TYPE    U.S. $ VALUE        PERCENT OF TOTAL INVESTMENTS  

Common Stocks

   $ 81,077,346           29.6

Governments—Treasuries

     76,085,454           27.7   

Investment Companies

     2,903,702           1.1   

Rights

     534           0.0   

Short-Term Investments

     114,183,902           41.6   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Investments

   $   274,250,938           100.0

 

 

 

*   Long-term investments.

 

**   All data are as of June 30, 2013. The Portfolio breakdown is expressed as an approximate percentage of the Portfolio’s total investments inclusive of derivative exposure, based on the Adviser’s internal classification guidelines.

 

  The Portfolio’s security type breakdown is expressed as a percentage of total investments (excluding security lending collateral) and may vary over time. The Portfolio also enters into derivative transactions, which may be used for hedging or investment purposes (see “Portfolio of Investments” section of the report for additional details).

 

2


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company  

Shares

    U.S. $ Value  
   

COMMON STOCKS–29.1%

   
   

FINANCIALS–6.0%

   

CAPITAL MARKETS–0.7%

   

3i Group PLC

    4,278      $ 21,966   

Aberdeen Asset Management PLC

    3,678        21,405   

Ameriprise Financial, Inc.

    595        48,124   

Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (The)

    3,365        94,388   

BlackRock, Inc.–Class A

    377        96,832   

Charles Schwab Corp. (The)

    3,190        67,724   

Credit Suisse Group AG(a)

    5,205        137,798   

Daiwa Securities Group, Inc.

    6,000        50,249   

Deutsche Bank AG (REG)

    3,564        149,449   

E*Trade Financial Corp.(a)

    820        10,381   

Franklin Resources, Inc.

    440        59,849   

Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)

    1,288        194,810   

Hargreaves Lansdown PLC

    1,481        20,004   

Invesco Ltd.

    1,280        40,704   

Investec PLC

    3,183        20,031   

Julius Baer Group Ltd.(a)

    1,220        47,615   

Legg Mason, Inc.

    310        9,613   

Macquarie Group Ltd.

    890        33,945   

Morgan Stanley

    3,970        96,987   

Nomura Holdings, Inc.

    12,700        93,482   

Northern Trust Corp.

    610        35,319   

Partners Group Holding AG

    427        115,580   

Ratos AB

    3,049        23,646   

Schroders PLC

    729        24,201   

State Street Corp.

    1,335        87,055   

T Rowe Price Group, Inc.

    775        56,691   

UBS AG(a)

    12,709        215,720   
   

 

 

 
      1,873,568   
   

 

 

 

COMMERCIAL BANKS–2.2%

   

Aozora Bank Ltd.(a)

    6,000        18,738   

Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd.

    9,488        246,302   

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA

    19,017        159,816   

Banco de Sabadell SA(b)

    7,647        12,686   

Banco Espirito Santo SA(a)

    5,403        4,332   

Banco Popular Espanol SA(a)

    4,381        13,413   

Banco Santander SA

    37,613        240,695   

Bank Hapoalim BM(a)

    2,269        10,240   

Bank Leumi Le-Israel BM(a)

    6,125        20,234   

Bank of East Asia Ltd.

    9,600        34,362   

Bank of Ireland(a)

    73,271        14,941   

Bank of Kyoto Ltd. (The)

    2,000        16,656   

Bank of Yokohama Ltd. (The)

    3,000        15,476   

Bankia SA(a)

    14,003        10,827   

Barclays PLC

    40,586        172,845   

BB&T Corp.

    2,000        67,760   

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd.

    3,446        31,599   

BNP Paribas SA

    3,501        191,662   

BOC Hong Kong Holdings Ltd.

    10,000        30,591   

CaixaBank

    3,917        12,031   

Chiba Bank Ltd. (The)

    2,000        13,646   
   
   

Comerica, Inc.

    500      $ 19,915   

Commerzbank AG(a)

    2,916        25,332   

Commonwealth Bank of Australia

    5,616        353,505   

Credit Agricole SA(a)

    4,067        35,004   

Danske Bank A/S(a)

    2,288        39,031   

DBS Group Holdings Ltd.

    6,000        73,007   

DnB ASA

    2,627        38,109   

Erste Group Bank AG

    757        20,177   

Fifth Third Bancorp

    2,540        45,847   

Fukuoka Financial Group, Inc.

    4,000        17,013   

Hang Seng Bank Ltd.

    2,100        30,926   

HSBC Holdings PLC

    64,238        665,001   

Huntington Bancshares, Inc./OH

    2,415        19,030   

Intesa Sanpaolo SpA

    40,386        64,639   

Joyo Bank Ltd. (The)

    3,000        16,384   

KBC Groep NV

    800        29,824   

KeyCorp

    2,675        29,532   

Lloyds Banking Group PLC(a)

    147,301        141,455   

M&T Bank Corp.

    365        40,789   

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.

    44,500        274,826   

Mizrahi Tefahot Bank Ltd.(a)

    973        9,742   

Mizuho Financial Group, Inc.

    79,800        165,720   

National Australia Bank Ltd.

    8,104        219,213   

Natixis

    9,006        37,814   

Nordea Bank AB

    7,072        78,975   

Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp., Ltd.

    7,000        55,028   

PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (The)

    1,530        111,568   

Raiffeisen Bank International AG

    176        5,124   

Regions Financial Corp.

    4,125        39,311   

Resona Holdings, Inc.

    5,100        24,838   

Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC(a)

    5,577        23,143   

Seven Bank Ltd.(b)

    5,324        19,300   

Shinsei Bank Ltd.

    12,000        27,250   

Shizuoka Bank Ltd. (The)

    1,000        10,786   

Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB

    4,967        47,420   

Societe Generale SA

    2,451        84,352   

Standard Chartered PLC

    8,415        182,693   

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc.

    4,700        215,133   

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings, Inc.

    11,000        51,324   

SunTrust Banks, Inc.

    1,540        48,618   

Suruga Bank Ltd.

    1,000        18,135   

Svenska Handelsbanken AB

    1,317        52,765   

Swedbank AB

    2,205        50,505   

UniCredit SpA

    15,077        70,483   

Unione di Banche Italiane SCPA

    5,202        18,812   

United Overseas Bank Ltd.

    4,000        62,464   

US Bancorp

    5,415        195,752   

Wells Fargo & Co.

    14,275        589,129   

 

3


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company  

Shares

    U.S. $ Value  
   

Westpac Banking Corp.

    10,754      $ 282,345   

Zions Bancorporation

    530        15,306   
   

 

 

 
      6,131,246   
   

 

 

 

CONSUMER FINANCE–0.2%

   

Acom Co., Ltd.(a)

    620        19,724   

AEON Financial Service Co., Ltd.(b)

    800        22,662   

American Express Co.

    2,810        210,076   

Capital One Financial Corp.

    1,713        107,593   

Credit Saison Co., Ltd.

    700        17,589   

Discover Financial Services

    1,410        67,172   

SLM Corp.

    1,300        29,718   
   

 

 

 
      474,534   
   

 

 

 

DIVERSIFIED FINANCIAL SERVICES–0.8%

   

ASX Ltd.

    1,453        43,816   

Bank of America Corp.

    31,545        405,669   

Citigroup, Inc.

    8,879        425,926   

CME Group, Inc./IL–Class A

    900        68,382   

Deutsche Boerse AG

    524        34,457   

Eurazeo

    78        4,183   

Exor SpA

    1,279        37,878   

Groupe Bruxelles Lambert SA

    217        16,344   

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd.

    2,800        42,054   

ING Groep NV(a)

    10,296        94,096   

IntercontinentalExchange, Inc.(a)

    250        44,440   

Investment AB Kinnevik

    2,015        51,659   

Investor AB

    1,705        45,764   

Japan Exchange Group, Inc.

    189        19,090   

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

    11,165        589,400   

Leucadia National Corp.

    855        22,418   

London Stock Exchange Group PLC

    969        19,696   

McGraw Hill Financial, Inc.

    810        43,084   

Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance Co., Ltd.

    3,500        16,606   

Moody’s Corp.

    545        33,207   

NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (The)

    310        10,165   

NYSE Euronext

    685        28,359   

ORIX Corp.

    3,660        49,947   

Pargesa Holding SA

    18        1,199   

Pohjola Bank PLC

    371        5,452   

Resolution Ltd.

    3,866        16,746   

Singapore Exchange Ltd.

    3,000        16,582   
   

 

 

 
      2,186,619   
   

 

 

 

INSURANCE–1.3%

   

ACE Ltd.

    985        88,138   

Admiral Group PLC

    819        16,498   

Aegon NV

    16,514        110,793   

Aflac, Inc.

    1,355        78,753   

Ageas

    943        33,088   

AIA Group Ltd.

    42,034        177,089   

Allianz SE

    1,591        232,224   

Allstate Corp. (The)

    1,400        67,368   
   

American International Group, Inc.(a)

    4,302      $ 192,299   

AMP Ltd.

    7,786        30,112   

AON PLC

    915        58,880   

Assicurazioni Generali SpA

    3,139        54,869   

Assurant, Inc.

    210        10,691   

Aviva PLC

    10,280        52,985   

Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.–Class B(a)

    5,330        596,534   

Chubb Corp. (The)

    760        64,334   

Cincinnati Financial Corp.

    410        18,819   

CNP Assurances

    1,570        22,542   

Dai-ichi Life Insurance Co., Ltd. (The)

    23        33,018   

Direct Line Insurance Group PLC

    6,949        24,626   

Genworth Financial, Inc.–Class A(a)

    1,435        16,373   

Gjensidige Forsikring ASA

    1,479        21,789   

Hannover Rueckversicherung SE

    377        27,109   

Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.

    1,225        37,877   

Insurance Australia Group Ltd.

    6,220        30,874   

Legal & General Group PLC

    20,633        53,777   

Lincoln National Corp.

    790        28,811   

Loews Corp.

    890        39,516   

Mapfre SA

    3,353        10,909   

Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc.

    1,590        63,473   

MetLife, Inc.

    3,170        145,059   

MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings

    1,400        35,462   

Muenchener Rueckversicherungs AG

    626        115,004   

NKSJ Holdings, Inc.

    1,000        23,765   

Old Mutual PLC

    17,076        46,875   

Principal Financial Group, Inc.

    790        29,586   

Progressive Corp. (The)

    1,595        40,545   

Prudential Financial, Inc.

    1,365        99,686   

Prudential PLC

    8,924        145,664   

QBE Insurance Group Ltd.

    3,112        43,087   

RSA Insurance Group PLC

    9,493        17,222   

Sampo

    1,463        56,969   

SCOR SE

    935        28,697   

Sony Financial Holdings, Inc.

    875        13,776   

Standard Life PLC

    8,229        43,307   

Suncorp Group Ltd.

    3,459        37,568   

Swiss Re AG(a)

    947        70,458   

T&D Holdings, Inc.

    1,550        20,734   

Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc.

    2,400        75,732   

Torchmark Corp.

    285        18,565   

Travelers Cos., Inc. (The)

    1,130        90,310   

Tryg A/S

    78        6,426   

Unum Group

    770        22,615   

Vienna Insurance Group AG Wiener Versicherung Gruppe

    190        8,814   

XL Group PLC

    860        26,075   

Zurich Insurance Group AG(a)

    396        102,647   
   

 

 

 
      3,658,816   
   

 

 

 

 

4


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company  

Shares

    U.S. $ Value  
   

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS (REITS)–0.5%

   

American Tower Corp.

    1,165      $ 85,243   

Apartment Investment & Management Co.–Class A

    425        12,767   

AvalonBay Communities, Inc.

    345        46,544   

Boston Properties, Inc.

    450        47,461   

British Land Co. PLC

    2,299        19,805   

CapitaMall Trust

    14,000        21,969   

CFS Retail Property Trust Group(b)

    11,279        20,563   

Dexus Property Group

    23,282        22,705   

Equity Residential

    940        54,576   

Fonciere Des Regions

    329        24,659   

Gecina SA

    253        27,963   

Goodman Group

    5,915        26,298   

GPT Group

    6,698        23,519   

Hammerson PLC

    2,197        16,290   

HCP, Inc.

    1,330        60,435   

Health Care REIT, Inc.

    775        51,948   

Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc.

    2,100        35,427   

ICADE

    296        24,416   

Intu Properties PLC

    2,951        14,028   

Japan Real Estate Investment Corp.

    2        22,341   

Japan Retail Fund Investment Corp.

    8        16,713   

Kimco Realty Corp.

    1,180        25,287   

Klepierre

    695        27,390   

Land Securities Group PLC

    2,095        28,137   

Link REIT (The)

    6,000        29,485   

Macerich Co. (The)

    410        24,998   

Mirvac Group

    12,834        18,789   

Nippon Building Fund, Inc.

    2        23,163   

Plum Creek Timber Co., Inc.

    480        22,402   

ProLogis, Inc.

    1,420        53,562   

Public Storage

    430        65,932   

Simon Property Group, Inc.

    916        144,655   

Stockland

    6,911        21,990   

Unibail-Rodamco SE

    247        57,528   

Ventas, Inc.

    841        58,416   

Vornado Realty Trust

    485        40,182   

Westfield Group

    5,897        61,763   

Westfield Retail Trust

    7,800        22,059   

Weyerhaeuser Co.

    1,590        45,299   
   

 

 

 
      1,446,707   
   

 

 

 

REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT–0.3%

   

Aeon Mall Co., Ltd.

    700        17,366   

CapitaLand Ltd.

    11,000        26,576   

CapitaMalls Asia Ltd.

    21,164        30,354   

CBRE Group, Inc.(a)

    865        20,206   

Cheung Kong Holdings Ltd.

    4,000        53,938   

City Developments Ltd.

    3,000        25,238   

Daito Trust Construction Co., Ltd.

    200        18,844   
   

Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd.

    2,000      $ 37,254   

Global Logistic Properties Ltd.

    14,661        31,713   

Hang Lung Properties Ltd.

    7,000        24,247   

Henderson Land Development Co., Ltd.

    4,400        26,216   

Hulic Co., Ltd.(b)

    2,197        23,570   

IMMOFINANZ AG(a)

    2,501        9,332   

Kerry Properties Ltd.

    8,500        33,082   

Lend Lease Group

    3,450        26,304   

Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd.

    4,000        106,496   

Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.

    3,000        88,200   

New World Development Co., Ltd.

    22,000        30,162   

Nomura Real Estate Holdings, Inc.

    800        17,672   

NTT Urban Development Corp.

    16        19,638   

Sino Land Co., Ltd.

    16,000        22,248   

Sumitomo Realty & Development Co., Ltd.

    1,000        39,854   

Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd.

    5,000        64,210   

Swire Pacific Ltd.

    2,000        24,020   

Swire Properties Ltd.

    8,213        24,338   

Tokyu Land Corp.

    2,000        18,308   

Wharf Holdings Ltd.

    4,000        33,411   

Wheelock & Co., Ltd.

    6,000        29,859   
   

 

 

 
      922,656   
   

 

 

 

THRIFTS & MORTGAGE FINANCE–0.0%

   

Hudson City Bancorp, Inc.

    1,380        12,641   

People’s United Financial, Inc.

    965        14,378   
   

 

 

 
      27,019   
   

 

 

 
      16,721,165   
   

 

 

 

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY–3.5%

   

AUTO COMPONENTS–0.2%

   

Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd.

    500        19,091   

BorgWarner, Inc.(a)

    340        29,291   

Bridgestone Corp.

    2,300        78,431   

Cie Generale des Etablissements Michelin–Class B

    484        43,277   

Continental AG

    255        33,994   

Delphi Automotive PLC

    841        42,630   

Denso Corp.

    1,700        79,922   

GKN PLC

    4,227        19,349   

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (The)(a)

    710        10,856   

Johnson Controls, Inc.

    1,980        70,864   

NOK Corp.

    700        11,098   

Nokian Renkaat Oyj

    392        15,951   

Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd.(b)

    1,200        19,589   

Toyota Industries Corp.

    500        20,419   
   

 

 

 
      494,762   
   

 

 

 

AUTOMOBILES–0.7%

   

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG

    1,156        100,891   

Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd.

    1,000        18,941   

 

5


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company  

Shares

    U.S. $ Value  
   

Daimler AG

    3,166      $ 191,128   

Fiat SpA(a)

    1,624        11,326   

Ford Motor Co.

    11,420        176,667   

Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.

    2,000        49,388   

General Motors Co.(a)

    2,240        74,614   

Harley-Davidson, Inc.

    650        35,633   

Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

    5,700        211,752   

Isuzu Motors Ltd.

    3,000        20,508   

Mazda Motor Corp.(a)

    11,000        43,488   

Mitsubishi Motors Corp.(a)

    14,000        19,163   

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

    8,700        87,197   

Porsche Automobil Holding SE (Preference Shares)

    412        31,816   

Renault SA

    588        39,606   

Suzuki Motor Corp.

    1,000        23,050   

Toyota Motor Corp.

    9,600        579,051   

Volkswagen AG

    140        27,219   

Volkswagen AG (Preference Shares)

    505        102,002   

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.

    1,000        12,952   
   

 

 

 
      1,856,392   
   

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTORS–0.0%

   

Genuine Parts Co.

    440        34,351   

Jardine Cycle & Carriage Ltd.

    1,000        33,434   
   

 

 

 
      67,785   
   

 

 

 

DIVERSIFIED CONSUMER SERVICES–0.0%

   

Benesse Holdings, Inc.

    300        10,823   

Gree, Inc.(b)

    682        6,051   

H&R Block, Inc.

    770        21,368   
   

 

 

 
      38,242   
   

 

 

 

HOTELS, RESTAURANTS & LEISURE–0.5%

   

Accor SA

    750        26,363   

Carnival Corp.

    1,285        44,063   

Carnival PLC

    487        16,928   

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.–Class A(a)

    94        34,249   

Compass Group PLC

    6,416        81,981   

Crown Ltd.

    2,537        27,968   

Darden Restaurants, Inc.

    370        18,678   

Flight Centre Ltd.(b)

    471        16,865   

Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd.(a)

    8,911        43,114   

Genting Singapore PLC

    22,000        22,813   

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC

    729        20,035   

International Game Technology

    730        12,198   

Marriott International, Inc./DE–Class A

    695        28,057   

McDonald’s Corp.

    2,930        290,070   

McDonald’s Holdings Co. Japan Ltd.(b)

    500        13,875   

OPAP SA

    600        5,021   

Oriental Land Co., Ltd./Japan

    200        30,951   

Sands China Ltd.

    7,700        36,179   
   

SJM Holdings Ltd.

    13,014      $ 31,281   

SKYCITY Entertainment Group Ltd.

    1,551        5,233   

Sodexo

    292        24,325   

Starbucks Corp.

    2,160        141,458   

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

    545        34,439   

Tatts Group Ltd.

    6,512        18,811   

TUI Travel PLC

    4,541        24,620   

Whitbread PLC

    478        22,236   

William Hill PLC

    3,391        22,740   

Wyndham Worldwide Corp.

    400        22,892   

Wynn Macau Ltd.

    10,107        27,250   

Wynn Resorts Ltd.

    260        33,280   

Yum! Brands, Inc.

    1,295        89,795   
   

 

 

 
      1,267,768   
   

 

 

 

HOUSEHOLD DURABLES–0.1%

   

DR Horton, Inc.

    805        17,130   

Electrolux AB

    1,181        29,802   

Garmin Ltd.(b)

    320        11,571   

Harman International Industries, Inc.

    190        10,298   

Leggett & Platt, Inc.

    375        11,659   

Lennar Corp.–Class A

    450        16,218   

Newell Rubbermaid, Inc.

    825        21,656   

Panasonic Corp.(a)

    7,700        62,001   

Persimmon PLC(a)

    752        13,499   

PulteGroup, Inc.(a)

    985        18,686   

Rinnai Corp.

    200        14,221   

Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.

    2,000        21,237   

Sekisui House Ltd.

    2,000        28,897   

Sharp Corp./Japan(a)

    9,000        36,238   

Sony Corp.

    3,500        73,942   

Whirlpool Corp.

    250        28,590   
   

 

 

 
      415,645   
   

 

 

 

INTERNET & CATALOG RETAIL–0.2%

   

Amazon.com, Inc.(a)

    1,060        294,351   

Expedia, Inc.

    262        15,759   

NetFlix, Inc.(a)

    166        35,041   

priceline.com, Inc.(a)

    157        129,860   

Rakuten, Inc.

    1,951        23,071   

TripAdvisor, Inc.(a)

    322        19,600   
   

 

 

 
      517,682   
   

 

 

 

LEISURE EQUIPMENT & PRODUCTS–0.0%

   

Hasbro, Inc.

    300        13,449   

Mattel, Inc.

    985        44,630   

Nikon Corp.

    900        21,028   

Sankyo Co., Ltd.

    300        14,176   

Sega Sammy Holdings, Inc.

    700        17,541   

Shimano, Inc.(b)

    200        17,037   
   

 

 

 
      127,861   
   

 

 

 

MEDIA–0.8%

   

Axel Springer AG(b)

    401        17,065   

 

6


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company  

Shares

    U.S. $ Value  
   

British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC

    4,358      $ 52,501   

Cablevision Systems Corp.

    580        9,756   

CBS Corp.–Class B

    1,690        82,590   

Comcast Corp.–Class A

    7,670        321,220   

Dentsu, Inc.

    500        17,297   

DIRECTV(a)

    1,665        102,597   

Discovery Communications, Inc.–Class A(a)

    695        53,661   

Eutelsat Communications SA

    1,052        29,846   

Gannett Co., Inc.

    650        15,899   

Interpublic Group of Cos., Inc. (The)

    1,195        17,387   

ITV PLC

    12,555        26,768   

JCDecaux SA

    1,374        37,400   

Kabel Deutschland Holding AG

    522        57,316   

Lagardere SCA

    508        14,174   

News Corp.–Class A

    5,835        190,221   

Omnicom Group, Inc.

    760        47,781   

Pearson PLC

    2,851        50,703   

Publicis Groupe SA

    494        35,182   

Reed Elsevier NV

    2,970        49,464   

Reed Elsevier PLC

    5,173        58,828   

Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc.–Class A

    270        18,025   

SES SA

    971        27,821   

Telenet Group Holding NV

    194        8,904   

Time Warner Cable, Inc.–Class A

    865        97,295   

Time Warner, Inc.

    2,745        158,716   

Toho Co., Ltd./Tokyo

    1,000        20,568   

Viacom, Inc.–Class B

    1,310        89,146   

Walt Disney Co. (The)

    5,275        333,116   

Washington Post Co. (The)–Class B

    11        5,322   

WPP PLC

    4,410        75,379   
   

 

 

 
      2,121,948   
   

 

 

 

MULTILINE RETAIL–0.2%

   

Dollar General Corp.(a)

    890        44,883   

Dollar Tree, Inc.(a)

    650        33,046   

Family Dollar Stores, Inc.

    265        16,512   

Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd.

    1,300        17,262   

J Front Retailing Co., Ltd.

    3,000        23,924   

JC Penney Co., Inc.(a)(b)

    400        6,832   

Kohl’s Corp.

    610        30,811   

Macy’s, Inc.

    1,155        55,440   

Marks & Spencer Group PLC

    4,312        28,215   

Next PLC

    452        31,310   

Nordstrom, Inc.

    430        25,774   

Target Corp.

    1,915        131,867   
   

 

 

 
      445,876   
   

 

 

 

SPECIALTY RETAIL–0.5%

   

Abercrombie & Fitch Co.–Class A

    230        10,407   

AutoNation, Inc.(a)

    95        4,122   

AutoZone, Inc.(a)

    125        52,961   

Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc.(a)

    655        46,439   

Best Buy Co., Inc.

    760        20,771   
   

CarMax, Inc.(a)

    670      $ 30,927   

Fast Retailing Co., Ltd.

    200        67,501   

GameStop Corp.–Class A

    325        13,660   

Gap, Inc. (The)

    865        36,096   

Hennes & Mauritz AB–Class B

    3,314        109,035   

Home Depot, Inc. (The)

    4,370        338,544   

Inditex SA

    761        93,866   

Kingfisher PLC

    10,966        57,175   

L Brands, Inc.

    695        34,229   

Lowe’s Cos., Inc.

    3,240        132,516   

Nitori Holdings Co., Ltd.

    450        36,229   

O’Reilly Automotive, Inc.(a)

    320        36,038   

PetSmart, Inc.

    320        21,437   

Ross Stores, Inc.

    660        42,775   

Sanrio Co., Ltd.(b)

    500        23,194   

Shimamura Co., Ltd.

    100        12,139   

Staples, Inc.

    1,945        30,848   

Tiffany & Co.

    345        25,130   

TJX Cos., Inc.

    2,110        105,627   

Urban Outfitters, Inc.(a)

    295        11,865   

USS Co., Ltd.

    100        12,677   

Yamada Denki Co., Ltd.(b)

    270        10,932   
   

 

 

 
      1,417,140   
   

 

 

 

TEXTILES, APPAREL & LUXURY GOODS–0.3%

   

Adidas AG

    730        78,912   

Burberry Group PLC

    1,179        24,255   

Christian Dior SA

    166        26,818   

Cie Financiere Richemont SA (SWX Europe)

    1,403        123,728   

Coach, Inc.

    830        47,385   

Fossil Group, Inc.(a)

    169        17,459   

Hugo Boss AG

    198        21,772   

Kering

    205        41,715   

Li & Fung Ltd.

    16,000        21,767   

Luxottica Group SpA

    759        38,402   

LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA

    886        143,846   

NIKE, Inc.–Class B

    2,110        134,365   

PVH Corp.

    245        30,637   

Ralph Lauren Corp.

    190        33,010   

Swatch Group AG (The)

    103        56,262   

Swatch Group AG (The) (REG)

    522        49,086   

VF Corp.

    265        51,161   
   

 

 

 
      940,580   
   

 

 

 
      9,711,681   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE–3.4%

   

BIOTECHNOLOGY–0.4%

   

Actelion Ltd.(a)

    608        36,625   

Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)

    580        53,499   

Amgen, Inc.

    2,203        217,348   

Biogen Idec, Inc.(a)

    715        153,868   

Celgene Corp.(a)

    1,240        144,968   

CSL Ltd.

    1,751        98,613   

Elan Corp. PLC(a)

    2,134        29,947   

Gilead Sciences, Inc.(a)

    4,430        226,860   

Grifols SA

    552        20,280   

 

7


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company  

Shares

    U.S. $ Value  
   

Novozymes A/S

    858      $ 27,482   

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)

    240        53,971   
   

 

 

 
      1,063,461   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES–0.4%

   

Abbott Laboratories

    4,565        159,227   

Baxter International, Inc.

    1,580        109,447   

Becton Dickinson and Co.

    580        57,321   

Boston Scientific Corp.(a)

    3,960        36,709   

CareFusion Corp.(a)

    640        23,584   

Coloplast A/S

    305        17,078   

Covidien PLC

    1,375        86,405   

CR Bard, Inc.

    215        23,366   

DENTSPLY International, Inc.

    380        15,565   

Edwards Lifesciences Corp.(a)

    345        23,184   

Essilor International SA

    715        76,175   

Getinge AB

    997        30,270   

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.(a)

    155        78,520   

Medtronic, Inc.

    2,960        152,351   

Olympus Corp.(a)

    900        27,349   

Smith & Nephew PLC

    3,373        37,777   

Sonova Holding AG(a)

    351        37,134   

St Jude Medical, Inc.

    815        37,188   

Stryker Corp.

    825        53,361   

Sysmex Corp.

    200        13,099   

Terumo Corp.

    400        19,883   

Varian Medical Systems, Inc.(a)

    295        19,898   

William Demant Holding A/S(a)

    158        13,054   

Zimmer Holdings, Inc.

    485        36,346   
   

 

 

 
      1,184,291   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS & SERVICES–0.4%

   

Aetna, Inc.

    1,117        70,974   

AmerisourceBergen Corp.–Class A

    685        38,244   

Cardinal Health, Inc.

    995        46,964   

CIGNA Corp.

    815        59,079   

DaVita HealthCare Partners, Inc.(a)

    275        33,220   

Express Scripts Holding Co.(a)

    2,389        147,377   

Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA

    564        39,977   

Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA

    333        40,986   

Humana, Inc.

    465        39,237   

Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings(a)

    275        27,527   

McKesson Corp.

    665        76,142   

Medipal Holdings Corp.

    1,500        20,337   

Patterson Cos., Inc.

    210        7,896   

Quest Diagnostics, Inc.

    450        27,284   

Ramsay Health Care Ltd.

    490        16,016   

Sonic Healthcare Ltd.

    1,715        23,299   

Suzuken Co., Ltd./Aichi Japan

    600        20,193   

Tenet Healthcare Corp.(a)

    293        13,507   

UnitedHealth Group, Inc.

    2,985        195,458   

WellPoint, Inc.

    900        73,656   
   

 

 

 
      1,017,373   
   

 

 

 
   

HEALTH CARE TECHNOLOGY–0.0%

   

Cerner Corp.(a)

    440      $ 42,279   
   

 

 

 

LIFE SCIENCES TOOLS & SERVICES–0.1%

   

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

    995        42,546   

Life Technologies Corp.(a)

    515        38,115   

PerkinElmer, Inc.

    305        9,913   

QIAGEN NV(a)

    2,306        45,123   

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

    1,035        87,592   

Waters Corp.(a)

    245        24,512   
   

 

 

 
      247,801   
   

 

 

 

PHARMACEUTICALS–2.1%

   

AbbVie, Inc.

    4,595        189,957   

Actavis, Inc.(a)

    375        47,333   

Allergan, Inc./United States

    900        75,816   

Astellas Pharma, Inc.

    1,600        86,919   

AstraZeneca PLC

    4,346        205,474   

Bayer AG

    2,886        307,274   

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

    4,765        212,948   

Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.(b)

    700        14,490   

Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd.

    1,800        29,997   

Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd.

    1,400        18,516   

Eisai Co., Ltd.

    700        28,528   

Eli Lilly & Co.

    2,915        143,185   

Forest Laboratories, Inc.(a)

    665        27,265   

GlaxoSmithKline PLC

    17,135        428,310   

Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical Co., Inc.(b)

    300        15,223   

Hospira, Inc.(a)

    480        18,389   

Johnson & Johnson

    8,155        700,188   

Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd.

    1,000        11,303   

Merck & Co., Inc.

    8,805        408,992   

Merck KGaA

    204        31,024   

Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp.

    1,000        12,938   

Mylan, Inc./PA(a)

    1,155        35,840   

Novartis AG

    8,028        568,628   

Novo Nordisk A/S–Class B

    1,421        220,912   

Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

    200        13,614   

Orion Oyj

    259        6,069   

Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd.

    975        32,193   

Perrigo Co.

    250        30,250   

Pfizer, Inc.

    19,586        548,604   

Roche Holding AG

    2,452        608,579   

Sanofi

    4,157        429,753   

Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

    500        21,637   

Shionogi & Co., Ltd.

    1,000        20,853   

Shire PLC

    1,956        61,986   

Taisho Pharmaceutical Holdings Co., Ltd.

    172        12,208   

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

    2,800        126,263   

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

    2,868        112,247   

UCB SA

    416        22,331   

Zoetis, Inc.(b)

    1,446        44,667   
   

 

 

 
      5,930,703   
   

 

 

 
      9,485,908   
   

 

 

 

 

8


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company  

Shares

    U.S. $ Value  
   

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY–3.3%

   

COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT–0.3%

   

Cisco Systems, Inc.

    15,540      $ 377,777   

F5 Networks, Inc.(a)

    220        15,136   

Harris Corp.

    335        16,499   

JDS Uniphase Corp.(a)

    680        9,778   

Juniper Networks, Inc.(a)

    1,480        28,579   

Motorola Solutions, Inc.

    815        47,050   

Nokia Oyj(a)(b)

    13,071        48,728   

QUALCOMM, Inc.

    5,000        305,400   

Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson–Class B

    10,621        120,440   
   

 

 

 
      969,387   
   

 

 

 

COMPUTERS & PERIPHERALS–0.6%

   

Apple, Inc.

    2,753        1,090,408   

Dell, Inc.

    4,250        56,738   

EMC Corp./MA

    6,125        144,673   

Fujitsu Ltd.

    5,000        20,685   

Gemalto NV(b)

    323        29,245   

Hewlett-Packard Co.

    5,690        141,112   

NEC Corp.

    9,000        19,709   

NetApp, Inc.(a)

    1,030        38,913   

SanDisk Corp.(a)

    700        42,770   

Seagate Technology PLC

    910        40,795   

Toshiba Corp.

    14,000        67,110   

Western Digital Corp.

    630        39,117   
   

 

 

 
      1,731,275   
   

 

 

 

ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT, INSTRUMENTS & COMPONENTS–0.2%

   

Amphenol Corp.–Class A

    455        35,463   

Corning, Inc.

    4,295        61,118   

FLIR Systems, Inc.

    420        11,327   

Fujifilm Holdings Corp.

    1,200        26,392   

Hamamatsu Photonics KK(b)

    600        21,668   

Hexagon AB

    938        25,074   

Hirose Electric Co., Ltd.

    100        13,171   

Hitachi High-Technologies Corp.

    600        14,470   

Hitachi Ltd.

    16,000        102,520   

Hoya Corp.

    1,200        24,682   

Jabil Circuit, Inc.

    535        10,903   

Keyence Corp.

    200        63,722   

Kyocera Corp.

    500        50,873   

Molex, Inc.

    385        11,296   

Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

    700        53,246   

Omron Corp.

    700        20,869   

TDK Corp.

    900        31,014   

TE Connectivity Ltd.

    1,210        55,103   
   

 

 

 
      632,911   
   

 

 

 

INTERNET SOFTWARE & SERVICES–0.4%

   

Akamai Technologies, Inc.(a)

    515        21,913   

Dena Co., Ltd.(b)

    529        10,357   
   

eBay, Inc.(a)

    3,405      $ 176,106   

Google, Inc.–Class A(a)

    797        701,655   

United Internet AG

    552        15,561   

VeriSign, Inc.(a)

    435        19,427   

Yahoo Japan Corp.

    43        21,174   

Yahoo!, Inc.(a)

    2,825        70,936   
   

 

 

 
      1,037,129   
   

 

 

 

IT SERVICES–0.6%

   

Accenture PLC–Class A

    1,895        136,364   

Amadeus IT Holding SA

    1,322        42,311   

Automatic Data Processing, Inc.

    1,410        97,092   

Cap Gemini SA

    320        15,540   

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp.–Class A(a)

    875        54,784   

Computer Sciences Corp.

    430        18,821   

Computershare Ltd.

    1,449        13,586   

Fidelity National Information Services, Inc.

    840        35,985   

Fiserv, Inc.(a)

    390        34,090   

International Business Machines Corp.

    3,055        583,841   

Mastercard, Inc.–Class A

    325        186,712   

Nomura Research Institute Ltd.

    600        19,486   

NTT Data Corp.

    5        17,810   

Otsuka Corp.(b)

    200        22,306   

Paychex, Inc.

    925        33,781   

SAIC, Inc.

    805        11,214   

Teradata Corp.(a)

    465        23,357   

Total System Services, Inc.

    450        11,016   

Visa, Inc.–Class A

    1,505        275,039   

Western Union Co. (The)–Class W

    1,660        28,403   
   

 

 

 
      1,661,538   
   

 

 

 

OFFICE ELECTRONICS–0.1%

   

Canon, Inc.(b)

    4,000        131,093   

Konica Minolta, Inc.

    2,000        15,053   

Ricoh Co., Ltd.

    2,000        23,701   

Xerox Corp.

    3,555        32,244   
   

 

 

 
      202,091   
   

 

 

 

SEMICONDUCTORS & SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT–0.4%

   

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.(a)(b)

    1,755        7,160   

Altera Corp.

    910        30,021   

Analog Devices, Inc.

    880        39,653   

Applied Materials, Inc.

    3,485        51,961   

ARM Holdings PLC

    4,815        58,247   

ASM Pacific Technology Ltd.(b)

    900        9,915   

ASML Holding NV

    869        68,599   

Broadcom Corp.–Class A

    1,520        51,315   

Infineon Technologies AG

    3,026        25,330   

Intel Corp.

    14,440        349,737   

KLA-Tencor Corp.

    460        25,636   

Lam Research Corp.(a)

    479        21,239   

Linear Technology Corp.

    640        23,578   

LSI Corp.(a)

    1,570        11,210   

 

9


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company  

Shares

    U.S. $ Value  
   

Mellanox Technologies Ltd.(a)

    100      $ 4,972   

Microchip Technology, Inc.

    545        20,301   

Micron Technology, Inc.(a)

    2,970        42,560   

NVIDIA Corp.

    1,785        25,044   

Rohm Co., Ltd.

    400        16,244   

STMicroelectronics NV

    4,174        37,511   

Teradyne, Inc.(a)

    530        9,312   

Texas Instruments, Inc.

    3,225        112,456   

Tokyo Electron Ltd.

    500        25,280   

Xilinx, Inc.

    735        29,113   
   

 

 

 
      1,096,394   
   

 

 

 

SOFTWARE–0.7%

   

Adobe Systems, Inc.(a)

    1,460        66,518   

Autodesk, Inc.(a)

    635        21,552   

BMC Software, Inc.(a)

    385        17,379   

CA, Inc.

    945        27,055   

Citrix Systems, Inc.(a)

    540        32,578   

Dassault Systemes SA

    243        29,701   

Electronic Arts, Inc.(a)

    855        19,639   

Intuit, Inc.

    820        50,045   

Microsoft Corp.

    22,000        759,660   

Nexon Co., Ltd.(b)

    2,595        28,662   

NICE Systems Ltd.

    208        7,648   

Nintendo Co., Ltd.

    300        35,322   

Oracle Corp.

    10,780        331,161   

Oracle Corp. Japan

    300        12,426   

Red Hat, Inc.(a)

    560        26,779   

Sage Group PLC (The)

    3,334        17,231   

Salesforce.com, Inc.(a)

    1,574        60,095   

SAP AG

    3,215        234,769   

Symantec Corp.

    1,995        44,828   

Trend Micro, Inc./Japan

    500        15,896   
   

 

 

 
      1,838,944   
   

 

 

 
      9,169,669   
   

 

 

 

INDUSTRIALS–3.3%

   

AEROSPACE & DEFENSE–0.5%

   

BAE Systems PLC

    11,344        66,062   

Boeing Co. (The)

    2,010        205,904   

Cobham PLC

    7,675        30,601   

European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. NV

    2,021        108,125   

General Dynamics Corp.

    960        75,197   

Honeywell International, Inc.

    2,305        182,879   

L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc.

    275        23,578   

Lockheed Martin Corp.

    800        86,768   

Meggitt PLC

    2,537        19,988   

Northrop Grumman Corp.

    690        57,132   

Precision Castparts Corp.

    440        99,444   

Raytheon Co.

    950        62,814   

Rockwell Collins, Inc.

    400        25,364   

Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC(a)

    6,534        112,505   

Safran SA

    629        32,838   

Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd.

    6,000        19,765   

Textron, Inc.

    755        19,668   
   

Thales SA

    694      $ 32,385   

United Technologies Corp.

    2,475        230,026   

Zodiac Aerospace

    227        30,057   
   

 

 

 
      1,521,100   
   

 

 

 

AIR FREIGHT & LOGISTICS–0.2%

   

CH Robinson Worldwide, Inc.

    465        26,184   

Deutsche Post AG

    3,165        78,549   

Expeditors International of Washington, Inc.

    570        21,666   

FedEx Corp.

    865        85,272   

Kuehne & Nagel International AG

    432        47,397   

United Parcel Service, Inc.–Class B

    2,105        182,040   

Yamato Holdings Co., Ltd.

    1,000        21,060   
   

 

 

 
      462,168   
   

 

 

 

AIRLINES–0.1%

   

ANA Holdings Inc(b)

    16,000        33,270   

Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd.

    20,000        34,803   

Deutsche Lufthansa AG (REG)(a)

    1,092        22,121   

easyJet PLC

    1,204        23,732   

International Consolidated Airlines Group SA(a)

    2,643        10,611   

Japan Airlines Co., Ltd.

    472        24,299   

Singapore Airlines Ltd.

    3,000        23,502   

Southwest Airlines Co.

    2,105        27,133   
   

 

 

 
      199,471   
   

 

 

 

BUILDING PRODUCTS–0.1%

   

Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.(b)

    3,000        19,445   

Assa Abloy AB

    1,164        45,491   

Cie de St-Gobain

    1,080        43,762   

Daikin Industries Ltd.

    600        24,252   

LIXIL Group Corp.

    700        17,046   

Masco Corp.

    1,005        19,588   

TOTO Ltd.

    2,000        20,336   
   

 

 

 
      189,920   
   

 

 

 

COMMERCIAL SERVICES & SUPPLIES–0.1%

   

ADT Corp. (The)(a)

    647        25,783   

Aggreko PLC

    718        17,946   

Avery Dennison Corp.

    285        12,187   

Babcock International Group PLC

    1,121        18,823   

Brambles Ltd.

    4,179        35,597   

Cintas Corp.

    285        12,979   

Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.

    2,000        18,249   

Edenred

    818        25,047   

G4S PLC

    3,792        13,371   

Iron Mountain, Inc.

    464        12,347   

Pitney Bowes, Inc.(b)

    555        8,147   

Republic Services, Inc.–Class A

    850        28,849   

Secom Co., Ltd.

    600        32,622   

Serco Group PLC

    1,802        16,946   

Societe BIC SA

    221        22,170   

 

10


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company  

Shares

    U.S. $ Value  
   

Stericycle, Inc.(a)

    260      $ 28,712   

Toppan Printing Co., Ltd.(b)

    2,000        13,874   

Tyco International Ltd.

    1,345        44,318   

Waste Management, Inc.

    1,245        50,211   
   

 

 

 
      438,178   
   

 

 

 

CONSTRUCTION & ENGINEERING–0.1%

   

ACS Actividades de Construccion y Servicios SA

    381        10,079   

Bouygues SA(b)

    95        2,421   

Chiyoda Corp.

    1,000        11,794   

Ferrovial SA

    1,470        23,469   

Fluor Corp.

    465        27,579   

Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc.(a)

    365        20,123   

JGC Corp.

    1,000        36,012   

Kajima Corp.

    7,000        23,207   

Leighton Holdings Ltd.(b)

    1,344        18,835   

Obayashi Corp.

    3,000        15,555   

Quanta Services, Inc.(a)

    615        16,273   

Shimizu Corp.

    2,000        8,040   

Taisei Corp.

    5,000        18,050   

Vinci SA

    1,609        80,708   
   

 

 

 
      312,145   
   

 

 

 

ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT–0.3%

   

ABB Ltd. (REG)(a)

    7,675        166,255   

Alstom SA(b)

    729        23,914   

Eaton Corp. PLC

    1,394        91,739   

Emerson Electric Co.

    2,100        114,534   

First Solar, Inc.(a)

    170        7,604   

Legrand SA

    827        38,344   

Mitsubishi Electric Corp.

    7,000        65,409   

Nidec Corp.(b)

    300        20,989   

Prysmian SpA

    1,074        20,035   

Rockwell Automation, Inc.

    430        35,750   

Roper Industries, Inc.

    275        34,161   

Schneider Electric SA

    1,836        133,343   

Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd.

    2,000        23,808   
   

 

 

 
      775,885   
   

 

 

 

INDUSTRIAL CONGLOMERATES–0.5%

   

3M Co.

    1,855        202,844   

Danaher Corp.

    1,690        106,977   

General Electric Co.

    30,320        703,121   

Hutchison Whampoa Ltd.

    6,000        62,774   

Keppel Corp., Ltd.

    4,000        32,717   

Koninklijke Philips NV

    3,341        91,079   

Siemens AG

    2,922        295,892   

Smiths Group PLC

    1,055        20,989   
   

 

 

 
      1,516,393   
   

 

 

 

MACHINERY–0.7%

   

Alfa Laval AB

    3,611        73,756   

Andritz AG

    267        13,699   

Atlas Copco AB

    1,715        36,702   

Atlas Copco AB–Class A

    1,805        43,504   

Caterpillar, Inc.

    1,935        159,618   
   

Cummins, Inc.

    550      $ 59,653   

Deere & Co.

    1,135        92,219   

Dover Corp.

    485        37,665   

FANUC Corp.

    700        101,309   

Fiat Industrial SpA

    2,876        32,015   

Flowserve Corp.

    510        27,545   

GEA Group AG

    896        31,725   

Hino Motors Ltd.

    2,000        29,348   

Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.(b)

    700        14,119   

IHI Corp.

    6,000        22,701   

Illinois Tool Works, Inc.

    1,225        84,733   

IMI PLC

    1,172        22,090   

Ingersoll-Rand PLC

    805        44,694   

Invensys PLC

    3,174        19,876   

Joy Global, Inc.

    285        13,831   

JTEKT Corp.

    1,400        15,692   

Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd.

    5,000        15,345   

Komatsu Ltd.

    3,300        76,005   

Kone Oyj

    544        43,150   

Kubota Corp.

    4,000        58,213   

Makita Corp.

    400        21,505   

MAN SE

    201        21,913   

Melrose Industries PLC

    5,848        22,165   

Metso Oyj

    447        15,141   

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.

    11,000        61,155   

NGK Insulators Ltd.

    1,000        12,358   

NSK Ltd.

    2,000        19,080   

PACCAR, Inc.

    1,010        54,197   

Pall Corp.

    345        22,918   

Parker Hannifin Corp.

    445        42,453   

Pentair Ltd.

    610        35,191   

Sandvik AB

    2,698        32,223   

Scania AB

    1,673        33,472   

Schindler Holding AG (REG)

    271        36,703   

SembCorp Marine Ltd.(b)

    7,000        23,721   

SKF AB

    1,658        38,842   

SMC Corp./Japan

    200        40,095   

Snap-On, Inc.

    170        15,195   

Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.

    465        35,944   

Volvo AB–Class B

    3,741        49,922   

Wartsila Oyj Abp

    586        25,459   

Weir Group PLC (The)

    651        21,287   

Xylem, Inc./NY

    535        14,413   

Zardoya Otis SA

    1,239        17,546   
   

 

 

 
      1,882,105   
   

 

 

 

MARINE–0.0%

   

AP Moeller–Maersk A/S

    4        28,614   

AP Moeller–Maersk A/S (Line of A Shares)

    3        20,199   

Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd.(a)

    4,000        15,545   

Nippon Yusen KK

    5,000        13,229   
   

 

 

 
      77,587   
   

 

 

 

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES–0.1%

   

Adecco SA(a)

    507        28,874   

Bureau Veritas SA

    1,236        32,007   

 

11


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company  

Shares

    U.S. $ Value  
   

Capita PLC

    1,758      $ 25,841   

Dun & Bradstreet Corp. (The)

    115        11,207   

Equifax, Inc.

    355        20,920   

Experian PLC

    3,525        61,264   

Intertek Group PLC

    431        19,159   

Robert Half International, Inc.

    385        12,793   

SGS SA

    24        51,526   
   

 

 

 
      263,591   
   

 

 

 

ROAD & RAIL–0.3%

   

Asciano Ltd.

    1,409        6,444   

Aurizon Holdings Ltd.

    6,403        24,322   

Central Japan Railway Co.

    503        61,306   

CSX Corp.

    2,960        68,642   

DSV A/S

    511        12,448   

East Japan Railway Co.

    1,200        93,399   

Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, Inc.

    3,000        17,075   

Kansas City Southern

    320        33,907   

Keikyu Corp.

    2,000        17,170   

Keio Corp.

    2,000        13,741   

Keisei Electric Railway Co., Ltd.

    2,000        18,737   

Kintetsu Corp.

    4,000        17,560   

MTR Corp., Ltd.

    7,000        25,544   

Nippon Express Co., Ltd.

    3,000        14,246   

Norfolk Southern Corp.

    940        68,291   

Odakyu Electric Railway Co., Ltd.

    2,000        19,531   

Ryder System, Inc.

    165        10,030   

Tobu Railway Co., Ltd.

    3,000        15,461   

Tokyu Corp.

    3,000        19,643   

Union Pacific Corp.

    1,375        212,135   

West Japan Railway Co.

    457        19,382   
   

 

 

 
      789,014   
   

 

 

 

TRADING COMPANIES & DISTRIBUTORS–0.2%

   

Brenntag AG

    189        28,727   

Bunzl PLC

    916        17,866   

Fastenal Co.

    780        35,763   

ITOCHU Corp.

    5,000        57,820   

Marubeni Corp.

    6,000        40,100   

Mitsubishi Corp.

    4,900        83,710   

Mitsui & Co., Ltd.

    6,100        76,495   

Sumitomo Corp.

    3,900        48,608   

Toyota Tsusho Corp.

    700        17,999   

Travis Perkins PLC

    732        16,208   

Wolseley PLC

    956        44,109   

WW Grainger, Inc.

    180        45,392   
   

 

 

 
      512,797   
   

 

 

 

TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE–0.1%

   

Abertis Infraestructuras SA

    986        17,180   

Aeroports de Paris

    305        29,649   

Atlantia SpA

    1,440        23,487   

Auckland International Airport Ltd.

    4,070        9,361   

Hutchison Port Holdings Trust

    43,553        31,894   

Koninklijke Vopak NV

    502        29,630   
   

Mitsubishi Logistics Corp.

    1,000      $ 13,954   

Sydney Airport

    14,466        44,636   

Transurban Group

    3,826        23,627   
   

 

 

 
      223,418   
   

 

 

 
      9,163,772   
   

 

 

 

CONSUMER STAPLES–3.2%

   

BEVERAGES–0.8%

   

Anheuser-Busch InBev NV

    2,804        252,453   

Asahi Group Holdings Ltd.

    1,000        24,772   

Beam, Inc.

    450        28,399   

Brown-Forman Corp.–Class B

    452        30,533   

Carlsberg A/S

    373        33,352   

Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd.

    1,634        18,932   

Coca-Cola Co. (The)

    11,180        448,430   

Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc.

    750        26,370   

Coca-Cola HBC AG(a)

    542        12,687   

Constellation Brands, Inc.–Class A(a)

    420        21,890   

Diageo PLC

    8,745        250,774   

Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc.

    570        26,180   

Heineken NV

    2,395        152,445   

Kirin Holdings Co., Ltd.(b)

    3,000        46,993   

Molson Coors Brewing Co.–Class B

    450        21,537   

Monster Beverage Corp.(a)

    410        24,916   

PepsiCo, Inc.

    4,525        370,100   

Pernod-Ricard SA

    741        82,246   

Remy Cointreau SA

    195        20,691   

SABMiller PLC

    3,342        160,227   

Treasury Wine Estates Ltd.

    5,315        28,242   
   

 

 

 
      2,082,169   
   

 

 

 

FOOD & STAPLES RETAILING–0.6%

   

Aeon Co., Ltd.

    1,600        21,026   

Carrefour SA

    1,552        42,628   

Casino Guichard Perrachon SA

    225        21,084   

Colruyt SA

    204        10,734   

Costco Wholesale Corp.

    1,265        139,871   

CVS Caremark Corp.

    3,580        204,704   

Delhaize Group SA

    404        24,976   

Distribuidora Internacional de Alimentacion SA

    2,417        18,259   

FamilyMart Co., Ltd.

    300        12,801   

J Sainsbury PLC

    3,281        17,733   

Jeronimo Martins SGPS SA

    937        19,749   

Kesko Oyj

    171        4,750   

Kroger Co. (The)

    1,465        50,601   

Lawson, Inc.

    200        15,262   

Metro AG

    1,551        49,008   

Safeway, Inc.

    695        16,444   

Seven & I Holdings Co., Ltd.

    2,600        95,221   

Sysco Corp.

    1,705        58,243   

Tesco PLC

    28,066        141,335   

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

    4,863        362,245   

Walgreen Co.

    2,495        110,279   

Wesfarmers Ltd.

    3,513        127,122   

 

12


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company  

Shares

    U.S. $ Value  
   

Whole Foods Market, Inc.

    1,020      $ 52,510   

WM Morrison Supermarkets PLC

    6,401        25,479   

Woolworths Ltd.

    4,301        128,843   
   

 

 

 
      1,770,907   
   

 

 

 

FOOD PRODUCTS–0.8%

   

Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

    2,000        29,338   

Archer-Daniels-Midland Co.

    1,915        64,938   

Associated British Foods PLC

    1,705        44,978   

Campbell Soup Co.

    525        23,515   

ConAgra Foods, Inc.

    1,185        41,392   

Danone SA

    2,020        152,042   

DE Master Blenders 1753 NV(a)

    1,580        25,296   

General Mills, Inc.

    1,885        91,479   

Hershey Co. (The)

    450        40,176   

Hormel Foods Corp.

    375        14,468   

JM Smucker Co. (The)

    345        35,587   

Kellogg Co.

    715        45,924   

Kerry Group PLC

    521        28,754   

Kikkoman Corp.

    1,000        16,635   

Kraft Foods Group, Inc.

    1,728        96,543   

Lindt & Spruengli AG (REG)

    1        43,511   

McCormick & Co., Inc./MD

    375        26,385   

Mead Johnson Nutrition Co.–Class A

    610        48,330   

MEIJI Holdings Co., Ltd.

    300        14,407   

Mondelez International, Inc.

    5,185        147,928   

Nestle SA

    11,255        738,557   

Nippon Meat Packers, Inc.

    1,000        15,296   

Nissin Foods Holdings Co., Ltd.

    400        16,176   

Orkla ASA

    2,074        16,981   

Tate & Lyle PLC

    1,256        15,759   

Toyo Suisan Kaisha Ltd.

    1,000        33,273   

Tyson Foods, Inc.–Class A

    825        21,186   

Unilever NV

    4,379        172,376   

Unilever PLC

    4,479        181,320   

Wilmar International Ltd.

    9,000        22,259   

Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd.(b)

    400        16,587   
   

 

 

 
      2,281,396   
   

 

 

 

HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS–0.4%

   

Clorox Co. (The)

    370        30,762   

Colgate-Palmolive Co.

    2,550        146,089   

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

    366        28,665   

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (Preference Shares)

    479        44,983   

Kimberly-Clark Corp.

    1,115        108,311   

Procter & Gamble Co. (The)

    7,965        613,225   

Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC

    2,259        159,794   

Svenska Cellulosa AB–Class B

    2,115        53,041   

Unicharm Corp.

    300        16,968   
   

 

 

 
      1,201,838   
   

 

 

 

PERSONAL PRODUCTS–0.1%

   

Avon Products, Inc.

    1,255        26,393   

Beiersdorf AG

    310        27,004   

Estee Lauder Cos., Inc. (The)–Class A

    690        45,381   

Kao Corp.

    1,800        61,275   
   

L’Oreal SA

    849      $ 139,562   

Shiseido Co., Ltd.

    1,000        14,879   
   

 

 

 
      314,494   
   

 

 

 

TOBACCO–0.5%

   

Altria Group, Inc.

    5,860        205,041   

British American Tobacco PLC

    6,744        345,897   

Imperial Tobacco Group PLC

    3,444        119,419   

Japan Tobacco, Inc.

    3,839        135,507   

Lorillard, Inc.

    1,090        47,611   

Philip Morris International, Inc.

    4,800        415,776   

Reynolds American, Inc.

    935        45,226   

Swedish Match AB

    831        29,496   
   

 

 

 
      1,343,973   
   

 

 

 
      8,994,777   
   

 

 

 

ENERGY–2.6%

   

ENERGY EQUIPMENT & SERVICES–0.4%

   

Aker Solutions ASA

    1,244        16,983   

AMEC PLC

    1,606        24,562   

Baker Hughes, Inc.

    1,260        58,124   

Cameron International Corp.(a)

    720        44,035   

Cie Generale de Geophysique-Veritas(a)

    470        10,414   

Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc.

    190        13,070   

Ensco PLC–Class A

    650        37,778   

FMC Technologies, Inc.(a)

    710        39,533   

Fugro NV

    538        29,233   

Halliburton Co.

    2,690        112,227   

Helmerich & Payne, Inc.

    285        17,798   

Nabors Industries Ltd.

    815        12,478   

National Oilwell Varco, Inc.

    1,255        86,469   

Noble Corp.

    725        27,246   

Petrofac Ltd.

    697        12,688   

Rowan Cos., PLC(a)

    355        12,095   

Saipem SpA

    1,479        24,006   

Schlumberger Ltd.

    3,885        278,399   

Seadrill Ltd.

    946        38,101   

Subsea 7 SA(a)

    1,066        18,690   

Technip SA

    267        27,136   

Tenaris SA

    1,269        25,416   

Transocean Ltd.

    1,255        60,261   

WorleyParsons Ltd.

    885        15,678   
   

 

 

 
      1,042,420   
   

 

 

 

OIL, GAS & CONSUMABLE FUELS–2.2%

   

Anadarko Petroleum Corp.

    1,445        124,169   

Apache Corp.

    1,145        95,985   

BG Group PLC

    11,872        201,753   

BP PLC

    66,535        461,749   

Cabot Oil & Gas Corp.

    620        44,032   

Caltex Australia Ltd.

    1,410        23,192   

Chesapeake Energy Corp.

    1,495        30,468   

Chevron Corp.

    5,680        672,171   

ConocoPhillips

    3,570        215,985   

Consol Energy, Inc.

    640        17,344   

Denbury Resources, Inc.(a)

    1,060        18,359   

 

13


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company  

Shares

    U.S. $ Value  
   

Devon Energy Corp.

    1,120      $ 58,106   

ENI SpA

    8,878        182,212   

EOG Resources, Inc.

    805        106,002   

EQT Corp.

    440        34,923   

Exxon Mobil Corp.

    13,087        1,182,411   

Galp Energia SGPS SA

    943        13,979   

Hess Corp.

    890        59,176   

Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.(b)

    300        22,997   

Inpex Corp.

    6        24,937   

JX Holdings, Inc.

    6,000        28,971   

Kinder Morgan, Inc./DE

    1,825        69,624   

Lundin Petroleum AB(a)

    856        16,931   

Marathon Oil Corp.

    2,055        71,062   

Marathon Petroleum Corp.

    962        68,360   

Murphy Oil Corp.

    505        30,750   

Neste Oil Oyj

    339        4,947   

Newfield Exploration Co.(a)

    370        8,839   

Noble Energy, Inc.

    1,050        63,042   

Occidental Petroleum Corp.

    2,350        209,691   

OMV AG

    514        23,187   

Origin Energy Ltd.

    2,920        33,461   

Peabody Energy Corp.

    745        10,907   

Phillips 66

    1,810        106,627   

Pioneer Natural Resources Co.

    415        60,071   

QEP Resources, Inc.

    475        13,196   

Range Resources Corp.

    500        38,660   

Repsol SA

    2,909        61,394   

Royal Dutch Shell PLC–Class A

    13,046        416,741   

Royal Dutch Shell PLC–Class B

    9,144        302,840   

Santos Ltd.

    2,539        28,914   

Southwestern Energy Co.(a)

    995        36,347   

Spectra Energy Corp.

    1,935        66,680   

Statoil ASA

    3,895        80,463   

Tesoro Corp.

    375        19,620   

TonenGeneral Sekiyu KK(b)

    2,000        19,353   

Total SA

    7,432        363,002   

Tullow Oil PLC

    3,168        48,226   

Valero Energy Corp.

    1,575        54,763   

Williams Cos., Inc. (The)

    1,955        63,479   

Woodside Petroleum Ltd.

    2,300        73,250   

WPX Energy, Inc.(a)

    545        10,322   
   

 

 

 
      6,093,670   
   

 

 

 
      7,136,090   
   

 

 

 

MATERIALS–1.6%

   

CHEMICALS–0.8%

   

Air Liquide SA

    1,089        134,491   

Air Products & Chemicals, Inc.

    620        56,773   

Air Water, Inc.

    1,000        14,058   

Airgas, Inc.

    190        18,137   

Akzo Nobel NV

    704        39,724   

Arkema SA

    218        19,983   

Asahi Kasei Corp.

    3,000        19,794   

BASF SE

    3,206        285,954   

CF Industries Holdings, Inc.

    190        32,585   

Croda International PLC

    549        20,703   

Dow Chemical Co. (The)

    3,475        111,791   

Eastman Chemical Co.

    430        30,104   
   

Ecolab, Inc.

    790      $ 67,300   

EI du Pont de Nemours & Co.

    2,745        144,113   

FMC Corp.

    380        23,203   

Givaudan SA(a)

    72        92,777   

Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd.

    900        14,090   

Incitec Pivot Ltd.

    7,611        19,816   

International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc.

    250        18,790   

Israel Chemicals Ltd.

    1,432        14,063   

Israel Corp., Ltd. (The)(a)

    16        9,539   

Johnson Matthey PLC

    550        21,975   

JSR Corp.

    800        16,187   

K&S AG

    463        17,111   

Kansai Paint Co., Ltd.

    1,000        12,765   

Kuraray Co., Ltd.

    1,000        14,015   

Lanxess AG

    509        30,653   

Linde AG

    646        120,380   

LyondellBasell Industries NV

    1,100        72,886   

Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp.

    3,500        16,404   

Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co., Inc.

    2,000        14,663   

Monsanto Co.

    1,590        157,092   

Mosaic Co. (The)

    780        41,972   

Nitto Denko Corp.

    600        38,481   

Orica Ltd.

    981        18,492   

PPG Industries, Inc.

    450        65,885   

Praxair, Inc.

    890        102,492   

Sherwin-Williams Co. (The)

    265        46,799   

Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.

    1,400        92,659   

Showa Denko KK(b)

    7,000        9,232   

Sigma-Aldrich Corp.

    355        28,528   

Solvay SA

    236        30,902   

Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.

    4,000        12,546   

Syngenta AG

    254        99,050   

Teijin Ltd.

    5,000        10,952   

Toray Industries, Inc.

    4,000        25,847   

Umicore SA

    306        12,707   

Yara International ASA

    541        21,575   
   

 

 

 
      2,340,038   
   

 

 

 

CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS–0.1%

   

CRH PLC

    2,534        51,270   

Fletcher Building Ltd.

    2,390        15,565   

HeidelbergCement AG

    440        29,480   

Holcim Ltd.(a)

    816        56,799   

Imerys SA

    286        17,560   

James Hardie Industries PLC

    3,449        29,616   

Lafarge SA

    533        32,728   

Taiheiyo Cement Corp.

    13,000        41,485   

Vulcan Materials Co.

    365        17,670   
   

 

 

 
      292,173   
   

 

 

 

CONTAINERS & PACKAGING–0.1%

   

Amcor Ltd./Australia

    3,244        29,981   

Ball Corp.

    410        17,031   

Bemis Co., Inc.

    280        10,959   

 

14


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company  

Shares

    U.S. $ Value  
   

MeadWestvaco Corp.

    470      $ 16,032   

Owens-Illinois, Inc.(a)

    460        12,783   

Rexam PLC

    2,122        15,400   

Sealed Air Corp.

    540        12,933   

Toyo Seikan Group Holdings Ltd.

    1,700        26,168   
   

 

 

 
      141,287   
   

 

 

 

METALS & MINING–0.6%

   

Alcoa, Inc.

    3,120        24,398   

Allegheny Technologies, Inc.

    285        7,498   

Anglo American PLC

    4,854        93,540   

Antofagasta PLC

    1,060        12,844   

ArcelorMittal (Euronext Amsterdam)

    8,908        99,701   

BHP Billiton Ltd.

    11,209        322,627   

BHP Billiton PLC

    7,371        187,944   

Boliden AB

    1,652        20,477   

Cliffs Natural Resources, Inc.(b)

    430        6,988   

Fortescue Metals Group Ltd.

    14,926        41,089   

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Inc.

    2,725        75,237   

Fresnillo PLC

    667        9,005   

Glencore Xstrata PLC

    34,718        143,714   

Hitachi Metals Ltd.

    3,000        33,602   

Iluka Resources Ltd.

    2,008        18,096   

JFE Holdings, Inc.

    1,200        26,290   

Kobe Steel Ltd.(a)(b)

    12,000        14,840   

Mitsubishi Materials Corp.

    1,000        3,521   

Newcrest Mining Ltd.

    2,055        18,970   

Newmont Mining Corp.

    1,445        43,278   

Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp.

    27,000        72,745   

Norsk Hydro ASA

    6,514        26,121   

Nucor Corp.

    910        39,421   

Randgold Resources Ltd.

    234        14,828   

Rio Tinto Ltd.

    1,521        72,894   

Rio Tinto PLC

    4,679        190,290   

Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.

    1,000        11,139   

ThyssenKrupp AG(a)

    1,305        25,581   

United States Steel Corp.(b)

    380        6,661   

Vedanta Resources PLC

    571        8,875   

Voestalpine AG

    442        15,631   
   

 

 

 
      1,687,845   
   

 

 

 

PAPER & FOREST PRODUCTS–0.0%

   

International Paper Co.

    1,265        56,052   

OJI Holdings Corp.

    4,000        16,123   

Stora Enso Oyj

    1,482        9,924   

UPM-Kymmene Oyj

    1,836        17,995   
   

 

 

 
      100,094   
   

 

 

 
      4,561,437   
   

 

 

 

TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES–1.2%

   

DIVERSIFIED TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES–0.8%

   

AT&T, Inc.

    16,018        567,037   
   

Belgacom SA

    409      $ 9,158   

Bezeq The Israeli Telecommunication Corp., Ltd.

    7,158        9,517   

BT Group PLC

    27,493        129,073   

CenturyLink, Inc.

    1,800        63,630   

Deutsche Telekom AG

    9,803        114,210   

Elisa Oyj

    381        7,439   

France Telecom SA

    4,984        47,195   

Frontier Communications Corp.(b)

    2,880        11,664   

HKT Trust/HKT Ltd.

    18,882        17,832   

Iliad SA

    163        35,216   

Inmarsat PLC

    1,202        12,310   

Koninklijke KPN NV

    2,757        5,720   

Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp.

    1,500        78,181   

Portugal Telecom SGPS SA(b)

    2,560        9,959   

Singapore Telecommunications Ltd.

    28,000        82,654   

Swisscom AG

    62        27,142   

TDC A/S

    2,303        18,665   

Telecom Corp. of New Zealand Ltd.

    6,995        12,181   

Telecom Italia SpA (ordinary shares)

    28,057        19,556   

Telecom Italia SpA (savings shares)

    16,898        9,421   

Telefonica SA(a)

    14,295        183,911   

Telekom Austria AG

    1,044        6,607   

Telenor ASA

    2,746        54,544   

TeliaSonera AB

    5,820        37,927   

Telstra Corp., Ltd.

    15,412        67,003   

Verizon Communications, Inc.

    8,315        418,577   

Vivendi SA

    4,619        87,538   

Windstream Corp.(b)

    1,695        13,068   

Ziggo NV

    1,595        64,067   
   

 

 

 
      2,221,002   
   

 

 

 

WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES–0.4%

   

Crown Castle International Corp.(a)

    870        62,979   

KDDI Corp.

    1,878        97,794   

Millicom International Cellular SA

    641        46,166   

NTT DoCoMo, Inc.

    53        82,452   

Softbank Corp.

    3,300        192,093   

Sprint Nextel Corp.(a)

    8,780        61,636   

StarHub Ltd.

    4,000        13,152   

Vodafone Group PLC

    171,654        491,905   
   

 

 

 
      1,048,177   
   

 

 

 
      3,269,179   
   

 

 

 

UTILITIES–1.0%

   

ELECTRIC UTILITIES–0.5%

   

Acciona SA(b)

    125        6,590   

 

15


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company  

Shares

    U.S. $ Value  
   

American Electric Power Co., Inc.

    1,425      $ 63,812   

Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings Ltd.

    7,000        46,824   

Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc.

    1,700        24,081   

Chugoku Electric Power Co., Inc. (The)

    900        14,112   

CLP Holdings Ltd.

    5,000        40,419   

Contact Energy Ltd.

    971        3,843   

Duke Energy Corp.

    2,082        140,535   

Edison International

    965        46,474   

EDP–Energias de Portugal SA

    6,661        21,487   

Electricite de France SA

    1,042        24,181   

Enel SpA

    17,694        55,523   

Entergy Corp.

    525        36,582   

Exelon Corp.

    2,497        77,107   

FirstEnergy Corp.

    1,185        44,248   

Fortum Oyj

    1,551        29,055   

Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Inc.(a)

    1,800        24,564   

Hokuriku Electric Power Co.

    1,600        25,106   

Iberdrola SA

    16,441        86,884   

Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. (The)(a)

    2,000        27,377   

Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc.(a)

    1,200        18,085   

NextEra Energy, Inc.

    1,245        101,443   

Northeast Utilities

    910        38,238   

Pepco Holdings, Inc.

    690        13,910   

Pinnacle West Capital Corp.

    335        18,583   

Power Assets Holdings Ltd.

    3,500        30,151   

PPL Corp.

    1,695        51,291   

Red Electrica Corp. SA(b)

    291        16,001   

Shikoku Electric Power Co., Inc.(a)

    700        12,641   

Southern Co. (The)

    2,510        110,766   

SP AusNet

    12,753        13,682   

SSE PLC

    3,345        77,462   

Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc.(a)

    1,400        17,480   

Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc.(a)

    5,500        28,393   

Verbund AG

    183        3,471   

Xcel Energy, Inc.

    1,420        40,243   
   

 

 

 
      1,430,644   
   

 

 

 

GAS UTILITIES–0.1%

   

AGL Resources, Inc.

    348        14,915   

APA Group

    2,828        15,497   

Enagas SA

    481        11,889   

Gas Natural SDG SA(b)

    1,513        30,483   

Hong Kong & China Gas Co., Ltd.

    15,400        37,577   

ONEOK, Inc.

    570        23,547   

Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.

    5,000        21,112   

Snam SpA

    6,059        27,589   

Toho Gas Co., Ltd.(b)

    2,000        10,343   

Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.

    7,000        38,619   
   

 

 

 
      231,571   
   

 

 

 
   

INDEPENDENT POWER PRODUCERS & ENERGY TRADERS–0.0%

   

AES Corp./VA

    1,785      $ 21,402   

Electric Power Development Co., Ltd.

    500        15,632   

Enel Green Power SpA

    25,579        53,086   

NRG Energy, Inc.

    940        25,098   
   

 

 

 
      115,218   
   

 

 

 

MULTI-UTILITIES–0.4%

   

AGL Energy Ltd.

    1,463        19,359   

Ameren Corp.

    660        22,730   

CenterPoint Energy, Inc.

    1,245        29,245   

Centrica PLC

    18,143        99,237   

CMS Energy Corp.

    770        20,921   

Consolidated Edison, Inc.

    830        48,397   

Dominion Resources, Inc./VA

    1,685        95,742   

DTE Energy Co.

    520        34,845   

E.ON SE

    6,285        103,003   

GDF Suez

    4,630        90,817   

Integrys Energy Group, Inc.

    250        14,633   

National Grid PLC

    12,697        143,928   

NiSource, Inc.

    905        25,919   

PG&E Corp.

    1,275        58,306   

Public Service Enterprise Group, Inc.

    1,455        47,520   

RWE AG

    1,316        41,951   

RWE AG (Preference Shares)(b)

    545        16,822   

SCANA Corp.

    395        19,395   

Sempra Energy

    660        53,962   

Suez Environnement Co.

    1,324        17,112   

TECO Energy, Inc.

    575        9,884   

United Utilities Group PLC

    2,853        29,683   

Wisconsin Energy Corp.

    650        26,643   
   

 

 

 
      1,070,054   
   

 

 

 

WATER UTILITIES–0.0%

   

Severn Trent PLC

    639        16,181   
   

 

 

 
      2,863,668   
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks
(cost $70,745,602)

      81,077,346   
   

 

 

 
    Principal
Amount
(000)
       

GOVERNMENTS–
TREASURIES–27.3%

   

UNITED STATES–27.3%

  

U.S. Treasury Bonds

   

1.25%, 2/15/14

  $ 490        493,369   

2.75%, 8/15/42

    775        668,922   

3.125%, 11/15/41–2/15/43

    2,825        2,641,644   

3.50%, 2/15/39

    152        154,470   

3.75%, 8/15/41

    220        232,272   

3.875%, 8/15/40

    280        302,663   

4.25%, 5/15/39

    240        275,925   

4.375%, 11/15/39–5/15/41

    1,258        1,474,831   

4.50%, 8/15/39

    220        263,038   

 

16


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company  

Principal
Amount
(000)

    U.S. $ Value  
   

4.75%, 2/15/37–2/15/41

  $ 266      $ 329,582   

5.375%, 2/15/31

    650        846,726   

6.00%, 2/15/26

    134        179,895   

6.25%, 8/15/23–5/15/30

    724        1,016,424   

6.875%, 8/15/25

    325        465,359   

7.25%, 5/15/16–8/15/22

    883        1,222,130   

7.50%, 11/15/16

    92        112,470   

7.625%, 2/15/25

    55        82,586   

8.00%, 11/15/21

    123        178,321   

U.S. Treasury Notes

   

0.125%, 9/30/13–12/31/13

    980        980,030   

0.25%, 11/30/13–5/31/15

    10,580        10,573,908   

0.375%, 11/15/14–4/15/15

    3,350        3,353,195   

0.50%, 10/15/13(c)

    1,188        1,189,346   

0.50%, 10/15/14–7/31/17

    3,010        2,978,348   

0.75%, 6/15/14–3/31/18

    6,225        6,084,216   

0.875%, 11/30/16–4/30/17

    2,315        2,310,544   

1.00%, 1/15/14–5/31/18

    5,680        5,646,377   

1.25%, 3/15/14–4/30/19

    1,980        1,969,204   

1.375%, 11/30/15–2/28/19

    1,892        1,884,538   

1.625%, 8/15/22–11/15/22

    2,090        1,955,384   

1.75%, 7/31/15–5/15/23

    2,050        1,980,486   

1.875%, 10/31/17

    1,100        1,131,797   

2.00%, 11/30/13–2/15/23

    4,244        4,182,586   

2.125%, 12/31/15–8/15/21

    825        839,967   

2.25%, 1/31/15–11/30/17

    739        770,060   

2.375%, 8/31/14–7/31/17

    2,504        2,581,727   

2.50%, 3/31/15

    148        153,637   

2.625%, 7/31/14–11/15/20

    4,760        4,915,860   

2.75%, 5/31/17–2/15/19

    1,930        2,057,273   

2.75%, 12/31/17(c)

    735        783,866   

3.00%, 2/28/17

    889        955,119   

3.125%, 10/31/16–5/15/21

    1,111        1,195,036   

3.25%, 7/31/16(c)

    1,147        1,235,535   

3.375%, 11/15/19

    1,055        1,160,829   

3.625%, 2/15/20–2/15/21

    1,425        1,588,456   

3.75%, 11/15/18

    615        687,503   
   

 

 

 

Total Governments–Treasuries
(cost $77,458,217)

      76,085,454   
   

 

 

 
    Shares        

INVESTMENT COMPANIES–1.1%

   

FUNDS AND INVESTMENT TRUSTS–1.1%

   

iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund

    40,137        2,303,061   

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund

    5,890        227,177   

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust

    2,334        373,464   
   

 

 

 

Total Investment Companies (cost $3,049,265)

      2,903,702   
   

 

 

 
   

RIGHTS–0.0%

   

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY–0.0%

   

MULTILINE RETAIL–0.0%

   

Groupe Fnac, expiring 10/01/13(a)

    205      $ 534   
   

 

 

 

FINANCIALS–0.0%

   

REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT–0.0%

   

New Hotel, expiring 6/11/13(a)

    275        0   
   

 

 

 

Total Rights
(cost $683)

      534   
   

 

 

 

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS–41.1%

   

INVESTMENT COMPANIES–40.4%

   

AllianceBernstein Fixed-Income Shares, Inc.–Government STIF Portfolio, 0.09%(d)
(cost $112,374,108)

    112,374,108        112,374,108   
   

 

 

 
    Principal
Amount
(000)
       

U.S. TREASURY BILLS–0.7%

   

U.S. Treasury Bill Zero Coupon, 8/08/13(c) (cost $1,809,794)

  $ 1,810        1,809,794   
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Investments
(cost $114,183,902)

      114,183,902   
   

 

 

 

Total Investments Before Security Lending Collateral for Securities Loaned–98.6%
(cost $265,437,669)

      274,250,938   
   

 

 

 
    Shares        

INVESTMENTS OF CASH COLLATERAL FOR SECURITIES LOANED–0.3%

   

INVESTMENT COMPANIES–0.3%

   

AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves–Class I, 0.07%(d)
(cost $936,954)

    936,954        936,954   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS–98.9% (cost $266,374,623)

      275,187,892   

Other assets less liabilities–1.1%

      3,101,559   
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS–100.0%

    $ 278,289,451   
   

 

 

 

 

17


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

FUTURES (see Note D)

 

Type    Number of
Contracts
     Expiration
Month
     Original
Value
     Value at
June 30, 2013
     Unrealized
Appreciation/
(Depreciation)
 

Purchased Contracts

              

Euro STOXX 50 Futures

     319         September 2013       $   11,112,916       $   10,787,585       $ (325,331

FTSE 100 Index Futures

     81         September 2013         7,711,322         7,590,778         (120,544

Hang Seng Index Futures

     10         July 2013         1,284,887         1,336,312         51,425   

MSCI Emerging Market Mini Futures

     2         September 2013         164,338         163,970         (368

Russell 2000 Mini Index Futures

     65         September 2013         6,354,620         6,335,550         (19,070

S&P 500 E Mini Index Futures

     312         September 2013         25,400,447           24,949,080         (451,367

S&P Mid 400 E Mini Index Futures

     82         September 2013         9,547,316         9,494,780         (52,536

SPI 200 Index Futures

     25         September 2013         2,706,799         2,725,930         19,131   

TOPIX Index Futures

     51         September 2013         5,725,143         5,815,789         90,646   

U.S. T-Note 10 Yr (CBT) Futures

     106         September 2013         13,743,506         13,415,625         (327,881

Ultra Long U.S. T-Bond Futures

     28         September 2013         4,292,163         4,124,750         (167,413
              

 

 

 
               $   (1,303,308
              

 

 

 

FORWARD CURRENCY EXCHANGE CONTRACTS (see Note D)

 

Counterparty    Contracts to
Deliver
(000)
     In Exchange
For
(000)
     Settlement
Date
     Unrealized
Appreciation/
(Depreciation)
 

Currency Instruments

               

Bank of America, NA

     USD        816         GBP        538         9/17/13       $ 1,907   

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

     USD        264         AUD        276         9/17/13         (12,693

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

     EUR        716         USD        946         9/17/13         13,960   

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

     USD        2,681         EUR        2,072         9/17/13         16,626   

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

     USD        6,946         JPY        685,172         9/17/13         (34,748

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

     JPY        113,273         USD        1,158         9/17/13         15,029   

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

     USD        680         SEK        4,500         9/17/13         (10,547

BNP Paribas SA

     AUD        407         USD        371         9/17/13         899   

BNP Paribas SA

     USD        2,808         AUD        3,045         9/17/13         (38,375

BNP Paribas SA

     USD        1,861         EUR        1,421         9/17/13         (10,714

BNP Paribas SA

     JPY        741,477         USD        7,636         9/17/13           157,312   

BNP Paribas SA

     USD        2,181         JPY        216,714         9/17/13         5,057   

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.

     EUR        206         USD        268         9/17/13         133   

Deutsche Bank AG London

     EUR        743         USD        981         9/17/13         13,103   

Deutsche Bank AG London

     USD        543         JPY        54,345         9/17/13         5,436   

HSBC Bank USA

     GBP        320         USD        494         9/17/13         7,885   

HSBC Bank USA

     USD        1,531         GBP        986         9/17/13         (31,676

JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA

     USD        769         EUR        584         9/17/13         (8,889

Morgan Stanley Capital Services, Inc.

     USD        455         GBP        303         9/17/13         5,161   

Royal Bank of Canada

     CAD        302         USD        296         9/17/13         9,288   

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

     USD        1,998         GBP        1,305         9/17/13         (14,308

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

     JPY        101,157         USD        1,051         9/17/13         30,795   

 

18


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Counterparty    Contracts to
Deliver
(000)
     In Exchange
For
(000)
     Settlement
Date
     Unrealized
Appreciation/
(Depreciation)
 

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

     USD        1,236         CHF        1,168         9/17/13       $ 1,602   

Societe Generale

     USD        790         JPY        81,342         9/17/13         30,498   

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

     USD        43         AUD        47         9/17/13         (557

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

     USD        342         EUR        258         9/17/13         (5,839

UBS AG

     AUD        2,941         USD        2,777         9/17/13         102,108   

UBS AG

     USD        1,058         AUD        1,104         9/17/13         (53,777

UBS AG

     USD        355         EUR        276         9/17/13         4,741   

UBS AG

     CHF        672         USD        725         9/17/13         13,018   

UBS AG

     USD        538         CHF        509         9/17/13         899   

Westpac Banking Corp.

     USD        331         AUD        346         9/17/13         (15,935
               

 

 

 
                $   197,399   
               

 

 

 

TOTAL RETURN SWAPS (see Note D)

 

Receive/Pay
Total
Return on
Reference
Index
  Index   # of Shares
or Units
    Rate Paid/
Received by
the Fund
    Notional
Amount
(000)
    Maturity
Date
    Counterparty   Unrealized
Appreciation/
(Depreciation)
 

Receive Total Return on Reference Index

  

       

Receive

  FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Total Return Index USD     20        0.47   $ 73        8/15/13      Deutsche
Bank AG
  $ (1,055

Receive

  FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Total Return Index USD     79        0.47     289        8/15/13      Deutsche
Bank AG
    (4,167

Receive

  FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Total Return Index USD     73        0.47       267        9/16/13      Deutsche
Bank AG
    (3,851

Receive

  FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Total Return Index USD     18        0.47     66        10/15/13      Deutsche
Bank AG
    (950

Receive

  FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Total Return Index USD     56        0.47     205        11/15/13      Deutsche
Bank AG
    (2,954

Receive

  FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Total Return Index USD     238        0.57     870        3/17/14      Deutsche
Bank AG
      (12,582

 

19


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Receive/Pay
Total
Return on
Reference
Index
  Index   # of Shares
or Units
    Rate Paid/
Received by
the Fund
    Notional
Amount
(000)
    Maturity
Date
    Counterparty   Unrealized
Appreciation/
(Depreciation)
 

Receive

  FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Total Return Index USD     330        0.57   $   1,207        4/15/14      Deutsche
Bank AG
  $   (17,446

Receive

  FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Total Return Index USD     237        0.57     867        4/15/14      Deutsche
Bank AG
    (12,529

Receive

  FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Total Return Index USD     340        0.57     1,244        5/15/14      Deutsche
Bank AG
    (17,974

Receive

  FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Total Return Index USD     38        0.27     139        7/15/14      Deutsche
Bank AG
    (2,041

Receive

  FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Total Return Index USD     151        0.47     552        1/15/14      JPMorgan
Chase Bank
NA
    (7,966

Receive

  Russell 2000 Total Return Index     30        0.19     137        3/17/14      JPMorgan
Chase Bank
NA
    (1,300

Receive

  FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Total Return Index USD     311        0.19     1,137        4/15/14      Morgan
Stanley
Capital
Services,
LLC
    (16,309

Receive

  FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Total Return Index USD     19        0.19     69        4/15/14      Morgan
Stanley
Capital
Services,
LLC
    (996

Receive

  FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Total Return Index USD     132        0.39     483        10/15/13      UBS AG     (6,952

Receive

  FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Total Return Index USD     130        0.47     475        11/15/13      UBS AG     (6,858

 

20


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Receive/Pay
Total
Return on
Reference
Index
  Index   # of Shares
or Units
    Rate Paid/
Received by
the Fund
    Notional
Amount
(000)
    Maturity
Date
    Counterparty   Unrealized
Appreciation/
(Depreciation)
 

Receive

  FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Total Return Index USD     233        0.57   $ 852        5/15/14      UBS AG   $ (12,318)   

Receive

  MSCI Daily TR Net Emerging Markets USD     18,216        0.64       7,058        12/23/13      UBS AG       (120,012)   

Receive

  Russell 2000 Total Return Index     109        0.19     498        9/16/13      UBS AG     (4,670)   

Receive

  Russell 2000 Total Return Index     65        0.19     297        10/15/13      UBS AG     (2,800)   

Receive

  Russell 2000 Total Return Index     487        0.19     2,223        2/18/14      UBS AG     (21,091)   
             

 

 

 
              $   (276,821)   
             

 

 

 

 

 

 

(a)   Non-income producing security.

 

(b)   Represents entire or partial securities out on loan. See Note E for securities lending information.

 

(c)   Position, or a portion thereof, has been segregated to collateralize OTC derivatives outstanding. The aggregate market value of these securities amounted to $2,940,562.

 

(d)   Investment in affiliated money market mutual fund. The rate shown represents the 7-day yield as of period end.

Currency Abbreviation:

AUD—Australian Dollar

CAD—Canadian Dollar

CHF—Swiss Franc

EUR—Euro

GBP—Great British Pound

JPY—Japanese Yen

SEK—Swedish Krona

USD—United States Dollar

Glossary:

CBT—Chicago Board of Trade

EAFE—Europe, Australia, and Far East

EPRA—European Public Real Estate Association

ETF—Exchange Traded Fund

FTSE—Financial Times Stock Exchange

MSCI—Morgan Stanley Capital International

NAREIT—National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts

REG—Registered Shares

REIT—Real Estate Investment Trust

SPDR—Standard & Poor’s Depository Receipt

SPI—Share Price Index

TOPIX—Tokyo Price Index

See notes to financial statements.

 

21


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF ASSETS & LIABILITIES
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

ASSETS

  

Investments in securities, at value

  

Unaffiliated issuers (cost $153,063,561)

   $ 161,876,830 (a) 

Affiliated issuers (cost $113,311,062—including investment of cash collateral for securities loaned of $936,954)

     113,311,062   

Cash

     3,750,621 (b) 

Foreign currencies, at value (cost $90,979)

     90,414   

Interest and dividends receivable

     607,520   

Unrealized appreciation of forward currency exchange contracts

     509,479   

Receivable for capital stock sold

     225,464   

Receivable for investment securities sold

     5,250   
  

 

 

 

Total assets

     280,376,640   
  

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

  

Due to custodian

     87,708   

Payable for collateral received on securities loaned

     936,954   

Unrealized depreciation of forward currency exchange contracts

     312,080   

Unrealized depreciation on total return swaps

     276,821   

Payable for variation margin on futures

     119,160   

Advisory fee payable

     117,417   

Payable for capital stock redeemed

     91,224   

Distribution fee payable

     52,624   

Administrative fee payable

     7,479   

Transfer Agent fee payable

     90   

Accrued expenses

     85,632   
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     2,087,189   
  

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 278,289,451   
  

 

 

 

COMPOSITION OF NET ASSETS

  

Capital stock, at par

   $ 25,682   

Additional paid-in capital

     261,616,296   

Undistributed net investment income

     524,943   

Accumulated net realized gain on investment and foreign currency transactions

     8,696,015   

Net unrealized appreciation on investments and foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities

     7,426,515   
  

 

 

 
   $ 278,289,451   
  

 

 

 

Net Asset Value Per Share—1 billion shares of capital stock authorized, $.001 par value

 

Class   Net Assets        Shares
Outstanding
       Net Asset
Value
 

A

  $ 72,129           6,626         $ 10.89   

B

  $   278,217,322           25,675,738         $   10.84   

 

 

 

(a)   Includes securities on loan with a value of $884,809 (see Note E).

 

(b)   An amount of $3,750,621 has been segregated to collateralize margin requirements for open futures contracts outstanding at June 30, 2013.

See notes to financial statements.

 

22


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS  
Six Months Ended June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

  

Dividends

  

Unaffiliated issuers (net of foreign taxes withheld of $67,300)

   $ 1,175,418   

Affiliated issuers

     60,180   

Interest

     318,423   

Securities lending income

     28,613   
  

 

 

 
   $ 1,582,634   

EXPENSES

  

Advisory fee (see Note B)

     876,833   

Distribution fee—Class B

     313,094   

Transfer agency—Class B

     2,256   

Custodian

     135,126   

Audit

     29,355   

Administrative

     22,066   

Legal

     13,645   

Printing

     9,743   

Directors’ fees

     2,265   

Miscellaneous

     31,050   
  

 

 

 

Total expenses

     1,435,433   

Less: expenses reimbursed by the Adviser (see Note B)

     (57,566
  

 

 

 

Net expenses

     1,377,867   
  

 

 

 

Net investment income

     204,767   
  

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENT AND FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSACTIONS

  

Net realized gain (loss) on:

  

Investment transactions

     (1,006,460

Futures

     8,827,773   

Options written

     (80,625

Swaps

     236,328   

Foreign currency transactions

     (450,598

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of:

  

Investments

     1,222,444   

Futures

     (1,727,897

Options written

     (30,147

Swaps

     (482,490

Foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities

     163,619   
  

 

 

 

Net gain on investment and foreign currency transactions

     6,671,947   
  

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

   $ 6,876,714   
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

23


 
DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET  ASSETS   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

     Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

    

Net investment income

   $ 204,767      $ 163,817   

Net realized gain on investment and foreign currency transactions

     7,526,418        2,203,409   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments and foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities

     (854,471     7,907,137   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets from operations

     6,876,714        10,274,363   

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM

    

Net investment income

    

Class A

     –0 –      (24

Class B

     –0 –      (211,036

Net realized gain on investment transactions

    

Class A

     –0 –      (10

Class B

     –0 –      (97,401

CAPITAL STOCK TRANSACTIONS

    

Net increase

     50,723,180        149,294,486   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total increase

     57,599,894        159,260,378   

NET ASSETS

    

Beginning of period

     220,689,557        61,429,179   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period (including undistributed net investment income of $524,943 and $320,176, respectively)

   $ 278,289,451      $ 220,689,557   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

24


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE A: Significant Accounting Policies

The AllianceBernstein Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio (the “Portfolio”) is a series of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”). The Portfolio’s investment objective is to maximize total return consistent with the Adviser’s determination of reasonable risk. The Portfolio is diversified as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Fund was incorporated in the State of Maryland on November 17, 1987, as an open-end series investment company. The Fund offers thirteen separately managed pools of assets which have differing investment objectives and policies. The Portfolio offers Class A and Class B shares. Both classes of shares have identical voting, dividend, liquidating and other rights, except that Class B shares bear a distribution expense and have exclusive voting rights with respect to the Class B distribution plan.

The Portfolio offers and sells its shares only to separate accounts of certain life insurance companies for the purpose of funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies. Sales are made without a sales charge at the Portfolio’s net asset value per share.

The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) which require management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Portfolio.

1. Security Valuation

Portfolio securities are valued at their current market value determined on the basis of market quotations or, if market quotations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable, at “fair value” as determined in accordance with procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Fund’s Board of Directors (the “Board”).

In general, the market values of securities which are readily available and deemed reliable are determined as follows: securities listed on a national securities exchange (other than securities listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. (“NASDAQ”)) or on a foreign securities exchange are valued at the last sale price at the close of the exchange or foreign securities exchange. If there has been no sale on such day, the securities are valued at the last traded price from the previous day. Securities listed on more than one exchange are valued by reference to the principal exchange on which the securities are traded; securities listed only on NASDAQ are valued in accordance with the NASDAQ Official Closing Price; listed or over the counter (“OTC”) market put or call options are valued at the mid level between the current bid and ask prices. If either a current bid or current ask price is unavailable, AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) will have discretion to determine the best valuation (e.g. last trade price in the case of listed options); open futures are valued using the closing settlement price or, in the absence of such a price, the most recent quoted bid price. If there are no quotations available for the day of valuation, the last available closing settlement price is used; U.S. government securities and other debt instruments having 60 days or less remaining until maturity are valued at amortized cost if their original maturity was 60 days or less; or by amortizing their fair value as of the 61st day prior to maturity if their original term to maturity exceeded 60 days; fixed-income securities, including mortgage backed and asset backed securities, may be valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service or at a price obtained from one or more of the major broker/dealers. In cases where broker/dealer quotes are obtained, the Adviser may establish procedures whereby changes in market yields or spreads are used to adjust, on a daily basis, a recently obtained quoted price on a security. Swaps and other derivatives are valued daily, primarily using independent pricing services, independent pricing models using market inputs, as well as third party broker-dealers or counterparties. Investments in money market funds are valued at their net asset value each day.

Securities for which market quotations are not readily available (including restricted securities) or are deemed unreliable are valued at fair value. Factors considered in making this determination may include, but are not limited to, information obtained by contacting the issuer, analysts, analysis of the issuer’s financial statements or other available documents. In addition, the Portfolio may use fair value pricing for securities primarily traded in non-U.S. markets because most foreign markets close well before the Portfolio values its securities at 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The earlier close of these foreign markets gives rise to the possibility that significant events, including broad market moves, may have occurred in the interim and may materially affect the value of those securities. To account for this, the Portfolio may frequently value many of its foreign equity securities using fair value prices based on third party vendor modeling tools to the extent available.

2. Fair Value Measurements

In accordance with U.S. GAAP regarding fair value measurements, fair value is defined as the price that the Portfolio would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement

 

25


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

date. U.S. GAAP establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and a three-level hierarchy for fair value measurements based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability (including those valued based on their market values as described in Note A.1 above). Inputs may be observable or unobservable and refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Portfolio. Unobservable inputs reflect the Portfolio’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on the best information available in the circumstances. Each investment is assigned a level based upon the observability of the inputs which are significant to the overall valuation. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized below.

 

   

Level 1—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 Portfolio’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The fair value of debt instruments, such as bonds, and over-the-counter derivatives is generally based on market price quotations, recently executed market transactions (where observable) or industry recognized modeling techniques and are generally classified as Level 2. Pricing vendor inputs to Level 2 valuations may include quoted prices for similar investments in active markets, interest rate curves, coupon rates, currency rates, yield curves, option adjusted spreads, default rates, credit spreads and other unique security features in order to estimate the relevant cash flows which is then discounted to calculate fair values. If these inputs are unobservable and significant to the fair value, these investments will be classified as Level 3. In addition, non-agency rated investments are classified as Level 3.

Where readily available market prices or relevant bid prices are not available for certain equity investments, such investments may be valued based on similar publicly traded investments, movements in relevant indices since last available prices or based upon underlying company fundamentals and comparable company data (such as multiples to earnings or other multiples to equity). Where an investment is valued using an observable input, such as another publicly traded security, the investment will be classified as Level 2. If management determines that an adjustment is appropriate based on restrictions on resale, illiquidity or uncertainty, and such adjustment is a significant component of the valuation, the investment will be classified as Level 3. An investment will also be classified as Level 3 where management uses company fundamentals and other significant inputs to determine the valuation.

Options and warrants are valued using market-based inputs to models, broker or dealer quotations, or alternative pricing sources with reasonable levels of price transparency, where such inputs and models are available. Alternatively the values may be obtained through unobservable management determined inputs and/or management’s proprietary models. Where models are used, the selection of a particular model to value an option or a warrant depends upon the contractual terms of, and specific risks inherent in, the option or warrant as well as the availability of pricing information in the market. Valuation models require a variety of inputs, including contractual terms, market prices, measures of volatility and correlations of such inputs. Exchange traded options will be classified as Level 2. For options or warrants that do not trade on exchange but trade in liquid markets, inputs can generally be verified and model selection does not involve significant management judgment. Options and warrants are classified within Level 2 on the fair value hierarchy when all of the significant inputs can be corroborated to market evidence. Otherwise such instruments are classified as Level 3.

Other fixed income investments, including non-U.S. government and corporate debt, are generally valued using quoted market prices, if available, which are typically impacted by current interest rates, maturity dates and any perceived credit risk of the issuer. Additionally, in the absence of quoted market prices, these inputs are used by pricing vendors to derive a valuation based upon industry or proprietary models which incorporate issuer specific data with relevant yield/spread comparisons with more widely quoted bonds with similar key characteristics. Those investments for which there are observable inputs are classified as Level 2. Where the inputs are not observable, the investments are classified as Level 3.

 

26


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The following table summarizes the valuation of the Portfolio’s investments by the above fair value hierarchy levels as of June 30, 2013:

 

       Level 1      Level 2      Level 3     Total  

Investments in Securities:

            

Assets:

            

Common Stocks:

            

Financials

     $ 6,998,762       $ 9,722,403       $ –0 –    $ 16,721,165   

Consumer Discretionary

       5,169,537         4,542,144         –0 –      9,711,681   

Health Care

       5,446,555         4,039,353         –0 –      9,485,908   

Information Technology

       7,469,565         1,700,104         –0 –      9,169,669   

Industrials

       4,274,244         4,889,528         –0 –      9,163,772   

Consumer Staples

       4,441,655         4,553,122         –0 –      8,994,777   

Energy

       4,419,113         2,716,977         –0 –      7,136,090   

Materials

       1,365,391         3,196,046         –0 –      4,561,437   

Telecommunication Services

       1,217,256         2,051,923         –0 –      3,269,179   

Utilities

       1,376,336         1,487,332         –0 –      2,863,668   

Governments—Treasuries

       –0 –       76,085,454         –0 –      76,085,454   

Investment Companies

       2,903,702         –0 –       –0 –      2,903,702   

Rights

       534         –0 –       –0 –^      534   

Short-Term Investments:

            

Investment Companies

       112,374,108         –0 –       –0 –      112,374,108   

U.S. Treasury Bills

       –0 –       1,809,794         –0 –      1,809,794   

Investments of Cash Collateral for Securities Loaned in Affiliated Money Market Fund

       936,954         –0 –       –0 –      936,954   
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Investments in Securities

       158,393,712         116,794,180      –0 –      275,187,892   

Other Financial Instruments*:

            

Assets:

            

Futures

       –0 –       161,202         –0 –      161,202

Forward Currency Exchange Contracts

       –0 –       509,479         –0 –      509,479   

Liabilities:

            

Futures

       (1,018,635      (445,875      –0 –      (1,464,510 )# 

Forward Currency Exchange Contracts

       –0 –       (312,080      –0 –      (312,080

Total Return Swaps

       –0 –       (276,821      –0 –      (276,821
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total++

     $ 157,375,077       $ 116,430,085       $             –0 –    $ 273,805,162   
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

^   The Portfolio held securities with zero market value at period end.

 

*   Other financial instruments are derivative instruments, such as futures, forwards and swaps, which are valued at the unrealized appreciation/depreciation on the instrument.

 

+   A significant portion of the Portfolio’s foreign equity investments are categorized as Level 2 investments since they are valued using fair value prices based on third party vendor modeling tools to the extent available, see Note A.1.

 

#   Only variation margin receivable/payable at period end is reported within the statement of assets and liabilities. This amount reflects cumulative appreciation/(depreciation) of futures contracts as reported in the portfolio of investments.

 

++   There were de minimis transfers under 1% of net assets between Level 1 and Level 2 during the reporting period.

The Portfolio recognizes all transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy assuming the financial instruments were transferred at the beginning of the reporting period.

 

27


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

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

 

     Rights^      Total  

Balance as of 12/31/12

   $             –0 –     $             –0 – 

Accrued discounts/(premiums)

     –0 –       –0 – 

Realized gain (loss)

     –0 –       –0 – 

Change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation

     –0 –       –0 – 

Purchases

     –0 –       –0 – 

Sales

     –0 –       –0 – 

Transfers in to Level 3

     –0 –       –0 – 

Transfers out of Level 3

     –0 –       –0 – 
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Balance as of 6/30/13

   $ –0 –     $ –0 – 
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciationfrom Investments held as of 6/30/13*

   $ –0 –     $ –0 – 
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

^   The Portfolio held securities with zero market value at period end.

 

*   The unrealized appreciation/depreciation is included in net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments in the accompanying statement of operations.

The Adviser has established a Valuation Committee (the “Committee”) which is responsible for overseeing the pricing and valuation of all securities held in the Portfolio. The Committee operates under pricing and valuation policies and procedures established by the Adviser and approved by the Board, including pricing policies which set forth the mechanisms and processes to be employed on a daily basis to implement these policies and procedures. In particular, the pricing policies describe how to determine market quotations for securities and other instruments. The Committee’s responsibilities include: 1) fair value and liquidity determinations (and oversight of any third parties to whom any responsibility for fair value and liquidity determinations is delegated), and 2) regular monitoring of the Adviser’s pricing and valuation policies and procedures and modification or enhancement of these policies and procedures (or recommendation of the modification of these policies and procedures) as the Committee believes appropriate.

The Committee is also responsible for monitoring the implementation of the pricing policies by the Adviser’s Pricing Group (the “Pricing Group”) and a third party which performs certain pricing functions in accordance with the pricing policies. The Pricing Group is responsible for the oversight of the third party on a day-to-day basis. The Committee and the Pricing Group perform a series of activities to provide reasonable assurance of the accuracy of prices including: 1) periodic vendor due diligence meetings, review of methodologies, new developments and process at vendors, 2) daily compare of security valuation versus prior day for all securities that exceeded established thresholds, and 3) daily review of unpriced, stale, and variance reports with exceptions reviewed by senior management and the Committee.

In addition, several processes outside of the pricing process are used to monitor valuation issues including: 1) performance and performance attribution reports are monitored for anomalous impacts based upon benchmark performance, and 2) portfolio managers review all portfolios for performance and analytics (which are generated using the Adviser’s prices).

3. Currency Translation

Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies and commitments under forward currency exchange contracts are translated into U.S. dollars at the mean of the quoted bid and ask prices of such currencies against the U.S. dollar. Purchases and sales of portfolio securities are translated into U.S. dollars at the rates of exchange prevailing when such securities were acquired or sold. Income and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars at rates of exchange prevailing when accrued.

Net realized gain or loss on foreign currency transactions represents foreign exchange gains and losses from sales and maturities of foreign fixed income investments, foreign currency exchange contracts, holding of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on foreign investment transactions, and the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the Portfolio’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized currency gains and losses from valuing foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities at period end exchange rates are reflected as a component of net unrealized appreciation or depreciation of foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities.

 

28


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

4. Taxes

It is the Portfolio’s policy to meet the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute all of its investment company taxable income and net realized gains, if any, to shareholders. Therefore, no provisions for federal income or excise taxes are required. The Portfolio may be subject to taxes imposed by countries in which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on income and/or capital gains earned or repatriated. Taxes are accrued and applied to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized appreciation/depreciation as such income and/or gains are earned.

In accordance with U.S. GAAP requirements regarding accounting for uncertainties in income taxes, management has analyzed the Portfolio’s tax positions taken or expected to be taken on federal and state income tax returns for all open tax years (all years since inception of the Portfolio) and has concluded that no provision for income tax is required in the Portfolio’s financial statements.

5. Investment Income and Investment Transactions

Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date or as soon as the Portfolio is informed of the dividend. Interest income is accrued daily. Investment transactions are accounted for on the date the securities are purchased or sold. Investment gains or losses are determined on the identified cost basis. The Portfolio amortizes premiums and accretes discounts as adjustments to interest income.

6. Class Allocations

All income earned and expenses incurred by the Portfolio are borne on a pro-rata basis by each outstanding class of shares, based on the proportionate interest in the Portfolio represented by the net assets of such class, except for class specific expenses which are allocated to the respective class. Realized and unrealized gains and losses are allocated among the various share classes based on respective net assets.

7. Dividends and Distributions

Dividends and distributions to shareholders, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income dividends and capital gains distributions are determined in accordance with federal tax regulations and may differ from those determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. To the extent these differences are permanent, such amounts are reclassified within the capital accounts based on their federal tax basis treatment; temporary differences do not require such reclassification.

NOTE B: Advisory Fee and Other Transactions with Affiliates

Under the terms of the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio pays the Adviser an advisory fee at an annual rate of .70% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets. The Adviser has agreed to waive its fees and bear certain expenses to the extent necessary to limit total operating expenses on an annual basis to .85% and 1.10% of daily average net assets for Class A and Class B shares, respectively. Under the agreement, fees waived and expenses borne by the Adviser are subject to repayment by the Fund until April 1, 2014. No repayment will be made that would cause the Portfolio’s total annualized operating expenses to exceed the net fee percentage set forth above or would exceed the amount of offering expenses as recorded by the Portfolio on or before April 1, 2012. This fee waiver and/or reimbursement will remain in effect until May 1, 2014 and then may be extended by the Adviser for additional one-year terms. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, the amount of such fees reimbursed by the Adviser was $57,566.

Pursuant to the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio may reimburse the Adviser for certain legal and accounting services provided to the Portfolio by the Adviser. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, the reimbursement for such services amounted to $22,066.

The Portfolio compensates AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, under a Transfer Agency Agreement for providing personnel and facilities to perform transfer agency services for the Portfolio. Such compensation retained by ABIS amounted to $692 for the six months ended June 30, 2013.

The Portfolio may invest in the AllianceBernstein Fixed-Income Shares, Inc.—Government STIF Portfolio (“Government STIF Portfolio”), an open-end management investment company managed by the Adviser. The Government STIF Portfolio is offered as a cash management option to mutual funds and other institutional accounts of the Adviser, and is not available for direct purchase by members of the public. The Government STIF Portfolio pays no investment management fees but

 

29


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

does bear its own expenses. A summary of the Portfolio’s transactions in shares of the Government STIF Portfolio for the six months ended June 30, 2013 is as follows:

 

Market Value

December 31, 2012

(000)

   

Purchases

at Cost

(000)

   

Sales

Proceeds

(000)

   

Market Value

June 30, 2013

(000)

   

Dividend

Income

(000)

 
$ 95,467      $ 84,091      $ 67,184      $ 112,374      $ 59   

Brokerage commissions paid on investment transactions for the six months ended June 30, 2013 amounted to $100,671, of which $0 and $0, respectively, was paid to Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. LLC and Sanford C. Bernstein Limited, affiliates of the Adviser.

NOTE C: Distribution Plan

The Portfolio has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Under the Plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (the “Distributor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, at an annual rate of up to .50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The fees are accrued daily and paid monthly. The Board currently limits payments under the Plan to .25% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The Plan provides that the Distributor will use such payments in their entirety for distribution assistance and promotional activities.

The Portfolio is not obligated under the Plan to pay any distribution and servicing fees in excess of the amounts set forth above. The purpose of the payments to the Distributor under the Plan is to compensate the Distributor for its distribution services with respect to the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. Since the Distributor’s compensation is not directly tied to its expenses, the amount of compensation received by it under the Plan during any year may be more or less than its actual expenses. For this reason, the Plan is characterized by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission as being of the “compensation” variety.

In the event that the Plan is terminated or not continued, no distribution or servicing fees (other than current amounts accrued but not yet paid) would be owed by the Portfolio to the Distributor.

The Plan also provides that the Adviser may use its own resources to finance the distribution of the Portfolio’s shares.

NOTE D: Investment Transactions

Purchases and sales of investment securities (excluding short-term investments) for the six months ended June 30, 2013 were as follows:

 

     Purchases      Sales  

Investment securities (excluding U.S. government securities)

   $ 54,423,107       $ 42,635,808   

U.S. government securities

     30,179,035         1,944,221   

The cost of investments for federal income tax purposes was substantially the same as the cost for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, gross unrealized appreciation and unrealized depreciation (excluding futures, foreign currency, written options and swap transactions) are as follows:

 

Gross unrealized appreciation

   $ 12,028,596   

Gross unrealized depreciation

     (3,215,327
  

 

 

 

Net unrealized appreciation

   $ 8,813,269   
  

 

 

 

1. Derivative Financial Instruments

The Portfolio may use derivatives in an effort to earn income and enhance returns, to replace more traditional direct investments, to obtain exposure to otherwise inaccessible markets (collectively, “investment purposes”), or to hedge or adjust the risk profile of its portfolio.

The principal types of derivatives utilized by the Portfolio, as well as the methods in which they may be used are:

 

   

Futures

The Portfolio may buy or sell futures for investment purposes or for the purpose of hedging its portfolio against adverse effects of potential movements in the market. The Portfolio bears the market risk that arises from changes in the value of these instruments and the imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the futures and

 

30


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

movements in the price of the assets, reference rates or indices which they are designed to track. Among other things, the Portfolio may purchase or sell futures for foreign currencies or options thereon for non-hedging purposes as a means of making direct investment in foreign currencies, as described below under “Currency Transactions”.

At the time the Portfolio enters into a futures contract, the Portfolio deposits and maintains as collateral an initial margin with the broker, as required by the exchange on which the transaction is effected. Pursuant to the contract, the Portfolio 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 are known as variation margin and are recorded by the Portfolio as unrealized gains or losses. Risks may arise from the potential inability of a counterparty to meet the terms of the contract. The credit/counterparty risk for exchange-traded futures is generally less than privately negotiated futures, since the clearinghouse, which is the issuer or counterparty to each exchange-traded future, provides a guarantee of performance. This guarantee is supported by a daily payment system (i.e., margin requirements). When the contract is closed, the Portfolio records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the time it was closed.

Use of long futures subjects the Portfolio to risk of loss in excess of the amounts shown on the statement of assets and liabilities, up to the notional value of the futures. Use of short futures subjects the Portfolio to unlimited risk of loss. Under some circumstances, futures exchanges may establish daily limits on the amount that the price of a futures can vary from the previous day’s settlement price, which could effectively prevent liquidation of unfavorable positions.

During the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio held futures for hedging and non-hedging purposes.

 

   

Forward Currency Exchange Contracts

The Portfolio may enter into forward currency exchange contracts in order to hedge its exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates on its foreign portfolio holdings, to hedge certain firm purchase and sale commitments denominated in foreign currencies and for non-hedging purposes as a means of making direct investments in foreign currencies, as described below under “Currency Transactions”.

A forward currency exchange contract is a commitment to purchase or sell a foreign currency at a future date at a negotiated forward rate. The gain or loss arising from the difference between the original contract and the closing of such contract would be included in net realized gain or loss on foreign currency transactions. Fluctuations in the value of open forward currency exchange contracts are recorded for financial reporting purposes as unrealized appreciation and/or depreciation by the Portfolio. Risks may arise from the potential inability of a counterparty to meet the terms of a contract and from unanticipated movements in the value of a foreign currency relative to the U.S. dollar.

During the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio held forward currency exchange contracts for hedging and non-hedging purposes.

 

   

Option Transactions

For hedging and investment purposes, the Portfolio may purchase and write (sell) put and call options on U.S. and foreign securities, including government securities, and foreign currencies that are traded on U.S. and foreign securities exchanges and over-the-counter markets. Among other things, the Portfolio may use options transactions for non-hedging purposes as a means of making direct investments in foreign currencies, as described below under “Currency Transactions” and may use options strategies involving the purchase and/or writing of various combinations of call and/or put options, for hedging and investment purposes.

The risk associated with purchasing an option is that the Portfolio pays a premium whether or not the option is exercised. Additionally, the Portfolio bears the risk of loss of the premium and change in market value should the counterparty not perform under the contract. Put and call options purchased are accounted for in the same manner as portfolio securities. The cost of securities acquired through the exercise of call options is increased by premiums paid. The proceeds from securities sold through the exercise of put options are decreased by the premiums paid.

When the Portfolio writes an option, the premium received by the Portfolio is recorded as a liability and is subsequently adjusted to the current market value of the option written. Premiums received from written options which expire unexercised are recorded by the Portfolio on the expiration date as realized gains from options written.

 

31


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The difference between the premium received and the amount paid on effecting a closing purchase transaction, including brokerage commissions, is also treated as a realized gain, or if the premium received is less than the amount paid for the closing purchase transaction, as a realized loss. If a call option is exercised, the premium received is added to the proceeds from the sale of the underlying security or currency in determining whether the Portfolio has realized a gain or loss. If a put option is exercised, the premium received reduces the cost basis of the security or currency purchased by the Portfolio. In writing an option, the Portfolio bears the market risk of an unfavorable change in the price of the security or currency underlying the written option. Exercise of an option written by the Portfolio could result in the Portfolio selling or buying a security or currency at a price different from the current market value.

During the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio held purchased options for hedging and non-hedging purposes. During the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio held written options for hedging and non-hedging purposes.

For the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio had the following transactions in written options:

 

     Number of
Contracts
     Premiums
Received
 

Options written outstanding as of 12/31/12

     913       $ 157,642   

Options written

     3,398         191,695   

Options expired

     –0 –       –0 – 

Options bought back

     (4,311      (349,337

Options exercised

     –0 –       –0 – 
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Options written outstanding as of 6/30/13

     –0 –     $ –0 – 
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

   

Swaps

The Portfolio may enter into swaps to hedge its exposure to interest rates, credit risk, equity markets and currencies. The Portfolio may also enter into swaps for non-hedging purposes as a means of gaining market exposures, including by making direct investments in foreign currencies, as described below under “Currency Transactions” or in order to take a “long” or “short” position with respect to an underlying referenced asset described below under “Total Return Swaps”. A swap is an agreement that obligates two parties to exchange a series of cash flows at specified intervals based upon or calculated by reference to changes in specified prices or rates for a specified amount of an underlying asset. The payment flows are usually netted against each other, with the difference being paid by one party to the other. In addition, collateral may be pledged or received by the Portfolio in accordance with the terms of the respective swaps to provide value and recourse to the Portfolio or its counterparties in the event of default, bankruptcy or insolvency by one of the parties to the swap.

Risks may arise as a result of the failure of the counterparty to the swap to comply with the terms of the swap. The loss incurred by the failure of a counterparty is generally limited to the net interim payment to be received by the Portfolio, and/or the termination value at the end of the contract. Therefore, the Portfolio considers the creditworthiness of each counterparty to a swap in evaluating potential counterparty risk. This risk is mitigated by having a netting arrangement between the Portfolio and the counterparty and by the posting of collateral by the counterparty to the Portfolio to cover the Portfolio’s exposure to the counterparty. Additionally, risks may arise from unanticipated movements in interest rates or in the value of the underlying securities. The Portfolio accrues for the interim payments on swaps on a daily basis, with the net amount recorded within unrealized appreciation/depreciation of swaps on the statement of assets and liabilities, where applicable. Once the interim payments are settled in cash, the net amount is recorded as realized gain/(loss) on swaps on the statement of operations, in addition to any realized gain/(loss) recorded upon the termination of swaps. Upfront premiums paid or received are recognized as cost or proceeds on the statement of assets and liabilities and are amortized on a straight line basis over the life of the contract. Amortized upfront premiums are included in net realized gain/(loss) from swaps on the statement of operations. Fluctuations in the value of swaps are recorded as a component of net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of swaps on the statement of operations.

 

32


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Credit Default Swaps:

The Portfolio may enter into credit default swaps, including to manage its exposure to the market or certain sectors of the market, to reduce its risk exposure to defaults by corporate and sovereign issuers held by the Portfolio, or to create exposure to corporate or sovereign issuers to which it is not otherwise exposed. The Portfolio may purchase credit protection (“Buy Contract”) or provide credit protection (“Sale Contract”) on the referenced obligation of the credit default swap. During the term of the swap, the Portfolio receives/(pays) fixed payments from/(to) the respective counterparty, calculated at the agreed upon rate applied to the notional amount. If the Portfolio is a buyer/(seller) of protection and a credit event occurs, as defined under the terms of the swap, the Portfolio will either (i) receive from the seller/(pay to the buyer) of protection an amount equal to the notional amount of the swap (the “Maximum Payout Amount”) and deliver/(take delivery of) the referenced obligation or (ii) receive/(pay) a net settlement amount in the form of cash or securities equal to the notional amount of the swap less the recovery value of the referenced obligation.

Credit default swaps may involve greater risks than if a Portfolio had invested in the referenced obligation directly. Credit default swaps are subject to general market risk, liquidity risk, counterparty risk and credit risk. If the Portfolio is a buyer of protection and no credit event occurs, it will lose the payments it made to its counterparty. If the Portfolio is a seller of protection 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 net loss to the Portfolio.

During the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio held credit default swaps for non-hedging purposes.

Implied credit spreads utilized in determining the market value of credit default swaps on issuers as of period end are disclosed in the portfolio of investments. The implied spreads serve as an indicator of the current status of the payment/performance risk and typically reflect the likelihood of default by the issuer of the referenced obligation. The implied credit spread of a particular reference obligation also reflects the cost of buying/selling protection and may reflect upfront payments required to be made to enter into the agreement. Widening credit spreads typically represent a deterioration of the referenced obligation’s credit soundness and greater likelihood of default or other credit event occurring as defined under the terms of the agreement. A credit spread identified as “Defaulted” indicates a credit event has occurred for the referenced obligation.

Total Return Swaps:

The Portfolio may enter into total return swaps in order take a “long” or “short” position with respect to an underlying referenced asset. The Portfolio is subject to market price volatility of the underlying referenced asset. A total return swap involves commitments to pay interest in exchange for a market linked return based on a notional amount. To the extent that the total return of the security, group of securities or index underlying the transaction exceeds or falls short of the offsetting interest obligation, the Portfolio will receive a payment from or make a payment to the counterparty.

During the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio held total return swaps for hedging and non-hedging purposes.

The Portfolio typically enters into International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. Master Agreements (“ISDA Master Agreement”) or similar master agreements (collectively, “Master Agreements”) with its OTC derivative contract counterparties in order to, among other things, reduce its credit risk to counterparties. ISDA Master Agreements include provisions for general obligations, representations, collateral and events of default or termination. Under an ISDA Master Agreement, the Portfolio typically may offset with the counterparty certain derivative financial instrument’s payables and/or receivables with collateral held and/or posted and create one single net payment (close-out netting) in the event of default or termination.

Various master agreements govern the terms of certain transactions with counterparties, including transactions such as exchange-traded derivative transactions, repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements and certain securities lending transactions. These master agreements typically attempt to reduce the counterparty risk associated with such transactions by specifying credit protection mechanisms and providing standardization that improves legal certainty. Cross-termination provisions under Master Agreements typically provide that a default in connection with one transaction between the Portfolio and a counterparty gives the non-defaulting party the right to terminate any other transactions in place with the defaulting party to create one single net payment due to/due from the defaulting party.

The Portfolio’s Master Agreements may contain provisions for early termination of derivative transactions in the event the net assets of the Portfolio decline below specific levels (“net asset contingent features”). If these levels are triggered, the Portfolio’s counterparty has the right to terminate such transaction and require the Portfolio to pay or receive a settlement amount in connection with the terminated transaction.

 

33


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

At June 30, 2013, the Portfolio had entered into the following derivatives:

 

    

Asset Derivatives

   

Liability Derivatives

 

Derivative Type

  

Statement of
Assets and Liabilities
Location

   Fair Value    

Statement of
Assets and Liabilities
Location

   Fair Value  

Interest rate contracts

        Receivable/Payable for variation margin on futures    $ 495,294 *+ 

Equity contracts

   Receivable/Payable for variation margin on futures    $ 161,202 *+    Receivable/Payable for variation margin on futures      969,216 *+ 

Foreign exchange contracts

   Unrealized appreciation of forward currency exchange contracts      509,479      Unrealized depreciation of forward currency exchange contracts      312,080   

Equity contracts

        Unrealized depreciation on total return swaps      276,821   
     

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total

      $ 670,681         $ 2,053,411   
     

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

*   Only variation margin receivable/payable at period end is reported within the statement of assets and liabilities. This amount reflects cumulative appreciation/(depreciation) as reported in the portfolio of investments.

 

+   Exchange-traded investments.

The effect of derivative instruments on the statement of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2013:

 

Derivative Type

  

Location of Gain or (Loss) on Derivatives

   Realized Gain or
(Loss) on
Derivatives
    Change in Unrealized
Appreciation or
(Depreciation)
 

Interest rate contracts

   Net realized gain (loss) on futures; Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of futures contracts    $ (31,776   $ (440,811

Equity contracts

   Net realized gain (loss) on futures; Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of futures contracts      8,859,549        (1,287,086

Foreign exchange contracts

   Net realized gain (loss) on foreign currency transactions; Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities      (498,236     168,362   

Equity contracts

   Net realized gain (loss) on investment transactions; Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments      (518,263     111,216   

Equity contracts

   Net realized gain (loss) on options written; Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of options written      (80,625     (30,147

Credit contracts

   Net realized gain (loss) on swaps; Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of swaps      390,926        45,541   

 

34


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Derivative Type

  

Location of Gain or (Loss) on Derivatives

   Realized Gain or
(Loss) on
Derivatives
    Change in Unrealized
Appreciation or
(Depreciation)
 

Equity contracts

   Net realized gain (loss) on swaps; Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of swaps    $ (154,598   $ (528,031
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

      $ 7,966,977      $ (1,960,956
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

The following table represents the volume of the Portfolio’s derivative transactions during the six months ended June 30, 2013:

 

Futures:

  

Average original value of buy contracts

   $ 85,094,966   

Forward Currency Exchange Contracts:

  

Average principal amount of buy contracts

   $ 17,960,226   

Average principal amount of sale contracts

   $ 10,672,247   

Purchased Options:

  

Average monthly cost

   $ 351,470 (a) 

Credit Default Swaps:

  

Average notional amount of sale contracts

   $ 4,750,506 (b) 

Total Return Swaps:

  

Average notional amount

   $ 18,695,681   

 

(a)   Positions were open for five months during the period.

 

(b)   Positions were open for four months during the period.

For financial reporting purposes, the Portfolio does not offset derivative assets and derivative liabilities that are subject to netting arrangements in the statement of assets and liabilities.

The following tables present the Portfolio’s derivative assets and liabilities by counterparty net of amounts available for offset under Master Agreements (“MA”) and net of the related collateral received/pledged by the Portfolio as of June 30, 2013:

 

Counterparty    Derivative Assets
Subject to MA
     Derivatives
Available for
Offset
     Collateral
Received
     Net Amount of
Derivatives
Assets
 

Bank of America, NA

   $ 1,907       $ –0 –     $ –0 –     $ 1,907   

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

     79,525         (79,525      –0 –       –0 – 

BNP Paribas SA

     195,037         (80,858      –0 –       114,179   

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.

     133         –0 –       –0 –       133   

Deutsche Bank AG London

     18,539         –0 –       –0 –       18,539   

HSBC Bank USA

     7,885         (7,885      –0 –       –0 – 

Morgan Stanley Capital Services LLC

     5,161         (5,161      –0 –       –0 – 

Royal Bank of Canada

     9,288         –0 –       –0 –       9,288   

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

     40,741         (22,652      –0 –       18,089   

Societe Generale

     30,498         –0 –       –0 –       30,498   

UBS AG

     120,765         (120,765      –0 –       –0 – 
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 509,479       $ (316,846    $             –0 –     $ 192,633   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

35


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

Counterparty    Derivative Liabilities
Subject to MA
     Derivatives
Available for
Offset
     Collateral
Pledged
     Net Amount of
Derivatives
Liabilities
 

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

   $ 91,897       $ (79,525    $ –0 –     $ 12,372   

BNP Paribas SA

     80,858         (80,858      –0 –       –0 – 

Deutsche Bank AG

     75,549         –0 –       (75,549 )*       –0 – 

HSBC Bank USA

     31,676         (7,885      –0 –       23,791   

JPMorgan Chase Bank NA

     18,155         –0 –       –0 –       18,155   

Morgan Stanley Capital Services LLC

     17,306         (5,161      (12,145 )*       –0 – 

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

     22,652         (22,652      –0 –       –0 – 

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

     6,396         –0 –       –0 –       6,396   

UBS AG

     228,477         (120,765      (107,712 )*       –0 – 

Westpac Banking Corp.

     15,935         –0 –       –0 –       15,935   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 588,901       $ (316,846    $ (195,406    $ 76,649   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

*   The actual collateral pledged is more than the amount reported due to overcollateralization.

2. Currency Transactions

The Portfolio may invest in non-U.S. Dollar securities on a currency hedged or unhedged basis. The Portfolio may seek investment opportunities by taking long or short positions in currencies through the use of currency-related derivatives, including forward currency exchange contracts, futures and options on futures, swaps, and other options. The Portfolio may enter into transactions for investment opportunities when it anticipates that a foreign currency will appreciate or depreciate in value but securities denominated in that currency are not held by the Portfolio and do not present attractive investment opportunities. Such transactions may also be used when the Adviser believes that it may be more efficient than a direct investment in a foreign currency-denominated security. The Portfolio may also conduct currency exchange contracts on a spot basis (i.e., for cash at the spot rate prevailing in the currency exchange market for buying or selling currencies).

NOTE E: Securities Lending

The Portfolio may enter into securities lending transactions. Under the Portfolio’s securities lending program, all loans of securities will be collateralized continually by cash. The Portfolio will be compensated for the loan from a portion of the net return from the income earned on cash collateral after a rebate is paid to the borrower (in some cases, this rebate may be a “negative rebate” or fee paid by the borrower to the Portfolio in connection with the loan), and payments are made for fees of the securities lending agent and for certain other administrative expenses. It is the policy of the Portfolio to receive collateral consisting of cash in an amount exceeding the value of the securities loaned. The Portfolio will have the right to call a loan and obtain the securities loaned at any time on notice to the borrower within the normal and customary settlement time for the securities. While the securities are on loan, the borrower is obligated to pay the Portfolio amounts equal to any income or other distributions from the securities. The Portfolio will not have the right to vote any securities during the existence of a loan, but will have the right to regain ownership of loaned securities in order to exercise voting or other ownership rights. The lending agent has agreed to indemnify the Portfolio in the case of default of any securities borrower. Collateral received and securities loaned are marked to market daily to ensure that the securities loaned are secured by collateral. The lending agent will invest the cash collateral received in AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves, an eligible money market vehicle, in accordance with the investment restrictions of the Portfolio, and as approved by the Board. The collateral received on securities loaned is recorded as an asset as well as a corresponding liability in the statement of assets and liabilities. When the Portfolio lends securities, its investment performance will continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned. At June 30, 2013, the Portfolio had securities on loan with a value of $884,809 and had received cash collateral which has been invested into AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves of $936,954. The cash collateral will be adjusted on the next business day to maintain the required collateral amount. The Portfolio earned securities lending income of $28,613 and $605 from the borrowers and AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2013; these amounts are reflected in the statement of operations. A principal risk of lending portfolio securities is that the borrower will fail to return the loaned securities upon termination of the loan and that the collateral will not be

 

36


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

sufficient to replace the loaned securities. A summary of the Portfolio’s transactions in shares of AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves for the six months ended June 30, 2013 is as follows:

 

Market Value

December 31, 2012

(000)

   

Purchases

at Cost

(000)

   

Sales

Proceeds

(000)

   

Market Value

June 30, 2013

(000)

   

Dividend

Income

(000)

 
$ 640      $ 15,686      $ 15,389      $ 937      $ 1   

NOTE F : Capital Stock

Each class consists of 500,000,000 authorized shares. Transactions in capital shares for each class were as follows:

 

    SHARES         AMOUNT  
    Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
        Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 

Class A

         

Shares sold

    4,328        1,563        $ 47,597      $ 15,829   

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends and distributions

    –0 –      1          –0 –      13   

Shares redeemed

    (199     (998,067       (2,235     (10,218,988
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease)

    4,129        (996,503     $ 45,362      $ (10,203,146
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Class B

         

Shares sold

    6,108,937        17,210,237        $ 66,751,764      $ 174,568,892   

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends and distributions

    –0 –      30,508          –0 –      308,437   

Shares redeemed

    (1,469,677     (1,511,344       (16,073,946     (15,379,697
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase

    4,639,260        15,729,401        $ 50,677,818      $ 159,497,632   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

NOTE G: Risks Involved in Investing in the Portfolio

Interest Rate Risk and Credit Risk—Interest rate risk is the risk that changes in interest rates will affect the value of the Portfolio’s investments in fixed-income debt securities such as bonds or notes. Increases in interest rates may cause the value of the Portfolio’s investments to decline. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer or guarantor of a debt security, or the counterparty to a derivative contract, will be unable or unwilling to make timely principal and/or interest payments, or to otherwise honor its obligations. The degree of risk for a particular security may be reflected in its credit risk rating. Credit risk is greater for medium quality and lower-rated securities. Lower-rated debt securities and similar unrated securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”) have speculative elements or are predominantly speculative risks.

Foreign Securities Risk—Investing in securities of foreign companies or foreign governments involves special risks which include changes in foreign currency exchange rates and the possibility of future political and economic developments which could adversely affect the value of such securities. Moreover, securities of many foreign companies or foreign governments and their markets may be less liquid and their prices more volatile than those of comparable U.S. companies or of the U.S. government.

Currency Risk—This is the risk that changes in foreign currency exchange rates may negatively affect the value of the Portfolio’s investments or reduce the returns of the Portfolio. For example, the value of the Portfolio’s investments in foreign currency-denominated securities or currencies may decrease if the U.S. Dollar is strong (i.e., gaining value relative to other currencies) and other currencies are weak (i.e., losing value relative to the U.S. Dollar). Currency markets are generally not as regulated as securities markets. Independent of the Portfolio’s investments denominated in foreign currencies, the Portfolio’s positions in various foreign currencies may cause the Portfolio to experience investment losses due to the changes in exchange rates and interest rates.

ETF Risk—ETFs are investment companies. When the Portfolio invests in an ETF, the Portfolio bears its share of the ETFs expenses and runs the risk that the ETF may not achieve its investment objectives.

Derivatives Risk—The Portfolio may enter into derivative transactions such as forwards, options, futures and swaps. Derivatives may be illiquid, difficult to price, and leveraged so that small changes may produce disproportionate losses for

 

37


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

the Portfolio, and subject to counterparty risk to a greater degree than more traditional investments. Derivatives may result in significant losses, including losses that are far greater than the value of the derivatives reflected in the statement of assets and liabilities.

Indemnification Risk—In the ordinary course of business, the Portfolio enters into contracts that contain a variety of indemnifications. The Portfolio’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown. However, the Portfolio has not had prior claims or losses pursuant to these indemnification provisions and expects the risk of loss thereunder to be remote. Therefore, the Portfolio has not accrued any liability in connection with these indemnification provisions.

NOTE H: Joint Credit Facility

A number of open-end mutual funds managed by the Adviser, including the Portfolio, participate in a $140 million revolving credit facility (the “Facility”) intended to provide short-term financing, if necessary, subject to certain restrictions in connection with abnormal redemption activity. Commitment fees related to the Facility are paid by the participating funds and are included in miscellaneous expenses in the statement of operations. The Portfolio did not utilize the Facility during the six months ended June 30, 2013.

NOTE I: Distributions to Shareholders

The tax character of distributions to be paid for the year ending December 31, 2013 will be determined at the end of the current fiscal year. The tax character of distributions paid during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 were as follows:

 

       2012        2011  

Distributions paid from:

         

Ordinary income

     $ 308,471         $             –0 – 
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total taxable distributions paid

     $ 308,471         $ –0 – 
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2012, the components of accumulated earnings/(deficit) on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed ordinary income

   $ 1,490,654   

Undistributed net capital gain

     371,865 (a) 

Unrealized appreciation/(depreciation)

     7,926,708 (b) 
  

 

 

 

Total accumulated earnings/(deficit)

   $ 9,789,227 (c) 
  

 

 

 

 

(a)   As of December 31, 2012, the Portfolio had cumulative deferred losses on straddles of $175.

 

(b)   The differences between book-basis and tax-basis unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) are attributable primarily to the tax treatment of swaps and passive foreign investment companies (PFICs), return of capital distributions received from underlying securities, and the realization for tax purposes of gains/losses on certain derivative instruments.

 

(c)   The differences between book-basis and tax-basis components of accumulated earnings/(deficit) are attributable primarily to the amortization of offering costs and the tax deferral of dividend income from real estate investment trust (REIT) securities.

For tax purposes, net capital losses may be carried over to offset future capital gains, if any. Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, funds are permitted to carry forward capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 for an indefinite period. These post-enactment capital losses must be utilized prior to the pre-enactment capital losses, which are subject to expiration. Post-enactment capital loss carryforwards will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses rather than being considered short-term as under previous regulation. As of June 30, 2013, the Portfolio did not have any capital loss carryforwards.

NOTE J: Subsequent Events

Management has evaluated subsequent events for possible recognition or disclosure in the financial statements through the date the financial statements are issued. Management has determined that there are no material events that would require disclosure in the Portfolio’s financial statements through this date.

 

38


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    CLASS A  
    Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2013

(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
    April 1, 2011(a) to
December 31,
2011
 

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $10.53        $9.75        $10.00   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     

Income From Investment Operations

     

Net investment income (loss) (b)(c)

    .03        (.01     .03   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment and foreign currency transactions

    .33        .81        (.28
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

    .36        .80        (.25
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     

Less: Dividends and Distributions

     

Dividends from net investment income

    –0 –      (.01     –0 – 

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

    –0 –      (.01     –0 – 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total dividends and distributions

    –0 –      (.02     –0 – 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $10.89        $10.53        $9.75   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     

Total Return

     

Total investment return based on net asset value (d)

    3.42     8.22     (2.50 )% 
     

Ratios/Supplemental Data

     

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

    $72        $27        $9,742   

Ratio to average net assets of:

     

Expenses, net of waivers/reimbursements

    .85 %(e)      .85     .85 %(e) 

Expenses, before waivers/reimbursements

    .90 %(e)      1.22     2.53 %(e) 

Net investment income (loss) (c)

    .50 %(e)      (.14 )%      .36 %(e) 

Portfolio turnover rate

    32     51     68

 

 

 

See footnote summary on page 40.

 

39


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

     CLASS B  
     Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
    April 1, 2011(a) to
December 31,
2011
 

Net asset value, beginning of period

     $10.49        $9.74        $10.00   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
      

Income From Investment Operations

      

Net investment income (b)(c)

     .01        .01        .06   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment and foreign currency transactions

     .34        .76        (.32
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

     .35        .77        (.26
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
      

Less: Dividends and Distributions

      

Dividends from net investment income

     –0 –      (.01     –0 – 

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

     –0 –      (.01     –0 – 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total dividends and distributions

     –0 –      (.02     –0 – 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

     $10.84        $10.49        $9.74   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
      

Total Return

      

Total investment return based on net asset value (d)

     3.34     7.90     (2.60 )% 
      

Ratios/Supplemental Data

      

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

   $ 278,217        $220,663      $ 51,687   

Ratio to average net assets of:

      

Expenses, net of waivers/reimbursements

     1.10 %(e)      1.10     1.10 %(e) 

Expenses, before waivers/reimbursements

     1.15 %(e)      1.29     2.45 %(e) 

Net investment income (c)

     .16 %(e)      .12     1.02 %(e) 

Portfolio turnover rate

     32     51     68

 

 

 

(a)   Commencement of operations.

 

(b)   Based on average shares outstanding.

 

(c)   Net of fees waived and expenses reimbursed by the Adviser.

 

(d)   Total investment return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption on the last day of the period. Total return does not reflect (i) insurance company’s separate account related expense charges and (ii) the deductions of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Portfolio distributions or the redemption of Portfolio shares. Total investment return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized.

 

(e)   Annualized.

See notes to financial statements.

 

40


 
DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

THE FOLLOWING IS NOT PART OF THE SHAREHOLDER REPORT OR THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

SUMMARY OF SENIOR OFFICER’S EVALUATION OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT1

The following is a summary of the evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement between AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) and the AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund (the “Fund”), in respect of AllianceBernstein Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio (the “Portfolio”).2 The evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement was prepared by Philip L. Kirstein, the Senior Officer of the Fund, for the Directors of the Fund, as required by the August 2004 agreement between the Adviser and the New York State Attorney General (the “NYAG”). The purpose of the summary is to provide shareholders with a synopsis of the independent evaluation of the reasonableness of the advisory fees proposed to be paid by the Portfolio which was provided to the Directors in connection with their review of the proposed approval of the continuance of the Investment Advisory Agreement.

The Senior Officer’s evaluation considered the following factors:

 

  1. Management fees charged to institutional and other clients of the Adviser for like services;

 

  2. Management fees charged by other mutual fund companies for like services;

 

  3. Costs to the Adviser and its affiliates of supplying services pursuant to the advisory agreement, excluding any intra-corporate profit;

 

  4. Profit margins of the Adviser and its affiliates from supplying such services;

 

  5. Possible economies of scale as the Portfolio grows larger; and

 

  6. Nature and quality of the Adviser’s services including the performance of the Portfolio.

These factors, with the exception of the first factor, are generally referred to as the “Gartenberg factors,” which were articulated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1982. Gartenberg v. Merrill Lynch Asset Management, Inc., 694 F. 2d 923 (2d Cir. 1982). The first factor is an additional factor required to be considered by the Assurance of Discontinuance between the NYAG and the Adviser. On March 30, 2010, the Supreme Court held the Gartenberg decision was correct in its basic formulation of what §36(b) requires: to face liability under §36(b), “an investment adviser must charge a fee that is so disproportionately large that it bears no reasonable relationship to the services rendered and could not have been the product of arm’s length bargaining.” Jones v. Harris Associates L.P., 130 S. Ct. 1418 (2010). In the Jones decision, the Court stated the Gartenberg approach fully incorporates the correct understanding of fiduciary duty within the context of section 36(b) and noted with approval that “Gartenberg insists that all relevant circumstances be taken into account” and “uses the range of fees that might result from arm’s-length bargaining as the benchmark for reviewing challenged fees.”

PORTFOLIO ADVISORY FEES, NET ASSETS & EXPENSE RATIOS

The Adviser proposed that the Portfolio pay the advisory fee set forth in the table below for receiving the services to be provided pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement.

 

Portfolio  

Net Assets

06/30/12

($MM)

  Advisory Fee

Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio

  $144.7   0.70% of Average Daily Net Assets

The Adviser is reimbursed as specified in the Investment Advisory Agreement for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services provided to the Portfolio. During the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year, the Adviser was entitled to receive $47,316 (0.07% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets) for such services but waived the amount in its entirety.

The Adviser agreed to waive that portion of its management fees and/or reimburse the Portfolio for that portion of its total operating expenses to the degree necessary to limit the Portfolio’s expense ratios to the amounts set forth below for the

 

1   The information in the fee evaluation was completed on July 19, 2012 and discussed with the Board of Directors on July 31-August 2, 2012.

 

2   Future references to the Fund and the Portfolio do not include “AllianceBernstein.” References in the fee summary pertaining to performance and expense ratios refer to the Class A shares of the Portfolio.

 

41


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Portfolio’s fiscal year. The agreement for such reimbursement is terminable by the Adviser on May 1st of each year upon at least 60 days of written notice. Also set forth below are the Portfolio’s gross expense ratios for the most recently completed fiscal year:

 

Portfolio   Expense Cap Pursuant
to Expense Limitation
Undertaking
  Gross
Expense
Ratio
(12/31/11)
    Fiscal Year End

Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio

  Class A     0.85%     2.53%      December 31
  Class B    1.10%     2.45%     

I. ADVISORY FEES CHARGED TO INSTITUTIONAL AND OTHER CLIENTS

The advisory fees charged to investment companies which the Adviser manages and sponsors are normally higher than those charged to similar sized institutional accounts, including pension plans and sub-advised investment companies. The fee differential reflects, among other things, different services provided to such clients, and different liabilities assumed. Services provided by the Adviser to the Portfolio that are not provided to non-investment company clients and sub-advised investment companies include providing office space and personnel to serve as Fund Officers, who among other responsibilities make the certifications required under the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, and coordinating with and monitoring the Portfolio’s third party service providers such as Fund counsel, auditors, custodians, transfer agents and pricing services. The accounting, administrative, legal and compliance requirements for the Portfolio are more costly than those for institutional assets due to the greater complexities and time required for investment companies, although as previously noted, the Adviser is entitled to be reimbursed for providing such services. Also, retail mutual funds managed by the Adviser are widely held. Servicing the Portfolio’s investors is more time consuming and labor intensive compared to institutional clients since the Adviser needs to communicate with a more extensive network of financial intermediaries and shareholders. The Adviser also believes that it incurs substantial entrepreneurial risk when offering a new mutual fund, since establishing a new mutual fund requires a large upfront investment, and it may take a long time for the fund to achieve profitability since the fund must be priced to scale from inception in order to be competitive and assets are acquired one account at a time. In addition, managing the cash flow of an investment company may be more difficult than managing that of a stable pool of assets, such as an institutional account with little cash movement in either direction, particularly, if a fund is in net redemption and the Adviser is frequently forced to sell securities to raise cash for redemptions. However, managing a fund with positive cash flow may be easier at times than managing a stable pool of assets. In recent years, investment advisers have been sued by institutional clients and have suffered reputational damage both by the attendant publicity and outcomes other than complete victories. Accordingly, the legal and reputational risks associated with institutional accounts are greater than previously thought, although still not equal to those related to the mutual fund industry.

Notwithstanding the Adviser’s view that managing an investment company is not comparable to managing other institutional accounts because the services provided are different, the Supreme Court has indicated consideration should be given to the advisory fees charged to institutional accounts that have a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio.3 In addition to the AllianceBernstein institutional fee schedule, set forth below is what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the AllianceBernstein institutional fee schedule been applicable to the Portfolio versus the Portfolio’s advisory fee based on June 30, 2012 net assets:4

 

Portfolio   

Net Assets

6/30/12

($MM)

    

AllianceBernstein
Institutional

Fee Schedule

  

Effective

AB Inst.

Adv. Fee

    

Portfolio

Advisory

Fee

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio

   $ 144.7      

Dynamic Asset Allocation Strategy

50 bp on first $500 million

40 bp on the balance

     0.492      0.700

 

3   The Supreme Court stated that “courts may give such comparisons the weight that they merit in light of the similarities and differences between the services that the clients in question require, but the courts must be wary of inapt comparisons.” Among the significant differences the Supreme Court noted that may exist between services provided to mutual funds and institutional accounts are “higher marketing costs.” Jones v. Harris at 1428.

 

4   The Adviser has indicated that with respect to institutional accounts with assets greater than $300 million, it will negotiate a fee schedule. Discounts that are negotiated vary based upon each client relationship.

 

42


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Adviser manages the Sanford C. Bernstein Fund, Inc. Overlay Portfolios (the “Overlay Portfolios”), which utilize the Adviser’s dynamic asset allocation strategy. Unlike the Portfolio, the Overlay Portfolios are not designed as stand-alone investments and are used in conjunction with globally diversified Private Client portfolios.5 The advisory fee schedules of the Overlay Portfolios are set forth below.

 

Portfolio   Overlay Portfolio   Fee6

Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio

 

Overlay A Portfolio

Tax-Aware Overlay A Portfolio

  0.900%
 

Overlay B Portfolio

Tax-Aware Overlay B Portfolio

Tax-Aware Overlay C Portfolio

Tax-Aware Overlay N Portfolio

  0.650%

The Adviser provides sub-advisory services to certain other investment companies managed by other fund families that have an investment style similar to that of the Portfolio. The Adviser charges the fees set forth below for the sub-advisory relationship that has a somewhat similar investment style as the Portfolio. Also shown is the Portfolio’s advisory fee and what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the fee schedules of the sub-advisory relationship been applicable to the Portfolio based on June 30, 2012 net assets.

 

Portfolio        Fee Schedule  

Effective

Sub-Adv.

Fee (%)

    Portfolio
Advisory
Fee (%)
 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio

  Client # 1  

0.40% on 1st $250 million

0.35% on next $250 million

0.325% on next $500 million

0.30% on the balance

    0.400%        0.700%   
  Client # 2  

0.40% on first $100 million

0.35% on next $100 million

0.30% on the balance

    0.385%        0.700%   
  Client # 3  

0.35% on first $400 million

0.30% on the balance

    0.350%        0.700%   

It is fair to note that the services the Adviser provides pursuant to sub-advisory agreements are generally confined to the services related to the investment process; in other words, they are not as comprehensive as the services provided to the Portfolio by the Adviser. In addition, to the extent that certain of these sub-advisory relationships are with affiliates of the Adviser, the fee schedules may not reflect arm’s length bargaining or negotiations.

While it appears that the sub-advisory relationship is paying a lower fee than the Portfolio, it is difficult to evaluate the relevance of such a lower fee due to differences in terms of the services provided, risks involved and other competitive factors between the Portfolio and the sub-advisory relationship. There could be various business reasons why an investment adviser would be willing to provide a sub-advisory relationship investment related services at a different fee level than an investment company it is sponsoring where the investment adviser is providing all the services, not just investment management, generally required by a registered investment company.

 

5   Overlay A Portfolio and Tax-Aware Overlay A Portfolio are intended for use in Private Client accounts that have a higher equity weighting. The other Overlay Portfolios are intended for use in Private Client accounts that have a higher fixed income weighting. The Overlay Portfolios will gain exposure to various asset classes through direct investments in equity and debt securities as well as derivatives.

 

6   The advisory fees of each Overlay Portfolio are based on the percentage of each portfolio’s average daily net assets, not an aggregate of the assets in the portfolios shown.

 

43


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

II. MANAGEMENT FEES CHARGED BY OTHER MUTUAL FUND COMPANIES FOR LIKE SERVICES.

Lipper, Inc. (“Lipper”), an analytical service that is not affiliated with the Adviser, compared the fees charged to the Portfolio with fees charged to other investment companies for similar services offered by other investment advisers.7 Lipper’s analysis included the Portfolio’s contractual management fee8 estimated at the approximate current asset level of the Portfolio to the median of the Portfolio’s Lipper Expense Group (“EG”).9

Lipper describes an EG as a representative sample of comparable funds. Lipper’s standard methodology for screening funds to be included in an EG entails the consideration of several fund criteria, including fund type, investment classification/objective, load type and similar 12b-1/non-12b-1 service fees, asset (size) comparability, expense components and attributes. An EG will typically consist of seven to twenty funds.

 

Portfolio    Contractual
Management
Fee10
    

Lipper

Group

Median (%)

     Rank  

Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio

     0.700         0.685         4/6   

Lipper also compared the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year total expense ratio to the medians of the Portfolio’s EG and Lipper Expense Universe (“EU”). The EU is a broader group compared to the EG, consisting of all funds that have the same investment classification/objective and load type as the subject Portfolio.11

 

Portfolio   

Total

Expense

Ratio (%)12

    

Lipper Exp.

Group

Median (%)

    

Lipper Exp.

Group

Rank

    

Lipper Exp.

Universe

Median (%)

    

Lipper Exp.

Universe
Rank

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio

     0.880         0.723         5/6         0.710         6/7   

Based on this analysis, the Portfolio has a more favorable ranking on a management fee basis than on a total expense ratio basis.

III. COSTS TO THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES OF SUPPLYING SERVICES PURSUANT TO THE ADVISORY FEE ARRANGEMENT, EXCLUDING ANY INTRA-CORPORATE PROFIT.

The Adviser utilizes two profitability reporting systems, which operate independently but are aligned with each other, to estimate the Adviser’s profitability in connection with investment advisory services provided to the Portfolio. The Senior Officer has retained a consultant to provide independent advice regarding the alignment of the two profitability systems as well as the methodologies and allocations utilized by both profitability systems.

IV. PROFIT MARGINS OF THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES FOR SUPPLYING SUCH SERVICES.

The Portfolio’s profitability information, prepared by the Adviser for the Board of Directors, was reviewed by the Senior Officer and the consultant. The Adviser’s profitability from providing investment advisory services to the Portfolio was negative in 2011.

 

7   The Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since “these comparisons are problematic because these fees, like those challenged, may not be the product of the negotiations conducted at arm’s length.” Jones v. Harris at 1429.

 

8   The contractual management fee is calculated by Lipper using the Portfolio’s contractual management fee rate at a hypothetical asset level. The hypothetical asset level is based on the combined net assets of all classes of the Portfolio, rounded up to the next $25 million. Lipper’s total expense ratio information is based on the most recent annual report except as otherwise noted. A ranking of “1” would mean that the Portfolio had the lowest effective fee rate in the Lipper peer group.

 

9   Lipper does not consider average account size when constructing EGs. Funds with relatively small average account sizes tend to have higher transfer agent expense ratios than comparable sized funds that have relatively large average account sizes. In addition, there are limitations in Lipper’s expense category data because different funds categorize expenses differently.

 

10   The contractual management fee would not reflect any expense reimbursements made by the Portfolio to the Adviser for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services. In addition, the contractual management fee does not reflect any advisory fee waivers for expense caps that would effectively reduce the actual management fee.

 

11   Except for asset (size) comparability, Lipper uses the same criteria for selecting an EG when selecting an EU. Unlike the EG, the EU allows for the same adviser to be represented by more than just one fund.

 

12   Most recently completed fiscal year Class A total expense ratio.

 

44


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

In addition to the Adviser’s direct profits from managing the Portfolio, certain of the Adviser’s affiliates have business relationships with the Portfolio and may earn a profit from providing other services to the Portfolio. The courts have referred to this type of business opportunity as “fall-out benefits” to the Adviser and indicated that such benefits should be factored into the evaluation of the total relationship between the Portfolio and the Adviser. Neither case law nor common business practice precludes the Adviser’s affiliates from earning a reasonable profit on this type of relationship. These affiliates provide transfer agent, distribution and brokerage related services to the Portfolio and receive transfer agent fees, Rule 12b-1 payments, and brokerage commissions. In addition, the Adviser benefits from soft dollar arrangements which offset expenses the Adviser would otherwise incur.

The Portfolio has adopted a distribution plan for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 40 Act. Under the distribution plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to its principal underwriter and distributor, AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (“ABI”), an affiliate of the Adviser, at an annual rate of up to 0.50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The current annual rate that the Portfolio pays to ABI for 12b-1 fees is 0.25%. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, ABI received $34,196 in Rule 12b-1 fees from the Portfolio.

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, the Adviser incurred distribution expenses in the amount of $224,608 in connection with activities primarily intended to result in the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. This amount includes the 12b-1 fees paid by the Portfolio to the Adviser.

Financial intermediaries, such as insurers, market and sell shares of the Portfolio and typically receive compensation from ABI, the Advisers and/or the Portfolio for selling shares of the Portfolio. These financial intermediaries receive compensation in any or all of the following forms: 12b-1 fees, defrayal of costs for educational seminars and training, additional distribution support, recordkeeping and/or administrative services. Payments related to providing contract-holder recordkeeping and/or administrative services will generally not exceed 0.35% of the average daily net assets of the Portfolio attributable to the relevant intermediary over the year.

The transfer agent of the Portfolio is AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”). During the most recently completed fiscal year, ABIS received a fee of approximately $964 from the Portfolio.13

The Portfolio did not effect any brokerage transactions through the Adviser’s affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., LLC (“SCB & Co.”) and/or its U.K. affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein Limited (“SCB Ltd.”), collectively “SCB,” and pay commissions for such transactions during the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year. The Adviser represented that SCB’s profitability from any future business conducted with the Portfolio would be comparable to the profitability of SCB’s dealings with other similar third party clients. In the ordinary course of business, SCB receives and pays liquidity rebates from electronic communications networks (“ECNs”) derived from trading for its clients. These credits and charges are not being passed onto any SCB client. The Adviser also receives certain soft dollar benefits from brokers that execute agency trades for its clients. These soft dollar benefits reduce the Adviser’s cost of doing business and increase its profitability.

V. POSSIBLE ECONOMIES OF SCALE

The Adviser has indicated that economies of scale are being shared with shareholders through pricing to scale, breakpoints, fee reductions/waivers and enhancement to services.

An independent consultant, retained by the Senior Officer, provided the Board of Directors information on the Adviser’s firm-wide average costs from 2005 through 2011 and the potential economies of scale. The independent consultant noted that from 2005 through 2007 the Adviser experienced significant growth in assets under management (“AUM”). During this period, operating expenses increased, in part to keep up with growth, and in part reflecting market returns. However, from 2008 through the first quarter of 2009, AUM rapidly and significantly decreased due to declines in market value and client withdrawals. When AUM rapidly decreased, some operating expenses categories, including base compensation and office space, adjusted more slowly during this period, resulting in an increase in average costs. Since 2009, AUM has experienced less significant changes. The independent consultant noted that changes in operating expenses reflect changes in business composition and business practices in response to changes in financial markets. Finally, the independent consultant concluded that the increase in average cost and the decline in net operating margin across the Adviser since late 2008 are inconsistent with the view that there are currently reductions in average costs due to economies of scale that can be shared with the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds managed by the Adviser through lower fees.

 

13   The Fund (which includes the Portfolio and other series of the Fund) paid ABIS a flat fee of $18,000 in 2010.

 

45


DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Previously in February 2008, the independent consultant provided the Board of Directors an update of the Deli14 study on advisory fees and various fund characteristics.15 The independent consultant first reiterated the results of his previous two dimensional comparison analysis (fund size and family size) with the Board of Directors.16 The independent consultant then discussed the results of the regression model that was utilized to study the effects of various factors on advisory fees. The regression model output indicated that the bulk of the variation in fees predicted were explained by various factors, but substantially by fund AUM, family AUM, index fund indicator and investment style. The independent consultant also compared the advisory fees of the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds to similar funds managed by 19 other large asset managers, regardless of the fund size and each Adviser’s proportion of mutual fund assets to non-mutual fund assets.

VI. NATURE AND QUALITY OF THE ADVISER’S SERVICES, INCLUDING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PORTFOLIO

With assets under management of approximately $407 billion as of June 30, 2012, the Adviser has the investment experience to manage and provide non-investment services (described in Section I) to the Portfolio.

The information prepared by Lipper shows the 1 year net performance ranking and return17 of the Portfolio relative to its Lipper Performance Group (“PG”) and Lipper Performance Universe (“PU”)18 for the periods ended May 31, 2012.19

 

Portfolio   Portfolio
Return (%)
   

PG

Median (%)

   

PU

Median (%)

   

PG

Rank

   

PU

Rank

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio

         

1 year

    –4.11        –7.35        –7.30        2/6        14/45   

Set forth below are the 1 year and since inception net performance returns of the Portfolio (in bold) versus its benchmark for the periods ended May 31, 2012.20

 

      Periods Ending May 31, 2012
Annualized Net Performance (%)
 
      1 Year (%)        Since
Inception (%)
 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio

     4.11           1.81   

60% MSCI World Index / 40% Barclay’s Capital U.S. Treasury

     –2.85           –0.72   

MSCI World Index

     –11.02           N/A   

Barclay’s Capital U.S. Treasury

     0.09           N/A   

Inception Date: April 1, 2011

       

 

14   The Deli study, originally published in 2002 based on 1997 data and updated for the February 2008 Presentation, may be of diminished value due to the age of the data used in the presentation and the changes experienced in the industry over the last four years.

 

15   As mentioned previously, the Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since the fees may not be the product of negotiations conducted at arm’s length. See Jones V. Harris at 1429.

 

16   The two dimensional analysis showed patterns of lower advisory fees for funds with larger asset sizes and funds from larger family sizes compared to funds with smaller asset sizes and funds from smaller family sizes, which according to the independent consultant is indicative of a sharing of economies of scale and scope. However, in less liquid and active markets, such is not the case, as the empirical analysis showed potential for diseconomies of scale in those markets. The empirical analysis also showed diminishing economies of scale and scope as funds surpassed a certain high level of assets.

 

17   The performance rankings are for the Class A shares of the Portfolio. The performance return of the Portfolio shown was provided by Lipper.

 

18   The Portfolio’s PG is identical to the Portfolio’s EG. The Portfolio’s PU is not identical to the Portfolio’s EU as the criteria for including/excluding a fund from a PU is somewhat different from that of an EU.

 

19   The current Lipper investment classification/objective dictates the PG and PU throughout the life of the fund even if a fund had a different investment classification/objective at a different point in time.

 

20   The performance returns shown in the table are for the Class A shares of the Portfolio. The performance returns for the Portfolio and the benchmark were provided by the Adviser.

 

46


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

CONCLUSION:

Based on the factors discussed above the Senior Officer’s conclusion is that the proposed advisory fee for the Portfolio is reasonable and within the range of what would have been negotiated at arm’s-length in light of all the surrounding circumstances. However, the Senior Officer recommended that the Directors discuss with the Adviser the proposed advisory fee schedule of the Portfolio, which lack potential for sharing economies of scale through breakpoints, should the Portfolio’s assets, which currently remain low, grow to a substantial level. This conclusion in respect of the Portfolio is based on an evaluation of all of these factors and no single factor was dispositive.

Dated: August 28, 2012

 

47


AllianceBernstein

Variable Products Series Fund, Inc.

 

 

 

LOGO   AllianceBernstein Global Thematic Growth Portfolio

 

June 30, 2013

 

Semi-Annual Report

 

LOGO

 

SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT


 

 

 

Investment Products Offered

 

  Ø  

Are Not FDIC Insured

  Ø  

May Lose Value

  Ø  

Are Not Bank Guaranteed

AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (ABI) is the distributor of the AllianceBernstein family of mutual funds. ABI is a member of FINRA and is an affiliate of AllianceBernstein L.P., the manager of the funds.

You may obtain a description of the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures, and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, without charge. Simply visit AllianceBernstein’s website at www.alliancebernstein.com or go to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “Commission”) website at www.sec.gov, or call AllianceBernstein at (800) 227-4618.

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Commission for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Fund’s Forms N-Q are available on the Commission’s website at www.sec.gov. The Fund’s Forms N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC; information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330.

AllianceBernstein® and the AB Logo are registered trademarks and service marks used by permission of the owner, AllianceBernstein L.P.


 
GLOBAL THEMATIC GROWTH PORTFOLIO
EXPENSE EXAMPLE (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments, contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution (12b-1) fees; and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund 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 as indicated below.

Actual Expenses

The first line of each class’ 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. The estimate of expenses does not include fees or other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes

The second line of each class’ table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed annual rate of return of 5% before expenses, which is not the Fund’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 costs of investing in the Fund and other funds by comparing this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds. The estimate of expenses does not include fees or other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads), or contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions. Therefore, the second line of each classes’ table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

      Beginning
Account Value
January 1, 2013
     Ending
Account Value
June 30, 2013
     Expenses Paid
During Period*
     Annualized
Expense Ratio*
 

Class A

           

Actual

   $   1,000       $   1,027.30       $   5.08         1.01

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $ 1,000       $ 1,019.79       $ 5.06         1.01
           

Class B

           

Actual

   $ 1,000       $ 1,025.60       $ 6.33         1.26

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $ 1,000       $ 1,018.55       $ 6.31         1.26

 

 

 

*   Expenses are equal to each classes’ annualized expense ratios, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 181/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).

 

1


GLOBAL THEMATIC GROWTH PORTFOLIO
TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS*  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

COMPANY    U.S. $ VALUE        PERCENT OF NET ASSETS  

Illumina, Inc.

   $ 3,656,757           2.8

Amazon.com, Inc.

     3,297,013           2.6   

Cie Financiere Richemont SA (SWX Europe)

     2,560,104           2.0   

Mellanox Technologies Ltd.

     2,551,428           2.0   

Ctrip.com International Ltd. (ADR)

     2,534,372           2.0   

Roche Holding AG

     2,318,161           1.8   

AIA Group Ltd.

     2,307,880           1.8   

Red Hat, Inc.

     2,040,384           1.6   

Apple, Inc.

     2,018,027           1.6   

NIKE, Inc.—Class B

     2,002,099           1.6   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 
     $   25,286,225           19.8

SECTOR BREAKDOWN**

June 30, 2013 (unaudited)

 

 

SECTOR    U.S. $ VALUE        PERCENT OF TOTAL INVESTMENTS  

Information Technology

   $ 32,625,429           25.5

Consumer Discretionary

     27,862,283           21.7   

Health Care

     17,105,242           13.3   

Consumer Staples

     14,643,245           11.4   

Energy

     12,962,792           10.1   

Financials

     12,568,016           9.8   

Industrials

     5,004,578           3.9   

Telecommunication Services

     2,808,558           2.2   

Materials

     1,726,036           1.4   

Options Purchased-Puts

     124,425           0.1   

Short-Term Investments

     764,754           0.6   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Investments

   $   128,195,358           100.0

 

 

 

*   Long-term investments.

 

**   The Portfolio’s sector breakdown is expressed as a percentage of total investments (excluding security lending collateral) and may vary over time. The Portfolio also enters into derivative transactions, which may be used for hedging or investment purposes (see “Portfolio of Investments” section of the report for additional details).

Please note: The sector classifications presented herein are based on the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) which was developed by Morgan Stanley Capital International and Standard & Poor’s. The components are divided into sector, industry group, and industry sub-indices as classified by the GICS for each of the market capitalization indices in the broad market. These sector classifications are broadly defined. The “Portfolio of Investments” section of the report reflects more specific industry information and is consistent with the investment restrictions discussed in the Portfolio’s prospectus.

 

2


GLOBAL THEMATIC GROWTH PORTFOLIO
COUNTRY BREAKDOWN*  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

COUNTRY    U.S. $ VALUE        PERCENT OF TOTAL INVESTMENTS  

United States

   $ 65,690,246           51.2

Hong Kong

     9,879,733           7.7   

Switzerland

     8,006,236           6.2   

France

     6,808,357           5.3   

China

     6,344,372           5.0   

United Kingdom

     4,632,630           3.6   

India

     4,016,649           3.1   

Japan

     3,829,596           3.0   

Brazil

     3,536,908           2.8   

Netherlands

     2,694,545           2.1   

Israel

     2,551,428           2.0   

Indonesia

     1,960,197           1.5   

Belgium

     1,870,888           1.5   

Other

     5,608,819           4.4   

Short-Term Investments

     764,754           0.6   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Investments

   $   128,195,358           100.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*   All data are as of June 30, 2013. The Portfolio’s country breakdown is expressed as a percentage of total investments (excluding security lending collateral) and may vary over time. “Other” country weightings represent 1.0% or less in the following countries: Luxembourg, Mexico, Russia, Singapore and Sweden.

 

3


GLOBAL THEMATIC GROWTH PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company

  Shares     U.S. $ Value  
   

COMMON STOCKS–99.7%

   
   

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY–25.5%

   

COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT–1.0%

   

QUALCOMM, Inc.

    20,490      $ 1,251,529   
   

 

 

 

COMPUTERS &
PERIPHERALS–5.4%

   

Apple, Inc.

    5,095        2,018,027   

Fusion-io, Inc.(a)(b)

    117,350        1,671,064   

Silicon Graphics International Corp.(b)

    109,758        1,468,562   

Stratasys Ltd.(a)(b)

    20,840        1,745,142   
   

 

 

 
      6,902,795   
   

 

 

 

INTERNET SOFTWARE & SERVICES–7.2%

   

Cornerstone OnDemand, Inc.(b)

    39,915        1,727,920   

eBay, Inc.(b)

    24,470        1,265,589   

Google, Inc.–Class A(b)

    1,941        1,708,798   

LinkedIn Corp.(b)

    7,707        1,374,158   

Tencent Holdings Ltd.

    50,200        1,960,170   

Yelp, Inc.(b)

    32,766        1,139,274   
   

 

 

 
      9,175,909   
   

 

 

 

IT SERVICES–1.9%

   

QIWI PLC (Sponsored ADR)

    33,043        766,598   

Visa, Inc.–Class A

    9,140        1,670,335   
   

 

 

 
      2,436,933   
   

 

 

 

SEMICONDUCTORS & SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT–5.1%

   

ASML Holding NV

    17,310        1,369,221   

Mellanox Technologies Ltd.(a)(b)

    51,544        2,551,428   

NVIDIA Corp.

    91,018        1,276,983   

NXP Semiconductor NV(b)

    42,780        1,325,324   
   

 

 

 
      6,522,956   
   

 

 

 

SOFTWARE–4.9%

   

NetSuite, Inc.(b)

    15,909        1,459,492   

Red Hat, Inc.(b)

    42,668        2,040,384   

Salesforce.com, Inc.(b)

    36,492        1,393,264   

Splunk, Inc.(b)

    31,108        1,442,167   
   

 

 

 
      6,335,307   
   

 

 

 
      32,625,429   
   

 

 

 

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY–21.8%

   

AUTOMOBILES–2.9%

   

Harley-Davidson, Inc.

    30,490        1,671,462   

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

    129,100        1,293,919   

Tesla Motors, Inc.(a)(b)

    6,369        684,222   
   

 

 

 
      3,649,603   
   

 

 

 

DIVERSIFIED CONSUMER SERVICES–1.0%

   

Kroton Educacional SA

    95,900        1,327,605   
   

 

 

 
   

HOTELS, RESTAURANTS & LEISURE–2.4%

   

Melco Crown Entertainment
Ltd. (ADR)(b)

    67,340      $ 1,505,722   

Yum! Brands, Inc.

    22,270        1,544,202   
   

 

 

 
      3,049,924   
   

 

 

 

INTERNET & CATALOG RETAIL–6.1%

   

Amazon.com, Inc.(b)

    11,873        3,297,013   

Ctrip.com International
Ltd. (ADR)(b)

    77,670        2,534,372   

priceline.com, Inc.(b)

    2,420        2,001,655   
   

 

 

 
      7,833,040   
   

 

 

 

MEDIA–1.0%

   

Walt Disney Co. (The)

    20,280        1,280,682   
   

 

 

 

MULTILINE RETAIL–0.6%

   

Matahari Department Store Tbk PT(b)

    638,500        746,591   
   

 

 

 

SPECIALTY RETAIL–3.2%

   

Belle International Holdings Ltd.

    802,000        1,096,397   

L’Occitane International SA

    449,500        1,204,612   

Zhongsheng Group Holdings Ltd.(a)

    1,687,000        1,849,830   
   

 

 

 
      4,150,839   
   

 

 

 

TEXTILES, APPAREL & LUXURY GOODS–4.6%

   

Cie Financiere Richemont SA (SWX Europe)

    29,030        2,560,104   

NIKE, Inc.–Class B

    31,440        2,002,099   

Samsonite International SA

    524,800        1,261,796   
   

 

 

 
      5,823,999   
   

 

 

 
      27,862,283   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE–13.4%

   

BIOTECHNOLOGY–2.4%

   

Cepheid, Inc.(b)

    45,787        1,575,988   

Quintiles Transnational Holdings, Inc.(b)

    36,728        1,563,144   
   

 

 

 
      3,139,132   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES–3.8%

   

Elekta AB

    84,550        1,285,038   

Essilor International SA

    17,810        1,897,438   

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.(b)

    3,333        1,688,431   
   

 

 

 
      4,870,907   
   

 

 

 

LIFE SCIENCES TOOLS & SERVICES–2.9%

   

Illumina, Inc.(b)

    48,861        3,656,757   
   

 

 

 

PHARMACEUTICALS–4.3%

   

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

    41,300        1,845,697   

Roche Holding AG

    9,340        2,318,161   

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

    75,220        1,274,588   
   

 

 

 
      5,438,446   
   

 

 

 
      17,105,242   
   

 

 

 

 

4


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company

  Shares     U.S. $ Value  
   

CONSUMER STAPLES–11.5%

   

BEVERAGES–4.1%

   

Anheuser-Busch InBev NV

    20,780      $ 1,870,888   

Diageo PLC

    64,950        1,862,525   

Pernod-Ricard SA(a)

    13,090        1,452,910   
   

 

 

 
      5,186,323   
   

 

 

 

FOOD & STAPLES
RETAILING–0.9%

   

Raia Drogasil SA

    121,900        1,181,114   
   

 

 

 

FOOD PRODUCTS–4.3%

   

Danone SA

    26,080        1,962,999   

Mead Johnson Nutrition Co.–Class A

    23,880        1,892,012   

Nestle SA

    24,410        1,601,793   
   

 

 

 
      5,456,804   
   

 

 

 

PERSONAL PRODUCTS–1.2%

   

Estee Lauder Cos., Inc. (The)–Class A

    24,130        1,587,030   
   

 

 

 

TOBACCO–1.0%

   

British American Tobacco PLC

    24,020        1,231,974   
   

 

 

 
      14,643,245   
   

 

 

 

ENERGY–10.2%

   

ENERGY EQUIPMENT & SERVICES–5.2%

   

National Oilwell Varco, Inc.

    22,340        1,539,226   

Oceaneering International, Inc.

    26,890        1,941,458   

Schlumberger Ltd.

    22,240        1,593,719   

Technip SA

    14,710        1,495,010   
   

 

 

 
      6,569,413   
   

 

 

 

OIL, GAS & CONSUMABLE FUELS–5.0%

   

BG Group PLC

    90,510        1,538,131   

Concho Resources, Inc.(b)

    18,390        1,539,611   

EOG Resources, Inc.

    12,390        1,631,515   

Noble Energy, Inc.

    28,050        1,684,122   
   

 

 

 
      6,393,379   
   

 

 

 
      12,962,792   
   

 

 

 

FINANCIALS–9.8%

   

CAPITAL MARKETS–1.2%

   

UBS AG(b)

    90,040        1,526,178   
   

 

 

 

COMMERCIAL BANKS–2.2%

   

BOC Hong Kong Holdings Ltd.

    611,500        1,870,632   

Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV–Class O

    172,950        1,033,099   
   

 

 

 
      2,903,731   
   

 

 

 

INSURANCE–1.8%

   

AIA Group Ltd.

    547,800        2,307,880   
   

 

 

 

REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT–3.3%

   

BR Malls Participacoes SA

    115,000        1,028,189   

Global Logistic Properties Ltd.

    610,000        1,319,472   

Hang Lung Group Ltd.

    343,000        1,837,306   
   

 

 

 
      4,184,967   
   

 

 

 
   

THRIFTS & MORTGAGE FINANCE–1.3%

   

Housing Development Finance Corp.

    113,310      $ 1,645,260   
   

 

 

 
      12,568,016   
   

 

 

 

INDUSTRIALS–3.9%

   

CONSTRUCTION & ENGINEERING–0.9%

   

Larsen & Toubro Ltd.

    46,480        1,096,801   
   

 

 

 

ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT–1.1%

  

 

Babcock & Wilcox Co. (The)

    48,495        1,456,305   
   

 

 

 

MACHINERY–1.9%

   

FANUC Corp.

    6,500        940,725   

Proto Labs, Inc.(b)

    23,253        1,510,747   
   

 

 

 
      2,451,472   
   

 

 

 
      5,004,578   
   

 

 

 

TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES–2.2%

   

WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES–2.2%

   

Softbank Corp.

    27,400        1,594,952   

Tower Bersama Infrastructure Tbk PT(b)

    2,324,000        1,213,606   
   

 

 

 
      2,808,558   
   

 

 

 

MATERIALS–1.4%

   

CHEMICALS–1.4%

   

Monsanto Co.

    17,470        1,726,036   
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks
(cost $118,275,356)

      127,306,179   
   

 

 

 
    Contracts        

OPTIONS PURCHASED–PUTS–0.1%

   

OPTIONS ON EQUITY INDICES–0.1%

   

S&P 500 PM Index Expiration: Sep 2013, Exercise Price:
$1,475.00 (b)(c)
(premiums paid $214,392)

    63        124,425   
   

 

 

 

 

5


GLOBAL THEMATIC GROWTH PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company       
Principal
Amount
(000)
    U.S. $ Value  
   

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS–0.6%

   

TIME DEPOSIT–0.6%

   

State Street Time Deposit
0.01%, 7/01/13
(cost $764,754)

  U.S.$   765      $ 764,754   
   

 

 

 

Total Investments Before Security Lending Collateral for Securities Loaned–100.4%
(cost $119,254,502)

      128,195,358   
   

 

 

 
   

INVESTMENTS OF CASH COLLATERAL FOR SECURITIES
LOANED–5.6%

   

INVESTMENT COMPANIES–5.6%

  

 

AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves–Class I,
0.07%(d)
(cost $7,153,538)

    7,153,538      $ 7,153,538   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL
INVESTMENTS–106.0%

(cost $126,408,040)

    $ 135,348,896   
   

 

 

 

Other assets less liabilities–(6.0)%

      (7,626,560
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS–100.0%

    $ 127,722,336   
   

 

 

 

FORWARD CURRENCY EXCHANGE CONTRACTS (see Note D)

 

Counterparty    Contracts to
Deliver
(000)
     In Exchange
For
(000)
     Settlement
Date
     Unrealized
Appreciation/
(Depreciation)
 

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

     CAD         4,248         USD         4,085         9/17/13       $ 53,238   

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

     EUR         4,380         USD         5,784         9/17/13         80,827   

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

     GBP         1,385         USD         2,140         9/17/13         34,289   

BNP Paribas SA

     AUD         3,715         USD         3,390         9/17/13         11,419   

BNP Paribas SA

     USD         3,492         AUD         3,715         9/17/13         (113,622

BNP Paribas SA

     USD         4,161         CAD         4,248         9/17/13         (128,904

BNP Paribas SA

     USD         2,974         JPY         293,468         9/17/13         (14,317

JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA

     JPY         122,293         USD         1,248         9/17/13         14,544   

Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc.

     USD         6,254         GBP         4,022         9/17/13         (139,921

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

     USD         7,890         EUR         5,953         9/17/13         (138,786

UBS AG

     CHF         3,540         USD         3,809         9/17/13             59,043   
                 

 

 

 
                  $ (282,190
                 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(a)   Represents entire or partial securities out on loan. See Note E for securities lending information.

 

(b)   Non-income producing security.

 

(c)   One contract relates to 100 shares.

 

(d)   Investment in affiliated money market mutual fund. The rate shown represents the 7-day yield as of period end.

Currency Abbreviations:

AUD—Australian Dollar

CAD—Canadian Dollar

CHF—Swiss Franc

EUR—Euro

GBP—Great British Pound

JPY—Japanese Yen

USD—United States Dollar

Glossary:

ADR—American Depositary Receipt

See notes to financial statements.

 

6


GLOBAL THEMATIC GROWTH PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

ASSETS

  

Investments in securities, at value

  

Unaffiliated issuers (cost $119,254,502)

   $ 128,195,358 (a) 

Affiliated issuers (cost $7,153,538—investment of cash collateral for securities loaned)

     7,153,538   

Foreign currencies, at value (cost $138,056)

     137,652   

Receivable for investment securities sold and foreign currency transactions

     710,579   

Unrealized appreciation of forward currency exchange contracts

     253,360   

Dividends and interest receivable

     164,869   

Receivable for capital stock sold

     39,079   
  

 

 

 

Total assets

     136,654,435   
  

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

  

Payable for collateral received on securities loaned

     6,617,468   

Payable for investment securities purchased and foreign currency transactions

     930,505   

Collateral due to Securities Lending Agent

     536,070   

Unrealized depreciation of forward currency exchange contracts

     535,550   

Payable for capital stock redeemed

     98,222   

Advisory fee payable

     74,570   

Distribution fee payable

     17,287   

Administrative fee payable

     7,867   

Transfer Agent fee payable

     132   

Accrued expenses

     114,428   
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     8,932,099   
  

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 127,722,336   
  

 

 

 

COMPOSITION OF NET ASSETS

  

Capital stock, at par

   $ 7,518   

Additional paid-in capital

     186,563,072   

Undistributed net investment income

     2,863   

Accumulated net realized loss on investment and foreign currency transactions

     (67,511,274

Net unrealized appreciation on investments and foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities

     8,660,157   
  

 

 

 
   $ 127,722,336   
  

 

 

 

Net Asset Value Per Share—1 billion shares of capital stock authorized, $.001 par value

 

Class      Net Assets        Shares
Outstanding
       Net Asset
Value
 

A

     $ 38,974,792           2,248,128         $ 17.34   

B

     $   88,747,544           5,269,660         $   16.84   

 

 

 

 

(a)   Includes securities on loan with a value of $6,617,468 (see Note E).

See notes to financial statements.

 

7


GLOBAL THEMATIC GROWTH PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS  
Six Months Ended June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

  

Dividends

  

Unaffiliated issuers (net of foreign taxes withheld of $11,373)

   $ 512,970   

Affiliated issuers

     8,941   

Interest

     56   

Securities lending income

     427,756   
  

 

 

 
     949,723   
  

 

 

 

EXPENSES

  

Advisory fee (see Note B)

     492,929   

Distribution fee—Class B

     113,704   

Transfer agency—Class A

     1,283   

Transfer agency—Class B

     2,882   

Custodian

     59,229   

Printing

     30,929   

Audit

     27,346   

Administrative

     22,133   

Legal

     15,199   

Directors’ fees

     2,221   

Miscellaneous

     6,781   
  

 

 

 

Total expenses

     774,636   
  

 

 

 

Net investment income

     175,087   
  

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENT AND FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSACTIONS

  

Net realized gain (loss) on:

  

Investment transactions

     6,381,587   

Options written

     (4,909

Foreign currency transactions

     (1,544,548

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of:

  

Investments

     (1,475,070

Options written

     8,213   

Foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities

     (144,049
  

 

 

 

Net gain on investment and foreign currency transactions

     3,221,224   
  

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

   $ 3,396,311   
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

8


GLOBAL THEMATIC GROWTH PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

     Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

    

Net investment income

   $ 175,087      $ 904,627   

Net realized gain (loss) on investment and foreign currency transactions

     4,832,130        (13,674,729

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments and foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities

     (1,610,906     29,700,515   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets from operations

     3,396,311        16,930,413   

CAPITAL STOCK TRANSACTIONS

    

Net decrease

     (7,768,839     (26,013,414
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total decrease

     (4,372,528     (9,083,001

NET ASSETS

    

Beginning of period

     132,094,864        141,177,865   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period (including undistributed net investment income of $2,863 and distributions in excess of net investment income of ($172,224), respectively)

   $ 127,722,336      $ 132,094,864   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

9


GLOBAL THEMATIC GROWTH PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE A: Significant Accounting Policies

The AllianceBernstein Global Thematic Growth Portfolio (the “Portfolio”), formerly AllianceBernstein Global Technology Portfolio, is a series of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”). The Portfolio’s investment objective is long-term growth of capital. The Portfolio is diversified as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Fund was incorporated in the State of Maryland on November 17, 1987, as an open-end series investment company. The Fund offers thirteen separately managed pools of assets which have differing investment objectives and policies. The Portfolio offers Class A and Class B shares. Both classes of shares have identical voting, dividend, liquidating and other rights, except that Class B shares bear a distribution expense and have exclusive voting rights with respect to the Class B distribution plan.

The Portfolio offers and sells its shares only to separate accounts of certain life insurance companies for the purpose of funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies. Sales are made without a sales charge at the Portfolio’s net asset value per share.

The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) which require management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Portfolio.

1. Security Valuation

Portfolio securities are valued at their current market value determined on the basis of market quotations or, if market quotations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable, at “fair value” as determined in accordance with procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Fund’s Board of Directors (the “Board”).

In general, the market values of securities which are readily available and deemed reliable are determined as follows: securities listed on a national securities exchange (other than securities listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. (“NASDAQ”)) or on a foreign securities exchange are valued at the last sale price at the close of the exchange or foreign securities exchange. If there has been no sale on such day, the securities are valued at the last traded price from the previous day. Securities listed on more than one exchange are valued by reference to the principal exchange on which the securities are traded; securities listed only on NASDAQ are valued in accordance with the NASDAQ Official Closing Price; listed or over the counter (“OTC”) market put or call options are valued at the mid level between the current bid and ask prices. If either a current bid or current ask price is unavailable, AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) will have discretion to determine the best valuation (e.g. last trade price in the case of listed options); open futures are valued using the closing settlement price or, in the absence of such a price, the most recent quoted bid price. If there are no quotations available for the day of valuation, the last available closing settlement price is used; U.S. government securities and other debt instruments having 60 days or less remaining until maturity are valued at amortized cost if their original maturity was 60 days or less; or by amortizing their fair value as of the 61st day prior to maturity if their original term to maturity exceeded 60 days; fixed-income securities, including mortgage backed and asset backed securities, may be valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service or at a price obtained from one or more of the major broker/dealers. In cases where broker/dealer quotes are obtained, the Adviser may establish procedures whereby changes in market yields or spreads are used to adjust, on a daily basis, a recently obtained quoted price on a security. Swaps and other derivatives are valued daily, primarily using independent pricing services, independent pricing models using market inputs, as well as third party broker-dealers or counterparties. Investments in money market funds are valued at their net asset value each day.

Securities for which market quotations are not readily available (including restricted securities) or are deemed unreliable are valued at fair value. Factors considered in making this determination may include, but are not limited to, information obtained by contacting the issuer, analysts, analysis of the issuer’s financial statements or other available documents. In addition, the Portfolio may use fair value pricing for securities primarily traded in non-U.S. markets because most foreign markets close well before the Portfolio values its securities at 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The earlier close of foreign markets gives rise to the possibility that significant events, including broad market moves, may have occurred between the close of the foreign markets and the time at which the Portfolio values its securities which may materially affect the value of securities trading in such markets. To account for this, the Portfolio may frequently value many of its foreign equity securities using fair value prices based on third party vendor modeling tools to the extent available.

2. Fair Value Measurements

In accordance with U.S. GAAP regarding fair value measurements, fair value is defined as the price that the Portfolio would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. U.S. GAAP establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and a three-level hierarchy for fair value measurements

 

10


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability (including those valued based on their market values as described in Note A.1 above). Inputs may be observable or unobservable and refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Portfolio. Unobservable inputs reflect the Portfolio’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on the best information available in the circumstances. Each investment is assigned a level based upon the observability of the inputs which are significant to the overall valuation. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized below.

 

   

Level 1—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 Portfolio’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

Where readily available market prices or relevant bid prices are not available for certain equity investments, such investments may be valued based on similar publicly traded investments, movements in relevant indices since last available prices or based upon underlying company fundamentals and comparable company data (such as multiples to earnings or other multiples to equity). Where an investment is valued using an observable input, such as another publicly traded security, the investment will be classified as Level 2. If management determines that an adjustment is appropriate based on restrictions on resale, illiquidity or uncertainty, and such adjustment is a significant component of the valuation, the investment will be classified as Level 3. An investment will also be classified as Level 3 where management uses company fundamentals and other significant inputs to determine the valuation.

Options and warrants are valued using market-based inputs to models, broker or dealer quotations, or alternative pricing sources with reasonable levels of price transparency, where such inputs and models are available. Alternatively the values may be obtained through unobservable management determined inputs and/or management’s proprietary models. Where models are used, the selection of a particular model to value an option or a warrant depends upon the contractual terms of, and specific risks inherent in, the option or warrant as well as the availability of pricing information in the market. Valuation models require a variety of inputs, including contractual terms, market prices, measures of volatility and correlations of such inputs. Exchange traded options will be classified as Level 2. For options or warrants that do not trade on exchange but trade in liquid markets, inputs can generally be verified and model selection does not involve significant management judgment. Options and warrants are classified within Level 2 on the fair value hierarchy when all of the significant inputs can be corroborated to market evidence. Otherwise such instruments are classified as Level 3.

The following table summarizes the valuation of the Portfolio’s investments by the above fair value hierarchy levels as of June 30, 2013:

 

       Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

Investments in Securities:

             

Assets:

             

Common Stocks:

             

Information Technology

     $ 30,665,259       $ 1,960,170       $             –0 –     $ 32,625,429   

Consumer Discretionary

       17,849,034         10,013,249         –0 –       27,862,283   

Health Care

       10,330,017         6,775,225         –0 –       17,105,242   

Consumer Staples

       4,660,156         9,983,089         –0 –       14,643,245   

Energy

       9,929,651         3,033,141         –0 –       12,962,792   

Financials

       3,587,466         8,980,550         –0 –       12,568,016   

Industrials

       2,967,052         2,037,526         –0 –       5,004,578   

Telecommunication Services

       –0 –       2,808,558         –0 –       2,808,558   

Materials

       1,726,036         –0 –       –0 –       1,726,036   

Options Purchased—Puts

       –0 –       124,425         –0 –       124,425   

Short-Term Investments

       –0 –       764,754         –0 –       764,754   

Investments of Cash Collateral for Securities Loaned in Affiliated Money Market Fund

       7,153,538         –0 –       –0 –       7,153,538   
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Investments in Securities

       88,868,209         46,480,687      –0 –       135,348,896   

 

11


GLOBAL THEMATIC GROWTH PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

       Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

Other Financial Instruments*:

             

Assets:

             

Forward Currency Exchange Contracts

     $ –0 –     $ 253,360       $ –0 –     $ 253,360   

Liabilities:

             

Forward Currency Exchange Contracts

       –0 –       (535,550      –0 –       (535,550
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total^

     $ 88,868,209       $ 46,198,497       $             –0 –     $ 135,066,706   
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

*   Other financial instruments are derivative instruments, such as futures, forwards and swaps, which are valued at the unrealized appreciation/depreciation on the instrument.

 

+   A significant portion of the Portfolio’s foreign equity investments are categorized as Level 2 investments since they are valued using fair value prices based on third party vendor modeling tools to the extent available, see Note A.1.

 

^   There were no transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 during the reporting period.

The Portfolio recognizes all transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy assuming the financial instruments were transferred at the beginning of the reporting period.

The Adviser has established a Valuation Committee (the “Committee”) which is responsible for overseeing the pricing and valuation of all securities held in the Portfolio. The Committee operates under pricing and valuation policies and procedures established by the Adviser and approved by the Board, including pricing policies which set forth the mechanisms and processes to be employed on a daily basis to implement these policies and procedures. In particular, the pricing policies describe how to determine market quotations for securities and other instruments. The Committee’s responsibilities include: 1) fair value and liquidity determinations (and oversight of any third parties to whom any responsibility for fair value and liquidity determinations is delegated), and 2) regular monitoring of the Adviser’s pricing and valuation policies and procedures and modification or enhancement of these policies and procedures (or recommendation of the modification of these policies and procedures) as the Committee believes appropriate.

The Committee is also responsible for monitoring the implementation of the pricing policies by the Adviser’s Pricing Group (the “Pricing Group”) and a third party which performs certain pricing functions in accordance with the pricing policies. The Pricing Group is responsible for the oversight of the third party on a day-to-day basis. The Committee and the Pricing Group perform a series of activities to provide reasonable assurance of the accuracy of prices including: 1) periodic vendor due diligence meetings, review of methodologies, new developments and process at vendors, 2) daily compare of security valuation versus prior day for all securities that exceeded established thresholds, and 3) daily review of unpriced, stale, and variance reports with exceptions reviewed by senior management and the Committee.

In addition, several processes outside of the pricing process are used to monitor valuation issues including: 1) performance and performance attribution reports are monitored for anomalous impacts based upon benchmark performance, and 2) portfolio managers review all portfolios for performance and analytics (which are generated using the Adviser’s prices).

3. Currency Translation

Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies and commitments under forward currency exchange contracts are translated into U.S. dollars at the mean of the quoted bid and ask prices of such currencies against the U.S. dollar. Purchases and sales of portfolio securities are translated into U.S. dollars at the rates of exchange prevailing when such securities were acquired or sold. Income and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars at rates of exchange prevailing when accrued.

Net realized gain or loss on foreign currency transactions represents foreign exchange gains and losses from sales and maturities of foreign fixed income investments, foreign currency exchange contracts, holding of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on foreign investment transactions, and the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the Portfolio’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized currency gains and losses from valuing foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities at period end exchange rates are reflected as a component of net unrealized appreciation or depreciation of foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities.

4. Taxes

It is the Portfolio’s policy to meet the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute all of its investment company taxable income and net realized gains, if any, to shareholders. Therefore, no provisions for federal income or excise taxes are required. The Portfolio may be subject to taxes imposed by countries in

 

12


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on income and/or capital gains earned or repatriated. Taxes are accrued and applied to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized appreciation/depreciation as such income and/or gains are earned.

In accordance with U.S. GAAP requirements regarding accounting for uncertainties in income taxes, management has analyzed the Portfolio’s tax positions taken or expected to be taken on federal and state income tax returns for all open tax years (the current and the prior three tax years) and has concluded that no provision for income tax is required in the Portfolio’s financial statements.

5. Investment Income and Investment Transactions

Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date or as soon as the Portfolio is informed of the dividend. Interest income is accrued daily. Investment transactions are accounted for on the date the securities are purchased or sold. Investment gains or losses are determined on the identified cost basis. The Portfolio amortizes premiums and accretes discounts as adjustments to interest income.

6. Class Allocations

All income earned and expenses incurred by the Portfolio are borne on a pro-rata basis by each outstanding class of shares, based on the proportionate interest in the Portfolio represented by the net assets of such class, except for class specific expenses which are allocated to the respective class. Realized and unrealized gains and losses are allocated among the various share classes based on respective net assets.

7. Dividends and Distributions

Dividends and distributions to shareholders, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income dividends and capital gains distributions are determined in accordance with federal tax regulations and may differ from those determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. To the extent these differences are permanent, such amounts are reclassified within the capital accounts based on their federal tax basis treatment; temporary differences do not require such reclassification.

NOTE B: Advisory Fee and Other Transactions with Affiliates

Under the terms of the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio pays the Adviser an advisory fee at an annual rate of .75% of the first $2.5 billion, .65% of the next $2.5 billion and .60% in excess of $5 billion, of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets. The fee is accrued daily and paid monthly.

Pursuant to the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio may reimburse the Adviser for certain legal and accounting services provided to the Portfolio by the Adviser. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, the reimbursement for such services amounted to $22,133.

Brokerage commissions paid on investment transactions for the six months ended June 30, 2013 amounted to $200,627, of which $593 and $20, respectively, was paid to Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. LLC and Sanford C. Bernstein Limited, affiliates of the Adviser.

The Portfolio compensates AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, under a Transfer Agency Agreement for providing personnel and facilities to perform transfer agency services for the Portfolio. Such compensation retained by ABIS amounted to $692 for the six months ended June 30, 2013.

NOTE C: Distribution Plan

The Portfolio has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Under the Plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (the “Distributor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, at an annual rate of up to .50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The fees are accrued daily and paid monthly. The Board of Directors currently limits payments under the Plan to .25% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The Plan provides that the Distributor will use such payments in their entirety for distribution assistance and promotional activities.

The Portfolio is not obligated under the Plan to pay any distribution and servicing fees in excess of the amounts set forth above. The purpose of the payments to the Distributor under the Plan is to compensate the Distributor for its distribution services with respect to the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. Since the Distributor’s compensation is not directly tied to its expenses, the amount of compensation received by it under the Plan during any year may be more or less than its actual expenses. For this reason, the Plan is characterized by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission as being of the “compensation” variety.

 

13


GLOBAL THEMATIC GROWTH PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

In the event that the Plan is terminated or not continued, no distribution or servicing fees (other than current amounts accrued but not yet paid) would be owed by the Portfolio to the Distributor.

The Plan also provides that the Adviser may use its own resources to finance the distribution of the Portfolio’s shares.

NOTE D: Investment Transactions

Purchases and sales of investment securities (excluding short-term investments) for the six months ended June 30, 2013 were as follows:

 

       Purchases      Sales  

Investment securities (excluding U.S. government securities)

     $ 104,237,573       $ 113,150,792   

U.S. government securities

       –0 –       –0 – 

The cost of investments for federal income tax purposes was substantially the same as the cost for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, gross unrealized appreciation and unrealized depreciation (excluding foreign currency and written option transactions) are as follows:

 

Gross unrealized appreciation

   $ 13,373,828   

Gross unrealized depreciation

     (4,432,972
  

 

 

 

Net unrealized appreciation

   $ 8,940,856   
  

 

 

 

1. Derivative Financial Instruments

The Portfolio may use derivatives in an effort to earn income and enhance returns, to replace more traditional direct investments, to obtain exposure to otherwise inaccessible markets (collectively, “investment purposes”), or to hedge or adjust the risk profile of its portfolio.

The principal types of derivatives utilized by the Portfolio, as well as the methods in which they may be used are:

 

   

Forward Currency Exchange Contracts

The Portfolio may enter into forward currency exchange contracts in order to hedge its exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates on its foreign portfolio holdings, to hedge certain firm purchase and sale commitments denominated in foreign currencies and for non-hedging purposes as a means of making direct investments in foreign currencies, as described below under “Currency Transactions”.

A forward currency exchange contract is a commitment to purchase or sell a foreign currency at a future date at a negotiated forward rate. The gain or loss arising from the difference between the original contract and the closing of such contract would be included in net realized gain or loss on foreign currency transactions. Fluctuations in the value of open forward currency exchange contracts are recorded for financial reporting purposes as unrealized appreciation and/or depreciation by the Portfolio. Risks may arise from the potential inability of a counterparty to meet the terms of a contract and from unanticipated movements in the value of a foreign currency relative to the U.S. dollar.

During the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio held forward currency exchange contracts for hedging and non-hedging purposes.

 

   

Option Transactions

For hedging and investment purposes, the Portfolio may purchase and write (sell) put and call options on U.S. and foreign securities, including government securities, and foreign currencies that are traded on U.S. and foreign securities exchanges and over-the-counter markets. Among other things, the Portfolio may use options transactions for non-hedging purposes as a means of making direct investments in foreign currencies, as described below under “Currency Transactions” and may use options strategies involving the purchase and/or writing of various combinations of call and/or put options, for hedging and investment purposes.

The risk associated with purchasing an option is that the Portfolio pays a premium whether or not the option is exercised. Additionally, the Portfolio bears the risk of loss of the premium and change in market value should the counterparty not perform under the contract. Put and call options purchased are accounted for in the same manner as portfolio securities. The cost of securities acquired through the exercise of call options is increased by premiums paid. The proceeds from securities sold through the exercise of put options are decreased by the premiums paid.

 

14


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

When the Portfolio writes an option, the premium received by the Portfolio is recorded as a liability and is subsequently adjusted to the current market value of the option written. Premiums received from written options which expire unexercised are recorded by the Portfolio on the expiration date as realized gains from options written. The difference between the premium received and the amount paid on effecting a closing purchase transaction, including brokerage commissions, is also treated as a realized gain, or if the premium received is less than the amount paid for the closing purchase transaction, as a realized loss. If a call option is exercised, the premium received is added to the proceeds from the sale of the underlying security or currency in determining whether the Portfolio has realized a gain or loss. If a put option is exercised, the premium received reduces the cost basis of the security or currency purchased by the Portfolio. In writing an option, the Portfolio bears the market risk of an unfavorable change in the price of the security or currency underlying the written option. Exercise of an option written by the Portfolio could result in the Portfolio selling or buying a security or currency at a price different from the current market value.

During the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio held purchased options for hedging purposes. During the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio held written options for hedging purposes.

For the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio had the following transactions in written options:

 

     Number of
Contracts
     Premiums
Received
 

Options written outstanding as of 12/31/12

     1,825       $ 20,440   

Options written

     –0 –       –0 – 

Options expired

     –0 –       –0 – 

Options bought back

     (1,825      (20,440

Options exercised

     –0 –       –0 – 
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Options written outstanding as of 6/30/13

     –0 –     $ –0 – 
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

The Portfolio typically enters into International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. Master Agreements (“ISDA Master Agreement”) or similar master agreements (collectively, “Master Agreements”) with its OTC derivative contract counterparties in order to, among other things, reduce its credit risk to counterparties. ISDA Master Agreements include provisions for general obligations, representations, collateral and events of default or termination. Under an ISDA Master Agreement, the Portfolio typically may offset with the counterparty certain derivative financial instrument’s payables and/or receivables with collateral held and/or posted and create one single net payment (close-out netting) in the event of default or termination.

Various master agreements govern the terms of certain transactions with counterparties, including transactions such as exchange-traded derivative transactions, repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements and certain securities lending transactions. These master agreements typically attempt to reduce the counterparty risk associated with such transactions by specifying credit protection mechanisms and providing standardization that improves legal certainty. Cross-termination provisions under Master Agreements typically provide that a default in connection with one transaction between the Portfolio and a counterparty gives the non-defaulting party the right to terminate any other transactions in place with the defaulting party to create one single net payment due to/due from the defaulting party.

The Portfolio’s Master Agreements may contain provisions for early termination of derivative transactions in the event the net assets of the Portfolio decline below specific levels (“net asset contingent features”). If these levels are triggered, the Portfolio’s counterparty has the right to terminate such transaction and require the Portfolio to pay or receive a settlement amount in connection with the terminated transaction.

 

15


GLOBAL THEMATIC GROWTH PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

At June 30, 2013, the Portfolio had entered into the following derivatives:

 

    

Asset Derivatives

   

Liability Derivatives

 

Derivative Type

  

Statement of
Assets and Liabilities

Location

   Fair Value    

Statement of
Assets and Liabilities

Location

   Fair Value  

Foreign exchange contracts

   Unrealized appreciation of forward currency exchange contracts    $ 253,360      Unrealized depreciation of forward currency exchange contracts    $ 535,550   

Equity contracts

   Investments in securities, at value      124,425 +      
     

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total

      $ 377,785         $ 535,550   
     

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

+   Exchange-traded investments.

The effect of derivative instruments on the statement of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2013:

 

Derivative Type

  

Location of Gain or (Loss) on Derivatives

   Realized Gain or
(Loss) on
Derivatives
    Change in Unrealized
Appreciation or
(Depreciation)
 

Foreign exchange contracts

   Net realized gain (loss) on foreign currency transactions; Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities    $ (1,478,303   $ (145,836

Equity contracts

   Net realized gain (loss) on investment transactions; Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments      (1,534,151     1,481,202   

Equity contracts

   Net realized gain (loss) on options written; Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of options written      (4,909     8,213   
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

      $ (3,017,363   $ 1,343,579   
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

The following table represents the volume of the Portfolio’s derivative transactions during the six months ended June 30, 2013:

 

Forward Currency Exchange Contracts:

  

Average principal amount of buy contracts

   $ 27,044,247   

Average principal amount of sale contracts

   $ 7,645,010 (a) 

Purchased Options:

  

Average monthly cost

   $ 418,513   

 

(a)   Positions were open for three months during the period.

For financial reporting purposes, the Portfolio does not offset derivative assets and derivative liabilities that are subject to netting arrangements in the statement of assets and liabilities.

The following tables present the Portfolio’s dervative assets and liabilities by counterparty net of amounts available for offset under Master Agreements (“MA”) and net of the related collateral received/pledged by the Portfolio as of June 30, 2013:

 

Counterparty

   Derivative Assets Subject
to MA
     Derivatives
Available
for Offset
    Collateral
Received
    Net Amount of
Derivatives Assets
 

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

   $ 168,354       $ –0 –      $–0–      $ 168,354   

BNP Paribas SA

     11,419         (11,419     –0 –      –0 – 

JPMorgan Chase Bank NA

     14,544         –0 –      –0 –      14,544   

UBS AG

     59,043         –0 –      –0 –      59,043   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

   $ 253,360       $ (11,419     $–0–      $ 241,941   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

16


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

Counterparty

   Derivative Liabilites
Subject to MA
     Derivatives
Available
for Offset
    Collateral
Pledged
    Net Amount of
Derivatives Liabilities
 

BNP Paribas SA

   $ 256,843       $ (11,419   $ –0 –    $ 245,424   

Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc.

     139,921         –0 –      –0 –      139,921   

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

     138,786         –0 –      –0 –      138,786   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

   $ 535,550       $ (11,419   $ –0 –    $ 524,131   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

2. Currency Transactions

The Portfolio may invest in non-U.S. Dollar securities on a currency hedged or unhedged basis. The Portfolio may seek investment opportunities by taking long or short positions in currencies through the use of currency-related derivatives, including forward currency exchange contracts, futures and options on futures, swaps, and other options. The Portfolio may enter into transactions for investment opportunities when it anticipates that a foreign currency will appreciate or depreciate in value but securities denominated in that currency are not held by the Portfolio and do not present attractive investment opportunities. Such transactions may also be used when the Adviser believes that it may be more efficient than a direct investment in a foreign currency-denominated security. The Portfolio may also conduct currency exchange contracts on a spot basis (i.e., for cash at the spot rate prevailing in the currency exchange market for buying or selling currencies).

NOTE E: Securities Lending

The Portfolio may enter into securities lending transactions. Under the Portfolio’s securities lending program, all loans of securities will be collateralized continually by cash. The Portfolio will be compensated for the loan from a portion of the net return from the income earned on cash collateral after a rebate is paid to the borrower (in some cases, this rebate may be a “negative rebate” or fee paid by the borrower to the Portfolio in connection with the loan), and payments are made for fees of the securities lending agent and for certain other administrative expenses. It is the policy of the Portfolio to receive collateral consisting of cash in an amount exceeding the value of the securities loaned. The Portfolio will have the right to call a loan and obtain the securities loaned at any time on notice to the borrower within the normal and customary settlement time for the securities. While the securities are on loan, the borrower is obligated to pay the Portfolio amounts equal to any income or other distributions from the securities. The Portfolio will not have the right to vote any securities during the existence of a loan, but will have the right to regain ownership of loaned securities in order to exercise voting or other ownership rights. The lending agent has agreed to indemnify the Portfolio in the case of default of any securities borrower. Collateral received and securities loaned are marked to market daily to ensure that the securities loaned are secured by collateral. The lending agent will invest the cash collateral received in AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves, an eligible money market vehicle, in accordance with the investment restrictions of the Portfolio, and as approved by the Board. The collateral received on securities loaned is recorded as an asset as well as a corresponding liability in the statement of assets and liabilities. When the Portfolio lends securities, its investment performance will continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned. At June 30, 2013, the Portfolio had securities on loan with a value of $6,617,468 and had received cash collateral which has been invested into AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves of $7,153,538. The cash collateral will be adjusted on the next business day to maintain the required collateral amount. The Portfolio earned securities lending income of $427,756 and $8,941 from the borrowers and AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2013; these amounts are reflected in the statement of operations. A principal risk of lending portfolio securities is that the borrower will fail to return the loaned securities upon termination of the loan and that the collateral will not be sufficient to replace the loaned securities. A summary of the Portfolio’s transactions in shares of AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves for the six months ended June 30, 2013 is as follows:

 

Market Value
December 31, 2012
(000)

    Purchases
at Cost
(000)
    Sales
Proceeds
(000)
    Market Value
June 30, 2013
(000)
    Dividend
Income
(000)
 
$ 28,576      $ 65,596      $ 87,018      $ 7,154      $ 9   

 

17


GLOBAL THEMATIC GROWTH PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE F: Capital Stock

Each class consists of 500,000,000 authorized shares. Transactions in capital shares for each class were as follows:

 

    SHARES         AMOUNT  
    Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
        Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 

Class A

         

Shares sold

    77,548        206,409        $ 1,355,798      $ 3,436,905   

Shares redeemed

    (212,074     (653,840       (3,728,099     (10,577,026
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease

    (134,526     (447,431     $ (2,372,301   $ (7,140,121
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Class B

         

Shares sold

    284,249        754,582        $ 4,925,084      $ 12,036,869   

Shares redeemed

    (608,178     (1,992,891       (10,321,622     (30,910,162
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease

    (323,929     (1,238,309     $ (5,396,538   $ (18,873,293
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

NOTE G: Risks Involved in Investing in the Portfolio

Foreign Securities Risk—Investing in securities of foreign companies or foreign governments involves special risks which include changes in foreign currency exchange rates and the possibility of future political and economic developments which could adversely affect the value of such securities. Moreover, securities of many foreign companies or foreign governments and their markets may be less liquid and their prices more volatile than those of comparable U.S. companies or of the U.S. government.

Currency Risk—This is the risk that changes in foreign currency exchange rates may negatively affect the value of the Portfolio’s investments or reduce the returns of the Portfolio. For example, the value of the Portfolio’s investments in foreign currency-denominated securities or currencies may decrease if the U.S. Dollar is strong (i.e., gaining value relative to other currencies) and other currencies are weak (i.e., losing value relative to the U.S. Dollar). Currency markets are generally not as regulated as securities markets. Independent of the Portfolio’s investments denominated in foreign currencies, the Portfolio’s positions in various foreign currencies may cause the Portfolio to experience investment losses due to the changes in exchange rates and interest rates.

Derivatives Risk—The Portfolio may enter into derivative transactions such as forwards, options, futures and swaps. Derivatives may be illiquid, difficult to price, and leveraged so that small changes may produce disproportionate losses for the Portfolio, and subject to counterparty risk to a greater degree than more traditional investments. Derivatives may result in significant losses, including losses that are far greater than the value of the derivatives reflected in the statement of assets and liabilities.

Indemnification Risk—In the ordinary course of business, the Portfolio enters into contracts that contain a variety of indemnifications. The Portfolio’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown. However, the Portfolio has not had prior claims or losses pursuant to these indemnification provisions and expects the risk of loss thereunder to be remote. Therefore, the Portfolio has not accrued any liability in connection with these indemnification provisions.

NOTE H: Joint Credit Facility

A number of open-end mutual funds managed by the Adviser, including the Portfolio, participate in a $140 million revolving credit facility (the “Facility”) intended to provide short-term financing, if necessary, subject to certain restrictions in connection with abnormal redemption activity. Commitment fees related to the Facility are paid by the participating funds and are included in miscellaneous expenses in the statement of operations. The Portfolio did not utilize the Facility during the six months ended June 30, 2013.

 

18


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE I: Distributions to Shareholders

The tax character of distributions to be paid for the year ending December 31, 2013 will be determined at the end of the current fiscal year. The tax character of distributions paid during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 were as follows:

 

       2012      2011  

Distributions paid from:

       

Ordinary income

     $             –0 –     $ 792,786   
    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total taxable distributions paid

     $ –0 –     $ 792,786   
    

 

 

    

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2012, the components of accumulated earnings/(deficit) on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed ordinary income

   $ 93,645   

Accumulated capital and other losses

     (67,513,000 )(a) 

Unrealized appreciation/(depreciation)

     5,174,790 (b) 
  

 

 

 

Total accumulated earnings/(deficit)

   $ (62,244,565
  

 

 

 

 

(a)   As of December 31, 2012, the Portfolio had a net capital loss carryforward of $67,513,000.

 

(b)   The differences between book-basis and tax-basis unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) are attributable primarily to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales, the realization for tax purposes of gains/losses on certain derivative instruments, and the tax treatment of passive foreign investment companies (PFICs).

For tax purposes, net capital losses may be carried over to offset future capital gains, if any. Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, funds are permitted to carry forward capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 for an indefinite period. These post-enactment capital losses must be utilized prior to the pre-enactment capital losses, which are subject to expiration. Post-enactment capital loss carryforwards will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses rather than being considered short-term as under previous regulation.

As of December 31, 2012, the Portfolio had a net capital loss carryforward of $67,513,000 which will expire as follows:

 

SHORT-TERM
AMOUNT

  

LONG-TERM
AMOUNT

  

EXPIRATION

$  28,312,496    n/a    2016
    18,800,560    n/a    2017
    12,864,413    $7,535,531    No expiration

NOTE J: Subsequent Events

Management has evaluated subsequent events for possible recognition or disclosure in the financial statements through the date the financial statements are issued. Management has determined that there are no material events that would require disclosure in the Portfolio’s financial statements through this date.

 

19


GLOBAL THEMATIC GROWTH PORTFOLIO
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    CLASS A  
    Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2013

(unaudited)
    Year Ended December 31,  
      2012     2011     2010     2009     2008  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $16.88        $14.87        $19.47        $16.73        $10.90        $20.71   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Income From Investment Operations

           

Net investment income (a)

    .04        .13        .02        .12        .07        .00 (b) 

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment and foreign currency transactions

    .42        1.88        (4.52     2.98        5.76        (9.81

Contributions from Adviser

    –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      .00 (b)      .00 (b) 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset
value from operations

    .46        2.01        (4.50     3.10        5.83        (9.81
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Less: Dividends

           

Dividends from net investment income

    –0 –      –0 –      (.10     (.36     –0 –      –0 – 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $17.34        $16.88        $14.87        $19.47        $16.73        $10.90   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Total Return

           

Total investment return based on net asset value (c)

    2.73     13.52 %*      (23.23 )%*      18.93 %*      53.49 %*†      (47.37 )%* 
           

Ratios/Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of period
(000’s omitted)

    $38,975        $40,231        $42,094        $66,302        $65,358        $39,933   

Ratio to average net assets of:

           

Expenses

    1.01 %(d)      .99     .94     .99 %(e)      1.00     .93

Net investment income

    .44 %(d)      .83     .10     .69 %(e)      .52     .00 %(f) 

Portfolio turnover rate

    80     152     163     117     215     141

 

 

 

See footnote summary on page 21.

 

20


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    CLASS B  
    Six Months
Ended

June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended December 31,  
      2012     2011     2010     2009     2008  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $16.42        $14.50        $18.99        $16.34        $10.67        $20.31   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Income From Investment Operations

           

Net investment income (loss) (a)

    .02        .09        (.03     .07        .04        (.04

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment and foreign currency transactions

    .40        1.83        (4.40     2.90        5.63        (9.60

Contributions from Adviser

    –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      .00 (b)      .00 (b) 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

    .42        1.92        (4.43     2.97        5.67        (9.64
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Less: Dividends

           

Dividends from net investment income

    –0 –      –0 –      (.06     (.32     –0 –      –0 – 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $16.84        $16.42        $14.50        $18.99        $16.34        $10.67   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Total Return

           

Total investment return based on net asset value (c)

    2.56     13.24 %*      (23.41 )%*      18.58 %*      53.14 %*†      (47.46 )%* 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of period
(000’s omitted)

    $88,747        $91,864        $99,084        $141,649        $141,536        $84,880   

Ratio to average net assets of:

           

Expenses

    1.26 %(d)      1.24     1.19     1.24 %(e)      1.25     1.18

Net investment income (loss)

    .19 %(d)      .58     (.14 )%      .44 %(e)      .27     (.24 )% 

Portfolio turnover rate

    80     152     163     117     215     141

 

 

 

(a)   Based on average shares outstanding.

 

(b)   Amount is less than $.005.

 

(c)   Total investment return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption on the last day of the period. Total return does not reflect (i) insurance company’s separate account related expense charges and (ii) the deductions of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Portfolio distributions or the redemption of Portfolio shares. Total investment return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized.

 

(d)   Annualized.

 

(e)   The ratio includes expenses attributable to costs of proxy solicitation.

 

(f)   Amount is less than .005%.

 

*   Includes the impact of proceeds received and credited to the Portfolio resulting from class action settlements, which enhanced the Portfolio’s performance for the years ended December 31, 2012, December 31, 2011, December 31, 2010, December 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008 by 0.07%, 0.04%, 0.04%, 0.15% and 0.03%, respectively.

 

  Includes the impact of reimbursements from the Adviser, which enhanced the Portfolio’s performance for the year ended December 31, 2009 by 0.01%.

See notes to financial statements.

 

21


 
GLOBAL THEMATIC GROWTH PORTFOLIO
(FORMERLY NAMED ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY PORTFOLIO)
CONTINUANCE DISCLOSURE   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

INFORMATION REGARDING THE REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE PORTFOLIO’S ADVISORY AGREEMENT

The disinterested directors (the “directors”) of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”) unanimously approved the continuance of the Fund’s Advisory Agreement with the Adviser in respect of AllianceBernstein Global Thematic Growth Portfolio (formerly named AllianceBernstein Global Technology Portfolio) (the “Portfolio”) at a meeting held on April 30-May 2, 2013.

Prior to approval of the continuance of the Advisory Agreement, the directors had requested from the Adviser, and received and evaluated, extensive materials. They reviewed the proposed continuance of the Advisory Agreement with the Adviser and with experienced counsel who are independent of the Adviser, who advised on the relevant legal standards. The directors also reviewed an independent evaluation prepared by the Fund’s Senior Officer (who is also the Fund’s Independent Compliance Officer) of the reasonableness of the advisory fee, in which the Senior Officer concluded that the contractual fee for the Portfolio was reasonable. The directors also discussed the proposed continuance in private sessions with counsel and the Fund’s Senior Officer.

The directors considered their knowledge of the nature and quality of the services provided by the Adviser to the Portfolio gained from their experience as directors or trustees of most of the registered investment companies advised by the Adviser, their overall confidence in the Adviser’s integrity and competence they have gained from that experience, the Adviser’s initiative in identifying and raising potential issues with the directors and its responsiveness, frankness and attention to concerns raised by the directors in the past, including the Adviser’s willingness to consider and implement organizational and operational changes designed to improve investment results and the services provided to the AllianceBernstein Funds. The directors noted that they have four regular meetings each year, at each of which they receive presentations from the Adviser on the investment results of the Portfolio and review extensive materials and information presented by the Adviser.

The directors also considered all other factors they believed relevant, including the specific matters discussed below. In their deliberations, the directors did not identify any particular information that was all-important or controlling, and different directors may have attributed different weights to the various factors. The directors determined that the selection of the Adviser to manage the Portfolio and the overall arrangements between the Portfolio and the Adviser, as provided in the Advisory Agreement, including the advisory fee, were fair and reasonable in light of the services performed, expenses incurred and such other matters as the directors considered relevant in the exercise of their business judgment. The material factors and conclusions that formed the basis for the directors’ determinations included the following:

Nature, Extent and Quality of Services Provided

The directors considered the scope and quality of services provided by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement, including the quality of the investment research capabilities of the Adviser and the other resources it has dedicated to performing services for the Portfolio. They also noted the professional experience and qualifications of the Portfolio’s portfolio management team and other senior personnel of the Adviser. The directors also considered that the Advisory Agreement provides that the Portfolio will reimburse the Adviser for the cost to it of providing certain clerical, accounting, administrative and other services to the Portfolio by employees of the Adviser or its affiliates. Requests for these reimbursements are made on a quarterly basis and subject to approval by the directors and, to the extent requested and paid, will result in a higher rate of total compensation from the Portfolio to the Adviser than the fee rate stated in the Portfolio’s Advisory Agreement. The directors noted that the methodology used to determine the reimbursement amounts had been reviewed by an independent consultant retained by the Fund’s Senior Officer. The quality of administrative and other services, including the Adviser’s role in coordinating the activities of the Portfolio’s other service providers, also were considered. The directors concluded that, overall, they were satisfied with the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Portfolio under the Advisory Agreement.

Costs of Services Provided and Profitability

The directors reviewed a schedule of the revenues, expenses and related notes indicating the profitability of the Portfolio to the Adviser for calendar years 2011 and 2012 that had been prepared with an expense allocation methodology arrived at in consultation with an independent consultant retained by the Fund’s Senior Officer. The directors reviewed the assumptions and methods of allocation used by the Adviser in preparing fund-specific profitability data and noted that there are a number of potentially acceptable allocation methodologies for information of this type. The directors noted that the profitability information reflected all revenues and expenses of the Adviser’s relationship with the Portfolio, including those relating to its subsidiaries that provide transfer agency, distribution and brokerage services to the Portfolio. The directors recognized that it

 

22


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

is difficult to make comparisons of the profitability of the Advisory Agreement with the profitability of advisory contracts for unaffiliated funds because comparative information is not generally publicly available and is affected by numerous factors. The directors focused on the profitability of the Adviser’s relationship with the Portfolio before taxes and distribution expenses. The directors were satisfied that the Adviser’s level of profitability from its relationship with the Portfolio was not unreasonable.

Fall-Out Benefits

The directors considered the other benefits to the Adviser and its affiliates from their relationships with the Portfolio, including but not limited to benefits relating to soft dollar arrangements (whereby the Adviser receives brokerage and research services from brokers that execute transactions for certain clients, including the Portfolio); 12b-1 fees and sales charges received by the Fund’s principal underwriter (which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser) in respect of the Portfolio’s Class B shares; transfer agency fees paid by the Portfolio to a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser; and brokerage commissions paid by the Portfolio to brokers affiliated with the Adviser. The directors recognized that the Adviser’s profitability would be somewhat lower without these benefits. The directors also understood that the Adviser also might derive reputational and other benefits from its association with the Portfolio.

Investment Results

In addition to the information reviewed by the directors in connection with the meeting, the directors receive detailed performance information for the Portfolio at each regular Board meeting during the year. The directors noted that the Portfolio is a clone of another fund managed by the Adviser (the “Corresponding Fund”) and is managed to track the investment performance of its Corresponding Fund, although investment results may differ between the Portfolio and its Corresponding Fund due to differences in their expense ratios and other factors. At the May 2013 meeting, the directors reviewed information prepared by Lipper showing the performance of the Class A Shares of the Portfolio as compared with that of a group of similar funds selected by Lipper (the “Performance Group”) and as compared with that of a broader array of funds selected by Lipper (the “Performance Universe”), and information prepared by the Adviser showing performance of the Class A Shares as compared with the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) All Country (AC) World Index and the MSCI World Index (Net), in each case for the 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year periods ended February 28, 2013, and (in the case of comparisons with the MSCI World Index) the period since inception (January 1996 inception). The directors noted that the Portfolio was 4th out of 4 of the Performance Group and in the 5th quintile of the Performance Universe for the 1-, 3- and 5-year periods, and 3rd out of 3 of the Performance Group and in the 5th quintile of the Performance Universe for the 10-year period. The directors noted the small number of other funds in the Performance Group. The Portfolio lagged the indices in all periods. The directors also reviewed performance information for periods ended March 31, 2013 (for which the data was not limited to Class A Shares), and noted that in the 3-month period the Portfolio had lagged the Lipper VA Global Growth Funds Average and the indices. The directors also noted that at the February 2009 meetings, they had approved modifications to the Portfolio’s investment strategy and policies, including a new benchmark, the MSCI AC World Index, and a name change to AllianceBernstein Global Thematic Growth Portfolio from AllianceBernstein Global Technology Portfolio

effective May 1, 2009. As a result, the directors gave less weight to the Portfolio’s investment performance prior to May 2009. Based on their review and their discussion with the Adviser of the reasons for the Portfolio’s performance, the directors retained confidence in the Adviser’s ability to manage the Portfolio’s assets. The directors determined to continue to monitor the Portfolio’s performance closely.

Advisory Fees and Other Expenses

The directors considered the advisory fee rate paid by the Portfolio to the Adviser and information prepared by Lipper concerning advisory fee rates paid by other funds in the same Lipper category as the Portfolio at a common asset level. The directors recognized that it is difficult to make comparisons of advisory fees because there are variations in the services that are included in the fees paid by other funds.

The directors also considered the advisory fees the Adviser charges non-fund clients pursuing a substantially similar investment style. For this purpose, they reviewed the relevant advisory fee information from the Adviser’s Form ADV and the evaluation from the Fund’s Senior Officer. The directors noted that, although the institutional fee schedule started at a rate different from the Portfolio’s starting fee rate, it had more breakpoints at lower asset levels than the fee schedule applicable to the Portfolio. The application of the institutional fee schedule to the level of assets of the Portfolio would result in a fee rate lower than the rate being paid by the Portfolio. The directors noted that the Adviser may, in some cases, agree to fee rates with large institutional clients that are lower than those reviewed by the directors and that they had previously discussed

 

23


GLOBAL THEMATIC GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
(FORMERLY NAMED ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY PORTFOLIO)
CONTINUANCE DISCLOSURE
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

with the Adviser its policies in respect of such arrangements. The directors noted that the advisory fee schedule for the Portfolio is the same as that for its Corresponding Fund except that the Portfolio’s fee rate is a monthly fee based on average daily net assets whereas the Corresponding Fund’s fee rate is a quarterly fee based on net asset value at the end of each quarter.

The Adviser reviewed with the directors the significantly greater scope of the services it provides to the Portfolio relative to institutional clients. The Adviser also noted that because mutual funds are constantly issuing and redeeming shares, they are more difficult to manage than an institutional account, where the assets tend to be relatively stable. In light of the substantial differences in services rendered by the Adviser to institutional clients as compared to funds such as the Portfolio, the directors considered these fee comparisons inapt and did not place significant weight on them in their deliberations.

The directors also considered the total expense ratio of the Class A shares of the Portfolio in comparison to the fees and expenses of funds within two comparison groups created by Lipper: an Expense Group and an Expense Universe. Lipper described an Expense Group as a representative sample of funds similar to the Portfolio and an Expense Universe as a broader group, consisting of all funds in the investment classification/objective with a similar load type as the Portfolio. The directors noted that because of the small number of funds in the Portfolio’s Lipper category, Lipper had expanded the Portfolio’s Expense Group to include peers that had a similar (but not the same) Lipper investment objective/classification. The Portfolio’s Expense Universe had also been expanded by Lipper pursuant to Lipper’s standard guidelines. The Class A expense ratio of the Portfolio was based on the Portfolio’s latest fiscal year. The directors noted that it was likely that the expense ratios of some of the other funds in the Portfolio’s Lipper category were lowered by waivers or reimbursements by those funds’ investment advisers, which in some cases might be voluntary or temporary. The directors view the expense ratio information as relevant to their evaluation of the Adviser’s services because the Adviser is responsible for coordinating services provided to the Portfolio by others.

The directors noted that, at the Portfolio’s current size, its contractual effective advisory fee rate of 75 basis points was lower than the Expense Group median. The directors noted that the administrative expense reimbursement was 3 basis points in the Portfolio’s latest fiscal year, and that as a result the rate of total compensation received by the Adviser from the Portfolio pursuant to the Advisory Agreement was about the same as the Expense Group median. The directors also noted that the Portfolio’s total expense ratio was higher than the Expense Group and the Expense Universe medians. The directors concluded that the Portfolio’s expense ratio was acceptable.

Economies of Scale

The directors noted that the advisory fee schedule for the Portfolio contains breakpoints that reduce the fee rates on assets above specified levels. The directors took into consideration prior presentations by an independent consultant on economies of scale in the mutual fund industry and for the AllianceBernstein Funds, and by the Adviser concerning certain of its views on economies of scale. The directors also had requested and received from the Adviser certain updates on economies of scale at the May 2013 meetings. The directors believe that economies of scale may be realized (if at all) by the Adviser across a variety of products and services, and not only in respect of a single fund. The directors noted that there is no established methodology for setting breakpoints that give effect to the fund-specific services provided by a fund’s adviser and to the economies of scale that an adviser may realize in its overall mutual fund business or those components of it which directly or indirectly affect a fund’s operations. The directors observed that in the mutual fund industry as a whole, as well as among funds similar to the Portfolio, there is no uniformity or pattern in the fees and asset levels at which breakpoints (if any) apply. The directors also noted that the advisory agreements for many funds do not have breakpoints at all. Having taken these factors into account, the directors concluded that the Portfolio’s shareholders would benefit from a sharing of economies of scale in the event the Portfolio’s net assets exceed a breakpoint in the future.

 

24


 
GLOBAL THEMATIC GROWTH PORTFOLIO
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

THE FOLLOWING IS NOT PART OF THE SHAREHOLDER REPORT OR THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

SUMMARY OF SENIOR OFFICER’S EVALUATION OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT1

The following is a summary of the evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement between AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) and the AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund (the “Fund”), in respect of AllianceBernstein Global Thematic Growth Portfolio (the “Portfolio”).2 The evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement was prepared by Philip L. Kirstein, the Senior Officer of the Fund, for the Directors of the Fund, as required by a September 2004 agreement between the Adviser and the New York State Attorney General (the “NYAG”). The Senior Officer’s evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement is not meant to diminish the responsibility or authority of the Board of Directors of the Fund to perform its duties pursuant to Section 15 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “40 Act”) and applicable state law. The purpose of the summary is to provide shareholders with a synopsis of the independent evaluation of the reasonableness of the advisory fees proposed to be paid by the Portfolio which was provided to the Directors in connection with their review of the proposed approval of the continuance of the Investment Advisory Agreement. The Senior Officer’s evaluation considered the following factors:

 

  1. Advisory fees charged to institutional and other clients of the Adviser for like services;

 

  2. Advisory fees charged by other mutual fund companies for like services;

 

  3. Costs to the Adviser and its affiliates of supplying services pursuant to the advisory agreement, excluding any intra-corporate profit;

 

  4. Profit margins of the Adviser and its affiliates from supplying such services;

 

  5. Possible economies of scale as the Portfolio grows larger; and

 

  6. Nature and quality of the Adviser’s services including the performance of the Portfolio.

These factors, with the exception of the first factor, are generally referred to as the “Gartenberg factors,” which were articulated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1982. Gartenberg v. Merrill Lynch Asset Management, Inc., 694 F. 2d 923 (2d Cir. 1982). On March 30, 2010, the Supreme Court held the Gartenberg decision was correct in its basic formulation of what §36(b) requires: to face liability under §36(b), “an investment adviser must charge a fee that is so disproportionately large that it bears no reasonable relationship to the services rendered and could not have been the product of arm’s length bargaining.” Jones v. Harris Associates L.P., 130 S. Ct. 1418 (2010). In Jones, the Court stated the Gartenberg approach fully incorporates the correct understanding of fiduciary duty within the context of section 36(b) and noted with approval that “Gartenberg insists that all relevant circumstances be taken into account” and “uses the range of fees that might result from arm’s length bargaining as the benchmark for reviewing challenged fees.”3

PORTFOLIO ADVISORY FEES, NET ASSETS & EXPENSE RATIOS

The Adviser proposed that the Portfolio pays the advisory fee set forth in the table below for receiving the services to be provided pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement. The fee schedule below, implemented in January 2004 in consideration of the Adviser’s settlement with the NYAG in December 2003, is based on a master schedule that contemplates eight categories of funds with almost all funds in each category having the same advisory fee schedule.

 

Category   Advisory Fee Based on % of
Average Daily Net Assets
 

Net Assets

03/31/13

($MIL)

    Portfolio

Specialty

 

0.75% on 1st $2.5 billion

0.65% on next $2.5 billion

0.60% on the balance

  $ 130.9      Global Thematic Growth Portfolio

 

1   The information in the fee summary was completed on April 22, 2013 and discussed with the Board of Directors on April 30-May 2, 2013.

 

2   Future references to the Fund and the Portfolio do not include “AllianceBernstein.” References in the fee summary pertaining to performance and expense ratio rankings refer to the Class A shares of the Portfolio.

 

3   Jones v. Harris at 1427.

 

25


GLOBAL THEMATIC GROWTH PORTFOLIO
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Adviser is reimbursed as specified in the Investment Advisory Agreement for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services provided to the Portfolio. During the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year, the Adviser received $45,432 (0.033% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets) for such services.

Set forth below are the Portfolio’s total expense ratios for the most recently completed fiscal year:

 

Portfolio   Total Expense Ratio   Fiscal Year

Global Thematic Growth Portfolio

  Class A     0.99%   December 31
  Class B     1.24%  

I. ADVISORY FEES CHARGED TO INSTITUTIONAL AND OTHER CLIENTS

The advisory fees charged to investment companies which the Adviser manages and sponsors are normally higher than those charged to similar sized institutional accounts, including pension plans and sub-advised investment companies. The fee differential reflects, among other things, different services provided to such clients, and different liabilities assumed. Services provided by the Adviser to the Portfolio that are not provided to non-investment company clients and sub-advised investment companies include providing office space and personnel to serve as Fund Officers, who among other responsibilities make the certifications required under the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, and coordinating with and monitoring the Portfolio’s third party service providers such as Fund counsel, auditors, custodians, transfer agents and pricing services. The accounting, administrative, legal and compliance requirements for the Portfolio are more costly than those for institutional assets due to the greater complexities and time required for investment companies, although as previously noted, the Adviser is reimbursed for providing such services. Also, retail mutual funds managed by the Adviser are widely held. Servicing the Portfolio’s investors is more time consuming and labor intensive compared to institutional clients since the Adviser needs to communicate with a more extensive network of financial intermediaries and shareholders. The Adviser also believes that it incurs substantial entrepreneurial risk when offering a new mutual fund, since establishing a new mutual fund requires a large upfront investment, and it may take a long time for the fund to achieve profitability since the fund must be priced to scale from inception in order to be competitive and assets are acquired one account at a time. In addition, managing the cash flow of an investment company may be more difficult than managing that of a stable pool of assets, such as an institutional account with little cash movement in either direction, particularly, if a fund is in net redemption and the Adviser is frequently forced to sell securities to raise cash for redemptions. However, managing a fund with positive cash flow may be easier at times than managing a stable pool of assets. In recent years, investment advisers have been sued by institutional clients and have suffered reputational damage both by the attendant publicity and outcomes other than complete victories. Accordingly, the legal and reputational risks associated with institutional accounts are greater than previously thought, although still not equal to those related to the mutual fund industry.

Notwithstanding the Adviser’s view that managing an investment company is not comparable to managing other institutional accounts because the services provided are different, the Supreme Court has indicated consideration should be given to the advisory fees charged to institutional accounts that have a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio.4 In

 

4   The Supreme Court stated that “courts may give such comparisons the weight that they merit in light of the similarities and differences between the services that the clients in question require, but the courts must be wary of inapt comparisons.” Among the significant differences the Supreme Court noted that may exist between services provided to mutual funds and institutional accounts are “higher marketing costs.” Jones v. Harris at 1428.

 

26


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

addition to the AllianceBernstein institutional fee schedule, set forth below is what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the AllianceBernstein institutional fee schedule been applicable to the Portfolio versus the Portfolio’s advisory fee based on March 31, 2013 net assets:5

 

Portfolio   

Net Assets

3/31/13

($MIL)

    

AllianceBernstein
Institutional

Fee Schedule

  

Effective

AB Inst.

Adv. Fee

    

Portfolio

Advisory

Fee

 

Global Thematic Growth Portfolio

   $ 130.9       Global Thematic Research Schedule      0.553      0.750
      0.80% on 1st $25m      
      0.60% on next $25m      
      0.50% on next $50m      
      0.40% on the balance      
      Minimum account size $25m      

The Adviser also manages AllianceBernstein Global Thematic Growth Fund, Inc. (“Global Thematic Growth Fund, Inc.), a retail mutual fund, which has a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio. Set forth below is the fee schedule of Global Thematic Growth Fund, Inc. and what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the fee schedule of the retail mutual fund been applicable to the Portfolio:6

 

Portfolio    AllianceBernstein
Mutual Fund
   Fee Schedule   

ABMF

Effective
Fee

    

Portfolio

Advisory
Fee

 

Global Thematic Growth Portfolio7

   Global Thematic
Growth Fund, Inc.
  

0.75% on first $2.5 billion

0.65% on next $2.5 billion

     0.750      0.750
      0.60% on the balance      

The Adviser also manages and sponsors retail mutual funds, which are organized in jurisdictions outside the United States, generally Luxembourg and Japan, and sold to non-United States resident investors. The Adviser charges the fees set forth for Thematic Research Growth Portfolio, which is a Luxembourg fund that has a somewhat similar investment style as the Portfolio.

 

Fund    Fee8  

Thematic Research Growth Portfolio

Class A

     1.70

Class I (Institutional)

     0.90

The Adviser represented that it does not sub-advise any registered investment company with a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio.

II. MANAGEMENT FEES CHARGED BY OTHER MUTUAL FUND COMPANIES FOR LIKE SERVICES.

Lipper Inc. (“Lipper”), an analytical service that is not affiliated with the Adviser, compared the fees charged to the Portfolio with fees charged to other investment companies for similar services offered by other investment advisers.9 Lipper’s analysis included

 

5  

The Adviser has indicated that with respect to institutional accounts with assets greater than $300 million, it will negotiate a fee schedule. Discounts that are negotiated vary based upon each client relationship.

 

6   The retail mutual fund was also affected by the settlement between the Adviser and the NYAG. As a result, the Portfolio has the same breakpoints in its advisory fee schedule as the retail mutual fund.

 

7   The advisory fees of AllianceBernstein Global Thematic Growth Fund, Inc. are based on the mutual fund’s net assets at the end of each quarter and are paid to the Adviser quarterly, in contrast to the Portfolio, whose advisory fees are based on the Portfolio’s average daily net assets and are paid on a monthly basis.

 

8   Class A shares of the fund are charged an “all-in” fee, which includes investment advisory services and distribution related services, unlike Class I shares, whose fee is for only investment advisory services.

 

9   The Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since “these comparisons are problematic because these fees, like those challenged, may not be the product of negotiations conducted at arm’s length.” Jones v. Harris at 1429.

 

27


GLOBAL THEMATIC GROWTH PORTFOLIO
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

the comparison of the Portfolio’s contractual management fee, estimated at the approximate current asset level of the Portfolio, to the median of the Portfolio’s Lipper Expense Group (“EG”) and the Portfolio’s contractual management fee ranking.10,11

Lipper describes an EG as a representative sample of comparable funds. Lipper’s standard methodology for screening funds to be included in an EG entails the consideration of several fund criteria, including fund type, investment classification/objective, load type and similar 12b-1/non-12b-1 service fees, asset (size) comparability, expense components and attributes. An EG will typically consist of seven to twenty funds.

The Portfolio’s original EG had an insufficient number of peers. Consequently, Lipper expanded the Portfolio’s EG to include peers that have a similar but not the same Lipper classification/objective as the Portfolio. However, because Lipper had expanded the Portfolio’s EG, under Lipper’s standard guidelines, the Portfolio’s Lipper Expense Universe (“EU”) was also expanded to include universes of those peers that had a similar

but not the same Lipper investment objective/classification. A “normal” EU will include funds that have the same investment objective/classification as the subject portfolio.12,13

 

Portfolio    Contractual
Management
Fee (%)14
      

Lipper

EG

Median (%)

      

Lipper

EG

Rank

 

Global Thematic Growth Portfolio

     0.750           0.796           4/10   

Set forth below is a comparison of the Portfolio’s total expense ratio and the medians of the Portfolio’s EG and EU.15 The Portfolio’s total expense ratio ranking is also shown in the table below.

 

Portfolio   

Expense

Ratio
(%)16

    

Lipper

EG

Median (%)

    

Lipper

EG

Rank

    

Lipper

EU

Median (%)

    

Lipper
EU

Rank

 

Global Thematic Growth Portfolio

     0.990         0.957         7/10         0.869         19/26   

Based on this analysis, the Portfolio has a more favorable ranking on a management fee basis than it does on a total expense ratio basis.

III. COSTS TO THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES OF SUPPLYING SERVICES PURSUANT TO THE ADVISORY FEE ARRANGEMENT, EXCLUDING ANY INTRA-CORPORATE PROFIT.

The Adviser utilizes two profitability reporting systems, which operate independently but are aligned with each other, to estimate the Adviser’s profitability in connection with investment advisory services provided to the Portfolio. The Senior

Officer has retained a consultant to provide independent advice regarding the alignment of the two profitability systems as well as the methodologies and allocations utilized by both profitability systems.

IV. PROFIT MARGINS OF THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES FOR SUPPLYING SUCH SERVICES.

The Portfolio’s profitability information, prepared by the Adviser for the Board of Directors, was reviewed by the Senior Officer and the consultant. The Adviser’s profitability from providing investment advisory services to the Portfolio increased during calendar year 2012, relative to 2011.

 

10   Lipper does not consider average account size when constructing EGs. Funds with relatively small average account sizes tend to have higher transfer agent expense ratio than comparable sized funds that have relatively large average account sizes. Note that there are limitations on Lipper expense category data because different funds categorize expenses differently.

 

11   The contractual management fee is calculated by Lipper using the Portfolio’s contractual management fee rate at a hypothetical asset level. The hypothetical asset level is based on the combined net assets of all classes of the Portfolio, rounded up to the next $25 million. Lipper’s total expense ratio information is based on the most recent annual report except as otherwise noted. A ranking of “1” would mean that the Portfolio had the lowest effective fee rate in the Lipper peer group.

 

12   Except for asset size comparability, Lipper uses the same criteria for selecting an EG peer when selecting an EU peer. Unlike the EG, the EU allows for the same adviser to be represented by more than just one fund.

 

13   The Portfolio’s EG includes the Portfolio, three other variable insurance product (“VIP”) Global Growth funds (“GLGE”) and six VIP Global Core funds (“GLCE”).

 

14   The contractual management fee does not reflect any expense reimbursements made by the Portfolio to the Adviser for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services.

 

15   The Portfolio’s EU includes the Portfolio, EG and all other VIP GLGE and VIP GLCE funds, excluding outliers.

 

16   Most recently completed fiscal year end Class A total expense ratio.

 

28


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

In addition to the Adviser’s direct profits from managing the Portfolio, certain of the Adviser’s affiliates have business relationships with the Portfolio and may earn a profit from providing other services to the Portfolio. The courts have referred to this type of business opportunity as “fall-out benefits” to the Adviser and indicated that such benefits should be factored into the evaluation of the total relationship between the Portfolio and the Adviser. Neither case law nor common business practice precludes the Adviser’s affiliates from earning a reasonable profit on this type of relationship provided the affiliates’ charges and services are competitive. These affiliates provide transfer agent, distribution and brokerage related services to the Portfolio and receive transfer agent fees, Rule 12b-1 payments, and brokerage commissions. In addition, the Adviser benefits from soft dollar arrangements which offset expenses the Adviser would otherwise incur.

The Portfolio has adopted a distribution plan for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 40 Act. Under the distribution plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to its principal underwriter, AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (“ABI”), the Portfolio’s distributor and an affiliate of the adviser, at an annual rate of up to 0.50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The current annual rate that the Portfolio pays to ABI for 12b-1 fees is 0.25%. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, ABI received $242,265 in Rule 12b-1 fees.

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, the Adviser incurred distribution expenses in the amount of $694,202 in connection with activities primarily intended to result in the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. This amount includes the 12b-1 fees paid by the Portfolio to the Adviser.

Financial intermediaries, such as insurers, market and sell shares of the Portfolio and typically receive compensation from ABI, the Advisers and/or the Portfolio for selling shares of the Portfolio. These financial intermediaries receive compensation in any or all of the following forms: 12b-1 fees, defrayal of costs for educational seminars and training, additional distribution support, recordkeeping and/or administrative services. Payments related to providing contract-holder recordkeeping and/or administrative services will generally not exceed 0.35% of the average daily net assets of the Portfolio attributable to the relevant intermediary over the year. With respect to the Fund, which includes the Portfolio and other Portfolios of the Fund not discussed in this summary, ABI paid approximately $600,000 in 2012 and expects to pay approximately $600,000 in 2013 for educational support and distribution assistance (revenue sharing payments).

The transfer agent of the Portfolio is AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”). During the most recently completed fiscal year, ABIS received a fee of $1,385 from the Portfolio.17

The Portfolio effected brokerage transactions through the Adviser’s affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., LLC (“SCB & Co.”) and/or its U.K. affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein Limited (“SCB Ltd.”), collectively “SCB,” and paid commissions during the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year. The Adviser represented that SCB’s profitability from business conducted with the Portfolio is comparable to the profitability of SCB’s dealings with other similar third party clients. In the ordinary course of business, SCB receives and pays liquidity rebates from electronic communications networks (“ECNs”) derived from trading for its clients, including the Portfolio. These credits and charges are not being passed onto any SCB client. The Adviser also receives certain soft dollar benefits from brokers that execute agency trades for the Portfolio and other clients. These soft dollar benefits reduce the Adviser’s cost of doing business and increase its profitability.

V. POSSIBLE ECONOMIES OF SCALE

The Adviser has indicated that economies of scale are being shared with shareholders through pricing to scale, breakpoints, fee reductions/waivers and enhancement to services.

In May 2012, an independent consultant, retained by the Senior Officer, provided the Board of Directors information on the Adviser’s firm-wide average costs from 2005 through 2011 and the potential economies of scale. The independent consultant noted that from 2005 through 2007 the Adviser experienced significant growth in assets under management (“AUM”). During this period, operating expenses increased, in part to keep up with growth, and in part reflecting market returns. However, from 2008 through the first quarter of 2009, AUM rapidly and significantly decreased due to declines in market value and client withdrawals. When AUM rapidly decreased, some operating expenses categories, including base compensation and office space, adjusted more slowly during this period, resulting in an increase in average costs. Since 2009, AUM has experienced less significant changes. The independent consultant noted that changes in operating expenses reflect changes in business composition and business practices in response to changes in financial markets. Finally, the independent consultant concluded that the increase in average cost and the decline in net operating margin across the Adviser

 

17   The Fund, which includes the Portfolio and other Portfolios of the Fund paid ABIS a flat fee of $18,000 in 2012.

 

29


GLOBAL THEMATIC GROWTH PORTFOLIO
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

since late 2008 are inconsistent with the view that there are currently reductions in average costs due to economies of scale that can be shared with the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds managed by the Adviser through lower fees.

Previously in February 2008, the independent consultant provided the Board of Directors an update of the Deli study on advisory fees and various fund characteristics.18,19 The independent consultant first reiterated the results of his previous two dimensional comparison analysis (fund size and family size) with the Board of Directors.20 The independent consultant then discussed the results of the regression model that was utilized to study the effects of various factors on advisory fees. The regression model output indicated that the bulk of the variation in fees predicted were explained by various factors, but substantially by fund AUM, family AUM, index fund indicator and investment style. The independent consultant also compared the advisory fees of the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds to similar funds managed by 19 other large asset managers, regardless of the fund size and each Adviser’s proportion of mutual fund assets to non-mutual fund assets.

VI. NATURE AND QUALITY OF THE ADVISER’S SERVICES, INCLUDING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PORTFOLIO

With assets under management of approximately $443 billion as of March 31, 2013, the Adviser has the investment experience to manage and provide non-investment services (described in Section I) to the Portfolio.

The information prepared by Lipper shows the 1, 3, 5 and 10 year performance returns and rankings of the Portfolio21 relative to its Lipper Performance Group (“PG”) and Lipper Performance Universe (“PU”)22 for the periods ended February 28, 2013.23

 

18   The Deli study, originally published in 2002 based on 1997 data and updated for the February 2008 Presentation, may be of diminished value due to the age of the data used in the presentation and the changes experienced in the industry over the last four years.

 

19   As mentioned previously, the Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since the fees may not be the product of negotiations conducted at arm’s length. See Jones V. Harris at 1429.

 

20   The two dimensional analysis showed patterns of lower advisory fees for funds with larger asset sizes and funds from larger family sizes compared to funds with smaller asset sizes and funds from smaller family sizes, which according to the independent consultant is indicative of a sharing of economies of scale and scope. However, in less liquid and active markets, such is not the case, as the empirical analysis showed potential for diseconomies of scale in those markets. The empirical analysis also showed diminishing economies of scale and scope as funds surpassed a certain high level of assets.

 

21   The performance rankings are for the Class A shares of the Portfolio. The Portfolio’s performance returns shown were provided by Lipper.

 

22   The Portfolio’s PG/PU is not identical to the Portfolio’s EG/EU as the criteria for including/excluding a fund in/from a PG/PU is somewhat different from that of an EG/EU.

 

23   The current Lipper investment classification/objective dictates the PG and PU throughout the life of the fund even if a fund had a different investment classification/objective at a different point in time.

 

 

30


 

    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

     Portfolio (%)     PG
Median (%)
    PU
Median (%)
    PG
Rank
    PU
Rank
 

Global Thematic Growth Portfolio24

         

1 year

    –0.98        10.42        11.09        4/4        11/11   

3 year

    3.30        10.98        10.70        4/4        11/11   

5 year

    0.38        3.13        3.09        4/4        10/11   

10 year

    5.80        10.39        10.38        3/3        9/9   

Set forth below are the 1, 3, 5, 10 year and since inception performance returns of the Portfolio (in bold)26 versus its benchmarks.27 Portfolio and benchmark volatility and reward-to-variability ratio (“Sharpe Ratio”) information is also shown.28

 

    

Periods Ending February 28, 2013

Annualized Performance

 
     1
Year
(%)
    3
Year
(%)
    5
Year
(%)
    10
Year
(%)
    Since
Inception
(%)
    Annualized     Risk
Period
(Year)
 
            Volatility
(%)
    Sharpe
(%)
   

Global Thematic Growth Portfolio24

    0.98        3.30        0.38        5.80        4.23        24.63        0.12        5   

MSCI AC World Index

    9.29        9.38        1.39        9.12        N/A        21.18        0.15        5   

MSCI World (Net) Index25

    10.69        9.81        1.56        8.59        5.63        N/A        N/A        N/A   
Inception Date: January 11, 1996               

CONCLUSION:

Based on the factors discussed above the Senior Officer’s conclusion is that the proposed advisory fee for the Portfolio is reasonable and within the range of what would have been negotiated at arm’s-length in light of all the surrounding circumstances. This conclusion in respect of the Portfolio is based on an evaluation of all of these factors and no single factor was dispositive.

Dated: May 29, 2013

  

 

24   The Portfolio’s Lipper classification changed in 2009 from VA Science/Technology Funds to VA Global Growth as a result of changes to the Portfolio’s strategy.

 

25   Benchmark since inception date is the nearest month end after the Portfolio’s inception date.

 

26   The performance returns and risk measures shown in the table are for the Class A shares of the Portfolio.

 

27   The Adviser provided Portfolio and benchmark performance return information for periods through February 28, 2013.

 

28   Portfolio and benchmark volatility and Sharpe Ratio information was obtained through Lipper LANA, a database maintained by Lipper. Volatility is a statistical measure of the tendency of a market price or yield to vary over time. The Sharpe Ratio is a risk adjusted measure of return that divides a portfolio’s return in excess of the riskless return by the portfolio’s standard deviation. A portfolio with a greater volatility would be viewed as more risky than a portfolio with equivalent performance but lower volatility; for that reason, a greater return would be demanded for the more risky portfolio. A portfolio with a higher Sharpe Ratio would be viewed as better performing than a portfolio with a lower Sharpe Ratio.

 

31


AllianceBernstein

Variable Products Series Fund, Inc.

 

 

 

LOGO   AllianceBernstein Growth Portfolio

 

June 30, 2013

 

Semi-Annual Report

 

LOGO

 

SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT


 

 

 

Investment Products Offered

 

  Ø  

Are Not FDIC Insured

  Ø  

May Lose Value

  Ø  

Are Not Bank Guaranteed

AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (ABI) is the distributor of the AllianceBernstein family of mutual funds. ABI is a member of FINRA and is an affiliate of AllianceBernstein L.P., the manager of the funds.

You may obtain a description of the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures, and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, without charge. Simply visit AllianceBernstein’s website at www.alliancebernstein.com or go to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “Commission”) website at www.sec.gov, or call AllianceBernstein at (800) 227-4618.

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Commission for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Fund’s Forms N-Q are available on the Commission’s website at www.sec.gov. The Fund’s Forms N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC; information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330.

AllianceBernstein® and the AB Logo are registered trademarks and service marks used by permission of the owner, AllianceBernstein L.P.


 
GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
EXPENSE EXAMPLE (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments, contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution (12b-1) fees; and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund 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 as indicated below.

Actual Expenses

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. The estimate of expenses does not include fees or other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes

The table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed annual rate of return of 5% before expenses, which is not the Fund’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 costs of investing in the Fund and other funds by comparing this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds. The estimate of expenses does not include fees or other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads), or contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions. Therefore, the second line of each class’ table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

      Beginning
Account  Value
January 1, 2013
     Ending
Account Value
June 30, 2013
     Expenses Paid
During Period*
     Annualized
Expense  Ratio*
 

Class A

           

Actual

   $   1,000       $   1,094.30       $   5.50         1.06

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $   1,000       $ 1,019.54       $ 5.31         1.06
           

Class B

           

Actual

   $ 1,000       $ 1,093.30       $ 6.80         1.31

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $ 1,000       $ 1,018.30       $ 6.56         1.31

 

 

 

 

*   Expenses are equal to each classes’ annualized expense ratios, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 181/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).

 

1


GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS*  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

COMPANY    U.S. $ VALUE        PERCENT OF NET ASSETS  

Apple, Inc.

   $ 2,798,305           3.9

Google, Inc.—Class A

     2,598,852           3.6   

Biogen Idec, Inc.

     2,343,528           3.3   

Philip Morris International, Inc.

     2,247,789           3.1   

Precision Castparts Corp.

     2,192,297           3.0   

IntercontinentalExchange, Inc.

     1,958,915           2.7   

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

     1,764,808           2.4   

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp.—Class A

     1,764,350           2.4   

priceline.com, Inc.

     1,716,295           2.4   

eBay, Inc.

     1,639,524           2.3   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 
     $   21,024,663           29.1

SECTOR BREAKDOWN**

June 30, 2013 (unaudited)

 

 

SECTOR    U.S. $ VALUE        PERCENT OF TOTAL INVESTMENTS  

Information Technology

   $ 19,706,259           27.2

Consumer Discretionary

     13,079,720           18.1   

Health Care

     11,929,158           16.5   

Consumer Staples

     9,702,443           13.4   

Industrials

     9,477,231           13.1   

Financials

     4,337,699           6.0   

Energy

     3,107,054           4.3   

Short-Term Investments

     987,984           1.4   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Investments

   $   72,327,548           100.0

 

 

 

*   Long-term investments.

 

**   The Portfolio’s sector breakdown is expressed as a percentage of total investments and may vary over time.

Please note: The sector classifications presented herein are based on the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) which was developed by Morgan Stanley Capital International and Standard & Poor’s. The components are divided into sector, industry group, and industry sub-indices as classified by the GICS for each of the market capitalization indices in the broad market. These sector classifications are broadly defined. The “Portfolio of Investments” section of the report reflects more specific industry information and is consistent with the investment restrictions discussed in the Portfolio’s prospectus.

 

2


GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company       
    
    
Shares
    U.S. $ Value  
   

COMMON STOCKS–98.8%

   

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY–27.3%

   

COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT–0.9%

   

QUALCOMM, Inc.

    10,640      $ 649,891   
   

 

 

 

COMPUTERS &
PERIPHERALS–3.9%

   

Apple, Inc.

    7,065        2,798,305   
   

 

 

 

INTERNET SOFTWARE & SERVICES–8.1%

   

eBay, Inc.(a)

    31,700        1,639,524   

Facebook, Inc.(a)

    36,630        910,622   

Google, Inc.–Class A(a)

    2,952        2,598,852   

LinkedIn Corp.(a)

    4,140        738,162   
   

 

 

 
      5,887,160   
   

 

 

 

IT SERVICES–5.4%

   

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp.–Class A(a)

    28,180        1,764,350   

MAXIMUS, Inc.

    7,320        545,194   

Visa, Inc.–Class A

    8,530        1,558,857   
   

 

 

 
      3,868,401   
   

 

 

 

SEMICONDUCTORS & SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT–1.1%

   

ASML Holding NV

    9,760        772,016   
   

 

 

 

SOFTWARE–7.9%

   

ANSYS, Inc.(a)

    11,220        820,182   

Aspen Technology, Inc.(a)

    12,360        355,844   

Cadence Design Systems, Inc.(a)

    45,450        658,116   

Citrix Systems, Inc.(a)

    18,310        1,104,642   

Oracle Corp.

    46,740        1,435,853   

Red Hat, Inc.(a)

    13,610        650,830   

ServiceNow, Inc.(a)

    7,150        288,789   

TIBCO Software, Inc.(a)

    19,450        416,230   
   

 

 

 
      5,730,486   
   

 

 

 
      19,706,259   
   

 

 

 

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY–18.1%

   

AUTOMOBILES–1.4%

   

Harley-Davidson, Inc.

    18,590        1,019,104   
   

 

 

 

HOTELS, RESTAURANTS & LEISURE–1.8%

   

Starbucks Corp.

    19,630        1,285,569   
   

 

 

 

INTERNET & CATALOG RETAIL–5.3%

   

Amazon.com, Inc.(a)

    5,570        1,546,733   

HomeAway, Inc.(a)

    18,140        586,648   

priceline.com, Inc.(a)

    2,075        1,716,295   
   

 

 

 
      3,849,676   
   

 

 

 

MEDIA–5.4%

   

AMC Networks, Inc.(a)

    10,359        677,582   

Comcast Corp.–Class A

    27,280        1,142,486   

Viacom, Inc.–Class B

    13,130        893,497   

 

Company       
    
    
Shares
    U.S. $ Value  
   
   

Walt Disney Co. (The)

    18,390      $ 1,161,328   
   

 

 

 
      3,874,893   
   

 

 

 

SPECIALTY RETAIL–2.8%

   

CarMax, Inc.(a)

    8,040        371,126   

Lowe’s Cos., Inc.

    21,410        875,669   

O’Reilly Automotive, Inc.(a)

    7,140        804,107   
   

 

 

 
      2,050,902   
   

 

 

 

TEXTILES, APPAREL & LUXURY GOODS–1.4%

   

Michael Kors Holdings Ltd.(a)

    16,117        999,576   
   

 

 

 
      13,079,720   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE–16.5%

   

BIOTECHNOLOGY–7.8%

   

Biogen Idec, Inc.(a)

    10,890        2,343,528   

Celgene Corp.(a)

    9,430        1,102,461   

Gilead Sciences, Inc.(a)

    29,850        1,528,619   

Quintiles Transnational Holdings, Inc.(a)

    15,664        666,660   
   

 

 

 
      5,641,268   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES–2.4%

   

HeartWare International, Inc.(a)

    8,750        832,212   

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.(a)

    1,850        937,173   
   

 

 

 
      1,769,385   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS & SERVICES–1.2%

   

UnitedHealth Group, Inc.

    13,300        870,884   
   

 

 

 

LIFE SCIENCES TOOLS & SERVICES–1.1%

   

Illumina, Inc.(a)

    10,480        784,323   
   

 

 

 

PHARMACEUTICALS–4.0%

   

Allergan, Inc./United States

    13,040        1,098,490   

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

    39,490        1,764,808   
   

 

 

 
      2,863,298   
   

 

 

 
      11,929,158   
   

 

 

 

CONSUMER STAPLES–13.5%

   

FOOD & STAPLES
RETAILING–4.0%

   

Costco Wholesale Corp.

    12,660        1,399,816   

CVS Caremark Corp.

    25,560        1,461,521   
   

 

 

 
      2,861,337   
   

 

 

 

FOOD PRODUCTS–3.1%

   

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc.(a)

    11,500        863,190   

Hershey Co. (The)

    9,710        866,909   

Mead Johnson Nutrition Co.–Class A

    6,450        511,033   
   

 

 

 
      2,241,132   
   

 

 

 

PERSONAL PRODUCTS–1.2%

   

Estee Lauder Cos., Inc. (The)–Class A

    13,510        888,553   
   

 

 

 

 

3


GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company       
    
    
Shares
    U.S. $ Value  
   

TOBACCO–5.2%

   

Altria Group, Inc.

    41,830      $ 1,463,632   

Philip Morris International, Inc.

    25,950        2,247,789   
   

 

 

 
      3,711,421   
   

 

 

 
      9,702,443   
   

 

 

 

INDUSTRIALS–13.1%

   

AEROSPACE & DEFENSE–5.1%

   

Boeing Co. (The)

    14,890        1,525,332   

Precision Castparts Corp.

    9,700        2,192,297   
   

 

 

 
      3,717,629   
   

 

 

 

AIR FREIGHT & LOGISTICS–0.6%

   

Expeditors International of Washington, Inc.

    10,780        409,748   
   

 

 

 

COMMERCIAL SERVICES & SUPPLIES–0.4%

   

Stericycle, Inc.(a)

    2,360        260,615   
   

 

 

 

ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT–0.9%

   

AMETEK, Inc.

    16,390        693,297   
   

 

 

 

INDUSTRIAL CONGLOMERATES–1.7%

   

Danaher Corp.

    19,030        1,204,599   
   

 

 

 

MARINE–1.1%

   

Kirby Corp.(a)

    9,670        769,152   
   

 

 

 

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES–0.8%

   

Robert Half International, Inc.

    17,680        587,506   
   

 

 

 

ROAD & RAIL–1.1%

   

JB Hunt Transport Services, Inc.

    10,910        788,138   
   

 

 

 

TRADING COMPANIES & DISTRIBUTORS–1.4%

   

WW Grainger, Inc.

    4,150        1,046,547   
   

 

 

 
      9,477,231   
   

 

 

 

FINANCIALS–6.0%

   

CAPITAL MARKETS–2.6%

   

Affiliated Managers Group, Inc.(a)

    7,160        1,173,810   

BlackRock, Inc.–Class A

    2,720        698,632   
   

 

 

 
      1,872,442   
   

 

 

 

DIVERSIFIED FINANCIAL SERVICES–2.7%

   

IntercontinentalExchange, Inc.(a)

    11,020        1,958,915   
   

 

 

 

REAL ESTATE–0.7%

   

Realogy Holdings Corp.(a)

    10,540        506,342   
   

 

 

 
      4,337,699   
   

 

 

 

ENERGY–4.3%

   

ENERGY EQUIPMENT & SERVICES–2.8%

   

Oceaneering International, Inc.

    6,370        459,914   

Schlumberger Ltd.

    22,035        1,579,028   
   

 

 

 
      2,038,942   
   

 

 

 

OIL, GAS & CONSUMABLE FUELS–1.5%

   

Noble Energy, Inc.

    17,790        1,068,112   
   

 

 

 
        
    
Principal
Amount
(000)
    U.S. $ Value  
   
    $ 3,107,054   
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks
(cost $57,721,767)

      71,339,564   
   

 

 

 

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS–1.4%

   

TIME DEPOSIT–1.4%

   

State Street Time Deposit
0.01%, 7/01/13
(cost $987,984)

  $ 988        987,984   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL
INVESTMENTS–100.2%

(cost $58,709,751)

      72,327,548   

Other assets less
liabilities–(0.2)%

      (113,546
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS–100.0%

    $ 72,214,002   
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

(a)   Non-income producing security.

See notes to financial statements.

 

4


GROWTH PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

ASSETS

  

Investments in securities, at value (cost $58,709,751)

   $ 72,327,548   

Cash

     6,366   

Foreign currencies, at value (cost $15,784)

     15,652   

Dividends and interest receivable

     55,969   

Receivable for capital stock sold

     272   
  

 

 

 

Total assets

     72,405,807   
  

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

  

Payable for capital stock redeemed

     79,950   

Advisory fee payable

     41,931   

Printing fee payable

     15,948   

Audit fee payable

     14,258   

Legal fee payable

     12,945   

Distribution fee payable

     9,067   

Administrative fee payable

     7,467   

Transfer Agent fee payable

     128   

Accrued expenses

     10,111   
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     191,805   
  

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 72,214,002   
  

 

 

 

COMPOSITION OF NET ASSETS

  

Capital stock, at par

   $ 2,903   

Additional paid-in capital

     63,357,818   

Undistributed net investment income

     26,851   

Accumulated net realized loss on investment and foreign currency transactions

     (4,791,235

Net unrealized appreciation on investments and foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities

     13,617,665   
  

 

 

 
   $ 72,214,002   
  

 

 

 

Net Asset Value Per Share—1 billion shares of capital stock authorized, $.001 par value

 

Class    Net Assets        Shares
Outstanding
       Net Asset
Value
 

A

   $ 25,491,078           1,003,315         $ 25.41   

B

   $   46,722,924           1,899,651         $   24.60   

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

5


GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS  
Six Months Ended June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

  

Dividends

  

Unaffiliated issuers (net of foreign taxes withheld of $1,011)

   $ 385,472   

Affiliated issuers

     373   

Interest

     90   

Securities lending income

     2,919   
  

 

 

 
     388,854   
  

 

 

 

EXPENSES

  

Advisory fee (see Note B)

     276,986   

Distribution fee—Class B

     60,054   

Transfer agency—Class A

     1,205   

Transfer agency—Class B

     2,244   

Custodian

     39,047   

Administrative

     21,722   

Audit

     16,878   

Legal

     14,414   

Printing

     13,456   

Directors’ fees

     2,235   

Miscellaneous

     1,747   
  

 

 

 

Total expenses

     449,988   
  

 

 

 

Net investment loss

     (61,134
  

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENT AND FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSACTIONS

  

Net realized gain on:

  

Investment transactions

     4,964,467   

Foreign currency transactions

     4,583   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of:

  

Investments

     1,751,469   

Foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities

     (519
  

 

 

 

Net gain on investment and foreign currency transactions

     6,720,000   
  

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

   $ 6,658,866   
  

 

 

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

6


 
GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
Statement of Changes in Net Assets   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

     Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

    

Net investment income (loss)

   $ (61,134   $ 88,999   

Net realized gain on investment and foreign currency transactions

     4,969,050        7,721,679   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments and foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities

     1,750,950        2,746,887   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets from operations

     6,658,866        10,557,565   

DIVIDENDS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM

    

Net investment income

    

Class A

     –0 –      (15,259

CAPITAL STOCK TRANSACTIONS

    

Net decrease

     (6,612,772     (20,321,277
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total increase (decrease)

     46,094        (9,778,971

NET ASSETS

    

Beginning of period

     72,167,908        81,946,879   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period (including undistributed net investment income of $26,851 and $87,985, respectively)

   $ 72,214,002        $72,167,908   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

7


GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE A: Significant Accounting Policies

The AllianceBernstein Growth Portfolio (the “Portfolio”) is a series of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”). The Portfolio’s investment objective is long-term growth of capital. The Portfolio is diversified as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Fund was incorporated in the State of Maryland on November 17, 1987, as an open-end series investment company. The Fund offers thirteen separately managed pools of assets which have differing investment objectives and policies. The Portfolio offers Class A and Class B shares. Both classes of shares have identical voting, dividend, liquidating and other rights, except that Class B shares bear a distribution expense and have exclusive voting rights with respect to the Class B distribution plan.

The Portfolio offers and sells its shares only to separate accounts of certain life insurance companies for the purpose of funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies. Sales are made without a sales charge at the Portfolio’s net asset value per share.

The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) which require management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Portfolio.

1. Security Valuation

Portfolio securities are valued at their current market value determined on the basis of market quotations or, if market quotations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable, at “fair value” as determined in accordance with procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Fund’s Board of Directors (the “Board”).

In general, the market values of securities which are readily available and deemed reliable are determined as follows: securities listed on a national securities exchange (other than securities listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. (“NASDAQ”)) or on a foreign securities exchange are valued at the last sale price at the close of the exchange or foreign securities exchange. If there has been no sale on such day, the securities are valued at the last traded price from the previous day. Securities listed on more than one exchange are valued by reference to the principal exchange on which the securities are traded; securities listed only on NASDAQ are valued in accordance with the NASDAQ Official Closing Price; listed or over the counter (“OTC”) market put or call options are valued at the mid level between the current bid and ask prices. If either a current bid or current ask price is unavailable, AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) will have discretion to determine the best valuation (e.g. last trade price in the case of listed options); open futures are valued using the closing settlement price or, in the absence of such a price, the most recent quoted bid price. If there are no quotations available for the day of valuation, the last available closing settlement price is used; U.S. government securities and other debt instruments having 60 days or less remaining until maturity are valued at amortized cost if their original maturity was 60 days or less; or by amortizing their fair value as of the 61st day prior to maturity if their original term to maturity exceeded 60 days; fixed-income securities, including mortgage backed and asset backed securities, may be valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service or at a price obtained from one or more of the major broker/dealers. In cases where broker/dealer quotes are obtained, the Adviser may establish procedures whereby changes in market yields or spreads are used to adjust, on a daily basis, a recently obtained quoted price on a security. Swaps and other derivatives are valued daily, primarily using independent pricing services, independent pricing models using market inputs, as well as third party broker-dealers or counterparties. Investments in money market funds are valued at their net asset value each day.

Securities for which market quotations are not readily available (including restricted securities) or are deemed unreliable are valued at fair value. Factors considered in making this determination may include, but are not limited to, information obtained by contacting the issuer, analysts, analysis of the issuer’s financial statements or other available documents. In addition, the Portfolio may use fair value pricing for securities primarily traded in non-U.S. markets because most foreign markets close well before the Portfolio values its securities at 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The earlier close of these foreign markets gives rise to the possibility that significant events, including broad market moves, may have occurred in the interim and may materially affect the value of those securities. To account for this, the Portfolio may frequently value many of its foreign equity securities using fair value prices based on third party vendor modeling tools to the extent available.

2. Fair Value Measurements

In accordance with U.S. GAAP regarding fair value measurements, fair value is defined as the price that the Portfolio would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement

 

8


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

date. U.S. GAAP establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and a three-level hierarchy for fair value measurements based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability (including those valued based on their market values as described in Note A. 1 above). Inputs may be observable or unobservable and refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Portfolio. Unobservable inputs reflect the Portfolio’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on the best information available in the circumstances. Each investment is assigned a level based upon the observability of the inputs which are significant to the overall valuation. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized below.

 

   

Level 1—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 Portfolio’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

Where readily available market prices or relevant bid prices are not available for certain equity investments, such investments may be valued based on similar publicly traded investments, movements in relevant indices since last available prices or based upon underlying company fundamentals and comparable company data (such as multiples to earnings or other multiples to equity). Where an investment is valued using an observable input, such as another publicly traded security, the investment will be classified as Level 2. If management determines that an adjustment is appropriate based on restrictions on resale, illiquidity or uncertainty, and such adjustment is a significant component of the valuation, the investment will be classified as Level 3. An investment will also be classified as Level 3 where management uses company fundamentals and other significant inputs to determine the valuation.

The following table summarizes the valuation of the Portfolio’s investments by the above fair value hierarchy levels as of June 30, 2013:

 

       Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

Investments in Securities:

             

Assets:

             

Common Stocks*

     $ 71,339,564       $ –0 –     $             –0 –     $ 71,339,564   

Short-Term Investments

       –0 –       987,984         –0 –       987,984   
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Investments in Securities

       71,339,564         987,984         –0 –       72,327,548   

Other Financial Instruments**

       –0 –       –0 –       –0 –       –0 – 
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total^

     $ 71,339,564       $ 987,984       $ –0 –     $ 72,327,548   
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

*   See Portfolio of Investments for sector classifications.

 

**   Other financial instruments are derivative instruments, such as futures, forwards and swaps, which are valued at the unrealized appreciation/depreciation on the instrument.

 

^   There were no transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 during the reporting period.

The Portfolio recognizes all transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy assuming the financial instruments were transferred at the beginning of the reporting period.

The Adviser has established a Valuation Committee (the “Committee”) which is responsible for overseeing the pricing and valuation of all securities held in the Portfolio. The Committee operates under pricing and valuation policies and procedures established by the Adviser and approved by the Board, including pricing policies which set forth the mechanisms and processes to be employed on a daily basis to implement these policies and procedures. In particular, the pricing policies describe how to determine market quotations for securities and other instruments. The Committee’s responsibilities include: 1) fair value and liquidity determinations (and oversight of any third parties to whom any responsibility for fair value and liquidity determinations is delegated), and 2) regular monitoring of the Adviser’s pricing and valuation policies and procedures and modification or enhancement of these policies and procedures (or recommendation of the modification of these policies and procedures) as the Committee believes appropriate.

 

9


GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Committee is also responsible for monitoring the implementation of the pricing policies by the Adviser’s Pricing Group (the “Pricing Group”) and a third party which performs certain pricing functions in accordance with the pricing policies. The Pricing Group is responsible for the oversight of the third party on a day-to-day basis. The Committee and the Pricing Group perform a series of activities to provide reasonable assurance of the accuracy of prices including: 1) periodic vendor due diligence meetings, review of methodologies, new developments and process at vendors, 2) daily compare of security valuation versus prior day for all securities that exceeded established thresholds, and 3) daily review of unpriced, stale, and variance reports with exceptions reviewed by senior management and the Committee.

In addition, several processes outside of the pricing process are used to monitor valuation issues including: 1) performance and performance attribution reports are monitored for anomalous impacts based upon benchmark performance, and 2) portfolio managers review all portfolios for performance and analytics (which are generated using the Adviser’s prices).

3. Currency Translation

Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies and commitments under forward currency exchange contracts are translated into U.S. dollars at the mean of the quoted bid and ask prices of such currencies against the U.S. dollar. Purchases and sales of portfolio securities are translated into U.S. dollars at the rates of exchange prevailing when such securities were acquired or sold. Income and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars at rates of exchange prevailing when accrued.

Net realized gain or loss on foreign currency transactions represents foreign exchange gains and losses from sales and maturities of foreign fixed income investments, foreign currency exchange contracts, holding of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on foreign investment transactions, and the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the Portfolio’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized currency gains and losses from valuing foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities at period end exchange rates are reflected as a component of net unrealized appreciation or depreciation of foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities.

4. Taxes

It is the Portfolio’s policy to meet the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute all of its investment company taxable income and net realized gains, if any, to shareholders. Therefore, no provisions for federal income or excise taxes are required. The Portfolio may be subject to taxes imposed by countries in which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on income and/or capital gains earned or repatriated. Taxes are accrued and applied to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized appreciation/depreciation as such income and/or gains are earned.

In accordance with U.S. GAAP requirements regarding accounting for uncertainties in income taxes, management has analyzed the Portfolio’s tax positions taken or expected to be taken on federal and state income tax returns for all open tax years (the current and the prior three tax years) and has concluded that no provision for income tax is required in the Portfolio’s financial statements.

5. Investment Income and Investment Transactions

Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date or as soon as the Portfolio is informed of the dividend. Interest income is accrued daily. Investment transactions are accounted for on the date the securities are purchased or sold. Investment gains or losses are determined on the identified cost basis. The Portfolio amortizes premiums and accretes discounts as adjustments to interest income.

6. Class Allocations

All income earned and expenses incurred by the Portfolio are borne on a pro-rata basis by each outstanding class of shares, based on the proportionate interest in the Portfolio represented by the net assets of such class, except for class specific expenses which are allocated to the respective class. Realized and unrealized gains and losses are allocated among the various share classes based on respective net assets.

7. Dividends and Distributions

Dividends and distributions to shareholders, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income dividends and capital gains distributions are determined in accordance with federal tax regulations and may differ from those determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. To the extent these differences are permanent, such amounts are reclassified within the capital accounts based on their federal tax basis treatment; temporary differences do not require such reclassification.

 

 

10


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE B: Advisory Fee and Other Transactions with Affiliates

Under the terms of the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio pays the Adviser an advisory fee at an annual rate of .75% of the first $2.5 billion, .65% of the next $2.5 billion and .60% in excess of $5 billion, of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets. The fee is accrued daily and paid monthly.

Pursuant to the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio may reimburse the Adviser for certain legal and accounting services provided to the Portfolio by the Adviser. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, the reimbursement for such services amounted to $21,722.

Brokerage commissions paid on investment transactions for the six months ended June 30, 2013 amounted to $32,412, of which $84 and $0, respectively, was paid to Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. LLC and Sanford C. Bernstein Limited, affiliates of the Adviser.

The Portfolio compensates AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, under a Transfer Agency Agreement for providing personnel and facilities to perform transfer agency services for the Portfolio. Such compensation retained by ABIS amounted to $692 for the six months ended June 30, 2013.

NOTE C: Distribution Plan

The Portfolio has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Under the Plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (the “Distributor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, at an annual rate of up to .50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The fees are accrued daily and paid monthly. The Board currently limits payments under the Plan to .25% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The Plan provides that the Distributor will use such payments in their entirety for distribution assistance and promotional activities.

The Portfolio is not obligated under the Plan to pay any distribution and servicing fees in excess of the amounts set forth above. The purpose of the payments to the Distributor under the Plan is to compensate the Distributor for its distribution services with respect to the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. Since the Distributor’s compensation is not directly tied to its expenses, the amount of compensation received by it under the Plan during any year may be more or less than its actual expenses. For this reason, the Plan is characterized by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission as being of the “compensation” variety.

In the event that the Plan is terminated or not continued, no distribution or servicing fees (other than current amounts accrued but not yet paid) would be owed by the Portfolio to the Distributor.

The Plan also provides that the Adviser may use its own resources to finance the distribution of the Portfolio’s shares.

NOTE D: Investment Transactions

Purchases and sales of investment securities (excluding short-term investments) for the six months ended June 30, 2013 were as follows:

 

       Purchases      Sales  

Investment securities (excluding U.S. government securities)

     $ 25,757,951       $ 32,486,542   

U.S. government securities

       –0 –       –0 – 

The cost of investments for federal income tax purposes was substantially the same as the cost for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, gross unrealized appreciation and unrealized depreciation are as follows:

 

Gross unrealized appreciation

   $ 14,243,256   

Gross unrealized depreciation

     (625,459
  

 

 

 

Net unrealized appreciation

   $ 13,617,797   
  

 

 

 

1. Derivative Financial Instruments

The Portfolio may use derivatives in an effort to earn income and enhance returns, to replace more traditional direct investments, to obtain exposure to otherwise inaccessible markets (collectively, “investment purposes”), or to hedge or adjust the risk profile of its portfolio.

 

11


GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Portfolio did not engage in derivatives transactions for the six months ended June 30, 2013.

2. Currency Transactions

The Portfolio may invest in non-U.S. Dollar securities on a currency hedged or unhedged basis. The Portfolio may seek investment opportunities by taking long or short positions in currencies through the use of currency-related derivatives, including forward currency exchange contracts, futures and options on futures, swaps, and other options. The Portfolio may enter into transactions for investment opportunities when it anticipates that a foreign currency will appreciate or depreciate in value but securities denominated in that currency are not held by the Portfolio and do not present attractive investment opportunities. Such transactions may also be used when the Adviser believes that it may be more efficient than a direct investment in a foreign currency-denominated security. The Portfolio may also conduct currency exchange contracts on a spot basis (i.e., for cash at the spot rate prevailing in the currency exchange market for buying or selling currencies).

NOTE E: Securities Lending

The Portfolio may enter into securities lending transactions. Under the Portfolio’s securities lending program, all loans of securities will be collateralized continually by cash. The Portfolio will be compensated for the loan from a portion of the net return from the income earned on cash collateral after a rebate is paid to the borrower (in some cases, this rebate may be a “negative rebate” or fee paid by the borrower to the Portfolio in connection with the loan), and payments are made for fees of the securities lending agent and for certain other administrative expenses. It is the policy of the Portfolio to receive collateral consisting of cash in an amount exceeding the value of the securities loaned. The Portfolio will have the right to call a loan and obtain the securities loaned at any time on notice to the borrower within the normal and customary settlement time for the securities. While the securities are on loan, the borrower is obligated to pay the Portfolio amounts equal to any income or other distributions from the securities. The Portfolio will not have the right to vote any securities during the existence of a loan, but will have the right to regain ownership of loaned securities in order to exercise voting or other ownership rights. The lending agent has agreed to indemnify the Portfolio in the case of default of any securities borrower. Collateral received and securities loaned are marked to market daily to ensure that the securities loaned are secured by collateral. The lending agent will invest the cash collateral received in AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves, an eligible money market vehicle, in accordance with the investment restrictions of the Portfolio, and as approved by the Board. The collateral received on securities loaned is recorded as an asset as well as a corresponding liability in the statement of assets and liabilities. When the Portfolio lends securities, its investment performance will continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned. As of June 30, 2013, the Portfolio had no securities out on loan. The cash collateral will be adjusted on the next business day to maintain the required collateral amount. The Portfolio earned securities lending income of $2,919 and $373 from the borrowers and AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2013; these amounts are reflected in the statement of operations. A principal risk of lending portfolio securities is that the borrower will fail to return the loaned securities upon termination of the loan and that the collateral will not be sufficient to replace the loaned securities. A summary of the Portfolio’s transactions in shares of AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves for the six months ended June 30, 2013 is as follows:

 

Market Value

December 31, 2012

(000)

   

Purchases

at Cost

(000)

   

Sales

Proceeds

(000)

   

Market Value

June 30, 2013

(000)

   

Dividend

Income

(000)

 
$ 1,398      $ 6,375      $ 7,773      $ –0 –    $ –0 –* 

 

*   Amount is less than $500.

 

12


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE F: Capital Stock

Each class consists of 500,000,000 authorized shares. Transactions in capital shares for each class were as follows:

 

    SHARES         AMOUNT  
    Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
        Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 

Class A

         

Shares sold

    26,741        11,826        $ 657,041      $ 270,544   

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends

    –0 –      667          –0 –      15,259   

Shares redeemed

    (109,722     (437,480       (2,732,540     (9,789,368
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease

    (82,981     (424,987     $ (2,075,499   $ (9,503,565
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Class B

         

Shares sold

    27,936        41,092        $ 663,371      $ 902,096   

Shares redeemed

    (214,540     (534,612       (5,200,644     (11,719,808
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease

    (186,604     (493,520     $ (4,537,273   $ (10,817,712
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

NOTE G: Risks Involved in Investing in the Portfolio

Foreign Securities Risk—Investing in securities of foreign companies or foreign governments involves special risks which include changes in foreign currency exchange rates and the possibility of future political and economic developments which could adversely affect the value of such securities. Moreover, securities of many foreign companies or foreign governments and their markets may be less liquid and their prices more volatile than those of comparable U.S. companies or of the U.S. government.

Currency Risk—This is the risk that changes in foreign currency exchange rates may negatively affect the value of the Portfolio’s investments or reduce the returns of the Portfolio. For example, the value of the Portfolio’s investments in foreign currency-denominated securities or currencies may decrease if the U.S. Dollar is strong (i.e., gaining value relative to other currencies) and other currencies are weak (i.e., losing value relative to the U.S. Dollar). Currency markets are generally not as regulated as securities markets. Independent of the Portfolio’s investments denominated in foreign currencies, the Portfolio’s positions in various foreign currencies may cause the Portfolio to experience investment losses due to the changes in exchange rates and interest rates.

Derivatives Risk—The Portfolio may enter into derivative transactions such as forwards, options, futures and swaps. Derivatives may be illiquid, difficult to price, and leveraged so that small changes may produce disproportionate losses for the Portfolio, and subject to counterparty risk to a greater degree than more traditional investments. Derivatives may result in significant losses, including losses that are far greater than the value of the derivatives reflected in the statement of assets and liabilities.

Indemnification Risk—In the ordinary course of business, the Portfolio enters into contracts that contain a variety of indemnifications. The Portfolio’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown. However, the Portfolio has not had prior claims or losses pursuant to these indemnification provisions and expects the risk of loss thereunder to be remote. Therefore, the Portfolio has not accrued any liability in connection with these indemnification provisions.

NOTE H: Joint Credit Facility

A number of open-end mutual funds managed by the Adviser, including the Portfolio, participate in a $140 million revolving credit facility (the “Facility”) intended to provide short-term financing, if necessary, subject to certain restrictions in connection with abnormal redemption activity. Commitment fees related to the Facility are paid by the participating funds and are included in miscellaneous expenses in the statement of operations. The Portfolio did not utilize the Facility during the six months ended June 30, 2013.

 

13


GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE I: Distributions to Shareholders

The tax character of distributions to be paid for the year ending December 31, 2013 will be determined at the end of the current fiscal year. The tax character of distributions paid during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 were as follows:

 

       2012        2011  

Distributions paid from:

         

Ordinary income

     $ 15,259         $             –0 – 
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total taxable distributions paid

     $ 15,259         $ –0 – 
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2012, the components of accumulated earnings/(deficit) on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed ordinary income

   $ 84,956   

Accumulated capital and other losses

     (9,520,982 )(a) 

Unrealized appreciation/(depreciation)

     11,630,442 (b) 
  

 

 

 

Total accumulated earnings/(deficit)

   $ 2,194,416   
  

 

 

 

 

(a)   As of December 31, 2012, the Portfolio had a net capital loss carryforward of $9,116,078. During the fiscal year, the Portfolio utilized $7,958,604 of capital loss carryforwards to offset current year net realized gains. At December 31, 2012, the Portfolio had a post-October short-term capital loss deferral of $404,904, which is deemed to arise on January 1, 2013.

 

(b)   The differences between book-basis and tax-basis unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) are attributable primarily to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales and return of capital distributions received from underlying securities.

For tax purposes, net capital losses may be carried over to offset future capital gains, if any. Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, funds are permitted to carry forward capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 for an indefinite period. These post-enactment capital losses must be utilized prior to the pre-enactment capital losses, which are subject to expiration. Post-enactment capital loss carryforwards will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses rather than being considered short-term as under previous regulation.

As of December 31, 2012, the Portfolio had a net capital loss carryforward of $9,116,078 which will expire as follows:

 

SHORT-TERM

AMOUNT

  

LONG-TERM

AMOUNT

  

EXPIRATION

$9,116,078    n/a    2017

NOTE J: Subsequent Events

Management has evaluated subsequent events for possible recognition or disclosure in the financial statements through the date the financial statements are issued. Management has determined that there are no material events that would require disclosure in the Portfolio’s financial statements through this date.

 

14


 
GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    CLASS A  
    Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2013

(unaudited)
    Year Ended December 31,  
      2012     2011     2010     2009     2008  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $23.22        $20.40        $20.15        $17.56        $13.19        $22.91   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Income From Investment Operations

           

Net investment income (loss) (a)

    (.00 )(b)      .06        .03        .03        .04        (.04

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment and foreign currency transactions

    2.19        2.77        .22        2.61        4.33        (9.68
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

    2.19        2.83        .25        2.64        4.37        (9.72
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Less: Dividends

           

Dividends from net investment income

    –0 –      (.01     –0 –      (.05     –0 –      –0 – 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $25.41        $23.22        $20.40        $20.15        $17.56        $13.19   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Total Return

           

Total investment return based on net asset value (c)*

    9.43     13.89     1.24     15.06     33.13     (42.43 )% 
           

Ratios/Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

    $25,491        $25,220        $30,833        $37,198        $37,948        $33,992   

Ratio to average net assets of:

           

Expenses

    1.06 %(d)      1.06     1.00     1.00 %(e)      1.06     .94

Net investment income (loss)

    (.00 )%(d)(f)      .27     .17     .15 %(e)      .28     (.22 )% 

Portfolio turnover rate

    36     83     97     121     197     103

 

 

See footnote summary on page 16.

 

15


GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    CLASS B  
    Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2013

(unaudited)
    Year Ended December 31,  
      2012     2011     2010     2009     2008  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $22.50        $19.81        $19.62        $17.10        $12.88        $22.42   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Income From Investment Operations

           

Net investment income (loss) (a)

    (.03     .01        (.02     (.02     .01        (.08

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment and foreign currency transactions

    2.13        2.68        .21        2.55        4.21        (9.46
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

    2.10        2.69        .19        2.53        4.22        (9.54
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Less: Dividends

           

Dividends from net investment income

    –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      (.01     –0 –      –0 – 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $24.60        $22.50        $19.81        $19.62        $17.10        $12.88   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Total Return

           

Total investment return based on net asset value (c)*

    9.33     13.58     .97     14.80     32.76     (42.55 )% 
           

Ratios/Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

    $46,723        $46,948        $51,114        $61,325        $63,368        $53,248   

Ratio to average net assets of:

           

Expenses

    1.31 %(d)      1.31     1.25     1.25 %(e)      1.31     1.19

Net investment income (loss)

    (.25 )%(d)      .03     (.08 )%      (.10 )%(e)      .04     (.47 )% 

Portfolio turnover rate.

    36     83     97     121     197     103

 

 

 

(a)   Based on average shares outstanding.

 

(b)   Amount is less than $.005.

 

(c)   Total investment return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption on the last day of the period. Total return does not reflect (i) insurance company’s separate account related expense charges and (ii) the deductions of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Portfolio distributions or the redemption of Portfolio shares. Total investment return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized.

 

(d)   Annualized.

 

(e)   The ratio includes expenses attributable to costs of proxy solicitation.

 

(f)   Amount is less than .005%.

 

*   Includes the impact of proceeds received and credited to the Portfolio resulting from class action settlements, which enhanced the Portfolio’s performance for the six months ended June 30, 2013 and years ended December 31, 2012, December 31, 2011, December 31, 2010, December 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008 by 0.02%, 0.28%, 0.07%, 0.22%, 0.41% and 0.03%, respectively.

See notes to financial statements.

 

16


 
GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
CONTINUANCE DISCLOSURE   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

INFORMATION REGARDING THE REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE PORTFOLIO’S ADVISORY AGREEMENT

The disinterested directors (the “directors”) of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”) unanimously approved the continuance of the Fund’s Advisory Agreement with the Adviser in respect of AllianceBernstein Growth Portfolio (the “Portfolio”) at a meeting held on April 30-May 2, 2013 (the “May 2013 meeting”).

Prior to approval of the continuance of the Advisory Agreement, the directors had requested from the Adviser, and received and evaluated, extensive materials. They reviewed the proposed continuance of the Advisory Agreement with the Adviser and with experienced counsel who are independent of the Adviser, who advised on the relevant legal standards. The directors also reviewed an independent evaluation prepared by the Fund’s Senior Officer (who is also the Fund’s Independent Compliance Officer) of the reasonableness of the advisory fee, in which the Senior Officer concluded that the contractual fee for the Portfolio was reasonable. The directors also discussed the proposed continuance in private sessions with counsel and the Fund’s Senior Officer.

The directors considered their knowledge of the nature and quality of the services provided by the Adviser to the Portfolio gained from their experience as directors or trustees of most of the registered investment companies advised by the Adviser, their overall confidence in the Adviser’s integrity and competence they have gained from that experience, the Adviser’s initiative in identifying and raising potential issues with the directors and its responsiveness, frankness and attention to concerns raised by the directors in the past, including the Adviser’s willingness to consider and implement organizational and operational changes designed to improve investment results and the services provided to the AllianceBernstein Funds. The directors noted that they have four regular meetings each year, at each of which they receive presentations from the Adviser on the investment results of the Portfolio and review extensive materials and information presented by the Adviser.

The directors also considered all other factors they believed relevant, including the specific matters discussed below. In their deliberations, the directors did not identify any particular information that was all-important or controlling, and different directors may have attributed different weights to the various factors. The directors determined that the selection of the Adviser to manage the Portfolio and the overall arrangements between the Portfolio and the Adviser, as provided in the Advisory Agreement, including the advisory fee, were fair and reasonable in light of the services performed, expenses incurred and such other matters as the directors considered relevant in the exercise of their business judgment. The material factors and conclusions that formed the basis for the directors’ determinations included the following:

Nature, Extent and Quality of Services Provided

The directors considered the scope and quality of services provided by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement, including the quality of the investment research capabilities of the Adviser and the other resources it has dedicated to performing services for the Portfolio. They also noted the professional experience and qualifications of the Portfolio’s portfolio management team and other senior personnel of the Adviser. The directors also considered that the Advisory Agreement provides that the Portfolio will reimburse the Adviser for the cost to it of providing certain clerical, accounting, administrative and other services to the Portfolio by employees of the Adviser or its affiliates. Requests for these reimbursements are made on a quarterly basis and subject to approval by the directors and, to the extent requested and paid, will result in a higher rate of total compensation from the Portfolio to the Adviser than the fee rate stated in the Portfolio’s Advisory Agreement. The directors noted that the methodology used to determine the reimbursement amounts had been reviewed by an independent consultant retained by the Fund’s Senior Officer. The quality of administrative and other services, including the Adviser’s role in coordinating the activities of the Portfolio’s other service providers, also were considered. The directors were satisfied with the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Portfolio under the Advisory Agreement.

Costs of Services Provided and Profitability

The directors reviewed a schedule of the revenues, expenses and related notes indicating the profitability of the Portfolio to the Adviser for calendar years 2011 and 2012 that had been prepared with an expense allocation methodology arrived at in consultation with an independent consultant retained by the Fund’s Senior Officer. The directors reviewed the assumptions and methods of allocation used by the Adviser in preparing fund-specific profitability data and noted that there are a number of potentially acceptable allocation methodologies for information of this type. The directors noted that the profitability information reflected all revenues and expenses of the Adviser’s relationship with the Portfolio, including those relating to its subsidiaries that provide transfer agency, distribution and brokerage services to the Portfolio. The directors recognized that it is difficult to make comparisons of the profitability of the Advisory Agreement with the profitability of advisory contracts for unaffiliated funds because comparative information is not generally publicly available and is affected by numerous

 

17


GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
CONTINUANCE DISCLOSURE  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

factors. The directors focused on the profitability of the Adviser’s relationship with the Portfolio before taxes and distribution expenses. The directors were satisfied that the Adviser’s level of profitability from its relationship with the Portfolio was not unreasonable.

Fall-Out Benefits

The directors considered the other benefits to the Adviser and its affiliates from their relationships with the Portfolio, including but not limited to benefits relating to soft dollar arrangements (whereby the Adviser receives brokerage and research services from brokers that execute transactions for certain clients, including the Portfolio); 12b-1 fees and sales charges received by the Fund’s principal underwriter (which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser) in respect of the Portfolio’s Class B shares; transfer agency fees paid by the Portfolio to a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser; and brokerage commissions paid by the Portfolio to brokers affiliated with the Adviser. The directors recognized that the Adviser’s profitability would be somewhat lower without these benefits. The directors also understood that the Adviser also might derive reputational and other benefits from its association with the Portfolio.

Investment Results

In addition to the information reviewed by the directors in connection with the meeting, the directors receive detailed performance information for the Portfolio at each regular Board meeting during the year. The directors noted that the Portfolio is a clone of another fund managed by the Adviser (the “Corresponding Fund”) and is managed to track the investment performance of its Corresponding Fund, although investment results may differ between the Portfolio and its Corresponding Fund due to differences in their expense ratios and other factors. At the May 2013 meeting, the directors reviewed information prepared by Lipper showing the performance of the Class A Shares of the Portfolio as compared with that of a group of similar funds selected by Lipper (the “Performance Group”) and as compared with that of a broader array of funds selected by Lipper (the “Performance Universe”), and information prepared by the Adviser showing performance of the Class A Shares as compared with the Russell 1000 Growth Index (the “Index”) (the Fund’s benchmark since May 1, 2009), in each case for the 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year periods ended February 28, 2013 and (in the case of comparisons with the Index) the period since inception (September 1994 inception). The directors noted that the Portfolio was in the 4th quintile of the Performance Group and 3rd quintile of the Performance Universe for the 1-, 5- and 10-year periods, and in the 3rd quintile of the Performance Group and the Performance Universe for the 3-year period. The Portfolio essentially matched the Index in the period since inception and lagged the Index in all other periods. The directors also reviewed performance information for periods ended March 31, 2013 (for which the data was not limited to Class A Shares), and noted that in the 3-month period the Portfolio had lagged the Lipper VA Large Cap Growth Funds Average and the Index. The directors also noted that at their February 2009 meetings they had approved a broadening of the number of stocks in the Portfolio’s portfolio and a new benchmark, the Russell 1000 Growth Index. As a result, the directors gave less weight to the Portfolio’s performance prior to 2009. Based on their review, the directors concluded that the Portfolio’s performance was acceptable.

Advisory Fees and Other Expenses

The directors considered the advisory fee rate paid by the Portfolio to the Adviser and information prepared by Lipper concerning advisory fee rates paid by other funds in the same Lipper category as the Portfolio at a common asset level. The directors recognized that it is difficult to make comparisons of advisory fees because there are variations in the services that are included in the fees paid by other funds.

The directors also considered the advisory fees the Adviser charges non-fund clients pursuing a substantially similar investment style. For this purpose, they reviewed the relevant advisory fee information from the Adviser’s Form ADV and the evaluation from the Fund’s Senior Officer. The directors noted that, although the institutional fee schedule started at a rate different from the Portfolio’s starting fee rate, it had more breakpoints at lower asset levels than the fee schedule applicable to the Portfolio. The application of the institutional fee schedule to the level of assets of the Portfolio would result in a fee rate lower than the rate being paid by the Portfolio. The directors noted that the Adviser may, in some cases, agree to fee rates with large institutional clients that are lower than those reviewed by the directors and that they had previously discussed with the Adviser its policies in respect of such arrangements. The directors noted that the advisory fee schedule for the Portfolio is the same as that for its Corresponding Fund.

The Adviser reviewed with the directors the significantly greater scope of the services it provides to the Portfolio relative to institutional clients. The Adviser also noted that because mutual funds are constantly issuing and redeeming shares, they are more difficult to manage than an institutional account, where the assets tend to be relatively stable. In light of the substantial

 

18


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

differences in services rendered by the Adviser to institutional clients as compared to funds such as the Portfolio, the directors considered these fee comparisons inapt and did not place significant weight on them in their deliberations.

The directors also considered the total expense ratio of the Class A shares of the Portfolio in comparison to the fees and expenses of funds within two comparison groups created by Lipper: an Expense Group and an Expense Universe. Lipper described an Expense Group as a representative sample of funds similar to the Portfolio and an Expense Universe as a broader group, consisting of all funds in the investment classification/objective with a similar load type as the Portfolio. The Class A expense ratio of the Portfolio was based on the Portfolio’s latest fiscal year. The directors noted that it was likely that the expense ratios of some of the other funds in the Portfolio’s Lipper category were lowered by waivers or reimbursements by those funds’ investment advisers, which in some cases might be voluntary or temporary. The directors view the expense ratio information as relevant to their evaluation of the Adviser’s services because the Adviser is responsible for coordinating services provided to the Portfolio by others.

The directors noted that, at the Portfolio’s current size, its contractual effective advisory fee rate of 75 basis points was the same as the Expense Group median. The directors noted that the administrative expense reimbursement was 6 basis points in the Portfolio’s latest fiscal year, and that as a result the rate of total compensation received by the Adviser from the Portfolio pursuant to the Advisory Agreement was higher than the Expense Group median. The directors noted that the Portfolio’s total expense ratio was higher than the Expense Group and the Expense Universe medians. The directors also noted that the Portfolio’s relatively small asset base of approximately $75 million impacted the expense ratio in absolute terms. The directors concluded that the Portfolio’s expense ratio was acceptable.

Economies of Scale

The directors noted that the advisory fee schedule for the Portfolio contains breakpoints that reduce the fee rates on assets above specified levels. The directors took into consideration prior presentations by an independent consultant on economies of scale in the mutual fund industry and for the AllianceBernstein Funds, and by the Adviser concerning certain of its views on economies of scale. The directors also had requested and received from the Adviser certain updates on economies of scale at the May 2013 meeting. The directors believe that economies of scale may be realized (if at all) by the Adviser across a variety of products and services, and not only in respect of a single fund. The directors noted that there is no established methodology for setting breakpoints that give effect to the fund-specific services provided by a fund’s adviser and to the economies of scale that an adviser may realize in its overall mutual fund business or those components of it which directly or indirectly affect a fund’s operations. The directors observed that in the mutual fund industry as a whole, as well as among funds similar to the Portfolio, there is no uniformity or pattern in the fees and asset levels at which breakpoints (if any) apply. The directors also noted that the advisory agreements for many funds do not have breakpoints at all. Having taken these factors into account, the directors concluded that the Portfolio’s shareholders would benefit from a sharing of economies of scale in the event the Portfolio’s net assets exceed a breakpoint in the future.

 

19


 
GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

THE FOLLOWING IS NOT PART OF THE SHAREHOLDER REPORT OR THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

SUMMARY OF SENIOR OFFICER’S EVALUATION OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT1

The following is a summary of the evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement between AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) and the AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund (the “Fund”), in respect of AllianceBernstein Growth Portfolio (the “Portfolio”).2 The evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement was prepared by Philip L. Kirstein, the Senior Officer of the Fund, for the Directors of the Fund, as required by a September 2004 agreement between the Adviser and the New York State Attorney General (the “NYAG”). The Senior Officer’s evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement is not meant to diminish the responsibility or authority of the Board of Directors of the Fund to perform its duties pursuant to Section 15 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “40 Act”) and applicable state law. The purpose of the summary is to provide shareholders with a synopsis of the independent evaluation of the reasonableness of the advisory fees proposed to be paid by the Portfolio which was provided to the Directors in connection with their review of the proposed approval of the continuance of the Investment Advisory Agreement. The Senior Officer’s evaluation considered the following factors:

 

  1. Advisory fees charged to institutional and other clients of the Adviser for like services;

 

  2. Advisory fees charged by other mutual fund companies for like services;

 

  3. Costs to the Adviser and its affiliates of supplying services pursuant to the advisory agreement, excluding any intra-corporate profit;

 

  4. Profit margins of the Adviser and its affiliates from supplying such services;

 

  5. Possible economies of scale as the Portfolio grows larger; and

 

  6. Nature and quality of the Adviser’s services including the performance of the Portfolio.

These factors, with the exception of the first factor, are generally referred to as the “Gartenberg factors,” which were articulated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1982. Gartenberg v. Merrill Lynch Asset Management, Inc., 694 F. 2d 923 (2d Cir. 1982). On March 30, 2010, the Supreme Court held the Gartenberg decision was correct in its basic formulation of what §36(b) requires: to face liability under §36(b), “an investment adviser must charge a fee that is so disproportionately large that it bears no reasonable relationship to the services rendered and could not have been the product of arm’s length bargaining.” Jones v. Harris Associates L.P., 130 S. Ct. 1418 (2010). In Jones, the Court stated the Gartenberg approach fully incorporates the correct understanding of fiduciary duty within the context of section 36(b) and noted with approval that “Gartenberg insists that all relevant circumstances be taken into account” and “uses the range of fees that might result from arm’s length bargaining as the benchmark for reviewing challenged fees.”3

PORTFOLIO ADVISORY FEES, NET ASSETS & EXPENSE RATIOS

The Adviser proposed that the Portfolio pays the advisory fee set forth in the table below for receiving the services to be provided pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement. The fee schedule below, implemented in January 2004 in consideration of the Adviser’s settlement with the NYAG in December 2003, is based on a master schedule that contemplates eight categories of funds with almost all funds in each category having the same advisory fee schedule.

 

Category   Advisory Fee Based on % of
Average Daily Net Assets
 

Net Assets

3/31/13

($MIL)

    Portfolio

Growth

 

0.75% on 1st $2.5 billion

0.65% on next $2.5 billion

0.60% on the balance

  $ 74.8      Growth Portfolio

 

 

1   The information in the fee summary was completed on April 22, 2013 and discussed with the Board of Directors on April 30-May 2, 2013.

 

2   Future references to the Fund and the Portfolio do not include “AllianceBernstein.” References in the fee summary pertaining to performance and expense ratio rankings refer to the Class A shares of the Portfolio.

 

3   Jones v. Harris at 1427.

 

20


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Adviser is reimbursed as specified in the Investment Advisory Agreement for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services provided to the Portfolio. During the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year, the Adviser received $44,841 (0.057% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets) for such services.

Set forth below are the Portfolio’s total expense ratios for the most recently completed fiscal year:

 

Portfolio   Total Expense Ratio   Fiscal Year

Growth Portfolio

  Class A    1.06%   December 31
  Class B    1.31%  

I. ADVISORY FEES CHARGED TO INSTITUTIONAL AND OTHER CLIENTS

The advisory fees charged to investment companies which the Adviser manages and sponsors are normally higher than those charged to similar sized institutional accounts, including pension plans and sub-advised investment companies. The fee differential reflects, among other things, different services provided to such clients, and different liabilities assumed. Services provided by the Adviser to the Portfolio that are not provided to non-investment company clients and sub-advised investment companies include providing office space and personnel to serve as Fund Officers, who among other responsibilities make the certifications required under the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, and coordinating with and monitoring the Portfolio’s third party service providers such as Fund counsel, auditors, custodians, transfer agents and pricing services. The accounting, administrative, legal and compliance requirements for the Portfolio are more costly than those for institutional assets due to the greater complexities and time required for investment companies, although as previously noted, the Adviser is reimbursed for providing such services. Also, retail mutual funds managed by the Adviser are widely held. Servicing the Portfolio’s investors is more time consuming and labor intensive compared to institutional clients since the Adviser needs to communicate with a more extensive network of financial intermediaries and shareholders. The Adviser also believes that it incurs substantial entrepreneurial risk when offering a new mutual fund, since establishing a new mutual fund requires a large upfront investment, and it may take a long time for the fund to achieve profitability since the fund must be priced to scale from inception in order to be competitive and assets are acquired one account at a time. In addition, managing the cash flow of an investment company may be more difficult than managing that of a stable pool of assets, such as an institutional account with little cash movement in either direction, particularly, if a fund is in net redemption and the Adviser is frequently forced to sell securities to raise cash for redemptions. However, managing a fund with positive cash flow may be easier at times than managing a stable pool of assets. In recent years, investment advisers have been sued by institutional clients and have suffered reputational damage both by the attendant publicity and outcomes other than complete victories. Accordingly, the legal and reputational risks associated with institutional accounts are greater than previously thought, although still not equal to those related to the mutual fund industry.

Notwithstanding the Adviser’s view that managing an investment company is not comparable to managing other institutional accounts because the services provided are different, the Supreme Court has indicated consideration should be given to the advisory fees charged to institutional accounts that have a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio.4 In addition to the AllianceBernstein institutional fee schedule, set forth below is what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the AllianceBernstein institutional fee schedule been applicable to the Portfolio versus the Portfolio’s advisory fee based on March 31, 2013 net assets:5

 

4   The Supreme Court stated that “courts may give such comparisons the weight that they merit in light of the similarities and differences between the services that the clients in question require, but the courts must be wary of inapt comparisons.” Among the significant differences the Supreme Court noted that may exist between services provided to mutual funds and institutional accounts are “higher marketing costs.” Jones v. Harris at 1428.

 

5   The Adviser has indicated that with respect to institutional accounts with assets greater than $300 million, it will negotiate a fee schedule. Discounts that are negotiated vary based upon each client relationship.

 

21


GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

Portfolio   

Net Assets

3/31/13

($MIL)

    

AllianceBernstein

Institutional

Fee Schedule

 

Effective

AB Inst.

Adv. Fee

      

Portfolio

Advisory

Fee

 

Growth Portfolio

   $74.8      U.S. Growth Schedule

0.80% on 1st $25m

0.50% on next $25m

0.40% on next $50m

0.30% on next $100m

0.25% on the balance

Minimum account size $25m

    0.567        0.750

The Adviser also manages AllianceBernstein Growth Fund, Inc. (“Growth Fund, Inc.”), a retail mutual fund, which has a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio. Set forth below is the fee schedule of Growth Fund, Inc. and what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the fee schedule of the retail mutual fund been applicable to the Portfolio:6

 

Portfolio    AllianceBernstein
Mutual Fund
     Fee Schedule     

ABMF

Effective
Fee

      

Portfolio

Advisory
Fee

 

Growth Portfolio

   Growth Fund,
Inc.
    

0.75% on first $2.5 billion

0.65% on next $2.5 billion

0.60% on the balance

       0.750        0.750

The AllianceBernstein Investment Trust Management mutual funds (“ITM”), which are offered to investors in Japan, have an “all-in” fee to compensate the Adviser for investment advisory as well as fund accounting and administrative related services. The fee schedule of the ITM mutual fund that has a somewhat similar investment style as the Portfolio is as folows:

 

Portfolio   ITM Mutual Fund   Fee

Growth Portfolio

 

AllianceBernstein U.S.

Growth Stock Fund A, B-Hedged/Unhedged

  0.75%

The Adviser represented that it does not sub-advise any registered investment company with a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio.

II. MANAGEMENT FEES CHARGED BY OTHER MUTUAL FUND COMPANIES FOR LIKE SERVICES.

Lipper Inc. (“Lipper”), an analytical service that is not affiliated with the Adviser, compared the fees charged to the Portfolio with fees charged to other investment companies for similar services offered by other investment advisers.7 Lipper’s analysis included the comparison of the Portfolio’s contractual management fee, estimated at the approximate current asset level of the Portfolio, to the median of the Portfolio’s Lipper Expense Group (“EG”) and the Portfolio’s contractual management fee ranking.8,9

 

 

6   The retail mutual fund was also affected by the settlement between the Adviser and the NYAG. As a result, the Portfolio has the same breakpoints in its advisory fee schedule as the retail mutual fund.

 

7   The Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since “these comparisons are problematic because these fees, like those challenged, may not be the product of negotiations conducted at arm’s length.” Jones v. Harris at 1429.

 

8   Lipper does not consider average account size when constructing EGs. Funds with relatively small average account sizes tend to have higher transfer agent expense ratio than comparable sized funds that have relatively large average account sizes. Note that there are limitations on Lipper expense category data because different funds categorize expenses differently.

 

9   The contractual management fee is calculated by Lipper using the Portfolio’s contractual management fee rate at a hypothetical asset level. The hypothetical asset level is based on the combined net assets of all classes of the Portfolio, rounded up to the next $25 million. Lipper’s total expense ratio information is based on the most recent annual report except as otherwise noted. A ranking of “1” would mean that the Portfolio had the lowest effective fee rate in the Lipper peer group.

 

22


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Lipper describes an EG as a representative sample of comparable funds. Lipper’s standard methodology for screening funds to be included in an EG entails the consideration of several fund criteria, including fund type, investment classification/objective, load type and similar 12b-1/non-12b-1 service fees, asset (size) comparability, expense components and attributes. An EG will typically consist of seven to twenty funds.

 

Portfolio    Contractual
Management
Fee (%)10
    

Lipper

EG

Median (%)

    

Lipper

EG

Rank

    

Lipper

EG

Quintile

 

Growth Portfolio

     0.750         0.750         7/14         3   

Lipper also analyzed the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year total expense ratio in comparison to the Portfolio’s EG and Lipper Expense Universe (“EU”).

The EU is a broader group compared to the EG, consisting of all funds that have the same investment classification/objective and load type as the subject Portfolio.11

 

Portfolio   

Expense

Ratio
(%)12

    

Lipper

EG

Median (%)

    

Lipper

EG

Rank

    

Lipper

EU

Median (%)

    

Lipper
EU

Rank

 

Growth Portfolio

     1.061         0.880         14/14         0.796         71/72   

Based on this analysis, the Portfolio has a more favorable ranking on a management fee basis than it does on a total expense ratio basis.

III. COSTS TO THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES OF SUPPLYING SERVICES PURSUANT TO THE ADVISORY FEE ARRANGEMENT, EXCLUDING ANY INTRA-CORPORATE PROFIT.

The Adviser utilizes two profitability reporting systems, which operate independently but are aligned with each other, to estimate the Adviser’s profitability in connection with investment advisory services provided to the Portfolio. The Senior Officer has retained a consultant to provide independent advice regarding the alignment of the two profitability systems as well as the methodologies and allocations utilized by both profitability systems.

IV. PROFIT MARGINS OF THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES FOR SUPPLYING SUCH SERVICES.

The Portfolio’s profitability information, prepared by the Adviser for the Board of Directors, was reviewed by the Senior Officer and the consultant. The Adviser’s profitability from providing investment advisory services to the Portfolio increased during calendar year 2012, relative to 2011.

In addition to the Adviser’s direct profits from managing the Portfolio, certain of the Adviser’s affiliates have business relationships with the Portfolio and may earn a profit from providing other services to the Portfolio. The courts have referred to this type of business opportunity as “fall-out benefits” to the Adviser and indicated that such benefits should be factored into the evaluation of the total relationship between the Portfolio and the Adviser. Neither case law nor common business practice precludes the Adviser’s affiliates from earning a reasonable profit on this type of relationship provided the affiliates’ charges and services are competitive. These affiliates provide transfer agent, distribution and brokerage related services to the Portfolio and receive transfer agent fees, Rule 12b-1 payments, and brokerage commissions. In addition, the Adviser benefits from soft dollar arrangements which offset expenses the Adviser would otherwise incur.

The Portfolio has adopted a distribution plan for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 40 Act. Under the distribution plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to its principal underwriter, AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (“ABI”), the Portfolio’s distributor and an affiliate of the Adviser, at an annual rate of up to 0.50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The current annual rate that the Portfolio pays to ABI for 12b-1 fees is 0.25%. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, ABI received $126,305 in Rule 12b-1 fees.

 

 

10   The contractual management fee does not reflect any expense reimbursements made by the Portfolio to the Adviser for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services.

 

11   Except for asset (size) comparability, Lipper uses the same criteria for selecting an EG when selecting an EU. Unlike the EG, the EU allows for the same adviser to be represented by more than just one fund.

 

12   Most recently completed fiscal year end Class A total expense ratio.

 

23


GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, the Adviser incurred distribution expenses in the amount of $410,046 in connection with activities primarily intended to result in the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. This amount includes the 12b-1 fees paid by the Portfolio to the Adviser.

Financial intermediaries, such as insurers, market and sell shares of the Portfolio and typically receive compensation from ABI, the Advisers and/or the Portfolio for selling shares of the Portfolio. These financial intermediaries receive compensation in any or all of the following forms: 12b-1 fees, defrayal of costs for educational seminars and training, additional distribution support, recordkeeping and/or administrative services. Payments related to providing contract-holder recordkeeping and/or administrative services will generally not exceed 0.35% of the average daily net assets of the Portfolio attributable to the relevant intermediary over the year. With respect to the Fund, which includes the Portfolio and other Portfolios of the Fund not discussed in this summary, ABI paid approximately $600,000 in 2012 and expects to pay approximately $600,000 in 2013 for educational support and distribution assistance (revenue sharing payments).

The transfer agent of the Portfolio is AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”). During the most recently completed fiscal year, ABIS received a fee of $1,385 from the Portfolio.13

The Portfolio effected brokerage transactions through the Adviser’s affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., LLC (“SCB & Co.”) and/or its U.K. affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein Limited (“SCB Ltd.”), collectively “SCB,” and paid commissions during the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year. The Adviser represented that SCB’s profitability from business conducted with the Portfolio is comparable to the profitability of SCB’s dealings with other similar third party clients. In the ordinary course of business, SCB receives and pays liquidity rebates from electronic communications networks (“ECNs”) derived from trading for its clients, including the Portfolio. These credits and charges are not being passed onto any SCB client. The Adviser also receives certain soft dollar benefits from brokers that execute agency trades for the Portfolio and other clients. These soft dollar benefits reduce the Adviser’s cost of doing business and increase its profitability.

V. POSSIBLE ECONOMIES OF SCALE

The Adviser has indicated that economies of scale are being shared with shareholders through pricing to scale, breakpoints, fee reductions/waivers and enhancement to services.

In May 2012, an independent consultant, retained by the Senior Officer, provided the Board of Directors information on the Adviser’s firm-wide average costs from 2005 through 2011 and the potential economies of scale. The independent consultant noted that from 2005 through 2007 the Adviser experienced significant growth in assets under management (“AUM”). During this period, operating expenses increased, in part to keep up with growth, and in part reflecting market returns. However, from 2008 through the first quarter of 2009, AUM rapidly and significantly decreased due to declines in market value and client withdrawals. When AUM rapidly decreased, some operating expenses categories, including base compensation and office space, adjusted more slowly during this period, resulting in an increase in average costs. Since 2009, AUM has experienced less significant changes. The independent consultant noted that changes in operating expenses reflect changes in business composition and business practices in response to changes in financial markets. Finally, the independent consultant concluded that the increase in average cost and the decline in net operating margin across the Adviser since late 2008 are inconsistent with the view that there are currently reductions in average costs due to economies of scale that can be shared with the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds managed by the Adviser through lower fees.

 

13   The Fund, which includes the Portfolio and other Portfolios of the Fund paid ABIS a flat fee of $18,000 in 2012.

 

24


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Previously in February 2008, the independent consultant provided the Board of Directors an update of the Deli study on advisory fees and various fund characteristics.14,15 The independent consultant first reiterated the results of his previous two dimensional comparison analysis (fund size and family size) with the Board of Directors.16 The independent consultant then discussed the results of the regression model that was utilized to study the effects of various factors on advisory fees. The regression model output indicated that the bulk of the variation in fees predicted were explained by various factors, but substantially by fund AUM, family AUM, index fund indicator and investment style. The independent consultant also compared the advisory fees of the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds to similar funds managed by 19 other large asset managers, regardless of the fund size and each Adviser’s proportion of mutual fund assets to non-mutual fund assets.

VI. NATURE AND QUALITY OF THE ADVISER’S SERVICES, INCLUDING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PORTFOLIO

With assets under management of approximately $443 billion as of March 31, 2013, the Adviser has the investment experience to manage and provide non-investment services (described in Section I) to the Portfolio.

The information prepared by Lipper shows the 1, 3, 5 and 10 year performance returns and rankings of the Portfolio17 relative to its Lipper Performance Group (“PG”) and Lipper Performance Universe (“PU”)18 for the periods ended February 28, 2013.19

 

      Portfolio (%)        PG
Median (%)
       PU
Median (%)
       PG
Rank
       PU
Rank
 

Growth Portfolio

                      

1 year

     7.81           8.29           8.23           10/14           39/66   

3 year

     12.37           12.74           11.95           8/14           26/62   

5 year

     4.83           4.95           4.90           8/13           31/59   

10 year

     7.84           7.91           7.95           8/12           31/52   

 

14   The Deli study, originally published in 2002 based on 1997 data and updated for the February 2008 Presentation, may be of diminished value due to the age of the data used in the presentation and the changes experienced in the industry over the last four years.

 

15   As mentioned previously, the Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since the fees may not be the product of negotiations conducted at arm’s length. See Jones V. Harris at 1429.

 

16   The two dimensional analysis showed patterns of lower advisory fees for funds with larger asset sizes and funds from larger family sizes compared to funds with smaller asset sizes and funds from smaller family sizes, which according to the independent consultant is indicative of a sharing of economies of scale and scope. However, in less liquid and active markets, such is not the case, as the empirical analysis showed potential for diseconomies of scale in those markets. The empirical analysis also showed diminishing economies of scale and scope as funds surpassed a certain high level of assets.

 

17   The performance rankings are for the Class A shares of the Portfolio. The Portfolio’s performance returns shown were provided by Lipper.

 

18   The Portfolio’s PG is identical to the Portfolio’s respective EG. The Portfolio’s PU is not identical to the Portfolio’s EU as the criteria for including/excluding a fund from a PU is somewhat different from that of an EU.

 

19   The current Lipper investment classification/objective dictates the PG and PU throughout the life of the fund even if a fund had a different investment classification/objective at a different point in time.

 

 

25


GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Set forth below are the 1, 3, 5, 10 year and since inception performance returns of the Portfolio (in bold)20 versus its benchmarks.21 Portfolio and benchmark volatility and reward-to-variability ratio (“Sharpe Ratio”) information is also shown.22

 

    

Periods Ending February 28, 2013

Annualized Performance

 
     1
Year
(%)
    3
Year
(%)
    5
Year
(%)
    10
Year
(%)
    Since
Inception
(%)
    Annualized        Risk
Period
(Year)
 
            Volatility
(%)
    Sharpe
(%)
      

Growth Portfolio

    13.67        14.49        3.7        7.84        8.95        16.57        0.43           10   

Russell 1000 Growth Index

    17.63        13.66        3.88        8.77        10.46        15.00        0.50           10   

Inception Date: September 15, 1994

  

              

CONCLUSION:

Based on the factors discussed above the Senior Officer’s conclusion is that the proposed advisory fee for the Portfolio is reasonable and within the range of what would have been negotiated at arm’s-length in light of all the surrounding circumstances. This conclusion in respect of the Portfolio is based on an evaluation of all of these factors and no single factor was dispositive.

Dated: May 29, 2013

 

20   The performance returns and risk measures shown in the table are for the Class A shares of the Portfolio.

 

21   The Adviser provided Portfolio and benchmark performance return information for periods through February 28, 2013.

 

22   Portfolio and benchmark volatility and Sharpe Ratio information was obtained through Lipper LANA, a database maintained by Lipper. Volatility is a statistical measure of the tendency of a market price or yield to vary over time. The Sharpe Ratio is a risk adjusted measure of return that divides a portfolio’s return in excess of the riskless return by the portfolio’s standard deviation. A portfolio with a greater volatility would be viewed as more risky than a portfolio with equivalent performance but lower volatility; for that reason, a greater return would be demanded for the more risky portfolio. A portfolio with a higher Sharpe Ratio would be viewed as better performing than a portfolio with a lower Sharpe Ratio.

 

26


AllianceBernstein

Variable Products Series Fund, Inc.

 

 

 

LOGO   AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio

 

June 30, 2013

 

Semi-Annual Report

 

LOGO

 

SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT


 

 

 

Investment Products Offered

 

  Ø  

Are Not FDIC Insured

  Ø  

May Lose Value

  Ø  

Are Not Bank Guaranteed

AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (ABI) is the distributor of the AllianceBernstein family of mutual funds. ABI is a member of FINRA and is an affiliate of AllianceBernstein L.P., the manager of the funds.

You may obtain a description of the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures, and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, without charge. Simply visit AllianceBernstein’s website at www.alliancebernstein.com or go to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “Commission”) website at www.sec.gov, or call AllianceBernstein at (800) 227-4618.

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Commission for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Fund’s Forms N-Q are available on the Commission’s website at www.sec.gov. The Fund’s Forms N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC; information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330.

AllianceBernstein® and the AB Logo are registered trademarks and service marks used by permission of the owner, AllianceBernstein L.P.


 
GROWTH & INCOME PORTFOLIO  
EXPENSE EXAMPLE (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments, contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution (12b-1) fees; and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund 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 as indicated below.

Actual Expenses

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. The estimate of expenses does not include fees or other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes

The table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed annual rate of return of 5% before expenses, which is not the Fund’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 costs of investing in the Fund and other funds by comparing this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds. The estimate of expenses does not include fees or other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads), or contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions. Therefore, the second line of each classes’ table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

      Beginning
Account Value
January 1, 2013
     Ending
Account Value
June 30, 2013
     Expenses Paid
During Period*
     Annualized
Expense Ratio*
 

Class A

           

Actual

   $   1,000       $   1,162.70       $   3.27         0.61

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $ 1,000       $ 1,021.77       $ 3.06         0.61
           

Class B

           

Actual

   $ 1,000       $ 1,161.30       $ 4.61         0.86

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $ 1,000       $ 1,020.53       $ 4.31         0.86

 

 

 

*   Expenses are equal to each classes’ annualized expense ratios, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 181/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).

 

1


GROWTH & INCOME PORTFOLIO  
TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS*  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

COMPANY    U.S. $ VALUE        PERCENT OF NET ASSETS  

Boeing Co. (The)

   $ 32,480,651           4.2

UnitedHealth Group, Inc.

     30,514,335           4.0   

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

     30,328,911           4.0   

Liberty Interactive Corp.

     29,917,579           3.9   

Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.

     27,969,032           3.6   

Exxon Mobil Corp.

     26,267,455           3.4   

Chevron Corp.

     24,060,889           3.1   

Wells Fargo & Co.

     23,790,504           3.1   

Amgen, Inc.

     20,453,402           2.7   

Cisco Systems, Inc.

     20,202,096           2.6   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 
     $   265,984,854           34.6

SECTOR BREAKDOWN**

June 30, 2013 (unaudited)

 

 

SECTOR    U.S. $ VALUE        PERCENT OF TOTAL INVESTMENTS  

Financials

   $   183,004,271           23.7

Health Care

     155,456,762           15.0   

Consumer Discretionary

     97,348,524           12.6   

Information Technology

     94,301,874           12.2   

Energy

     93,154,419           12.1   

Industrials

     82,708,751           10.7   

Consumer Staples

     34,541,241           4.5   

Telecommunication Services

     17,347,770           2.3   

Materials

     15,405,210           2.0   

Short-Term

     38,168,166           4.9   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Investments

   $ 771,436,988           100.0

 

 

 

 

*   Long-term investments.

 

**   The Portfolio’s sector breakdown is expressed as a percentage of total investments and may vary over time.

Please note: The sector classifications presented herein are based on the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) which was developed by Morgan Stanley Capital International and Standard & Poor’s. The components are divided into sector, industry group, and industry sub-indices as classified by the GICS for each of the market capitalization indices in the broad market. These sector classifications are broadly defined. The “Portfolio of Investments” section of the report reflects more specific industry information and is consistent with the investment restrictions discussed in the Portfolio’s prospectus.

 

2


GROWTH & INCOME PORTFOLIO  
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company   Shares         
    
    
U.S. $ Value
 
   

COMMON STOCKS–95.3%

   
   

FINANCIALS–23.8%

   

CAPITAL MARKETS–6.5%

   

BlackRock, Inc.–Class A

    65,970      $ 16,944,394   

Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)

    95,700        14,474,625   

State Street Corp.

    279,900        18,252,279   
   

 

 

 
      49,671,298   
   

 

 

 

COMMERCIAL BANKS–3.9%

   

Fifth Third Bancorp

    332,020        5,992,961   

Wells Fargo & Co.

    576,460        23,790,504   
   

 

 

 
      29,783,465   
   

 

 

 

CONSUMER FINANCE–0.7%

   

Capital One Financial Corp.

    89,560        5,625,264   
   

 

 

 

DIVERSIFIED FINANCIAL SERVICES–4.3%

   

IntercontinentalExchange, Inc.(a)

    17,245        3,065,471   

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

    574,520        30,328,911   
   

 

 

 
      33,394,382   
   

 

 

 

INSURANCE–8.4%

   

ACE Ltd.

    135,490        12,123,645   

Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.(a)

    249,902        27,969,032   

Brown & Brown, Inc.

    303,777        9,793,771   

Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.

    112,070        3,465,204   

MetLife, Inc.

    112,942        5,168,226   

Travelers Cos., Inc. (The)

    75,200        6,009,984   
   

 

 

 
      64,529,862   
   

 

 

 
      183,004,271   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE–15.0%

   

BIOTECHNOLOGY–3.2%

   

Amgen, Inc.

    207,312        20,453,402   

Celgene Corp.(a)

    37,050        4,331,515   
   

 

 

 
      24,784,917   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES–0.7%

   

Zimmer Holdings, Inc.

    73,400        5,500,596   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS & SERVICES–6.0%

   

Humana, Inc.

    91,530        7,723,301   

McKesson Corp.

    66,960        7,666,920   

UnitedHealth Group, Inc.

    466,010        30,514,335   
   

 

 

 
      45,904,556   
   

 

 

 

PHARMACEUTICALS–5.1%

   

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

    196,210        8,768,625   

Merck & Co., Inc.

    332,579        15,448,295   

Pfizer, Inc.

    537,300        15,049,773   
   

 

 

 
      39,266,693   
   

 

 

 
      115,456,762   
   

 

 

 
   

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY–12.6%

   

INTERNET & CATALOG RETAIL–3.9%

   

Liberty Interactive Corp.(a)

    1,300,199      $ 29,917,579   
   

 

 

 

LEISURE EQUIPMENT & PRODUCTS–1.3%

   

Mattel, Inc.

    101,670        4,606,668   

Polaris Industries, Inc.

    59,730        5,674,350   
   

 

 

 
      10,281,018   
   

 

 

 

MEDIA–6.1%

   

Comcast Corp.–Class A

    445,120        18,641,626   

Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc.–Class A

    136,900        9,139,444   

Viacom, Inc.–Class B

    276,570        18,820,588   
   

 

 

 
      46,601,658   
   

 

 

 

MULTILINE RETAIL–0.9%

   

Macy’s, Inc.

    148,500        7,128,000   
   

 

 

 

SPECIALTY RETAIL–0.4%

   

O’Reilly Automotive, Inc.(a)

    30,370        3,420,269   
   

 

 

 
      97,348,524   
   

 

 

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY–12.3%

   

COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT–2.6%

   

Cisco Systems, Inc.

    831,020        20,202,096   
   

 

 

 

COMPUTERS & PERIPHERALS–2.6%

   

Apple, Inc.

    49,945        19,782,215   
   

 

 

 

ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT, INSTRUMENTS & COMPONENTS–2.0%

   

Avnet, Inc.(a)

    135,390        4,549,104   

TE Connectivity Ltd.

    231,070        10,522,928   
   

 

 

 
      15,072,032   
   

 

 

 

IT SERVICES–1.9%

   

Amdocs Ltd.

    148,604        5,511,722   

NeuStar, Inc.–Class A(a)

    191,130        9,304,209   
   

 

 

 
      14,815,931   
   

 

 

 

SEMICONDUCTORS & SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT–0.8%

   

NVIDIA Corp.

    455,630        6,392,489   
   

 

 

 

SOFTWARE–2.4%

   

Cadence Design Systems, Inc.(a)

    438,660        6,351,797   

Microsoft Corp.

    195,780        6,760,284   

Oracle Corp.

    160,320        4,925,030   
   

 

 

 
      18,037,111   
   

 

 

 
      94,301,874   
   

 

 

 

 

3


GROWTH & INCOME PORTFOLIO  
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company   Shares         
    
    
U.S. $ Value
 
   

ENERGY–12.1%

   

ENERGY EQUIPMENT & SERVICES–2.8%

   

Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc.

    177,579      $ 12,215,660   

National Oilwell Varco, Inc.

    78,617        5,416,711   

Transocean Ltd.

    88,260        4,232,067   
   

 

 

 
      21,864,438   
   

 

 

 

OIL, GAS & CONSUMABLE FUELS–9.3%

   

Chevron Corp.

    203,320        24,060,889   

ConocoPhillips

    145,260        8,788,230   

Exxon Mobil Corp.

    290,730        26,267,455   

HollyFrontier Corp.

    128,020        5,476,696   

Occidental Petroleum Corp.

    75,050        6,696,711   
   

 

 

 
      71,289,981   
   

 

 

 
      93,154,419   
   

 

 

 

INDUSTRIALS–10.7%

   

AEROSPACE & DEFENSE–5.2%

   

Boeing Co. (The)

    317,070        32,480,651   

Raytheon Co.

    115,040        7,606,445   
   

 

 

 
      40,087,096   
   

 

 

 

AIRLINES–0.5%

   

Delta Air Lines, Inc.(a)

    188,360        3,524,216   
   

 

 

 

INDUSTRIAL CONGLOMERATES–2.6%

   

Carlisle Cos., Inc.

    96,460        6,010,422   

General Electric Co.

    617,820        14,327,246   
   

 

 

 
      20,337,668   
   

 

 

 

MACHINERY–2.4%

   

Dover Corp.

    79,070        6,140,576   

Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc.

    48,423        2,773,185   

Parker Hannifin Corp.

    45,870        4,375,998   

Trinity Industries, Inc.

    142,300        5,470,012   
   

 

 

 
      18,759,771   
   

 

 

 
      82,708,751   
   

 

 

 

CONSUMER STAPLES–4.5%

   

FOOD & STAPLES RETAILING–1.8%

   

CVS Caremark Corp.

    241,027        13,781,924   
   

 

 

 
   

FOOD PRODUCTS–1.6%

   

Kraft Foods Group, Inc.

    225,540      $ 12,600,920   
   

 

 

 

HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS–1.1%

   

Energizer Holdings, Inc.

    81,170        8,158,397   
   

 

 

 
      34,541,241   
   

 

 

 

TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES–2.3%

   

DIVERSIFIED TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES–2.3%

   

AT&T, Inc.

    490,050        17,347,770   
   

 

 

 

MATERIALS–2.0%

   

CHEMICALS–0.3%

   

CF Industries Holdings, Inc.

    12,830        2,200,345   
   

 

 

 

METALS & MINING–0.6%

   

Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.

    67,250        4,408,910   
   

 

 

 

PAPER & FOREST PRODUCTS–1.1%

   

Domtar Corp.

    132,270        8,795,955   
   

 

 

 
      15,405,210   
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks
(cost $569,782,812)

      733,268,822   
   

 

 

 
    Principal
Amount
(000)
       

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS–5.0%

   

TIME DEPOSIT–5.0%

   

State Street Time Deposit
0.01%, 7/01/13
(cost $38,168,166)

  $ 38,168        38,168,166   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS–100.3%
(cost $607,950,978)

      771,436,988   

Other assets less liabilities–(0.3)%

      (2,059,569
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS–100.0%

    $ 769,377,419   
   

 

 

 

 

(a)   Non-income producing security.

See notes to financial statements.

 

4


GROWTH & INCOME PORTFOLIO  
STATEMENT OF ASSETS & LIABILITIES
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

ASSETS

  

Investments in securities, at value (cost $607,950,978)

   $ 771,436,988   

Cash

     73,003   

Dividends and interest receivable

     863,121   

Receivable for capital stock sold

     268,631   
  

 

 

 

Total assets

     772,641,743   
  

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

  

Payable for investment securities purchased

     1,521,963   

Payable for capital stock redeemed

     1,106,435   

Advisory fee payable

     326,868   

Distribution fee payable

     120,816   

Administrative fee payable

     7,235   

Transfer Agent fee payable

     62   

Accrued expenses

     180,945   
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     3,264,324   
  

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 769,377,419   
  

 

 

 

COMPOSITION OF NET ASSETS

  

Capital stock, at par

   $ 32,382   

Additional paid-in capital

     715,729,592   

Undistributed net investment income

     5,302,570   

Accumulated net realized loss on investment transactions

     (115,173,135

Net unrealized appreciation on investments

     163,486,010   
  

 

 

 
   $ 769,377,419   
  

 

 

 

Net Asset Value Per Share—1 billion shares of capital stock authorized, $.001 par value

 

Class    Net Assets      Shares
Outstanding
     Net Asset
Value
 

A

   $   143,991,909         6,012,422       $   23.95   

B

   $   625,385,510         26,369,886       $   23.72   

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

5


GROWTH & INCOME PORTFOLIO  
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS  
Six Months Ended June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

  

Dividends

  

Unaffiliated issuers

   $ 9,047,111   

Affiliated issuers

     889   

Interest

     2,988   

Securities lending income

     2,516   
  

 

 

 
     9,053,504   
  

 

 

 

EXPENSES

  

Advisory fee (see Note B)

     2,479,283   

Distribution fee—Class B

     953,448   

Transfer agency—Class A

     921   

Transfer agency—Class B

     5,037   

Printing

     94,508   

Custodian

     79,165   

Legal

     24,167   

Administrative

     21,503   

Audit

     16,910   

Directors’ fees

     2,265   

Miscellaneous

     11,584   
  

 

 

 

Total expenses

     3,688,791   
  

 

 

 

Net investment income

     5,364,713   
  

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN ON INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS

  

Net realized gain on investment transactions

     105,866,253 (a) 

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments

     32,698,836   
  

 

 

 

Net gain on investment transactions

     138,565,089   
  

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

   $ 143,929,802   
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(a)   On May 17, 2013, the Portfolio had a redemption-in-kind with total proceeds in the amount of $208,680,875. The gain on investments of $48,761,433 will not be realized for tax purposes.

See notes to financial statements.

 

6


 
GROWTH & INCOME PORTFOLIO  
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET  ASSETS   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

     Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013

(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 

INCREASE IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

    

Net investment income

   $ 5,364,713      $ 11,486,585   

Net realized gain on investment transactions

     105,866,253        85,199,940   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments

     32,698,836        47,593,504   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets from operations

     143,929,802        144,280,029   

DIVIDENDS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM

    

Net investment income

    

Class A

     (1,985,126     (2,047,549

Class B

     (9,529,113     (10,212,718

CAPITAL STOCK TRANSACTIONS

    

Net decrease

     (258,638,107     (110,664,705
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total increase (decrease)

     (126,222,544     21,355,057   

NET ASSETS

    

Beginning of period

     895,599,963        874,244,906   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period (including undistributed net investment income of $5,302,570 and $11,452,096, respectively)

   $ 769,377,419      $ 895,599,963   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

7


GROWTH & INCOME PORTFOLIO  
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE A: Significant Accounting Policies

The AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio (the “Portfolio”) is a series of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”). The Portfolio’s investment objective is long-term growth of capital. The Portfolio is diversified as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Fund was incorporated in the State of Maryland on November 17, 1987, as an open-end series investment company. The Fund offers thirteen separately managed pools of assets which have differing investment objectives and policies. The Portfolio offers Class A and Class B shares. Both classes of shares have identical voting, dividend, liquidating and other rights, except that Class B shares bear a distribution expense and have exclusive voting rights with respect to the Class B distribution plan.

The Portfolio offers and sells its shares only to separate accounts of certain life insurance companies for the purpose of funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies. Sales are made without a sales charge at the Portfolio’s net asset value per share.

The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) which require management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Portfolio.

1. Security Valuation

Portfolio securities are valued at their current market value determined on the basis of market quotations or, if market quotations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable, at “fair value” as determined in accordance with procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Fund’s Board of Directors (the “Board”).

In general, the market values of securities which are readily available and deemed reliable are determined as follows: securities listed on a national securities exchange (other than securities listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. (“NASDAQ”)) or on a foreign securities exchange are valued at the last sale price at the close of the exchange or foreign securities exchange. If there has been no sale on such day, the securities are valued at the last traded price from the previous day. Securities listed on more than one exchange are valued by reference to the principal exchange on which the securities are traded; securities listed only on NASDAQ are valued in accordance with the NASDAQ Official Closing Price; listed or over the counter (“OTC”) market put or call options are valued at the mid level between the current bid and ask prices. If either a current bid or current ask price is unavailable, AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) will have discretion to determine the best valuation (e.g. last trade price in the case of listed options); open futures are valued using the closing settlement price or, in the absence of such a price, the most recent quoted bid price. If there are no quotations available for the day of valuation, the last available closing settlement price is used; U.S. government securities and other debt instruments having 60 days or less remaining until maturity are valued at amortized cost if their original maturity was 60 days or less; or by amortizing their fair value as of the 61st day prior to maturity if their original term to maturity exceeded 60 days; fixed-income securities, including mortgage backed and asset backed securities, may be valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service or at a price obtained from one or more of the major broker/dealers. In cases where broker/dealer quotes are obtained, the Adviser may establish procedures whereby changes in market yields or spreads are used to adjust, on a daily basis, a recently obtained quoted price on a security. Swaps and other derivatives are valued daily, primarily using independent pricing services, independent pricing models using market inputs, as well as third party broker-dealers or counterparties. Investments in money market funds are valued at their net asset value each day.

Securities for which market quotations are not readily available (including restricted securities) or are deemed unreliable are valued at fair value. Factors considered in making this determination may include, but are not limited to, information obtained by contacting the issuer, analysts, analysis of the issuer’s financial statements or other available documents. In addition, the Portfolio may use fair value pricing for securities primarily traded in non-U.S. markets because most foreign markets close well before the Portfolio values its securities at 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The earlier close of these foreign markets gives rise to the possibility that significant events, including broad market moves, may have occurred in the interim and may materially affect the value of those securities. To account for this, the Portfolio may frequently value many of its foreign equity securities using fair value prices based on third party vendor modeling tools to the extent available.

2. Fair Value Measurements

In accordance with U.S. GAAP regarding fair value measurements, fair value is defined as the price that the Portfolio would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement

 

8


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

date. U.S. GAAP establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and a three-level hierarchy for fair value measurements based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability (including those valued based on their market values as described in Note A. 1 above). Inputs may be observable or unobservable and refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Portfolio. Unobservable inputs reflect the Portfolio’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on the best information available in the circumstances. Each investment is assigned a level based upon the observability of the inputs which are significant to the overall valuation. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized below.

 

   

Level 1—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 Portfolio’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

Where readily available market prices or relevant bid prices are not available for certain equity investments, such investments may be valued based on similar publicly traded investments, movements in relevant indices since last available prices or based upon underlying company fundamentals and comparable company data (such as multiples to earnings or other multiples to equity). Where an investment is valued using an observable input, such as another publicly traded security, the investment will be classified as Level 2. If management determines that an adjustment is appropriate based on restrictions on resale, illiquidity or uncertainty, and such adjustment is a significant component of the valuation, the investment will be classified as Level 3. An investment will also be classified as Level 3 where management uses company fundamentals and other significant inputs to determine the valuation.

The following table summarizes the valuation of the Portfolio’s investments by the above fair value hierarchy levels as of June 30, 2013:

 

     Level 1     Level 2     Level 3     Total  

Investments in Securities:

        

Assets:

        

Common Stocks*

   $ 733,268,822      $ –0 –    $             –0 –    $ 733,268,822   

Short-Term Investments

     –0 –      38,168,166        –0 –      38,168,166   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Investments in Securities

     733,268,822        38,168,166        –0 –      771,436,988   

Other Financial Instruments**

     –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 – 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total^

   $ 733,268,822      $ 38,168,166      $ –0 –    $ 771,436,988   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

*   See Portfolio of Investments for sector classifications.

 

**   Other financial instruments are derivative instruments, such as futures, forwards and swaps, which are valued at the unrealized appreciation/depreciation on the instrument.

 

^   There were no transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 during the reporting period.

The Portfolio recognizes all transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy assuming the financial instruments were transferred at the beginning of the reporting period.

The Adviser has established a Valuation Committee (the “Committee”) which is responsible for overseeing the pricing and valuation of all securities held in the Portfolio. The Committee operates under pricing and valuation policies and procedures established by the Adviser and approved by the Board, including pricing policies which set forth the mechanisms and processes to be employed on a daily basis to implement these policies and procedures. In particular, the pricing policies describe how to determine market quotations for securities and other instruments. The Committee’s responsibilities include: 1) fair value and liquidity determinations (and oversight of any third parties to whom any responsibility for fair value and liquidity determinations is delegated), and 2) regular monitoring of the Adviser’s pricing and valuation policies and procedures and modification or enhancement of these policies and procedures (or recommendation of the modification of these policies and procedures) as the Committee believes appropriate.

 

9


GROWTH & INCOME PORTFOLIO  
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Committee is also responsible for monitoring the implementation of the pricing policies by the Adviser’s Pricing Group (the “Pricing Group”) and a third party which performs certain pricing functions in accordance with the pricing policies. The Pricing Group is responsible for the oversight of the third party on a day-to-day basis. The Committee and the Pricing Group perform a series of activities to provide reasonable assurance of the accuracy of prices including: 1) periodic vendor due diligence meetings, review of methodologies, new developments and process at vendors, 2) daily compare of security valuation versus prior day for all securities that exceeded established thresholds, and 3) daily review of unpriced, stale, and variance reports with exceptions reviewed by senior management and the Committee.

In addition, several processes outside of the pricing process are used to monitor valuation issues including: 1) performance and performance attribution reports are monitored for anomalous impacts based upon benchmark performance, and 2) portfolio managers review all portfolios for performance and analytics (which are generated using the Adviser’s prices).

3. Currency Translation

Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies and commitments under forward currency exchange contracts are translated into U.S. dollars at the mean of the quoted bid and ask prices of such currencies against the U.S. dollar. Purchases and sales of portfolio securities are translated into U.S. dollars at the rates of exchange prevailing when such securities were acquired or sold. Income and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars at rates of exchange prevailing when accrued.

Net realized gain or loss on foreign currency transactions represents foreign exchange gains and losses from sales and maturities of foreign fixed income investments, foreign currency exchange contracts, holding of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on foreign investment transactions, and the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the Portfolio’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized currency gains and losses from valuing foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities at period end exchange rates are reflected as a component of net unrealized appreciation or depreciation of foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities.

4. Taxes

It is the Portfolio’s policy to meet the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute all of its investment company taxable income and net realized gains, if any, to shareholders. Therefore, no provisions for federal income or excise taxes are required. The Portfolio may be subject to taxes imposed by countries in which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on income and/or capital gains earned or repatriated. Taxes are accrued and applied to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized appreciation/depreciation as such income and/or gains are earned.

In accordance with U.S. GAAP requirements regarding accounting for uncertainties in income taxes, management has analyzed the Portfolio’s tax positions taken or expected to be taken on federal and state income tax returns for all open tax years (the current and the prior three tax years) and has concluded that no provision for income tax is required in the Portfolio’s financial statements.

5. Investment Income and Investment Transactions

Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date or as soon as the Portfolio is informed of the dividend. Interest income is accrued daily. Investment transactions are accounted for on the date the securities are purchased or sold. Investment gains or losses are determined on the identified cost basis. The Portfolio amortizes premiums and accretes discounts as adjustments to interest income.

6. Class Allocations

All income earned and expenses incurred by the Portfolio are borne on a pro-rata basis by each outstanding class of shares, based on the proportionate interest in the Portfolio represented by the net assets of such class, except for class specific expenses which are allocated to the respective class. Realized and unrealized gains and losses are allocated among the various share classes based on respective net assets.

7. Dividends and Distributions

Dividends and distributions to shareholders, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income dividends and capital gains distributions are determined in accordance with federal tax regulations and may differ from those determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. To the extent these differences are permanent, such amounts are reclassified within the capital accounts based on their federal tax basis treatment; temporary differences do not require such reclassification.

 

 

10


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE B: Advisory Fee and Other Transactions with Affiliates

Under the terms of the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio pays the Adviser an advisory fee at an annual rate of .55% of the first $2.5 billion, .45% of the next $2.5 billion and .40% in excess of $5 billion, of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets. The fee is accrued daily and paid monthly.

Pursuant to the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio may reimburse the Adviser for certain legal and accounting services provided to the Portfolio by the Adviser. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, the reimbursement for such services amounted to $21,503.

Brokerage commissions paid on investment transactions for the six months ended June 30, 2013 amounted to $445,325, of which $27 and $0, respectively, was paid to Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. LLC and Sanford C. Bernstein Limited, affiliates of the Adviser.

The Portfolio compensates AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, under a Transfer Agency Agreement for providing personnel and facilities to perform transfer agency services for the Portfolio. Such compensation retained by ABIS amounted to $692 for the six months ended June 30, 2013.

NOTE C: Distribution Plan

The Portfolio has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Under the Plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (the “Distributor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, at an annual rate of up to .50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The fees are accrued daily and paid monthly. The Board currently limits payments under the Plan to .25% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The Plan provides that the Distributor will use such payments in their entirety for distribution assistance and promotional activities.

The Portfolio is not obligated under the Plan to pay any distribution and servicing fees in excess of the amounts set forth above. The purpose of the payments to the Distributor under the Plan is to compensate the Distributor for its distribution services with respect to the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. Since the Distributor’s compensation is not directly tied to its expenses, the amount of compensation received by it under the Plan during any year may be more or less than its actual expenses. For this reason, the Plan is characterized by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission as being of the “compensation” variety.

In the event that the Plan is terminated or not continued, no distribution or servicing fees (other than current amounts accrued but not yet paid) would be owed by the Portfolio to the Distributor.

The Plan also provides that the Adviser may use its own resources to finance the distribution of the Portfolio’s shares.

NOTE D: Investment Transactions

Purchases and sales of investment securities (excluding short-term investments) for the six months ended June 30, 2013 were as follows:

 

       Purchases      Sales  

Investment securities (excluding U.S. government securities)

     $ 229,884,501       $ 318,569,949   

U.S. government securities

       –0 –       –0 – 

The cost of investments for federal income tax purposes was substantially the same as the cost for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, gross unrealized appreciation and unrealized depreciation are as follows:

 

Gross unrealized appreciation

   $ 169,545,276   

Gross unrealized depreciation

     (6,059,266
  

 

 

 

Net unrealized appreciation

   $ 163,486,010   
  

 

 

 

1. Derivative Financial Instruments

The Portfolio may use derivatives in an effort to earn income and enhance returns, to replace more traditional direct investments, to obtain exposure to otherwise inaccessible markets (collectively, “investment purposes”), or to hedge or adjust the risk profile of its portfolio.

The Portfolio did not engage in derivatives transactions for the six months ended June 30, 2013.

 

11


GROWTH & INCOME PORTFOLIO  
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

2. Currency Transactions

The Portfolio may invest in non-U.S. Dollar securities on a currency hedged or unhedged basis. The Portfolio may seek investment opportunities by taking long or short positions in currencies through the use of currency-related derivatives, including forward currency exchange contracts, futures and options on futures, swaps, and other options. The Portfolio may enter into transactions for investment opportunities when it anticipates that a foreign currency will appreciate or depreciate in value but securities denominated in that currency are not held by the Portfolio and do not present attractive investment opportunities. Such transactions may also be used when the Adviser believes that it may be more efficient than a direct investment in a foreign currency-denominated security. The Portfolio may also conduct currency exchange contracts on a spot basis (i.e., for cash at the spot rate prevailing in the currency exchange market for buying or selling currencies).

NOTE E: Securities Lending

The Portfolio may enter into securities lending transactions. Under the Portfolio’s securities lending program, all loans of securities will be collateralized continually by cash. The Portfolio will be compensated for the loan from a portion of the net return from the income earned on cash collateral after a rebate is paid to the borrower (in some cases, this rebate may be a “negative rebate” or fee paid by the borrower to the Portfolio in connection with the loan), and payments are made for fees of the securities lending agent and for certain other administrative expenses. It is the policy of the Portfolio to receive collateral consisting of cash in an amount exceeding the value of the securities loaned. The Portfolio will have the right to call a loan and obtain the securities loaned at any time on notice to the borrower within the normal and customary settlement time for the securities. While the securities are on loan, the borrower is obligated to pay the Portfolio amounts equal to any income or other distributions from the securities. The Portfolio will not have the right to vote any securities during the existence of a loan, but will have the right to regain ownership of loaned securities in order to exercise voting or other ownership rights. The lending agent has agreed to indemnify the Portfolio in the case of default of any securities borrower. Collateral received and securities loaned are marked to market daily to ensure that the securities loaned are secured by collateral. The lending agent will invest the cash collateral received in AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves, an eligible money market vehicle, in accordance with the investment restrictions of the Portfolio, and as approved by the Board. The collateral received on securities loaned is recorded as an asset as well as a corresponding liability in the statement of assets and liabilities. When the Portfolio lends securities, its investment performance will continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned. As of June 30, 2013, the Portfolio had no securities out on loan. The cash collateral will be adjusted on the next business day to maintain the required collateral amount. The Portfolio earned securities lending income of $2,516 and $889 from the borrowers and AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2013; these amounts are reflected in the statement of operations. A principal risk of lending portfolio securities is that the borrower will fail to return the loaned securities upon termination of the loan and that the collateral will not be sufficient to replace the loaned securities. A summary of the Portfolio’s transactions in shares of AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves for the six months ended June 30, 2013 is as follows:

 

Market Value

December 31, 2012

(000)

   

Purchases

at Cost

(000)

   

Sales

Proceeds

(000)

   

Market Value

June 30, 2013

(000)

   

Dividend

Income

(000)

 
$ 0      $ 49,050      $ 49,050      $ 0      $ 1   

NOTE F: Capital Stock

Each class consists of 500,000,000 authorized shares. Transactions in capital shares for each class were as follows:

 

    SHARES         AMOUNT  
    Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
   

 

  Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 

Class A

         

Shares sold

    456,580        712,493        $ 10,541,171      $ 14,040,425   

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends

    83,584        102,122          1,985,126        2,047,549   

Shares redeemed

    (820,868     (2,206,162       (18,828,099     (43,687,727
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease

    (280,704     (1,391,547     $ (6,301,802   $ (27,599,753
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

12


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    SHARES         AMOUNT  
    Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
   

 

  Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 

Class B

         

Shares sold

    1,409,353        3,411,047        $ 32,083,038      $ 66,260,473   

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends

    404,977        514,236          9,529,113        10,212,719   

Shares redeemed

    (12,435,446     (8,107,526       (293,948,456     (159,538,144
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease

    (10,621,116     (4,182,243     $ (252,336,305   $ (83,064,952
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

NOTE G: Risks Involved in Investing in the Portfolio

Foreign Securities Risk—Investing in securities of foreign companies or foreign governments involves special risks which include changes in foreign currency exchange rates and the possibility of future political and economic developments which could adversely affect the value of such securities. Moreover, securities of many foreign companies or foreign governments and their markets may be less liquid and their prices more volatile than those of comparable U.S. companies or of the U.S. government.

Currency Risk—This is the risk that changes in foreign currency exchange rates may negatively affect the value of the Portfolio’s investments or reduce the returns of the Portfolio. For example, the value of the Portfolio’s investments in foreign currency-denominated securities or currencies may decrease if the U.S. Dollar is strong (i.e., gaining value relative to other currencies) and other currencies are weak (i.e., losing value relative to the U.S. Dollar). Currency markets are generally not as regulated as securities markets. Independent of the Portfolio’s investments denominated in foreign currencies, the Portfolio’s positions in various foreign currencies may cause the Portfolio to experience investment losses due to the changes in exchange rates and interest rates.

Derivatives Risk—The Portfolio may enter into derivative transactions such as forwards, options, futures and swaps. Derivatives may be illiquid, difficult to price, and leveraged so that small changes may produce disproportionate losses for the Portfolio, and subject to counterparty risk to a greater degree than more traditional investments. Derivatives may result in significant losses, including losses that are far greater than the value of the derivatives reflected in the statement of assets and liabilities.

Indemnification Risk—In the ordinary course of business, the Portfolio enters into contracts that contain a variety of indemnifications. The Portfolio’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown. However, the Portfolio has not had prior claims or losses pursuant to these indemnification provisions and expects the risk of loss thereunder to be remote. Therefore, the Portfolio has not accrued any liability in connection with these indemnification provisions.

NOTE H: Joint Credit Facility

A number of open-end mutual funds managed by the Adviser, including the Portfolio, participate in a $140 million revolving credit facility (the “Facility”) intended to provide short-term financing, if necessary, subject to certain restrictions in connection with abnormal redemption activity. Commitment fees related to the Facility are paid by the participating funds and are included in miscellaneous expenses in the statement of operations. The Portfolio did not utilize the Facility during the six months ended June 30, 2013.

NOTE I: Distributions to Shareholders

The tax character of distributions to be paid for the year ending December 31, 2013 will be determined at the end of the current fiscal year. The tax character of distributions paid during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 were as follows:

 

       2012        2011  

Distributions paid from:

         

Ordinary income

     $ 12,260,267         $ 11,097,642   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total taxable distributions paid

     $ 12,260,267         $ 11,097,642   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

13


GROWTH & INCOME PORTFOLIO  
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

As of December 31, 2012, the components of accumulated earnings/(deficit) on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed ordinary income

   $ 11,452,096   

Accumulated capital and other losses

     (216,439,527 )(a) 

Unrealized appreciation/(depreciation)

     126,187,313 (b) 
  

 

 

 

Total accumulated earnings/(deficit)

   $ (78,800,118
  

 

 

 

 

(a)   As of December 31, 2012, the Portfolio had a net capital loss carryforward of $216,439,527. During the fiscal year, the Portfolio utilized $81,782,652 of capital loss carryforwards to offset current year net realized gains.

 

(b)   The difference between book-basis and tax-basis unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) is attributable primarily to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales.

For tax purposes, net capital losses may be carried over to offset future capital gains, if any. Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, funds are permitted to carry forward capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 for an indefinite period. These post-enactment capital losses must be utilized prior to the pre-enactment capital losses, which are subject to expiration. Post-enactment capital loss carryforwards will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses rather than being considered short-term as under previous regulation.

As of December 31, 2012, the Portfolio had a net capital loss carryforward of $216,439,527 which will expire as follows:

 

SHORT-TERM
AMOUNT

  

LONG-TERM
AMOUNT

  

EXPIRATION

$  216,439,527    n/a    2017

NOTE J: Subsequent Events

Management has evaluated subsequent events for possible recognition or disclosure in the financial statements through the date the financial statements are issued. Management has determined that there are no material events that would require disclosure in the Portfolio’s financial statements through this date.

 

14


 
GROWTH & INCOME PORTFOLIO  
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    Class A  
    Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended December 31,  
      2012     2011     2010     2009     2008  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $20.88        $18.05        $17.19        $15.20        $13.10        $26.82   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Income From Investment Operations

           

Net investment income(a)

    .16        .29        .27        .20        .21        .30   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions

    3.24        2.86        .83        1.79        2.47        (9.77

Contributions from Adviser

    –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      .00 (b) 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset
value from operations

    3.40        3.15        1.10        1.99        2.68        (9.47
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Less: Dividends and Distributions

           

Dividends from net investment income

    (.33     (.32     (.24     –0 –      (.58     (.45

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

    –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      (3.80
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total dividends and distributions

    (.33     (.32     (.24     –0 –      (.58     (4.25
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $23.95        $20.88        $18.05        $17.19        $15.20        $13.10   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Total Return

           

Total investment return based on net asset value(c)*

    16.27     17.53     6.32     13.09     20.82     (40.60 )% 

Ratios/Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of period
(000’s omitted)

    $143,991        $131,402        $138,731        $201,521        $215,085        $211,920   

Ratio to average net assets of:

           

Expenses

    .61 %(d)      .60     .60     .63 %(e)      .63     .62

Net investment income

    1.39 %(d)      1.48     1.52     1.30 %(e)      1.58     1.61

Portfolio turnover rate

    27     80     76     66     125     184

 

 

 

 

See footnote summary on page 16.

 

15


GROWTH & INCOME PORTFOLIO  
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    Class B  
    Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended December 31,  
      2012     2011     2010     2009     2008  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $20.66        $17.86        $17.01        $15.08        $12.97        $26.55   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Income From Investment Operations

           

Net investment income(a)

    .13        .24        .23        .16        .18        .25   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
on investment transactions

    3.20        2.83        .81        1.77        2.42        (9.66

Contributions from Adviser

    –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      .00 (b) 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset
value from operations

    3.33        3.07        1.04        1.93        2.60        (9.41
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Less: Dividends and Distributions

           

Dividends from net investment income

    (.27     (.27     (.19     –0 –      (.49     (.37

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

    –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      (3.80
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total dividends and distributions

    (.27     (.27     (.19     –0 –      (.49     (4.17
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $23.72        $20.66        $17.86        $17.01        $15.08        $12.97   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Total Return

           

Total investment return based on net
asset value(c)*

    16.13     17.24     6.07     12.80     20.35     (40.69 )% 
           

Ratios/Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of period
(000’s omitted)

    $625,386        $764,198        $735,514        $805,714        $837,533        $819,994   

Ratio to average net assets of:

           

Expenses

    .86 %(d)      .85     .85     .88 %(e)      .88     .87

Net investment income

    1.15 %(d)      1.23     1.28     1.05 %(e)      1.33     1.36

Portfolio turnover rate

    27     80     76     66     125     184

 

 

 

(a)   Based on average shares outstanding.

 

(b)   Amount is less than $.005.

 

(c)   Total investment return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption on the last day of the period. Total return does not reflect (i) insurance company’s separate account related expense charges and (ii) the deductions of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Portfolio distributions or the redemption of Portfolio shares. Total investment return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized.

 

(d)   Annualized.

 

(e)   The ratio includes expenses attributable to costs of proxy solicitation.

 

*   Includes the impact of proceeds received and credited to the Portfolio resulting from class action settlements, which enhanced the Portfolio’s performance for the six months ended June 30, 2013 and years ended December 31, 2012, December 31, 2011, December 31, 2010, December 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008 by 0.04%, 0.19%, 0.13%, 0.27%, 0.54% and 0.46%, respectively.

See notes to financial statements.

 

16


 
 
GROWTH & INCOME PORTFOLIO   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

INFORMATION REGARDING THE REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE PORTFOLIO’S ADVISORY AGREEMENT

The disinterested directors (the “directors”) of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”) unanimously approved the continuance of the Fund’s Advisory Agreement with the Adviser in respect of AllianceBernstein Growth and Income Portfolio (the “Portfolio”) at a meeting held on April 30-May 2, 2013 (the “May 2013 meeting”).

Prior to approval of the continuance of the Advisory Agreement, the directors had requested from the Adviser, and received and evaluated, extensive materials. They reviewed the proposed continuance of the Advisory Agreement with the Adviser and with experienced counsel who are independent of the Adviser, who advised on the relevant legal standards. The directors also reviewed an independent evaluation prepared by the Fund’s Senior Officer (who is also the Fund’s Independent Compliance Officer) of the reasonableness of the advisory fee, in which the Senior Officer concluded that the contractual fee for the Portfolio was reasonable. The directors also discussed the proposed continuance in private sessions with counsel and the Fund’s Senior Officer.

The directors considered their knowledge of the nature and quality of the services provided by the Adviser to the Portfolio gained from their experience as directors or trustees of most of the registered investment companies advised by the Adviser, their overall confidence in the Adviser’s integrity and competence they have gained from that experience, the Adviser’s initiative in identifying and raising potential issues with the directors and its responsiveness, frankness and attention to concerns raised by the directors in the past, including the Adviser’s willingness to consider and implement organizational and operational changes designed to improve investment results and the services provided to the AllianceBernstein Funds. The directors noted that they have four regular meetings each year, at each of which they receive presentations from the Adviser on the investment results of the Portfolio and review extensive materials and information presented by the Adviser.

The directors also considered all other factors they believed relevant, including the specific matters discussed below. In their deliberations, the directors did not identify any particular information that was all-important or controlling, and different directors may have attributed different weights to the various factors. The directors determined that the selection of the Adviser to manage the Portfolio and the overall arrangements between the Portfolio and the Adviser, as provided in the Advisory Agreement, including the advisory fee, were fair and reasonable in light of the services performed, expenses incurred and such other matters as the directors considered relevant in the exercise of their business judgment. The material factors and conclusions that formed the basis for the directors’ determinations included the following:

Nature, Extent and Quality of Services Provided

The directors considered the scope and quality of services provided by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement, including the quality of the investment research capabilities of the Adviser and the other resources it has dedicated to performing services for the Portfolio. They also noted the professional experience and qualifications of the Portfolio’s portfolio management team and other senior personnel of the Adviser. The directors also considered that the Advisory Agreement provides that the Portfolio will reimburse the Adviser for the cost to it of providing certain clerical, accounting, administrative and other services to the Portfolio by employees of the Adviser or its affiliates. Requests for these reimbursements are made on a quarterly basis and subject to approval by the directors and, to the extent requested and paid, will result in a higher rate of total compensation from the Portfolio to the Adviser than the fee rate stated in the Portfolio’s Advisory Agreement. The directors noted that the methodology used to determine the reimbursement amounts had been reviewed by an independent consultant retained by the Fund’s Senior Officer. The quality of administrative and other services, including the Adviser’s role in coordinating the activities of the Portfolio’s other service providers, also were considered. The directors concluded that, overall, they were satisfied with the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Portfolio under the Advisory Agreement.

Costs of Services Provided and Profitability

The directors reviewed a schedule of the revenues, expenses and related notes indicating the profitability of the Portfolio to the Adviser for calendar years 2011 and 2012 that had been prepared with an expense allocation methodology arrived at in consultation with an independent consultant retained by the Fund’s Senior Officer. The directors reviewed the assumptions and methods of allocation used by the Adviser in preparing fund-specific profitability data and noted that there are a number of potentially acceptable allocation methodologies for information of this type. The directors noted that the profitability information reflected all revenues and expenses of the Adviser’s relationship with the Portfolio, including those relating to its subsidiaries that provide transfer agency, distribution and brokerage services to the Portfolio. The directors recognized that it is difficult to make comparisons of the profitability of the Advisory Agreement with the profitability of advisory contracts for unaffiliated funds because comparative information is not generally publicly available and is affected by numerous

 

17


 
GROWTH & INCOME PORTFOLIO  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

factors. The directors focused on the profitability of the Adviser’s relationship with the Portfolio before taxes and distribution expenses. The directors were satisfied that the Adviser’s level of profitability from its relationship with the Portfolio was not unreasonable.

Fall-Out Benefits

The directors considered the other benefits to the Adviser and its affiliates from their relationships with the Portfolio, including but not limited to benefits relating to soft dollar arrangements (whereby the Adviser receives brokerage and research services from brokers that execute transactions for certain clients, including the Portfolio); 12b-1 fees and sales charges received by the Fund’s principal underwriter (which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser) in respect of the Portfolio’s Class B shares; transfer agency fees paid by the Portfolio to a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser; and brokerage commissions paid by the Portfolio to brokers affiliated with the Adviser. The directors recognized that the Adviser’s profitability would be somewhat lower without these benefits. The directors also understood that the Adviser also might derive reputational and other benefits from its association with the Portfolio.

Investment Results

In addition to the information reviewed by the directors in connection with the meeting, the directors receive detailed performance information for the Portfolio at each regular Board meeting during the year. The directors noted that the Portfolio is a clone of another fund managed by the Adviser (the “Corresponding Fund”) and is managed to track the investment performance of its Corresponding Fund, although investment results may differ between the Portfolio and its Corresponding Fund due to differences in their expense ratios and other factors. At the May 2013 meeting, the directors reviewed information prepared by Lipper showing the performance of the Class A Shares of the Portfolio as compared with that of a group of similar funds selected by Lipper (the “Performance Group”) and as compared with that of a broader array of funds selected by Lipper (the “Performance Universe”), and information prepared by the Adviser showing performance of the Class A Shares as compared with the Russell 1000 Value Index (the “Index”), in each case for the 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year periods ended February 28, 2013 and (in the case of comparisons with the Index) the period since inception (January 1991 inception). The directors noted that the Portfolio was in the 3rd quintile of the Performance Group and the Performance Universe for the 1-year period, in the 3rd quintile of the Performance Group and 2nd quintile of the Performance Universe for the 3-year period, in the 4th quintile of the Performance Group and the Performance Universe for the 5-year period, and in the 5th quintile of the Performance Group and 4th quintile of the Performance Universe for the 10-year period. The Portfolio outperformed the Index in the 3-year period and lagged it in all other periods. The directors also reviewed performance information for periods ended March 31, 2013 (for which the data was not limited to Class A Shares), and noted that in the 3-month period the Portfolio had outperformed the Lipper VA Multi-Cap Core Funds Average and lagged the Index. Based on their review, the directors concluded that the Portfolio’s performance in recent years was satisfactory.

Advisory Fees and Other Expenses

The directors considered the advisory fee rate paid by the Portfolio to the Adviser and information prepared by Lipper concerning advisory fee rates paid by other funds in the same Lipper category as the Portfolio at a common asset level. The directors recognized that it is difficult to make comparisons of advisory fees because there are variations in the services that are included in the fees paid by other funds.

The directors also considered the advisory fees the Adviser charges non-fund clients pursuing a substantially similar investment style. For this purpose, they reviewed the relevant advisory fee information from the Adviser’s Form ADV and the evaluation from the Fund’s Senior Officer. The directors noted that, although the institutional fee schedule started at a rate different from the Portfolio’s starting fee rate, it had more breakpoints at lower asset levels than the fee schedule applicable to the Portfolio. The application of the institutional fee schedule to the level of assets of the Portfolio would result in a fee rate lower than the rate being paid by the Portfolio. The directors noted that the Adviser may, in some cases, agree to fee rates with large institutional clients that are lower than those reviewed by the directors and that they had previously discussed with the Adviser its policies in respect of such arrangements. The directors noted that the advisory fee schedule for the Portfolio is the same as that for its Corresponding Fund.

The Adviser reviewed with the directors the significantly greater scope of the services it provides to the Portfolio relative to institutional clients. The Adviser also noted that because mutual funds are constantly issuing and redeeming shares, they are more difficult to manage than an institutional account, where the assets tend to be relatively stable. In light of the substantial differences in services rendered by the Adviser to institutional clients as compared to funds such as the Portfolio, the directors considered these fee comparisons inapt and did not place significant weight on them in their deliberations.

 

18


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The directors also considered the total expense ratio of the Class A shares of the Portfolio in comparison to the fees and expenses of funds within two comparison groups created by Lipper: an Expense Group and an Expense Universe. Lipper described an Expense Group as a representative sample of funds similar to the Portfolio and an Expense Universe as a broader group, consisting of all funds in the investment classification/objective with a similar load type as the Portfolio. The Class A expense ratio of the Portfolio was based on the Portfolio’s latest fiscal year. The directors noted that it was likely that the expense ratios of some of the other funds in the Portfolio’s Lipper category were lowered by waivers or reimbursements by those funds’ investment advisers, which in some cases might be voluntary or temporary. The directors view the expense ratio information as relevant to their evaluation of the Adviser’s services because the Adviser is responsible for coordinating services provided to the Portfolio by others.

The directors noted that, at the Portfolio’s current size, its contractual effective advisory fee rate of 55 basis points, plus the 1 basis point impact of the administrative expense reimbursement in the latest fiscal year, was lower than the Expense Group median. The directors also noted that the Portfolio’s total expense ratio was lower than the Expense Group and the Expense Universe medians. The directors concluded that the Portfolio’s expense ratio was satisfactory.

Economies of Scale

The directors noted that the advisory fee schedule for the Portfolio contains breakpoints that reduce the fee rates on assets above specified levels. The directors took into consideration prior presentations by an independent consultant on economies of scale in the mutual fund industry and for the AllianceBernstein Funds, and by the Adviser concerning certain of its views on economies of scale. The directors also had requested and received from the Adviser certain updates on economies of scale at the May 2013 meeting. The directors believe that economies of scale may be realized (if at all) by the Adviser across a variety of products and services, and not only in respect of a single fund. The directors noted that there is no established methodology for setting breakpoints that give effect to the fund-specific services provided by a fund’s adviser and to the economies of scale that an adviser may realize in its overall mutual fund business or those components of it which directly or indirectly affect a fund’s operations. The directors observed that in the mutual fund industry as a whole, as well as among funds similar to the Portfolio, there is no uniformity or pattern in the fees and asset levels at which breakpoints (if any) apply. The directors also noted that the advisory agreements for many funds do not have breakpoints at all. Having taken these factors into account, the directors concluded that the Portfolio’s shareholders would benefit from a sharing of economies of scale in the event the Portfolio’s net assets exceed a breakpoint in the future.

 

19


 
GROWTH & INCOME PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

THE FOLLOWING IS NOT PART OF THE SHAREHOLDER REPORT OR THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

SUMMARY OF SENIOR OFFICER’S EVALUATION OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT1

The following is a summary of the evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement between AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) and the AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund (the “Fund”), in respect of AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio (the “Portfolio”).2 The evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement was prepared by Philip L. Kirstein, the Senior Officer of the Fund, for the Directors of the Fund, as required by a September 2004 agreement between the Adviser and the New York State Attorney General (the “NYAG”). The Senior Officer’s evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement is not meant to diminish the responsibility or authority of the Board of Directors of the Fund to perform its duties pursuant to Section 15 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “40 Act”) and applicable state law. The purpose of the summary is to provide shareholders with a synopsis of the independent evaluation of the reasonableness of the advisory fees proposed to be paid by the Portfolio which was provided to the Directors in connection with their review of the proposed approval of the continuance of the Investment Advisory Agreement. The Senior Officer’s evaluation considered the following factors:

 

  1. Advisory fees charged to institutional and other clients of the Adviser for like services;

 

  2. Advisory fees charged by other mutual fund companies for like services;

 

  3. Costs to the Adviser and its affiliates of supplying services pursuant to the advisory agreement, excluding any intra-corporate profit;

 

  4. Profit margins of the Adviser and its affiliates from supplying such services;

 

  5. Possible economies of scale as the Portfolio grows larger; and

 

  6. Nature and quality of the Adviser’s services including the performance of the Portfolio.

These factors, with the exception of the first factor, are generally referred to as the “Gartenberg factors,” which were articulated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1982. Gartenberg v. Merrill Lynch Asset Management, Inc., 694 F. 2d 923 (2d Cir. 1982). The first factor is an additional factor required to be considered by the AoD. On March 30, 2010, the Supreme Court held the Gartenberg decision was correct in its basic formulation of what §36(b) requires: to face liability under §36(b), “an investment adviser must charge a fee that is so disproportionately large that it bears no reasonable relationship to the services rendered and could not have been the product of arm’s length bargaining.” Jones v. Harris Associates L.P., 130 S. Ct. 1418 (2010). In the Jones decision, the Court stated the Gartenberg approach fully incorporates the correct understanding of fiduciary duty within the context of section 36(b) and noted with approval that “Gartenberg insists that all relevant circumstances be taken into account” and “uses the range of fees that might result from arm’s-length bargaining as the benchmark for reviewing challenged fees.”3

PORTFOLIO ADVISORY FEES, NET ASSETS & EXPENSE RATIOS

The Adviser proposed that the Portfolio pay the advisory fee set forth in the table below for receiving the services to be provided pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement. The fee schedule below, implemented in January 2004 in consideration of the Adviser’s settlement with the NYAG in December 2003, is based on a master schedule that contemplates eight categories of funds with almost all funds in each category having the same advisory fee schedule.

 

Category   Advisory Fee Based on % of
Average Daily Net Assets
 

Net Assets

3/31/12

($MIL)

    Portfolio

Value

 

55 bp on first $2.5 billion

45 bp on next $2.5 billion

40 bp on the balance

  $ 948.2      Growth & Income Portfolio

 

1   The information in the fee summary was completed on April 19, 2012 and discussed with the Board of Directors on May 1-3, 2012.

 

2   Future references to the Fund and the Portfolio do not include “AllianceBernstein.” References in the fee summary pertaining to performance and expense ratio rankings refer to the Class A shares of the Portfolio.

 

3   Jones v. Harris at 1427.

 

20


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Adviser is reimbursed as specified in the Investment Advisory Agreement for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services provided to the Portfolio. During the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year, the Adviser received $60,194 (0.01% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets) for such services.

Set forth below are the Portfolio’s total expense ratios for the most recently completed fiscal year:

 

Portfolio   Total Expense Ratio   Fiscal Year  

Growth & Income Portfolio

 

Class A    0.60%

Class B    0.85%

    December 31   

I. ADVISORY FEES CHARGED TO INSTITUTIONAL AND OTHER CLIENTS

The advisory fees charged to investment companies which the Adviser manages and sponsors are normally higher than those charged to similar sized institutional accounts, including pension plans and sub-advised investment companies. The fee differential reflects, among other things, different services provided to such clients, and different liabilities assumed. Services provided by the Adviser to the Portfolio that are not provided to non-investment company clients and sub-advised investment companies include providing office space and personnel to serve as Fund Officers, who among other responsibilities make the certifications required under the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, and coordinating with and monitoring the Portfolio’s third party service providers such as Fund counsel, auditors, custodians, transfer agents and pricing services. The accounting, administrative, legal and compliance requirements for the Portfolio are more costly than those for institutional assets due to the greater complexities and time required for investment companies, although as previously noted, the Adviser is reimbursed for providing such services. Also, retail mutual funds managed by the Adviser are widely held. Servicing the Portfolio’s investors is more time consuming and labor intensive compared to institutional clients since the Adviser needs to communicate with a more extensive network of financial intermediaries and shareholders. The Adviser also believes that it incurs substantial entrepreneurial risk when offering a new mutual fund, since establishing a new mutual fund requires a large upfront investment, and it may take a long time for the fund to achieve profitability since the fund must be priced to scale from inception in order to be competitive and assets are acquired one account at a time. In addition, managing the cash flow of an investment company may be more difficult than managing that of a stable pool of assets, such as an institutional account with little cash movement in either direction, particularly, if a fund is in net redemption and the Adviser is frequently forced to sell securities to raise cash for redemptions. However, managing a fund with positive cash flow may be easier at times than managing a stable pool of assets. In recent years, investment advisers have been sued by institutional clients and have suffered reputational damage both by the attendant publicity and outcomes other than complete victories. Accordingly, the legal and reputational risks associated with institutional accounts are greater than previously thought, although still not equal to those related to the mutual fund industry.

Notwithstanding the Adviser’s view that managing an investment company is not comparable to managing other institutional accounts because the services provided are different, the Supreme Court has indicated consideration should be given to the advisory fees charged to institutional accounts that have a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio.4 In addition to the AllianceBernstein institutional fee schedule, set forth below is what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the AllianceBernstein institutional fee schedule been applicable to the Portfolio versus the Portfolio’s advisory fee based on March 31, 2012 net assets:5

 

Portfolio   

Net Assets

3/31/12

($MIL)

  

AllianceBernstein
Institutional

Fee Schedule

  

Effective

AB Inst.

Adv. Fee

    

Portfolio

Advisory

Fee

 

Growth & Income Portfolio

   $948.2   

Relative Value Schedule

65 bp on first $25m

50 bp on next $25m

40 bp on next $50m

30 bp on next $100m

25 bp on the balance

Minimum account size $25m

     0.280      0.550

 

4   The Supreme Court stated that “courts may give such comparisons the weight that they merit in light of the similarities and differences between the services that the clients in question require, but the courts must be wary of inapt comparisons.” Among the significant differences the Supreme Court noted that may exist between services provided to mutual funds and institutional accounts are “higher marketing costs.” Jones v. Harris at 1428.

 

5   The Adviser has indicated that with respect to institutional accounts with assets greater than $300 million, it will negotiate a fee schedule. Discounts that are negotiated vary based upon each client relationship.

 

21


GROWTH & INCOME PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Adviser also manages AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Fund, Inc. (“Growth & Income Fund, Inc.”), a retail mutual fund, which has a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio. Set forth below is the fee schedule of Growth & Income Fund, Inc. and what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the fee schedule of the retail mutual fund been applicable to the Portfolio:6

 

Portfolio    AllianceBernstein
Mutual Fund
   Fee Schedule   

ABMF

Effective
Fee

    

Portfolio

Advisory
Fee

 

Growth & Income Portfolio

   Growth & Income Fund, Inc.   

0.55% on first $2.5 billion

0.45% on next $2.5 billion

0.40% on the balance

     0.550      0.550

The Adviser represented that it does not sub-advise any registered investment company with a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio.

II. MANAGEMENT FEES CHARGED BY OTHER MUTUAL FUND COMPANIES FOR LIKE SERVICES.

Lipper, Inc. (“Lipper”), an analytical service that is not affiliated with the Adviser, compared the fees charged to the Portfolio with fees charged to other investment companies for similar services offered by other investment advisers.7 Lipper’s analysis included the comparison of the Portfolio’s contractual management fee, estimated at the approximate current asset level of the Portfolio, to the median of the Portfolio’s Lipper Expense Group (“EG”) and the Portfolio’s contractual management fee ranking.8

Lipper describes an EG as a representative sample of comparable funds. Lipper’s standard methodology for screening funds to be included in an EG entails the consideration of several fund criteria, including fund type, investment classification/objective, load type and similar 12b-1/non-12b-1 service fees, asset (size) comparability, expense components and attributes. An EG will typically consist of seven to twenty funds.

 

Portfolio    Contractual
Management
Fee9
    

Lipper
Exp. Group

Median (%)

     Rank  

Growth & Income Portfolio

     0.550         0.702         3/15   

Lipper also analyzed the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year total expense ratio in comparison to the Portfolio’s EG and Lipper Expense Universe (“EU”). The EU10 is a broader group compared to the EG, consisting of all funds that have the same investment classification/objective and load type as the subject Portfolio.

 

Portfolio   

Expense

Ratio
(%)11

    

Lipper Exp.

Group

Median (%)

    

Lipper

Group

Rank

    

Lipper Exp.

Universe

Median (%)

    

Lipper
Universe

Rank

 

Growth & Income Portfolio

     0.602         0.728         2/15         0.750         3/36   

Based on this analysis, the Portfolio has a more favorable ranking on a total expense ratio basis than on a management fee basis.

 

6   The retail mutual fund was also affected by the settlement between the Adviser and the NYAG. As a result, the Portfolio has the same breakpoints in its advisory fee schedule as the retail mutual fund.

 

7   The Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since “these comparisons are problematic because these fees, like those challenged, may not be the product of the negotiations conducted at arm’s-length.” Jones v. Harris at 1429.

 

8   The contractual management fee is calculated by Lipper using the Portfolio’s contractual management fee rate at a hypothetical asset level. The hypothetical asset level is based on the combined net assets of all classes of the Portfolio, rounded up to the next $25 million. Lipper’s total expense ratio information is based on the most recent annual report except as otherwise noted. A ranking of “1” would mean that the Portfolio had the lowest effective fee rate in the Lipper peer group.

 

9   The contractual management fee does not reflect any expense reimbursements made by the Portfolio to the Adviser for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services.

 

10   Except for asset (size) comparability, Lipper uses the same criteria for selecting an EG when selecting an EU. Unlike the EG, the EU allows for the same adviser to be represented by more than just one fund.

 

11   Most recently completed fiscal year end Class A total expense ratio.

 

22


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

III. COSTS TO THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES OF SUPPLYING SERVICES PURSUANT TO THE ADVISORY FEE ARRANGEMENT, EXCLUDING ANY INTRA-CORPORATE PROFIT.

The Adviser utilizes two profitability reporting systems, which operate independently but are aligned with each other, to estimate the Adviser’s profitability in connection with investment advisory services provided to the Portfolio. The Senior Officer has retained a consultant to provide independent advice regarding the alignment of the two profitability systems as well as the methodologies and allocations utilized by both profitability systems.

IV. PROFIT MARGINS OF THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES FOR SUPPLYING SUCH SERVICES.

The Portfolio’s profitability information, prepared by the Adviser for the Board of Directors, was reviewed by the Senior Officer and the consultant. The Adviser’s profitability from providing investment advisory services to the Portfolio decreased during calendar year 2011, relative to 2010.

In addition to the Adviser’s direct profits from managing the Portfolio, certain of the Adviser’s affiliates have business relationships with the Portfolio and may earn a profit from providing other services to the Portfolio. The courts have referred to this type of business opportunity as “fall-out benefits” to the Adviser and indicated that such benefits should be factored into the evaluation of the total relationship between the Portfolio and the Adviser. Neither case law nor common business practice precludes the Adviser’s affiliates from earning a reasonable profit on this type of relationship provided the affiliates’ charges and services are competitive. These affiliates provide transfer agent, distribution and brokerage related services to the Portfolio and receive transfer agent fees, Rule 12b-1 payments, and brokerage commissions. In addition, the Adviser benefits from soft dollar arrangements which offset expenses the Adviser would otherwise incur.

The Portfolio has adopted a distribution plan for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 40 Act. Under the distribution plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to its principal underwriter, AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (“ABI”), at an annual rate of up to 0.50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The current annual rate that the Portfolio pays to ABI for 12b-1 fees is 0.25%. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (“ABI”), the Portfolio’s distributor and an affiliate of the Adviser, received $1,943,217 in Rule 12b-1 fees.

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, the Adviser incurred distribution expenses in the amount of $4,634,478 in connection with activities primarily intended to result in the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. This amount includes the 12b-1 fees paid by the Portfolio to the Adviser.

Financial intermediaries, such as insurers, market and sell shares of the Portfolio and typically receive compensation from ABI, the Advisers and/or the Portfolio for selling shares of the Portfolio. These financial intermediaries receive compensation in any or all of the following forms: 12b-1 fees, defrayal of costs for educational seminars and training, additional distribution support, recordkeeping and/or administrative services. Payments related to providing contract-holder recordkeeping and/or administrative services will generally not exceed 0.35% of the average daily net assets of the Portfolio attributable to the relevant intermediary over the year. With respect to the Fund, which includes the Portfolio and other Portfolios of the Fund not discussed in this summary, ABI paid approximately $500,000 in 2011.

The transfer agent of the Portfolio is AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”). During the most recently completed fiscal year, ABIS received a fee of $1,311 from the Portfolio.12

The Portfolio did not effect brokerage transactions through the Adviser’s affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., LLC (“SCB & Co.”) nor its U.K. affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein Limited (“SCB Ltd.”), collectively “SCB,” and pay commissions during the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year. The Adviser represented that SCB’s profitability from business conducted in the future with the Portfolio would be comparable to the profitability of SCB’s dealings with other similar third party clients. In the ordinary course of business, SCB receives and pays liquidity rebates from electronic communications networks (“ECNs”) derived from trading for its clients, including the Portfolio. These credits and charges are not being passed onto any SCB client. The Adviser also receives certain soft dollar benefits from brokers that execute agency trades for the Portfolio and other clients. These soft dollar benefits reduce the Adviser’s cost of doing business and increase its profitability.

 

12   The Fund, which includes the Portfolio and other Portfolios of the Fund paid ABIS a flat fee of $18,000 in 2011.

 

23


GROWTH & INCOME PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

V. POSSIBLE ECONOMIES OF SCALE

The Adviser has indicated that economies of scale are being shared with shareholders through fee structures,13 subsidies and enhancement to services. Based on some of the professional literature that has considered economies of scale in the mutual fund industry, it is thought that to the extent economies of scale exist, they may more often exist across a fund family as opposed to a specific fund. This is because the costs incurred by the Adviser, such as investment research or technology for trading or compliance systems can be spread across a greater asset base as the fund family increases in size. It is also possible that as the level of services required to operate a successful investment company has increased over time, and advisory firms make such investments in their business to provide services, there may be a sharing of economies of scale without a reduction in advisory fees.

An independent consultant, retained by the Senior Officer, provided the Board of Directors information on the Adviser’s firm-wide average costs from 2005 through 2011 and potential economies of scale. The independent consultant noted that from 2005 through 2007 the Adviser experienced significant growth in assets under management (“AUM”). During this period, operating expenses increased, in part to keep up with growth, and in part reflecting market returns. However, from 2008 through the first quarter of 2009, AUM rapidly and significantly decreased. Some operating expenses, including base compensation and office space, adjusted more slowly during this period, resulting in an increase in average costs. Since 2009, AUM has moved within a range of $400 to $500 million ending 2011 with an average of $411 million in the fourth quarter. The independent consultant noted that changes in operating expenses reflect changes in business composition and business practices in response to changes in financial markets. Finally, the independent consultant concluded that the increase in average cost and the decline in net operating margin across the company since 2008 are inconsistent with the view that there are currently “economies of scale” to be shared with clients through lower fees.

In February 2008, the independent consultant provided the Board of Directors an update of the Deli14 study on advisory fees and various fund characteristics.15 The independent consultant first reiterated the results of his previous two dimensional comparison analysis (fund size and family size) with the Board of Directors.16 The independent consultant then discussed the results of the regression model that was utilized to study the effects of various factors on advisory fees. The regression model output indicated that the bulk of the variation in fees predicted were explained by various factors, but substantially by fund AUM, family AUM, index fund indicator and investment style. The independent consultant also compared the advisory fees of the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds to similar funds managed by 19 other large asset managers, regardless of the fund size and each Adviser’s proportion of mutual fund assets to non-mutual fund assets.

VI. NATURE AND QUALITY OF THE ADVISER’S SERVICES, INCLUDING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PORTFOLIO

With assets under management of approximately $419 billion as of March 31, 2012, the Adviser has the investment experience to manage and provide non-investment services (described in Section I) to the Portfolio.

 

13   Fee structures include fee reductions, pricing at scale and breakpoints in advisory fee schedules.

 

14   The Deli study, originally published in 2002 based on 1997 data and updated for the February 2008 Presentation, may be of diminished value due to the age of the data used in the presentation and the changes experienced in the industry over the last four years.

 

15   The Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since the fees may not be the product of negotiations conducted at arm’s length. See Jones V. Harris at 1429.

 

16   The two dimensional analysis showed patterns of lower advisory fees for funds with larger asset sizes and funds from larger family sizes compared to funds with smaller asset sizes and funds from smaller family sizes, which according to the independent consultant is indicative of a sharing of economies of scale and scope. However, in less liquid and active markets, such is not the case, as the empirical analysis showed potential for diseconomies of scale in those markets. The empirical analysis also showed diminishing economies of scale and scope as funds surpassed a certain high level of assets.

 

 

24


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The information prepared by Lipper shows the 1, 3, 5 and 10 year performance returns and rankings of the Portfolio17 relative to its Lipper Performance Group (“PG”) and Lipper Performance Universe (“PU”)18 for the periods ended February 29, 2012.19

 

      Fund        PG
Median
       PU
Median
       PG
Rank
       PU
Rank
 

Growth & Income Portfolio

                      

1 year

     9.76           0.31           1.53           1/15           1/46   

3 year

     23.56           23.33           23.25           5/14           18/43   

5 year

     0.03           0.03           –0.04           6/11           18/36   

10 year

     3.92           4.08           4.39           7/10           18/24   

Set forth below are the 1, 3, 5, 10 year and since inception performance returns of the Portfolio (in bold)20 versus its benchmarks.21 Portfolio and benchmark volatility and reward-to-variability ratio (“Sharpe Ratio”) information is also shown.22

 

    

Periods Ending February 29, 2012

Annualized Performance

 
    

1

Year
(%)

   

3

Year
(%)

   

5

Year
(%)

   

10

Year
(%)

    Since
Inception
(%)
    Annualized    

Risk

Period

(Year)

 
           

Volatility

(%)

   

Sharpe

(%)

   

Growth & Income Portfolio

    9.76        23.56        0.03        3.92        8.74        16.55        0.20        10   

Russell 1000 Value Index

    2.18        25.01        –1.08        4.75        10.14        16.67        0.25        10   

Inception Date: February 25, 1994

               

CONCLUSION:

Based on the factors discussed above the Senior Officer’s conclusion is that the proposed advisory fee for the Portfolio is reasonable and within the range of what would have been negotiated at arm’s-length in light of all the surrounding circumstances. This conclusion in respect of the Portfolio is based on an evaluation of all of these factors and no single factor was dispositive.

Dated: May 25, 2012

 

17   The performance rankings are for the Class A shares of the Portfolio. The Portfolio’s performance returns shown were provided by Lipper.

 

18   The Portfolio’s PG is identical to the Portfolio’s EG. The Portfolio’s PU is not identical to the Portfolio’s EU as the criteria for including/excluding a fund from a PU is somewhat different from that of an EU.

 

19   The current Lipper investment classification/objective dictates the PG and PU throughout the life of the fund even if a fund had a different investment classification/objective at a different point in time.

 

20   The performance returns and risk measures shown in the table are for the Class A shares of the Portfolio.

 

21   The Adviser provided Portfolio and benchmark performance return information for periods through February 29, 2012.

 

22   Portfolio and benchmark volatility and Sharpe Ratio information was obtained through Lipper LANA, a database maintained by Lipper. Volatility is a statistical measure of the tendency of a market price or yield to vary over time. A Sharpe Ratio is a risk adjusted measure of return that divides a portfolio’s return in excess of the riskless return by the portfolio’s standard deviation. A portfolio with a greater volatility would be viewed as more risky than a portfolio with equivalent performance but lower volatility; for that reason, a greater return would be demanded for the more risky portfolio. A portfolio with a higher Sharpe Ratio would be viewed as better performing than a portfolio with a lower Sharpe Ratio.

 

25


AllianceBernstein

Variable Products Series Fund, Inc.

 

 

 

LOGO   AllianceBernstein Intermediate Bond Portfolio

 

June 30, 2013

 

Semi-Annual Report

 

LOGO

 

SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT


 

 

 

Investment Products Offered

 

  Ø  

Are Not FDIC Insured

  Ø  

May Lose Value

  Ø  

Are Not Bank Guaranteed

AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (ABI) is the distributor of the AllianceBernstein family of mutual funds. ABI is a member of FINRA and is an affiliate of AllianceBernstein L.P., the manager of the funds.

You may obtain a description of the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures, and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, without charge. Simply visit AllianceBernstein’s website at www.alliancebernstein.com or go to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “Commission”) website at www.sec.gov, or call AllianceBernstein at (800) 227-4618.

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Commission for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Fund’s Forms N-Q are available on the Commission’s website at www.sec.gov. The Fund’s Forms N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC; information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330.

AllianceBernstein® and the AB Logo are registered trademarks and service marks used by permission of the owner, AllianceBernstein L.P.


 
INTERMEDIATE BOND PORTFOLIO  
EXPENSE EXAMPLE (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments, contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution (12b-1) fees; and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund 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 as indicated below.

Actual Expenses

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. The estimate of expenses does not include fees of other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes

The table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed annual rate of return of 5% before expenses, which is not the Fund’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 costs of investing in the Fund and other funds by comparing this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds. The estimate of expenses does not include fees of other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads), or contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions. Therefore, the second line of each class’ table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

      Beginning
Account Value
January 1, 2013
     Ending
Account Value
June 30, 2013
     Expenses Paid
During Period*
     Annualized
Expense Ratio*
 

Class A

           

Actual

   $   1,000       $ 974.00       $ 3.62         0.74

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $ 1,000       $   1,021.12       $ 3.71         0.74
           

Class B

           

Actual

   $ 1,000       $ 972.90       $ 4.84         0.99

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $ 1,000       $ 1,019.89       $   4.96         0.99

 

 

 

*   Expenses are equal to each classes’ annualized expense ratios, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 181/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).

 

1


INTERMEDIATE BOND PORTFOLIO  
SECURITY TYPE BREAKDOWN*  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

SECURITY TYPE    U.S. $ VALUE        PERCENT OF TOTAL INVESTMENTS  

Corporates—Investment Grades

   $ 29,753,538           26.4

Mortgage Pass-Throughs

     22,678,145           20.1   

Asset-Backed Securities

     13,837,312           12.3   

Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities

     11,714,708           10.4   

Governments—Treasuries

     7,026,978           6.2   

Agencies

     4,237,999           3.8   

Corporates—Non-Investment Grades

     2,062,473           1.8   

Collateralized Mortgage Obligations

     1,832,262           1.6   

Quasi-Sovereigns

     1,737,104           1.5   

Governments—Sovereign Bonds

     609,700           0.6   

Preferred Stocks

     353,394           0.3   

Local Governments—Municipal Bonds

     268,634           0.2   

Emerging Markets—Corporate Bonds

     99,125           0.1   

Other**

     83,343           0.1   

Short-Term Investments

     16,448,325           14.6   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Investments

   $ 112,743,040           100.0

 

 

 

 

*   The Portfolio’s security type breakdown is expressed as a percentage of total investments and may vary over time. The Portfolio also enters into derivative transactions, which may be used for hedging or investment purposes (see “Portfolio of Investments” section of the report for additional details).

 

**   “Other” represents less than 0.1% weightings in the following security types: Governments—Sovereign Agencies, Common Stocks and Warrants.

 

2


INTERMEDIATE BOND PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

         

Principal
Amount
(000)

    U.S. $ Value  
     

CORPORATES–INVESTMENT
GRADES–30.7%

   

   
     

INDUSTRIAL–15.3%

     

BASIC–2.3%

     

AngloGold Ashanti Holdings PLC
5.375%, 4/15/20

    U.S.$        161      $ 150,518   

Basell Finance Co. BV
8.10%, 3/15/27(a)

      85        107,597   

Cia Minera Milpo SAA
4.625%, 3/28/23(a)

      260        235,698   

Dow Chemical Co. (The)
4.125%, 11/15/21

      85        86,924   

4.375%, 11/15/42

      94        83,195   

8.55%, 5/15/19

      86        109,725   

Gerdau Trade, Inc.
4.75%, 4/15/23(a)

      260        238,304   

5.75%, 1/30/21(a)

      101        99,485   

Glencore Funding LLC
2.50%, 1/15/19(a)

      260        235,224   

International Paper Co.
4.75%, 2/15/22

      65        68,399   

7.95%, 6/15/18

      56        68,568   

LyondellBasell Industries NV
5.75%, 4/15/24

      200        219,933   

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA
3.625%, 4/03/23(a)

      260        238,325   

Vale SA
5.625%, 9/11/42

      285        248,632   
     

 

 

 
        2,190,527   
     

 

 

 

CAPITAL GOODS–0.6%

     

Embraer SA
5.15%, 6/15/22

      82        82,205   

Owens Corning
6.50%, 12/01/16(b)

      160        178,606   

Republic Services, Inc.
5.25%, 11/15/21

      150        164,687   

5.50%, 9/15/19

      160        181,090   
     

 

 

 
        606,588   
     

 

 

 

COMMUNICATIONS–
MEDIA–3.3%

   

   

CBS Corp.
3.375%, 3/01/22

      226        217,854   

5.75%, 4/15/20

      83        94,077   

Comcast Cable
Communications
Holdings, Inc.
9.455%, 11/15/22

      280        396,211   

DirecTV Holdings LLC/DirecTV Financing Co., Inc.
3.50%, 3/01/16

      95        99,799   

3.80%, 3/15/22

      165        158,497   

4.75%, 10/01/14

      160        167,436   
     

Globo Comunicacao e Participacoes SA
5.307%, 5/11/22(a)(c)

  U.S.$          305      $ 313,388   

NBCUniversal Enterprise, Inc. 5.25%, 3/19/21(a)

      128        128,000   

News America, Inc.
4.50%, 2/15/21

      300        321,383   

Omnicom Group, Inc.
3.625%, 5/01/22

      103        99,342   

Reed Elsevier Capital, Inc.
8.625%, 1/15/19

      250        311,198   

TCI Communications, Inc.
7.875%, 2/15/26

      115        152,201   

Time Warner Entertainment Co. LP
8.375%, 3/15/23

      326        406,058   

WPP Finance UK
8.00%, 9/15/14

      315        339,951   
     

 

 

 
        3,205,395   
     

 

 

 

COMMUNICATIONS–
TELECOMMUNICATIONS–1.1%

   

   

American Tower Corp.
5.05%, 9/01/20

      260        273,232   

AT&T, Inc.
4.30%, 12/15/42

      31        26,998   

4.45%, 5/15/21

      177        190,637   

Deutsche Telekom
International Finance BV
4.875%, 3/06/42(a)

      320        312,156   

Rogers Communications, Inc.
4.00%, 6/06/22

    CAD        27        25,374   

Telefonica Emisiones SAU
5.462%, 2/16/21

    U.S.$        120        123,713   

United States Cellular Corp.
6.70%, 12/15/33

      80        77,940   
     

 

 

 
        1,030,050   
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER CYCLICAL–
AUTOMOTIVE–0.8%

   

   

Ford Motor Credit Co. LLC
5.00%, 5/15/18

      460        490,555   

Harley-Davidson Funding Corp.
5.75%, 12/15/14(a)

      250        266,930   
     

 

 

 
        757,485   
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER CYCLICAL–ENTERTAINMENT–0.5%

   

   

Time Warner, Inc.
7.625%, 4/15/31

      325        409,680   

 

3


INTERMEDIATE BOND PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

         

Principal
Amount
(000)

    U.S. $ Value  
     

Viacom, Inc.
5.625%, 9/15/19

  U.S.$          60      $ 68,874   
     

 

 

 
        478,554   
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER CYCLICAL–
OTHER–0.1%

   

   

Host Hotels & Resorts LP
5.25%, 3/15/22

      125        129,497   
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER CYCLICAL–
RETAILERS–0.3%

   

   

Dollar General Corp.
4.125%, 7/15/17

      50        52,739   

Macy’s Retail Holdings, Inc.
3.875%, 1/15/22

      290        290,757   
     

 

 

 
        343,496   
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER
NON-CYCLICAL–1.8%

   

   

Actavis, Inc.
3.25%, 10/01/22

      100        93,230   

Ahold Finance USA LLC
6.875%, 5/01/29

      290        351,922   

Bunge Ltd. Finance Corp.
5.10%, 7/15/15

      206        221,475   

Cadbury Schweppes US
Finance LLC
5.125%, 10/01/13(a)

      350        353,656   

ConAgra Foods, Inc.
3.20%, 1/25/23

      82        78,414   

Kroger Co. (The)
3.40%, 4/15/22

      206        201,118   

Reynolds American, Inc.
3.25%, 11/01/22

      127        118,059   

Tyson Foods, Inc.
4.50%, 6/15/22

      290        296,329   
     

 

 

 
        1,714,203   
     

 

 

 

ENERGY–2.5%

     

Anadarko Petroleum Corp.
6.45%, 9/15/36

      124        143,684   

Encana Corp.
3.90%, 11/15/21

      375        380,660   

Marathon Petroleum Corp.
5.125%, 3/01/21

      104        114,691   

Nabors Industries, Inc.
9.25%, 1/15/19

      254        315,145   

Noble Energy, Inc.
8.25%, 3/01/19

      238        299,730   

Noble Holding International Ltd.
4.90%, 8/01/20

      32        33,702   

Phillips 66
4.30%, 4/01/22

      415        428,788   

Transocean, Inc.
2.50%, 10/15/17

      126        124,518   

Valero Energy Corp.
6.125%, 2/01/20

      177        205,682   
     

Weatherford International Ltd./Bermuda
5.125%, 9/15/20

  U.S.$          95      $ 99,574   

6.00%, 3/15/18

      12        13,476   

9.625%, 3/01/19

      190        240,202   
     

 

 

 
        2,399,852   
     

 

 

 

TECHNOLOGY–1.1%

     

Agilent Technologies, Inc.
5.00%, 7/15/20

      64        68,953   

Baidu, Inc.
2.25%, 11/28/17

      220        214,014   

Hewlett-Packard Co.
4.65%, 12/09/21

      162        162,015   

Motorola Solutions, Inc.

     

3.50%, 3/01/23

      165        155,544   

7.50%, 5/15/25

      25        30,345   

Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
4.125%, 5/15/22

      300        293,375   

Total System Services, Inc.
2.375%, 6/01/18

      74        71,694   

3.75%, 6/01/23

      69        64,067   
     

 

 

 
        1,060,007   
     

 

 

 

TRANSPORTATION–
AIRLINES–0.3%

     

Southwest Airlines Co.

     

5.25%, 10/01/14

      210        219,822   

5.75%, 12/15/16

      75        83,207   
     

 

 

 
        303,029   
     

 

 

 

TRANSPORTATION–
SERVICES–0.6%

     

Asciano Finance Ltd.
3.125%, 9/23/15(a)

      310        316,775   

Ryder System, Inc.

     

5.85%, 11/01/16

      116        129,811   

7.20%, 9/01/15

      108        121,206   
     

 

 

 
        567,792   
     

 

 

 
        14,786,475   
     

 

 

 

FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS–11.2%

   

   

BANKING–7.2%

     

Bank of America Corp.

     

3.30%, 1/11/23

      70        66,160   

5.00%, 5/13/21

      60        63,976   

5.875%, 2/07/42

      298        333,167   

Series L

     

5.65%, 5/01/18

      350        388,844   

Barclays Bank PLC

     

6.625%, 3/30/22(a)

    EUR        180        262,589   

7.625%, 11/21/22

  U.S.$          280        274,750   

Citigroup, Inc.
8.50%, 5/22/19

      200        252,005   

Compass Bank
5.50%, 4/01/20

      250        252,525   

 

4


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

         

Principal
Amount
(000)

    U.S. $ Value  
     

Cooperatieve Centrale Raiffeisen-Boerenleenbank BA/Netherlands
3.95%, 11/09/22

    U.S.$        280      $ 267,756   

Danske Bank A/S Series E
5.684%, 2/15/17

    GBP        98        140,855   

Fifth Third Bancorp
3.50%, 3/15/22

    U.S.$        121        119,936   

Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)
5.75%, 1/24/22

      165        181,997   

6.00%, 6/15/20

      395        443,831   

HSBC Holdings PLC
4.00%, 3/30/22

      320        327,623   

5.10%, 4/05/21

      194        213,140   

ING Bank NV
2.00%, 9/25/15(a)

      280        283,790   

JPMorgan Chase & Co.
4.40%, 7/22/20

      305        318,947   

4.50%, 1/24/22

      25        26,178   

Series Q
5.15%, 5/01/23

      79        75,248   

Macquarie Group Ltd.
4.875%, 8/10/17(a)

      232        245,034   

Morgan Stanley

     

Series G

     

5.50%, 7/24/20–7/28/21

      273        292,785   

6.625%, 4/01/18

      295        334,369   

Murray Street Investment Trust I
4.647%, 3/09/17

      27        28,586   

National Capital Trust II
5.486%, 3/23/15(a)

      122        122,610   

National Westminster Bank PLC
6.50%, 9/07/21

    GBP        50        74,314   

Nationwide Building Society
6.25%, 2/25/20(a)

    U.S.$        230        256,395   

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (The)
9.50%, 3/16/22(a)

      44        48,629   

Santander US Debt SAU
2.991%, 10/07/13(a)

      300        301,711   

Societe Generale SA
2.50%, 1/15/14(a)

      205        206,517   

Standard Chartered PLC Series E
4.00%, 7/12/22(a)

      265        262,111   

UBS AG/Stamford CT
7.625%, 8/17/22

      250        274,362   

Unicredit Luxembourg Finance SA
6.00%, 10/31/17(a)

      190        193,087   
     

Vesey Street Investment Trust I
4.404%, 9/01/16

    U.S.$        71      $ 75,607   
     

 

 

 
        7,009,434   
     

 

 

 

BROKERAGE–0.3%

     

Nomura Holdings, Inc.
2.00%, 9/13/16

      248        245,232   
     

 

 

 

FINANCE–0.1%

     

General Electric Capital Corp.
4.65%, 10/17/21

      127        134,717   
     

 

 

 

INSURANCE–2.7%

     

American International Group, Inc.
4.875%, 6/01/22

      75        79,944   

6.40%, 12/15/20

      215        249,333   

Coventry Health Care, Inc.
6.30%, 8/15/14

      280        295,975   

Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America
7.375%, 9/30/39(a)

      164        210,884   

Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.
4.00%, 3/30/15

      85        88,875   

5.50%, 3/30/20

      200        221,191   

Humana, Inc.
6.30%, 8/01/18

      50        57,481   

7.20%, 6/15/18

      85        101,252   

Lincoln National Corp.
8.75%, 7/01/19

      113        144,881   

Massachusetts Mutual Life
Insurance Co.
8.875%, 6/01/39(a)

      110        161,205   

MetLife, Inc.
7.717%, 2/15/19

      109        136,912   

10.75%, 8/01/39

      85        131,325   

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co.
9.375%, 8/15/39(a)

      225        304,444   

Prudential Financial, Inc.
5.625%, 6/15/43

      185        181,300   

WellPoint, Inc.
3.30%, 1/15/23

      101        96,147   

XL Group PLC
5.25%, 9/15/14

      110        115,422   
     

 

 

 
        2,576,571   
     

 

 

 

OTHER FINANCE–0.3%

     

ORIX Corp.
4.71%, 4/27/15

      283        297,532   
     

 

 

 

REITS–0.6%

     

HCP, Inc.
5.375%, 2/01/21

      278        301,558   

Health Care REIT, Inc.
5.25%, 1/15/22

      275        295,560   
     

 

 

 
        597,118   
     

 

 

 
        10,860,604   
     

 

 

 

 

5


INTERMEDIATE BOND PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

         

Principal
Amount
(000)

    U.S. $ Value  
     

UTILITY–3.7%

     

ELECTRIC–1.1%

     

CMS Energy Corp.
5.05%, 3/15/22

    U.S.$        98      $ 105,879   

Constellation Energy Group, Inc.
5.15%, 12/01/20

      64        70,190   

FirstEnergy Corp.
Series B
4.25%, 3/15/23

      54        50,172   

MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co.
6.125%, 4/01/36

      260        294,961   

Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
4.50%, 12/15/41

      125        120,393   

SPI Electricity & Gas Australia Holdings Pty Ltd.
6.15%, 11/15/13(a)

      235        239,021   

TECO Finance, Inc.

     

4.00%, 3/15/16

      95        101,275   

5.15%, 3/15/20

      120        132,647   
     

 

 

 
        1,114,538   
     

 

 

 

NATURAL GAS–2.6%

     

DCP Midstream LLC
5.35%, 3/15/20(a)

      108        114,998   

Energy Transfer Partners LP
7.50%, 7/01/38

      336        392,709   

Enterprise Products Operating LLC
5.20%, 9/01/20

      55        61,546   

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP
3.95%, 9/01/22

      321        316,658   

4.15%, 3/01/22

      89        89,458   

Nisource Finance Corp.
6.80%, 1/15/19

      240        283,992   

ONEOK, Inc.
4.25%, 2/01/22

      310        304,997   

Talent Yield Investments Ltd.
4.50%, 4/25/22(a)

      305        296,798   

TransCanada PipeLines Ltd.
6.35%, 5/15/67

      235        245,067   

Williams Cos., Inc. (The)
3.70%, 1/15/23

      250        232,271   

Williams Partners LP
5.25%, 3/15/20

      173        185,924   
     

 

 

 
        2,524,418   
     

 

 

 
        3,638,956   
     

 

 

 

NON CORPORATE
SECTORS–0.5%

   

   

AGENCIES–NOT
GOVERNMENT
GUARANTEED–0.5%

    

   

CNOOC Finance 2013 Ltd.
3.00%, 5/09/23

      260        234,873   
     

Gazprom OAO Via Gaz Capital SA
6.212%, 11/22/16(a)

    U.S.$        215      $ 232,630   
     

 

 

 
        467,503   
     

 

 

 

Total Corporates–Investment Grades
(cost $28,286,604)

    

      29,753,538   
     

 

 

 

MORTGAGE PASS-
THROUGHS–23.4%

   

   

AGENCY FIXED
RATE 30-YEAR–19.1%

   

   

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. Gold
4.50%, 10/01/39

      1,782        1,876,644   

Series 2005
5.50%, 1/01/35

      2,020        2,187,443   

Series 2007
5.50%, 7/01/35

      79        85,270   

Federal National Mortgage Association
3.00%, 7/01/43, TBA

      1,490        1,455,776   

3.50%, 7/01/43, TBA

      7,560        7,674,581   

4.00%, 7/01/43, TBA

      2,640        2,750,241   

4.50%, 7/25/43, TBA

      165        174,591   

Series 2002
7.00%, 3/01/32

      18        18,927   

Series 2003
5.00%, 11/01/33

      73        79,115   

5.50%, 4/01/33–7/01/33

      263        287,660   

Series 2004
5.50%, 4/01/34–11/01/34

      241        263,771   

Series 2005
4.50%, 8/01/35

      205        217,278   

5.00%, 10/01/35

      550        592,979   

5.50%, 2/01/35

      297        324,707   

Series 2006
5.00%, 2/01/36

      111        119,493   

Series 2007
4.50%, 9/01/35–8/01/37

      291        308,125   

5.00%, 7/01/36

      95        102,542   

Government National Mortgage Association Series 1994
9.00%, 9/15/24

      2        1,599   
     

 

 

 
        18,520,742   
     

 

 

 

AGENCY FIXED RATE
15-YEAR–3.6%

     

Federal National Mortgage Association
2.50%, 7/01/28, TBA

      3,205        3,223,529   

3.00%, 7/01/28, TBA

      280        288,006   
     

 

 

 
        3,511,535   
     

 

 

 

AGENCY ARMS–0.7%

     

Federal Home Loan
Mortgage Corp.
2.385%, 11/01/35(b)

      196        208,140   

 

6


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

         

Principal
Amount
(000)

    U.S. $ Value  
     

Federal National
Mortgage Association
Series 2003
2.81%, 12/01/33(d)

    U.S.$        149      $ 159,275   

Series 2007
2.379%, 3/01/34(d)

      262        278,453   
     

 

 

 
        645,868   
     

 

 

 

Total Mortgage Pass-Throughs
(cost $22,501,552)

   

      22,678,145   
     

 

 

 

ASSET-BACKED
SECURITIES–14.3%

   

   

AUTOS–FIXED RATE–8.6%

  

   

Ally Auto Receivables Trust
Series 2012-1, Class A2
0.71%, 9/15/14

      40        39,795   

Series 2013-SN1, Class A3
0.72%, 5/20/16

      392        391,255   

Ally Master Owner Trust
Series 2013-1, Class A2
1.00%, 2/15/18

      260        258,032   

AmeriCredit Automobile Receivables Trust
Series 2011-5, Class A2
1.19%, 8/08/15

      36        35,909   

Series 2012-3, Class A3
0.96%, 1/09/17

      355        355,289   

Series 2012-4, Class A2
0.49%, 4/08/16

      325        324,059   

Series 2013-1, Class A2
0.49%, 6/08/16

      235        234,794   

Series 2013-3, Class A3
0.92%, 4/09/18

      335        334,734   

Avis Budget Rental Car
Funding AESOP LLC
Series 2012-3A, Class A
2.10%, 3/20/19(a)

      210        206,261   

Bank of America Auto Trust
Series 2012-1, Class A4
1.03%, 12/15/16

      245        245,779   

Capital Auto Receivables
Asset Trust
Series 2013-1, Class A2
0.62%, 7/20/16

      202        201,388   

CarMax Auto Owner Trust
Series 2012-1, Class A3
0.89%, 9/15/16

      160        160,387   

Exeter Automobile
Receivables Trust
Series 2012-2A, Class A
1.30%, 6/15/17(a)

      181        181,529   

Series 2013-1A, Class A
1.29%, 10/16/17(a)

      135        134,090   

Fifth Third Auto Trust
Series 2013-A, Class A3
0.61%, 9/15/17

      204        203,607   
     

Flagship Credit Auto Trust
Series 2013-1, Class A
1.32%, 4/16/18(a)

    U.S.$        112      $ 111,862   

Ford Auto Securitization Trust
Series 2011-R3A, Class A2
1.96%, 7/15/15(a)

    CAD        303        288,426   

Series 2013-R1A, Class A2
1.676%, 9/15/16(a)

      205        195,468   

Ford Credit Auto Lease Trust
Series 2012-B, Class A2
0.54%, 11/15/14

    U.S.$        275        274,553   

Ford Credit Auto Owner Trust
Series 2012-D, Class B
1.01%, 5/15/18

      100        99,076   

Ford Credit Floorplan Master
Owner Trust
Series 2012-4, Class A1
0.74%, 9/15/16

      640        640,814   

Series 2013-1, Class A1
0.85%, 1/15/18

      136        134,915   

Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Trust
Series 2012-1, Class A3
0.68%, 4/15/17

      195        195,004   

Hertz Vehicle Financing LLC
Series 2013-1A, Class A1
1.12%, 8/25/17(a)

      175        173,048   

Series 2013-1A, Class A2
1.83%, 8/25/19(a)

      485        472,716   

Hyundai Auto Lease
Securitization Trust
Series 2013-A, Class A3
0.66%, 6/15/16(a)

      264        263,248   

Mercedes-Benz Auto Lease Trust
Series 2013-A, Class A3
0.59%, 2/15/16

      173        172,472   

Mercedes-Benz Master Owner Trust
Series 2012-AA, Class A
0.79%, 11/15/17(a)

      373        370,058   

Navistar Financial Corp.
Owner Trust
Series 2012-A, Class A2
0.85%, 3/18/15(a)

      257        256,681   

Nissan Auto Lease Trust
Series 2012-A, Class A2A
0.68%, 7/15/14

      150        150,205   

 

7


INTERMEDIATE BOND PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

         

Principal
Amount
(000)

    U.S. $ Value  
     

Series 2012-B, Class A2A
0.45%, 6/15/15

    U.S.$        133      $ 133,191   

Porsche Innovative Lease
Owner Trust
Series 2011-1, Class A3
1.09%, 9/22/14(a)

      248        248,706   

Santander Drive Auto
Receivables Trust
Series 2012-3, Class A3
1.08%, 4/15/16

      325        326,148   

Series 2012-6, Class A2
0.47%, 9/15/15

      116        116,092   

Series 2013-3, Class C
1.81%, 4/15/19

      249        241,472   

SMART Trust/Australia
Series 2012-4US, Class A2A
0.67%, 6/14/15

      183        183,159   
     

 

 

 
        8,354,222   
     

 

 

 

CREDIT CARDS–
FIXED RATE–3.1%

     

American Express Credit Account Master Trust
Series 2012-2, Class A
0.68%, 3/15/18

      620        619,087   

Series 2012-5, Class A
0.59%, 5/15/18

      325        323,380   

Cabela’s Master Credit Card Trust
Series 2013-1A, Class A
2.71%, 2/17/26(a)

      255        239,782   

Chase Issuance Trust
Series 2013-A1, Class A1
1.30%, 2/18/20

      220        215,325   

Discover Card Execution Note Trust
Series 2012-A1, Class A1
0.81%, 8/15/17

      224        224,393   

Discover Card Master Trust
Series 2012-A3, Class A3
0.86%, 11/15/17

      300        300,583   

Dryrock Issuance Trust
Series 2012-2, Class A
0.64%, 8/15/18

      320        318,479   

GE Capital Credit Card Master
Note Trust
Series 2012-6, Class A
1.36%, 8/17/20

      300        295,346   

Series 2012-7, Class A
1.76%, 9/15/22

      260        248,333   
     

World Financial Network Credit Card Master Trust
Series 2012-B, Class A
1.76%, 5/17/21

    U.S.$        190      $ 188,964   
     

 

 

 
        2,973,672   
     

 

 

 

AUTOS–FLOATING RATE–0.9%

     

Ford Credit Floorplan Master
Owner Trust
Series 2010-3, Class A2
1.893%, 2/15/17(a)(b)

      430        438,692   

GE Dealer Floorplan Master
Note Trust
Series 2012-3, Class A
0.682%, 6/20/17(b)

      485        485,000   
     

 

 

 
        923,692   
     

 

 

 

CREDIT CARDS–
FLOATING RATE–0.7%

   

   

Gracechurch Card Funding PLC
Series 2012-1A, Class A1
0.89%, 2/15/17(a)(b)

      320        320,524   

Penarth Master Issuer PLC
Series 2012-1A, Class A1
0.763%, 3/18/14(a)(b)

      335        335,647   
     

 

 

 
        656,171   
     

 

 

 

OTHER ABS–
FIXED RATE–0.5%

     

CNH Equipment Trust
Series 2010-C, Class A3
1.17%, 5/15/15

      45        44,579   

Series 2012-A, Class A3
0.94%, 5/15/17

      241        241,624   

GE Equipment Midticket LLC
Series 2011-1, Class A3
1.00%, 8/24/15

      147        147,475   

GE Equipment Small Ticket LLC
Series 2011-2A, Class A2
1.14%, 6/23/14(a)

      56        56,250   
     

 

 

 
        489,928   
     

 

 

 

HOME EQUITY LOANS–FLOATING RATE–0.3%

   

   

Asset Backed Funding Certificates
Series 2003-WF1, Class A2
1.318%, 12/25/32(b)

      61        57,707   

 

8


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

         

Principal
Amount
(000)

    U.S. $ Value  
     

GSAA Home Equity Trust
Series 2006-5, Class 2A3
0.463%, 3/25/36(b)

    U.S.$        220      $ 139,330   

HSBC Home Equity Loan Trust
Series 2005-3, Class A1
0.452%, 1/20/35(b)

      73        72,800   
     

 

 

 
        269,837   
     

 

 

 

HOME EQUITY LOANS–
FIXED RATE–0.2%

     

Citifinancial Mortgage
Securities, Inc.
Series 2003-1, Class AFPT
3.86%, 1/25/33

      53        53,887   

Credit-Based Asset Servicing and Securitization LLC
Series 2003-CB1, Class AF
3.95%, 1/25/33

      117        115,903   
     

 

 

 
        169,790   
     

 

 

 

Total Asset-Backed Securities
(cost $13,948,488)

        13,837,312   
     

 

 

 

COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES–12.1%

   

   

NON-AGENCY FIXED
RATE CMBS–10.8%

     

Banc of America Merrill Lynch Commercial Mortgage, Inc.
Series 2006-5, Class A4
5.414%, 9/10/47

      455        500,822   

Bear Stearns Commercial Mortgage Securities, Inc.
Series 2006-T24, Class AJ
5.598%, 10/12/41

      110        103,653   

CGRBS Commercial
Mortgage Trust
Series 2013-VN05
3.369%, 3/13/23(a)

      260        247,697   

Citigroup Commercial
Mortgage Trust
Series 2006-C4, Class A1A
5.939%, 3/15/49

      158        174,371   

Commercial Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates
Series 2006-C3, Class AJ
5.989%, 6/15/38

      105        102,281   
     

Series 2013-SFS, Class A1
1.873%, 4/12/35(a)

    U.S.$        130      $ 125,578   

CW Capital Cobalt Ltd.
Series 2007-C3, Class A4
5.985%, 5/15/46

      330        369,883   

Extended Stay America Trust
Series 2013-ESH7, Class A17
2.295%, 12/05/31(a)

      180        175,291   

Greenwich Capital Commercial Funding Corp.
Series 2005-GG5, Class AJ
5.406%, 4/10/37

      235        200,813   

Series 2007-GG9, Class A4
5.444%, 3/10/39

      506        559,795   

Series 2007-GG9, Class AM
5.475%, 3/10/39

      135        141,906   

GS Mortgage Securities Corp. II
Series 2004-GG2, Class A6
5.396%, 8/10/38

      300        308,529   

Series 2013-KING, Class A
2.706%, 12/10/27(a)

      282        278,366   

JP Morgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Corp.
Series 2007-CB19, Class AM
5.901%, 2/12/49

      95        102,944   

Series 2007-LD11, Class A4
6.003%, 6/15/49

      151        169,183   

Series 2007-LD12, Class AM
6.197%, 2/15/51

      165        178,578   

Series 2010-C2, Class A1
2.749%, 11/15/43(a)

      247        254,562   

LB-UBS Commercial
Mortgage Trust
Series 2004-C4, Class A4
5.712%, 6/15/29

      830        853,684   

Series 2006-C1, Class A4
5.156%, 2/15/31

      1,240        1,339,405   

 

9


INTERMEDIATE BOND PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

         

Principal
Amount
(000)

    U.S. $ Value  
     

Merrill Lynch Mortgage Trust
Series 2005-CIP1, Class A2
4.96%, 7/12/38

    U.S.$        233      $ 235,228   

Series 2006-C2,
Class A1A
5.739%, 8/12/43

      161        178,672   

Merrill Lynch/Countrywide Commercial Mortgage Trust Series 2007-9, Class A4
5.70%, 9/12/49

      1,105        1,237,609   

ML-CFC Commercial Mortgage Trust
Series 2006-4, Class A1A
5.166%, 12/12/49

      608        668,721   

Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust Series 2007-T27, Class A1A
5.816%, 6/11/42

      378        429,186   

Motel 6 Trust
Series 2012-MTL6, Class A2
1.948%, 10/05/25(a)

      280        274,523   

UBS-Barclays Commercial Mortgage Trust
Series 2012-C3, Class A4
3.091%, 8/10/49

      60        56,132   

Series 2012-C4, Class A5
2.85%, 12/10/45

      112        103,670   

Series 2013-C5, Class A4
3.185%, 3/10/46

      437        414,309   

Wachovia Bank Commercial Mortgage Trust
Series 2006-C25, Class A1A
5.914%, 5/15/43

      427        473,435   

WF-RBS Commercial Mortgage Trust
Series 2013-C14, Class A5
3.337%, 6/15/46

      233        221,902   
     

 

 

 
        10,480,728   
     

 

 

 

NON-AGENCY FLOATING
RATE CMBS–1.3%

   

   

Banc of America Merrill Lynch Commercial Mortgage, Inc.
Series 2007-5, Class AM
5.772%, 2/10/51(d)

      78        83,624   
     

Extended Stay America Trust
Series 2013-ESFL, Class A2FL
0.894%, 12/05/31(a)(b)

    U.S.$        140      $ 138,792   

GS Mortgage Securities Corp. II
Series 2013-KYO, Class A
1.043%, 11/08/29(a)(b)

      275        272,362   

GS Mortgage Securities Trust Series 2013-G1, Class A2
3.557%, 4/10/31(a)(d)

      136        133,094   

Merrill Lynch/Countrywide Commercial Mortgage Trust
Series 2006-3, Class A2
5.291%, 7/12/46(d)

      602        606,108   
     

 

 

 
        1,233,980   
     

 

 

 

Total Commercial Mortgage-
Backed Securities
(cost $11,407,551)

        11,714,708   
     

 

 

 

GOVERNMENTS–
TREASURIES–7.3%

   

   

UNITED STATES–7.3%

     

U.S. Treasury Bonds
3.00%, 5/15/42

      490        446,665   

4.50%, 2/15/36

      895        1,065,749   

4.625%, 2/15/40

      2,935        3,576,573   

U.S. Treasury Notes
1.375%, 6/30/18

      1,405        1,404,232   

2.00%, 2/15/23

      555        533,759   
     

 

 

 

Total Governments–Treasuries
(cost $6,641,238)

        7,026,978   
     

 

 

 

AGENCIES–4.4%

     

AGENCY DEBENTURES–4.4%

     

Federal National
Mortgage Association
6.25%, 5/15/29

      1,670        2,170,955   

6.625%, 11/15/30

      80        108,562   

Residual Funding Corp.
Principal Strip
Zero Coupon, 7/15/20

      2,292        1,958,482   
     

 

 

 

Total Agencies
(cost $4,033,370)

        4,237,999   
     

 

 

 

 

10


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

         

Principal
Amount
(000)

    U.S. $ Value  
     

CORPORATES–NON-INVESTMENT
GRADES–2.1%

     
     

FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS–1.4%

     

BANKING–0.9%

     

ABN Amro Bank NV
4.31%, 3/10/16

    EUR        125      $ 144,402   

Bank of America Corp.
Series U
5.20%, 6/01/23

    U.S.$        178        167,320   

Citigroup, Inc.
5.95%, 1/30/23

      270        268,677   

LBG Capital No.1 PLC
8.00%, 6/15/20(a)

      175        177,612   

LBG Capital No.2 PLC
Series 22
15.00%, 12/21/19(a)

    EUR        50        90,731   
     

 

 

 
        848,742   
     

 

 

 

FINANCE–0.3%

     

SLM Corp.
7.25%, 1/25/22

    U.S.$        95        99,750   

Series A
5.375%, 5/15/14

      248        252,960   
     

 

 

 
        352,710   
     

 

 

 

OTHER FINANCE–0.2%

     

Aviation Capital Group Corp.
7.125%, 10/15/20(a)

      155        168,671   
     

 

 

 
        1,370,123   
     

 

 

 

INDUSTRIAL–0.7%

     

BASIC–0.0%

     

Eagle Spinco, Inc.
4.625%, 2/15/21(a)

      22        21,120   
     

 

 

 

CAPITAL GOODS–0.4%

     

B/E Aerospace, Inc.
5.25%, 4/01/22

      190        189,050   

Ball Corp.
5.00%, 3/15/22

      195        194,025   
     

 

 

 
        383,075   
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER CYCLICAL–
ENTERTAINMENT–0.0%

   

   

Greektown Holdings LLC
10.75%, 12/01/13(e)(f)

      55        0   
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER CYCLICAL–OTHER–0.2%

   

   

Wynn Las Vegas LLC/Wynn Las Vegas Capital Corp.
5.375%, 3/15/22

      190        191,900   
     

 

 

 

CONSUMER NON-
CYCLICAL–0.0%

     

Voyager Learning Exchange
8.375%, 1/14/12(e)(f)

      70        0   
     

 

 

 
     

ENERGY–0.1%

     

Cimarex Energy Co.
5.875%, 5/01/22

    U.S.$        93      $ 96,255   
     

 

 

 
        692,350   
     

 

 

 

Total Corporates–Non-Investment Grades
(cost $1,835,032)

        2,062,473   
     

 

 

 

COLLATERALIZED MORTGAGE
OBLIGATIONS–1.9%

     

NON-AGENCY
FLOATING RATE–0.7%

   

   

Deutsche Alt-A Securities Mortgage Loan Trust
Series 2006-AR4,
Class A2
0.383%, 12/25/36(b)

      230        134,008   

HomeBanc Mortgage Trust
Series 2005-1, Class A1
0.443%, 3/25/35(b)

      124        99,822   

IndyMac INDX Mortgage
Loan Trust
Series 2006-AR15,
Class A1
0.313%, 7/25/36(b)

      174        120,611   

Series 2006-AR27,
Class 2A2
0.393%, 10/25/36(b)

      185        150,574   

Washington Mutual Alternative Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates
Series 2007-OA1,
Class A1A
0.869%, 2/25/47(b)

      233        173,657   
     

 

 

 
        678,672   
     

 

 

 

AGENCY FIXED RATE–0.6%

  

   

Fannie Mae Grantor Trust
Series 2004-T5, Class AB4
0.684%, 5/28/35

      50        43,464   

Freddie Mac
Series 4119, Class LI
3.50%, 6/15/39(g)

      850        158,008   

Series 4135, Class AI
3.50%, 11/15/42(g)

      461        99,013   

Series 4182, Class DI
3.50%, 5/15/39(g)

      827        149,150   

Freddie Mac Strip
Series 283, Class IO
3.50%, 10/15/27(g)

      595        97,259   
     

 

 

 
        546,894   
     

 

 

 

 

11


INTERMEDIATE BOND PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

         

Principal
Amount
(000)

    U.S. $ Value  
     

NON-AGENCY FIXED
RATE–0.5%

   

   

Citigroup Mortgage Loan Trust, Inc.
Series 2005-2, Class 1A4
2.641%, 5/25/35

    U.S.$        141      $ 137,335   

First Horizon Alternative Mortgage Securities Trust
Series 2006-FA3, Class A9
6.00%, 7/25/36

      156        135,020   

JP Morgan Alternative Loan Trust
Series 2006-A3, Class 2A1
2.691%, 7/25/36

      272        192,748   
     

 

 

 
        465,103   
     

 

 

 

NON-AGENCY ARMS–0.1%

  

   

Countrywide Home Loan Mortgage Pass Through Trust
Series 2007-HYB2, Class 3A1
2.863%, 2/25/47

      184        141,593   
     

 

 

 

Total Collateralized Mortgage Obligations
(cost $2,035,538)

        1,832,262   
     

 

 

 

QUASI-SOVEREIGNS–1.8%

  

   
     

QUASI-SOVEREIGN
BONDS–1.8%

   

   

INDONESIA–0.4%

     

Perusahaan Listrik Negara PT
5.50%, 11/22/21(a)

      360        352,800   
     

 

 

 

KAZAKHSTAN–0.2%

     

KazMunayGas National Co. JSC
7.00%, 5/05/20(a)

      212        239,560   
     

 

 

 

MALAYSIA–0.5%

     

Petronas Capital Ltd.
5.25%, 8/12/19(a)

      420        458,579   
     

 

 

 

SOUTH KOREA–0.3%

     

Korea National Oil Corp.
3.125%, 4/03/17(a)

      310        311,765   
     

 

 

 

UNITED ARAB
EMIRATES–0.4%

     

IPIC GMTN Ltd.
3.75%, 3/01/17(a)

      360        374,400   
     

 

 

 

Total Quasi-Sovereigns
(cost $1,656,847)

        1,737,104   
     

 

 

 
   

GOVERNMENTS–SOVEREIGN BONDS–0.6%

   

   

QATAR–0.4%

     

State of Qatar
4.50%, 1/20/22(a)

    U.S.$        360      $ 386,100   
     

 

 

 

TURKEY–0.2%

     

Republic of Turkey
4.875%, 4/16/43

      260        223,600   
     

 

 

 

Total Governments–
Sovereign Bonds
(cost $613,680)

        609,700   
     

 

 

 
          Shares        

PREFERRED STOCKS–0.4%

  

   
     

FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS–0.4%

   

   

INSURANCE–0.3%

     

Allstate Corp. (The) 5.10%

      9,175        234,788   
     

 

 

 

REITS–0.1%

     

Sovereign Real Estate Investment Trust 12.00%(a)

      93        118,606   
     

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stocks
(cost $332,815)

        353,394   
     

 

 

 
          Principal
Amount
(000)
       

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS–MUNICIPAL BONDS–0.3%

   

   

UNITED STATES–0.3%

     

California GO
7.625%, 3/01/40
(cost $203,287)

    U.S.$        200        268,634   
     

 

 

 

EMERGING MARKETS–CORPORATE
BONDS–0.1%

    

   
     

INDUSTRIAL – 0.1%

     

CONSUMER NON-
CYCLICAL – 0.1%

     

Marfrig Overseas Ltd.
9.50%, 5/04/20(a)
(cost $99,751)

      100        99,125   
     

 

 

 

GOVERNMENTS–SOVEREIGN
AGENCIES–0.1%

    

   

GERMANY–0.1%

     

Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank
5.125%, 2/01/17
(cost $71,047)

      70        79,653   
     

 

 

 
          Shares        

COMMON STOCKS – 0.0%

  

   

Greektown Superholdings, Inc.(e)(f)(h)
(cost $4)

      41        3,690   
     

 

 

 

 

12


 
    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company        

Shares

    U.S. $ Value  
     

WARRANTS–0.0%

     

Talon Equity Co. NV , expiring 11/15/24(e)(f)(h)
(cost $0)

      47      $ 0   
     

 

 

 
          Principal
Amount
(000)
       

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS–17.0%

   

   

TIME DEPOSIT–10.7%

     

State Street Time Deposit 0.01%, 7/01/13
(cost $10,343,661)

    U.S.$        10,344        10,343,661   
     

 

 

 

AGENCY DISCOUNT NOTE–3.2%

     

Federal Home Loan Bank Zero Coupon, 7/10/13 (cost $3,079,959)

      3,080        3,079,959   
     

 

 

 
     

GOVERNMENTS–
TREASURIES–3.1%

     

Japan Treasury Discount Bill Series 359 Zero Coupon 7/16/13 (cost $2,998,859)

    JPY        300,000      $ 3,024,705   
     

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Investments
(cost $16,422,479)

        16,448,325   
     

 

 

 

TOTAL
INVESTMENTS–116.5%
(cost $110,089,283)

        112,743,040   

Other assets less
liabilities – (16.5)%

        (15,991,869
     

 

 

 

NET ASSETS–100.0%

      $ 96,751,171   
     

 

 

 

FUTURES (see Note D)

 

Type    Number of
Contracts
     Expiration
Month
     Original
Value
     Value at
June 30,
2013
     Unrealized
Appreciation/
(Depreciation)
 

Sold Contracts

              

U.S. Note 2 Yr (CBT) Futures

     8         September 2013       $   1,761,362       $   1,760,000       $   1,362   

FORWARD CURRENCY EXCHANGE CONTRACTS (see Note D)

 

Counterparty    Contracts to
Deliver
(000)
     In Exchange
For
(000)
     Settlement
Date
     Unrealized
Appreciation/
(Depreciation)
 

BNP Paribas SA

   USD 1,002       MXN 12,411         7/11/13       $ (44,552

BNP Paribas SA

   USD 800       JPY 78,163         7/19/13         (11,577

Credit Suisse International

   MXN 12,401       USD 923         7/11/13         (33,603

Deutsche Bank AG London

   CAD 1,694       USD 1,637         7/18/13         26,413   

Deutsche Bank AG London

   USD 694       AUD 748         7/25/13         (11,250

Goldman Sachs Capital Markets LP

   JPY 149,781       USD 1,484         7/19/13         (26,706

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

   AUD 752       USD 712         7/25/13         24,936   

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

   EUR 794       USD 1,038         8/07/13         5,231   

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

   GBP 1,153       USD 1,777         8/07/13         24,433   

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

   JPY 300,000       USD 3,012         7/16/13         (13,351

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

   USD 137       CAD 144         7/18/13         (914

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

   USD 87       GBP 57         8/07/13         156   
           

 

 

 
            $   (60,784)   
           

 

 

 

 

13


INTERMEDIATE BOND PORTFOLIO  
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

CENTRALLY CLEARED SWAPS (see Note D)

 

                Rate Type        
Broker/ (Exchange)  

Notional
Amount

(000)

    Termination
Date
   

Payments
made by

the Fund

    Payments
received by
the Fund
    Unrealized
Appreciation/
(Depreciation)
 

Morgan Stanley & Co., LLC/(CME Group)

  $ 1,420        5/21/23        0.020     3 Month LIBOR        $      (82,491)   

Morgan Stanley & Co., LLC/(CME Group)

    EUR  1,240        5/21/23        6 Month EURIBOR        1.566     60,645   
         

 

 

 
            $      (21,846)   
         

 

 

 

INTEREST RATE SWAPS (see Note D)

 

                   Rate Type         
Swap Counterparty    Notional
Amount
(000)
     Termination
Date
     Payments
made by
the Fund
     Payments received
by the Fund
     Unrealized
Appreciation/
(Depreciation)
 

JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA

   $   1,390         1/30/17         1.059      3 Month LIBOR       $ (6,652

JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA

     1,520         2/7/22         2.043      3 Month LIBOR         41,158   
              

 

 

 
               $   34,506   
              

 

 

 

CREDIT DEFAULT SWAPS (see Note D)

 

Swap Counterparty &
Referenced Obligation
   Fixed
Rate
(Pay)
Receive
     Implied
Credit
Spread at
June 30,
2013
     Notional
Amount
(000)
     Market
Value
     Upfront
Premiums
Paid
(Received)
    Unrealized
Appreciation/
(Depreciation)
 

Sale Contracts

                

Credit Suisse International:

                

Anadarko Petroleum Corp., 5.95% 9/15/16, 9/20/17*

     1.00      0.87    $   270       $   1,498       $    (8,024)    $   9,522   

 

14


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

 

 

*   Termination date

 

(a)   Security is exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. These securities are considered liquid and may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. At June 30, 2013, the aggregate market value of these securities amounted to $15,580,313 or 16.1% of net assets.

 

(b)   Floating Rate Security. Stated interest rate was in effect at June 30, 2013.

 

(c)   Coupon rate adjusts periodically based upon a predetermined schedule. Stated interest rate in effect at June 30, 2013.

 

(d)   Variable rate coupon, rate shown as of June 30, 2013.

 

(e)   Fair valued by the Adviser.

 

(f)   Illiquid security.

 

(g)   IO—Interest Only

 

(h)   Non-income producing security.

Currency Abbreviations:

AUD—Australian Dollar

CAD—Canadian Dollar

EUR—Euro

GBP—Great British Pound

JPY—Japanese Yen

MXN—Mexican Peso

USD—United States Dollar

Glossary:

ABS—Asset-Backed Securities

ARMs—Adjustable Rate Mortgages

CBT—Chicago Board of Trade

CMBS—Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities

EURIBOR—Euro Interbank Offered Rate

GO—General Obligation

JSC—Joint Stock Company

LIBOR—London Interbank Offered Rates

REIT—Real Estate Investment Trust

TBA—To Be Announced

See notes to financial statements.

 

15


INTERMEDIATE BOND PORTFOLIO  
STATEMENT OF ASSETS & LIABILITIES
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

ASSETS

  

Investments in securities, at value (cost $110,089,283)

   $ 112,743,040   

Cash

     83,529 (a)(b) 

Receivable for investment securities sold

     888,580   

Interest and dividends receivable

     658,262   

Unrealized appreciation of forward currency exchange contracts

     81,219   

Unrealized appreciation on interest rate swaps

     41,158   

Receivable for capital stock sold

     14,933   

Unrealized appreciation on credit default swaps

     9,522   

Receivable for variation margin on futures

     250   
  

 

 

 

Total assets

     114,520,493   
  

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

  

Payable for investment securities purchased

     17,463,626   

Unrealized depreciation of forward currency exchange contracts

     142,003   

Advisory fee payable

     33,869   

Payable for variation margin on centrally cleared swaps

     22,288   

Payable for capital stock redeemed

     11,829   

Premium received on credit default swaps

     8,024   

Administrative fee payable

     7,236   

Unrealized depreciation on interest rate swaps

     6,652   

Distribution fee payable

     5,131   

Transfer Agent fee payable

     164   

Accrued expenses

     68,500   
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     17,769,322   
  

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 96,751,171   
  

 

 

 

COMPOSITION OF NET ASSETS

  

Capital stock, at par

   $ 8,102   

Additional paid-in capital

     85,736,005   

Undistributed net investment income

     4,530,046   

Accumulated net realized gain on investment and foreign currency transactions

     3,774,887   

Net unrealized appreciation on investments and foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities

     2,702,131   
  

 

 

 
   $ 96,751,171   
  

 

 

 

Net Asset Value Per Share—1 billion shares of capital stock authorized, $.001 par value

 

Class      Net Assets        Shares
Outstanding
       Net Asset
Value
 

A

     $   70,246,658           5,863,919         $   11.98   

B

     $ 26,504,513           2,238,146         $ 11.84   

 

 

 

(a)   An amount of $1,800 has been segregated to collateralize margin requirements for open futures outstanding at June 30, 2013.

 

(b)   An amount of $81,729 has been segregated to collateralize margin requirements for centrally cleared swaps outstanding at June 30, 2013.

See notes to financial statements.

 

16


INTERMEDIATE BOND PORTFOLIO  
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS  
Six Months Ended June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

  

Interest

   $ 1,737,632   

Dividends

     8,505   
  

 

 

 
   $ 1,746,137   
  

 

 

 

EXPENSES

  

Advisory fee (see Note B)

     230,078   

Distribution fee—Class B

     34,982   

Transfer agency—Class A

     2,108   

Transfer agency—Class B

     794   

Custodian

     64,626   

Audit

     23,951   

Administrative

     21,503   

Legal

     15,305   

Printing

     13,223   

Directors’ fees

     2,265   

Miscellaneous

     3,698   
  

 

 

 

Total expenses

     412,533   
  

 

 

 

Net investment income

     1,333,604   
  

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENT AND FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSACTIONS

  

Net realized gain (loss) on:

  

Investment transactions

     627,386   

Futures

     (5,057

Swaps

     (4,438

Foreign currency transactions

     373,390   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of:

  

Investments

     (4,776,503

Futures

     2,123   

Swaps

     104,104   

Foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities and other assets

     (258,349
  

 

 

 

Net loss on investment and foreign currency transactions

     (3,937,344
  

 

 

 

NET DECREASE IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

   $ (2,603,740
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

17


 
INTERMEDIATE BOND PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

     Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

    

Net investment income

   $ 1,333,604      $ 3,114,481   

Net realized gain on investment and foreign currency transactions

     991,281        2,784,901   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments and foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities and other assets

     (4,928,625     1,059,000   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets from operations

     (2,603,740     6,958,382   

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM

    

Net investment income

    

Class A

     –0 –      (3,744,770

Class B

     –0 –      (1,288,079

Net realized gain on investment transactions

    

Class A

     –0 –      (2,543,861

Class B

     –0 –      (934,628

CAPITAL STOCK TRANSACTIONS

    

Net decrease

     (9,112,362     (29,981,256
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total decrease

     (11,716,102     (31,534,212

NET ASSETS

    

Beginning of period

     108,467,273        140,001,485   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period (including accumulated net investment income of $4,530,046 and undistributed net investment income of $3,196,442, respectively)

   $ 96,751,171      $ 108,467,273   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

18


INTERMEDIATE BOND PORTFOLIO  
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE A : Significant Accounting Policies

The AllianceBernstein Intermediate Bond Portfolio (the “Portfolio”), is a series of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”). The Portfolio’s investment objective is to generate income and price appreciation without assuming what the Adviser considers undue risk. The Portfolio is diversified as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Fund was incorporated in the State of Maryland on November 17, 1987, as an open-end series investment company. The Fund offers thirteen separately managed pools of assets which have differing investment objectives and policies. The Portfolio offers Class A and Class B shares. Both classes of shares have identical voting, dividend, liquidating and other rights, except that Class B shares bear a distribution expense and have exclusive voting rights with respect to the Class B distribution plan.

The Portfolio offers and sells its shares only to separate accounts of certain life insurance companies for the purpose of funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies. Sales are made without a sales charge at the Portfolio’s net asset value per share.

The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) which require management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Portfolio.

1. Security Valuation

Portfolio securities are valued at their current market value determined on the basis of market quotations or, if market quotations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable, at “fair value” as determined in accordance with procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Fund’s Board of Directors (the “Board”).

In general, the market values of securities which are readily available and deemed reliable are determined as follows: securities listed on a national securities exchange (other than securities listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. (“NASDAQ”)) or on a foreign securities exchange are valued at the last sale price at the close of the exchange or foreign securities exchange. If there has been no sale on such day, the securities are valued at the last traded price from the previous day. Securities listed on more than one exchange are valued by reference to the principal exchange on which the securities are traded; securities listed only on NASDAQ are valued in accordance with the NASDAQ Official Closing Price; listed or over the counter (“OTC”) market put or call options are valued at the mid level between the current bid and ask prices. If either a current bid or current ask price is unavailable, AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) will have discretion to determine the best valuation (e.g. last trade price in the case of listed options); open futures are valued using the closing settlement price or, in the absence of such a price, the most recent quoted bid price. If there are no quotations available for the day of valuation, the last available closing settlement price is used; U.S. government securities and other debt instruments having 60 days or less remaining until maturity are valued at amortized cost if their original maturity was 60 days or less; or by amortizing their fair value as of the 61st day prior to maturity if their original term to maturity exceeded 60 days; fixed-income securities, including mortgage backed and asset backed securities, may be valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service or at a price obtained from one or more of the major broker/dealers. In cases where broker/dealer quotes are obtained, the Adviser may establish procedures whereby changes in market yields or spreads are used to adjust, on a daily basis, a recently obtained quoted price on a security. Swaps and other derivatives are valued daily, primarily using independent pricing services, independent pricing models using market inputs, as well as third party broker-dealers or counterparties. Investments in money market funds are valued at their net asset value each day.

Securities for which market quotations are not readily available (including restricted securities) or are deemed unreliable are valued at fair value. Factors considered in making this determination may include, but are not limited to, information obtained by contacting the issuer, analysts, analysis of the issuer’s financial statements or other available documents. In addition, the Portfolio may use fair value pricing for securities primarily traded in non-U.S. markets because most foreign markets close well before the Portfolio values its securities at 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The earlier close of these foreign markets gives rise to the possibility that significant events, including broad market moves, may have occurred in the interim and may materially affect the value of those securities.

2. Fair Value Measurements

In accordance with U.S. GAAP regarding fair value measurements, fair value is defined as the price that the Portfolio would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement

 

19


INTERMEDIATE BOND PORTFOLIO  
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

date. U.S. GAAP establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and a three-level hierarchy for fair value measurements based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability (including those valued based on their market values as described in Note A.1 above). Inputs may be observable or unobservable and refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Portfolio. Unobservable inputs reflect the Portfolio’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on the best information available in the circumstances. Each investment is assigned a level based upon the observability of the inputs which are significant to the overall valuation. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized below.

 

   

Level 1—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 Portfolio’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The fair value of debt instruments, such as bonds, and over-the-counter derivatives is generally based on market price quotations, recently executed market transactions (where observable) or industry recognized modeling techniques and are generally classified as Level 2. Pricing vendor inputs to Level 2 valuations may include quoted prices for similar investments in active markets, interest rate curves, coupon rates, currency rates, yield curves, option adjusted spreads, default rates, credit spreads and other unique security features in order to estimate the relevant cash flows which is then discounted to calculate fair values. If these inputs are unobservable and significant to the fair value, these investments will be classified as Level 3. In addition, non-agency rated investments are classified as Level 3.

Where readily available market prices or relevant bid prices are not available for certain equity investments, such investments may be valued based on similar publicly traded investments, movements in relevant indices since last available prices or based upon underlying company fundamentals and comparable company data (such as multiples to earnings or other multiples to equity). Where an investment is valued using an observable input, such as another publicly traded security, the investment will be classified as Level 2. If management determines that an adjustment is appropriate based on restrictions on resale, illiquidity or uncertainty, and such adjustment is a significant component of the valuation, the investment will be classified as Level 3. An investment will also be classified as Level 3 where management uses company fundamentals and other significant inputs to determine the valuation.

Options and warrants are valued using market-based inputs to models, broker or dealer quotations, or alternative pricing sources with reasonable levels of price transparency, where such inputs and models are available. Alternatively the values may be obtained through unobservable management determined inputs and/or management’s proprietary models. Where models are used, the selection of a particular model to value an option or a warrant depends upon the contractual terms of, and specific risks inherent in, the option or warrant as well as the availability of pricing information in the market. Valuation models require a variety of inputs, including contractual terms, market prices, measures of volatility and correlations of such inputs. Exchange traded options will be classified as Level 2. For options or warrants that do not trade on exchange but trade in liquid markets, inputs can generally be verified and model selection does not involve significant management judgment. Options and warrants are classified within Level 2 on the fair value hierarchy when all of the significant inputs can be corroborated to market evidence. Otherwise such instruments are classified as Level 3.

Valuations of mortgage-backed or other asset backed securities, by pricing vendors, are based on both proprietary and industry recognized models and discounted cash flow techniques. Significant inputs to the valuation of these instruments are value of the collateral, the rates and timing of delinquencies, the rates and timing of prepayments, and default and loss expectations, which are driven in part by housing prices for residential mortgages. Significant inputs are determined based on relative value analyses, which incorporate comparisons to instruments with similar collateral and risk profiles, including relevant indices. Mortgage and asset backed securities for which management has collected current observable data through pricing services are generally categorized within Level 2. Those investments for which current observable data has not been provided are classified as Level 3.

Other fixed income investments, including non-U.S. government and corporate debt, are generally valued using quoted market prices, if available, which are typically impacted by current interest rates, maturity dates and any perceived credit risk

 

20


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

of the issuer. Additionally, in the absence of quoted market prices, these inputs are used by pricing vendors to derive a valuation based upon industry or proprietary models which incorporate issuer specific data with relevant yield/spread comparisons with more widely quoted bonds with similar key characteristics. Those investments for which there are observable inputs are classified as Level 2. Where the inputs are not observable, the investments are classified as Level 3.

The following table summarizes the valuation of the Portfolio’s investments by the above fair value hierarchy levels as of June 30, 2013:

 

        Level 1      Level 2      Level 3     Total  

Investments in Securities:

            

Assets:

            

Corporates—Investment Grades

     $ –0 –     $ 29,753,538       $ –0 –    $ 29,753,538   

Mortgage Pass-Throughs

       –0 –       22,678,145         –0 –      22,678,145   

Asset-Backed Securities

       –0 –       12,907,757         929,555        13,837,312   

Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities

       –0 –       10,631,726         1,082,982        11,714,708   

Governments—Treasuries

       –0 –       7,026,978         –0 –      7,026,978   

Agencies

       –0 –       4,237,999         –0 –      4,237,999   

Corporates—Non-Investment Grades

       –0 –       2,062,473         –0 –^      2,062,473   

Collateralized Mortgage Obligations

       –0 –       546,894         1,285,368        1,832,262   

Quasi-Sovereigns

       –0 –       1,737,104         –0 –      1,737,104   

Governments—Sovereign Bonds

       –0 –       609,700         –0 –      609,700   

Preferred Stocks

       234,788         118,606         –0 –      353,394   

Local Governments—Municipal Bonds

       –0 –       268,634         –0 –      268,634   

Emerging Markets—Corporate Bonds

       –0 –       99,125         –0 –      99,125   

Governments—Sovereign Agencies

       –0 –       79,653         –0 –      79,653   

Common Stocks

       –0 –       –0 –       3,690        3,690   

Warrants

       –0 –       –0 –       –0 –^      –0 – 

Short-Term Investments:

            

Time Deposit

       –0 –       10,343,661         –0 –      10,343,661   

Agency Discount Note

       –0 –       3,079,959         –0 –      3,079,959   

Governments—Treasuries

       –0 –       3,024,705         –0 –      3,024,705   
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Investments in Securities

       234,788         109,206,657         3,301,595        112,743,040   

Other Financial Instruments* :

            

Assets:

            

Futures

       1,362         –0 –       –0 –      1,362

Forwards Currency Exchange Contracts

       –0 –       81,219         –0 –      81,219   

Centrally Cleared Swaps

       –0 –       60,645         –0 –      60,645

Interest Rate Swaps

       –0 –       41,158         –0 –      41,158   

Credit Default Swaps

       –0 –       9,522         –0 –      9,522   

Liabilities:

            

Forwards Currency Exchange Contracts

       –0 –       (142,003      –0 –      (142,003

Centrally Cleared Swaps

       –0 –       (82,491      –0 –      (82,491 )# 

Interest Rate Swaps

       –0 –       (6,652      –0 –      (6,652
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total **

     $ 236,150       $ 109,168,055       $ 3,301,595      $ 112,705,800   
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

^   The Portfolio held securities with zero market value at period end.

 

*   Other financial instruments are derivative instruments, such as futures, forwards and swaps, which are valued at the unrealized appreciation/depreciation on the instrument.

 

#   Only variation margin receivable/payable at period end is reported within the statement of assets and liabilities. Cumulative appreciation/(depreciation) is reported in the portfolio of investments.

 

**   There were no transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 during the reporting period.

The Portfolio recognizes all transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy assuming the financial instruments were transferred at the beginning of the reporting period.

 

21


INTERMEDIATE BOND PORTFOLIO  
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The following is a reconciliation of investments in which significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) were used in determining fair value.

 

     Asset-
Backed
Securities
    Commercial
Mortgage-
Backed
Securities
    Corporates -
Non-Investment
Grades^
 

Balance as of 12/31/12

   $ 981,790      $ 1,011,254      $ –0 – 

Accrued discounts/(premiums)

     329        3,869        –0 – 

Realized gain (loss)

     557        30,289        –0 – 

Change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation

     (8,896     (42,851     –0 – 

Purchases

     150,090        647,759        –0 – 

Sales

     (194,315     (567,338     –0 – 

Transfers in to Level 3

     –0 –      –0 –      –0 – 

Transfers out of Level 3

     –0 –      –0 –      –0 – 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance as of 6/30/13

   $ 929,555      $ 1,082,982      $ –0 – 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation from
Investments held as of 6/30/13*

   $ (8,896   $ (42,851   $ –0 – 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     Collateralized
Mortgage
Obligations
    Common
Stocks
    Warrants^  

Balance as of 12/31/12

   $ 509,996      $ 2,460      $ –0 – 

Accrued discounts/(premiums)

     569        –0 –      –0 – 

Realized gain (loss)

     (5,034     –0 –      –0 – 

Change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation

     (15,405     1,230        –0 – 

Purchases

     839,091        –0 –      –0 – 

Sales

     (43,849     –0 –      –0 – 

Transfers in to Level 3

     –0 –      –0 –      –0 – 

Transfers out of Level 3

     –0 –      –0 –      –0 – 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance as of 6/30/13

   $ 1,285,368      $ 3,690      $ –0 – 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation from
Investments held as of 6/30/13*

   $ (15,405   $ 1,230      $ –0 – 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     Total              

Balance as of 12/31/12

   $ 2,505,500       

Accrued discounts/(premiums)

     4,767       

Realized gain (loss)

     25,812       

Change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation

     (65,922    

Purchases

     1,636,940       

Sales

     (805,502    

Transfers in to Level 3

     –0 –     

Transfers out of Level 3

     –0 –     
  

 

 

     

Balance as of 6/30/13

   $ 3,301,595       
  

 

 

     

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation from
Investments held as of 6/30/13*

   $ (65,922    
  

 

 

     

 

^   The Portfolio held a security with zero market value at period end.

 

*   The unrealized appreciation/depreciation is included in net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments in the accompanying statement of operations.

 

22


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The following presents information about significant unobservable inputs related to the Portfolio with material categories of Level 3 investments at June 30, 2013:

 

   

Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value Measurements

    

Fair Value at

6/30/13

 

Valuation Technique

 

Unobservable Input

 

Range/ Weighted
Average

Asset-Backed Securities

  $929,555   Third Party Vendor   Evaluated Quotes   $63.45-$102.27/ $94.25

Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities

  $1,082,982   Third Party Vendor   Evaluated Quotes   $85.45-$111.91/ $101.79

Corporates-Non-Investment Grades

  $0   Qualitative Assessment     $0.00

Collateralized Mortgage Obligations

  $1,285,368   Third Party Vendor   Evaluated Quotes   $58.30-$97.74/ $77.10

Common Stocks

  $3,690   Indicative Market Quotations   Broker Quote   $90.00/$90.00

Warrants

  $0   Qualitative Assessment     $0.00

The Adviser has established a Valuation Committee (the “Committee”) which is responsible for overseeing the pricing and valuation of all securities held in the Portfolio. The Committee operates under pricing and valuation policies and procedures established by the Adviser and approved by the Board, including pricing policies which set forth the mechanisms and processes to be employed on a daily basis to implement these policies and procedures. In particular, the pricing policies describe how to determine market quotations for securities and other instruments. The Committee’s responsibilities include: 1) fair value and liquidity determinations (and oversight of any third parties to whom any responsibility for fair value and liquidity determinations is delegated), and 2) regular monitoring of the Adviser’s pricing and valuation policies and procedures and modification or enhancement of these policies and procedures (or recommendation of the modification of these policies and procedures) as the Committee believes appropriate.

The Committee is also responsible for monitoring the implementation of the pricing policies by the Adviser’s Pricing Group (the “Pricing Group”) and a third party which performs certain pricing functions in accordance with the pricing policies. The Pricing Group is responsible for the oversight of the third party on a day-to-day basis. The Committee and the Pricing Group perform a series of activities to provide reasonable assurance of the accuracy of prices including: 1) periodic vendor due diligence meetings, review of methodologies, new developments and process at vendors, 2) daily compare of security valuation versus prior day for all securities that exceeded established thresholds, and 3) daily review of unpriced, stale, and variance reports with exceptions reviewed by senior management and the Committee.

In addition, several processes outside of the pricing process are used to monitor valuation issues including: 1) performance and performance attribution reports are monitored for anomalous impacts based upon benchmark performance, and 2) portfolio managers review all portfolios for performance and analytics (which are generated using the Adviser’s prices).

3. Currency Translation

Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies and commitments under forward currency exchange contracts are translated into U.S. dollars at the mean of the quoted bid and ask prices of such currencies against the U.S. dollar. Purchases and sales of portfolio securities are translated into U.S. dollars at the rates of exchange prevailing when such securities were acquired or sold. Income and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars at rates of exchange prevailing when accrued.

Net realized gain or loss on foreign currency transactions represents foreign exchange gains and losses from sales and maturities of foreign fixed income investments, foreign currency exchange contracts, holding of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on foreign investment transactions, and the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the Portfolio’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized currency gains and losses from valuing foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities at period end exchange rates are reflected as a component of net unrealized appreciation or depreciation of foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities.

4. Taxes

It is the Portfolio’s policy to meet the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute all of its investment company taxable income and net realized gains, if any, to shareholders. Therefore,

 

23


INTERMEDIATE BOND PORTFOLIO  
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

no provisions for federal income or excise taxes are required. The Portfolio may be subject to taxes imposed by countries in which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on income and/or capital gains earned or repatriated. Taxes are accrued and applied to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized appreciation/depreciation as such income and/or gains are earned.

In accordance with U.S. GAAP requirements regarding accounting for uncertainties in income taxes, management has analyzed the Portfolio’s tax positions taken or expected to be taken on federal and state income tax returns for all open tax years (the current and the prior three tax years) and has concluded that no provision for income tax is required in the Portfolio’s financial statements.

5. Investment Income and Investment Transactions

Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date or as soon as the Portfolio is informed of the dividend. Interest income is accrued daily. Investment transactions are accounted for on the date the securities are purchased or sold. Investment gains or losses are determined on the identified cost basis. The Portfolio amortizes premiums and accretes discounts as adjustments to interest income.

6. Class Allocations

All income earned and expenses incurred by the Portfolio are borne on a pro-rata basis by each outstanding class of shares, based on the proportionate interest in the Portfolio represented by the net assets of such class, except for class specific expenses which are allocated to the respective class. Realized and unrealized gains and losses are allocated among the various share classes based on respective net assets.

7. Dividends and Distributions

Dividends and distributions to shareholders, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income dividends and capital gains distributions are determined in accordance with federal tax regulations and may differ from those determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. To the extent these differences are permanent, such amounts are reclassified within the capital accounts based on their federal tax basis treatment; temporary differences do not require such reclassification.

NOTE B : Advisory Fee and Other Transactions with Affiliates

Under the terms of the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio pays the Adviser an advisory fee at an annual rate of .45% of the first $2.5 billion, .40% of the next $2.5 billion and .35% in excess of $5 billion, of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets. The fee is accrued daily and paid monthly.

Pursuant to the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio may reimburse the Adviser for certain legal and accounting services provided to the Portfolio by the Adviser. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, the reimbursement for such services amounted to $21,503.

The Portfolio compensates AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, under a Transfer Agency Agreement for providing personnel and facilities to perform transfer agency services for the Portfolio. Such compensation retained by ABIS amounted to $692 for the six months ended June 30, 2013.

Brokerage commissions paid on investment transactions for the six months ended June 30, 2013 amounted to $81, of which $0 and $0, respectively, was paid to Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. LLC and Sanford C. Bernstein Limited, affiliates of the Adviser.

Prior to September 15, 2008, the Portfolio had swap counterparty exposure to Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (“Lehman Brothers”), as a guarantor for Lehman Brothers Special Financing Inc. (“LBSF”), which filed for bankruptcy on September 15, 2008. As a result, on September 15, 2008, the Portfolio terminated all outstanding swaps with LBSF prior to their scheduled maturity dates in accordance with the terms of the swaps. Upon the termination of the swaps, Lehman Brothers’ obligations to the Portfolio amounted to $920,116. The Portfolio’s claim to these obligations is subject to the pending bankruptcy proceeding against the Lehman Brothers estate (the “Bankruptcy Claim”). In accordance with its error correction policy, the Adviser has agreed to make the Portfolio whole in respect of the amount of the recovery that would be paid on the Bankruptcy Claim in the event the Bankruptcy Claim is not honored by the Lehman Brothers estate, or with respect to any diminution in value upon the sale of the Bankruptcy Claim, in either case resulting from the manner in which the Bankruptcy Claim was processed by the Adviser. On April 9, 2012, the portfolio management team determined to dispose of the position held by the Portfolio that reflects the Bankruptcy Claim (thereby realizing upon the corresponding undertaking of the Adviser to make payment in respect of said Claim to make the Portfolio whole). On that date, the Bankruptcy Claim was

 

24


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

being valued at $457,758 (49.75% of the Bankruptcy Claim), based upon the estimated recovery value. Accordingly, on April 13, 2012, the Adviser reimbursed the Portfolio in an amount equal to $457,758.

NOTE C : Distribution Plan

The Portfolio has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Under the Plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (the “Distributor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, at an annual rate of up to .50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The fees are accrued daily and paid monthly. The Board currently limits payments under the Plan to .25% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The Plan provides that the Distributor will use such payments in their entirety for distribution assistance and promotional activities.

The Portfolio is not obligated under the Plan to pay any distribution and servicing fees in excess of the amounts set forth above. The purpose of the payments to the Distributor under the Plan is to compensate the Distributor for its distribution services with respect to the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. Since the Distributor’s compensation is not directly tied to its expenses, the amount of compensation received by it under the Plan during any year may be more or less than its actual expenses. For this reason, the Plan is characterized by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission as being of the “compensation” variety.

In the event that the Plan is terminated or not continued, no distribution or servicing fees (other than current amounts accrued but not yet paid) would be owed by the Portfolio to the Distributor.

The Plan also provides that the Adviser may use its own resources to finance the distribution of the Portfolio’s shares.

NOTE D : Investment Transactions

Purchases and sales of investment securities (excluding short-term investments) for the six months ended June 30, 2013 were as follows:

 

       Purchases        Sales  

Investment securities (excluding U.S. government securities)

     $ 14,314,893         $ 7,741,327   

U.S. government securities

       83,700,074           92,767,460   

The cost of investments for federal income tax purposes was substantially the same as the cost for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, gross unrealized appreciation and unrealized depreciation (excluding futures, swaps and foreign currency transactions) are as follows:

 

Gross unrealized appreciation

   $ 3,990,538   

Gross unrealized depreciation

     (1,336,781
  

 

 

 

Net unrealized appreciation

   $ 2,653,757   
  

 

 

 

1. Derivative Financial Instruments

The Portfolio may use derivatives in an effort to earn income and enhance returns, to replace more traditional direct investments, to obtain exposure to otherwise inaccessible markets (collectively, “investment purposes”), or to hedge or adjust the risk profile of its portfolio.

The principal types of derivatives utilized by the Portfolio, as well as the methods in which they may be used are:

 

   

Futures

The Portfolio may buy or sell futures for investment purposes or for the purpose of hedging its portfolio against adverse effects of potential movements in the market. The Portfolio bears the market risk that arises from changes in the value of these instruments and the imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the futures and movements in the price of the assets, reference rates or indices which they are designed to track. Among other things, the Portfolio may purchase or sell futures for foreign currencies or options thereon for non-hedging purposes as a means of making direct investment in foreign currencies, as described below under “Currency Transactions”.

At the time the Portfolio enters into a future, the Portfolio deposits and maintains as collateral an initial margin with the broker, as required by the exchange on which the transaction is effected. Pursuant to the contract, the Portfolio 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 are known as variation margin and are recorded by the Portfolio as unrealized

 

25


INTERMEDIATE BOND PORTFOLIO  
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

gains or losses. Risks may arise from the potential inability of a counterparty to meet the terms of the contract. The credit/counterparty risk for exchange-traded futures is generally less than privately negotiated futures, since the clearinghouse, which is the issuer or counterparty to each exchange-traded future, provides a guarantee of performance. This guarantee is supported by a daily payment system (i.e., margin requirements). When the contract is closed, the Portfolio records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the time it was closed.

Use of long futures subjects the Portfolio to risk of loss in excess of the amounts shown on the statement of assets and liabilities, up to the notional value of the futures. Use of short futures subjects the Portfolio to unlimited risk of loss. Under some circumstances, futures exchanges may establish daily limits on the amount that the price of a futures can vary from the previous day’s settlement price, which could effectively prevent liquidation of unfavorable positions.

During the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio held futures for hedging purposes.

 

   

Forward Currency Exchange Contracts

The Portfolio may enter into forward currency exchange contracts in order to hedge its exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates on its foreign portfolio holdings, to hedge certain firm purchase and sale commitments denominated in foreign currencies and for non-hedging purposes as a means of making direct investments in foreign currencies, as described below under “Currency Transactions”.

A forward currency exchange contract is a commitment to purchase or sell a foreign currency at a future date at a negotiated forward rate. The gain or loss arising from the difference between the original contract and the closing of such contract would be included in net realized gain or loss on foreign currency transactions. Fluctuations in the value of open forward currency exchange contracts are recorded for financial reporting purposes as unrealized appreciation and/or depreciation by the Portfolio. Risks may arise from the potential inability of a counterparty to meet the terms of a contract and from unanticipated movements in the value of a foreign currency relative to the U.S. dollar.

During the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio held forward currency exchange contracts for hedging and non-hedging purposes.

 

   

Swaps

The Portfolio may enter into swaps to hedge its exposure to interest rates, credit risk, or currencies. The Portfolio may also enter into swaps for non-hedging purposes as a means of gaining market exposures, including by making direct investments in foreign currencies, as described below under “Currency Transactions”. A swap is an agreement that obligates two parties to exchange a series of cash flows at specified intervals based upon or calculated by reference to changes in specified prices or rates for a specified amount of an underlying asset. The payment flows are usually netted against each other, with the difference being paid by one party to the other. In addition, collateral may be pledged or received by the Portfolio in accordance with the terms of the respective swaps to provide value and recourse to the Portfolio or its counterparties in the event of default, bankruptcy or insolvency by one of the parties to the swap.

Risks may arise as a result of the failure of the counterparty to the swap to comply with the terms of the swap. The loss incurred by the failure of a counterparty is generally limited to the net interim payment to be received by the Portfolio, and/or the termination value at the end of the contract. Therefore, the Portfolio considers the creditworthiness of each counterparty to a swap in evaluating potential counterparty risk. This risk is mitigated by having a netting arrangement between the Portfolio and the counterparty and by the posting of collateral by the counterparty to the Portfolio to cover the Portfolio’s exposure to the counterparty. Additionally, risks may arise from unanticipated movements in interest rates or in the value of the underlying securities. The Portfolio accrues for the interim payments on swaps on a daily basis, with the net amount recorded within unrealized appreciation/depreciation of swaps on the statement of assets and liabilities, where applicable. Once the interim payments are settled in cash, the net amount is recorded as realized gain/(loss) on swaps on the statement of operations, in addition to any realized gain/(loss) recorded upon the termination of swaps. Upfront premiums paid or received are recognized as cost or proceeds on the statement of assets and liabilities and are amortized on a straight line basis over the life of the contract. Amortized upfront premiums are included in net realized gain/(loss) from swaps on the statement of operations. Fluctuations in the value of swaps are recorded as a component of net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of swaps on the statement of operations.

 

26


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Interest Rate Swaps:

The Portfolio is subject to interest rate risk exposure in the normal course of pursuing its investment objectives. Because the Portfolio holds fixed rate bonds, the value of these bonds may decrease if interest rates rise. To help hedge against this risk and to maintain its ability to generate income at prevailing market rates, the Portfolio may enter into interest rate swaps. Interest rate swaps are agreements between two parties to exchange cash flows based on a notional amount. The Portfolio may elect to pay a fixed rate and receive a floating rate, or, receive a fixed rate and pay a floating rate on a notional amount.

In addition, the Portfolio may also enter into interest rate swap transactions to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of its portfolio, or protecting against an increase in the price of securities the Portfolio anticipates purchasing at a later date. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by a Portfolio with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest (e.g., an exchange of floating rate payments for fixed rate payments) computed based on a contractually-based principal (or “notional”) amount. Interest rate swaps are entered into on a net basis (i.e., the two payment streams are netted out, with the Portfolio receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments).

During the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio held interest rate swaps for hedging purposes.

Credit Default Swaps:

The Portfolio may enter into credit default swaps, including to manage its exposure to the market or certain sectors of the market, to reduce its risk exposure to defaults by corporate and sovereign issuers held by the Portfolio, or to create exposure to corporate or sovereign issuers to which it is not otherwise exposed. The Portfolio may purchase credit protection (“Buy Contract”) or provide credit protection (“Sale Contract”) on the referenced obligation of the credit default swap. During the term of the swap, the Portfolio receives/(pays) fixed payments from/(to) the respective counterparty, calculated at the agreed upon rate applied to the notional amount. If the Portfolio is a buyer/(seller) of protection and a credit event occurs, as defined under the terms of the swap, the Portfolio will either (i) receive from the seller/(pay to the buyer) of protection an amount equal to the notional amount of the swap (the “Maximum Payout Amount”) and deliver/(take delivery of) the referenced obligation or (ii) receive/(pay) a net settlement amount in the form of cash or securities equal to the notional amount of the swap less the recovery value of the referenced obligation.

Credit default swaps may involve greater risks than if a Portfolio had invested in the referenced obligation directly. Credit default swaps are subject to general market risk, liquidity risk, counterparty risk and credit risk. If the Portfolio is a buyer of protection and no credit event occurs, it will lose the payments it made to its counterparty. If the Portfolio is a seller of protection 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 net loss to the Portfolio.

During the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio held credit default swaps for non-hedging purposes.

Implied credit spreads utilized in determining the market value of credit default swaps on issuers as of period end are disclosed in the portfolio of investments. The implied spreads serve as an indicator of the current status of the payment/performance risk and typically reflect the likelihood of default by the issuer of the referenced obligation. The implied credit spread of a particular reference obligation also reflects the cost of buying/selling protection and may reflect upfront payments required to be made to enter into the agreement. Widening credit spreads typically represent a deterioration of the referenced obligation’s credit soundness and greater likelihood of default or other credit event occurring as defined under the terms of the agreement. A credit spread identified as “Defaulted” indicates a credit event has occurred for the referenced obligation.

At June 30, 2013, the Portfolio had a Sale Contract outstanding with a Maximum Payout Amount of $270,000 with net unrealized appreciation of $9,522, and a term of less than 5 years, as reflected in the portfolio of investments.

In certain circumstances Maximum Payout Amounts may be partially offset by recovery values of the respective referenced obligations, upfront premium received upon entering into the agreement, or net amounts received from settlement of buy protection credit default swaps entered into by the Portfolio for the same reference obligation with the same counterparty.

 

 

27


INTERMEDIATE BOND PORTFOLIO  
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Centrally Cleared Swaps:

At the time the Portfolio enters into a centrally cleared swap, the Portfolio deposits and maintains as collateral an initial margin with the broker, as required by the exchange on which the transaction is effected. Pursuant to the contract, the Portfolio 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 are known as variation margin and are recorded by the Portfolio as unrealized gains or losses. Risks may arise from the potential of a counterparty to meet the terms of the contract. The credit/counterparty risk for exchange-traded swaps is generally less than privately negotiated swaps, since the clearinghouse, which is the issuer or counterparty to each exchange-traded swap, provides a guarantee of performance. The guarantee is supported by a daily payment system (i.e., margin requirements). When the contract is closed, the Portfolio records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the time it was closed.

During the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio held centrally cleared swaps for hedging purposes.

The Portfolio typically enters into International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. Master Agreements (“ISDA Master Agreement”) or similar master agreements (collectively, “Master Agreements”) with its OTC derivative contract counterparties in order to, among other things, reduce its credit risk to counterparties. ISDA Master Agreements include provisions for general obligations, representations, collateral and events of default or termination. Under an ISDA Master Agreement, the Portfolio typically may offset with the counterparty certain derivative financial instrument’s payables and/or receivables with collateral held and/or posted and create one single net payment (close-out netting) in the event of default or termination.

Various master agreements govern the terms of certain transactions with counterparties, including transactions such as exchange-traded derivative transactions, repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements and certain securities lending transactions. These master agreements typically attempt to reduce the counterparty risk associated with such transactions by specifying credit protection mechanisms and providing standardization that improves legal certainty. Cross-termination provisions under Master Agreements typically provide that a default in connection with one transaction between the Portfolio and a counterparty gives the non-defaulting party the right to terminate any other transactions in place with the defaulting party to create one single net payment due to/due from the defaulting party.

The Portfolio’s Master Agreements may contain provisions for early termination of derivative transactions in the event the net assets of the Portfolio decline below specific levels (“net asset contingent features”). If these levels are triggered, the Portfolio’s counterparty has the right to terminate such transaction and require the Portfolio to pay or receive a settlement amount in connection with the terminated transaction.

At June 30, 2013, the Portfolio had entered into the following derivatives:

 

    

Asset Derivatives

   

Liability Derivatives

 

Derivative Type

  

Statement of
Assets and Liabilities
Location

   Fair Value    

Statement of
Assets and Liabilities
Location

   Fair Value  

Interest rate contracts

   Receivable/Payable for variation margin on futures    $ 1,362 *+      

Foreign exchange contracts

   Unrealized appreciation of forward currency exchange contracts      81,219      Unrealized depreciation of forward currency exchange contracts    $ 142,003   

Interest rate contracts

   Unrealized appreciation on interest rate swaps      41,158      Unrealized depreciation on interest rate swaps      6,652   

Interest rate contracts

   Receivable/Payable for variation margin on centrally cleared swaps      60,645 *+    Receivable/Payable for variation margin on centrally cleared swaps      82,491 *+ 

Credit contracts

   Unrealized appreciation on credit default swaps      9,522        
     

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total

      $ 193,906         $ 231,146   
     

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

*   Only variation margin receivable/payable at period end is reported within the statement of assets and liabilities. This amount reflects cumulative appreciation/(depreciation) as reported in the portfolio of investments.

 

+   Exchange-traded investments.

 

28


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The effect of derivative instruments on the statement of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2013:

 

Derivative Type

  

Location of Gain or (Loss) on Derivatives

   Realized Gain or
(Loss) on
Derivatives
    Change in Unrealized
Appreciation or
(Depreciation)
 

Interest rate contracts

   Net realized gain (loss) on futures; Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of futures    $ (5,057   $ 2,123   

Foreign exchange contracts

   Net realized gain (loss) on foreign currency transactions; Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities and other assets      54,922        (257,443

Interest rate contracts

   Net realized gain (loss) on swaps; Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of swaps      (11,961     123,445   

Interest rate contracts

   Net realized gain (loss) on swaps; Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of swaps      50        (21,846

Credit contracts

   Net realized gain (loss) on swaps; Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of swaps      7,473        2,505   
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

      $ 45,427      $ (151,216
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

The following table represents the volume of the Portfolio’s derivative transactions during the six months ended June 30, 2013:

 

Futures:

  

Average original value of buy contracts

   $ 1,111,442 (a) 

Average original value of sale contracts

   $ 1,983,139   

Forward Currency Exchange Contracts:

  

Average principal amount of buy contracts

   $ 1,583,336 (b) 

Average principal amount of sale contracts

   $ 8,963,397   

Interest Rate Swaps:

  

Average notional amount

   $ 3,499,310   

Credit Default Swaps:

  

Average notional amount of sale contracts

   $ 292,857   

Centrally Cleared Swaps:

  

Average notional amount

   $ 1,612,867 (c) 

 

(a)   Positions were open for one month during the period.

 

(b)   Positions were open for five months during the period.

 

(c)   Positions were open for two months during the period.

 

29


INTERMEDIATE BOND PORTFOLIO  
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

For financial reporting purposes, the Portfolio does not offset derivative assets and derivative liabilities that are subject to netting arrangements in the statement of assets and liabilities.

The following tables present the Portfolio’s derivative assets and liabilities by counterparty net of amounts available for offset under Master Agreements (“MA”) and net of the related collateral received/pledged by the Portfolio as of June 30, 2013:

 

Counterparty

     Derivative Assets
Subject to MA
     Derivatives
Available for
Offset
    Collateral Received      Net Amount of
Derivatives Assets
 

Credit Suisse International

     $ 9,522       $ (9,522   $ –0 –     $ –0 – 

Deutsche Bank AG London

       26,413         (11,250     –0 –       15,163   

JPMorgan Chase Bank NA

       41,158         (6,652     –0 –       34,506   

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

       54,600         –0 –      –0 –       54,600   

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

       206         (206     –0 –       –0 – 
    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

     $ 131,899       $ (27,630   $ –0 –     $ 104,269   
    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

Counterparty

   Derivative Liabilities
Subject to MA
     Derivatives
Available for
Offset
    Collateral Pledged     Net Amount of
Derivatives Liabilities
 

BNP Paribas SA

   $ 56,129       $ –0 –    $ –0 –    $ 56,129   

Credit Suisse International

     33,603         (9,522     –0 –      24,081   

Deutsche Bank AG London

     11,250         (11,250     –0 –      –0 – 

Goldman Sachs Capital Markets LP

     26,706         –0 –      –0 –      26,706   

JPMorgan Chase Bank NA

     6,652         (6,652     –0 –      –0 – 

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

     14,315         (206     –0 –      14,109   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

   $ 148,655       $ (27,630   $ –0 –    $ 121,025   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

2. Currency Transactions

The Portfolio may invest in non-U.S. Dollar securities on a currency hedged or unhedged basis. The Portfolio may seek investment opportunities by taking long or short positions in currencies through the use of currency-related derivatives, including forward currency exchange contracts, futures and options on futures, swaps, and other options. The Portfolio may enter into transactions for investment opportunities when it anticipates that a foreign currency will appreciate or depreciate in value but securities denominated in that currency are not held by the Portfolio and do not present attractive investment opportunities. Such transactions may also be used when the Adviser believes that it may be more efficient than a direct investment in a foreign currency-denominated security. The Portfolio may also conduct currency exchange contracts on a spot basis (i.e., for cash at the spot rate prevailing in the currency exchange market for buying or selling currencies).

3. Dollar Rolls

The Portfolio may enter into dollar rolls. Dollar rolls involve sales by the Portfolio of securities for delivery in the current month and the Portfolio’s simultaneously contracting to repurchase substantially similar (same type and coupon) securities on a specified future date. During the roll period, the Portfolio forgoes principal and interest paid on the securities. The Portfolio is compensated by the difference between the current sales price and the lower forward price for the future purchase (often referred to as the “drop”) as well as by the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sale. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Portfolio is obligated to repurchase under the agreement may decline below the repurchase price. Dollar rolls are speculative techniques and may be considered to be borrowings by the Portfolio. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio earned drop income of $97,224 which is included in interest income in the accompanying statement of operations.

4. Reverse Repurchase Agreements

Under a reverse repurchase agreement, the Portfolio sells securities and agrees to repurchase them at a mutually agreed upon date and price. At the time the Portfolio enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, it will establish a segregated account with the custodian containing liquid assets having a value at least equal to the repurchase price. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio had no transactions in reverse repurchase agreements.

 

30


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE E: Capital Stock

Each class consists of 500,000,000 authorized shares. Transactions in capital shares for each class were as follows:

 

    SHARES         AMOUNT  
    Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
        Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 

Class A

         

Shares sold

    35,741        218,065        $ 442,509      $ 2,741,087   

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends and distributions

    –0 –      524,053          –0 –      6,288,631   

Shares redeemed

    (604,692     (2,767,258       (7,425,883     (34,849,164
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease

    (568,951     (2,025,140     $ (6,983,374   $ (25,819,446
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Class B

         

Shares sold

    41,745        138,136        $ 504,479      $ 1,715,485   

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends and distributions

    –0 –      186,939          –0 –      2,222,707   

Shares redeemed

    (216,121     (649,880       (2,633,467     (8,100,002
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease

    (174,376     (324,805     $ (2,128,988   $ (4,161,810
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

NOTE F : Risks Involved in Investing in the Portfolio

Interest Rate Risk and Credit Risk—Interest rate risk is the risk that changes in interest rates will affect the value of the Portfolio’s investments in fixed-income debt securities such as bonds or notes. Increases in interest rates may cause the value of the Portfolio’s investments to decline. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer or guarantor of a debt security, or the counterparty to a derivative contract, will be unable or unwilling to make timely principal and/or interest payments, or to otherwise honor its obligations. The degree of risk for a particular security may be reflected in its credit risk rating. Credit risk is greater for medium quality and lower-rated securities. Lower-rated debt securities and similar unrated securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”) have speculative elements or are predominantly speculative risks.

Duration Risk—Duration is the measure that relates the expected price volatility of a fixed-income security to changes in interest rates. The duration of a fixed-income security may be shorter than or equal to full maturity of a fixed-income security. Fixed-income securities with longer durations have more risk and will decrease in price as interest rates rise. For example, a fixed-income security with a duration of three years will decrease in value by approximately 3% if interest rates increase by 1%.

Foreign Securities Risk—Investing in securities of foreign companies or foreign governments involves special risks which include changes in foreign currency exchange rates and the possibility of future political and economic developments which could adversely affect the value of such securities. Moreover, securities of many foreign companies or foreign governments and their markets may be less liquid and their prices more volatile than those of comparable U.S. companies or of the U.S. government.

Emerging Market Risk— Investments in emerging market countries may have more risk because the markets are less developed and less liquid, and because these investments may be subject to increased economic, political, regulatory and other uncertainties.

Inflation Risk—This is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the real value of the Portfolio’s assets can decline as can the real value of the Portfolio’s distributions.

Currency Risk—This is the risk that changes in foreign currency exchange rates may negatively affect the value of the Portfolio’s investments or reduce the returns of the Portfolio. For example, the value of the Portfolio’s investments in foreign currency-denominated securities or currencies may decrease if the U.S. Dollar is strong (i.e., gaining value relative to other currencies) and other currencies are weak (i.e., losing value relative to the U.S. Dollar). Currency markets are generally not as regulated as securities markets. Independent of the Portfolio’s investments denominated in foreign currencies, the Portfolio’s positions in various foreign currencies may cause the Portfolio to experience investment losses due to the changes in exchange rates and interest rates.

 

31


INTERMEDIATE BOND PORTFOLIO  
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Derivatives Risk—The Portfolio may enter into derivative transactions such as forwards, options, futures and swaps. Derivatives may be illiquid, difficult to price, and leveraged so that small changes may produce disproportionate losses for the Portfolio, and subject to counterparty risk to a greater degree than more traditional investments. Derivatives may result in significant losses, including losses that are far greater than the value of the derivatives reflected in the statement of assets and liabilities.

Leverage Risk—When the Portfolio borrows money or otherwise leverages its portfolio, it may be volatile because leverage tends to exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Portfolio’s investments. The Portfolio may create leverage through the use of reverse repurchase arrangements, forward currency exchange contracts, forward commitments, dollar rolls or futures or by borrowing money. The use of derivative instruments by the Portfolio, such as forwards, futures, options and swaps, may also result in a form of leverage. Leverage may result in higher returns to the Portfolio than if the Portfolio were not leveraged, but may also adversely affect returns, particularly if the market is declining.

Indemnification Risk—In the ordinary course of business, the Portfolio enters into contracts that contain a variety of indemnifications. The Portfolio’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown. However, the Portfolio has not had prior claims or losses pursuant to these indemnification provisions and expects the risk of loss thereunder to be remote. Therefore, the Portfolio has not accrued any liability in connection with these indemnification provisions.

NOTE G: Joint Credit Facility

A number of open-end mutual funds managed by the Adviser, including the Portfolio, participate in a $140 million revolving credit facility (the “Facility”) intended to provide short-term financing, if necessary, subject to certain restrictions in connection with abnormal redemption activity. Commitment fees related to the Facility are paid by the participating funds and are included in miscellaneous expenses in the statement of operations. The Portfolio did not utilize the Facility during the six months ended June 30, 2013.

NOTE H: Distributions to Shareholders

The tax character of distributions to be paid for the year ending December 31, 2013 will be determined at the end of the current fiscal year. The tax character of distributions paid during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 were as follows:

 

       2012        2011  

Distributions paid from:

         

Ordinary income

     $ 5,421,309         $ 6,977,197   

Net long-term capital gains

       3,090,029           427,940   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total taxable distributions paid

     $ 8,511,338         $ 7,405,137   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2012, the components of accumulated earnings/(deficit) on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed ordinary income

   $ 4,433,496   

Undistributed capital gain

     1,720,228 (a) 

Unrealized appreciation/(depreciation)

     7,457,080 (b) 
  

 

 

 

Total accumulated earnings/(deficit)

   $ 13,610,804   
  

 

 

 

 

(a)   As of December 31, 2012, the Portfolio had cumulative deferred losses on straddles of $5,881.

 

(b)   The differences between book-basis and tax-basis unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) are attributable primarily to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales, the tax treatment of swaps, and the realization for tax purposes of gains/losses on certain derivative instruments.

For tax purposes, net capital losses may be carried over to offset future capital gains, if any. Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, funds are permitted to carry forward capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 for an indefinite period. These post-enactment capital losses must be utilized prior to the pre-enactment capital losses, which are subject to expiration. Post-enactment capital loss carryforwards will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses rather than being considered short-term as under previous regulation. As of December 31, 2012, the Portfolio did not have any capital loss carryforwards.

 

32


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE I: Subsequent Events

Management has evaluated subsequent events for possible recognition or disclosure in the financial statements through the date the financial statements are issued. Management has determined that there are no material events that would require disclosure in the Portfolio’s financial statements through this date.

 

33


 
INTERMEDIATE BOND PORTFOLIO  
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    Class A  
    Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended December 31,  
      2012     2011     2010     2009     2008  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $12.30        $12.54        $12.39        $11.98        $10.50        $11.78   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Income From Investment Operations

           

Net investment income (a)

    .16        .33        .42        .48        .52        .51   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment and foreign currency transactions

    (.48     .40        .38        .60        1.37        (1.22

Contributions from Adviser

    –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      .00 (b) 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

    (.32     .73        .80        1.08        1.89        (.71
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Less: Dividends and Distributions

           

Dividends from net investment income

    –0 –      (.58     (.60     (.67     (.41     (.57

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

    –0 –      (.39     (.05     –0 –      –0 –      –0 – 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total dividends and distributions

    –0 –      (.97     (.65     (.67     (.41     (.57
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $11.98        $12.30        $12.54        $12.39        $11.98        $10.50   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Total Return

           

Total investment return based on net asset value (c)

    (2.60 )%*      6.05 %*†      6.64     9.20 %*      18.51 %*      (6.38 )%* 
           

Ratios/Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

    $70,247        $79,104        $106,028        $119,599        $129,647        $129,111   

Ratio to average net assets of:

           

Expenses

    .74 %(d)      .70     .65     .68 %(e)      .69     .64

Net investment income

    2.68 %(d)      2.67     3.42     3.90 %(e)      4.69     4.72

Portfolio turnover rate

    95     116     108     94     102     106

 

 

 

See   footnote summary on page 35.

 

34


 
 
    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    Class B  
    Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended December 31,  
      2012     2011     2010     2009     2008  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $12.17        $12.41        $12.26        $11.86        $10.40        $11.67   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Income From Investment Operations

           

Net investment income (a)

    .15        .30        .39        .44        .49        .48   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment and foreign currency transactions

    (.48     .40        .37        .60        1.36        (1.21

Contributions from Adviser

    –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      .00 (b) 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

    (.33     .70        .76        1.04        1.85        (.73
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Less: Dividends and Distributions

           

Dividends from net investment income

    –0 –      (.55     (.56     (.64     (.39     (.54

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

    –0 –      (.39     (.05     –0 –      –0 –      –0 – 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total dividends and distributions

    –0 –      (.94     (.61     (.64     (.39     (.54
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $11.84        $12.17        $12.41        $12.26        $11.86        $10.40   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Total Return

           

Total investment return based on net asset value (c)

    (2.71 )%*      5.79 %*†      6.38     8.93 %*      18.20 %*      (6.59 )%* 
           

Ratios/Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

    $26,504        $29,363        $33,973        $39,025        $41,341        $40,929   

Ratio to average net assets of:

           

Expenses

    .99 %(d)      .96     .90     .93 %(e)      .94     .89

Net investment income

    2.43 %(d)      2.43     3.17     3.64 %(e)      4.44     4.47

Portfolio turnover rate

    95     116     108     94     102     106

 

 

 

(a)   Based on average shares outstanding.

 

(b)   Amount is less than $.005.

 

(c)   Total investment return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption on the last day of the period. Total return does not reflect (i) insurance company’s separate account related expense charges and (ii) the deductions of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Portfolio distributions or the redemption of Portfolio shares. Total investment return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized.

 

(d)   Annualized.

 

(e)   The ratio includes expenses attributable to costs of proxy solicitation.

 

*   Includes the impact of proceeds received and credited to the Portfolio resulting from class action settlements, which enhanced the Portfolio’s performance for the six months ended June 30, 2013 and years ended December 31, 2012, December 31, 2010, December 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008 by 0.01%, 0.05%, 0.04%, 0.01% and 0.09%, respectively.

 

  Includes the Adviser’s reimbursement in respect of the Lehman Bankruptcy Claim which contributed to the Portfolio’s performance by 0.38% for the year ended December 31, 2012.

See notes to financial statements.

 

35


 
INTERMEDIATE BOND PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

THE FOLLOWING IS NOT PART OF THE SHAREHOLDER REPORT OR THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

SUMMARY OF SENIOR OFFICER’S EVALUATION OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT1

The following is a summary of the evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement between AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) and the AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”), in respect of AllianceBernstein Intermediate Bond Portfolio (the “Portfolio”),2 prepared by Philip L. Kirstein, the Senior Officer of the Fund for the Directors of the Fund, as required by the August 2004 agreement between the Adviser and the New York State Attorney General (the “NYAG”). The Senior Officer’s evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement is not meant to diminish the responsibility or authority of the Board of Directors to perform its duties pursuant to Section 15 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “40 Act”) and applicable state law. The purpose of the summary is to provide shareholders with a synopsis of the independent evaluation of the reasonableness of the advisory fees proposed to be paid by the Portfolio which was provided to the Directors in connection with their review of the proposed approval of the continuance of the Investment Advisory Agreement.

The Senior Officer’s evaluation considered the following factors:

 

  1. Advisory fees charged to institutional and other clients of the Adviser for like services;

 

  2. Advisory fees charged by other mutual fund companies for like services;

 

  3. Costs to the Adviser and its affiliates of supplying services pursuant to the advisory agreement, excluding any intra-corporate profit;

 

  4. Profit margins of the Adviser and its affiliates from supplying such services;

 

  5. Possible economies of scale as the Portfolio grows larger; and

 

  6. Nature and quality of the Adviser’s services including the performance of the Portfolio.

These factors, with the exception of the first factor, are generally referred to as the “Gartenberg factors,” which were articulated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1982. Gartenberg v. Merrill Lynch Asset Management, Inc., 694 F. 2d 923 (2d Cir. 1982). On March 30, 2010, the Supreme Court held the Gartenberg decision was correct in its basic formulation of what §36(b) requires: to face liability under §36(b), “an investment adviser must charge a fee that is so disproportionately large that it bears no reasonable relationship to the services rendered and could not have been the product of arm’s length bargaining.” Jones v. Harris Associates L.P., 130 S. Ct. 1418 (2010). In Jones, the Court stated the Gartenberg approach fully incorporates the correct understanding of fiduciary duty within the context of section 36(b) and noted with approval that “Gartenberg insists that all relevant circumstances be taken into account” and “uses the range of fees that might result from arm’s length bargaining as the benchmark for reviewing challenged fees.”3

ADVISORY FEES, NET ASSETS, & EXPENSE RATIOS

The Adviser proposed that the Portfolio pays the advisory fee set forth in the table below for receiving the services to be provided pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement. The fee schedule below, implemented in January 2004 in consideration of the Adviser’s settlement with the NYAG in December 2003, is based on a master schedule that contemplates eight categories of funds with almost all funds in each category having the same advisory fee schedule.4 Also shown are the Portfolio’s net assets on September 30, 2012.

 

1   The information in the fee evaluation was completed on October 25, 2012 and discussed with the Board of Directors on November 6-8, 2012.

 

2   Future references to the Portfolio do not include “AllianceBernstein.” References in the fee summary pertaining to performance and expense ratios refer to Class A shares of the Portfolio.

 

3   Jones v. Harris at 1427.

 

4   Most of the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds, which the Adviser manages, were affected by the Adviser’s settlement with the NYAG.

 

36


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Category   Advisory Fee Based on % of
Average Daily Net Assets
 

September 30, 2012

Net Assets
($MM)

 

Low Risk Income

 

45 bp on 1st $2.5 billion

40 bp on next $2.5 billion

35 bp on the balance

  $ 112.6   

The Portfolio’s Investment Advisory Agreement provides for the Adviser to be reimbursed for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services provided to the Portfolio. During the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year, the Adviser received $63,482 (0.04% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets) for providing such services.

Set forth below are the Portfolio’s total expense ratios for the most recent semi-annual period:

 

Portfolio   Total Expense Ratio   Fiscal Year

Intermediate Bond Portfolio

 

Class A 0.70%

Class B 0.95%

  December 31

(ratio as of June 30, 2012)

I. ADVISORY FEES CHARGED TO INSTITUTIONAL AND OTHER CLIENTS

The advisory fees charged to investment companies which the Adviser manages and sponsors are normally higher than those charged to similar sized institutional accounts, including pension plans and sub-advised investment companies. The fee differential reflects, among other things, different services provided to such clients, and different liabilities assumed. Services provided by the Adviser to the Portfolio that are not provided to non-investment company clients and sub-advised investment companies include providing office space and personnel to serve as Fund Officers, who among other responsibilities make the certifications required under the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, and coordinating with and monitoring the Portfolio’s third party service providers such as Fund counsel, auditors, custodians, transfer agents and pricing services. The accounting, administrative, legal and compliance requirements for the Portfolio are more costly than those for institutional assets due to the greater complexities and time required for investment companies, although as previously noted, the Adviser is reimbursed for providing some of these services. Servicing the Portfolio’s investors is more time consuming and labor intensive compared to institutional clients since the Adviser needs to communicate with a more extensive network of financial intermediaries and shareholders. The Adviser also believes that it incurs substantial entrepreneurial risk when offering a new mutual fund since establishing a new mutual fund requires a large upfront investment and it may take a long time for the fund to achieve profitability since the fund must be priced to scale from inception in order to be competitive and assets are acquired one account at a time. In addition, managing the cash flow of an investment company may be more difficult than managing that of a stable pool of assets, such as an institutional account with little cash movement in either direction, particularly, if a fund is in net redemption and the Adviser is frequently forced to sell securities to raise cash for redemptions. However, managing a fund with positive cash flow may be easier at times than managing a stable pool of assets. Finally, in recent years, investment advisers have been sued by institutional clients and have suffered reputational damage both by the attendant publicity and outcomes other than complete victories. Accordingly, the legal and reputational risks associated with institutional accounts are greater than previously thought, although still not equal to those related to the mutual fund industry.

Notwithstanding the Adviser’s view that managing an investment company is not comparable to managing other institutional accounts because the services provided are different, the Supreme Court has indicated consideration should be given to the advisory fees charged to institutional accounts with a similar investment style as the Portfolio.5 In addition to the AllianceBernstein Institutional fee schedule, set forth below is what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the AllianceBernstein Institutional fee schedule been applicable to the Portfolio versus the Portfolio’s advisory fee based on September 30, 2012 net assets.6

 

 

5   The Supreme Court stated that “courts may give such comparisons the weight that they merit in light of the similarities and differences between the services that the clients in question require, but the courts must be wary of inapt comparisons.” Among the significant differences the Supreme Court noted that may exist between services provided to mutual funds and institutional accounts are “higher marketing costs.” Jones v. Harris at 1428.

 

6   The Adviser has indicated that with respect to institutional accounts with assets greater than $300 million, it will negotiate a fee schedule. Discounts that are negotiated vary based upon each client relationship.

 

37


INTERMEDIATE BOND PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Fund   

Net Assets

9/30/12

($MM)

  

AllianceBernstein
Institutional

Fee Schedule

   Effective AB
Inst.
Adv. Fee (%)
    

Fund

Advisory

Fee (%)

 

Intermediate Bond Portfolio

   $112.6   

U.S. Strategic Core Plus

0.50% on the first $30 million

0.20% on the balance

Minimum Account Size: $25 million

     0.280         0.450   

The Adviser manages Sanford C. Bernstein Fund, Inc. (“SCB Fund”), an open-end management investment company. Intermediate Duration Portfolio of SCB Fund has a similar investment style as the Portfolio. Set forth below is Intermediate Duration Portfolio’s advisory fee and what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the fee schedule of Intermediate Duration Portfolio been applicable to the Portfolio versus the Portfolio’s advisory fees based on September 30, 2012 net assets:

 

Portfolio   SCB Fund Portfolio   Fee Schedule   SCB Fund
Effective
Fee (%)
    Portfolio
Advisory
Fee (%)
 

Intermediate Bond Portfolio

  Intermediate Duration Portfolio  

50 bp on 1st $1 billion

45 bp on next $2 billion

40 bp on next $2 billion

35 bp on next $2 billion 30 on the balance

    0.500%        0.450%   

Certain of the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds (“ABMF”), which the Adviser manages, have a similar investment style as the Portfolio and their fee schedules are set forth below. ABMF was also affected by the Adviser’s settlement with the NYAG. As a result, the Portfolio has the same breakpoints as AllianceBernstein Bond Fund, Inc. – Intermediate Bond Portfolio. Sanford C. Bernstein Fund II, Inc. – Intermediate Duration Institutional Portfolio was not affected by the settlement since the fund has lower breakpoints than the NYAG related fee schedule. Also shown are what would have been the effective advisory fees of the Portfolio had the ABMF fee schedules been applicable to the Portfolio versus the Portfolio’s advisory fee based on September 30, 2012 net assets:

 

Portfolio   ABMF Fund   Fee Schedule   ABMF
Effective
Fee (%)
   

Portfolio

Advisory
Fee (%)

 

Intermediate Bond Portfolio

  Bond Fund, Inc. – Intermediate Bond Portfolio  

0.45% on first $2.5 billion

0.40% on next $2.5 billion

0.35% on the balance

    0.450%        0.450%   

Intermediate Bond Portfolio

  Intermediate Duration Institutional Portfolio7  

0.50% on first $1 billion

0.45% on the balance

    0.500%        0.450%   

The Adviser provides sub-advisory services to certain other investment companies managed by other fund families that have an investment style similar to that of the Portfolio. The Adviser charges the fee set forth below for the sub-advisory relationship that has a somewhat similar investment style as the Portfolio. Also shown are the Portfolio’s advisory fee and what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the fee schedule of the sub-advisory relationship been applicable to the Portfolio based on September 30, 2012 net assets.

 

Fund        Fee Schedule  

Effective

Sub-Adv.

Fee (%)

    Portfolio
Advisory
Fee (%)
 

Intermediate Bond Portfolio

  Client # 1  

AB Sub-Advisory Fee Schedule:

    0.29% on first $100 million

    0.20% thereafter

    0.280%        0.450%   

It is fair to note that the services the Adviser provides pursuant to sub-advisory agreements are generally confined to the services related to the investment process; in other words, they are not as comprehensive as the services provided to the Portfolio by the Adviser. In addition, to the extent that this is the only sub-advisory relationship and it is with an affiliate of the Adviser, the fee schedule may not reflect arm’s-length bargaining or negotiations.

 

7   Intermediate Duration Institutional Portfolio has an expense cap of 0.45%, which effectively reduces the advisory fee of the fund.

 

38


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

While it appears that the sub-advisory relationship is paying a lower fee than the Portfolio, it is difficult to evaluate the relevance of such a lower fee due to differences in terms of the services provided, risks involved and other competitive factors between the Portfolio and the sub-advisory relationship. There could be various business reasons why an investment adviser would be willing to provide a sub-advised relationship investment related services at a different fee level than an investment company it is sponsoring where the investment adviser is providing all the services, not just investment management, generally required by a registered investment company.

II. MANAGEMENT FEES CHARGED BY OTHER MUTUAL FUND COMPANIES FOR LIKE SERVICES.

Lipper, Inc. (“Lipper”), an analytical service that is not affiliated with the Adviser, compared the fees charged to the Portfolio with fees charged to other investment companies for similar services offered by other investment advisers.8 Lipper’s analysis included the comparison of the Portfolio’s contractual management fee, estimated at the approximate current asset level of the Portfolio, to the median of the Portfolio’s Lipper Expense Group (“EG”)9 and the Portfolio’s contractual management fee ranking.10

Lipper describes an EG as a representative sample of comparable funds. Lipper’s standard methodology for screening funds to be included in an EG entails the consideration of several fund criteria, including fund type, investment classification/objective, load type and similar 12b-1/non-12b-1 service fees, asset (size) comparability, expense components and attributes. An EG will typically consist of seven to twenty funds.

The Portfolio’s original EG had an insufficient number of peers. Consequently, Lipper expanded the Portfolio’s EG to include peers that have a similar but not the same Lipper classification/objective as the Portfolio. However, because Lipper had expanded the Portfolio’s EG, under Lipper’s standard guidelines, the Portfolio’s Lipper Expense Universe (“EU”) was also expanded to include universes of those peers that had a similar but not the same Lipper investment objective/classification. A “normal” EU will include funds that have the same investment objective/classification as the subject portfolio.11

 

Fund  

Contractual
Management

Fee (%)12

 

Lipper Exp.

Group

Median (%)

 

Lipper
Group

Rank

Intermediate Bond Portfolio

  0.450   0.500   2/14

Set forth below is a comparison of the Portfolio’s total expense ratio and the medians of the Portfolio’s EG and EU. The Portfolio’s total expense ratio ranking is also shown.

 

Fund   

Expense

Ratio
(%)13

    

Lipper Exp.

Group
Median (%)

    

Lipper

Group

Rank

    

Lipper Exp.

Universe

Median (%)

    

Lipper
Universe

Rank

 

Intermediate Bond Portfolio

     0.649         0.646         8/14         0.604         22/30   

Based on this analysis, the Portfolio has more favorable ranking on a management fee basis than on a total expense basis.

 

8   The Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since “these comparisons are problematic because these fees, like those challenged, may not be the product of negotiations conducted at arm’s length.” Jones v. Harris at 1429.

 

9   Lipper does not consider average account size when constructing EGs. Funds with relatively small average account sizes tend to have higher transfer agent expense ratio than comparable sized funds that have relatively large average account sizes. Note that there are limitations on Lipper expense category data because different funds categorize expenses differently.

 

10   The contractual management fee is calculated by Lipper using the Portfolio’s contractual management fee rate at a hypothetical asset level. The hypothetical asset level is based on the combined net assets of all classes of the Portfolio, rounded up to the next $25 million. Lipper’s total expense ratio information is based on the most recent annual report except as otherwise noted. A ranking of “1” would mean that the Portfolio had the lowest effective fee rate in the Lipper peer group.

 

11   Except for asset size comparability, Lipper uses the same criteria for selecting an EG peer when selecting an EU peer. Unlike the EG, the EU allows for the same adviser to be represented by more than just one fund.

 

12   The contractual management fee does not reflect any expense reimbursements made by the Fund to the Adviser for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative, and other services.

 

13   Most recently completed fiscal year Class A share total expense ratio.

 

39


INTERMEDIATE BOND PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

III. COSTS TO THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES OF SUPPLYING SERVICES PURSUANT TO THE MANAGEMENT FEE ARRANGEMENT, EXCLUDING ANY INTRA-CORPORATE PROFIT.

The Adviser utilizes two profitability reporting systems, which operate independently but are aligned with each other, to estimate the Adviser’s profitability in connection with investment advisory services provided to the Portfolio. The Senior Officer has retained a consultant to provide independent advice regarding the alignment of the two profitability systems as well as the methodologies and allocations utilized by both profitability systems. See Section IV for additional discussion.

IV. PROFIT MARGINS OF THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES FOR SUPPLYING SUCH SERVICES.

The Portfolio’s profitability information, prepared by the Adviser for the Board of Directors, was reviewed by the Senior Officer and the consultant. The Adviser’s profitability from providing investment advisory services to the Portfolio decreased during calendar year 2011, relative to 2010.

In addition to the Adviser’s direct profits from managing the Portfolio, certain of the Adviser’s affiliates have business relationships with the Portfolio and may earn a profit from providing other services to the Portfolio. The courts have referred to this type of business opportunity as “fall-out benefits” to the Adviser and indicated that such benefits should be factored into the evaluation of the total relationship between the Portfolio and the Adviser. Neither case law nor common business practice precludes the Adviser’s affiliates from earning a reasonable profit on this type of relationship provided the affiliates’ charges and services are competitive and the relationship otherwise complies with the 40 Act restrictions. These affiliates provide transfer agent and distribution services to the Portfolio and receive transfer agent fees, Rule 12b-1 payments and front-end sales loads.

The Portfolio has adopted a distribution plan for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 40 Act. Under the distribution plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to its principal underwriter and distributor, AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (“ABI”), an affiliate of the Adviser, at an annual rate of up to 0.50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The current annual rate that the Portfolio pays to ABI for 12b-1 fees is 0.25%. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, ABI received $87,163 in Rule 12b-1 fees from the Portfolio.

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, the Adviser incurred distribution expenses in the amount of $342,017 in connection with activities primarily intended to result in the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. This amount includes the 12b-1 fees paid by the Portfolio to the Adviser.

Financial intermediaries, such as insurers, market and sell shares of the Portfolio and typically receive compensation from ABI, the Adviser and/or the Portfolio for selling shares of the Portfolio. These financial intermediaries receive compensation in any or all of the following forms: 12b-1 fees, defrayal of costs for educational seminars and training, additional distribution support, and payments related to providing contract-holder record-keeping and/or administrative services. Payments related to providing contract-holder record keeping and/or administrative services will generally not exceed 0.35% of the average daily net assets of the Portfolio attributable to the firm over the year. With respect to the Fund,14 ABI paid approximately $500,000 in 2011 and expects to pay approximately $500,000 in 2012 for educational support and distribution assistance (revenue sharing payments).

The transfer agent of the Portfolio is AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”). During the most recently completed fiscal year, ABIS received a fee of approximately $1,310 from the Portfolio.15

V. POSSIBLE ECONOMIES OF SCALE

The Adviser has indicated that economies of scale are being shared with shareholders through pricing to scale, breakpoints, fee reductions/waivers and enhancement to services.

An independent consultant, retained by the Senior Officer, provided the Board of Directors information on the Adviser’s firm-wide average costs from 2005 through 2011 and the potential economies of scale. The independent consultant noted that from 2005 through 2007 the Adviser experienced significant growth in assets under management (“AUM”). During this period, operating expenses increased, in part to keep up with growth, and in part reflecting market returns. However, from 2008 through the first quarter of 2009, AUM rapidly and significantly decreased due to declines in market value and client withdrawals. When AUM rapidly decreased, some operating expenses categories, including base compensation and office space, adjusted more slowly during this period, resulting in an increase in average costs. Since 2009, AUM has experienced

 

14   The fee is inclusive of other Portfolios of the Fund (Equity and Blend), which are not discussed in this summary.

 

15   The Fund (which includes the Portfolio and other Portfolios of the Fund) paid ABIS a flat fee of $18,000 in 2011.

 

40


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

less significant changes. The independent consultant noted that changes in operating expenses reflect changes in business composition and business practices in response to changes in financial markets. Finally, the independent consultant concluded that the increase in average cost and the decline in net operating margin across the Adviser since late 2008 are inconsistent with the view that there are currently reductions in average costs due to economies of scale that can be shared with the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds managed by the Adviser through lower fees.

Previously in February 2008, the independent consultant provided the Board of Directors an update of the Deli16 study on advisory fees and various fund characteristics.17 The independent consultant first reiterated the results of his previous two dimensional comparison analysis (fund size and family size) with the Board of Directors.18 The independent consultant then discussed the results of the regression model that was utilized to study the effects of various factors on advisory fees. The regression model output indicated that the bulk of the variation in fees predicted were explained by various factors, but substantially by fund AUM, family AUM, index fund indicator and investment style. The independent consultant also compared the advisory fees of the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds to similar funds managed by 19 other large asset managers, regardless of the fund size and each Adviser’s proportion of mutual fund assets to non-mutual fund assets.

VI. NATURE AND QUALITY OF THE ADVISER’S SERVICES, INCLUDING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE FUND

With assets under management of approximately $419 billion as of September 30, 2012, the Adviser has the investment experience to manage and provide non-investment services (described in Section I) to the Portfolio.

The information prepared by Lipper shows the 1, 3, 5 and 10 year performance rankings19 of the Portfolio relative to its Lipper Performance Group (“PG”) and Lipper Performance Universe (“PU”)20 for the periods ended July 31, 2012.21

 

       

Fund

Return
(%)

      

PG

Median
(%)

      

PU

Median
(%)

      

PG

Rank

      

PU

Rank

 

Intermediate Bond Portfolio

                        

1 year

       6.51           7.16           7.51           7/7           14/14   

3 year

       8.85           8.47           8.24           2/7           4/14   

5 year

       6.84           6.44           6.51           3/7           5/12   

10 year

       5.44           5.40           5.40           3/7           5/12   

Set forth below are the 1, 3, 5 and 10 year and since inception performance returns of the Fund (in bold)22 versus its benchmarks.23 Portfolio and benchmark volatility and reward-to-variability ratio (“Sharpe Ratio”) information is also shown.24

 

 

16   The Deli study, originally published in 2002 based on 1997 data and updated for the February 2008 Presentation, may be of diminished value due to the age of the data used in the presentation and the changes experienced in the industry over the last four years.

 

17   As mentioned previously, the Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since the fees may not be the product of negotiations conducted at arm’s length. See Jones V. Harris at 1429.

 

18   The two dimensional analysis showed patterns of lower advisory fees for funds with larger asset sizes and funds from larger family sizes compared to funds with smaller asset sizes and funds from smaller family sizes, which according to the independent consultant is indicative of a sharing of economies of scale and scope. However, in less liquid and active markets, such is not the case, as the empirical analysis showed potential for diseconomies of scale in those markets. The empirical analysis also showed diminishing economies of scale and scope as funds surpassed a certain high level of assets.

 

19   The performance returns and rankings of the Portfolio are for the Portfolio’s Class A shares. It should be noted that performance returns of the Portfolio were provided by Lipper.

 

20   The Portfolio’s PG/PU may not be identical to its respective EG/EU as the criteria for including/excluding a fund to/from PG/PU is somewhat different than that of EG/EU.

 

21   The current Lipper investment classification/objective dictates the PG and PU throughout the life of the Portfolio even if a Portfolio had a different investment classification/objective at a different point in time.

 

22   The performance returns and risk measures shown in the table are for the Class A shares of the Portfolio.

 

23   The Adviser provided Portfolio and benchmark performance return information for periods through July 31, 2012.

 

24   Portfolio and benchmark volatility and Sharpe Ratio information was obtained through Lipper LANA, a database maintained by Lipper. Volatility is a statistical measure of the tendency of a market price or yield to vary over time. A Sharpe Ratio is a risk adjusted measure of return that divides a fund’s return in excess of the riskless return by the fund’s standard deviation. A fund with a greater volatility would be viewed as more risky than a fund with equivalent performance but lower volatility; for that reason, a greater return would be demanded for the more risky fund. A fund with a higher Sharpe Ratio would be viewed as better performing than a fund with a lower Sharpe Ratio.

 

41


INTERMEDIATE BOND PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    

Periods Ending July 31, 2012

Annualized Performance

 
    

1

Year

(%)

   

3

Year

(%)

   

5

Year

(%)

   

10
Year

(%)

   

Since
Inception

(%)

    Annualized     

Risk
Period

(Year)

 
            Volatility
(%)
    Sharpe
(%)
    

Intermediate Bond Portfolio

    6.51        8.85        6.85        5.44        5.75        4.53        0.77         10   

Barclays Capital U.S. Government Bond Index

    7.56        5.81        6.54        5.23        6.15        4.39        0.77         10   

Inception Date: September 17, 1992

                

CONCLUSION:

Based on the factors discussed above the Senior Officer’s conclusion is that the proposed advisory fee for the Fund is reasonable and within the range of what would have been negotiated at arm’s length in light of all the surrounding circumstances. This conclusion in respect of the Fund is based on an evaluation of all of these factors and no single factor was dispositive.

Dated: December 3, 2012

 

42


AllianceBernstein

Variable Products Series Fund, Inc.

 

 

 

LOGO   AllianceBernstein International Growth Portfolio

 

June 30, 2013

 

Semi-Annual Report

 

LOGO

 

SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT


 

 

 

Investment Products Offered

 

  Ø  

Are Not FDIC Insured

  Ø  

May Lose Value

  Ø  

Are Not Bank Guaranteed

AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (ABI) is the distributor of the AllianceBernstein family of mutual funds. ABI is a member of FINRA and is an affiliate of AllianceBernstein L.P., the manager of the funds.

You may obtain a description of the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures, and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, without charge. Simply visit AllianceBernstein’s website at www.alliancebernstein.com or go to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “Commission”) website at www.sec.gov, or call AllianceBernstein at (800) 227-4618.

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Commission for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Fund’s Forms N-Q are available on the Commission’s website at www.sec.gov. The Fund’s Forms N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC; information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330.

AllianceBernstein® and the AB Logo are registered trademarks and service marks used by permission of the owner, AllianceBernstein L.P.


 
INTERNATIONAL GROWTH PORTFOLIO
EXPENSE EXAMPLE (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments, contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution (12b-1) fees; and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund 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 as indicated below.

Actual Expenses

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. The estimate of expenses does not include fees or other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes

The table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed annual rate of return of 5% before expenses, which is not the Fund’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 costs of investing in the Fund and other funds by comparing this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds. The estimate of expenses does not include fees or other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads), or contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions. Therefore, the second line of each class’ table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

      Beginning
Account Value
January 1, 2013
     Ending
Account Value
June 30, 2013
     Expenses Paid
During Period*
     Annualized
Expense Ratio*
 

Class A

           

Actual

   $   1,000       $   1,007.60       $   4.68         0.94

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $ 1,000       $ 1,020.13       $ 4.71         0.94
           

Class B

           

Actual

   $ 1,000       $ 1,006.50       $ 5.92         1.19

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $ 1,000       $ 1,018.89       $ 5.96         1.19

 

 

*   Expenses are equal to each classes’ annualized expense ratios, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 181/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).

 

1


INTERNATIONAL GROWTH PORTFOLIO
TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS*  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

COMPANY    U.S. $ VALUE        PERCENT OF NET ASSETS  

British American Tobacco PLC

   $ 6,260,246           4.2

Nestle SA

     5,424,311           3.6   

Roche Holding AG

     5,351,130           3.6   

Partners Group Holding AG

     5,241,154           3.5   

Anheuser-Busch InBev NV

     5,085,251           3.4   

Prudential PLC

     4,256,326           2.9   

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

     3,962,312           2.7   

AIA Group Ltd.

     3,854,050           2.6   

Diageo PLC

     3,585,396           2.4   

Cie Financiere Richemont SA (SWX Europe)

     3,343,392           2.3   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 
     $   46,363,568           31.2

SECTOR BREAKDOWN**

June 30, 2013 (unaudited)

 

 

SECTOR    U.S. $ VALUE        PERCENT OF TOTAL INVESTMENTS  

Financials

   $ 33,227,988           22.5

Consumer Staples

     29,827,409           20.2   

Consumer Discretionary

     18,651,096           12.6   

Health Care

     16,835,381           11.4   

Industrials

     16,241,143           11.0   

Information Technology

     14,703,404           9.9   

Materials

     8,048,069           5.4   

Energy

     6,143,985           4.1   

Utilities

     2,428,656           1.6   

Short-Term Investments

     1,858,012           1.3   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Investments

   $   147,965,143           100.0

 

 

 

*   Long-term investments.

 

**   The Portfolio’s sector breakdown is expressed as a percentage of total investments (excluding security lending collateral) and may vary over time. The Portfolio also enters into derivative transactions, which may be used for hedging or investment purposes (see “Portfolio of Investments” section of the report for additional details).

Please note: The sector classifications presented herein are based on the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) which was developed by Morgan Stanley Capital International and Standard & Poor’s. The components are divided into sector, industry group, and industry sub-indices as classified by the GICS for each of the market capitalization indices in the broad market. These sector classifications are broadly defined. The “Portfolio of Investments” section of the report reflects more specific industry information and is consistent with the investment restrictions discussed in the Portfolio’s prospectus.

 

2


INTERNATIONAL GROWTH PORTFOLIO
COUNTRY BREAKDOWN*  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

COUNTRY    U.S. $ VALUE        PERCENT OF TOTAL INVESTMENTS  

United Kingdom

   $ 39,439,427           26.6

Switzerland

     21,563,360           14.6   

France

     12,295,036           8.3   

India

     8,066,962           5.4   

Japan

     7,225,045           4.9   

Hong Kong

     6,752,026           4.6   

China

     6,723,860           4.5   

Belgium

     6,261,649           4.2   

Germany

     5,440,093           3.7   

Brazil

     4,232,780           2.9   

South Korea

     3,962,312           2.7   

South Africa

     3,933,217           2.7   

Indonesia

     3,853,646           2.6   

Other

     16,357,718           11.0   

Short-Term Investments

     1,858,012           1.3   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Investments

   $   147,965,143           100.0

 

 

 

*   All data are as of June 30, 2013. The Portfolio’s country breakdown is expressed as a percentage of total investments (excluding security lending collateral) and may vary over time. “Other” country weightings represent 1.9% or less in the following countries: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, Taiwan and United States.

 

3


INTERNATIONAL GROWTH PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
  Shares     U.S. $ Value  
             

COMMON STOCKS–97.8%

   
   

FINANCIALS–22.4%

   

CAPITAL MARKETS–7.9%

   

Aberdeen Asset Management PLC

    517,710      $       3,012,885   

Azimut Holding SpA

    65,765        1,197,357   

Partners Group Holding AG

    19,363        5,241,154   

UBS AG(a)

    129,810        2,203,373   
   

 

 

 
      11,654,769   
   

 

 

 

COMMERCIAL BANKS–4.8%

   

Bank Mandiri Persero Tbk PT

    3,235,500        2,918,214   

HSBC Holdings PLC

    207,781        2,150,978   

Itausa–Investimentos Itau SA (Preference Shares)

    242,060        894,971   

Sberbank of Russia (Sponsored ADR)

    100,854        1,157,804   
   

 

 

 
      7,121,967   
   

 

 

 

CONSUMER FINANCE–0.2%

   

Muthoot Finance Ltd.

    197,940        338,050   
   

 

 

 

DIVERSIFIED FINANCIAL SERVICES–1.5%

   

FirstRand Ltd.

    246,320        720,778   

IG Group Holdings PLC

    168,948        1,491,950   
   

 

 

 
      2,212,728   
   

 

 

 

INSURANCE–5.5%

   

AIA Group Ltd.

    914,800        3,854,050   

Prudential PLC

    260,760        4,256,326   
   

 

 

 
      8,110,376   
   

 

 

 

REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT–0.5%

   

BR Malls Participacoes SA

    84,800        758,178   
   

 

 

 

THRIFTS & MORTGAGE FINANCE–2.0%

   

Housing Development Finance Corp.

    208,810        3,031,920   
   

 

 

 
      33,227,988   
   

 

 

 

CONSUMER STAPLES–20.1%

  

 

BEVERAGES–7.1%

   

Anheuser-Busch InBev NV

    56,482        5,085,251   

Diageo PLC

    125,030        3,585,396   

Pernod-Ricard SA

    17,040        1,891,335   
   

 

 

 
      10,561,982   
   

 

 

 

FOOD & STAPLES RETAILING–1.2%

   

Brasil Pharma SA(a)

    30,300        136,607   

Raia Drogasil SA

    77,500        750,913   

Tsuruha Holdings, Inc.

    8,600        812,885   
   

 

 

 
      1,700,405   
   

 

 

 

FOOD PRODUCTS–5.7%

   

Danone SA

    40,676        3,061,615   

Nestle SA

    82,662        5,424,311   
   

 

 

 
      8,485,926   
   

 

 

 

HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS–1.9%

   

Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC

    39,850      $ 2,818,850   
   

 

 

 

TOBACCO–4.2%

   

British American Tobacco PLC

    122,057        6,260,246   
   

 

 

 
          29,827,409   
   

 

 

 

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY–12.6%

   

AUTO COMPONENTS–0.8%

   

Nokian Renkaat Oyj

    28,580        1,162,955   
   

 

 

 

AUTOMOBILES–2.8%

   

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

    282,600        2,832,389   

Volkswagen AG (Preference Shares)

    6,299        1,272,295   
   

 

 

 
      4,104,684   
   

 

 

 

DIVERSIFIED CONSUMER SERVICES–0.6%

   

Kroton Educacional SA

    62,300        862,459   
   

 

 

 

HOTELS, RESTAURANTS & LEISURE–0.9%

   

Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. (ADR)(a)

    58,580        1,309,849   
   

 

 

 

MEDIA–1.0%

   

Naspers Ltd.

    20,250        1,494,686   
   

 

 

 

MULTILINE RETAIL–0.6%

   

Matahari Department Store Tbk PT(a)

    800,000        935,432   
   

 

 

 

SPECIALTY RETAIL–2.3%

   

Belle International Holdings Ltd.

    485,000        663,033   

Fast Retailing Co., Ltd.

    5,700        1,923,775   

Zhongsheng Group Holdings Ltd.

    705,000        773,047   
   

 

 

 
      3,359,855   
   

 

 

 

TEXTILES, APPAREL & LUXURY GOODS–3.6%

   

Brunello Cucinelli SpA

    46,693        1,152,690   

Cie Financiere Richemont SA (SWX Europe)

    37,912        3,343,392   

Li & Fung Ltd.

    680,000        925,094   
   

 

 

 
      5,421,176   
   

 

 

 
      18,651,096   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE–11.3%

   

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES–2.2%

   

Elekta AB

    66,630        1,012,679   

Essilor International SA

    12,490        1,330,657   

Shandong Weigao Group Medical Polymer Co., Ltd.–Class H(b)

    820,000        891,271   
   

 

 

 
      3,234,607   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS & SERVICES–0.4%

   

Life Healthcare Group Holdings Ltd.

    173,240        657,073   
   

 

 

 

 

4


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
  Shares     U.S. $ Value  
             

PHARMACEUTICALS–8.7%

   

Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd.(a)

    46,141      $       1,060,680   

Bayer AG

    15,097        1,607,385   

NOVO NORDISK A/S–CLASS B

    10,691        1,662,048   

Pharmstandard OJSC (GDR)(a)(c)

    29,380        618,150   

Roche Holding AG

    21,560        5,351,130   

Shire PLC

    44,821        1,420,385   

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

    72,230        1,223,923   
   

 

 

 
      12,943,701   
   

 

 

 
      16,835,381   
   

 

 

 

INDUSTRIALS–10.9%

   

AEROSPACE & DEFENSE–1.7%

   

Safran SA

    48,970        2,556,546   
   

 

 

 

COMMERCIAL SERVICES & SUPPLIES–1.1%

   

Aggreko PLC

    64,920        1,622,641   
   

 

 

 

CONSTRUCTION & ENGINEERING–1.2%

   

Larsen & Toubro Ltd.

    75,410        1,779,470   
   

 

 

 

ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT–1.3%

   

Schneider Electric SA

    26,020        1,889,746   
   

 

 

 

MACHINERY–2.1%

   

Komatsu Ltd.

    71,900        1,655,996   

Melrose Industries PLC

      393,760        1,492,450   
   

 

 

 
      3,148,446   
   

 

 

 

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES–2.2%

   

Capita PLC

    84,750        1,245,740   

Intertek Group PLC

    45,670        2,030,103   
   

 

 

 
      3,275,843   
   

 

 

 

TRADING COMPANIES & DISTRIBUTORS–1.3%

   

Wolseley PLC

    42,663        1,968,451   
   

 

 

 
      16,241,143   
   

 

 

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY–9.4%

   

ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT, INSTRUMENTS & COMPONENTS–0.4%

   

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.

    257,400        629,093   
   

 

 

 

INTERNET SOFTWARE & SERVICES–4.1%

   

Baidu, Inc. (Sponsored ADR)(a)

    21,180        2,002,146   

Mail.ru Group Ltd. (GDR)(c)

    34,430        986,764   

Tencent Holdings Ltd.

    78,300        3,057,396   
   

 

 

 
      6,046,306   
   

 

 

 

IT SERVICES–1.1%

   

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.

    66,280      $ 1,693,599   
   

 

 

 

SEMICONDUCTORS & SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT–3.8%

   

ASML Holding NV

    21,576        1,703,225   

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

    3,390        3,962,312   
   

 

 

 
      5,665,537   
   

 

 

 
      14,034,535   
   

 

 

 

MATERIALS–5.4%

   

CHEMICALS–4.0%

   

Croda International PLC

    44,960        1,695,446   

Essentra PLC

    50,500        540,016   

Linde AG

    13,740        2,560,413   

Umicore SA

    28,330        1,176,398   
   

 

 

 
      5,972,273   
   

 

 

 

METALS & MINING–1.4%

   

First Quantum Minerals Ltd.

    83,420        1,237,379   

Franco-Nevada Corp.

    23,420        838,417   
   

 

 

 
      2,075,796   
   

 

 

 
      8,048,069   
   

 

 

 

ENERGY–4.1%

   

ENERGY EQUIPMENT & SERVICES–2.4%

   

Schlumberger Ltd.

    27,590        1,977,099   

Technip SA

    15,400        1,565,137   
   

 

 

 
      3,542,236   
   

 

 

 

OIL, GAS & CONSUMABLE FUELS–1.7%

   

Africa Oil Corp.(a)

    52,430        353,189   

Ophir Energy PLC(a)(b)

    100,908        548,651   

Tullow Oil PLC

    57,168        870,257   

Ultrapar Participacoes SA

    34,700        829,652   
   

 

 

 
      2,601,749   
   

 

 

 
      6,143,985   
   

 

 

 

UTILITIES–1.6%

   

MULTI-UTILITIES–1.6%

   

National Grid PLC

    214,250        2,428,656   
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks
(cost $120,681,138)

      145,438,262   
   

 

 

 

WARRANTS–0.4%

   

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY–0.4%

   

ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT, INSTRUMENTS & COMPONENTS–0.4%

   

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, expiring 9/29/14(a)(c)
(cost $824,312)

    271,898        668,869   
   

 

 

 

 

5


INTERNATIONAL GROWTH PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

        
Principal
Amount
(000)
    U.S. $ Value  
             

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS–1.3%

   

TIME DEPOSIT–1.3%

   

State Street Time Deposit
0.01%, 7/01/13
(cost $1,858,012)

  U.S.$   1,858      $ 1,858,012   
   

 

 

 

Total Investments Before Security Lending Collateral for Securities Loaned–99.5%
(cost $123,363,462)

        147,965,143   
   

 

 

 
        
    
    
Shares
    U.S. $ Value  
             

INVESTMENTS OF CASH COLLATERAL FOR SECURITIES LOANED–0.4%

   

INVESTMENT COMPANIES–0.4%

   

AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves–Class I,
0.07%(d)
(cost $566,387)

  U.S.$   566,387      $ 566,387   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS–99.9%
(cost $123,929,849)

      148,531,530   

Other assets less liabilities–0.1%

      115,242   
   

 

 

 
   

NET ASSETS–100.0%

    $   148,646,772   
   

 

 

 
   

FORWARD CURRENCY EXCHANGE CONTRACTS (see Note D)

 

Counterparty   

Contracts to
Deliver

(000)

    

In Exchange

For

(000)

     Settlement
Date
     Unrealized
Appreciation/
(Depreciation)
 

Citibank, NA

   EUR             949       USD         1,243         8/16/13       $ 7,262   

Citibank, NA

   USD 9,915       AUD 9,669         8/16/13         (1,100,987

Citibank, NA

   USD 2,798       GBP 1,785         8/16/13         (84,095

Credit Suisse International

   USD 986       AUD 1,071         8/16/13         (9,348

Credit Suisse International

   USD 450       CHF 420         8/16/13         (5,076

Deutsche Bank AG London

   USD 3,224       GBP 2,130         8/16/13         14,673   

Deutsche Bank AG London

   USD 2,512       SEK 16,449         8/16/13         (61,815

Goldman Sachs Capital Markets LP

   AUD 8,849       USD 8,375         8/16/13         308,288   

Goldman Sachs Capital Markets LP

   GBP 12,534       USD 19,418         8/16/13         360,500   

Goldman Sachs Capital Markets LP

   JPY 147,000       USD 1,506         8/16/13         23,804   

JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA

   AUD 820       USD 796         8/16/13         48,710   

Royal Bank of Canada

   USD 6,000       CAD 6,103         8/16/13         (203,451

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

   USD 16,256       JPY 1,568,658         8/16/13         (436,774

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

   CHF 11,285       USD 11,980         8/16/13         27,926   

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

   SEK 2,038       USD 301         8/16/13         (2,344

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

   USD 1,244       EUR 949         8/16/13         (8,539

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

   USD 967       NOK 5,652         8/16/13         (38,343

UBS AG

   USD 568       CAD 586         8/16/13         (11,196
           

 

 

 
            $   (1,170,805
           

 

 

 

 

 

(a)   Non-income producing security.

 

(b)   Represents entire or partial securities out on loan. See Note E for securities lending information.

 

(c)   Security is exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. These securities are considered liquid and may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. At June 30, 2013, the aggregate market value of these securities amounted to $2,273,783 or 1.5% of net assets.

 

(d)   Investment in affiliated money market mutual fund. The rate shown represents the 7-day yield as of period end.

 

6


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Currency Abbreviations:

AUD—Australian Dollar

CAD—Canadian Dollar

CHF—Swiss Franc

EUR—Euro

GBP—Great British Pound

JPY—Japanese Yen

NOK—Norwegian Krone

SEK—Swedish Krona

USD—United States Dollar

Glossary:

ADR—American Depositary Receipt

GDR—Global Depositary Receipt

OJSC—Open Joint Stock Company

See notes to financial statements.

 

7


INTERNATIONAL GROWTH PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF ASSETS & LIABILITIES
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

ASSETS

  

Investments in securities, at value

  

Unaffiliated issuers (cost $123,363,462)

   $ 147,965,143 (a) 

Affiliated issuers (cost $566,387–investment of cash collateral for securities loaned)

     566,387   

Foreign currencies, at value (cost $760,077)

     752,159   

Unrealized appreciation of forward currency exchange contracts

     850,042   

Receivable for investment securities sold and foreign currency transactions

     702,731   

Dividends and interest receivable

     562,885   

Receivable for capital stock sold

     61,171   
  

 

 

 

Total assets

     151,460,518   
  

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

  

Unrealized depreciation of forward currency exchange contracts

     2,020,847   

Payable for collateral received on securities loaned

     566,387   

Advisory fee payable

     87,570   

Payable for capital stock redeemed

     37,576   

Distribution fee payable

     10,756   

Administrative fee payable

     7,241   

Payable for foreign currency transactions

     197   

Transfer Agent fee payable

     161   

Accrued expenses

     83,011   
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     2,813,746   
  

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 148,646,772   
  

 

 

 

COMPOSITION OF NET ASSETS

  

Capital stock, at par

   $ 8,647   

Additional paid-in capital

     179,435,321   

Undistributed net investment income

     2,582,033   

Accumulated net realized loss on investment and foreign currency transactions

     (56,807,324

Net unrealized appreciation on investments and foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities

     23,428,095   
  

 

 

 
   $ 148,646,772   
  

 

 

 

Net Asset Value Per Share—1 billion shares of capital stock authorized, $.001 par value

 

Class      Net Assets        Shares
Outstanding
       Net Asset
Value
 

A

     $   94,088,083           5,450,425         $   17.26   

B

     $ 54,558,689           3,196,302         $ 17.07   

 

 

 

 

(a)   Includes securities on loan with a value of $534,037 (see Note E).

See notes to financial statements.

 

8


INTERNATIONAL GROWTH PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS  
Six Months Ended June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

  

Dividends

  

Unaffiliated issuers (net of foreign taxes withheld of $212,047)

   $ 2,172,890   

Affiliated issuers

     1,336   

Interest

     253   

Securities lending income

     56,436   
  

 

 

 
   $ 2,230,915   
  

 

 

 

EXPENSES

  

Advisory fee (see Note B)

     588,133   

Distribution fee—Class B

     72,666   

Transfer agency—Class A

     1,930   

Transfer agency—Class B

     1,137   

Custodian

     55,754   

Audit

     25,808   

Administrative

     21,503   

Legal

     16,353   

Printing

     15,215   

Directors’ fees

     2,265   

Miscellaneous

     8,094   
  

 

 

 

Total expenses

     808,858   
  

 

 

 

Net investment income

     1,422,057   
  

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENT AND FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSACTIONS

  

Net realized gain on:

  

Investment transactions

     693,153 (a) 

Foreign currency transactions

     1,157,390   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of:

  

Investments

     (642,324 )(b) 

Foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities

     (1,191,690
  

 

 

 

Net gain on investment and foreign currency transactions

     16,529   
  

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

   $ 1,438,586   
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(a)   Net of foreign capital gains taxes of $35,625.

 

(b)   Net of decrease in accrued foreign capital gains taxes of $21,277.

See notes to financial statements.

 

9


 
INTERNATIONAL GROWTH PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

     Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

    

Net investment income

   $ 1,422,057      $ 1,875,627   

Net realized gain (loss) on investment and foreign currency transactions

     1,850,543        (1,691,944

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments and foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities

     (1,834,014     21,758,307   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets from operations

     1,438,586        21,941,990   

DIVIDENDS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM

    

Net investment income

    

Class A

     –0 –      (1,435,331

Class B

     –0 –      (854,155

CAPITAL STOCK TRANSACTIONS

    

Net decrease

     (9,096,823     (12,581,357
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total increase (decrease)

     (7,658,237     7,071,147   

NET ASSETS

    

Beginning of period

     156,305,009        149,233,862   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period (including undistributed net investment income of $2,582,033 and $1,159,976, respectively)

   $ 148,646,772      $ 156,305,009   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

10


INTERNATIONAL GROWTH PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE A: Significant Accounting Policies

The AllianceBernstein International Growth Portfolio (the “Portfolio”) is a series of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”). The Portfolio’s investment objective is long-term growth of capital. The Portfolio is diversified as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Fund was incorporated in the State of Maryland on November 17, 1987, as an open-end series investment company. The Fund offers thirteen separately managed pools of assets which have differing investment objectives and policies. The Portfolio offers Class A and Class B shares. Both classes of shares have identical voting, dividend, liquidating and other rights, except that Class B shares bear a distribution expense and have exclusive voting rights with respect to the Class B distribution plan.

The Portfolio offers and sells its shares only to separate accounts of certain life insurance companies for the purpose of funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies. Sales are made without a sales charge at the Portfolio’s net asset value per share.

The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) which require management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Portfolio.

1. Security Valuation

Portfolio securities are valued at their current market value determined on the basis of market quotations or, if market quotations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable, at “fair value” as determined in accordance with procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Fund’s Board of Directors (the “Board”).

In general, the market values of securities which are readily available and deemed reliable are determined as follows: securities listed on a national securities exchange (other than securities listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. (“NASDAQ”)) or on a foreign securities exchange are valued at the last sale price at the close of the exchange or foreign securities exchange. If there has been no sale on such day, the securities are valued at the last traded price from the previous day. Securities listed on more than one exchange are valued by reference to the principal exchange on which the securities are traded; securities listed only on NASDAQ are valued in accordance with the NASDAQ Official Closing Price; listed or over the counter (“OTC”) market put or call options are valued at the mid level between the current bid and ask prices. If either a current bid or current ask price is unavailable, AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) will have discretion to determine the best valuation (e.g. last trade price in the case of listed options); open futures are valued using the closing settlement price or, in the absence of such a price, the most recent quoted bid price. If there are no quotations available for the day of valuation, the last available closing settlement price is used; U.S. government securities and other debt instruments having 60 days or less remaining until maturity are valued at amortized cost if their original maturity was 60 days or less; or by amortizing their fair value as of the 61st day prior to maturity if their original term to maturity exceeded 60 days; fixed-income securities, including mortgage backed and asset backed securities, may be valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service or at a price obtained from one or more of the major broker/dealers. In cases where broker/dealer quotes are obtained, the Adviser may establish procedures whereby changes in market yields or spreads are used to adjust, on a daily basis, a recently obtained quoted price on a security. Swaps and other derivatives are valued daily, primarily using independent pricing services, independent pricing models using market inputs, as well as third party broker-dealers or counterparties. Investments in money market funds are valued at their net asset value each day.

Securities for which market quotations are not readily available (including restricted securities) or are deemed unreliable are valued at fair value. Factors considered in making this determination may include, but are not limited to, information obtained by contacting the issuer, analysts, analysis of the issuer’s financial statements or other available documents. In addition, the Portfolio may use fair value pricing for securities primarily traded in non-U.S. markets because most foreign markets close well before the Portfolio values its securities at 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The earlier close of foreign markets gives rise to the possibility that significant events, including broad market moves, may have occurred between the close of the foreign markets and the time at which the Portfolio values its securities which may materially affect the value of securities trading in such markets. To account for this, the Portfolio may frequently value many of its foreign equity securities using fair value prices based on third party vendor modeling tools to the extent available.

2. Fair Value Measurements

In accordance with U.S. GAAP regarding fair value measurements, fair value is defined as the price that the Portfolio would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement

 

11


INTERNATIONAL GROWTH PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

date. U.S. GAAP establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and a three-level hierarchy for fair value measurements based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability (including those valued based on their market values as described in Note A.1 above). Inputs may be observable or unobservable and refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Portfolio. Unobservable inputs reflect the Portfolio’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on the best information available in the circumstances. Each investment is assigned a level based upon the observability of the inputs which are significant to the overall valuation. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized below.

 

   

Level 1—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 Portfolio’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

Where readily available market prices or relevant bid prices are not available for certain equity investments, such investments may be valued based on similar publicly traded investments, movements in relevant indices since last available prices or based upon underlying company fundamentals and comparable company data (such as multiples to earnings or other multiples to equity). Where an investment is valued using an observable input, such as another publicly traded security, the investment will be classified as Level 2. If management determines that an adjustment is appropriate based on restrictions on resale, illiquidity or uncertainty, and such adjustment is a significant component of the valuation, the investment will be classified as Level 3. An investment will also be classified as Level 3 where management uses company fundamentals and other significant inputs to determine the valuation.

Options and warrants are valued using market-based inputs to models, broker or dealer quotations, or alternative pricing sources with reasonable levels of price transparency, where such inputs and models are available. Alternatively the values may be obtained through unobservable management determined inputs and/or management’s proprietary models. Where models are used, the selection of a particular model to value an option or a warrant depends upon the contractual terms of, and specific risks inherent in, the option or warrant as well as the availability of pricing information in the market. Valuation models require a variety of inputs, including contractual terms, market prices, measures of volatility and correlations of such inputs. Exchange traded options will be classified as Level 2. For options or warrants that do not trade on exchange but trade in liquid markets, inputs can generally be verified and model selection does not involve significant management judgment. Options and warrants are classified within Level 2 on the fair value hierarchy when all of the significant inputs can be corroborated to market evidence. Otherwise such instruments are classified as Level 3.

The following table summarizes the valuation of the Portfolio’s investments by the above fair value hierarchy levels as of June 30, 2013:

 

       Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

Investments in Securities:

             

Assets:

             

Common Stocks:

             

Financials

     $ 2,810,953       $ 30,417,035       $ –0 –     $ 33,227,988   

Consumer Staples

       887,520         28,939,889         –0 –       29,827,409   

Consumer Discretionary

       2,172,308         16,478,788         –0 –       18,651,096   

Health Care

       60,106         16,775,275         –0 –       16,835,381   

Industrials

       –0 –       16,241,143         –0 –       16,241,143   

Information Technology

       2,988,910         11,045,625         –0 –       14,034,535   

Materials

       2,075,796         5,972,273         –0 –       8,048,069   

Energy

       2,806,751         3,337,234         –0 –       6,143,985   

Utilities

       –0 –       2,428,656         –0 –       2,428,656   

Warrants

       –0 –       –0 –       668,869         668,869   

Short-Term Investments

       –0 –       1,858,012         –0 –       1,858,012   

Investments of Cash Collateral for Securities Loaned in Affiliated Money Market Fund

       566,387         –0 –       –0 –       566,387   
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Investments in Securities

       14,368,731         133,493,930      668,869         148,531,530   

 

12


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

       Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

Other Financial Instruments*:

             

Assets:

             

Forward Currency Exchange Contracts

     $ –0 –     $ 850,042       $ –0 –     $ 850,042   

Liabilities:

             

Forward Currency Exchange Contracts

       –0 –       (2,020,847      –0 –       (2,020,847
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total(a)^

     $ 14,368,731       $ 132,323,125       $ 668,869       $ 147,360,725   
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

*   Other financial instruments are derivative instruments, such as futures, forwards and swaps, which are valued at the unrealized appreciation/depreciation on the instrument.

 

+   A significant portion of the Portfolio’s foreign equity investments are categorized as Level 2 investments since they are valued using fair value prices based on third party vendor modeling tools to the extent available, see Note A.1.

 

(a)   An amount of $4,331,532 was transferred from Level 1 to Level 2 due to insufficient observable inputs during the reporting period.

 

^   There were de minimus transfers under 1% of net assets from Level 2 to Level 1 during the reporting period.

The Portfolio recognizes all transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy assuming the financial instruments were transferred at the beginning of the reporting period.

The following is a reconciliation of investments in which significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) were used in determining fair value.

 

     Warrants     Rights^     Total  

Balance as of 12/31/12

   $ 829,289      $ –0 –    $ 829,289   

Accrued discounts/(premiums)

     –0 –      –0 –      –0 – 

Realized gain (loss)

     –0 –      7,280        7,280   

Change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation

     (160,420     –0 –      (160,420

Purchases

     –0 –      –0 –      –0 – 

Sales

     –0 –      (7,280     (7,280

Transfers in to Level 3

     –0 –      –0 –      –0 – 

Transfers out of Level 3

     –0 –      –0 –      –0 – 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance as of 6/30/13

   $ 668,869        –0 –    $ 668,869   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation from Investments held as of 6/30/13*

   $ (160,420   $ –0 –    $ (160,420
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

^   The Portfolio held securities with zero market value that were sold during the period.

 

*   The unrealized appreciation/depreciation is included in net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments in the accompanying statement of operations.

The Adviser has established a Valuation Committee (the “Committee”) which is responsible for overseeing the pricing and valuation of all securities held in the Portfolio. The Committee operates under pricing and valuation policies and procedures established by the Adviser and approved by the Board, including pricing policies which set forth the mechanisms and processes to be employed on a daily basis to implement these policies and procedures. In particular, the pricing policies describe how to determine market quotations for securities and other instruments. The Committee’s responsibilities include: 1) fair value and liquidity determinations (and oversight of any third parties to whom any responsibility for fair value and liquidity determinations is delegated), and 2) regular monitoring of the Adviser’s pricing and valuation policies and procedures and modification or enhancement of these policies and procedures (or recommendation of the modification of these policies and procedures) as the Committee believes appropriate.

The Committee is also responsible for monitoring the implementation of the pricing policies by the Adviser’s Pricing Group (the “Pricing Group”) and a third party which performs certain pricing functions in accordance with the pricing policies. The Pricing Group is responsible for the oversight of the third party on a day-to-day basis. The Committee and the Pricing Group perform a series of activities to provide reasonable assurance of the accuracy of prices including: 1) periodic vendor due diligence meetings, review of methodologies, new developments and process at vendors, 2) daily compare of security valuation versus prior day for all securities that exceeded established thresholds, and 3) daily review of unpriced, stale, and variance reports with exceptions reviewed by senior management and the Committee.

 

13


INTERNATIONAL GROWTH PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

In addition, several processes outside of the pricing process are used to monitor valuation issues including: 1) performance and performance attribution reports are monitored for anomalous impacts based upon benchmark performance, and 2) portfolio managers review all portfolios for performance and analytics (which are generated using the Adviser’s prices).

3. Currency Translation

Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies and commitments under forward currency exchange contracts are translated into U.S. dollars at the mean of the quoted bid and ask prices of such currencies against the U.S. dollar. Purchases and sales of portfolio securities are translated into U.S. dollars at the rates of exchange prevailing when such securities were acquired or sold. Income and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars at rates of exchange prevailing when accrued.

Net realized gain or loss on foreign currency transactions represents foreign exchange gains and losses from sales and maturities of foreign fixed income investments, foreign currency exchange contracts, holding of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on foreign investment transactions, and the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the Portfolio’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized currency gains and losses from valuing foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities at period end exchange rates are reflected as a component of net unrealized appreciation or depreciation of foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities.

4. Taxes

It is the Portfolio’s policy to meet the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute all of its investment company taxable income and net realized gains, if any, to shareholders. Therefore, no provisions for federal income or excise taxes are required. The Portfolio may be subject to taxes imposed by countries in which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on income and/or capital gains earned or repatriated. Taxes are accrued and applied to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized appreciation/depreciation as such income and/or gains are earned.

In accordance with U.S. GAAP requirements regarding accounting for uncertainties in income taxes, management has analyzed the Portfolio’s tax positions taken or expected to be taken on federal and state income tax returns for all open tax years (the current and the prior three tax years) and has concluded that no provision for income tax is required in the Portfolio’s financial statements.

5. Investment Income and Investment Transactions

Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date or as soon as the Portfolio is informed of the dividend. Interest income is accrued daily. Investment transactions are accounted for on the date the securities are purchased or sold. Investment gains or losses are determined on the identified cost basis. The Portfolio amortizes premiums and accretes discounts as adjustments to interest income.

6. Class Allocations

All income earned and expenses incurred by the Portfolio are borne on a pro-rata basis by each outstanding class of shares, based on the proportionate interest in the Portfolio represented by the net assets of such class, except for class specific expenses which are allocated to the respective class. Realized and unrealized gains and losses are allocated among the various share classes based on respective net assets.

7. Dividends and Distributions

Dividends and distributions to shareholders, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income dividends and capital gains distributions are determined in accordance with federal tax regulations and may differ from those determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. To the extent these differences are permanent, such amounts are reclassified within the capital accounts based on their federal tax basis treatment; temporary differences do not require such reclassification.

NOTE B: Advisory Fee and Other Transactions with Affiliates

Under the terms of the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio pays the Adviser an advisory fee at an annual rate of .75% of the first $2.5 billion, .65% of the next $2.5 billion and .60% in excess of $5 billion, of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets. The fee is accrued daily and paid monthly.

Pursuant to the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio may reimburse the Adviser for certain legal and accounting services provided to the Portfolio by the Adviser. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, the reimbursement for such services amounted to $21,503.

 

14


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Brokerage commissions paid on investment transactions for the six months ended June 30, 2013 amounted to $77,710, of which $0 and $0, respectively, was paid to Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. LLC and Sanford C. Bernstein Limited, affiliates of the Adviser.

The Portfolio compensates AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, under a Transfer Agency Agreement for providing personnel and facilities to perform transfer agency services for the Portfolio. Such compensation retained by ABIS amounted to $692 for the six months ended June 30, 2013.

NOTE C: Distribution Plan

The Portfolio has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Under the Plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (the “Distributor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, at an annual rate of up to .50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The fees are accrued daily and paid monthly. The Board currently limits payments under the Plan to .25% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The Plan provides that the Distributor will use such payments in their entirety for distribution assistance and promotional activities.

The Portfolio is not obligated under the Plan to pay any distribution and servicing fees in excess of the amounts set forth above. The purpose of the payments to the Distributor under the Plan is to compensate the Distributor for its distribution services with respect to the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. Since the Distributor’s compensation is not directly tied to its expenses, the amount of compensation received by it under the Plan during any year may be more or less than its actual expenses. For this reason, the Plan is characterized by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission as being of the “compensation” variety.

In the event that the Plan is terminated or not continued, no distribution or servicing fees (other than current amounts accrued but not yet paid) would be owed by the Portfolio to the Distributor.

The Plan also provides that the Adviser may use its own resources to finance the distribution of the Portfolio’s shares.

NOTE D: Investment Transactions

Purchases and sales of investment securities (excluding short-term investments) for the six months ended June 30, 2013 were as follows:

 

       Purchases      Sales  

Investment securities (excluding U.S. government securities)

     $ 22,578,648       $ 24,912,147   

U.S. government securities

       –0 –       –0 – 

The cost of investments for federal income tax purposes was substantially the same as the cost for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, gross unrealized appreciation and unrealized depreciation (excluding foreign currency transactions) are as follows:

 

Gross unrealized appreciation

   $ 30,283,957   

Gross unrealized depreciation

     (5,682,276
  

 

 

 

Net unrealized appreciation

   $ 24,601,681   
  

 

 

 

1. Derivative Financial Instruments

The Portfolio may use derivatives in an effort to earn income and enhance returns, to replace more traditional direct investments, to obtain exposure to otherwise inaccessible markets (collectively, “investment purposes”), or to hedge or adjust the risk profile of its portfolio.

The principal type of derivatives utilized by the Portfolio, as well as the methods in which they may be used are:

 

   

Forward Currency Exchange Contracts

The Portfolio may enter into forward currency exchange contracts in order to hedge its exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates on its foreign portfolio holdings, to hedge certain firm purchase and sale commitments denominated in foreign currencies and for non-hedging purposes as a means of making direct investments in foreign currencies, as described below under “Currency Transactions”.

 

15


INTERNATIONAL GROWTH PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

A forward currency exchange contract is a commitment to purchase or sell a foreign currency at a future date at a negotiated forward rate. The gain or loss arising from the difference between the original contract and the closing of such contract would be included in net realized gain or loss on foreign currency transactions. Fluctuations in the value of open forward currency exchange contracts are recorded for financial reporting purposes as unrealized appreciation and/or depreciation by the Portfolio. Risks may arise from the potential inability of a counterparty to meet the terms of a contract and from unanticipated movements in the value of a foreign currency relative to the U.S. dollar.

During the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio held forward currency exchange contracts for hedging and non-hedging purposes.

The Portfolio typically enters into International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. Master Agreements (“ISDA Master Agreement”) or similar master agreements (collectively, “Master Agreements”) with its OTC derivative contract counterparties in order to, among other things, reduce its credit risk to counterparties. ISDA Master Agreements include provisions for general obligations, representations, collateral and events of default or termination. Under an ISDA Master Agreement, the Portfolio typically may offset with the counterparty certain derivative financial instrument’s payables and/or receivables with collateral held and/or posted and create one single net payment (close-out netting) in the event of default or termination.

Various master agreements govern the terms of certain transactions with counterparties, including transactions such as exchange-traded derivative transactions, repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements and certain securities lending transactions. These master agreements typically attempt to reduce the counterparty risk associated with such transactions by specifying credit protection mechanisms and providing standardization that improves legal certainty. Cross-termination provisions under Master Agreements typically provide that a default in connection with one transaction between the Portfolio and a counterparty gives the non-defaulting party the right to terminate any other transactions in place with the defaulting party to create one single net payment due to/due from the defaulting party.

The Portfolio’s Master Agreements may contain provisions for early termination of derivative transactions in the event the net assets of the Portfolio decline below specific levels (“net asset contingent features”). If these levels are triggered, the Portfolio’s counterparty has the right to terminate such transaction and require the Portfolio to pay or receive a settlement amount in connection with the terminated transaction.

At June 30, 2013, the Portfolio had entered into the following derivatives:

 

   

Asset Derivatives

   

Liability Derivatives

 

Derivative Type

 

Statement of

Assets and Liabilities

Location

  Fair Value    

Statement of

Assets and Liabilities

Location

  Fair Value  

Foreign exchange contracts

  Unrealized appreciation of forward currency exchange contracts   $ 850,042      Unrealized depreciation of forward currency exchange contracts   $ 2,020,847   
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total

      $850,042        $ 2,020,847   
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

The effect of derivative instruments on the statement of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2013:

 

Derivative Type

  

Location of Gain or (Loss) on Derivatives

   Realized Gain or
(Loss) on

Derivatives
     Change in Unrealized
Appreciation or

(Depreciation)
 

Foreign exchange contracts

   Net realized gain (loss) on foreign currency transactions; Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities    $ 1,144,819       $ (1,173,131
     

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

      $ 1,144,819       $ (1,173,131
     

 

 

    

 

 

 

The following table represents the volume of the Portfolio’s derivative transactions during the six months ended June 30, 2013:

 

Forward Currency Exchange Contracts:

  

Average principal amount of buy contracts

   $ 64,157,220   

Average principal amount of sale contracts

   $ 64,398,473   

 

16


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

For financial reporting purposes, the Portfolio does not offset derivative assets and derivative liabilities that are subject to netting arrangements in the statement of assets and liabilities.

The following tables present the Portfolio’s dervative assets and liabilities by counterparty net of amounts available for offset under Master Agreements (“MA”) and net of the related collateral received/pledged by the Portfolio as of June 30, 2013:

 

Counterparty

   Derivative Assets
Subject to MA
     Derivatives
Available  for
Offset
    Collateral
Received
    Net Amount of
Derivatives Assets
 

Citibank, NA

   $ 7,262       $ (7,262   $             –0 –    $ –0 – 

Deutsche Bank AG London

     14,673         (14,673     –0 –      –0 – 

Goldman Sachs Capital Markets LP

     692,593         –0 –      –0 –      692,593   

JPMorgan Chase Bank NA

     48,710         –0 –      –0 –      48,710   

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

     86,804         (86,804     –0 –      –0 – 
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

   $ 850,042       $ (108,739   $ –0 –    $ 741,303   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

Counterparty

   Derivative Liabilites
Subject to MA
     Derivatives
Available  for
Offset
    Collateral
Pledged
    Net Amount of
Derivatives Liabilities
 

Citibank, NA

   $ 1,185,083       $ (7,262   $             –0 –    $ 1,177,821   

Credit Suisse International

     14,424         –0 –      –0 –      14,424   

Deutsche Bank AG London

     61,816         (14,673     –0 –      47,143   

Royal Bank of Canada

     203,451         –0 –      –0 –      203,451   

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

     436,774         –0 –      –0 –      436,774   

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

     108,103         (86,804     –0 –      21,299   

UBS AG

     11,196         –0 –      –0 –      11,196   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

   $ 2,020,847       $ (108,739   $ –0 –    $ 1,912,108   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

2. Currency Transactions

The Portfolio may invest in non-U.S. Dollar securities on a currency hedged or unhedged basis. The Portfolio may seek investment opportunities by taking long or short positions in currencies through the use of currency-related derivatives, including forward currency exchange contracts, futures and options on futures, swaps, and other options. The Portfolio may enter into transactions for investment opportunities when it anticipates that a foreign currency will appreciate or depreciate in value but securities denominated in that currency are not held by the Portfolio and do not present attractive investment opportunities. Such transactions may also be used when the Adviser believes that it may be more efficient than a direct investment in a foreign currency-denominated security. The Portfolio may also conduct currency exchange contracts on a spot basis (i.e., for cash at the spot rate prevailing in the currency exchange market for buying or selling currencies).

NOTE E: Securities Lending

The Portfolio may enter into securities lending transactions. Under the Portfolio’s securities lending program, all loans of securities will be collateralized continually by cash. The Portfolio will be compensated for the loan from a portion of the net return from the income earned on cash collateral after a rebate is paid to the borrower (in some cases, this rebate may be a “negative rebate” or fee paid by the borrower to the Portfolio in connection with the loan), and payments are made for fees of the securities lending agent and for certain other administrative expenses. It is the policy of the Portfolio to receive collateral consisting of cash in an amount exceeding the value of the securities loaned. The Portfolio will have the right to call a loan and obtain the securities loaned at any time on notice to the borrower within the normal and customary settlement time for the securities. While the securities are on loan, the borrower is obligated to pay the Portfolio amounts equal to any income or other distributions from the securities. The Portfolio will not have the right to vote any securities during the existence of a loan, but will have the right to regain ownership of loaned securities in order to exercise voting or other ownership rights. The lending agent has agreed to indemnify the Portfolio in the case of default of any securities borrower. Collateral received and securities loaned are marked to market daily to ensure that the securities loaned are secured by collateral. The lending agent will invest the cash collateral received in AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves, an eligible money market vehicle, in accordance with the investment restrictions of the Portfolio, and as approved by the Board. The collateral received on securities loaned is recorded as an asset as well as a corresponding liability in the statement of assets and liabilities. When the Portfolio lends securities, its investment performance will continue to reflect changes in the value of

 

17


INTERNATIONAL GROWTH PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

the securities loaned. At June 30, 2013, the Portfolio had securities on loan with a value of $534,037 and had received cash collateral which has been invested into AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves of $566,387. The cash collateral will be adjusted on the next business day to maintain the required collateral amount. The Portfolio earned securities lending income of $56,436 and $1,336 from the borrowers and AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2013; these amounts are reflected in the statement of operations. A principal risk of lending portfolio securities is that the borrower will fail to return the loaned securities upon termination of the loan and that the collateral will not be sufficient to replace the loaned securities. A summary of the Portfolio’s transactions in shares of AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves for the six months ended June 30, 2013 is as follows:

 

Market Value

December 31, 2012

(000)

   

Purchases

at Cost

(000)

   

Sales

Proceeds

(000)

   

Market Value

June 30, 2013

(000)

   

Dividend

Income

(000)

 
$ 2,331      $ 37,681      $ 39,446      $ 566      $ 1   

NOTE F : Capital Stock

Each class consists of 500,000,000 authorized shares. Transactions in capital shares for each class were as follows:

 

    SHARES         AMOUNT  
    Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
        Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 

Class A

         

Shares sold

    62,814        727,229        $ 1,114,351      $ 11,579,918   

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends

    –0 –      89,262          –0 –      1,435,331   

Shares redeemed

    (310,608     (1,145,926       (5,556,249     (18,320,349
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease

    (247,794     (329,435     $ (4,441,898   $ (5,305,100
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Class B

         

Shares sold

    155,136        383,318        $ 2,722,408      $ 6,088,165   

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends

    –0 –      53,585          –0 –      854,154   

Shares redeemed

    (419,727     (882,162       (7,377,333     (14,218,576
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease

    (264,591     (445,259     $ (4,654,925   $ (7,276,257
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

NOTE G : Risks Involved in Investing in the Portfolio

Foreign Securities Risk—Investing in securities of foreign companies or foreign governments involves special risks which include changes in foreign currency exchange rates and the possibility of future political and economic developments which could adversely affect the value of such securities. Moreover, securities of many foreign companies or foreign governments and their markets may be less liquid and their prices more volatile than those of comparable U.S. companies or of the U.S. government.

Currency Risk—This is the risk that changes in foreign currency exchange rates may negatively affect the value of the Portfolio’s investments or reduce the returns of the Portfolio. For example, the value of the Portfolio’s investments in foreign currency-denominated securities or currencies may decrease if the U.S. Dollar is strong (i.e., gaining value relative to other currencies) and other currencies are weak (i.e., losing value relative to the U.S. Dollar). Currency markets are generally not as regulated as securities markets. Independent of the Portfolio’s investments denominated in foreign currencies, the Portfolio’s positions in various foreign currencies may cause the Portfolio to experience investment losses due to the changes in exchange rates and interest rates.

Emerging Market Risk—Investments in emerging market countries may have more risk because the markets are less developed and less liquid, and because these investments may be subject to increased economic, political, regulatory and other uncertainties.

Capitalization Risk—Investments in small- and mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile than investments in large-capitalization companies. Investments in small-capitalization companies may have additional risks because these companies have limited product lines, markets or financial resources.

Derivatives Risk—The Portfolio may enter into derivative transactions such as forwards, options, futures and swaps. Derivatives may be illiquid, difficult to price, and leveraged so that small changes may produce disproportionate losses for the Portfolio, and subject to counterparty risk to a greater degree than more traditional investments. Derivatives may result in significant losses, including losses that are far greater than the value of the derivatives reflected in the statement of assets and liabilities.

 

18


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Indemnification Risk—In the ordinary course of business, the Portfolio enters into contracts that contain a variety of indemnifications. The Portfolio’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown. However, the Portfolio has not had prior claims or losses pursuant to these indemnification provisions and expects the risk of loss thereunder to be remote. Therefore, the Portfolio has not accrued any liability in connection with these indemnification provisions.

NOTE H : Joint Credit Facility

A number of open-end mutual funds managed by the Adviser, including the Portfolio, participate in a $140 million revolving credit facility (the “Facility”) intended to provide short-term financing, if necessary, subject to certain restrictions in connection with abnormal redemption activity. Commitment fees related to the Facility are paid by the participating funds and are included in miscellaneous expenses in the statement of operations. The Portfolio did not utilize the Facility during the six months ended June 30, 2013.

NOTE I: Distributions to Shareholders

The tax character of distributions to be paid for the year ending December 31, 2013 will be determined at the end of the current fiscal year. The tax character of distributions paid during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 were as follows:

 

       2012        2011  

Distributions paid from:

         

Ordinary income

     $ 2,289,486         $ 5,327,676   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total taxable distributions paid

     $ 2,289,486         $ 5,327,676   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2012, the components of accumulated earnings/(deficit) on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed ordinary income

   $ 1,348,013   

Accumulated capital and other losses

     (58,424,018 )(a) 

Unrealized appreciation/(depreciation)

     24,840,224 (b) 
  

 

 

 

Total accumulated earnings/(deficit)

   $ (32,235,781
  

 

 

 

 

(a)   As of December 31, 2012, the Portfolio had a net capital loss carryforward of $58,424,018.

 

(b)   The differences between book-basis and tax-basis unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) are attributable primarily to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales, the realization for tax purposes of gains/losses on certain derivative instruments, and the tax treatment of passive foreign investment companies (PFICs).

For tax purposes, net capital losses may be carried over to offset future capital gains, if any. Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, funds are permitted to carry forward capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 for an indefinite period. These post-enactment capital losses must be utilized prior to the pre-enactment capital losses, which are subject to expiration. Post-enactment capital loss carryforwards will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses rather than being considered short-term as under previous regulation.

As of December 31, 2012, the Portfolio had a net capital loss carryforward of $58,424,018 which will expire as follows:

 

SHORT-TERM

AMOUNT

  

LONG-TERM

AMOUNT

  

EXPIRATION

$    7,176,740    n/a    2016
    42,501,075    n/a    2017
      8,477,391    $268,812    No expiration

NOTE J: Subsequent Events

Management has evaluated subsequent events for possible recognition or disclosure in the financial statements through the date the financial statements are issued. Management has determined that there are no material events that would require disclosure in the Portfolio’s financial statements through this date.

 

19


 
INTERNATIONAL GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS.   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    CLASS A  
    Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended December 31,  
      2012     2011     2010     2009     2008  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $17.13        $15.08        $18.42        $16.66        $12.52        $24.89   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Income From Investment Operations

           

Net investment income (a)

    .17        .21        .26        .18        .22        .38   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment and foreign currency transactions

    (.04     2.12        (3.08     1.92        4.59        (12.35

Contributions from Adviser

    –0 –      –0 –      .00 (b)      –0 –      –0 –      .00 (b) 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

    .13        2.33        (2.82     2.10        4.81        (11.97
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Less: Dividends and Distributions

           

Dividends from net investment income

    –0 –      (.28     (.52     (.34     (.67     –0 – 

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

    –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      (.40
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total dividends and distributions

    –0 –      (.28     (.52     (.34     (.67     (.40
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $17.26        $17.13        $15.08        $18.42        $16.66        $12.52   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Total Return

           

Total investment return based on net asset value (c)

    .76     15.54     (15.85 )%      12.89     39.58     (48.85 )%* 
           

Ratios/Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of period
(000’s omitted)

    $94,088        $97,611        $90,912        $126,339        $124,335        $80,458   

Ratio to average net assets of:

           

Expenses

    .94 %(d)      .97     .94     .93 %(e)      .99     .98

Net investment income

    1.91 %(d)      1.33     1.53     1.08 %(e)      1.55     1.93

Portfolio turnover rate

    15     52     66     104     118     90

 

 

See footnote summary on page 21.

 

20


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    CLASS B  
    Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2013

(unaudited)
    Year Ended December 31,  
      2012     2011     2010     2009     2008  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $16.96        $14.93        $18.24        $16.51        $12.41        $24.73   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Income From Investment Operations

           

Net investment income (a)

    .14        .18        .22        .14        .18        .31   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment and foreign currency transactions

    (.03     2.08        (3.06     1.89        4.55        (12.23

Contributions from Adviser

    –0 –      –0 –      .00 (b)      –0 –      –0 –      .00 (b) 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

    .11        2.26        (2.84     2.03        4.73        (11.92
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Less: Dividends and Distributions

           

Dividends from net investment income

    –0 –      (.23     (.47     (.30     (.63     –0 – 

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

    –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      (.40
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total dividends and distributions

    –0 –      (.23     (.47     (.30     (.63     (.40
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $17.07        $16.96        $14.93        $18.24        $16.51        $12.41   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Total Return

           

Total investment return based on net asset value (c)

    .65     15.23     (16.04 )%      12.61     39.24     (48.96 )%* 
           

Ratios/Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

    $54,559        $58,694        $58,322        $74,879        $72,604        $45,309   

Ratio to average net assets of:

           

Expenses

    1.19 %(d)      1.22     1.19     1.18 %(e)      1.24     1.23

Net investment income

    1.65 %(d)      1.11     1.27     .83 %(e)      1.28     1.63

Portfolio turnover rate

    15     52     66     104     118     90

 

 

 

 

(a)   Based on average shares outstanding.

 

(b)   Amount is less than $.005.

 

(c)   Total investment return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption on the last day of the period. Total return does not reflect (i) insurance company’s separate account related expense charges and (ii) the deductions of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Portfolio distributions or the redemption of Portfolio shares. Total investment return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized.

 

(d)   Annualized.

 

(e)   The ratio includes expenses attributable to costs of proxy solicitation.

 

*   Includes the impact of proceeds received and credited to the Portfolio resulting from class action settlements, which enhanced the Portfolio’s performance for the year ended December 31, 2008 by 0.01%.

See notes to financial statements.

 

21


 
INTERNATIONAL GROWTH PORTFOLIO
CONTINUANCE DISCLOSURE   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

INFORMATION REGARDING THE REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE PORTFOLIO’S ADVISORY AGREEMENT

The disinterested directors (the “directors”) of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”) unanimously approved the continuance of the Fund’s Advisory Agreement with the Adviser in respect of AllianceBernstein International Growth Portfolio (the “Portfolio”) at a meeting held on April 30-May 2, 2013 (the “May 2013 meeting”).

Prior to approval of the continuance of the Advisory Agreement, the directors had requested from the Adviser, and received and evaluated, extensive materials. They reviewed the proposed continuance of the Advisory Agreement with the Adviser and with experienced counsel who are independent of the Adviser, who advised on the relevant legal standards. The directors also reviewed an independent evaluation prepared by the Fund’s Senior Officer (who is also the Fund’s Independent Compliance Officer) of the reasonableness of the advisory fee, in which the Senior Officer concluded that the contractual fee for the Portfolio was reasonable. The directors also discussed the proposed continuance in private sessions with counsel and the Fund’s Senior Officer.

The directors considered their knowledge of the nature and quality of the services provided by the Adviser to the Portfolio gained from their experience as directors or trustees of most of the registered investment companies advised by the Adviser, their overall confidence in the Adviser’s integrity and competence they have gained from that experience, the Adviser’s initiative in identifying and raising potential issues with the directors and its responsiveness, frankness and attention to concerns raised by the directors in the past, including the Adviser’s willingness to consider and implement organizational and operational changes designed to improve investment results and the services provided to the AllianceBernstein Funds. The directors noted that they have four regular meetings each year, at each of which they receive presentations from the Adviser on the investment results of the Portfolio and review extensive materials and information presented by the Adviser.

The directors also considered all other factors they believed relevant, including the specific matters discussed below. In their deliberations, the directors did not identify any particular information that was all-important or controlling, and different directors may have attributed different weights to the various factors. The directors determined that the selection of the Adviser to manage the Portfolio and the overall arrangements between the Portfolio and the Adviser, as provided in the Advisory Agreement, including the advisory fee, were fair and reasonable in light of the services performed, expenses incurred and such other matters as the directors considered relevant in the exercise of their business judgment. The material factors and conclusions that formed the basis for the directors’ determinations included the following:

Nature, Extent and Quality of Services Provided

The directors considered the scope and quality of services provided by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement, including the quality of the investment research capabilities of the Adviser and the other resources it has dedicated to performing services for the Portfolio. They also noted the professional experience and qualifications of the Portfolio’s portfolio management team and other senior personnel of the Adviser. The directors also considered that the Advisory Agreement provides that the Portfolio will reimburse the Adviser for the cost to it of providing certain clerical, accounting, administrative and other services provided to the Portfolio by employees of the Adviser or its affiliates. Requests for these reimbursements are made on a quarterly basis and subject to approval by the directors and, to the extent requested and paid, will result in a higher rate of total compensation from the Portfolio to the Adviser than the fee rate stated in the Portfolio’s Advisory Agreement. The directors noted that the methodology used to determine the reimbursement amounts had been reviewed by an independent consultant retained by the Fund’s Senior Officer. The quality of administrative and other services, including the Adviser’s role in coordinating the activities of the Portfolio’s other service providers, also were considered. The directors concluded that, overall, they were satisfied with the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Portfolio under the Advisory Agreement.

Costs of Services Provided and Profitability

The directors reviewed a schedule of the revenues, expenses and related notes indicating the profitability of the Portfolio to the Adviser for calendar years 2011 and 2012 that had been prepared with an expense allocation methodology arrived at in consultation with an independent consultant retained by the Fund’s Senior Officer. The directors reviewed the assumptions and methods of allocation used by the Adviser in preparing fund-specific profitability data and noted that there are a number of potentially acceptable allocation methodologies for information of this type. The directors noted that the profitability information reflected all revenues and expenses of the Adviser’s relationship with the Portfolio, including those relating to its subsidiaries that provide transfer agency, distribution and brokerage services to the Portfolio. The directors recognized that it is difficult to make comparisons of the profitability of the Advisory Agreement with the profitability of advisory contracts for unaffiliated funds because comparative information is not generally publicly available and is affected by numerous

 

22


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

factors. The directors focused on the profitability of the Adviser’s relationship with the Portfolio before taxes and distribution expenses. The directors were satisfied that the Adviser’s level of profitability from its relationship with the Portfolio was not unreasonable.

Fall-Out Benefits

The directors considered the other benefits to the Adviser and its affiliates from their relationships with the Portfolio, including but not limited to benefits relating to soft dollar arrangements (whereby the Adviser receives brokerage and research services from brokers that execute transactions for certain clients, including the Portfolio); 12b-1 fees and sales charges received by the Fund’s principal underwriter (which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser) in respect of the Portfolio’s Class B shares; transfer agency fees paid by the Portfolio to a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser; and brokerage commissions paid by the Portfolio to brokers affiliated with the Adviser. The directors recognized that the Adviser’s profitability would be somewhat lower without these benefits. The directors also understood that the Adviser also might derive reputational and other benefits from its association with the Portfolio.

Investment Results

In addition to the information reviewed by the directors in connection with the meeting, the directors receive detailed performance information for the Portfolio at each regular Board meeting during the year. The directors noted that the Portfolio is a clone of another fund managed by the Adviser (the “Corresponding Fund”) and is managed to track the investment performance of its Corresponding Fund, although investment results may differ between the Portfolio and its Corresponding Fund due to differences in their expense ratios and other factors. At the May 2013 meeting, the directors reviewed information prepared by Lipper showing the performance of the Class A Shares of the Portfolio as compared with that of a group of similar funds selected by Lipper (the “Performance Group”) and as compared with that of a broader array of funds selected by Lipper (the “Performance Universe”), and information prepared by the Adviser showing performance of the Class A Shares as compared with the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) All Country (AC) World (ex US) Index (Net) (the “MSCI AC World Index”) and the MSCI World (ex US) Index (Net) (the “MSCI World Index”), in each case for the 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year periods ended February 28, 2013, and (in the case of comparisons with the MSCI World Index) the period since inception (September 1994 inception). The directors noted that the Portfolio was in the 5th quintile of the Performance Group and the Performance Universe for the 1-, 3- and 5-year periods, and in the 2nd quintile of the Performance Group and 3rd quintile of the Performance Universe for the 10-year period. The Portfolio lagged both indices in all periods except that it outperformed the MSCI World Index in the 10-year period and the period since inception. The directors also reviewed performance information for periods ended March 31, 2013 (for which the data was not limited to Class A Shares), and noted that in the 3-month period the Portfolio had outperformed the Lipper VA International Growth Funds Average and the MSCI AC World Index but lagged the MSCI World Index.

The directors noted that they had discussed with the Adviser their concerns about the investment performance of the Portfolio over time as compared to both its benchmark and its peers and that the Adviser had reviewed with them various steps that it had taken, including the restructuring of the Adviser’s research and portfolio management teams and related modifications to its investment process, and other changes intended to improve investment performance. The directors noted that the Portfolio’s relative investment performance had improved in the first quarter of 2013, but they continued to be concerned about the Portfolio’s performance over time and the lack of sustained improvement in it. After further discussion with the Adviser and consideration of the Adviser’s response to their concerns, the directors concluded that they continued to have confidence in the Adviser’s ability to advise the Portfolio but informed the Adviser that, in light of the Portfolio’s persistent weak relative performance, they would continue to monitor closely the Portfolio and the impact of the steps taken by the Adviser with a view to improving investment performance. They also informed the Adviser that they would undertake a further close review in six months, and that they would consider taking additional action if they were not satisfied with the Adviser’s progress in improving investment performance.

Advisory Fees and Other Expenses

The directors considered the advisory fee rate paid by the Portfolio to the Adviser and information prepared by Lipper concerning advisory fee rates paid by other funds in the same Lipper category as the Portfolio at a common asset level. The directors recognized that it is difficult to make comparisons of advisory fees because there are variations in the services that are included in the fees paid by other funds.

The directors also considered the advisory fees the Adviser charges non-fund clients pursuing a substantially similar investment style. For this purpose, they reviewed the relevant advisory fee information from the Adviser’s Form ADV and the

 

23


INTERNATIONAL GROWTH PORTFOLIO
CONTINUANCE DISCLOSURE  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

evaluation from the Fund’s Senior Officer. The directors noted that, although the institutional fee schedule started at a rate different from the Portfolio’s starting fee rate, it had more breakpoints at lower asset levels than the fee schedule applicable to the Portfolio. The application of the institutional fee schedule to the level of assets of the Portfolio would result in a fee rate lower than the rate being paid by the Portfolio. The directors noted that the Adviser may, in some cases, agree to fee rates with large institutional clients that are lower than those reviewed by the directors and that they had previously discussed with the Adviser its policies in respect of such arrangements. The directors noted that the advisory fee schedule for the Portfolio is the same as that for its Corresponding Fund. The directors also considered that a portfolio of a fund advised by the Adviser (the “SCB Portfolio”) pursuing a somewhat similar investment style has higher fee rates at each breakpoint of its fee schedule, and that the Adviser is waiving, effective November 1, 2011 through October 31, 2013, 5 basis points of the advisory fee payable by the SCB Portfolio under its contract.

The Adviser reviewed with the directors the significantly greater scope of the services it provides to the Portfolio relative to institutional clients. The Adviser also noted that because mutual funds are constantly issuing and redeeming shares, they are more difficult to manage than an institutional account, where the assets tend to be relatively stable. In light of the substantial differences in services rendered by the Adviser to institutional clients as compared to funds such as the Portfolio, the directors considered these fee comparisons inapt and did not place significant weight on them in their deliberations.

The directors also considered the total expense ratio of the Class A shares of the Portfolio in comparison to the fees and expenses of funds within two comparison groups created by Lipper: an Expense Group and an Expense Universe. Lipper described an Expense Group as a representative sample of funds similar to the Portfolio and an Expense Universe as a broader group, consisting of all funds in the investment classification/objective with a similar load type as the Portfolio. The Class A expense ratio of the Portfolio was based on the Portfolio’s latest fiscal year. The directors noted that it was likely that the expense ratios of some of the other funds in the Portfolio’s Lipper category were lowered by waivers or reimbursements by those funds’ investment advisers, which in some cases might be voluntary or temporary. The directors view the expense ratio information as relevant to their evaluation of the Adviser’s services because the Adviser is responsible for coordinating services provided to the Portfolio by others.

The directors noted that, at the Portfolio’s current size, its contractual effective advisory fee rate of 75 basis points, plus the 3 basis point impact of the administrative expense reimbursement in the latest fiscal year, was lower than the Expense Group median. The directors also noted that the Portfolio’s total expense ratio was the same as the Expense Group median and lower than the Expense Universe median. The directors concluded that the Portfolio’s expense ratio was satisfactory.

Economies of Scale

The directors noted that the advisory fee schedule for the Portfolio contains breakpoints that reduce the fee rates on assets above specified levels. The directors took into consideration prior presentations by an independent consultant on economies of scale in the mutual fund industry and for the AllianceBernstein Funds, and by the Adviser concerning certain of its views on economies of scale. The directors also had requested and received from the Adviser certain updates on economies of scale at the May 2013 meeting. The directors believe that economies of scale may be realized (if at all) by the Adviser across a variety of products and services, and not only in respect of a single fund. The directors noted that there is no established methodology for setting breakpoints that give effect to the fund-specific services provided by a fund’s adviser and to the economies of scale that an adviser may realize in its overall mutual fund business or those components of it which directly or indirectly affect a fund’s operations. The directors observed that in the mutual fund industry as a whole, as well as among funds similar to the Portfolio, there is no uniformity or pattern in the fees and asset levels at which breakpoints (if any) apply. The directors also noted that the advisory agreements for many funds do not have breakpoints at all. Having taken these factors into account, the directors concluded that the Portfolio’s shareholders would benefit from a sharing of economies of scale in the event the Portfolio’s net assets exceed a breakpoint in the future.

 

24


 
INTERNATIONAL GROWTH PORTFOLIO
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

THE FOLLOWING IS NOT PART OF THE SHAREHOLDER REPORT OR THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

SUMMARY OF SENIOR OFFICER’S EVALUATION OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT1

The following is a summary of the evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement between AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) and the AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund (the “Fund”), in respect of AllianceBernstein International Growth Portfolio (the “Portfolio”).2 The evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement was prepared by Philip L. Kirstein, the Senior Officer of the Fund, for the Directors of the Fund, as required by a September 2004 agreement between the Adviser and the New York State Attorney General (the “NYAG”). The Senior Officer’s evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement is not meant to diminish the responsibility or authority of the Board of Directors of the Fund to perform its duties pursuant to Section 15 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “40 Act”) and applicable state law. The purpose of the summary is to provide shareholders with a synopsis of the independent evaluation of the reasonableness of the advisory fees proposed to be paid by the Portfolio which was provided to the Directors in connection with their review of the proposed approval of the continuance of the Investment Advisory Agreement. The Senior Officer’s evaluation considered the following factors:

 

  1. Advisory fees charged to institutional and other clients of the Adviser for like services;

 

  2. Advisory fees charged by other mutual fund companies for like services;

 

  3. Costs to the Adviser and its affiliates of supplying services pursuant to the advisory agreement, excluding any intra-corporate profit;

 

  4. Profit margins of the Adviser and its affiliates from supplying such services;

 

  5. Possible economies of scale as the Portfolio grows larger; and

 

  6. Nature and quality of the Adviser’s services including the performance of the Portfolio.

These factors, with the exception of the first factor, are generally referred to as the “Gartenberg factors,” which were articulated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1982. Gartenberg v. Merrill Lynch Asset Management, Inc., 694 F. 2d 923 (2d Cir. 1982). On March 30, 2010, the Supreme Court held the Gartenberg decision was correct in its basic formulation of what §36(b) requires: to face liability under §36(b), “an investment adviser must charge a fee that is so disproportionately large that it bears no reasonable relationship to the services rendered and could not have been the product of arm’s length bargaining.” Jones v. Harris Associates L.P., 130 S. Ct. 1418 (2010). In Jones, the Court stated the Gartenberg approach fully incorporates the correct understanding of fiduciary duty within the context of section 36(b) and noted with approval that “Gartenberg insists that all relevant circumstances be taken into account” and “uses the range of fees that might result from arm’s length bargaining as the benchmark for reviewing challenged fees.”3

PORTFOLIO ADVISORY FEES, NET ASSETS & EXPENSE RATIOS

The Adviser proposed that the Portfolio pays the advisory fee set forth in the table below for receiving the services to be provided pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement. The fee schedule below, implemented in January 2004 in consideration of the Adviser’s settlement with the NYAG in December 2003, is based on a master schedule that contemplates eight categories of funds with almost all funds in each category having the same advisory fee schedule.

 

Category   Advisory Fee Based on % of
Average Daily Net Assets
 

Net Assets

3/31/13

($MIL)

    Portfolio

International

 

0.75% on 1st $2.5 billion

0.65% on next $2.5 billion

0.60% on the balance

  $ 158.6      International Growth Portfolio

 

 

1   The information in the fee summary was completed on April 22, 2013 and discussed with the Board of Directors on April 30-May 2, 2013.

 

2   Future references to the Fund and the Portfolio do not include “AllianceBernstein.” References in the fee summary pertaining to performance and expense ratio rankings refer to the Class A shares of the Portfolio.

 

3   Jones v. Harris at 1427.

 

25


INTERNATIONAL GROWTH PORTFOLIO
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Adviser is reimbursed as specified in the Investment Advisory Agreement for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services provided to the Portfolio. During the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year, the Adviser received $44,879 (0.028% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets) for such services.

Set forth below are the Portfolio’s total expense ratios for the most recently completed fiscal year:

 

Portfolio   Total Expense Ratio   Fiscal Year

International Growth Portfolio

 

Class A    0.97%

Class B    1.22%

  December 31

I. ADVISORY FEES CHARGED TO INSTITUTIONAL AND OTHER CLIENTS

The advisory fees charged to investment companies which the Adviser manages and sponsors are normally higher than those charged to similar sized institutional accounts, including pension plans and sub-advised investment companies. The fee differential reflects, among other things, different services provided to such clients, and different liabilities assumed. Services provided by the Adviser to the Portfolio that are not provided to non-investment company clients and sub-advised investment companies include providing office space and personnel to serve as Fund Officers, who among other responsibilities make the certifications required under the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, and coordinating with and monitoring the Portfolio’s third party service providers such as Fund counsel, auditors, custodians, transfer agents and pricing services. The accounting, administrative, legal and compliance requirements for the Portfolio are more costly than those for institutional assets due to the greater complexities and time required for investment companies, although as previously noted, the Adviser is reimbursed for providing such services. Also, retail mutual funds managed by the Adviser are widely held. Servicing the Portfolio’s investors is more time consuming and labor intensive compared to institutional clients since the Adviser needs to communicate with a more extensive network of financial intermediaries and shareholders. The Adviser also believes that it incurs substantial entrepreneurial risk when offering a new mutual fund, since establishing a new mutual fund requires a large upfront investment, and it may take a long time for the fund to achieve profitability since the fund must be priced to scale from inception in order to be competitive and assets are acquired one account at a time. In addition, managing the cash flow of an investment company may be more difficult than managing that of a stable pool of assets, such as an institutional account with little cash movement in either direction, particularly, if a fund is in net redemption and the Adviser is frequently forced to sell securities to raise cash for redemptions. However, managing a fund with positive cash flow may be easier at times than managing a stable pool of assets. In recent years, investment advisers have been sued by institutional clients and have suffered reputational damage both by the attendant publicity and outcomes other than complete victories. Accordingly, the legal and reputational risks associated with institutional accounts are greater than previously thought, although still not equal to those related to the mutual fund industry.

Notwithstanding the Adviser’s view that managing an investment company is not comparable to managing other institutional accounts because the services provided are different, the Supreme Court has indicated consideration should be given to the advisory fees charged to institutional accounts that have a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio.4 In addition to the AllianceBernstein institutional fee schedule, set forth below is what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the AllianceBernstein institutional fee schedule been applicable to the Portfolio versus the Portfolio’s advisory fee based on March 31, 2013 net assets:5

 

Portfolio   

Net Assets

3/31/13

($MIL)

  

AllianceBernstein

Institutional

Fee Schedule

  

Effective

AB Inst.

Adv. Fee

    

Portfolio

Advisory

Fee

 

International Growth Portfolio

   $158.6    International Research Growth AC Schedule
     0.576      0.750
      0.85% on first $25m      
      0.65% on next $25m      
      0.55% on next $50m      
      0.45% on the balance      
      Minimum account size $25m      

 

4   The Supreme Court stated that “courts may give such comparisons the weight that they merit in light of the similarities and differences between the services that the clients in question require, but the courts must be wary of inapt comparisons.” Among the significant differences the Supreme Court noted that may exist between services provided to mutual funds and institutional accounts are “higher marketing costs.” Jones v. Harris at 1428.

 

5   The Adviser has indicated that with respect to institutional accounts with assets greater than $300 million, it will negotiate a fee schedule. Discounts that are negotiated vary based upon each client relationship.

 

26


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Adviser also manages AllianceBernstein International Growth Fund, Inc. (“International Growth Fund, Inc.”), a retail mutual fund, which has a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio. Set forth below is the fee schedule of International Growth Fund, Inc. and what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the fee schedule of the retail mutual fund been applicable to the Portfolio:6

 

Portfolio  

AllianceBernstein

Mutual Fund

  Fee Schedule  

ABMF

Effective
Fee

   

Portfolio

Advisory
Fee

 

International Growth Portfolio

  International Growth Fund, Inc.  

0.75% on first $2.5 billion

0.65% on next $2.5 billion

0.60% on the balance

    0.750%        0.750%   

The Adviser manages Sanford C. Bernstein Fund, Inc. (“SCB Fund”), an open-end management investment company. The International Portfolio of SCB Fund (“SCB International Portfolio”) has a somewhat similar investment style as the Portfolio. Set forth below is the fee schedule of SCB International Portfolio and what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the fee schedule of SCB International Portfolio been applicable to the Portfolio based on March 31, 2013 net assets:

 

Portfolio  

SCB Fund

Portfolio

  Fee Schedule   SCB Fund
Effective
Fee
    Portfolio
Advisory
Fee
 

International Growth Portfolio7

  International Portfolio  

0.925% on 1st $1 billion

0.850% on next $3 billion

0.800% on next $2 billion

0.750% on next $2 billion

0.650% thereafter

    0.875%        0.750%   
    The Adviser is waving 5 basis points in advisory fees effective through October 31, 2013.    

The Adviser represented that it does not sub-advise any registered investment company with a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio.

II. MANAGEMENT FEES CHARGED BY OTHER MUTUAL FUND COMPANIES FOR LIKE SERVICES.

Lipper Inc. (“Lipper”), an analytical service that is not affiliated with the Adviser, compared the fees charged to the Portfolio with fees charged to other investment companies for similar services offered by other investment advisers.8 Lipper’s analysis included the comparison of the Portfolio’s contractual management fee, estimated at the approximate current asset level of the Portfolio, to the median of the Portfolio’s Lipper Expense Group (“EG”) and the Portfolio’s contractual management fee ranking.9,10

 

6   The retail mutual fund was also affected by the settlement between the Adviser and the NYAG. As a result, the Portfolio has the same breakpoints in its advisory fee schedule as the retail mutual fund.

 

7   The investment guidelines of the Portfolio are more restrictive than the SCB Fund portfolio. The Portfolio invests primarily in either growth or value equity securities, in contrast to the SCB Fund portfolio, which invests in both growth and value equity securities.

 

8   The Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since “these comparisons are problematic because these fees, like those challenged, may not be the product of negotiations conducted at arm’s length.” Jones v. Harris at 1429.

 

9   Lipper does not consider average account size when constructing EGs. Funds with relatively small average account sizes tend to have higher transfer agent expense ratio than comparable sized funds that have relatively large average account sizes. Note that there are limitations on Lipper expense category data because different funds categorize expenses differently.

 

10   The contractual management fee is calculated by Lipper using the Portfolio’s contractual management fee rate at a hypothetical asset level. The hypothetical asset level is based on the combined net assets of all classes of the Portfolio, rounded up to the next $25 million. Lipper’s total expense ratio information is based on the most recent annual report except as otherwise noted. A ranking of “1” would mean that the Portfolio had the lowest effective fee rate in the Lipper peer group.

 

27


INTERNATIONAL GROWTH PORTFOLIO
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Lipper describes an EG as a representative sample of comparable funds. Lipper’s standard methodology for screening funds to be included in an EG entails the consideration of several fund criteria, including fund type, investment classification/objective, load type and similar 12b-1/non-12b-1 service fees, asset (size) comparability, expense components and attributes. An EG will typically consist of seven to twenty funds.

 

Portfolio    Contractual
Management
Fee (%)11
    

Lipper EG

Median (%)

    

Lipper EG

Rank

 

International Growth Portfolio

     0.750         0.817         4/13   

Lipper also analyzed the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year total expense ratio in comparison to the Portfolio’s EG and Lipper Expense Universe (“EU”). The EU is a broader group compared to the EG, consisting of all funds that have the same investment classification/objective and load type as the subject Portfolio.12

 

Portfolio   

Expense

Ratio
(%)13

    

Lipper EG

Median (%)

    

Lipper

EG Rank

    

Lipper EU

Median (%)

    

Lipper EU

Rank

 

International Growth Portfolio

     0.972         0.972         7/13         0.997         18/44   

Based on this analysis, the Portfolio has a more favorable ranking on a management fee basis than on a total expense ratio basis.

III. COSTS TO THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES OF SUPPLYING SERVICES PURSUANT TO THE ADVISORY FEE ARRANGEMENT, EXCLUDING ANY INTRA-CORPORATE PROFIT.

The Adviser utilizes two profitability reporting systems, which operate independently but are aligned with each other, to estimate the Adviser’s profitability in connection with investment advisory services provided to the Portfolio. The Senior Officer has retained a consultant to provide independent advice regarding the alignment of the two profitability systems as well as the methodologies and allocations utilized by both profitability systems.

IV. PROFIT MARGINS OF THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES FOR SUPPLYING SUCH SERVICES.

The Portfolio’s profitability information, prepared by the Adviser for the Board of Directors, was reviewed by the Senior Officer and the consultant. The Adviser’s profitability from providing investment advisory services to the Portfolio decreased during calendar year 2012, relative to 2011.

In addition to the Adviser’s direct profits from managing the Portfolio, certain of the Adviser’s affiliates have business relationships with the Portfolio and may earn a profit from providing other services to the Portfolio. The courts have referred to this type of business opportunity as “fall-out benefits” to the Adviser and indicated that such benefits should be factored into the evaluation of the total relationship between the Portfolio and the Adviser. Neither case law nor common business practice precludes the Adviser’s affiliates from earning a reasonable profit on this type of relationship provided the affiliates’ charges and services are competitive. These affiliates provide transfer agent, distribution and brokerage related services to the Portfolio and receive transfer agent fees, Rule 12b-1 payments, and brokerage commissions. In addition, the Adviser benefits from soft dollar arrangements which offset expenses the Adviser would otherwise incur.

The Portfolio has adopted a distribution plan for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 40 Act. Under the distribution plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to its principal underwriter, AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (“ABI”), the Portfolio’s distributor and an affiliate of the Adviser, at an annual rate of up to 0.50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The current annual rate that the Portfolio pays to ABI for 12b-1 fees is 0.25%. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, ABI received $149,521 in Rule 12b-1 fees.

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, the Adviser incurred distribution expenses in the amount of $469,646 in connection with activities primarily intended to result in the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. This amount includes the 12b-1 fees paid by the Portfolio to the adviser.

  

 

11   The contractual management fee does not reflect any expense reimbursements made by the Portfolio to the Adviser for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services.

 

12   Except for asset (size) comparability, Lipper uses the same criteria for selecting an EG when selecting an EU. Unlike the EG, the EU allows for the same adviser to be represented by more than just one fund.

 

13   Most recently completed fiscal year end Class A total expense ratio.

 

28


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Financial intermediaries, such as insurers, market and sell shares of the Portfolio and typically receive compensation from ABI, the Advisers and/or the Portfolio for selling shares of the Portfolio. These financial intermediaries receive compensation in any or all of the following forms: 12b-1 fees, defrayal of costs for educational seminars and training, additional distribution support, recordkeeping and/or administrative services. Payments related to providing contract-holder recordkeeping and/or administrative services will generally not exceed 0.35% of the average daily net assets of the Portfolio attributable to the relevant intermediary over the year. With respect to the Fund, which includes the Portfolio and other Portfolios of the Fund not discussed in this summary, ABI paid approximately $600,000 in 2012 and expects to pay approximately $600,000 in 2013 for educational support and distribution assistance (revenue sharing payments).

The transfer agent of the Portfolio is AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”). During the most recently completed fiscal year, ABIS received a fee of $1,385 from the Portfolio.14

The Portfolio effected brokerage transactions through and pais commissions to the Adviser’s affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., LLC (“SCB & Co.”) nor its U.K. affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein Limited (“SCB Ltd.”), collectively “SCB,” during the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year. The Adviser represented that SCB’s profitability from business conducted with the Portfolio is comparable to the profitability of SCB’s dealings with other similar third party clients. In the ordinary course of business, SCB receives and pays liquidity rebates from electronic communications networks (“ECNs”) derived from trading for its clients, including the Portfolio. These credits and charges are not being passed onto any SCB client. The Adviser also receives certain soft dollar benefits from brokers that execute agency trades for the Portfolio and other clients. These soft dollar benefits reduce the Adviser’s cost of doing business and increase its profitability.

V. POSSIBLE ECONOMIES OF SCALE

The Adviser has indicated that economies of scale are being shared with shareholders through pricing to scale, breakpoints, fee reductions/waivers and enhancement to services.

In May 2012, an independent consultant, retained by the Senior Officer, provided the Board of Directors information on the Adviser’s firm-wide average costs from 2005 through 2011 and the potential economies of scale. The independent consultant noted that from 2005 through 2007 the Adviser experienced significant growth in assets under management (“AUM”). During this period, operating expenses increased, in part to keep up with growth, and in part reflecting market returns. However, from 2008 through the first quarter of 2009, AUM rapidly and significantly decreased due to declines in market value and client withdrawals. When AUM rapidly decreased, some operating expenses categories, including base compensation and office space, adjusted more slowly during this period, resulting in an increase in average costs. Since 2009, AUM has experienced less significant changes. The independent consultant noted that changes in operating expenses reflect changes in business composition and business practices in response to changes in financial markets. Finally, the independent consultant concluded that the increase in average cost and the decline in net operating margin across the Adviser since late 2008 are inconsistent with the view that there are currently reductions in average costs due to economies of scale that can be shared with the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds managed by the Adviser through lower fees.

Previously in February 2008, the independent consultant provided the Board of Directors an update of the Deli study on advisory fees and various fund characteristics.15,16 The independent consultant first reiterated the results of his previous two dimensional comparison analysis (fund size and family size) with the Board of Directors.17 The independent consultant then discussed the results of the regression model that was utilized to study the effects of various factors on advisory fees. The regression model output indicated that the bulk of the variation in fees predicted were explained by various factors, but substantially by fund AUM, family AUM, index fund indicator and investment style. The independent consultant also compared

 

14   The Fund, which includes the Portfolio and other Portfolios of the Fund paid ABIS a flat fee of $18,000 in 2012.

 

15   The Deli study, originally published in 2002 based on 1997 data and updated for the February 2008 Presentation, may be of diminished value due to the age of the data used in the presentation and the changes experienced in the industry over the last four years.

 

16   As mentioned previously, the Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since the fees may not be the product of negotiations conducted at arm’s length. See Jones V. Harris at 1429.

 

17   The two dimensional analysis showed patterns of lower advisory fees for funds with larger asset sizes and funds from larger family sizes compared to funds with smaller asset sizes and funds from smaller family sizes, which according to the independent consultant is indicative of a sharing of economies of scale and scope. However, in less liquid and active markets, such is not the case, as the empirical analysis showed potential for diseconomies of scale in those markets. The empirical analysis also showed diminishing economies of scale and scope as funds surpassed a certain high level of assets.

 

29


INTERNATIONAL GROWTH PORTFOLIO
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

the advisory fees of the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds to similar funds managed by 19 other large asset managers, regardless of the fund size and each Adviser’s proportion of mutual fund assets to non-mutual fund assets.

VI. NATURE AND QUALITY OF THE ADVISER’S SERVICES, INCLUDING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PORTFOLIO

With assets under management of approximately $443 billion as of March 31, 2013, the Adviser has the investment experience to manage and provide non-investment services (described in Section I) to the Portfolio.

The information prepared by Lipper shows the 1, 3, 5 and 10 year performance returns and rankings of the Portfolio18 relative to its Lipper Performance Group (“PG”) and Lipper Performance Universe (“PU”)19 for the periods ended February 28, 2013.20

 

     

Portfolio

(%)

       PG
Median (%)
       PU
Median (%)
       PG
Rank
       PU
Rank
 

International Growth Portfolio

  

              

1 year

     5.30           9.25           8.94           13/13           39/40   

3 year

     6.03           8.83           8.79           12/12           32/35   

5 year

     -2.74           -0.26           0.24           11/11           31/32   

10 year

     10.58           10.06           10.06           4/10           12/26   

Set forth below are the 1, 3, 5, 10 year and since inception performance returns of the Portfolio (in bold)21 versus its benchmarks22. Portfolio and benchmark volatility and reward-to-variability ratio (“Sharpe Ratio”) information is also shown.23

 

    

Periods Ending February 28, 2013

Annualized Performance

 
    

1

Year
(%)

   

3

Year
(%)

   

5

Year
(%)

    10
Year
(%)
    Since
Inception
(%)
    Annualized     Risk
Period
(Year)
 
               
            Volatility
(%)
    Sharpe
(%)
   

International Growth Portfolio

    5.30        6.03        -2.74        10.58        7.98        20.67        0.51        10   

MSCI AC World ex US Index (Net)

    6.66        6.65        -0.87        10.68        N/A        19.01        0.54        10   

MSCI World ex US Index (Net) 24

    8.75        6.70        -1.19        9.65        4.87        N/A        N/A        N/A   

Inception Date: September 23, 1994

  

           

CONCLUSION:

Based on the factors discussed above the Senior Officer’s conclusion is that the proposed advisory fee for the Portfolio is reasonable and within the range of what would have been negotiated at arm’s-length in light of all the surrounding circumstances. This conclusion in respect of the Portfolio is based on an evaluation of all of these factors and no single factor was dispositive.

Dated: May 29, 2013

  

 

18   The performance rankings are for the Class A shares of the Portfolio. The Portfolio’s performance returns shown were provided by Lipper.

 

19   The Portfolio’s PG is identical to the Portfolio’s respective EG. The Portfolio’s PU is not identical to the Portfolio’s EU as the criteria for including/excluding a fund from a PU is somewhat different from that of an EU.

 

20   The current Lipper investment classification/objective dictates the PG and PU throughout the life of the fund even if a fund had a different investment classification/objective at a different point in time.

 

21   The performance returns and risk measures shown in the table are for the Class A shares of the Portfolio.

 

22   The Adviser provided Portfolio and benchmark performance return information for periods through February 28, 2013.

 

23   Portfolio and benchmark volatility and Sharpe Ratio information was obtained through Lipper LANA, a database maintained by Lipper. Volatility is a statistical measure of the tendency of a market price or yield to vary over time. The Sharpe Ratio is a risk adjusted measure of return that divides a portfolio’s return in excess of the riskless return by the portfolio’s standard deviation. A portfolio with a greater volatility would be viewed as more risky than a portfolio with equivalent performance but lower volatility; for that reason, a greater return would be demanded for the more risky portfolio. A portfolio with a higher Sharpe Ratio would be viewed as better performing than a portfolio with a lower Sharpe Ratio.

 

24   Benchmark since inception date is the nearest month end after the Portfolio’s inception date.

 

30


AllianceBernstein

Variable Products Series Fund, Inc.

 

 

 

LOGO   AllianceBernstein International Value Portfolio

 

 

June 30, 2013

 

 

Semi-Annual Report

 

LOGO

 

SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT


 

 

 

Investment Products Offered

 

  Ø  

Are Not FDIC Insured

  Ø  

May Lose Value

  Ø  

Are Not Bank Guaranteed

AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (ABI) is the distributor of the AllianceBernstein family of mutual funds. ABI is a member of FINRA and is an affiliate of AllianceBernstein L.P., the manager of the funds.

You may obtain a description of the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures, and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, without charge. Simply visit AllianceBernstein’s website at www.alliancebernstein.com or go to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “Commission”) website at www.sec.gov, or call AllianceBernstein at (800) 227-4618.

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Commission for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Fund’s Forms N-Q are available on the Commission’s website at www.sec.gov. The Fund’s Forms N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC; information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330.

AllianceBernstein® and the AB Logo are registered trademarks and service marks used by permission of the owner, AllianceBernstein L.P.


 

 
INTERNATIONAL VALUE PORTFOLIO  
EXPENSE EXAMPLE (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments, contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution (12b-1) fees; and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund 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 as indicated below.

Actual Expenses

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. The estimate of expenses does not include fees or other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes

The table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed annual rate of return of 5% before expenses, which is not the Fund’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 costs of investing in the Fund and other funds by comparing this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds. The estimate of expenses does not include fees or other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads), or contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions. Therefore, the second line of each class’ table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

      Beginning
Account Value
January 1, 2013
     Ending
Account Value
June 30, 2013
     Expenses Paid
During Period*
     Annualized
Expense Ratio*
 

Class A

           

Actual

   $ 1,000       $ 1,032.50       $ 4.18         0.83

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $ 1,000       $ 1,020.68       $ 4.16         0.83
           

Class B

           

Actual

   $ 1,000       $ 1,031.80       $ 5.44         1.08

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $   1,000       $   1,019.44       $   5.41         1.08

 

 

 

 

 

*   Expenses are equal to each classes’ annualized expense ratios, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 181/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).

 

1


INTERNATIONAL VALUE PORTFOLIO  
TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS*  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

COMPANY    U.S. $ VALUE        PERCENT OF NET ASSETS  

GlaxoSmithKline PLC

   $ 23,731,410           2.9

Roche Holding AG

     22,139,183           2.7   

HSBC Holdings PLC

     17,120,741           2.1   

Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp.

     15,240,147           1.8   

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.

     14,957,336           1.8   

Novartis AG

     14,645,633           1.8   

Vodafone Group PLC

     14,463,302           1.8   

ING Groep NV

     13,993,670           1.7   

Macquarie Group Ltd.

     12,890,090           1.6   

Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd.

     12,288,542           1.5   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 
     $   161,470,054           19.7

SECTOR BREAKDOWN**

June 30, 2013 (unaudited)

 

 

SECTOR    U.S. $ VALUE      PERCENT OF TOTAL INVESTMENTS  

Financials

   $   209,649,288         25.7

Consumer Discretionary

     125,416,869         15.3   

Industrials

     76,262,668         9.3   

Consumer Staples

     74,054,381         9.1   

Health Care

     74,004,334         9.1   

Materials

     71,035,808         8.7   

Information Technology

     55,165,719         6.7   

Energy

     50,979,306         6.2   

Telecommunication Services

     47,179,462         5.8   

Utilities

     26,018,137         3.2   

Short-Term Investments

     7,319,168         0.9   
    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Investments

   $ 817,085,140         100.0

 

 

 

*   Long-term investments.

 

**   The Portfolio’s sector breakdown is expressed as a percentage of total investments (excluding security lending collateral) and may vary over time. The Portfolio also enters into derivative transactions, which may be used for hedging or investment purposes (see “Portfolio of Investments” section of the report for additional details).

Please note: The sector classifications presented herein are based on the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) which was developed by Morgan Stanley Capital International and Standard & Poor’s. The components are divided into sector, industry group, and industry sub-indices as classified by the GICS for each of the market capitalization indices in the broad market. These sector classifications are broadly defined. The “Portfolio of Investments” section of the report reflects more specific industry information and is consistent with the investment restrictions discussed in the Portfolio’s prospectus.

 

2


INTERNATIONAL VALUE PORTFOLIO  
COUNTRY BREAKDOWN*  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

COUNTRY    U.S. $ VALUE      PERCENT OF TOTAL INVESTMENTS  

Japan

   $   211,289,878         25.9

United Kingdom

     161,525,878         19.8   

France

     86,369,391         10.6   

Switzerland

     63,258,206         7.7   

Australia

     56,783,070         7.0   

Germany

     41,814,565         5.1   

South Korea

     40,169,950         4.9   

Netherlands

     36,900,122         4.5   

Brazil

     17,950,231         2.2   

Russia

     16,454,934         2.0   

Italy

     15,583,327         1.9   

Norway

     12,950,546         1.6   

Hong Kong

     10,829,577         1.3   

Other

     37,886,297         4.6   

Short-Term Investments

     7,319,168         0.9   
    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Investments

   $ 817,085,140         100.0

 

 

 

 

*   All data are as of June 30, 2013. The Portfolio’s country breakdown is expressed as a percentage of total investments (excluding security lending collateral) and may vary over time. “Other” country weightings represent 1.0% or less in the following countries: Belgium, China, Denmark, Israel, Mexico, Poland, Portugal and Turkey.

 

3


INTERNATIONAL VALUE PORTFOLIO  
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
  Shares     U.S. $ Value  
   

COMMON STOCKS–98.8%

   
   

FINANCIALS–25.6%

   

CAPITAL MARKETS–3.2%

   

Credit Suisse Group AG(a)

    192,815      $ 5,104,599   

Deutsche Bank AG (REG)

    194,881        8,171,907   

Macquarie Group Ltd.

    337,960        12,890,090   
   

 

 

 
      26,166,596   
   

 

 

 

COMMERCIAL BANKS–12.9%

   

Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd.

    119,100        3,091,758   

Banco do Brasil SA

    638,900        6,330,732   

Bank Hapoalim BM(a)

    650,425        2,935,358   

Barclays PLC

    1,634,010        6,958,825   

BNP Paribas SA

    55,000        3,010,976   

China Construction Bank Corp.–Class H

    3,772,000        2,650,653   

HSBC Holdings PLC

    1,653,836        17,120,741   

KB Financial Group, Inc.

    227,121        6,735,875   

Lloyds Banking Group PLC(a)

    4,200,170        4,033,469   

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.

    2,421,900        14,957,336   

Mizuho Financial Group, Inc.

    1,371,600        2,848,392   

National Australia Bank Ltd.

    405,450        10,967,403   

Sberbank of Russia (Sponsored ADR)

    320,772        3,682,463   

Societe Generale SA

    321,092        11,050,532   

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc.

    197,500        9,040,169   
   

 

 

 
      105,414,682   
   

 

 

 

DIVERSIFIED FINANCIAL SERVICES–2.9%

   

ING Groep NV(a)

    1,531,190        13,993,670   

ORIX Corp.

    700,300        9,556,793   
   

 

 

 
      23,550,463   
   

 

 

 

INSURANCE–3.3%

   

Aegon NV

    1,022,123        6,857,481   

Allianz SE

    33,170        4,841,535   

Aviva PLC

    943,180        4,861,284   

Muenchener Rueckversicherungs AG

    23,320        4,284,177   

Suncorp Group Ltd.

    606,876        6,591,327   
   

 

 

 
      27,435,804   
   

 

 

 

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS (REITS)–1.3%

   

Mexico Real Estate Management SA de CV(a)

    988,550        2,136,176   

Stockland

    1,606,060        5,110,263   

Westfield Group

    349,790        3,663,569   
   

 

 

 
      10,910,008   
   

 

 

 

REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT–2.0%

   

Aeon Mall Co., Ltd.

    57,200        1,419,016   
   

China Overseas Land & Investment Ltd.

    948,000      $ 2,455,943   

Evergrande Real Estate Group Ltd.(a)(b)

    8,227,000        3,036,368   

Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.

    116,000        3,410,403   

New World Development Co., Ltd.

    2,098,000        2,876,404   

Wharf Holdings Ltd.

    356,000        2,973,601   
   

 

 

 
      16,171,735   
   

 

 

 
      209,649,288   
   

 

 

 

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY–15.3%

   

AUTO COMPONENTS–3.3%

   

Cie Generale des Etablissements Michelin–Class B

    131,332        11,743,168   

GKN PLC

    1,509,130        6,907,880   

Valeo SA(b)

    132,770        8,331,187   
   

 

 

 
      26,982,235   
   

 

 

 

AUTOMOBILES–6.4%

   

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG

    68,100        5,943,510   

Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

    288,900        10,732,470   

Kia Motors Corp.

    130,980        7,073,212   

Mazda Motor Corp.(a)

    1,681,000        6,645,727   

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

    813,000        8,148,382   

Renault SA

    53,840        3,626,526   

Volkswagen AG (Preference Shares)

    50,050        10,109,280   
   

 

 

 
      52,279,107   
   

 

 

 

HOTELS, RESTAURANTS & LEISURE–1.0%

   

Autogrill SpA(a)

    259,740        3,605,130   

Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. (ADR)(a)

    222,700        4,979,572   
   

 

 

 
      8,584,702   
   

 

 

 

HOUSEHOLD DURABLES–1.3%

   

Sony Corp.

    328,400        6,937,847   

Taylor Wimpey PLC

    2,447,222        3,565,613   
   

 

 

 
      10,503,460   
   

 

 

 

MULTILINE RETAIL–0.4%

   

Myer Holdings Ltd.(b)

    1,404,090        3,050,124   
   

 

 

 

SPECIALTY RETAIL–2.2%

   

Kingfisher PLC

    625,430        3,260,876   

Shimamura Co., Ltd.

    39,600        4,807,129   

Yamada Denki Co., Ltd.(b)

    248,810        10,074,137   
   

 

 

 
      18,142,142   
   

 

 

 

TEXTILES, APPAREL & LUXURY GOODS–0.7%

   

Cie Financiere Richemont SA (SWX Europe)

    66,620        5,875,099   
   

 

 

 
      125,416,869   
   

 

 

 

 

4


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
  Shares     U.S. $ Value  
   

INDUSTRIALS–9.3%

   

AEROSPACE & DEFENSE–3.2%

   

European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. NV

    219,710      $ 11,754,642   

Safran SA

    136,440        7,123,038   

Zodiac Aerospace

    54,090        7,162,160   
   

 

 

 
      26,039,840   
   

 

 

 

AIRLINES–1.7%

   

Japan Airlines Co., Ltd.

    132,700        6,831,481   

Qantas Airways Ltd.(a)

    3,209,800        3,942,553   

Turk Hava Yollari

    810,428        3,148,734   
   

 

 

 
      13,922,768   
   

 

 

 

BUILDING PRODUCTS–0.6%

   

Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.(b)

    719,000        4,660,410   
   

 

 

 

ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT–1.5%

   

Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd.

    1,032,300        12,288,542   
   

 

 

 

INDUSTRIAL CONGLOMERATES–0.7%

   

Siemens AG

    54,880        5,557,341   
   

 

 

 

MACHINERY–0.4%

   

IHI Corp.

    939,000        3,552,722   
   

 

 

 

ROAD & RAIL–0.5%

   

Tokyu Corp.

    630,000        4,125,085   
   

 

 

 

TRADING COMPANIES & DISTRIBUTORS–0.7%

   

Mitsubishi Corp.

    358,000        6,115,960   
   

 

 

 
      76,262,668   
   

 

 

 

CONSUMER STAPLES–9.0%

   

BEVERAGES–1.2%

   

Anheuser-Busch InBev NV

    41,640        3,748,979   

Asahi Group Holdings Ltd.

    248,800        6,163,208   
   

 

 

 
      9,912,187   
   

 

 

 

FOOD & STAPLES RETAILING–2.9%

   

Koninklijke Ahold NV

    613,450        9,123,808   

Tesco PLC

    1,091,400        5,496,087   

Wesfarmers Ltd.

    71,050        2,571,021   

WM Morrison Supermarkets PLC

    1,614,140        6,425,001   
   

 

 

 
      23,615,917   
   

 

 

 

FOOD PRODUCTS–1.0%

   

Danone SA

    54,970        4,137,502   

Nestle SA

    57,850        3,796,138   
   

 

 

 
      7,933,640   
   

 

 

 

HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS–0.4%

   

Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC

    47,700        3,374,131   
   

 

 

 
   

TOBACCO–3.5%

   

British American Tobacco PLC

    183,880      $ 9,431,118   

Imperial Tobacco Group PLC

    278,300        9,649,940   

Japan Tobacco, Inc.

    287,200        10,137,448   
   

 

 

 
      29,218,506   
   

 

 

 
      74,054,381   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE–9.0%

   

BIOTECHNOLOGY–1.4%

   

Actelion Ltd.(a)

    194,190        11,697,554   
   

 

 

 

PHARMACEUTICALS–7.6%

   

GlaxoSmithKline PLC

    949,400        23,731,410   

Novartis AG

    206,770        14,645,633   

Roche Holding AG

    89,200        22,139,183   

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

    45,750        1,790,554   
   

 

 

 
      62,306,780   
   

 

 

 
      74,004,334   
   

 

 

 

MATERIALS–8.7%

   

CHEMICALS–3.4%

   

Arkema SA

    59,816        5,483,054   

BASF SE

    32,590        2,906,815   

Denki Kagaku Kogyo KK

    628,000        2,273,285   

Incitec Pivot Ltd.

    1,883,880        4,904,962   

Koninklijke DSM NV

    106,225        6,925,163   

Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd.

    63,000        644,416   

Teijin Ltd.

    1,281,000        2,806,005   

Ube Industries Ltd./Japan

    948,000        1,753,865   
   

 

 

 
      27,697,565   
   

 

 

 

CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS–0.5%

   

Taiheiyo Cement Corp.

    1,293,000        4,126,218   
   

 

 

 

METALS & MINING–4.8%

   

Anglo American PLC

    225,460        4,344,751   

Dowa Holdings Co., Ltd.

    401,000        3,583,290   

Glencore Xstrata PLC

    719,682        2,979,108   

KGHM Polska Miedz SA

    99,410        3,615,527   

MMC Norilsk Nickel OJSC (ADR)

    542,100        7,811,661   

Rio Tinto PLC

    249,380        10,142,021   

Vale SA (Sponsored ADR) (Local Preference Shares)

    553,920        6,735,667   
   

 

 

 
      39,212,025   
   

 

 

 
      71,035,808   
   

 

 

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY–6.7%

   

COMPUTERS & PERIPHERALS–1.8%

   

Fujitsu Ltd.

    2,054,000        8,497,378   

Toshiba Corp.

    1,319,000        6,322,720   
   

 

 

 
      14,820,098   
   

 

 

 

 

5


INTERNATIONAL VALUE PORTFOLIO  
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
  Shares     U.S. $ Value  
   

ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT, INSTRUMENTS & COMPONENTS–0.9%

   

LG Display Co., Ltd.(a)

    297,190      $ 7,090,903   
   

 

 

 

SEMICONDUCTORS & SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT–3.6%

   

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

    9,980        11,664,861   

SK Hynix, Inc.(a)

    280,190        7,605,099   

Sumco Corp.

    503,400        5,514,172   

Tokyo Electron Ltd.

    102,100        5,162,122   
   

 

 

 
      29,946,254   
   

 

 

 

SOFTWARE–0.4%

   

Nintendo Co., Ltd.

    28,100        3,308,464   
   

 

 

 
      55,165,719   
   

 

 

 

ENERGY–6.2%

   

ENERGY EQUIPMENT & SERVICES–1.6%

   

Aker Solutions ASA

    439,972        6,006,499   

Seadrill Ltd.

    172,410        6,944,047   
   

 

 

 
      12,950,546   
   

 

 

 

OIL, GAS & CONSUMABLE FUELS–4.6%

   

ENI SpA

    583,620        11,978,197   

Gazprom OAO (Sponsored ADR)

    755,070        4,960,810   

JX Holdings, Inc.

    1,051,700        5,078,039   

Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Sponsored ADR)

    333,140        4,883,832   

Royal Dutch Shell PLC (Euronext Amsterdam)–Class A

    348,249        11,127,882   
   

 

 

 
      38,028,760   
   

 

 

 
      50,979,306   
   

 

 

 

TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES–5.8%

   

DIVERSIFIED TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES–3.5%

   

Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp.

    292,400        15,240,147   

TDC A/S

    780,216        6,323,316   

Vivendi SA

    349,606        6,625,597   
   

 

 

 
      28,189,060   
   

 

 

 

WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES–2.3%

   

NTT DoCoMo, Inc.

    2,910        4,527,100   

Vodafone Group PLC

    5,047,085        14,463,302   
   

 

 

 
      18,990,402   
   

 

 

 
      47,179,462   
   

 

 

 
   

UTILITIES–3.2%

   

ELECTRIC UTILITIES–1.5%

   

EDP–Energias de Portugal SA

    1,873,880      $ 6,044,689   

Electricite de France SA

    272,380        6,321,009   
   

 

 

 
      12,365,698   
   

 

 

 

MULTI-UTILITIES–1.7%

   

Centrica PLC

    1,142,480        6,249,034   

National Grid PLC

    653,110        7,403,405   
   

 

 

 
      13,652,439   
   

 

 

 
      26,018,137   
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks
(cost $747,980,261)

      809,765,972   
   

 

 

 

RIGHTS–0.0%

   

FINANCIALS–0.0%

   

REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT–0.0%

   

New Hotel, expiring 6/11/13(a)
(cost $0)

    26,225        –0 – 
   

 

 

 
    Principal
Amount
(000)
       

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS–0.9%

   

TIME DEPOSIT–0.9%

   

State Street Time Deposit 0.01%, 7/01/13
(cost $7,319,168)

  $   7,319        7,319,168   
   

 

 

 

Total Investments Before Security Lending Collateral for Securities Loaned–99.7%
(cost $755,299,429)

      817,085,140   
   

 

 

 

INVESTMENTS OF CASH COLLATERAL FOR SECURITIES LOANED–3.0%

   

INVESTMENT COMPANIES–3.0%

   

AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves–Class I, 0.07%(c)
(cost $24,239,191)

    24,239,191        24,239,191   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS–102.7%
(cost $779,538,620)

      841,324,331   

Other assets less liabilities–(2.7)%

      (22,114,323
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS–100.0%

    $ 819,210,008   
   

 

 

 

 

6


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

FUTURES (see Note D)

 

Type    Number of
Contracts
     Expiration
Month
     Original
Value
     Value at
June 30, 2013
     Unrealized
Appreciation/
(Depreciation)
 

Purchased Contracts

              

Euro Stoxx 50 Index Futures

     93         September 2013       $   3,252,182       $   3,144,967       $    (107,215) 

FORWARD CURRENCY EXCHANGE CONTRACTS (see Note D)

 

Counterparty   

Contracts to

Deliver

(000)

    

In Exchange

For

(000)

     Settlement
Date
     Unrealized
Appreciation/
(Depreciation)
 

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

     GBP         3,669         USD         5,457         7/17/13       $ (122,430

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

     HKD         112,048         USD         14,443         7/17/13         (4,264

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

     JPY         567,665         USD         5,798         7/17/13         73,804   

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

     KRW         48,369,483         USD         43,730         7/17/13         1,415,987   

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

     USD         11,758         HKD         91,226         7/17/13         4,587   

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

     USD         16,279         JPY         1,677,094         7/17/13         631,693   

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

     USD         4,002         KRW         4,629,998         7/17/13         48,609   

BNP Paribas SA

     CHF         4,287         USD         4,407         7/17/13         (132,171

BNP Paribas SA

     GBP         43,583         USD         65,021         7/17/13         (1,260,255

BNP Paribas SA

     JPY         4,634,666         USD         46,737         7/17/13         4,234   

BNP Paribas SA

     KRW         8,526,140         USD         7,615         7/17/13         155,972   

BNP Paribas SA

     USD         54,786         SEK         350,344         7/17/13         (2,561,454

Citibank, NA

     NZD         6,336         USD         5,254         7/17/13         348,850   

Citibank, NA

     USD         30,082         JPY         2,845,940         7/17/13         (1,385,704

Citibank, NA

     AUD         11,869         USD         11,178         10/11/13         401,387   

Citibank, NA

     USD         30,911         EUR         23,596         10/11/13         (183,317

Credit Suisse International

     AUD         75,821         USD         73,998         7/17/13         4,732,269   

Credit Suisse International

     CHF         17,370         USD         18,601         7/17/13         208,950   

Credit Suisse International

     NOK         223,645         USD         38,224         7/17/13         1,425,210   

Credit Suisse International

     USD         3,848         AUD         4,172         7/17/13         (36,746

Credit Suisse International

     USD         4,787         GBP         3,156         7/17/13         12,734   

Credit Suisse International

     USD         38,707         NOK         223,645         7/17/13           (1,907,464

Deutsche Bank AG London

     USD         32,744         EUR         25,289         7/17/13         175,173   

Goldman Sachs Capital Markets LP

     USD         16,143         CHF         15,022         7/17/13         (236,888

Goldman Sachs Capital Markets LP

     USD         7,414         JPY         742,542         7/17/13         73,670   

Goldman Sachs Capital Markets LP

     USD         16,323         NZD         19,140         7/17/13         (1,506,190

Goldman Sachs Capital Markets LP

     JPY         508,864         USD         5,216         10/11/13         82,875   

Goldman Sachs Capital Markets LP

     USD         17,696         GBP         11,502         10/11/13         (213,796

HSBC BankUSA

     HKD         37,900         USD         4,889         7/17/13         1,787   

JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA

     USD         27,842         GBP         18,436         7/17/13         195,821   

Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc.

     EUR         2,816         USD         3,721         7/17/13         55,543   

Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc.

     USD         66,398         JPY         6,334,184         7/17/13         (2,529,057

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

     JPY         8,864,957         USD         92,383         7/17/13         2,995,279   

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

     NZD         7,372         USD         5,703         7/17/13         (3,625

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

     USD         16,321         AUD         15,832         7/17/13         (1,857,611

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

     USD         7,065         CHF         6,635         7/17/13         (39,377

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

     USD         43,909         GBP         28,884         7/17/13         17,178   

Societe Generale

     USD         17,764         EUR         13,569         7/17/13         (101,132

 

7


INTERNATIONAL VALUE PORTFOLIO  
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Counterparty   

Contracts to

Deliver

(000)

    

In Exchange

For

(000)

     Settlement
Date
     Unrealized
Appreciation/
(Depreciation)
 

Societe Generale

     USD         2,683         HKD         20,822         7/17/13       $ 2,140   

Standard Chartered Bank

     USD         4,888         HKD         37,900         7/17/13         (1,667

Standard Chartered Bank

     USD         8,561         KRW         9,611,869         7/17/13         (152,133

Standard Chartered Bank

     BRL         36,899         USD         16,269         8/02/13         (152,115

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

     EUR         6,920         USD         8,865         7/17/13         (143,015

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

     NZD         2,738         USD         2,204         7/17/13         84,695   

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

     SEK         80,512         USD         12,002         7/17/13         (24

UBS AG

     USD         20,987         AUD         20,331         7/17/13         (2,413,832

Westpac Banking Corp.

     AUD         4,557         USD         4,419         7/17/13         255,592   

Westpac Banking Corp.

     NZD         9,030         USD         7,343         7/17/13         352,922   

Westpac Banking Corp.

     USD         5,178         NZD         6,336         7/17/13         (273,628
                 

 

 

 
                  $   (3,460,934
                 

 

 

 

 

 

(a)   Non-income producing security.

 

(b)   Represents entire or partial securities out on loan. See Note E for securities lending information.

 

(c)   Investment in affiliated money market mutual fund. The rate shown represents the 7-day yield as of period end.

Currency Abbreviations:

AUD—Australian Dollar

BRL—Brazilian Real

CHF—Swiss Franc

EUR—Euro

GBP—Great British Pound

HKD—Hong Kong Dollar

JPY—Japanese Yen

KRW—South Korean Won

NOK—Norwegian Krone

NZD—New Zealand Dollar

SEK—Swedish Krona

USD—United States Dollar

Glossary:

ADR—American Depositary Receipt

OJSC—Open Joint Stock Company

REG—Registered Shares

See notes to financial statements.

 

8


INTERNATIONAL VALUE PORTFOLIO  
STATEMENT OF ASSETS & LIABILITIES
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

ASSETS

  

Investments in securities, at value

  

Unaffiliated issuers (cost $755,299,429)

   $ 817,085,140 (a) 

Affiliated issuers (cost $24,239,191—investment of cash collateral for securities loaned)

     24,239,191   

Cash

     237,624 (b) 

Foreign currencies, at value (cost $5,000,662)

     4,916,138   

Unrealized appreciation of forward currency exchange contracts

     13,759,480   

Dividends and interest receivable

     6,110,985   

Receivable for investment securities sold and foreign currency transactions

     1,620,462   

Receivable for capital stock sold

     67,515   
  

 

 

 

Total assets

     868,036,535   
  

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

  

Payable for collateral received on securities loaned

     24,239,191   

Unrealized depreciation of forward currency exchange contracts

     17,220,414   

Payable for investment securities purchased and foreign currency transactions

     5,354,804   

Payable for capital stock redeemed

     1,022,501   

Advisory fee payable

     486,150   

Distribution fee payable

     153,031   

Payable for variation margin on futures

     25,270   

Administrative fee payable

     7,290   

Transfer Agent fee payable

     156   

Accrued expenses

     317,720   
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     48,826,527   
  

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 819,210,008   
  

 

 

 

COMPOSITION OF NET ASSETS

  

Capital stock, at par

   $ 63,074   

Additional paid-in capital

     1,859,372,130   

Distributions in excess of net investment income

     (5,359,279

Accumulated net realized loss on investment and foreign currency transactions

     (1,092,874,220

Net unrealized appreciation on investments and foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities

     58,008,303   
  

 

 

 
   $ 819,210,008   
  

 

 

 

Net Asset Value Per Share—1 billion shares of capital stock authorized, $.001 par value

 

Class      Net Assets        Shares
Outstanding
       Net Asset
Value
 

A

     $ 45,691,801           3,484,042         $ 13.11   

B

     $   773,518,207           59,589,512         $   12.98   

 

 

 

(a)   Includes securities on loan with a value of $22,598,606 (see Note E).

 

(b)   An amount of $237,623 has been segregated to collateralize margin requirements for open futures contracts outstanding at June 30, 2013.

See notes to financial statements.

 

9


INTERNATIONAL VALUE PORTFOLIO  
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS  
Six Months Ended June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

  

Dividends

  

Unaffiliated issuers (net of foreign taxes withheld of $1,717,382)

   $ 20,164,051   

Affiliated issuers

     15,409   

Interest

     353   

Securities lending income

     604,299   
  

 

 

 
     20,784,112   
  

 

 

 

EXPENSES

  

Advisory fee (see Note B)

     3,878,781   

Distribution fee—Class B

     1,232,588   

Transfer agency—Class A

     169   

Transfer agency—Class B

     3,432   

Printing

     139,718   

Custodian

     137,078   

Legal

     28,553   

Audit

     28,118   

Administrative

     21,495   

Directors’ fees

     2,265   

Miscellaneous

     28,942   
  

 

 

 

Total expenses

     5,501,139   
  

 

 

 

Net investment income

     15,282,973   
  

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENT AND FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSACTIONS

  

Net realized gain on:

  

Investment transactions

     38,476,816 (a) 

Futures

     427,249   

Foreign currency transactions

     29,371,019   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of:

  

Investments

     (11,955,719

Futures

     (110,005

Foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities

     (20,160,624
  

 

 

 

Net gain on investment and foreign currency transactions

     36,048,736   
  

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

   $ 51,331,709   
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(a)   On May 17, 2013, the Portfolio had a redemption-in-kind with total proceeds in the amount of $210,077,559. The gain on investments of $13,721,399 will not be realized for tax purposes.

See notes to financial statements.

 

10


 
INTERNATIONAL VALUE PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET  ASSETS   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

     Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

    

Net investment income

   $ 15,282,973      $ 30,051,082   

Net realized gain (loss) on investment and foreign currency transactions

     68,275,084        (109,842,214

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments and foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities

     (32,226,348     230,054,769   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets from operations

     51,331,709        150,263,637   

DIVIDENDS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM

    

Net investment income

    

Class A

     (1,015,228     (757,381

Class B

     (21,432,382     (14,270,445

CAPITAL STOCK TRANSACTIONS

    

Net decrease

     (316,001,953     (124,195,156
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total increase (decrease)

     (287,117,854     11,040,655   

NET ASSETS

    

Beginning of period

     1,106,327,862        1,095,287,207   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period (including distributions in excess of net investment income of ($5,359,279) and undistributed net investment income of $1,805,358, respectively)

   $ 819,210,008      $ 1,106,327,862   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

11


INTERNATIONAL VALUE PORTFOLIO  
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE A: Significant Accounting Policies

The AllianceBernstein International Value Portfolio (the “Portfolio”) is a series of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”). The Portfolio’s investment objective is long-term growth of capital. The Portfolio is diversified as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Fund was incorporated in the State of Maryland on November 17, 1987, as an open-end series investment company. The Fund offers thirteen separately managed pools of assets which have differing investment objectives and policies. The Portfolio offers Class A and Class B shares. Both classes of shares have identical voting, dividend, liquidating and other rights, except that Class B shares bear a distribution expense and have exclusive voting rights with respect to the Class B distribution plan.

The Portfolio offers and sells its shares only to separate accounts of certain life insurance companies for the purpose of funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies. Sales are made without a sales charge at the Portfolio’s net asset value per share.

The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) which require management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Portfolio.

1. Security Valuation

Portfolio securities are valued at their current market value determined on the basis of market quotations or, if market quotations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable, at “fair value” as determined in accordance with procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Fund’s Board of Directors (the “Board”).

In general, the market values of securities which are readily available and deemed reliable are determined as follows: securities listed on a national securities exchange (other than securities listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. (“NASDAQ”)) or on a foreign securities exchange are valued at the last sale price at the close of the exchange or foreign securities exchange. If there has been no sale on such day, the securities are valued at the last traded price from the previous day. Securities listed on more than one exchange are valued by reference to the principal exchange on which the securities are traded; securities listed only on NASDAQ are valued in accordance with the NASDAQ Official Closing Price; listed or over the counter (“OTC”) market put or call options are valued at the mid level between the current bid and ask prices. If either a current bid or current ask price is unavailable, AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) will have discretion to determine the best valuation (e.g. last trade price in the case of listed options); open futures are valued using the closing settlement price or, in the absence of such a price, the most recent quoted bid price. If there are no quotations available for the day of valuation, the last available closing settlement price is used; U.S. government securities and other debt instruments having 60 days or less remaining until maturity are valued at amortized cost if their original maturity was 60 days or less; or by amortizing their fair value as of the 61st day prior to maturity if their original term to maturity exceeded 60 days; fixed-income securities, including mortgage backed and asset backed securities, may be valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service or at a price obtained from one or more of the major broker/dealers. In cases where broker/dealer quotes are obtained, the Adviser may establish procedures whereby changes in market yields or spreads are used to adjust, on a daily basis, a recently obtained quoted price on a security. Swaps and other derivatives are valued daily, primarily using independent pricing services, independent pricing models using market inputs, as well as third party broker-dealers or counterparties. Investments in money market funds are valued at their net asset value each day.

Securities for which market quotations are not readily available (including restricted securities) or are deemed unreliable are valued at fair value. Factors considered in making this determination may include, but are not limited to, information obtained by contacting the issuer, analysts, analysis of the issuer’s financial statements or other available documents. In addition, the Portfolio may use fair value pricing for securities primarily traded in non-U.S. markets because most foreign markets close well before the Portfolio values its securities at 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The earlier close of foreign markets gives rise to the possibility that significant events, including broad market moves, may have occurred between the close of the foreign markets and the time at which the Portfolio values its securities which may materially affect the value of securities trading in such markets. To account for this, the Portfolio may frequently value many of its foreign equity securities using fair value prices based on third party vendor modeling tools to the extent available.

2. Fair Value Measurements

In accordance with U.S. GAAP regarding fair value measurements, fair value is defined as the price that the Portfolio would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement

 

12


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

date. U.S. GAAP establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and a three-level hierarchy for fair value measurements based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability (including those valued based on their market values as described in Note A.1 above). Inputs may be observable or unobservable and refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Portfolio. Unobservable inputs reflect the Portfolio’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on the best information available in the circumstances. Each investment is assigned a level based upon the observability of the inputs which are significant to the overall valuation. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized below.

 

   

Level 1—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 Portfolio’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

Where readily available market prices or relevant bid prices are not available for certain equity investments, such investments may be valued based on similar publicly traded investments, movements in relevant indices since last available prices or based upon underlying company fundamentals and comparable company data (such as multiples to earnings or other multiples to equity). Where an investment is valued using an observable input, such as another publicly traded security, the investment will be classified as Level 2. If management determines that an adjustment is appropriate based on restrictions on resale, illiquidity or uncertainty, and such adjustment is a significant component of the valuation, the investment will be classified as Level 3. An investment will also be classified as Level 3 where management uses company fundamentals and other significant inputs to determine the valuation.

The following table summarizes the valuation of the Portfolio’s investments by the above fair value hierarchy levels as of June 30, 2013:

 

       Level 1      Level 2      Level 3     Total  

Investments in Securities:

            

Assets:

            

Common Stocks:

            

Financials

     $ 12,149,371       $ 197,499,917       $             –0 –    $ 209,649,288   

Consumer Discretionary

       4,979,572         120,437,297         –0 –      125,416,869   

Industrials

       –0 –       76,262,668         –0 –      76,262,668   

Consumer Staples

       –0 –       74,054,381         –0 –      74,054,381   

Health Care

       –0 –       74,004,334         –0 –      74,004,334   

Materials

       14,547,328         56,488,480         –0 –      71,035,808   

Information Technology

       –0 –       55,165,719         –0 –      55,165,719   

Energy

       9,844,642         41,134,664         –0 –      50,979,306   

Telecommunication Services

       6,323,316         40,856,146         –0 –      47,179,462   

Utilities

       –0 –       26,018,137         –0 –      26,018,137   

Rights

       –0 –       –0 –       –0 –^      –0 – 

Short-Term Investments

       –0 –       7,319,168         –0 –      7,319,168   

Investments of Cash Collateral for Securities Loaned in Affiliated Money Market Fund

       24,239,191         –0 –       –0 –      24,239,191   
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Investments in Securities

       72,083,420         769,240,911      –0 –      841,324,331   

Other Financial Instruments* :

            

Assets:

            

Forward Currency Exchange Contracts

       –0 –       13,759,480         –0 –      13,759,480   

Liabilities:

            

Futures

       –0 –       (107,215      –0 –      (107,215 )# 

Forward Currency Exchange Contracts

       –0 –       (17,220,414      –0 –      (17,220,414
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total++

     $ 72,083,420       $ 765,672,762       $ –0 –    $ 837,756,182   
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

13


INTERNATIONAL VALUE PORTFOLIO  
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

^   The Portfolio held securities with zero market value at period end.

 

*   Other financial instruments are derivative instruments, such as futures, forwards and swaps, which are valued at the unrealized appreciation/depreciation on the instrument.

 

+   A significant portion of the Portfolio’s foreign equity investments are categorized as Level 2 investments since they are valued using fair value prices based on third party vendor modeling tools to the extent available, see Note A.1.

 

#   Only variation margin receivable/payable at period end is reported within the statement of assets and liabilities. This amount reflects cumulative appreciation/(depreciation) of futures contracts as reported in the portfolio of investments.

 

++   There were no transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 during the reporting period.

The Portfolio recognizes all transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy assuming the financial instruments were transferred at the beginning of the reporting period.

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

 

     Rights^     Total  

Balance as of 12/31/12

   $ –0 –    $ –0 – 

Accrued discounts/(premiums)

     –0 –      –0 – 

Realized gain (loss)

     –0 –      –0 – 

Change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation

     –0 –      –0 – 

Purchases

     –0 –      –0 – 

Sales

     –0 –      –0 – 

Transfers in to Level 3

     –0 –      –0 – 

Transfers out of Level 3

     –0 –      –0 – 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance as of 6/30/13

   $ –0 –    $ –0 – 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation from Investments held as of 6/30/13*

   $
 
            –
0
 
– 
  $
 
            –
0
 
– 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

^   The Portfolio held securities with zero market value at period end.

 

*   The unrealized appreciation/depreciation is included in net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments in the accompanying statement of operations.

The Adviser has established a Valuation Committee (the “Committee”) which is responsible for overseeing the pricing and valuation of all securities held in the Portfolio. The Committee operates under pricing and valuation policies and procedures established by the Adviser and approved by the Board, including pricing policies which set forth the mechanisms and processes to be employed on a daily basis to implement these policies and procedures. In particular, the pricing policies describe how to determine market quotations for securities and other instruments. The Committee’s responsibilities include: 1) fair value and liquidity determinations (and oversight of any third parties to whom any responsibility for fair value and liquidity determinations is delegated), and 2) regular monitoring of the Adviser’s pricing and valuation policies and procedures and modification or enhancement of these policies and procedures (or recommendation of the modification of these policies and procedures) as the Committee believes appropriate.

The Committee is also responsible for monitoring the implementation of the pricing policies by the Adviser’s Pricing Group (the “Pricing Group”) and a third party which performs certain pricing functions in accordance with the pricing policies. The Pricing Group is responsible for the oversight of the third party on a day-to-day basis. The Committee and the Pricing Group perform a series of activities to provide reasonable assurance of the accuracy of prices including: 1) periodic vendor due diligence meetings, review of methodologies, new developments and process at vendors, 2) daily compare of security valuation versus prior day for all securities that exceeded established thresholds, and 3) daily review of unpriced, stale, and variance reports with exceptions reviewed by senior management and the Committee.

In addition, several processes outside of the pricing process are used to monitor valuation issues including: 1) performance and performance attribution reports are monitored for anomalous impacts based upon benchmark performance, and 2) portfolio managers review all portfolios for performance and analytics (which are generated using the Adviser’s prices).

 

14


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

3. Currency Translation

Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies and commitments under forward currency exchange contracts are translated into U.S. dollars at the mean of the quoted bid and ask prices of such currencies against the U.S. dollar. Purchases and sales of portfolio securities are translated into U.S. dollars at the rates of exchange prevailing when such securities were acquired or sold. Income and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars at rates of exchange prevailing when accrued.

Net realized gain or loss on foreign currency transactions represents foreign exchange gains and losses from sales and maturities of foreign fixed income investments, foreign currency exchange contracts, holding of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on foreign investment transactions, and the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the Portfolio’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized currency gains and losses from valuing foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities at period end exchange rates are reflected as a component of net unrealized appreciation or depreciation of foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities.

4. Taxes

It is the Portfolio’s policy to meet the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute all of its investment company taxable income and net realized gains, if any, to shareholders. Therefore, no provisions for federal income or excise taxes are required. The Portfolio may be subject to taxes imposed by countries in which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on income and/or capital gains earned or repatriated. Taxes are accrued and applied to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized appreciation/depreciation as such income and/or gains are earned.

In accordance with U.S. GAAP requirements regarding accounting for uncertainties in income taxes, management has analyzed the Portfolio’s tax positions taken or expected to be taken on federal and state income tax returns for all open tax years (the current and the prior three tax years) and has concluded that no provision for income tax is required in the Portfolio’s financial statements.

5. Investment Income and Investment Transactions

Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date or as soon as the Portfolio is informed of the dividend. Interest income is accrued daily. Investment transactions are accounted for on the date the securities are purchased or sold. Investment gains or losses are determined on the identified cost basis. The Portfolio amortizes premiums and accretes discounts as adjustments to interest income.

6. Class Allocations

All income earned and expenses incurred by the Portfolio are borne on a pro-rata basis by each outstanding class of shares, based on the proportionate interest in the Portfolio represented by the net assets of such class, except for class specific expenses which are allocated to the respective class. Realized and unrealized gains and losses are allocated among the various share classes based on respective net assets.

7. Dividends and Distributions

Dividends and distributions to shareholders, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income dividends and capital gains distributions are determined in accordance with federal tax regulations and may differ from those determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. To the extent these differences are permanent, such amounts are reclassified within the capital accounts based on their federal tax basis treatment; temporary differences do not require such reclassification.

NOTE B: Advisory Fee and Other Transactions with Affiliates

Under the terms of the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio pays the Adviser an advisory fee at an annual rate of .75% of the first $2.5 billion, .65% of the next $2.5 billion and .60% in excess of $5 billion, of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets. The fee is accrued daily and paid monthly. The Adviser has agreed to waive its fees and bear certain expenses to the extent necessary to limit total operating expenses on an annual basis to 1.20% and 1.45% of daily average net assets for Class A and Class B shares, respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, there were no expenses waived by the Adviser.

Pursuant to the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio may reimburse the Adviser for certain legal and accounting services provided to the Portfolio by the Adviser. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, the reimbursement for such services amounted to $21,495.

 

15


INTERNATIONAL VALUE PORTFOLIO  
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Brokerage commissions paid on investment transactions for the six months ended June 30, 2013 amounted to $862,333, of which $0 and $337, respectively, was paid to Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. LLC and Sanford C. Bernstein Limited, affiliates of the Adviser.

The Portfolio compensates AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, under a Transfer Agency Agreement for providing personnel and facilities to perform transfer agency services for the Portfolio. Such compensation retained by ABIS amounted to $692 for the six months ended June 30, 2013.

NOTE C: Distribution Plan

The Portfolio has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Under the Plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (the “Distributor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, at an annual rate of up to .50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The fees are accrued daily and paid monthly. The Board currently limits payments under the Plan to .25% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The Plan provides that the Distributor will use such payments in their entirety for distribution assistance and promotional activities.

The Portfolio is not obligated under the Plan to pay any distribution and servicing fees in excess of the amounts set forth above. The purpose of the payments to the Distributor under the Plan is to compensate the Distributor for its distribution services with respect to the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. Since the Distributor’s compensation is not directly tied to its expenses, the amount of compensation received by it under the Plan during any year may be more or less than its actual expenses. For this reason, the Plan is characterized by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission as being of the “compensation” variety.

In the event that the Plan is terminated or not continued, no distribution or servicing fees (other than current amounts accrued but not yet paid) would be owed by the Portfolio to the Distributor.

The Plan also provides that the Adviser may use its own resources to finance the distribution of the Portfolio’s shares.

NOTE D: Investment Transactions

Purchases and sales of investment securities (excluding short-term investments) for the six months ended June 30, 2013 were as follows:

 

     Purchases      Sales  

Investment securities (excluding U.S. government securities)

   $ 307,082,608       $ 409,350,992   

U.S. government securities

     –0 –       –0 – 

The cost of investments for federal income tax purposes was substantially the same as the cost for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, gross unrealized appreciation and unrealized depreciation (excluding futures, foreign currency and written option transactions) are as follows:

 

Gross unrealized appreciation

   $ 108,324,427   

Gross unrealized depreciation

     (46,538,716
  

 

 

 

Net unrealized appreciation

   $ 61,785,711   
  

 

 

 

1. Derivative Financial Instruments

The Portfolio may use derivatives in an effort to earn income and enhance returns, to replace more traditional direct investments, to obtain exposure to otherwise inaccessible markets (collectively, “investment purposes”), or to hedge or adjust the risk profile of its portfolio.

The principal types of derivatives utilized by the Portfolio, as well as the methods in which they may be used are:

 

   

Futures

The Portfolio may buy or sell futures for investment purposes or for the purpose of hedging its portfolio against adverse effects of potential movements in the market. The Portfolio bears the market risk that arises from changes in the value of these instruments and the imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the futures and movements in the price of the assets, reference rates or indices which they are designed to track. Among other things, the Portfolio may purchase or sell futures for foreign currencies or options thereon for non-hedging purposes as a means of making direct investment in foreign currencies, as described below under “Currency Transactions”.

 

16


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

At the time the Portfolio enters into a futures, the Portfolio deposits and maintains as collateral an initial margin with the broker, as required by the exchange on which the transaction is effected. Pursuant to the contract, the Portfolio 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 are known as variation margin and are recorded by the Portfolio as unrealized gains or losses. Risks may arise from the potential inability of a counterparty to meet the terms of the contract. The credit/counterparty risk for exchange-traded futures is generally less than privately negotiated futures, since the clearinghouse, which is the issuer or counterparty to each exchange-traded future, provides a guarantee of performance. This guarantee is supported by a daily payment system (i.e., margin requirements). When the contract is closed, the Portfolio records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the time it was closed.

Use of long futures subjects the Portfolio to risk of loss in excess of the amounts shown on the statement of assets and liabilities, up to the notional value of the futures. Use of short futures subjects the Portfolio to unlimited risk of loss. Under some circumstances, futures exchanges may establish daily limits on the amount that the price of a futures can vary from the previous day’s settlement price, which could effectively prevent liquidation of unfavorable positions.

During the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio held futures for non-hedging purposes.

 

   

Forward Currency Exchange Contracts

The Portfolio may enter into forward currency exchange contracts in order to hedge its exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates on its foreign portfolio holdings, to hedge certain firm purchase and sale commitments denominated in foreign currencies and for non-hedging purposes as a means of making direct investments in foreign currencies, as described below under “Currency Transactions”.

A forward currency exchange contract is a commitment to purchase or sell a foreign currency at a future date at a negotiated forward rate. The gain or loss arising from the difference between the original contract and the closing of such contract would be included in net realized gain or loss on foreign currency transactions. Fluctuations in the value of open forward currency exchange contracts are recorded for financial reporting purposes as unrealized appreciation and/or depreciation by the Portfolio. Risks may arise from the potential inability of a counterparty to meet the terms of a contract and from unanticipated movements in the value of a foreign currency relative to the U.S. dollar.

During the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Portfolio held forward currency exchange contracts for hedging and non-hedging purposes.

The Portfolio typically enters into International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. Master Agreements (“ISDA Master Agreement”) or similar master agreements (collectively, “Master Agreements”) with its OTC derivative contract counterparties in order to, among other things, reduce its credit risk to counterparties. ISDA Master Agreements include provisions for general obligations, representations, collateral and events of default or termination. Under an ISDA Master Agreement, the Portfolio typically may offset with the counterparty certain derivative financial instrument’s payables and/or receivables with collateral held and/or posted and create one single net payment (close-out netting) in the event of default or termination.

Various master agreements govern the terms of certain transactions with counterparties, including transactions such as exchange-traded derivative transactions, repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements and certain securities lending transactions. These master agreements typically attempt to reduce the counterparty risk associated with such transactions by specifying credit protection mechanisms and providing standardization that improves legal certainty. Cross-termination provisions under Master Agreements typically provide that a default in connection with one transaction between the Portfolio and a counterparty gives the non-defaulting party the right to terminate any other transactions in place with the defaulting party to create one single net payment due to/due from the defaulting party.

The Portfolio’s Master Agreements may contain provisions for early termination of derivative transactions in the event the net assets of the Portfolio decline below specific levels (“net asset contingent features”). If these levels are triggered, the Portfolio’s counterparty has the right to terminate such transaction and require the Portfolio to pay or receive a settlement amount in connection with the terminated transaction.

 

17


INTERNATIONAL VALUE PORTFOLIO  
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

At June 30, 2013, the Portfolio had entered into the following derivatives:

 

   

Asset Derivatives

   

Liability Derivatives

 

Derivative Type

 

Statement of

Assets and Liabilities
Location

  Fair Value    

Statement of

Assets and Liabilities
Location

  Fair Value  

Equity contracts

      Receivable/Payable for variation margin on futures   $ 107,215 *+ 

Foreign exchange contracts

  Unrealized appreciation of forward currency exchange contracts   $ 13,759,480      Unrealized depreciation of forward currency exchange contracts     17,220,414   
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total

      $13,759,480        $ 17,327,629   
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

*   Only variation margin receivable/payable at period end is reported within the statement of assets and liabilities. This amount reflects cumulative appreciation/(depreciation) as reported in the portfolio of investments.

 

+   Exchange-traded investments.

The effect of derivative instruments on the statement of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2013:

 

Derivative Type

  

Location of Gain or (Loss) on Derivatives

   Realized Gain or
(Loss) on
Derivatives
     Change in Unrealized
Appreciation or
(Depreciation)
 

Equity contracts

   Net realized gain (loss) on futures; Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of futures    $ 427,249       $ (110,005

Foreign exchange contracts

   Net realized gain (loss) on foreign currency transactions; Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities      30,489,589         (19,938,118
     

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

      $ 30,916,838       $ (20,048,123
     

 

 

    

 

 

 

The following table represents the volume of the Portfolio’s derivative transactions during the six months ended June 30, 2013:

 

Futures:

  

Average original value of buy contracts

   $ 8,308,516   

Forward Currency Exchange Contracts:

  

Average principal amount of buy contracts

   $ 400,592,046   

Average principal amount of sale contracts

   $ 409,968,181   

For financial reporting purposes, the Portfolio does not offset derivative assets and derivative liabilities that are subject to netting arrangements in the statement of assets and liabilities.

 

18


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The following tables present the Portfolio’s dervative assets and liabilities by counterparty net of amounts available for offset under Master Agreements (“MA”) and net of the related collateral received/pledged by the Portfolio as of June 30, 2013:

 

Counterparty

   Derivative Assets
Subject to MA
     Derivatives
Available for
Offset
    Collateral
Received
    Net Amount of
Derivatives Assets
 

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

   $ 2,174,680       $ (126,694   $         –0 –    $ 2,047,986   

BNP Paribas SA

     160,206         (160,206     –0 –      –0 – 

Citibank, NA

     750,237         (750,237     –0 –      –0 – 

Credit Suisse International

     6,379,162         (1,944,210     –0 –      4,434,952   

Deutsche Bank AG London

     175,173         –0 –      –0 –      175,173   

Goldman Sachs Capital Markets LP

     156,545         (156,545     –0 –      –0 – 

HSBC Bank USA

     1,787         –0 –      –0 –      1,787   

JPMorgan Chase Bank NA

     195,821         –0 –              –0 –      195,821   

Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc.

     55,543         (55,543     –0 –      –0 – 

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

     3,012,457         (1,900,613     –0 –      1,111,844   

Societe Generale

     2,140         (2,140     –0 –      –0 – 

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

     87,215         (87,215     –0 –      –0 – 

Westpac Banking Corp.

     608,514         (273,628     –0 –      334,886   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

   $ 13,759,480       $ (5,457,031   $ –0 –    $ 8,302,449   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

Counterparty

   Derivative Liabilites
Subject to MA
     Derivatives
Available for
Offset
    Collateral
Pledged
    Net Amount of
Derivatives
Liabilities
 

Barclays Bank PLC Wholesale

   $ 126,694       $ (126,694   $         –0 –    $ –0 – 

BNP Paribas SA

     3,953,880         (160,206     –0 –      3,793,674   

Citibank, NA

     1,569,021         (750,237     –0 –      818,784   

Credit Suisse International

     1,944,210         (1,944,210     –0 –      –0 – 

Goldman Sachs Capital Markets LP

     1,956,874         (156,545     –0 –      1,800,329   

Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc.

     2,529,057         (55,543     –0 –      2,473,514   

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC

     1,900,613         (1,900,613     –0 –      –0 –  

Societe Generale

     101,132         (2,140     –0 –      98,992   

Standard Chartered Bank

     305,915         –0 –       –0 –      305,915   

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

     145,559         (87,215     –0 –      58,344   

UBS AG

     2,413,831         –0 –       –0 –      2,413,831   

Westpac Banking Corp.

     273,628         (273,628     –0 –      –0 –  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

   $ 17,220,414       $ (5,457,031   $ –0 –    $ 11,763,383   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

2. Currency Transactions

The Portfolio may invest in non-U.S. Dollar securities on a currency hedged or unhedged basis. The Portfolio may seek investment opportunities by taking long or short positions in currencies through the use of currency-related derivatives, including forward currency exchange contracts, futures and options on futures, swaps, and other options. The Portfolio may enter into transactions for investment opportunities when it anticipates that a foreign currency will appreciate or depreciate in value but securities denominated in that currency are not held by the Portfolio and do not present attractive investment opportunities. Such transactions may also be used when the Adviser believes that it may be more efficient than a direct investment in a foreign currency-denominated security. The Portfolio may also conduct currency exchange contracts on a spot basis (i.e., for cash at the spot rate prevailing in the currency exchange market for buying or selling currencies).

NOTE E: Securities Lending

The Portfolio may enter into securities lending transactions. Under the Portfolio’s securities lending program, all loans of securities will be collateralized continually by cash. The Portfolio will be compensated for the loan from a portion of the net return from the income earned on cash collateral after a rebate is paid to the borrower (in some cases, this rebate may be a “negative rebate” or fee paid by the borrower to the Portfolio in connection with the loan), and payments are made for fees of the securities lending agent and for certain other administrative expenses. It is the policy of the Portfolio to receive

 

19


INTERNATIONAL VALUE PORTFOLIO  
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

collateral consisting of cash in an amount exceeding the value of the securities loaned. The Portfolio will have the right to call a loan and obtain the securities loaned at any time on notice to the borrower within the normal and customary settlement time for the securities. While the securities are on loan, the borrower is obligated to pay the Portfolio amounts equal to any income or other distributions from the securities. The Portfolio will not have the right to vote any securities during the existence of a loan, but will have the right to regain ownership of loaned securities in order to exercise voting or other ownership rights. The lending agent has agreed to indemnify the Portfolio in the case of default of any securities borrower. Collateral received and securities loaned are marked to market daily to ensure that the securities loaned are secured by collateral. The lending agent will invest the cash collateral received in AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves, an eligible money market vehicle, in accordance with the investment restrictions of the Portfolio, and as approved by the Board. The collateral received on securities loaned is recorded as an asset as well as a corresponding liability in the statement of assets and liabilities. When the Portfolio lends securities, its investment performance will continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned. At June 30, 2013, the Portfolio had securities on loan with a value of $22,598,606 and had received cash collateral which has been invested into AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves of $24,239,191. The cash collateral will be adjusted on the next business day to maintain the required collateral amount. The Portfolio earned securities lending income of $604,299 and $15,409 from the borrowers and AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2013; these amounts are reflected in the statement of operations. A principal risk of lending portfolio securities is that the borrower will fail to return the loaned securities upon termination of the loan and that the collateral will not be sufficient to replace the loaned securities. A summary of the Portfolio’s transactions in shares of AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves for the six months ended June 30, 2013 is as follows:

 

Market Value
December 31, 2012
(000)

   

Purchases

at Cost

(000)

   

Sales

Proceeds

(000)

   

Market Value

June 30, 2013

(000)

   

Dividend

Income

(000)

 
$ 38,373      $ 397,179      $ 411,313      $ 24,239      $ 15   

NOTE F: Capital Stock

Each class consists of 500,000,000 authorized shares. Transactions in capital shares for each class were as follows:

 

    SHARES         AMOUNT  
    Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
        Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 

Class A

         

Shares sold

    157,569        524,576        $ 2,125,409      $ 6,413,101   

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends

    72,776        60,205          1,015,227        757,381   

Shares redeemed

    (452,781     (2,270,141       (6,132,018     (27,369,031
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease

    (222,436     (1,685,360     $ (2,991,382   $ (20,198,549
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Class B

         

Shares sold

    1,007,127        7,681,424        $ 13,379,429      $ 89,127,074   

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends

    1,550,824        1,144,382          21,432,382        14,270,445   

Shares redeemed

    (25,378,095     (17,078,721       (347,822,382     (207,394,126
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease

    (22,820,144     (8,252,915     $ (313,010,571   $ (103,996,607
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

NOTE G: Risks Involved in Investing in the Portfolio

Foreign Securities Risk—Investing in securities of foreign companies or foreign governments involves special risks which include changes in foreign currency exchange rates and the possibility of future political and economic developments which could adversely affect the value of such securities. Moreover, securities of many foreign companies or foreign governments and their markets may be less liquid and their prices more volatile than those of comparable U.S. companies or of the U.S. government.

Currency Risk—This is the risk that changes in foreign currency exchange rates may negatively affect the value of the Portfolio’s investments or reduce the returns of the Portfolio. For example, the value of the Portfolio’s investments in foreign currency-denominated securities or currencies may decrease if the U.S. Dollar is strong (i.e., gaining value relative to other currencies) and other currencies are weak (i.e., losing value relative to the U.S. Dollar). Currency markets are generally not as regulated as securities markets. Independent of the Portfolio’s investments denominated in foreign currencies, the Portfolio’s positions in various foreign currencies may cause the Portfolio to experience investment losses due to the changes in exchange rates and interest rates.

 

20


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Derivatives Risk—The Portfolio may enter into derivative transactions such as forwards, options, futures and swaps. Derivatives may be illiquid, difficult to price, and leveraged so that small changes may produce disproportionate losses for the Portfolio, and subject to counterparty risk to a greater degree than more traditional investments. Derivatives may result in significant losses, including losses that are far greater than the value of the derivatives reflected in the statement of assets and liabilities.

Indemnification Risk—In the ordinary course of business, the Portfolio enters into contracts that contain a variety of indemnifications. The Portfolio’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown. However, the Portfolio has not had prior claims or losses pursuant to these indemnification provisions and expects the risk of loss thereunder to be remote. Therefore, the Portfolio has not accrued any liability in connection with these indemnification provisions.

NOTE H: Joint Credit Facility

A number of open-end mutual funds managed by the Adviser, including the Portfolio, participate in a $140 million revolving credit facility (the “Facility”) intended to provide short-term financing, if necessary, subject to certain restrictions in connection with abnormal redemption activity. Commitment fees related to the Facility are paid by the participating funds and are included in miscellaneous expenses in the statement of operations. The Portfolio did not utilize the Facility during the six months ended June 30, 2013.

NOTE I: Distributions to Shareholders

The tax character of distributions to be paid for the year ending December 31, 2013 will be determined at the end of the current fiscal year. The tax character of distributions paid during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 were as follows:

 

     2012     2011  

Distributions paid from:

    

Ordinary income

   $ 15,027,826      $ 49,967,098   

Tax return of capital

     –0 –      624,908   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions paid

   $ 15,027,826      $ 50,592,006   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2012, the components of accumulated earnings/(deficit) on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed ordinary income

   $ 22,356,300   

Accumulated capital and other losses

     (1,154,294,202 )(a) 

Unrealized appreciation/(depreciation)

     62,828,607 (b) 
  

 

 

 

Total accumulated earnings/(deficit)

   $ (1,069,109,295
  

 

 

 

 

(a)   As of December 31, 2012, the Portfolio had a net capital loss carryforward of $1,154,294,202.

 

(b)   The differences between book-basis and tax-basis unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) are attributable primarily to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales, the realization for tax purposes of gains/losses on certain derivative instruments, and the tax treatment of passive foreign investment companies (PFICs).

For tax purposes, net capital losses may be carried over to offset future capital gains, if any. Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, funds are permitted to carry forward capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 for an indefinite period. These post-enactment capital losses must be utilized prior to the pre-enactment capital losses, which are subject to expiration. Post-enactment capital loss carryforwards will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses rather than being considered short-term as under previous regulation.

As of December 31, 2012, the Portfolio had a net capital loss carryforward of $1,154,294,202 which will expire as follows:

 

SHORT-TERM

AMOUNT

  

LONG-TERM

AMOUNT

  

EXPIRATION

$  41,335,504    n/a    2016
  917,130,062    n/a    2017
   50,169,345    n/a    2018
    38,211,729    $107,447,562    No expiration

NOTE J: Subsequent Events

Management has evaluated subsequent events for possible recognition or disclosure in the financial statements through the date the financial statements are issued. Management has determined that there are no material events that would require disclosure in the Portfolio’s financial statements through this date.

 

21


 
INTERNATIONAL VALUE PORTFOLIO  
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    CLASS A  
    Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2013

(unaudited)
    Year Ended December 31,  
      2012     2011     2010     2009     2008  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $12.96        $11.50        $14.90        $14.70        $11.05        $25.14   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Income From Investment Operations

           

Net investment income (a)

    .22        .36        .36        .27        .29        .54   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment and foreign currency transactions

    .22        1.31        (3.19     .39 †      3.54        (13.15
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

    .44        1.67        (2.83     .66        3.83        (12.61
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Less: Dividends and Distributions

           

Dividends from net investment income

    (.29     (.21     (.56     (.46     (.18     (.23

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

    –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      (1.25

Tax return of capital

    –0 –      –0 –      (.01     –0 –      –0 –      –0 – 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total dividends and distributions

    (.29     (.21     (.57     (.46     (.18     (1.48
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $13.11        $12.96        $11.50        $14.90        $14.70        $11.05   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Total Return

           

Total investment return based on net asset value (b)

    3.25     14.53     (19.25 )%      4.59     34.68     (53.18 )% 
           

Ratios/Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of period
(000’s omitted)

    $45,692        $48,029        $62,003        $104,274        $179,342        $155,183   

Ratio to average net assets of:

           

Expenses

    .83 %(c)      .81     .82     .85 %(d)      .83     .81

Net investment income

    3.25 %(c)      2.97     2.55     1.94 %(d)      2.40     2.98

Portfolio turnover rate

    31     41     62     52     52     36

 

 

 

See footnote summary on page 23.

 

22


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    CLASS B  
    Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2013

(unaudited)
    Year Ended December 31,  
      2012     2011     2010     2009     2008  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $12.84        $11.40        $14.77        $14.54        $10.93        $24.88   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Income From Investment Operations

           

Net investment income (a)

    .20        .32        .31        .24        .28        .50   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment and foreign currency transactions

    .23        1.29        (3.14     .38 †      3.47        (13.02
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

    .43        1.61        (2.83     .62        3.75        (12.52
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Less: Dividends and Distributions

           

Dividends from net investment income

    (.29     (.17     (.53     (.39     (.14     (.18

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

    –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      (1.25

Tax return of capital

    –0 –      –0 –      (.01     –0 –      –0 –      –0 – 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total dividends and distributions

    (.29     (.17     (.54     (.39     (.14     (1.43
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $12.98        $12.84        $11.40        $14.77        $14.54        $10.93   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Total Return

           

Total investment return based on net asset value (b)

    3.18     14.19     (19.44 )%      4.30     34.36     (53.28 )% 
           

Ratios/Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of period
(000,000’s omitted)

    $774        $1,058        $1,033        $1,326        $1,708        $1,659   

Ratio to average net assets of:

           

Expenses

    1.08 %(c)      1.06     1.07     1.10 %(d)      1.08     1.06

Net investment income

    2.94 %(c)      2.70     2.23     1.73 %(d)      2.38     2.77

Portfolio turnover rate

    31     41     62     52     52     36

 

 

 

 

(a)   Based on average shares outstanding.

 

(b)   Total investment return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption on the last day of the period. Total return does not reflect (i) insurance company’s separate account related expense charges and (ii) the deductions of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Portfolio distributions or the redemption of Portfolio shares. Total investment return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized.

 

(c)   Annualized.

 

(d)   The ratio includes expenses attributable to costs of proxy solicitation.

 

  Due to timing of sales and repurchase of capital shares, the net realized and unrealized gain (loss) per share is not in accord with the Portfolio’s change in net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions for the period.

See notes to financial statements.

 

23


 
INTERNATIONAL VALUE PORTFOLIO
CONTINUANCE DISCLOSURE   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

INFORMATION REGARDING THE REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE PORTFOLIO’S ADVISORY AGREEMENT

The disinterested directors (the “directors”) of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”) unanimously approved the continuance of the Fund’s Advisory Agreement with the Adviser in respect of AllianceBernstein International Value Portfolio (the “Portfolio”) at a meeting held on April 30-May 2, 2013 (the “May 2013 meeting”).

Prior to approval of the continuance of the Advisory Agreement, the directors had requested from the Adviser, and received and evaluated, extensive materials. They reviewed the proposed continuance of the Advisory Agreement with the Adviser and with experienced counsel who are independent of the Adviser, who advised on the relevant legal standards. The directors also reviewed an independent evaluation prepared by the Fund’s Senior Officer (who is also the Fund’s Independent Compliance Officer) of the reasonableness of the advisory fee, in which the Senior Officer concluded that the contractual fee for the Portfolio was reasonable. The directors also discussed the proposed continuance in private sessions with counsel and the Fund’s Senior Officer.

The directors considered their knowledge of the nature and quality of the services provided by the Adviser to the Portfolio gained from their experience as directors or trustees of most of the registered investment companies advised by the Adviser, their overall confidence in the Adviser’s integrity and competence they have gained from that experience, the Adviser’s initiative in identifying and raising potential issues with the directors and its responsiveness, frankness and attention to concerns raised by the directors in the past, including the Adviser’s willingness to consider and implement organizational and operational changes designed to improve investment results and the services provided to the AllianceBernstein Funds. The directors noted that they have four regular meetings each year, at each of which they receive presentations from the Adviser on the investment results of the Portfolio and review extensive materials and information presented by the Adviser.

The directors also considered all other factors they believed relevant, including the specific matters discussed below. In their deliberations, the directors did not identify any particular information that was all-important or controlling, and different directors may have attributed different weights to the various factors. The directors determined that the selection of the Adviser to manage the Portfolio and the overall arrangements between the Portfolio and the Adviser, as provided in the Advisory Agreement, including the advisory fee, were fair and reasonable in light of the services performed, expenses incurred and such other matters as the directors considered relevant in the exercise of their business judgment. The material factors and conclusions that formed the basis for the directors’ determinations included the following:

Nature, Extent and Quality of Services Provided

The directors considered the scope and quality of services provided by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement, including the quality of the investment research capabilities of the Adviser and the other resources it has dedicated to performing services for the Portfolio. They also noted the professional experience and qualifications of the Portfolio’s portfolio management team and other senior personnel of the Adviser. The directors also considered that the Advisory Agreement provides that the Portfolio will reimburse the Adviser for the cost to it of providing certain clerical, accounting, administrative and other services to the Portfolio by employees of the Adviser or its affiliates. Requests for these reimbursements are made on a quarterly basis and subject to approval by the directors and, to the extent requested and paid, will result in a higher rate of total compensation from the Portfolio to the Adviser than the fee rate stated in the Portfolio’s Advisory Agreement. The directors noted that the methodology used to determine the reimbursement amounts had been reviewed by an independent consultant retained by the Fund’s Senior Officer. The quality of administrative and other services, including the Adviser’s role in coordinating the activities of the Portfolio’s other service providers, also were considered. The directors concluded that, overall, they were satisfied with the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Portfolio under the Advisory Agreement.

Costs of Services Provided and Profitability

The directors reviewed a schedule of the revenues, expenses and related notes indicating the profitability of the Portfolio to the Adviser for calendar years 2011 and 2012 that had been prepared with an expense allocation methodology arrived at in consultation with an independent consultant retained by the Fund’s Senior Officer. The directors reviewed the assumptions and methods of allocation used by the Adviser in preparing fund-specific profitability data and noted that there are a number of potentially acceptable allocation methodologies for information of this type. The directors noted that the profitability information reflected all revenues and expenses of the Adviser’s relationship with the Portfolio, including those relating to its subsidiaries that provide transfer agency, distribution and brokerage services to the Portfolio. The directors recognized that it is difficult to make comparisons of the profitability of the Advisory Agreement with the profitability of advisory contracts for unaffiliated funds because comparative information is not generally publicly available and is affected by numerous factors. The

 

24


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

directors focused on the profitability of the Adviser’s relationship with the Portfolio before taxes and distribution expenses. The directors were satisfied that the Adviser’s level of profitability from its relationship with the Portfolio was not unreasonable.

Fall-Out Benefits

The directors considered the other benefits to the Adviser and its affiliates from their relationships with the Portfolio, including but not limited to benefits relating to soft dollar arrangements (whereby the Adviser receives brokerage and research services from brokers that execute transactions for certain clients, including the Portfolio); 12b-1 fees and sales charges received by the Fund’s principal underwriter (which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser) in respect of the Portfolio’s Class B shares; transfer agency fees paid by the Portfolio to a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser; and brokerage commissions paid by the Portfolio to brokers affiliated with the Adviser. The directors recognized that the Adviser’s profitability would be somewhat lower without these benefits. The directors also understood that the Adviser also might derive reputational and other benefits from its association with the Portfolio.

Investment Results

In addition to the information reviewed by the directors in connection with the meeting, the directors receive detailed performance information for the Portfolio at each regular Board meeting during the year. The directors noted that the Portfolio is a clone of another fund managed by the Adviser (the “Corresponding Fund”) and is managed to track the investment performance of its Corresponding Fund, although investment results may differ between the Portfolio and its Corresponding Fund due to differences in their expense ratios and other factors. At the May 2013 meeting, the directors reviewed information prepared by Lipper showing the performance of the Class A Shares of the Portfolio as compared with that of a group of similar funds selected by Lipper (the “Performance Group”) and as compared with that of a broader array of funds selected by Lipper (the “Performance Universe”), and information prepared by the Adviser showing performance of the Class A Shares as compared with the Morgan Stanley Capital International Europe, Australasia and Far East Index (Net) (the “Index”), in each case for the 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year periods ended February 28, 2013 and (in the case of comparisons with the Index) the period since inception (May 2001 inception). The directors noted that the Portfolio was in the 5th quintile of the Performance Group and the Performance Universe for the 1-, 3- and 5-year periods, and 2nd out of 2 of the Performance Group and in the 5th quintile of the Performance Universe for the 10-year period. The Portfolio outperformed the Index in the period since inception and lagged the Index in all other periods. The directors also reviewed performance information for periods ended March 31, 2013 (for which the data was not limited to Class A Shares), and noted that in the 3-month period the Portfolio had outperformed the Lipper VA International Value Funds Average and lagged the Index.

The directors noted that they had discussed with the Adviser their concerns about the investment performance of the Portfolio over time as compared to both its benchmark and its peers and that the Adviser had reviewed with them various steps that it had taken, including the restructuring of the Adviser’s research and portfolio management teams and related modifications to its investment process, and other changes intended to improve investment performance. They further noted the Adviser’s longstanding view that its high conviction style of value investing was out of favor but would over time result in outperformance by the Portfolio. The directors noted that the Portfolio’s relative investment performance had improved in the first quarter of 2013, but they continued to be concerned about the Portfolio’s performance over time and the lack of sustained improvement in it. After further discussion with the Adviser and consideration of the Adviser’s response to their concerns, the directors concluded that they continued to have confidence in the Adviser’s ability to advise the Portfolio but informed the Adviser that, in light of the Portfolio’s persistent weak relative performance, they would continue to monitor closely the Portfolio and the impact of the steps taken by the Adviser with a view to improving investment performance. They also informed the Adviser that they would undertake a further close review in six months, and that they would consider taking additional action if they were not satisfied with the Adviser’s progress in improving investment performance.

Advisory Fees and Other Expenses

The directors considered the advisory fee rate paid by the Portfolio to the Adviser and information prepared by Lipper concerning advisory fee rates paid by other funds in the same Lipper category as the Portfolio at a common asset level. The directors recognized that it is difficult to make comparisons of advisory fees because there are variations in the services that are included in the fees paid by other funds.

The directors also considered the advisory fees the Adviser charges non-fund clients pursuing a similar investment style. For this purpose, they reviewed the relevant advisory fee information from the Adviser’s Form ADV and the evaluation from the Fund’s Senior Officer. The directors noted that, although the institutional fee schedule started at a rate different from the Portfolio’s starting fee rate, it had more breakpoints at lower asset levels than the fee schedule applicable to the Portfolio.

 

25


INTERNATIONAL VALUE PORTFOLIO  
CONTINUANCE DISCLOSURE  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The application of the institutional fee schedule to the level of assets of the Portfolio would result in a fee rate lower than the rate being paid by the Portfolio. The directors noted that the Adviser may, in some cases, agree to fee rates with large institutional clients that are lower than those reviewed by the directors and that they had previously discussed with the Adviser its policies in respect of such arrangements. The directors also reviewed information that indicated that the Portfolio’s fee rate is higher than the sub-advisory fee rate earned by the Adviser for sub-advising a registered investment company with a similar investment style. The directors noted that the advisory fee schedule for the Portfolio is the same as that for its Corresponding Fund. The directors also considered that a portfolio of a fund advised by the Adviser (the “SCB Portfolio”) pursuing a somewhat similar investment style has higher fee rates at each breakpoint of its fee schedule, and that the Adviser is waiving, effective November 1, 2011 through October 31, 2013, 5 basis points of the advisory fee payable by the SCB Portfolio under its contract.

The Adviser reviewed with the directors the significantly greater scope of the services it provides to the Portfolio relative to institutional clients and sub-advised funds. The Adviser also noted that because mutual funds are constantly issuing and redeeming shares, they are more difficult to manage than an institutional account, where the assets tend to be relatively stable. In light of the substantial differences in services rendered by the Adviser to institutional clients as compared to funds such as the Portfolio, the directors considered these fee comparisons inapt and did not place significant weight on them in their deliberations.

The directors also considered the total expense ratio of the Class A shares of the Portfolio in comparison to the fees and expenses of funds within two comparison groups created by Lipper: an Expense Group and an Expense Universe. Lipper described an Expense Group as a representative sample of funds similar to the Portfolio and an Expense Universe as a broader group, consisting of all funds in the investment classification/objective with a similar load type as the Portfolio. The directors noted that because of the small number of funds in the Portfolio’s Lipper category, Lipper had expanded the Expense Group of the Fund to include peers that had a similar (but not the same) Lipper investment objective/classification. The Expense Universe for the Portfolio had also been expanded by Lipper pursuant to Lipper’s standard guidelines. The Class A expense ratio of the Portfolio was based on the Portfolio’s latest fiscal year. The directors noted that it was likely that the expense ratios of some of the other funds in the Portfolio’s Lipper category were lowered by waivers or reimbursements by those funds’ investment advisers, which in some cases might be voluntary or temporary. The directors view the expense ratio information as relevant to their evaluation of the Adviser’s services because the Adviser is responsible for coordinating services provided to the Portfolio by others.

The directors noted that, at the Portfolio’s current size, its contractual effective advisory fee rate of 75 basis points, plus the less than 1 basis point impact of the administrative expense reimbursement in the latest fiscal year, was about the same as the Expense Group median. The directors noted that the Portfolio’s total expense ratio, which had been capped by the Adviser (although the expense ratio was currently lower than the cap), was lower than the Expense Group and the Expense Universe medians. The directors concluded that the Portfolio’s expense ratio was satisfactory.

Economies of Scale

The directors noted that the advisory fee schedule for the Portfolio contains breakpoints that reduce the fee rates on assets above specified levels. The directors took into consideration prior presentations by an independent consultant on economies of scale in the mutual fund industry and for the AllianceBernstein Funds, and by the Adviser concerning certain of its views on economies of scale. The directors also had requested and received from the Adviser certain updates on economies of scale at the May 2013 meeting. The directors believe that economies of scale may be realized (if at all) by the Adviser across a variety of products and services, and not only in respect of a single fund. The directors noted that there is no established methodology for setting breakpoints that give effect to the fund-specific services provided by a fund’s adviser and to the economies of scale that an adviser may realize in its overall mutual fund business or those components of it which directly or indirectly affect a fund’s operations. The directors observed that in the mutual fund industry as a whole, as well as among funds similar to the Portfolio, there is no uniformity or pattern in the fees and asset levels at which breakpoints (if any) apply. The directors also noted that the advisory agreements for many funds do not have breakpoints at all. Having taken these factors into account, the directors concluded that the Portfolio’s shareholders would benefit from a sharing of economies of scale in the event the Portfolio’s net assets exceed a breakpoint in the future.

 

26


 
INTERNATIONAL VALUE PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

THE FOLLOWING IS NOT PART OF THE SHAREHOLDER REPORT OR THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

SUMMARY OF SENIOR OFFICER’S EVALUATION OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT1

The following is a summary of the evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement between AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) and the AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund (the “Fund”), in respect of AllianceBernstein International Value Portfolio (the “Portfolio”).2 The evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement was prepared by Philip L. Kirstein, the Senior Officer of the Fund, for the Directors of the Fund, as required by a September 2004 agreement between the Adviser and the New York State Attorney General (the “NYAG”). The Senior Officer’s evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement is not meant to diminish the responsibility or authority of the Board of Directors of the Fund to perform its duties pursuant to Section 15 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “40 Act”) and applicable state law. The purpose of the summary is to provide shareholders with a synopsis of the independent evaluation of the reasonableness of the advisory fees proposed to be paid by the Portfolio which was provided to the Directors in connection with their review of the proposed approval of the continuance of the Investment Advisory Agreement. The Senior Officer’s evaluation considered the following factors:

 

  1. Advisory fees charged to institutional and other clients of the Adviser for like services;

 

  2. Advisory fees charged by other mutual fund companies for like services;

 

  3. Costs to the Adviser and its affiliates of supplying services pursuant to the advisory agreement, excluding any intra-corporate profit;

 

  4. Profit margins of the Adviser and its affiliates from supplying such services;

 

  5. Possible economies of scale as the Portfolio grows larger; and

 

  6. Nature and quality of the Adviser’s services including the performance of the Portfolio.

These factors, with the exception of the first factor, are generally referred to as the “Gartenberg factors,” which were articulated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1982. Gartenberg v. Merrill Lynch Asset Management, Inc., 694 F. 2d 923 (2d Cir. 1982). The first factor is an additional factor required to be considered by the AoD. On March 30, 2010, the Supreme Court held the Gartenberg decision was correct in its basic formulation of what §36(b) requires: to face liability under §36(b), “an investment adviser must charge a fee that is so disproportionately large that it bears no reasonable relationship to the services rendered and could not have been the product of arm’s length bargaining.” Jones v. Harris Associates L.P., 130 S. Ct. 1418 (2010). In the Jones decision, the Court stated the Gartenberg approach fully incorporates the correct understanding of fiduciary duty within the context of section 36(b) and noted with approval that “Gartenberg insists that all relevant circumstances be taken into account” and “uses the range of fees that might result from arm’s-length bargaining as the benchmark for reviewing challenged fees.”3

PORTFOLIO ADVISORY FEES, NET ASSETS & EXPENSE RATIOS

The Adviser proposed that the Portfolio pays the advisory fee set forth in the table below for receiving the services to be provided pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement. The fee schedule below, implemented in January 2004 in consideration of the Adviser’s settlement with the NYAG in December 2003, is based on a master schedule that contemplates eight categories of funds with almost all funds in each category having the same advisory fee schedule.

 

Category   Advisory Fee Based on % of
Average Daily Net Assets
 

Net Assets

3/31/13

($MIL)

    Portfolio

International

  0.75% on first $2.5 billion 0.65% on next $2.5 billion 0.60% on the balance   $ 1,063.0      International Value Portfolio

 

1   The information in the fee summary was completed on April 22, 2013 and discussed with the Board of Directors on April 30-May 2, 2013.

 

2   Future references to the Fund and the Portfolio do not include “AllianceBernstein.” References in the fee summary pertaining to performance and expense ratio rankings refer to the Class A shares of the Portfolio.

 

3   Jones v. Harris at 1427.

 

27


INTERNATIONAL VALUE PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Adviser is reimbursed as specified in the Investment Advisory Agreement for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services provided to the Portfolio. During the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year, the Adviser received $44,851 (0.004% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets) for such services.

The Adviser has agreed to waive that portion of its management fees and/or reimburse the Portfolio for that portion of its total operating expenses to the degree necessary to limit the Portfolio’s expense ratios to the amounts set forth below for the Portfolio’s fiscal year. The waiver is terminable by the Adviser upon at least 60 days’ notice prior to the Portfolio’s prospectus update or May 1st of each year. The Portfolio was operating below its expense caps for the most recent fiscal year; accordingly the expense limitation undertaking of the Portfolio was of no effect. In addition, set forth below are the gross expense ratios of the Portfolio for the most recently completed fiscal year:

 

Portfolio  

Expense Cap Pursuant

to Expense Limitation

Undertaking

  Gross
Expense
Ratio
    Fiscal Year End

International Value Portfolio

  Class A    1.20%     0.81%      December 31
  Class B     1.45%     1.06%     

I. ADVISORY FEES CHARGED TO INSTITUTIONAL AND OTHER CLIENTS

The advisory fees charged to investment companies which the Adviser manages and sponsors are normally higher than those charged to similar sized institutional accounts, including pension plans and sub-advised investment companies. The fee differential reflects, among other things, different services provided to such clients, and different liabilities assumed. Services provided by the Adviser to the Portfolio that are not provided to non-investment company clients and sub-advised investment companies include providing office space and personnel to serve as Fund Officers, who among other responsibilities make the certifications required under the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, and coordinating with and monitoring the Portfolio’s third party service providers such as Fund counsel, auditors, custodians, transfer agents and pricing services. The accounting, administrative, legal and compliance requirements for the Portfolio are more costly than those for institutional assets due to the greater complexities and time required for investment companies, although as previously noted, the Adviser is reimbursed for providing such services. Also, retail mutual funds managed by the Adviser are widely held. Servicing the Portfolio’s investors is more time consuming and labor intensive compared to institutional clients since the Adviser needs to communicate with a more extensive network of financial intermediaries and shareholders. The Adviser also believes that it incurs substantial entrepreneurial risk when offering a new mutual fund, since establishing a new mutual fund requires a large upfront investment, and it may take a long time for the fund to achieve profitability since the fund must be priced to scale from inception in order to be competitive and assets are acquired one account at a time. In addition, managing the cash flow of an investment company may be more difficult than managing that of a stable pool of assets, such as an institutional account with little cash movement in either direction, particularly, if a fund is in net redemption and the Adviser is frequently forced to sell securities to raise cash for redemptions. However, managing a fund with positive cash flow may be easier at times than managing a stable pool of assets. In recent years, investment advisers have been sued by institutional clients and have suffered reputational damage both by the attendant publicity and outcomes other than complete victories. Accordingly, the legal and reputational risks associated with institutional accounts are greater than previously thought, although still not equal to those related to the mutual fund industry.

Notwithstanding the Adviser’s view that managing an investment company is not comparable to managing other institutional accounts because the services provided are different, the Supreme Court has indicated consideration should be given to the advisory fees charged to institutional accounts that have a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio.4 In

 

4   The Supreme Court stated that “courts may give such comparisons the weight that they merit in light of the similarities and differences between the services that the clients in question require, but the courts must be wary of inapt comparisons.” Among the significant differences the Supreme Court noted that may exist between services provided to mutual funds and institutional accounts are “higher marketing costs.” Jones v. Harris at 1428.

 

28


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

addition to the AllianceBernstein institutional fee schedule, set forth below is what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the AllianceBernstein institutional fee schedule been applicable to the Portfolio versus the Portfolio’s advisory fee based on March 31, 2013 net assets:5

 

Portfolio   

Net Assets

3/31/13

($MIL)

    

AllianceBernstein

Institutional

Fee Schedule

    

Effective

AB Inst.

Adv. Fee

    

Portfolio

Advisory

Fee

 

International Value Portfolio

   $ 1,063.0      

International Value Schedule 0.80% on first $25m

0.60% on the next $25m

0.50% on the next $50m

0.40% on the balance

Minimum account size $25m

       0.419      0.750

The Adviser also manages AllianceBernstein International Value Fund, Inc. (“International Value Fund, Inc.”), a retail mutual fund, which has a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio. Set forth below is the fee schedule of International Value Fund, Inc. and what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the fee schedule of the retail mutual fund been applicable to the Portfolio:6

 

Portfolio    AllianceBernstein
Mutual Fund
   Fee Schedule   

ABMF

Effective
Fee

    

Portfolio

Advisory
Fee

 

International Value Portfolio

   International Value Fund, Inc.   

0.75% on first $2.5 billion

0.65% on next $2.5 billion

0.60% on the balance

     0.750      0.750

The Adviser manages Sanford C. Bernstein Fund, Inc. (“SCB Fund”), an open-end management investment company. The International Portfolio of SCB Fund (“SCB International Portfolio”) has a somewhat similar investment style as the Portfolio. Set forth below is the fee schedule of SCB International Portfolio and what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the fee schedule of SCB International Portfolio been applicable to the Portfolio based on March 31, 2013 net assets:

 

Portfolio    SCB Fund
Portfolio
   Fee Schedule    SCB Fund
Effective
Fee
     Portfolio
Advisory
Fee
 

International Value Portfolio7

   International

Portfolio

  

0.925% on 1st $1 billion

0.850% on next $3 billion

0.800% on next $2 billion

0.750% on next $2 billion

0.650% thereafter

 

The Adviser is waving 5 basis points in advisory fees effective through October 31, 2013.

     0.875      0.750

The Adviser provides sub-advisory services to certain other investment companies managed by other fund families that have an investment style similar to that of the Portfolio. The Adviser charges the fees set forth below for the sub-advisory relationships that have a somewhat similar investment style as the Portfolio. Also shown are the Portfolio’s advisory fee and what would have been the effective advisory fees of the Portfolio had the fee schedules of the sub-advisory relationships been applicable to the Portfolio based on March 31, 2013 net assets.

 

5   The Adviser has indicated that with respect to institutional accounts with assets greater than $300 million, it will negotiate a fee schedule. Discounts that are negotiated vary based upon each client relationship.

 

6   The retail mutual fund was also affected by the settlement between the Adviser and the NYAG. As a result, the Portfolio has the same breakpoints in its advisory fee schedule as the retail mutual fund.

 

7   The investment guidelines of the Portfolio are more restrictive than the SCB Fund portfolio. The Portfolio invests primarily in either growth or value equity securities, in contrast to the SCB Fund portfolio, which invests in both growth and value equity securities.

 

29


INTERNATIONAL VALUE PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

Portfolio         Fee Schedule   

Effective

Sub-Adv.

Fee

     Portfolio
Advisory
Fee
 

International Value Portfolio

   Client # 18  

0.60% on first $1 billion

0.55% on next $500 million

0.50% on next $500 million

0.45% on next $500 million

0.40% on the balance

     0.597      0.750

It is fair to note that the services the Adviser provides pursuant to sub-advisory agreements are generally confined to the services related to the investment process; in other words, they are not as comprehensive as the services provided to the Portfolios by the Adviser. In addition, to the extent that certain of these sub-advisory relationships are with affiliates of the Adviser, the fee schedules may not reflect arm’s length bargaining or negotiations.

While it appears that the sub-advisory relationships are paying a lower fee than the Portfolios, it is difficult to evaluate the relevance of such lower fees due to differences in terms of the services provided, risks involved and other competitive factors between the Portfolios and the sub-advisory relationships. There could be various business reasons why an investment adviser would be willing to provide a sub-advisory relationship investment related services at a different fee level than an investment company it is sponsoring where the investment adviser is providing all the services, not just investment management, generally required by a registered investment company.

II. MANAGEMENT FEES CHARGED BY OTHER MUTUAL FUND COMPANIES FOR LIKE SERVICES.

Lipper, Lipper, Inc. (“Lipper”), an analytical service that is not affiliated with the Adviser, compared the fees charged to the Portfolio with fees charged to other investment companies for similar services offered by other investment advisers.9 Lipper’s analysis included the comparison of the Portfolio’s contractual management fee, estimated at the approximate current asset level of the Portfolio, to the median of the Portfolio’s Lipper Expense Group (“EG”) and the Portfolio’s contractual management fee ranking.10,11

Lipper describes an EG as a representative sample of comparable funds. Lipper’s standard methodology for screening funds to be included in an EG entails the consideration of several fund criteria, including fund type, investment classification/objective, load type and similar 12b-1/non-12b-1 service fees, asset (size) comparability, expense components and attributes. An EG will typically consist of seven to twenty funds.

The Portfolio’s original EG had an insufficient number of peers. Consequently, Lipper expanded the Portfolio’s EG to include peers that have a similar but not the same Lipper classification/objective as the Portfolio. However, because Lipper had expanded the Portfolio’s EG, under Lipper’s standard guidelines, the Portfolio’s Lipper Expense Universe (“EU”) was also expanded to include universes of those peers that had a similar but not the same Lipper investment objective/classification. A “normal” EU will include funds that have the same investment objective/classification as the subject portfolio.12

 

8   The client is an affiliate of the Adviser.

 

9   The Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since “these comparisons are problematic because these fees, like those challenged, may not be the product of negotiations conducted at arm’s length.” Jones v. Harris at 1429.

 

10   Lipper does not consider average account size when constructing EGs. Funds with relatively small average account sizes tend to have higher transfer agent expense ratio than comparable sized funds that have relatively large average account sizes. Note that there are limitations on Lipper expense category data because different funds categorize expenses differently.

 

11   The contractual management fee is calculated by Lipper using the Portfolio’s contractual management fee rate at a hypothetical asset level. The hypothetical asset level is based on the combined net assets of all classes of the Portfolio, rounded up to the next $25 million. Lipper’s total expense ratio information is based on the most recent annual report except as otherwise noted. A ranking of “1” would mean that the Portfolio had the lowest effective fee rate in the Lipper peer group.

 

12   The Portfolio’s EG includes the Portfolio, five other VIP International Value funds (“IFVE”), three VIP International Growth funds (“IFGE”) and two VIP International Core funds (“IFCE”).

 

30


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

Portfolio    Contractual
Management
Fee13
    

Lipper

EG

Median (%)

    

Lipper
EG

Rank

 

International Value Portfolio

     0.750         0.750         5/11   

Because Lipper had expanded the EG of the Portfolio, under Lipper’s standard guidelines, the Lipper Expense Universe (“EU”) was also expanded to include the universes of those peers that had a similar but not the same Lipper investment classification/objective.14 A “normal” EU will include funds that have the same investment classification/objective as the subject Portfolio.15

Set forth below is a comparison of the Portfolio’s total expense ratio and the medians of the Portfolio’s EG and EU. The Portfolio’s total expense ratio ranking is also shown in the table below.

 

Portfolio   

Expense

Ratio
(%)16

    

Lipper
EG

Median (%)

    

Lipper

EG

Rank

    

Lipper
EU

Median (%)

    

Lipper

EU

Rank

 

International Value Portfolio

     0.811         0.833         4/11         0.978         13/78   

Based on this analysis, the Portfolio has a more favorable ranking on an expense ratio basis than on a management fee basis.

III. COSTS TO THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES OF SUPPLYING SERVICES PURSUANT TO THE ADVISORY FEE ARRANGEMENT, EXCLUDING ANY INTRA-CORPORATE PROFIT.

The Adviser utilizes two profitability reporting systems, which operate independently but are aligned with each other, to estimate the Adviser’s profitability in connection with investment advisory services provided to the Portfolio. The Senior Officer has retained a consultant to provide independent advice regarding the alignment of the two profitability systems as well as the methodologies and allocations utilized by both profitability systems.

IV. PROFIT MARGINS OF THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES FOR SUPPLYING SUCH SERVICES.

The Portfolio’s profitability information, prepared by the Adviser for the Board of Directors, was reviewed by the Senior Officer and the consultant. The Adviser’s profitability from providing investment advisory services to the Portfolio decreased during calendar year 2012, relative to 2011.

In addition to the Adviser’s direct profits from managing the Portfolio, certain of the Adviser’s affiliates have business relationships with the Portfolio and may earn a profit from providing other services to the Portfolio. The courts have referred to this type of business opportunity as “fall-out benefits” to the Adviser and indicated that such benefits should be factored into the evaluation of the total relationship between the Portfolio and the Adviser. Neither case law nor common business practice precludes the Adviser’s affiliates from earning a reasonable profit on this type of relationship provided the affiliates’ charges and services are competitive. These affiliates provide transfer agent, distribution and brokerage related services to the Portfolio and receive transfer agent fees, Rule 12b-1 payments, and brokerage commissions. In addition, the Adviser benefits from soft dollar arrangements which offset expenses the Adviser would otherwise incur.

The Portfolio has adopted a distribution plan for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 40 Act. Under the distribution plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to its principal underwriter, AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (“ABI”), the Portfolio’s distributor and an affiliate of the Adviser, at an annual rate of up to 0.50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The current annual rate that the Portfolio pays to ABI for 12b-1 fees is 0.25%. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, ABI received $2,642,116 in Rule 12b-1 fees.

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, the Adviser incurred distribution expenses in the amount of $6,262,053 in connection with activities primarily intended to result in the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. This amount includes the 12b-1 fees paid by the Portfolio to the Adviser.

 

13   The contractual management fee does not reflect any expense reimbursements made by the Portfolio to the Adviser for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services. In addition, the contractual management fee does not reflect any advisory fee waiver or expense cap that would effectively reduce the actual management fee.

 

14   Except for asset (size) comparability, Lipper uses the same criteria for selecting an EG peer when selecting an EU peer. Unlike the EG, the EU allows for the same adviser to be represented by more than just one fund.

 

15   The Portfolio’s EU includes the Portfolio, EG and all other VIP IFVE, IFGE and IFCE funds, excluding outliers.

 

16   Most recently completed fiscal year end Class A total expense ratio.

 

31


INTERNATIONAL VALUE PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Financial intermediaries, such as insurers, market and sell shares of the Portfolio and typically receive compensation from ABI, the Advisers and/or the Portfolio for selling shares of the Portfolio. These financial intermediaries receive compensation in any or all of the following forms: 12b-1 fees, defrayal of costs for educational seminars and training, additional distribution support, recordkeeping and/or administrative services. Payments related to providing contract-holder recordkeeping and/or administrative services will generally not exceed 0.35% of the average daily net assets of the Portfolio attributable to the relevant intermediary over the year. With respect to the Fund, which includes the Portfolio and other Portfolios of the Fund not discussed in this summary, ABI paid approximately $600,000 in 2012 and expects to pay approximately $600,000 in 2013 for educational support and distribution assistance (revenue sharing payments).

The transfer agent of the Portfolio is AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”). During the most recently completed fiscal year, ABIS received a fee of $1,385 from the Portfolio.17

The Portfolio effected brokerage transactions through the Adviser’s affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., LLC (“SCB & Co.”) and/or its U.K. affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein Limited (“SCB Ltd.”), collectively “SCB,” and paid commissions during the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year. The Adviser represented that SCB’s profitability from business conducted with the Portfolio is comparable to the profitability of SCB’s dealings with other similar third party clients. In the ordinary course of business, SCB receives and pays liquidity rebates from electronic communications networks (“ECNs”) derived from trading for its clients, including the Portfolio. These credits and charges are not being passed onto any SCB client. The Adviser also receives certain soft dollar benefits from brokers that execute agency trades for the Portfolio and other clients. These soft dollar benefits reduce the Adviser’s cost of doing business and increase its profitability.

V. POSSIBLE ECONOMIES OF SCALE

The Adviser has indicated that economies of scale are being shared with shareholders through pricing to scale, breakpoints, fee reductions/waivers and enhancement to services.

In May 2012, an independent consultant, retained by the Senior Officer, provided the Board of Directors information on the Adviser’s firm-wide average costs from 2005 through 2011 and the potential economies of scale. The independent consultant noted that from 2005 through 2007 the Adviser experienced significant growth in assets under management (“AUM”). During this period, operating expenses increased, in part to keep up with growth, and in part reflecting market returns. However, from 2008 through the first quarter of 2009, AUM rapidly and significantly decreased due to declines in market value and client withdrawals. When AUM rapidly decreased, some operating expenses categories, including base compensation and office space, adjusted more slowly during this period, resulting in an increase in average costs. Since 2009, AUM has experienced less significant changes. The independent consultant noted that changes in operating expenses reflect changes in business composition and business practices in response to changes in financial markets. Finally, the independent consultant concluded that the increase in average cost and the decline in net operating margin across the Adviser since late 2008 are inconsistent with the view that there are currently reductions in average costs due to economies of scale that can be shared with the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds managed by the Adviser through lower fees.

Previously in February 2008, the independent consultant provided the Board of Directors an update of the Deli study on advisory fees and various fund characteristics.18,19 The independent consultant first reiterated the results of his previous two dimensional comparison analysis (fund size and family size) with the Board of Directors.20 The independent consultant then discussed the results of the regression model that was utilized to study the effects of various factors on advisory fees. The regression model output indicated that the bulk of the variation in fees predicted were explained by various factors, but substantially by fund AUM, family AUM, index fund indicator and investment style. The independent consultant also compared

 

17   The Fund, which includes the Portfolio and other Portfolios of the Fund paid ABIS a flat fee of $18,000 in 2012.

 

18   The Deli study, originally published in 2002 based on 1997 data and updated for the February 2008 Presentation, may be of diminished value due to the age of the data used in the presentation and the changes experienced in the industry over the last four years.

 

19   As mentioned previously, the Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since the fees may not be the product of negotiations conducted at arm’s length. See Jones V. Harris at 1429.

 

20   The two dimensional analysis showed patterns of lower advisory fees for funds with larger asset sizes and funds from larger family sizes compared to funds with smaller asset sizes and funds from smaller family sizes, which according to the independent consultant is indicative of a sharing of economies of scale and scope. However, in less liquid and active markets, such is not the case, as the empirical analysis showed potential for diseconomies of scale in those markets. The empirical analysis also showed diminishing economies of scale and scope as funds surpassed a certain high level of assets.

 

32


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

the advisory fees of the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds to similar funds managed by 19 other large asset managers, regardless of the fund size and each Adviser’s proportion of mutual fund assets to non-mutual fund assets.

VI. NATURE AND QUALITY OF THE ADVISER’S SERVICES, INCLUDING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PORTFOLIO

With assets under management of approximately $443 billion as of March 31, 2013, the Adviser has the investment experience to manage and provide non-investment services (described in Section I) to the Portfolio.

The information prepared by Lipper shows the 1, 3, 5 and 10 year performance returns and rankings of the Portfolio21 relative to its Lipper Performance Group (“PG”) and Lipper Performance Universe (“PU”)22 for the periods ended February 28, 2013.23

 

     Portfolio (%)     PG
Median (%)
    PU
Median (%)
    PG
Rank
    PU
Rank
 

International Value Portfolio

         

1 year

    3.10        7.01        7.67        6/6        14/14   

3 year

    1.86        6.20        6.07        5/5        12/13   

5 year

  6.96        –0.26        –1.22        5/5        12/12   

10 year

    6.93        8.32        8.04        2/2        8/8   

Set forth below are the 1, 3, 5 and 10 year and since inception performance returns of the Portfolio (in bold)24 versus its benchmark.25 Portfolio and benchmark volatility and reward-to-variability ratio (“Sharpe Ratio”) information is also shown.26

 

    

Periods Ending February 28, 2013

Annualized Performance

 
    

1

Year
(%)

   

3

Year
(%)

   

5

Year
(%)

   

10

Year

(%)

    Since
Inception
(%)
    Annualized     Risk
Period
(Year)
 
            Volatility
(%)
    Sharpe
(%)
   

International Value Portfolio

    3.10        1.86        6.96        6.93        4.99        21.79        0.34        10   

MSCI EAFE Index (Net)

    9.84        6.85        –1.26        9.39        4.27        18.30        0.49        10   

Inception Date: May 10, 2001

               

CONCLUSION:

Based on the factors discussed above the Senior Officer’s conclusion is that the proposed advisory fee for the Portfolio is reasonable and within the range of what would have been negotiated at arm’s-length in light of all the surrounding circumstances. This conclusion in respect of the Portfolio is based on an evaluation of all of these factors and no single factor was dispositive.

Dated: May 29, 2013

 

21   The performance rankings are for the Class A shares of the Portfolio. The Portfolio’s performance returns shown were provided by Lipper.

 

22   The Portfolio’s PG/PU are not identical to the Portfolio’s EG/EU as the criteria for including/excluding a fund in/from a PG/PU is somewhat different from that of an EG/EU.

 

23   Lipper investment classification/objective dictates the PG and PU throughout the life of the fund even if a fund had a different investment classification/objective at a different point in time.

 

24   The performance returns and risk measures shown in the table are for the Class A shares of the Portfolio.

 

25   The Adviser provided Portfolio and benchmark performance return information for periods through February 28, 2013.

 

26   Portfolio and benchmark volatility and Sharpe Ratio information was obtained through Lipper LANA, a database maintained by Lipper. Volatility is a statistical measure of the tendency of a market price or yield to vary over time. The Sharpe Ratio is a risk adjusted measure of return that divides a portfolio’s return in excess of the riskless return by the portfolio’s standard deviation. A portfolio with a greater volatility would be viewed as more risky than a portfolio with equivalent performance but lower volatility; for that reason, a greater return would be demanded for the more risky portfolio. A portfolio with a higher Sharpe Ratio would be viewed as better performing than a portfolio with a lower Sharpe Ratio.

 

33


AllianceBernstein

Variable Products Series Fund, Inc.

 

 

 

LOGO   AllianceBernstein Large Cap Growth Portfolio

 

June 30, 2013

 

Semi-Annual Report

 

LOGO

 

SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT


 

 

 

Investment Products Offered

 

  Ø  

Are Not FDIC Insured

  Ø  

May Lose Value

  Ø  

Are Not Bank Guaranteed

AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (ABI) is the distributor of the AllianceBernstein family of mutual funds. ABI is a member of FINRA and is an affiliate of AllianceBernstein L.P., the manager of the funds.

You may obtain a description of the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures, and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, without charge. Simply visit AllianceBernstein’s website at www.alliancebernstein.com or go to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “Commission”) website at www.sec.gov, or call AllianceBernstein at (800) 227-4618.

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Commission for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Fund’s Forms N-Q are available on the Commission’s website at www.sec.gov. The Fund’s Forms N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC; information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330.

AllianceBernstein® and the AB Logo are registered trademarks and service marks used by permission of the owner, AllianceBernstein L.P.


 
LARGE CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
EXPENSE EXAMPLE (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments, contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution (12b-1) fees; and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund 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 as indicated below.

Actual Expenses

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. The estimate of expenses does not include fees or other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes

The table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed annual rate of return of 5% before expenses, which is not the Fund’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 costs of investing in the Fund and other funds by comparing this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds. The estimate of expenses does not include fees or other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads), or contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions. Therefore, the second line of each class’ table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

      Beginning
Account  Value
January 1, 2013
     Ending
Account Value
June 30, 2013
     Expenses Paid
During Period*
     Annualized
Expense Ratio*

Class A

           

Actual

   $   1,000       $   1,106.50       $   4.49       0.86%

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $ 1,000       $ 1,020.53       $ 4.31       0.86%
           

Class B

           

Actual

   $   1,000       $   1,105.00       $   5.79       1.11%

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $ 1,000       $ 1,019.29       $ 5.56       1.11%

 

 

 

*   Expenses are equal to each classes’ annualized expense ratios, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 181/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).

 

1


LARGE CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS*

June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

COMPANY    U.S. $ VALUE        PERCENT OF NET ASSETS  

Biogen Idec, Inc.

   $ 16,366,821           4.5

Google, Inc.—Class A

     14,649,357           4.0   

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp.—Class A

     13,757,921           3.8   

IntercontinentalExchange, Inc.

     13,378,395           3.7   

Apple, Inc.

     13,373,641           3.7   

Boeing Co. (The)

     12,966,855           3.6   

Precision Castparts Corp.

     12,812,055           3.5   

priceline.com, Inc.

     11,174,526           3.1   

Walt Disney Co. (The)

     10,247,350           2.8   

Amazon.com, Inc.

     10,230,100           2.8   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 
     $   128,957,021           35.5

SECTOR BREAKDOWN**

June 30, 2013 (unaudited)

 

 

SECTOR    U.S. $ VALUE        PERCENT OF TOTAL INVESTMENTS  

Technology

   $ 77,381,183           21.3

Consumer Discretionary

     77,354,455           21.3   

Health Care

     66,429,925           18.2   

Producer Durables

     40,296,356           11.1   

Financial Services

     29,979,403           8.2   

Materials & Processing

     20,135,407           5.5   

Energy

     19,725,766           5.4   

Consumer Staples

     13,491,907           3.7   

Short-Term Investments

     19,159,161           5.3   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Investments

   $   363,953,563           100.0

 

 

 

*   Long-term investments.

 

**   The Portfolio’s sector breakdown is expressed as a percentage of total investments and may vary over time.

Please note: The sector breakdown is classified in the above chart and throughout this report according to the Russell sector classification scheme. The Russell Sector scheme was developed by Russell Investments. Russell classifies index members into industries that most closely describe the nature of its business and its primary economic orientation. Multiple resources are used to obtain overall information about the company. Additional Russell sector scheme information can be found within Russell Index methodology documents available on Russell.com. The “Portfolio of Investments” section of the report reflects more specific industry information and is consistent with the investment restrictions discussed in the Portfolio’s prospectus.

 

2


LARGE CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company

  Shares     U.S. $ Value  
   

COMMON STOCKS–94.8%

   

TECHNOLOGY–21.3%

   

COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY–0.9%

   

QUALCOMM, Inc.

    52,360      $ 3,198,149   
   

 

 

 

COMPUTER SERVICES, SOFTWARE & SYSTEMS–15.2%

   

ANSYS, Inc.(a)

    76,302        5,577,676   

Citrix Systems, Inc.(a)

    124,540        7,513,498   

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp.–Class A(a)

    219,740        13,757,921   

Facebook, Inc.(a)

    246,610        6,130,725   

Google, Inc.–Class A(a)

    16,640        14,649,357   

LinkedIn Corp.(a)

    26,660        4,753,478   

Red Hat, Inc.(a)

    39,940        1,909,931   

SolarWinds, Inc.(a)

    27,163        1,054,196   
   

 

 

 
      55,346,782   
   

 

 

 

COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY–3.7%

   

Apple, Inc.

    33,765        13,373,641   
   

 

 

 

ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS–0.7%

   

Amphenol Corp.–Class A

    33,760        2,631,255   
   

 

 

 

SEMICONDUCTORS & COMPONENT–0.8%

   

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Sponsored ADR)

    154,550        2,831,356   
   

 

 

 
      77,381,183   
   

 

 

 

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY–21.3%

   

CABLE TELEVISION SERVICES–2.0%

   

Comcast Corp.–Class A

    172,100        7,207,548   
   

 

 

 

CONSUMER SERVICES: MISC.–2.2%

   

eBay, Inc.(a)

    153,740        7,951,433   
   

 

 

 

COSMETICS–0.8%

   

Estee Lauder Cos., Inc. (The)–Class A

    42,440        2,791,279   
   

 

 

 

DIVERSIFIED MEDIA–1.2%

   

Liberty Media Corp.(a)

    33,890        4,295,896   
   

 

 

 

DIVERSIFIED RETAIL–4.5%

   

Amazon.com, Inc.(a)

    36,840        10,230,100   

Costco Wholesale Corp.

    55,760        6,165,383   
   

 

 

 
      16,395,483   
   

 

 

 

ENTERTAINMENT–2.8%

   

Walt Disney Co. (The)

    162,270        10,247,350   
   

 

 

 

LEISURE TIME–3.1%

   

priceline.com, Inc.(a)

    13,510        11,174,526   
   

 

 

 

RECREATIONAL VEHICLES & BOATS–0.9%

   

Harley-Davidson, Inc.

    59,750        3,275,495   
   

 

 

 
   

RESTAURANTS–2.3%

   

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.–Class A(a)

    6,570      $ 2,393,779   

Starbucks Corp.

    88,795        5,815,185   
   

 

 

 
      8,208,964   
   

 

 

 

SPECIALTY RETAIL–0.7%

   

O’Reilly Automotive, Inc.(a)

  24,130$          2,717,521   
   

 

 

 

TEXTILES, APPAREL & SHOES–0.8%

   

VF Corp.

    16,000        3,088,960   
   

 

 

 
      77,354,455   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE–18.3%

   

BIOTECHNOLOGY–7.6%

   

Biogen Idec, Inc.(a)

    76,054        16,366,821   

Celgene Corp.(a)

    68,740        8,036,393   

Quintiles Transnational Holdings, Inc.(a)

    74,800        3,183,488   
   

 

 

 
      27,586,702   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE MANAGEMENT SERVICES–2.5%

   

UnitedHealth Group, Inc.

    139,711        9,148,277   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE SERVICES–0.8%

   

McKesson Corp.

    23,750        2,719,375   
   

 

 

 

MEDICAL EQUIPMENT–3.5%

   

Illumina, Inc.(a)

    41,475        3,103,989   

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.(a)

    19,150        9,701,007   
   

 

 

 
      12,804,996   
   

 

 

 

PHARMACEUTICALS–3.9%

   

Allergan, Inc./United States

    98,806        8,323,417   

Gilead Sciences, Inc.(a)

    114,180        5,847,158   
   

 

 

 
      14,170,575   
   

 

 

 
      66,429,925   
   

 

 

 

PRODUCER DURABLES–11.1%

   

AEROSPACE–3.6%

   

Boeing Co. (The)

    126,580        12,966,855   
   

 

 

 

DIVERSIFIED MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS–2.3%

   

Danaher Corp.

    130,642        8,269,639   
   

 

 

 

ENVIRONMENTAL MAINTENANCE & SECURITY–0.8%

   

Stericycle, Inc.(a)

    26,943        2,975,315   
   

 

 

 

PRODUCER DURABLES: MISC.–1.4%

   

WW Grainger, Inc.

    19,740        4,978,033   
   

 

 

 

SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS: CONTROL & FILTER–1.3%

   

Flowserve Corp.

    38,283        2,067,665   

Roper Industries, Inc.

    22,300        2,770,106   
   

 

 

 
      4,837,771   
   

 

 

 

 

3


LARGE CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company

  Shares     U.S. $ Value  
   

SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS: ELECTRICAL–1.3%

   

AMETEK, Inc.

    58,116      $ 2,458,307   

Sensata Technologies Holding NV(a)

    70,550        2,462,195   
   

 

 

 
      4,920,502   
   

 

 

 

SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS: GAUGES & METERS–0.4%

   

Mettler-Toledo International, Inc.(a)

    6,701        1,348,241   
   

 

 

 
      40,296,356   
   

 

 

 

FINANCIAL SERVICES–8.2%

   

ASSET MANAGEMENT & CUSTODIAN–2.4%

   

Affiliated Managers Group, Inc.(a)

    35,450        5,811,673   

BlackRock, Inc.–Class A

    11,970        3,074,494   
   

 

 

 
      8,886,167   
   

 

 

 

FINANCIAL DATA &
SYSTEMS–1.7%

   

Visa, Inc.–Class A

    34,550        6,314,013   
   

 

 

 

INSURANCE: MULTI-LINE–0.4%

   

Brown & Brown, Inc.

    43,450        1,400,828   
   

 

 

 

SECURITIES BROKERAGE & SERVICES–3.7%

   

IntercontinentalExchange, Inc.(a)

    75,261        13,378,395   
   

 

 

 
      29,979,403   
   

 

 

 

MATERIALS &
PROCESSING–5.5%

   

FERTILIZERS–2.0%

   

Monsanto Co.

    74,123        7,323,352   
   

 

 

 

METAL FABRICATING–3.5%

   

Precision Castparts Corp.

    56,688        12,812,055   
   

 

 

 
      20,135,407   
   

 

 

 
   

ENERGY–5.4%

   

OIL WELL EQUIPMENT & SERVICES–3.4%

   

National Oilwell Varco, Inc.

    30,310      $ 2,088,359   

Oceaneering International, Inc.

    44,986        3,247,990   

Schlumberger Ltd.

    99,835        7,154,176   
   

 

 

 
      12,490,525   
   

 

 

 

OIL: CRUDE
PRODUCERS–2.0%

   

EOG Resources, Inc.

    20,688        2,724,196   

Noble Energy, Inc.

    75,134        4,511,045   
   

 

 

 
      7,235,241   
   

 

 

 
      19,725,766   
   

 

 

 

CONSUMER STAPLES–3.7%

   

FOODS–1.6%

   

Hershey Co. (The)

    67,040        5,985,331   
   

 

 

 

TOBACCO–2.1%

   

Philip Morris International, Inc.

    86,661        7,506,576   
   

 

 

 
      13,491,907   
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks
(cost $282,800,688)

      344,794,402   
   

 

 

 
    Principal
Amount
(000)
       

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS–5.3%

   

TIME DEPOSIT–5.3%

   

State Street Time Deposit
0.01%, 7/01/13
(cost $19,159,161)

  $   19,159        19,159,161   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL
INVESTMENTS–100.1%

(cost $301,959,849)

      363,953,563   

Other assets less
liabilities–(0.1)%

      (416,038
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS–100.0%

    $ 363,537,525   
   

 

 

 

 

(a)   Non-income producing security.

Glossary:

ADR—American Depositary Receipt

See notes to financial statements.

 

4


LARGE CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF ASSETS & LIABILITIES
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

ASSETS

  

Investments in securities, at value (cost $301,959,849)

   $ 363,953,563   

Cash

     5,669   

Dividends and interest receivable

     223,602   

Receivable for capital stock sold

     2,463   
  

 

 

 

Total assets

     364,185,297   
  

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

  

Payable for capital stock redeemed

     259,154   

Advisory fee payable

     210,126   

Printing fee payable

     90,228   

Distribution fee payable

     38,077   

Administrative fee payable

     7,237   

Transfer Agent fee payable

     164   

Accrued expenses

     42,786   
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     647,772   
  

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 363,537,525   
  

 

 

 

COMPOSITION OF NET ASSETS

  

Capital stock, at par

   $ 10,697   

Additional paid-in capital

     363,559,407   

Accumulated net investment loss

     (687,264

Accumulated net realized loss on investment transactions

     (61,339,029

Net unrealized appreciation on investments

     61,993,714   
  

 

 

 
   $ 363,537,525   
  

 

 

 

Net Asset Value Per Share—1 billion shares of capital stock authorized, $.001 par value

 

Class    Net Assets        Shares
Outstanding
       Net Asset
Value
 

A

   $   165,831,553           4,808,072         $   34.49   

B

   $ 197,705,972           5,889,330         $ 33.57   

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

5


LARGE CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS  
Six Months Ended June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

  

Dividends

  

Unaffiliated issuers

   $ 1,195,218   

Affiliated issuers

     605   

Interest

     1,159   

Securities lending income

     14,148   
  

 

 

 
     1,211,130   
  

 

 

 

EXPENSES

  

Advisory fee (see Note B)

     1,368,011   

Distribution fee—Class B

     247,918   

Transfer agency—Class A

     2,888   

Transfer agency—Class B

     3,440   

Printing

     67,081   

Custodian

     55,488   

Administrative

     21,503   

Legal

     17,741   

Audit

     16,505   

Directors’ fees

     2,265   

Miscellaneous

     5,177   
  

 

 

 

Total expenses

     1,808,017   
  

 

 

 

Net investment loss

     (596,887
  

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN ON INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS

  

Net realized gain on investment transactions

     9,024,869   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments

     28,256,030   
  

 

 

 

Net gain on investment transactions

     37,280,899   
  

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

   $ 36,684,012   
  

 

 

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

6


 
LARGE CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET  ASSETS   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

     Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

    

Net investment income (loss)

   $ (596,887   $ 164,364   

Net realized gain on investment transactions

     9,024,869        13,850,502   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments

     28,256,030        42,216,262   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets from operations

     36,684,012        56,231,128   

DIVIDENDS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM

    

Net investment income

    

Class A

     –0 –      (490,716

Class B

     –0 –      (59,787

CAPITAL STOCK TRANSACTIONS

    

Net decrease

     (24,268,257     (65,941,709
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total increase (decrease)

     12,415,755        (10,261,084

NET ASSETS

    

Beginning of period

     351,121,770        361,382,854   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period (including accumulated net investment loss of ($687,264) and distributions in excess of net investment income of ($90,377), respectively)

   $ 363,537,525      $ 351,121,770   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

7


LARGE CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE A: Significant Accounting Policies

The AllianceBernstein Large Cap Growth Portfolio (the “Portfolio”) is a series of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”). The Portfolio’s investment objective is long-term growth of capital. The Portfolio is diversified as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Fund was incorporated in the State of Maryland on November 17, 1987, as an open-end series investment company. The Fund offers thirteen separately managed pools of assets which have differing investment objectives and policies. The Portfolio offers Class A and Class B shares. Both classes of shares have identical voting, dividend, liquidating and other rights, except that Class B shares bear a distribution expense and have exclusive voting rights with respect to the Class B distribution plan.

The Portfolio offers and sells its shares only to separate accounts of certain life insurance companies for the purpose of funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies. Sales are made without a sales charge at the Portfolio’s net asset value per share.

The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) which require management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Portfolio.

1. Security Valuation

Portfolio securities are valued at their current market value determined on the basis of market quotations or, if market quotations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable, at “fair value” as determined in accordance with procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Fund’s Board of Directors (the “Board”).

In general, the market values of securities which are readily available and deemed reliable are determined as follows: securities listed on a national securities exchange (other than securities listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. (“NASDAQ”)) or on a foreign securities exchange are valued at the last sale price at the close of the exchange or foreign securities exchange. If there has been no sale on such day, the securities are valued at the last traded price from the previous day. Securities listed on more than one exchange are valued by reference to the principal exchange on which the securities are traded; securities listed only on NASDAQ are valued in accordance with the NASDAQ Official Closing Price; listed or over the counter (“OTC”) market put or call options are valued at the mid level between the current bid and ask prices. If either a current bid or current ask price is unavailable, AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) will have discretion to determine the best valuation (e.g. last trade price in the case of listed options); open futures are valued using the closing settlement price or, in the absence of such a price, the most recent quoted bid price. If there are no quotations available for the day of valuation, the last available closing settlement price is used; U.S. government securities and other debt instruments having 60 days or less remaining until maturity are valued at amortized cost if their original maturity was 60 days or less; or by amortizing their fair value as of the 61st day prior to maturity if their original term to maturity exceeded 60 days; fixed-income securities, including mortgage backed and asset backed securities, may be valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service or at a price obtained from one or more of the major broker/dealers. In cases where broker/dealer quotes are obtained, the Adviser may establish procedures whereby changes in market yields or spreads are used to adjust, on a daily basis, a recently obtained quoted price on a security. Swaps and other derivatives are valued daily, primarily using independent pricing services, independent pricing models using market inputs, as well as third party broker-dealers or counterparties. Investments in money market funds are valued at their net asset value each day.

Securities for which market quotations are not readily available (including restricted securities) or are deemed unreliable are valued at fair value. Factors considered in making this determination may include, but are not limited to, information obtained by contacting the issuer, analysts, analysis of the issuer’s financial statements or other available documents. In addition, the Portfolio may use fair value pricing for securities primarily traded in non-U.S. markets because most foreign markets close well before the Portfolio values its securities at 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The earlier close of these foreign markets gives rise to the possibility that significant events, including broad market moves, may have occurred in the interim and may materially affect the value of those securities. To account for this, the Portfolio may frequently value many of its foreign equity securities using fair value prices based on third party vendor modeling tools to the extent available.

2. Fair Value Measurements

In accordance with U.S. GAAP regarding fair value measurements, fair value is defined as the price that the Portfolio would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement

 

8


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

date. U.S. GAAP establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and a three-level hierarchy for fair value measurements based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability (including those valued based on their market values as described in Note A. 1 above). Inputs may be observable or unobservable and refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Portfolio. Unobservable inputs reflect the Portfolio’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on the best information available in the circumstances. Each investment is assigned a level based upon the observability of the inputs which are significant to the overall valuation. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized below.

 

   

Level 1—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 Portfolio’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

Where readily available market prices or relevant bid prices are not available for certain equity investments, such investments may be valued based on similar publicly traded investments, movements in relevant indices since last available prices or based upon underlying company fundamentals and comparable company data (such as multiples to earnings or other multiples to equity). Where an investment is valued using an observable input, such as another publicly traded security, the investment will be classified as Level 2. If management determines that an adjustment is appropriate based on restrictions on resale, illiquidity or uncertainty, and such adjustment is a significant component of the valuation, the investment will be classified as Level 3. An investment will also be classified as Level 3 where management uses company fundamentals and other significant inputs to determine the valuation.

The following table summarizes the valuation of the Portfolio’s investments by the above fair value hierarchy levels as of June 30, 2013:

 

        Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

Investments in Securities:

             

Assets:

             

Common Stocks*

     $ 344,794,402       $ –0 –     $             –0 –     $ 344,794,402   

Short-Term Investments

       –0 –       19,159,161         –0 –       19,159,161   
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Investments in Securities

       344,794,402         19,159,161         –0 –       363,953,563   

Other Financial Instruments**

       –0 –       –0 –       –0 –       –0 – 
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total^

     $ 344,794,402       $ 19,159,161       $ –0 –     $ 363,953,563   
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

*   See Portfolio of Investments for sector classifications.

 

**   Other financial instruments are derivative instruments, such as futures, forwards and swaps, which are valued at the unrealized appreciation/depreciation on the instrument.

 

^   There were no transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 during the reporting period.

The Portfolio recognizes all transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy assuming the financial instruments were transferred at the beginning of the reporting period.

The Adviser has established a Valuation Committee (the “Committee”) which is responsible for overseeing the pricing and valuation of all securities held in the Portfolio. The Committee operates under pricing and valuation policies and procedures established by the Adviser and approved by the Board, including pricing policies which set forth the mechanisms and processes to be employed on a daily basis to implement these policies and procedures. In particular, the pricing policies describe how to determine market quotations for securities and other instruments. The Committee’s responsibilities include: 1) fair value and liquidity determinations (and oversight of any third parties to whom any responsibility for fair value and liquidity determinations is delegated), and 2) regular monitoring of the Adviser’s pricing and valuation policies and procedures and modification or enhancement of these policies and procedures (or recommendation of the modification of these policies and procedures) as the Committee believes appropriate.

 

9


LARGE CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Committee is also responsible for monitoring the implementation of the pricing policies by the Adviser’s Pricing Group (the “Pricing Group”) and a third party which performs certain pricing functions in accordance with the pricing policies. The Pricing Group is responsible for the oversight of the third party on a day-to-day basis. The Committee and the Pricing Group perform a series of activities to provide reasonable assurance of the accuracy of prices including: 1) periodic vendor due diligence meetings, review of methodologies, new developments and process at vendors, 2) daily compare of security valuation versus prior day for all securities that exceeded established thresholds, and 3) daily review of unpriced, stale, and variance reports with exceptions reviewed by senior management and the Committee.

In addition, several processes outside of the pricing process are used to monitor valuation issues including: 1) performance and performance attribution reports are monitored for anomalous impacts based upon benchmark performance, and 2) portfolio managers review all portfolios for performance and analytics (which are generated using the Adviser’s prices).

3. Currency Translation

Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies and commitments under forward currency exchange contracts are translated into U.S. dollars at the mean of the quoted bid and ask prices of such currencies against the U.S. dollar. Purchases and sales of portfolio securities are translated into U.S. dollars at the rates of exchange prevailing when such securities were acquired or sold. Income and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars at rates of exchange prevailing when accrued.

Net realized gain or loss on foreign currency transactions represents foreign exchange gains and losses from sales and maturities of foreign fixed income investments, foreign currency exchange contracts, holding of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on foreign investment transactions, and the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the Portfolio’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized currency gains and losses from valuing foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities at period end exchange rates are reflected as a component of net unrealized appreciation or depreciation of foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities.

4. Taxes

It is the Portfolio’s policy to meet the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute all of its investment company taxable income and net realized gains, if any, to shareholders. Therefore, no provisions for federal income or excise taxes are required. The Portfolio may be subject to taxes imposed by countries in which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on income and/or capital gains earned or repatriated. Taxes are accrued and applied to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized appreciation/depreciation as such income and/or gains are earned.

In accordance with U.S. GAAP requirements regarding accounting for uncertainties in income taxes, management has analyzed the Portfolio’s tax positions taken or expected to be taken on federal and state income tax returns for all open tax years (the current and the prior three tax years) and has concluded that no provision for income tax is required in the Portfolio’s financial statements.

5. Investment Income and Investment Transactions

Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date or as soon as the Portfolio is informed of the dividend. Interest income is accrued daily. Investment transactions are accounted for on the date the securities are purchased or sold. Investment gains or losses are determined on the identified cost basis. The Portfolio amortizes premiums and accretes discounts as adjustments to interest income.

6. Class Allocations

All income earned and expenses incurred by the Portfolio are borne on a pro-rata basis by each outstanding class of shares, based on the proportionate interest in the Portfolio represented by the net assets of such class, except for class specific expenses which are allocated to the respective class. Realized and unrealized gains and losses are allocated among the various share classes based on respective net assets.

7. Dividends and Distributions

Dividends and distributions to shareholders, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income dividends and capital gains distributions are determined in accordance with federal tax regulations and may differ from those determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. To the extent these differences are permanent, such amounts are reclassified within the capital accounts based on their federal tax basis treatment; temporary differences do not require such reclassification.

 

10


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE B: Advisory Fee and Other Transactions with Affiliates

Under the terms of the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio pays the Adviser an advisory fee at an annual rate of .75% of the first $2.5 billion, .65% of the next $2.5 billion and .60% in excess of $5 billion, of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets. The fee is accrued daily and paid monthly.

Pursuant to the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio may reimburse the Adviser for certain legal and accounting services provided to the Portfolio by the Adviser. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, the reimbursement for such services amounted to $21,503.

Brokerage commissions paid on investment transactions for the six months ended June 30, 2013 amounted to $122,820, of which $0 and $0, respectively, was paid to Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. LLC and Sanford C. Bernstein Limited, affiliates of the Adviser.

The Portfolio compensates AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, under a Transfer Agency Agreement for providing personnel and facilities to perform transfer agency services for the Portfolio. Such compensation retained by ABIS amounted to $692 for the six months ended June 30, 2013.

NOTE C: Distribution Plan

The Portfolio has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Under the Plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (the “Distributor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, at an annual rate of up to .50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The fees are accrued daily and paid monthly. The Board currently limits payments under the Plan to .25% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The Plan provides that the Distributor will use such payments in their entirety for distribution assistance and promotional activities.

The Portfolio is not obligated under the Plan to pay any distribution and servicing fees in excess of the amounts set forth above. The purpose of the payments to the Distributor under the Plan is to compensate the Distributor for its distribution services with respect to the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. Since the Distributor’s compensation is not directly tied to its expenses, the amount of compensation received by it under the Plan during any year may be more or less than its actual expenses. For this reason, the Plan is characterized by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission as being of the “compensation” variety.

In the event that the Plan is terminated or not continued, no distribution or servicing fees (other than current amounts accrued but not yet paid) would be owed by the Portfolio to the Distributor.

The Plan also provides that the Adviser may use its own resources to finance the distribution of the Portfolio’s shares.

NOTE D: Investment Transactions

Purchases and sales of investment securities (excluding short-term investments) for the six months ended June 30, 2013 were as follows:

 

       Purchases      Sales  

Investment securities (excluding U.S. government securities)

     $ 109,126,499       $ 143,368,592   

U.S. government securities

       –0 –       –0 – 

The cost of investments for federal income tax purposes was substantially the same as the cost for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, gross unrealized appreciation and unrealized depreciation are as follows:

 

Gross unrealized appreciation

   $ 65,071,674   

Gross unrealized depreciation

     (3,077,960
  

 

 

 

Net unrealized appreciation

   $ 61,993,714   
  

 

 

 

1. Derivative Financial Instruments

The Portfolio may use derivatives in an effort to earn income and enhance returns, to replace more traditional direct investments, to obtain exposure to otherwise inaccessible markets (collectively, “investment purposes”), or to hedge or adjust the risk profile of its portfolio.

The Portfolio did not engage in derivatives transactions for the six months ended June 30, 2013.

 

11


LARGE CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

2. Currency Transactions

The Portfolio may invest in non-U.S. Dollar securities on a currency hedged or unhedged basis. The Portfolio may seek investment opportunities by taking long or short positions in currencies through the use of currency-related derivatives, including forward currency exchange contracts, futures and options on futures, swaps, and other options. The Portfolio may enter into transactions for investment opportunities when it anticipates that a foreign currency will appreciate or depreciate in value but securities denominated in that currency are not held by the Portfolio and do not present attractive investment opportunities. Such transactions may also be used when the Adviser believes that it may be more efficient than a direct investment in a foreign currency-denominated security. The Portfolio may also conduct currency exchange contracts on a spot basis (i.e., for cash at the spot rate prevailing in the currency exchange market for buying or selling currencies).

NOTE E: Securities Lending

The Portfolio may enter into securities lending transactions. Under the Portfolio’s securities lending program, all loans of securities will be collateralized continually by cash. The Portfolio will be compensated for the loan from a portion of the net return from the income earned on cash collateral after a rebate is paid to the borrower (in some cases, this rebate may be a “negative rebate” or fee paid by the borrower to the Portfolio in connection with the loan), and payments are made for fees of the securities lending agent and for certain other administrative expenses. It is the policy of the Portfolio to receive collateral consisting of cash in an amount exceeding the value of the securities loaned. The Portfolio will have the right to call a loan and obtain the securities loaned at any time on notice to the borrower within the normal and customary settlement time for the securities. While the securities are on loan, the borrower is obligated to pay the Portfolio amounts equal to any income or other distributions from the securities. The Portfolio will not have the right to vote any securities during the existence of a loan, but will have the right to regain ownership of loaned securities in order to exercise voting or other ownership rights. The lending agent has agreed to indemnify the Portfolio in the case of default of any securities borrower. Collateral received and securities loaned are marked to market daily to ensure that the securities loaned are secured by collateral. The lending agent will invest the cash collateral received in AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves, an eligible money market vehicle, in accordance with the investment restrictions of the Portfolio, and as approved by the Board. The collateral received on securities loaned is recorded as an asset as well as a corresponding liability in the statement of assets and liabilities. When the Portfolio lends securities, its investment performance will continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned. As of June 30, 2013, the Portfolio had no securities out on loan. The cash collateral will be adjusted on the next business day to maintain the required collateral amount. The Portfolio earned securities lending income of $14,148 and $605 from the borrowers and AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2013; these amounts are reflected in the statement of operations. A principal risk of lending portfolio securities is that the borrower will fail to return the loaned securities upon termination of the loan and that the collateral will not be sufficient to replace the loaned securities. A summary of the Portfolio’s transactions in shares of AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves for the six months ended June 30, 2013 is as follows:

 

Market Value

December 31, 2012

(000)

   

Purchases

at Cost

(000)

   

Sales

Proceeds

(000)

   

Market Value

June 30, 2013

(000)

   

Dividend

Income

(000)

 
$ 1,880      $ 8,715      $ 10,595      $ –0 –    $ 1   

 

12


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE F: Capital Stock

Each class consists of 500,000,000 authorized shares. Transactions in capital shares for each class were as follows:

 

    SHARES         AMOUNT  
    Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
   

 

  Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 

Class A

         

Shares sold

    50,921        84,976        $ 1,703,827      $ 2,557,847   

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends

    –0 –      16,100          –0 –      490,716   

Shares redeemed

    (383,395     (1,164,566       (12,957,056     (35,040,903
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease

    (332,474     (1,063,490     $ (11,253,229   $ (31,992,340
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Class B

         

Shares sold

    126,835        366,059        $ 4,149,688      $ 10,679,970   

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends

    –0 –      2,011          –0 –      59,787   

Shares redeemed

    (522,092     (1,523,390       (17,164,716     (44,689,126
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease

    (395,257     (1,155,320     $ (13,015,028   $ (33,949,369
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

NOTE G: Risks Involved in Investing in the Portfolio

Foreign Securities Risk—Investing in securities of foreign companies or foreign governments involves special risks which include changes in foreign currency exchange rates and the possibility of future political and economic developments which could adversely affect the value of such securities. Moreover, securities of many foreign companies or foreign governments and their markets may be less liquid and their prices more volatile than those of comparable U.S. companies or of the U.S. government.

Currency Risk—This is the risk that changes in foreign currency exchange rates may negatively affect the value of the Portfolio’s investments or reduce the returns of the Portfolio. For example, the value of the Portfolio’s investments in foreign currency-denominated securities or currencies may decrease if the U.S. Dollar is strong (i.e., gaining value relative to other currencies) and other currencies are weak (i.e., losing value relative to the U.S. Dollar). Currency markets are generally not as regulated as securities markets. Independent of the Portfolio’s investments denominated in foreign currencies, the Portfolio’s positions in various foreign currencies may cause the Portfolio to experience investment losses due to the changes in exchange rates and interest rates.

Focused Portfolio Risk—Investments in a limited number of companies may have more risk because changes in the value of a single security may have a more significant effect, either negative or positive, on the Portfolio’s NAV.

Derivatives Risk—The Portfolio may enter into derivative transactions such as forwards, options, futures and swaps. Derivatives may be illiquid, difficult to price, and leveraged so that small changes may produce disproportionate losses for the Portfolio, and subject to counterparty risk to a greater degree than more traditional investments. Derivatives may result in significant losses, including losses that are far greater than the value of the derivatives reflected in the statement of assets and liabilities.

Indemnification Risk—In the ordinary course of business, the Portfolio enters into contracts that contain a variety of indemnifications. The Portfolio’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown. However, the Portfolio has not had prior claims or losses pursuant to these indemnification provisions and expects the risk of loss thereunder to be remote. Therefore, the Portfolio has not accrued any liability in connection with these indemnification provisions.

NOTE H: Joint Credit Facility

A number of open-end mutual funds managed by the Adviser, including the Portfolio, participate in a $140 million revolving credit facility (the “Facility”) intended to provide short-term financing, if necessary, subject to certain restrictions in connection with abnormal redemption activity. Commitment fees related to the Facility are paid by the participating funds and are included in miscellaneous expenses in the statement of operations. The Portfolio did not utilize the Facility during the six months ended June 30, 2013.

 

13


LARGE CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE I: Distributions to Shareholders

The tax character of distributions to be paid for the year ending December 31, 2013 will be determined at the end of the current fiscal year. The tax character of distributions paid during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 were as follows:

 

       2012        2011  

Distributions paid from:

         

Ordinary income

     $ 550,503         $ 805,573   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total taxable distributions paid

     $ 550,503         $ 805,573   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2012, the components of accumulated earnings/(deficit) on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed ordinary income

   $ 156,987   

Accumulated capital and other losses

     (68,885,297 )(a) 

Unrealized appreciation/(depreciation)

     32,011,719 (b) 
  

 

 

 

Total accumulated earnings/(deficit)

   $ (36,716,591
  

 

 

 

 

(a)   As of December 31, 2012, the Portfolio had a net capital loss carryforward of $68,885,297. During the fiscal year, the Portfolio utilized $12,141,794 of capital loss carryforwards to offset current year net realized gains.

 

(b)   The differences between book-basis and tax-basis unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) are attributable primarily to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales, return of capital distributions received from underlying securities, and the tax treatment of partnerships.

For tax purposes, net capital losses may be carried over to offset future capital gains, if any. Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, funds are permitted to carry forward capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 for an indefinite period. These post-enactment capital losses must be utilized prior to the pre-enactment capital losses, which are subject to expiration. Post-enactment capital loss carryforwards will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses rather than being considered short-term as under previous regulation.

As of December 31, 2012, the Portfolio had a net capital loss carryforward of $68,885,297 which will expire as follows:

 

SHORT-TERM

AMOUNT

  

LONG-TERM

AMOUNT

  

EXPIRATION

$39,935,614    n/a    2016
  28,949,683    n/a    2017

NOTE J: Subsequent Events

Management has evaluated subsequent events for possible recognition or disclosure in the financial statements through the date the financial statements are issued. Management has determined that there are no material events that would require disclosure in the Portfolio’s financial statements through this date.

 

14


 
LARGE CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    CLASS A  
    Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2013

(unaudited)
    Year Ended December 31,  
      2012     2011     2010     2009     2008  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $31.17        $26.86        $27.79        $25.36        $18.47        $30.61   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Income From Investment Operations

           

Net investment income (loss) (a)

    (.03     .05        .09        .07        .10        .04   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions

    3.35        4.35        (.93     2.48        6.82        (12.18
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

    3.32        4.40        (.84     2.55        6.92        (12.14
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Less: Dividends

           

Dividends from net investment income

    –0 –      (.09     (.09     (.12     (.03     –0 – 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $34.49        $31.17        $26.86        $27.79        $25.36        $18.47   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Total Return

           

Total investment return based on net asset value (b)

    10.65     16.39 %*      (3.04 )%*      10.10 %*      37.52 %*      (39.66 )%* 
           

Ratios/Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of period
(000’s omitted)

    $165,832        $160,226        $166,654        $200,977        $211,940        $181,452   

Ratio to average net assets of:

           

Expenses

    .86 %(c)      .86     .84     .85 %(d)      .88     .84

Net investment income (loss)

    (.19 )%(c)      .18     .33     .29 %(d)      .47     .17

Portfolio turnover rate

    32     94     89     105     97     89

 

 

 

See footnote summary on page 16.

 

15


LARGE CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    CLASS B  
    Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2013

(unaudited)
    Year Ended December 31,  
      2012     2011     2010     2009     2008  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $30.38        $26.17        $27.08        $24.72        $18.03        $29.96   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Income From Investment Operations

           

Net investment income (loss) (a)

    (.07     (.02     .02        .01        .04        (.02

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions

    3.26        4.24        (.91     2.42        6.65        (11.91
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

    3.19        4.22        (.89     2.43        6.69        (11.93
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Less: Dividends

           

Dividends from net investment income

    –0 –      (.01     (.02     (.07     –0 –      –0 – 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $33.57        $30.38        $26.17        $27.08        $24.72        $18.03   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Total Return

           

Total investment return based on net asset value (b)

    10.50     16.12 %*      (3.27 )%*      9.83 %*      37.10 %*      (39.82 )%* 
           

Ratios/Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

    $197,706        $190,896        $194,729        $223,520        $233,460        $192,976   

Ratio to average net assets of:

           

Expenses

    1.11 %(c)      1.11     1.09     1.10 %(d)      1.13     1.09

Net investment income (loss)

    (.44 )%(c)      (.07 )%      .08     .04 %(d)      .22     (.08 )% 

Portfolio turnover rate

    32     94     89     105     97     89

 

 

 

(a)   Based on average shares outstanding.

 

(b)   Total investment return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption on the last day of the period. Total return does not reflect (i) insurance company’s separate account related expense charges and (ii) the deductions of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Portfolio distributions or the redemption of Portfolio shares. Total investment return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized.

 

(c)   Annualized.

 

(d)   The ratio includes expenses attributable to costs of proxy solicitation.

 

*   Includes the impact of proceeds received and credited to the Portfolio resulting from class action settlements, which enhanced the Portfolio’s performance for the years ended December 31, 2012, December 31, 2011, December 31, 2010, December 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008 by 0.95%, 0.46%, 0.58%, 1.96% and 2.10%, respectively.

See notes to financial statements.

 

16


 
LARGE CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO
CONTINUANCE DISCLOSURE   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

INFORMATION REGARDING THE REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE PORTFOLIO’S ADVISORY AGREEMENT

The disinterested directors (the “directors”) of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”) unanimously approved the continuance of the Fund’s Advisory Agreement with the Adviser in respect of AllianceBernstein Large Cap Growth Portfolio (the “Portfolio”) at a meeting held on April 30-May 2, 2013 (the “May 2013 meeting”).

Prior to approval of the continuance of the Advisory Agreement, the directors had requested from the Adviser, and received and evaluated, extensive materials. They reviewed the proposed continuance of the Advisory Agreement with the Adviser and with experienced counsel who are independent of the Adviser, who advised on the relevant legal standards. The directors also reviewed an independent evaluation prepared by the Fund’s Senior Officer (who is also the Fund’s Independent Compliance Officer) of the reasonableness of the advisory fee, in which the Senior Officer concluded that the contractual fee for the Portfolio was reasonable. The directors also discussed the proposed continuance in private sessions with counsel and the Fund’s Senior Officer.

The directors considered their knowledge of the nature and quality of the services provided by the Adviser to the Portfolio gained from their experience as directors or trustees of most of the registered investment companies advised by the Adviser, their overall confidence in the Adviser’s integrity and competence they have gained from that experience, the Adviser’s initiative in identifying and raising potential issues with the directors and its responsiveness, frankness and attention to concerns raised by the directors in the past, including the Adviser’s willingness to consider and implement organizational and operational changes designed to improve investment results and the services provided to the AllianceBernstein Funds. The directors noted that they have four regular meetings each year, at each of which they receive presentations from the Adviser on the investment results of the Portfolio and review extensive materials and information presented by the Adviser.

The directors also considered all other factors they believed relevant, including the specific matters discussed below. In their deliberations, the directors did not identify any particular information that was all-important or controlling, and different directors may have attributed different weights to the various factors. The directors determined that the selection of the Adviser to manage the Portfolio and the overall arrangements between the Portfolio and the Adviser, as provided in the Advisory Agreement, including the advisory fee, were fair and reasonable in light of the services performed, expenses incurred and such other matters as the directors considered relevant in the exercise of their business judgment. The material factors and conclusions that formed the basis for the directors’ determinations included the following:

Nature, Extent and Quality of Services Provided

The directors considered the scope and quality of services provided by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement, including the quality of the investment research capabilities of the Adviser and the other resources it has dedicated to performing services for the Portfolio. They also noted the professional experience and qualifications of the Portfolio’s portfolio management team and other senior personnel of the Adviser. The directors also considered that the Advisory Agreement provides that the Portfolio will reimburse the Adviser for the cost to it of providing certain clerical, accounting, administrative and other services provided to the Portfolio by employees of the Adviser or its affiliates. Requests for these reimbursements are made on a quarterly basis and subject to approval by the directors and, to the extent requested and paid, will result in a higher rate of total compensation from the Portfolio to the Adviser than the fee rate stated in the Portfolio’s Advisory Agreement. The directors noted that the methodology used to determine the reimbursement amounts had been reviewed by an independent consultant retained by the Fund’s Senior Officer. The quality of administrative and other services, including the Adviser’s role in coordinating the activities of the Portfolio’s other service providers, also were considered. The directors concluded that, overall, they were satisfied with the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Portfolio under the Advisory Agreement.

Costs of Services Provided and Profitability

The directors reviewed a schedule of the revenues, expenses and related notes indicating the profitability of the Portfolio to the Adviser for calendar years 2011 and 2012 that had been prepared with an expense allocation methodology arrived at in consultation with an independent consultant retained by the Fund’s Senior Officer. The directors reviewed the assumptions and methods of allocation used by the Adviser in preparing fund-specific profitability data and noted that there are a number of potentially acceptable allocation methodologies for information of this type. The directors noted that the profitability information reflected all revenues and expenses of the Adviser’s relationship with the Portfolio, including those relating to its subsidiaries that provide transfer agency, distribution and brokerage services to the Portfolio. The directors recognized that it is difficult to make comparisons of the profitability of the Advisory Agreement with the profitability of advisory contracts for unaffiliated funds because comparative information is not generally publicly available and is affected by numerous

 

17


LARGE CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO
CONTINUANCE DISCLOSURE
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

factors. The directors focused on the profitability of the Adviser’s relationship with the Portfolio before taxes and distribution expenses. The directors were satisfied that the Adviser’s level of profitability from its relationship with the Portfolio was not unreasonable.

Fall-Out Benefits

The directors considered the other benefits to the Adviser and its affiliates from their relationships with the Portfolio, including but not limited to benefits relating to soft dollar arrangements (whereby the Adviser receives brokerage and research services from brokers that execute transactions for certain clients, including the Portfolio); 12b-1 fees and sales charges received by the Fund’s principal underwriter (which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser) in respect of the Portfolio’s Class B shares; transfer agency fees paid by the Portfolio to a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser; and brokerage commissions paid by the Portfolio to brokers affiliated with the Adviser. The directors recognized that the Adviser’s profitability would be somewhat lower without these benefits. The directors also understood that the Adviser also might derive reputational and other benefits from its association with the Portfolio.

Investment Results

In addition to the information reviewed by the directors in connection with the meeting, the directors receive detailed performance information for the Portfolio at each regular Board meeting during the year. The directors noted that the Portfolio is a clone of another fund managed by the Adviser (the “Corresponding Fund”) and is managed to track the investment performance of its Corresponding Fund, although investment results may differ between the Portfolio and its Corresponding Fund due to differences in their expense ratios and other factors. At the May 2013 meeting, the directors reviewed information prepared by Lipper showing the performance of the Class A Shares of the Portfolio as compared with that of a group of similar funds selected by Lipper (the “Performance Group”) and as compared with that of a broader array of funds selected by Lipper (the “Performance Universe”), and information prepared by the Adviser showing performance of the Class A Shares as compared with the Russell 1000 Growth Index (the “Index”), in each case for the 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year periods ended February 28, 2013 and (in the case of comparisons with the Index) the period since inception (June 1992 inception). The directors noted that the Portfolio was in the 2nd quintile of the Performance Group and the Performance Universe for the 1-year period, in the 4th quintile of the Performance Group and the Performance Universe for the 3-year period, in the 4th quintile of the Performance Group and 3rd quintile of the Performance Universe for the 5-year period, and in the 5th quintile of the Performance Group and the Performance Universe for the 10-year period. The Portfolio outperformed the Index in the 1-year period and in the period since inception, and lagged it in all other periods. The directors also reviewed performance information for periods ended March 31, 2013 (for which the data was not limited to Class A Shares), and noted that in the 3-month period the Portfolio had outperformed the Lipper VA Large Cap Growth Funds Average and lagged the Index. Based on their review, the directors concluded that the Portfolio’s performance was acceptable.

Advisory Fees and Other Expenses

The directors considered the advisory fee rate paid by the Portfolio to the Adviser and information prepared by Lipper concerning advisory fee rates paid by other funds in the same Lipper category as the Portfolio at a common asset level. The directors recognized that it is difficult to make comparisons of advisory fees because there are variations in the services that are included in the fees paid by other funds.

The directors also considered the advisory fees the Adviser charges non-fund clients pursuing a substantially similar investment style. For this purpose, they reviewed the relevant advisory fee information from the Adviser’s Form ADV and the evaluation from the Fund’s Senior Officer. The directors noted that, although the institutional fee schedule started at a rate different from the Portfolio’s starting fee rate, it had more breakpoints at lower asset levels than the fee schedule applicable to the Portfolio. The application of the institutional fee schedule to the level of assets of the Portfolio would result in a fee rate lower than the rate being paid by the Portfolio. The directors noted that the Adviser may, in some cases, agree to fee rates with large institutional clients that are lower than those reviewed by the directors and that they had previously discussed with the Adviser its policies in respect of such arrangements. The directors also reviewed information that indicated that the Portfolio’s fee rate is higher than the sub-advisory fee rate earned by the Adviser for sub-advising a registered investment company with a similar investment style. The directors noted that the advisory fee schedule for the Portfolio is the same as that for its Corresponding Fund.

The Adviser reviewed with the directors the significantly greater scope of the services it provides to the Portfolio relative to institutional clients and sub-advised funds. The Adviser also noted that because mutual funds are constantly issuing and

 

18


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

redeeming shares, they are more difficult to manage than an institutional account, where the assets tend to be relatively stable. In light of the substantial differences in services rendered by the Adviser to institutional clients as compared to funds such as the Portfolio, the directors considered these fee comparisons inapt and did not place significant weight on them in their deliberations.

The directors also considered the total expense ratio of the Class A shares of the Portfolio in comparison to the fees and expenses of funds within two comparison groups created by Lipper: an Expense Group and an Expense Universe. Lipper described an Expense Group as a representative sample of funds similar to the Portfolio and an Expense Universe as a broader group, consisting of all funds in the investment classification/objective with a similar load type as the Portfolio. The Class A expense ratio of the Portfolio was based on the Portfolio’s latest fiscal year. The directors noted that it was likely that the expense ratios of some of the other funds in the Portfolio’s Lipper category were lowered by waivers or reimbursements by those funds’ investment advisers, which in some cases might be voluntary or temporary. The directors view the expense ratio information as relevant to their evaluation of the Adviser’s services because the Adviser is responsible for coordinating services provided to the Portfolio by others.

The directors noted that, at the Portfolio’s current size, its contractual effective advisory fee rate of 75 basis points was the same as the Expense Group median. The directors noted that the administrative expense reimbursement was 1.2 basis points in the Portfolio’s latest fiscal year, and that as a result the rate of the compensation received by the Adviser pursuant to the Advisory Agreement remained close to the Expense Group median. The directors concluded that the Portfolio’s total expense ratio was acceptable, although they noted that it was higher than the Expense Group and the Expense Universe medians.

Economies of Scale

The directors noted that the advisory fee schedule for the Portfolio contains breakpoints that reduce the fee rates on assets above specified levels. The directors took into consideration prior presentations by an independent consultant on economies of scale in the mutual fund industry and for the AllianceBernstein Funds, and by the Adviser concerning certain of its views on economies of scale. The directors also had requested and received from the Adviser certain updates on economies of scale at the May 2013 meeting. The directors believe that economies of scale may be realized (if at all) by the Adviser across a variety of products and services, and not only in respect of a single fund. The directors noted that there is no established methodology for setting breakpoints that give effect to the fund-specific services provided by a fund’s adviser and to the economies of scale that an adviser may realize in its overall mutual fund business or those components of it which directly or indirectly affect a fund’s operations. The directors observed that in the mutual fund industry as a whole, as well as among funds similar to the Portfolio, there is no uniformity or pattern in the fees and asset levels at which breakpoints (if any) apply. The directors also noted that the advisory agreements for many funds do not have breakpoints at all. Having taken these factors into account, the directors concluded that the Portfolio’s shareholders would benefit from a sharing of economies of scale in the event the Portfolio’s net assets exceed a breakpoint in the future.

 

19


 
LARGE CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

THE FOLLOWING IS NOT PART OF THE SHAREHOLDER REPORT OR THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

SUMMARY OF SENIOR OFFICER’S EVALUATION OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT1

The following is a summary of the evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement between AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) and the AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund (the “Fund”), in respect of AllianceBernstein Large Cap Growth Portfolio (the “Portfolio”).2 The evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement was prepared by Philip L. Kirstein, the Senior Officer of the Fund, for the Directors of the Fund, as required by a September 2004 agreement between the Adviser and the New York State Attorney General (the “NYAG”). The Senior Officer’s evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement is not meant to diminish the responsibility or authority of the Board of Directors of the Fund to perform its duties pursuant to Section 15 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “40 Act”) and applicable state law. The purpose of the summary is to provide shareholders with a synopsis of the independent evaluation of the reasonableness of the advisory fees proposed to be paid by the Portfolio which was provided to the Directors in connection with their review of the proposed approval of the continuance of the Investment Advisory Agreement. The Senior Officer’s evaluation considered the following factors:

 

  1. Advisory fees charged to institutional and other clients of the Adviser for like services;

 

  2. Advisory fees charged by other mutual fund companies for like services;

 

  3. Costs to the Adviser and its affiliates of supplying services pursuant to the advisory agreement, excluding any intra-corporate profit;

 

  4. Profit margins of the Adviser and its affiliates from supplying such services;

 

  5. Possible economies of scale as the Portfolio grows larger; and

 

  6. Nature and quality of the Adviser’s services including the performance of the Portfolio.

These factors, with the exception of the first factor, are generally referred to as the “Gartenberg factors,” which were articulated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1982. Gartenberg v. Merrill Lynch Asset Management, Inc., 694 F. 2d 923 (2d Cir. 1982). The first factor is an additional factor required to be considered by the AoD. On March 30, 2010, the Supreme Court held the Gartenberg decision was correct in its basic formulation of what §36(b) requires: to face liability under §36(b), “an investment adviser must charge a fee that is so disproportionately large that it bears no reasonable relationship to the services rendered and could not have been the product of arm’s length bargaining.” Jones v. Harris Associates L.P., 130 S. Ct. 1418 (2010). In the Jones decision, the Court stated the Gartenberg approach fully incorporates the correct understanding of fiduciary duty within the context of section 36(b) and noted with approval that “Gartenberg insists that all relevant circumstances be taken into account” and “uses the range of fees that might result from arm’s-length bargaining as the benchmark for reviewing challenged fees.”3

PORTFOLIO ADVISORY FEES, NET ASSETS & EXPENSE RATIOS

The Adviser proposed that the Portfolio pays the advisory fee set forth in the table below for receiving the services to be provided pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement. The fee schedule below, implemented in January 2004 in consideration of the Adviser’s settlement with the NYAG in December 2003, is based on a master schedule that contemplates eight categories of funds with almost all funds in each category having the same advisory fee schedule.

 

Category   Advisory Fee Based on % of
Average Daily Net Assets
 

Net Assets

3/31/13

($MIL)

    Portfolio

Growth

 

0.75% on first $2.5 billion

0.65% on next $2.5 billion

0.60% on the balance

  $ 372.2      Large Cap Growth Portfolio

 

1   The information in the fee summary was completed on April 22, 2013 and discussed with the Board of Directors on April 30-May 2, 2013.

 

2   Future references to the Fund and the Portfolio do not include “AllianceBernstein.” References in the fee summary pertaining to performance and expense ratio rankings refer to the Class A shares of the Portfolio.

 

3   Jones v. Harris at 1427.

 

20


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Adviser is reimbursed as specified in the Investment Advisory Agreement for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services provided to the Portfolio. During the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year, the Adviser received $45,150 (0.012% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets) for such services.

Set forth below are the Portfolio’s gross expense ratios for the most recently completed fiscal year:

 

Portfolio   Total Expense Ratio   Fiscal Year  

Large Cap Growth Portfolio

 

Class A    0.86%

Class B     1.11%

    December 31   

I. ADVISORY FEES CHARGED TO INSTITUTIONAL AND OTHER CLIENTS

The advisory fees charged to investment companies which the Adviser manages and sponsors are normally higher than those charged to similar sized institutional accounts, including pension plans and sub-advised investment companies. The fee differential reflects, among other things, different services provided to such clients, and different liabilities assumed. Services provided by the Adviser to the Portfolio that are not provided to non-investment company clients and sub-advised investment companies include providing office space and personnel to serve as Fund Officers, who among other responsibilities make the certifications required under the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, and coordinating with and monitoring the Portfolio’s third party service providers such as Fund counsel, auditors, custodians, transfer agents and pricing services. The accounting, administrative, legal and compliance requirements for the Portfolio are more costly than those for institutional assets due to the greater complexities and time required for investment companies, although as previously noted, the Adviser is reimbursed for providing such services. Also, retail mutual funds managed by the Adviser are widely held. Servicing the Portfolio’s investors is more time consuming and labor intensive compared to institutional clients since the Adviser needs to communicate with a more extensive network of financial intermediaries and shareholders. The Adviser also believes that it incurs substantial entrepreneurial risk when offering a new mutual fund, since establishing a new mutual fund requires a large upfront investment, and it may take a long time for the fund to achieve profitability since the fund must be priced to scale from inception in order to be competitive and assets are acquired one account at a time. In addition, managing the cash flow of an investment company may be more difficult than managing that of a stable pool of assets, such as an institutional account with little cash movement in either direction, particularly, if a fund is in net redemption and the Adviser is frequently forced to sell securities to raise cash for redemptions. However, managing a fund with positive cash flow may be easier at times than managing a stable pool of assets. In recent years, investment advisers have been sued by institutional clients and have suffered reputational damage both by the attendant publicity and outcomes other than complete victories. Accordingly, the legal and reputational risks associated with institutional accounts are greater than previously thought, although still not equal to those related to the mutual fund industry.

Notwithstanding the Adviser’s view that managing an investment company is not comparable to managing other institutional accounts because the services provided are different, the Supreme Court has indicated consideration should be given to the advisory fees charged to institutional accounts that have a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio.4 In addition to the AllianceBernstein institutional fee schedule, set forth below is what would have been the effective advisory

 

4   The Supreme Court stated that “courts may give such comparisons the weight that they merit in light of the similarities and differences between the services that the clients in question require, but the courts must be wary of inapt comparisons.” Among the significant differences the Supreme Court noted that may exist between services provided to mutual funds and institutional accounts are “higher marketing costs.” Jones v. Harris at 1428.

 

 

21


LARGE CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

fee of the Portfolio had the AllianceBernstein institutional fee schedule been applicable to the Portfolio versus the Portfolio’s advisory fee based on March 31, 2013 net assets:5

 

Portfolio   

Net Assets

3/31/12

($MIL)

    

AllianceBernstein
Institutional

Fee Schedule

    

Effective

AB Inst.

Adv. Fee

      

Portfolio

Advisory

Fee

 

Large Cap Growth Portfolio

   $372.2     

Large Cap Growth Schedule

0.80% on first $25m

0.50% on the next $25m

0.40% on the next $50m

0.30% on the next $100m

0.25% on the balance Minimum account size $25m

       0.337        0.750

The Adviser also manages AllianceBernstein Large Cap Growth Fund, Inc. (“Large Cap Growth Fund, Inc.), retail mutual fund, which has a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio. Set forth below is the fee schedule of Large Cap Growth Fund, Inc. and what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the fee schedule of the retail mutual fund been applicable to the Portfolio:6

 

Portfolio   AllianceBernstein
Mutual Fund
  Fee Schedule  

ABMF

Effective
Fee

   

Portfolio

Advisory
Fee

 

Large Cap Growth Portfolio

  Large Cap Growth Fund, Inc.  

0.75% on first $2.5 billion

0.65% on next $2.5 billion

0.60% on the balance

    0.750%        0.750%   

The Adviser also manages and sponsors retail mutual funds, which are organized in jurisdictions outside the United States, generally Luxembourg and Japan, and sold to non-United States resident investors. The Adviser charges the fees set forth for American Growth Portfolio, which is a Luxembourg fund that has a somewhat similar investment style as the Portfolio.

 

Fund      Fee7

American Growth Portfolio

    

Class A

     1.50%

Class I (Institutional)

     0.70%

The Adviser provides sub-advisory services to certain other investment companies managed by other fund families that have an investment style similar to that of the Portfolio. The Adviser charges the fees set forth below for the sub-advisory relationship that has a somewhat similar investment style as the Portfolio. Also shown is the Portfolio’s advisory fee and what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the fee schedules of the sub-advisory relationship been applicable to the Portfolio based on March 31, 2013 net assets.

 

Portfolio            Fee Schedule   

Effective

Sub-Adv.

Fee(%)

     Portfolio
Advisory
Fee(%)
 

Large Cap Growth Portfolio

     Client  #1    

0.35% on the first $50 million

0.30% on the next $100 million

0.25% on the balance

     0.277         0.750   

It is fair to note that the services the Adviser provides pursuant to sub-advisory agreements are generally confined to the services related to the investment process; in other words, they are not as comprehensive as the services provided to the Portfolio by the Adviser.

 

5   Adviser has indicated that with respect to institutional accounts with assets greater than $300 million, it will negotiate a fee schedule. Discounts that are negotiated vary based upon each client relationship.

 

6   The retail mutual fund was also affected by the settlement between the Adviser and the NYAG. As a result, the Portfolio has the same breakpoints in its advisory fee schedule as the retail mutual fund.

 

7   It should be noted that Class A shares of the fund are charged an “all-in” fee, which includes investment advisory services and distribution related services, unlike Class I shares, whose fee is for only investment advisory services.

 

22


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

While it appears that the sub-advisory relationship is paying a lower fee than the Portfolio, it is difficult to evaluate the relevance of such a lower fee due to differences in terms of the services provided, risks involved and other competitive factors between the Portfolio and the sub-advisory relationship. There could be various business reasons why an investment adviser would be willing to provide a sub-advisory relationship investment related services at a different fee level than an investment company it is sponsoring where the investment adviser is providing all the services, not just investment management, generally required by a registered investment company.

II. MANAGEMENT FEES CHARGED BY OTHER MUTUAL FUND COMPANIES FOR LIKE SERVICES.

Lipper Inc. (“Lipper”), an analytical service that is not affiliated with the Adviser, compared the fees charged to the Portfolio with fees charged to other investment companies for similar services offered by other investment advisers.8 Lipper’s analysis included the comparison of the Portfolio’s contractual management fee, estimated at the approximate current asset level of the Portfolio, to the median of the Portfolio’s Lipper Expense Group (“EG”) and the Portfolio’s contractual management fee ranking.9,10

Lipper describes an EG as a representative sample of comparable funds. Lipper’s standard methodology for screening funds to be included in an EG entails the consideration of several fund criteria, including fund type, investment classification/objective, load type and similar 12b-1/non-12b-1 service fees, asset (size) comparability, expense components and attributes. An EG will typically consist of seven to twenty funds.

 

Portfolio    Contractual
Management
Fee (%)11
    

Lipper EG

Median (%)

    

Lipper EG

Rank

 

Large Cap Growth Portfolio

     0.750         0.750         7/13   

Lipper also analyzed the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year total expense ratio in comparison to the Portfolio’s EG and Lipper Expense Universe (“EU”). The EU is a broader group compared to the EG, consisting of all funds that have the same investment classification/objective and load type as the subject Portfolio.12

 

Portfolio   

Expense

Ratio
(%)13

  

Lipper

EG

Median (%)

  

Lipper

EG

Rank

    

Lipper

EU

Median (%)

    

Lipper

EU

Rank

 

Large Cap Growth Portfolio

   0.862    0.800      12/13         0.796         54/72   

Based on this analysis, the Portfolio has a more favorable ranking on a management fee basis than on a total expense ratio basis.

 

8   The Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since “these comparisons are problematic because these fees, like those challenged, may not be the product of negotiations conducted at arm’s length.” Jones v. Harris at 1429.

 

9   Lipper does not consider average account size when constructing EGs. Funds with relatively small average account sizes tend to have higher transfer agent expense ratio than comparable sized funds that have relatively large average account sizes. Note that there are limitations on Lipper expense category data because different funds categorize expenses differently.

 

10   The contractual management fee is calculated by Lipper using the Portfolio’s contractual management fee rate at a hypothetical asset level. The hypothetical asset level is based on the combined net assets of all classes of the Portfolio, rounded up to the next $25 million. Lipper’s total expense ratio information is based on the most recent annual report except as otherwise noted. A ranking of “1” would mean that the Portfolio had the lowest effective fee rate in the Lipper peer group.

 

11   The contractual management fee does not reflect any expense reimbursements made by the Portfolio to the Adviser for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services. In addition, the contractual management fee does not reflect any advisory fee waiver or expense cap that would effectively reduce the actual management fee.

 

12   Except for asset (size) comparability, Lipper uses the same criteria for selecting an EG when selecting an EU. Unlike the EG, the EU allows for the same adviser to be represented by more than just one fund.

 

13   Most recently completed fiscal year end Class A total expense ratio.

 

23


LARGE CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

III. COSTS TO THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES OF SUPPLYING SERVICES PURSUANT TO THE ADVISORY FEE ARRANGEMENT, EXCLUDING ANY INTRA-CORPORATE PROFIT.

The Adviser utilizes two profitability reporting systems, which operate independently but are aligned with each other, to estimate the Adviser’s profitability in connection with investment advisory services provided to the Portfolio. The Senior Officer has retained a consultant to provide independent advice regarding the alignment of the two profitability systems as well as the methodologies and allocations utilized by both profitability systems.

IV. PROFIT MARGINS OF THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES FOR SUPPLYING SUCH SERVICES.

The Portfolio’s profitability information, prepared by the Adviser for the Board of Directors, was reviewed by the Senior Officer and the consultant. The Adviser’s profitability from providing investment advisory services to the Portfolio decreased during calendar year 2012, relative to 2011.

In addition to the Adviser’s direct profits from managing the Portfolio, certain of the Adviser’s affiliates have business relationships with the Portfolio and may earn a profit from providing other services to the Portfolio. The courts have referred to this type of business opportunity as “fall-out benefits” to the Adviser and indicated that such benefits should be factored into the evaluation of the total relationship between the Portfolio and the Adviser. Neither case law nor common business practice precludes the Adviser’s affiliates from earning a reasonable profit on this type of relationship provided the affiliates’ charges and services are competitive. These affiliates provide transfer agent, distribution and brokerage related services to the Portfolio and receive transfer agent fees, Rule 12b-1 payments, and brokerage commissions. In addition, the Adviser benefits from soft dollar arrangements which offset expenses the Adviser would otherwise incur.

The Portfolio has adopted a distribution plan for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 40 Act. Under the distribution plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to its principal underwriter, AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (“ABI”), the Portfolio’s distributor and an affiliate of the Adviser, at an annual rate of up to 0.50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The current annual rate that the Portfolio pays to ABI for 12b-1 fees is 0.25%. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, ABI, an affiliate of the Adviser, received $498,774 in Rule 12b-1 fees.

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, the Adviser incurred distribution expenses in the amount of $1,328,082 in connection with activities primarily intended to result in the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. This amount includes the 12b-1 fees paid by the Portfolio to the Adviser.

Financial intermediaries, such as insurers, market and sell shares of the Portfolio and typically receive compensation from ABI, the Advisers and/or the Portfolio for selling shares of the Portfolio. These financial intermediaries receive compensation in any or all of the following forms: 12b-1 fees, defrayal of costs for educational seminars and training, additional distribution support, recordkeeping and/or administrative services. Payments related to providing contract-holder recordkeeping and/or administrative services will generally not exceed 0.35% of the average daily net assets of the Portfolio attributable to the relevant intermediary over the year. With respect to the Fund, which includes the Portfolio and other Portfolios of the Fund not discussed in this summary, ABI paid approximately $600,000 in 2012 and expects to pay approximately $600,000 in 2013 for educational support and distribution assistance (revenue sharing payments).

The transfer agent of the Portfolio is AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”). During the most recently completed fiscal year, ABIS received a fee of $1,385 from the Portfolio.14

The Portfolio did not effect brokerage transactions through the Adviser’s affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., LLC (“SCB & Co.”) nor its U.K. affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein Limited (“SCB Ltd.”), collectively “SCB,” and pay commissions during the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year. The Adviser represented that SCB’s profitability from business conducted in the future with the Portfolio would be comparable to the profitability of SCB’s dealings with other similar third party clients. In the ordinary course of business, SCB receives and pays liquidity rebates from electronic communications networks (“ECNs”) derived from trading for its clients, including the Portfolio. These credits and charges are not being passed onto any SCB client. The Adviser also receives certain soft dollar benefits from brokers that execute agency trades for the Portfolio and other clients. These soft dollar benefits reduce the Adviser’s cost of doing business and increase its profitability.

 

14   The Fund, which includes the Portfolio and other Portfolios of the Fund paid ABIS a flat fee of $18,000 in 2012.

 

24


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

V. POSSIBLE ECONOMIES OF SCALE

The Adviser has indicated that economies of scale are being shared with shareholders through pricing to scale, breakpoints, fee reductions/waivers and enhancement to services.

In May 2012, an independent consultant, retained by the Senior Officer, provided the Board of Directors information on the Adviser’s firm-wide average costs from 2005 through 2011 and the potential economies of scale. The independent consultant noted that from 2005 through 2007 the Adviser experienced significant growth in assets under management (“AUM”). During this period, operating expenses increased, in part to keep up with growth, and in part reflecting market returns. However, from 2008 through the first quarter of 2009, AUM rapidly and significantly decreased due to declines in market value and client withdrawals. When AUM rapidly decreased, some operating expenses categories, including base compensation and office space, adjusted more slowly during this period, resulting in an increase in average costs. Since 2009, AUM has experienced less significant changes. The independent consultant noted that changes in operating expenses reflect changes in business composition and business practices in response to changes in financial markets. Finally, the independent consultant concluded that the increase in average cost and the decline in net operating margin across the Adviser since late 2008 are inconsistent with the view that there are currently reductions in average costs due to economies of scale that can be shared with the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds managed by the Adviser through lower fees.

Previously in February 2008, the independent consultant provided the Board of Directors an update of the Deli study on advisory fees and various fund characteristics.15,16 The independent consultant first reiterated the results of his previous two dimensional comparison analysis (fund size and family size) with the Board of Directors.17 The independent consultant then discussed the results of the regression model that was utilized to study the effects of various factors on advisory fees. The regression model output indicated that the bulk of the variation in fees predicted were explained by various factors, but substantially by fund AUM, family AUM, index fund indicator and investment style. The independent consultant also compared the advisory fees of the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds to similar funds managed by 19 other large asset managers, regardless of the fund size and each Adviser’s proportion of mutual fund assets to non-mutual fund assets.

VI. NATURE AND QUALITY OF THE ADVISER’S SERVICES, INCLUDING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PORTFOLIO

With assets under management of approximately $443 billion as of March 31, 2013, the Adviser has the investment experience to manage and provide non-investment services (described in Section I) to the Portfolio.

The information prepared by Lipper shows the 1, 3, 5 and 10 year performance returns and rankings of the Portfolio18 relative to its Lipper Performance Group (“PG”) and Lipper Performance Universe (“PU”)19 for the periods ended February 28, 2013.20

 

      Portfolio (%)      PG
Median (%)
     PU
Median (%)
     PG
Rank
       PU
Rank
 

Large Cap Growth Portfolio

                

1 year

     9.81         9.15         8.23         5/13           18/66   

3 year

     10.74         11.53         11.95         9/13           44/62   

5 year

     4.77         5.07         4.90         8/12           32/59   

10 year

     7.27         7.84         7.95         10/11           44/52   

 

15   The Deli study, originally published in 2002 based on 1997 data and updated for the February 2008 Presentation, may be of diminished value due to the age of the data used in the presentation and the changes experienced in the industry over the last four years.

 

16   As mentioned previously, the Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since the fees may not be the product of negotiations conducted at arm’s length. See Jones V. Harris at 1429.

 

17   The two dimensional analysis showed patterns of lower advisory fees for funds with larger asset sizes and funds from larger family sizes compared to funds with smaller asset sizes and funds from smaller family sizes, which according to the independent consultant is indicative of a sharing of economies of scale and scope. However, in less liquid and active markets, such is not the case, as the empirical analysis showed potential for diseconomies of scale in those markets. The empirical analysis also showed diminishing economies of scale and scope as funds surpassed a certain high level of assets.

 

18   The performance rankings are for the Class A shares of the Portfolio. The Portfolio’s performance returns shown were provided by Lipper.

 

19   The Portfolio’s PG is identical to the Portfolio’s respective EG. The Portfolio’s PU is not identical to the Portfolio’s EU as the criteria for including/excluding a fund from a PU is somewhat different from that of an EU.

 

20   Lipper investment classification/objective dictates the PG and PU throughout the life of the fund even if a fund had a different investment classification/objective at a different point in time.

 

25


LARGE CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Set forth below are the 1, 3, 5, 10 year and since inception performance returns of the Portfolio (in bold)21 versus its benchmarks.22 Portfolio and benchmark volatility and reward-to-variability ratio (“Sharpe Ratio”) information is also shown.23

 

    

Periods Ending February 28, 2013

Annualized Performance

 
    

1

Year

(%)

   

3

Year

(%)

   

5

Year

(%)

   

10
Year

(%)

   

Since
Inception

(%)

    Annualized     

Risk
Period

(Year)

 
            Volatility
(%)
    Sharpe
(%)
    

Large Cap Growth Portfolio

    9.81        10.74        4.77        7.27        8.43        16.44        0.40         10   

Russell 1000 Growth Index

    9.60        13.80        6.38        8.42        7.77        15.00        0.50         10   

Inception Date: June 26, 1992

  

            

CONCLUSION:

Based on the factors discussed above the Senior Officer’s conclusion is that the proposed advisory fee for the Portfolio is reasonable and within the range of what would have been negotiated at arm’s-length in light of all the surrounding circumstances. This conclusion in respect of the Portfolio is based on an evaluation of all of these factors and no single factor was dispositive.

Dated: May 29, 2013

  

 

21   The performance returns and risk measures shown in the table are for the Class A shares of the Portfolio.

 

22   The Adviser provided Portfolio and benchmark performance return information for periods through February 28, 2013.

 

23   Portfolio and benchmark volatility and Sharpe Ratio information was obtained through Lipper LANA, a database maintained by Lipper. Volatility is a statistical measure of the tendency of a market price or yield to vary over time. The Sharpe Ratio is a risk adjusted measure of return that divides a portfolio’s return in excess of the riskless return by the portfolio’s standard deviation. A portfolio with a greater volatility would be viewed as more risky than a portfolio with equivalent performance but lower volatility; for that reason, a greater return would be demanded for the more risky portfolio. A portfolio with a higher Sharpe Ratio would be viewed as better performing than a portfolio with a lower Sharpe Ratio.

 

26


AllianceBernstein

Variable Products Series Fund, Inc.

 

 

 

 

LOGO   AllianceBernstein Real Estate Investment Portfolio

 

June 30, 2013

 

Semi-Annual Report

 

LOGO

 

SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT


 

 

 

Investment Products Offered

 

  Ø  

Are Not FDIC Insured

  Ø  

May Lose Value

  Ø  

Are Not Bank Guaranteed

AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (ABI) is the distributor of the AllianceBernstein family of mutual funds. ABI is a member of FINRA and is an affiliate of AllianceBernstein L.P., the manager of the funds.

You may obtain a description of the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures, and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, without charge. Simply visit AllianceBernstein’s website at www.alliancebernstein.com or go to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “Commission”) website at www.sec.gov, or call AllianceBernstein at (800) 227-4618.

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Commission for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Fund’s Forms N-Q are available on the Commission’s website at www.sec.gov. The Fund’s Forms N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC; information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330.

AllianceBernstein® and the AB Logo are registered trademarks and service marks used by permission of the owner, AllianceBernstein L.P.


 
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
EXPENSE EXAMPLE (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments, contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution (12b-1) fees; and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund 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 as indicated below.

Actual Expenses

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. The estimate of expenses does not include fees or other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes

The table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed annual rate of return of 5% before expenses, which is not the Fund’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 costs of investing in the Fund and other funds by comparing this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds. The estimate of expenses does not include fees or other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads), or contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions. Therefore, the second line of each classes’ table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

      Beginning
Account Value
January 1, 2013
     Ending
Account Value
June 30, 2013
     Expenses Paid
During Period*
     Annualized
Expense Ratio*
 

Class A

           

Actual

   $   1,000       $   1,062.00       $   4.09         0.80

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $ 1,000       $ 1,020.83       $ 4.01         0.80
           

Class B

           

Actual

   $ 1,000       $ 1,061.10       $ 5.37         1.05

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $ 1,000       $ 1,019.59       $ 5.26         1.05

 

 

 

*   Expenses are equal to each classes’ annualized expense ratios, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 181/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).

 

1


REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS*  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

COMPANY    U.S. $ VALUE        PERCENT OF NET ASSETS  

Simon Property Group, Inc.

   $ 7,095,346           8.1

American Tower Corp.

     4,287,762           4.9   

HCP, Inc.

     2,889,984           3.3   

Ventas, Inc.

     2,753,394           3.1   

Public Storage

     2,585,144           3.0   

ProLogis, Inc.

     2,473,753           2.8   

Weyerhaeuser Co.

     2,358,402           2.7   

Health Care REIT, Inc.

     2,283,109           2.6   

General Growth Properties, Inc.

     2,136,820           2.4   

Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc.

     1,883,224           2.2   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 
     $   30,746,938           35.1

INDUSTRY BREAKDOWN**

June 30, 2013 (unaudited)

 

 

INDUSTRY    U.S. $ VALUE        PERCENT OF TOTAL INVESTMENTS  

Diversified/Specialty

   $   16,947,165           19.5

Health Care

     15,188,905           17.4   

Multi-Family

     11,619,653           13.3   

Regional Mall

     11,610,664           13.3   

Lodging

     7,918,130           9.1   

Office

     7,382,166           8.5   

Industrial Warehouse Distribution

     5,203,688           6.0   

Self Storage

     4,454,467           5.1   

Shopping Center/Other Retail

     3,090,334           3.5   

Single Family

     1,803,406           2.1   

Triple Net

     1,442,843           1.7   

Short-Term Investments

     446,101           0.5   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Investments

   $ 87,107,522           100.0

 

 

 

 

*   Long-term investments.

 

**   The Portfolio’s industry breakdown is expressed as a percentage of total investments (excluding security lending collateral) and may vary over time.

Please note: The industry classifications presented herein are based on the industry categorization methodology of the Adviser.

 

2


REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company

  Shares     U.S. $ Value  
             

COMMON STOCKS–98.8%

   
   

EQUITY: OTHER–38.3%

   

DIVERSIFIED/SPECIALTY–19.3%

   

American Tower Corp.

    58,600      $ 4,287,762   

Armada Hoffler Properties, Inc.

    52,000        612,560   

BioMed Realty Trust, Inc.

    26,850        543,175   

Chambers Street Properties

    10,661        106,610   

CyrusOne, Inc.

    64,739        1,342,687   

Digital Realty Trust, Inc.(a)

    20,730        1,264,530   

Duke Realty Corp.

    27,900        434,961   

Lexington Realty Trust(a)

    70,760        826,477   

Plum Creek Timber Co., Inc.

    9,730        454,099   

Rayonier, Inc.

    20,230        1,120,540   

Regal Entertainment Group–Class A

    74,280        1,329,612   

SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc.

    26,124        916,952   

Vornado Realty Trust

    16,280        1,348,798   

Weyerhaeuser Co.

    82,780        2,358,402   
   

 

 

 
      16,947,165   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE–17.3%

   

HCP, Inc.

    63,600        2,889,984   

Health Care REIT, Inc.

    34,061        2,283,109   

LTC Properties, Inc.

    39,450        1,540,522   

Medical Properties Trust, Inc.

    110,405        1,581,000   

Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc.

    60,710        1,883,224   

Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.

    22,750        594,003   

Senior Housing Properties Trust

    64,160        1,663,669   

Ventas, Inc.

    39,640        2,753,394   
   

 

 

 
      15,188,905   
   

 

 

 

TRIPLE NET–1.7%

   

EPR Properties

    6,220        312,680   

Realty Income Corp.

    26,960        1,130,163   
   

 

 

 
      1,442,843   
   

 

 

 
      33,578,913   
   

 

 

 

RESIDENTIAL–20.4%

   

MULTI-FAMILY–13.2%

   

Associated Estates Realty Corp.

    92,650        1,489,812   

AvalonBay Communities, Inc.

    9,440        1,273,550   

Brookfield Residential Properties, Inc.(b)

    66,573        1,468,600   

Equity Residential

    30,250        1,756,315   

Home Properties, Inc.

    6,200        405,294   

Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc.

    27,210        1,844,022   

Post Properties, Inc.

    8,820        436,502   

PulteGroup, Inc.(b)

    68,870        1,306,464   

Sun Communities, Inc.

    32,940        1,639,094   
   

 

 

 
      11,619,653   
   

 

 

 

SELF STORAGE–5.1%

   

CubeSmart

    21,230        339,255   

Extra Space Storage, Inc.

    36,491        1,530,068   

Public Storage

    16,860        2,585,144   
   

 

 

 
      4,454,467   
   

 

 

 

SINGLE FAMILY–2.1%

   

Masco Corp.

    68,183      $ 1,328,887   
   

 

 

 

Ply Gem Holdings, Inc.(b)

    23,655        474,519   
   

 

 

 
      1,803,406   
   

 

 

 
      17,877,526   
   

 

 

 

RETAIL–16.8%

   

REGIONAL MALL–13.3%

   

CBL & Associates Properties, Inc.

    9,322        199,677   

General Growth Properties, Inc.

    107,540        2,136,820   

Glimcher Realty Trust

    55,921        610,657   

Macerich Co. (The)

    7,890        481,053   

Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust

    57,580        1,087,111   

Simon Property Group, Inc.

    44,930        7,095,346   
   

 

 

 
      11,610,664   
   

 

 

 

SHOPPING CENTER/OTHER RETAIL–3.5%

   

DDR Corp.

    39,233        653,229   

Federal Realty Investment Trust

    6,190        641,779   

Inland Real Estate Corp.

    79,170        809,117   

Kimco Realty Corp.

    46,020        986,209   
   

 

 

 
      3,090,334   
   

 

 

 
      14,700,998   
   

 

 

 

LODGING–9.0%

   

LODGING–9.0%

   

Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc.

    117,160        1,341,482   

Chesapeake Lodging Trust

    36,730        763,617   

DiamondRock Hospitality Co.

    77,710        724,257   

Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc.

    61,590        1,039,023   

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC

    23,613        648,937   

Pebblebrook Hotel Trust

    9,930        256,691   

RLJ Lodging Trust

    76,760        1,726,332   

Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc.(b)

    79,620        705,433   

Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc.(b)

    58,970        712,358   
   

 

 

 
      7,918,130   
   

 

 

 

OFFICE–8.4%

   

OFFICE–8.4%

   

Boston Properties, Inc.

    14,089        1,485,967   

Brandywine Realty Trust

    57,440        776,589   

Corporate Office Properties Trust

    10,420        265,710   

Douglas Emmett, Inc.

    53,040        1,323,348   

Franklin Street Properties Corp.

    15,790        208,428   

Liberty Property Trust

    19,860        734,025   

Mack-Cali Realty Corp.

    29,940        733,231   

Parkway Properties, Inc./MD

    88,046        1,475,651   

SL Green Realty Corp.

    4,300        379,217   
   

 

 

 
      7,382,166   
   

 

 

 

 

3


REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company

  Shares     U.S. $ Value  
             

INDUSTRIALS–5.9%

   

INDUSTRIAL WAREHOUSE DISTRIBUTION–5.9%

   

Granite Real Estate Investment

    36,250      $ 1,252,438   

ProLogis, Inc.

    65,582        2,473,753   

STAG Industrial, Inc.

    74,060        1,477,497   
   

 

 

 
      5,203,688   
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks
(cost $74,380,777)

      86,661,421   
   

 

 

 
    Principal
Amount
(000)
       

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS–0.5%

   

TIME DEPOSIT–0.5%

   

State Street Time Deposit 0.01%, 7/01/13
(cost $446,101)

  $ 446        446,101   
   

 

 

 

Total Investments Before Security Lending Collateral for Securities Loaned–99.3%
(cost $74,826,878)

      87,107,522   
   

 

 

 

INVESTMENTS OF CASH COLLATERAL FOR SECURITIES LOANED–2.4%

   

INVESTMENT COMPANIES–2.4%

   

AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves–Class I, 0.07%(c)
(cost $2,124,015)

    2,124,015      $ 2,124,015   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS–101.7%
(cost $76,950,893)

      89,231,537   

Other assets less liabilities–(1.7)%

      (1,521,611
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS–100.0%

    $ 87,709,926   
   

 

 

 

 

 

(a)   Represents entire or partial securities out on loan. See Note E for securities lending information.

 

(b)   Non-income producing security.

 

(c)   Investment in affiliated money market mutual fund. The rate shown represents the 7-day yield as of period end.

Glossary:

REIT—Real Estate Investment Trust

See notes to financial statements.

 

4


REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF ASSETS & LIABILITIES
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

ASSETS

  

Investments in securities, at value
Unaffiliated issuers (cost $74,826,878)

   $ 87,107,522 (a) 

Affiliated issuers (cost $2,124,015—investment of cash collateral for securities loaned)

     2,124,015   

Foreign currencies, at value (cost $32,416)

     31,964   

Receivable for investment securities sold

     931,256   

Dividends and interest receivable

     280,385   

Receivable for capital stock sold

     1,194   
  

 

 

 

Total assets

     90,476,336   
  

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

  

Payable for collateral received on securities loaned

     2,124,015   

Payable for investment securities purchased

     506,400   

Advisory fee payable

     37,417   

Payable for capital stock redeemed

     31,055   

Administrative fee payable

     7,810   

Distribution fee payable

     2,704   

Transfer Agent fee payable

     153   

Accrued expenses

     56,856   
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     2,766,410   
  

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 87,709,926   
  

 

 

 

COMPOSITION OF NET ASSETS

  

Capital stock, at par

   $ 6,740   

Additional paid-in capital

     58,625,315   

Undistributed net investment income

     2,497,476   

Accumulated net realized gain on investment and foreign currency transactions

     14,300,245   

Net unrealized appreciation on investments and foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities

     12,280,150   
  

 

 

 
   $ 87,709,926   
  

 

 

 

Net Asset Value Per Share—1 billion shares of capital stock authorized, $.001 par value

 

Class      Net Assets       

Shares

Outstanding

      

Net Asset

Value

 

A

     $   73,743,643           5,668,538         $   13.01   

B

     $   13,966,283           1,071,882         $   13.03   

 

 

 

(a)   Includes securities on loan with a value of $1,953,105 (see Note E).

See notes to financial statements.

 

5


REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS  
Six Months Ended June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

  

Dividends

  

Unaffiliated issuers (net of foreign taxes withheld of $4,496)

   $ 1,505,648   

Affiliated issuers

     837   

Interest

     65   

Securities lending income

     3,733   
  

 

 

 
     1,510,283   
  

 

 

 

EXPENSES

  

Advisory fee (see Note B)

     248,989   

Distribution fee—Class B

     18,090   

Transfer agency—Class A

     2,355   

Transfer agency—Class B

     448   

Custodian

     39,188   

Administrative

     22,018   

Audit

     20,777   

Legal

     14,214   

Printing

     9,341   

Directors’ fees

     2,265   

Miscellaneous

     2,772   
  

 

 

 

Total expenses

     380,457   
  

 

 

 

Net investment income

     1,129,826   
  

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENT AND FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSACTIONS

  

Net realized gain (loss) on:

  

Investment transactions

     5,462,382   

Foreign currency transactions

     (12,034

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of:

  

Investments

     (1,379,587

Foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities

     (978
  

 

 

 

Net gain on investment and foreign currency transactions

     4,069,783   
  

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

   $ 5,199,609   
  

 

 

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

6


 
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

     Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

    

Net investment income

   $ 1,129,826      $ 1,163,918   

Net realized gain on investment and foreign currency transactions

     5,450,348        9,114,364   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments and foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities

     (1,380,565     4,992,332   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets from operations

     5,199,609        15,270,614   

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM

    

Net investment income

    

Class A

     –0 –      (725,260

Class B

     –0 –      (124,087

Net realized gain on investment transactions

    

Class A

     –0 –      (7,794,055

Class B

     –0 –      (1,707,830

CAPITAL STOCK TRANSACTIONS

    

Net increase (decrease)

     (1,105,622     2,067,707   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total increase

     4,093,987        6,987,089   

NET ASSETS

    

Beginning of period

     83,615,939        76,628,850   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period (including undistributed net investment income of $2,497,476 and $1,367,650, respectively)

   $ 87,709,926      $ 83,615,939   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

7


REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE A: Significant Accounting Policies

The AllianceBernstein Real Estate Investment Portfolio (the “Portfolio”) is a series of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”). The Portfolio’s investment objective is total return from long-term growth of capital and income. The Portfolio is diversified as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Fund was incorporated in the State of Maryland on November 17, 1987, as an open-end series investment company. The Fund offers thirteen separately managed pools of assets which have differing investment objectives and policies. The Portfolio offers Class A and Class B shares. Both classes of shares have identical voting, dividend, liquidating and other rights, except that Class B shares bear a distribution expense and have exclusive voting rights with respect to the Class B distribution plan.

The Portfolio offers and sells its shares only to separate accounts of certain life insurance companies for the purpose of funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies. Sales are made without a sales charge at the Portfolio’s net asset value per share.

The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) which require management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Portfolio.

1. Security Valuation

Portfolio securities are valued at their current market value determined on the basis of market quotations or, if market quotations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable, at “fair value” as determined in accordance with procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Fund’s Board of Directors (the “Board”).

In general, the market values of securities which are readily available and deemed reliable are determined as follows: securities listed on a national securities exchange (other than securities listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. (“NASDAQ”)) or on a foreign securities exchange are valued at the last sale price at the close of the exchange or foreign securities exchange. If there has been no sale on such day, the securities are valued at the last traded price from the previous day. Securities listed on more than one exchange are valued by reference to the principal exchange on which the securities are traded; securities listed only on NASDAQ are valued in accordance with the NASDAQ Official Closing Price; listed or over the counter (“OTC”) market put or call options are valued at the mid level between the current bid and ask prices. If either a current bid or current ask price is unavailable, AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) will have discretion to determine the best valuation (e.g. last trade price in the case of listed options); open futures are valued using the closing settlement price or, in the absence of such a price, the most recent quoted bid price. If there are no quotations available for the day of valuation, the last available closing settlement price is used; U.S. government securities and other debt instruments having 60 days or less remaining until maturity are valued at amortized cost if their original maturity was 60 days or less; or by amortizing their fair value as of the 61st day prior to maturity if their original term to maturity exceeded 60 days; fixed-income securities, including mortgage backed and asset backed securities, may be valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service or at a price obtained from one or more of the major broker/dealers. In cases where broker/dealer quotes are obtained, the Adviser may establish procedures whereby changes in market yields or spreads are used to adjust, on a daily basis, a recently obtained quoted price on a security. Swaps and other derivatives are valued daily, primarily using independent pricing services, independent pricing models using market inputs, as well as third party broker-dealers or counterparties. Investments in money market funds are valued at their net asset value each day.

Securities for which market quotations are not readily available (including restricted securities) or are deemed unreliable are valued at fair value. Factors considered in making this determination may include, but are not limited to, information obtained by contacting the issuer, analysts, analysis of the issuer’s financial statements or other available documents. In addition, the Portfolio may use fair value pricing for securities primarily traded in non-U.S. markets because most foreign markets close well before the Portfolio values its securities at 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The earlier close of these foreign markets gives rise to the possibility that significant events, including broad market moves, may have occurred in the interim and may materially affect the value of those securities. To account for this, the Portfolio may frequently value many of its foreign equity securities using fair value prices based on third party vendor modeling tools to the extent available.

2. Fair Value Measurements

In accordance with U.S. GAAP regarding fair value measurements, fair value is defined as the price that the Portfolio would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement

 

8


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

date. U.S. GAAP establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and a three-level hierarchy for fair value measurements based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability (including those valued based on their market values as described in Note A. 1 above). Inputs may be observable or unobservable and refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Portfolio. Unobservable inputs reflect the Portfolio’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on the best information available in the circumstances. Each investment is assigned a level based upon the observability of the inputs which are significant to the overall valuation. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized below.

 

   

Level 1—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 Portfolio’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

Where readily available market prices or relevant bid prices are not available for certain equity investments, such investments may be valued based on similar publicly traded investments, movements in relevant indices since last available prices or based upon underlying company fundamentals and comparable company data (such as multiples to earnings or other multiples to equity). Where an investment is valued using an observable input, such as another publicly traded security, the investment will be classified as Level 2. If management determines that an adjustment is appropriate based on restrictions on resale, illiquidity or uncertainty, and such adjustment is a significant component of the valuation, the investment will be classified as Level 3. An investment will also be classified as Level 3 where management uses company fundamentals and other significant inputs to determine the valuation.

The following table summarizes the valuation of the Portfolio’s investments by the above fair value hierarchy levels as of June 30, 2013:

 

       Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

Investments in Securities:

             

Assets:

  

Common Stocks:

             

Equity: Other

     $ 33,578,913       $ –0 –     $             –0 –     $ 33,578,913   

Residential

       17,877,526         –0 –       –0 –       17,877,526   

Retail

       14,700,998         –0 –       –0 –       14,700,998   

Lodging

       7,269,193         648,937         –0 –       7,918,130   

Office

       7,382,166         –0 –       –0 –       7,382,166   

Industrials

       5,203,688         –0 –       –0 –       5,203,688   

Short-Term Investments

       –0 –       446,101         –0 –       446,101   

Investments of Cash Collateral for Securities Loaned in Affiliated Money Market Fund

       2,124,015         –0 –       –0 –       2,124,015   
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Investments in Securities

       88,136,499         1,095,038         –0 –       89,231,537   

Other Financial Instruments*

       –0 –       –0 –       –0 –       –0 – 
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total^

     $ 88,136,499       $ 1,095,038       $ –0 –     $ 89,231,537   
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

*   Other financial instruments are derivative instruments, such as futures, forwards and swaps, which are valued at the unrealized appreciation/depreciation on the instrument.

 

^   There were no transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 during the reporting period.

The Portfolio recognizes all transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy assuming the financial instruments were transferred at the beginning of the reporting period.

The Adviser has established a Valuation Committee (the “Committee”) which is responsible for overseeing the pricing and valuation of all securities held in the Portfolio. The Committee operates under pricing and valuation policies and procedures established by the Adviser and approved by the Board, including pricing policies which set forth the mechanisms and processes to be employed on a daily basis to implement these policies and procedures. In particular, the pricing policies describe

 

9


REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

how to determine market quotations for securities and other instruments. The Committee’s responsibilities include: 1) fair value and liquidity determinations (and oversight of any third parties to whom any responsibility for fair value and liquidity determinations is delegated), and 2) regular monitoring of the Adviser’s pricing and valuation policies and procedures and modification or enhancement of these policies and procedures (or recommendation of the modification of these policies and procedures) as the Committee believes appropriate.

The Committee is also responsible for monitoring the implementation of the pricing policies by the Adviser’s Pricing Group (the “Pricing Group”) and a third party which performs certain pricing functions in accordance with the pricing policies. The Pricing Group is responsible for the oversight of the third party on a day-to-day basis. The Committee and the Pricing Group perform a series of activities to provide reasonable assurance of the accuracy of prices including: 1) periodic vendor due diligence meetings, review of methodologies, new developments and process at vendors, 2) daily compare of security valuation versus prior day for all securities that exceeded established thresholds, and 3) daily review of unpriced, stale, and variance reports with exceptions reviewed by senior management and the Committee.

In addition, several processes outside of the pricing process are used to monitor valuation issues including: 1) performance and performance attribution reports are monitored for anomalous impacts based upon benchmark performance, and 2) portfolio managers review all portfolios for performance and analytics (which are generated using the Adviser’s prices).

3. Currency Translation

Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies and commitments under forward currency exchange contracts are translated into U.S. dollars at the mean of the quoted bid and ask prices of such currencies against the U.S. dollar. Purchases and sales of portfolio securities are translated into U.S. dollars at the rates of exchange prevailing when such securities were acquired or sold. Income and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars at rates of exchange prevailing when accrued.

Net realized gain or loss on foreign currency transactions represents foreign exchange gains and losses from sales and maturities of foreign fixed income investments, foreign currency exchange contracts, holding of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on foreign investment transactions, and the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the Portfolio’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized currency gains and losses from valuing foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities at period end exchange rates are reflected as a component of net unrealized appreciation or depreciation of foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities.

4. Taxes

It is the Portfolio’s policy to meet the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute all of its investment company taxable income and net realized gains, if any, to shareholders. Therefore, no provisions for federal income or excise taxes are required. The Portfolio may be subject to taxes imposed by countries in which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on income and/or capital gains earned or repatriated. Taxes are accrued and applied to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized appreciation/depreciation as such income and/or gains are earned.

In accordance with U.S. GAAP requirements regarding accounting for uncertainties in income taxes, management has analyzed the Portfolio’s tax positions taken or expected to be taken on federal and state income tax returns for all open tax years (the current and the prior three tax years) and has concluded that no provision for income tax is required in the Portfolio’s financial statements.

5. Investment Income and Investment Transactions

Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date or as soon as the Portfolio is informed of the dividend. Interest income is accrued daily. Investment transactions are accounted for on the date the securities are purchased or sold. Investment gains or losses are determined on the identified cost basis. The Portfolio amortizes premiums and accretes discounts as adjustments to interest income.

6. Class Allocations

All income earned and expenses incurred by the Portfolio are borne on a pro-rata basis by each outstanding class of shares, based on the proportionate interest in the Portfolio represented by the net assets of such class, except for class specific expenses which are allocated to the respective class. Realized and unrealized gains and losses are allocated among the various share classes based on respective net assets.

 

10


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

7. Dividends and Distributions

Dividends and distributions to shareholders, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income dividends and capital gains distributions are determined in accordance with federal tax regulations and may differ from those determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. To the extent these differences are permanent, such amounts are reclassified within the capital accounts based on their federal tax basis treatment; temporary differences do not require such reclassification.

NOTE B: Advisory Fee and Other Transactions with Affiliates

Under the terms of the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio pays the Adviser an advisory fee at an annual rate of .55% of the first $2.5 billion, .45% of the next $2.5 billion and .40% in excess of $5 billion, of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets. The fee is accrued daily and paid monthly.

Pursuant to the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio may reimburse the Adviser for certain legal and accounting services provided to the Portfolio by the Adviser. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, the reimbursement for such services amounted to $22,018.

Brokerage commissions paid on investment transactions for the six months ended June 30, 2013 amounted to $142,647, of which $0 and $0, respectively, was paid to Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. LLC and Sanford C. Bernstein Limited, affiliates of the Adviser.

The Portfolio compensates AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, under a Transfer Agency Agreement for providing personnel and facilities to perform transfer agency services for the Portfolio. Such compensation retained by ABIS amounted to $692 for the six months ended June 30, 2013.

NOTE C: Distribution Plan

The Portfolio has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Under the Plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (the “Distributor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, at an annual rate of up to .50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The fees are accrued daily and paid monthly. The Board currently limits payments under the Plan to .25% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The Plan provides that the Distributor will use such payments in their entirety for distribution assistance and promotional activities.

The Portfolio is not obligated under the Plan to pay any distribution and servicing fees in excess of the amounts set forth above. The purpose of the payments to the Distributor under the Plan is to compensate the Distributor for its distribution services with respect to the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. Since the Distributor’s compensation is not directly tied to its expenses, the amount of compensation received by it under the Plan during any year may be more or less than its actual expenses. For this reason, the Plan is characterized by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission as being of the “compensation” variety.

In the event that the Plan is terminated or not continued, no distribution or servicing fees (other than current amounts accrued but not yet paid) would be owed by the Portfolio to the Distributor.

The Plan also provides that the Adviser may use its own resources to finance the distribution of the Portfolio’s shares.

NOTE D: Investment Transactions

Purchases and sales of investment securities (excluding short-term investments) for the six months ended June 30, 2013 were as follows:

 

       Purchases      Sales  

Investment securities (excluding U.S. government securities)

     $ 45,457,308       $ 45,096,192   

U.S. government securities

       –0 –       –0 – 

 

11


REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The cost of investments for federal income tax purposes was substantially the same as the cost for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, gross unrealized appreciation and unrealized depreciation (excluding foreign currency transactions) are as follows:

 

Gross unrealized appreciation

   $ 13,028,580   

Gross unrealized depreciation

     (747,936
  

 

 

 

Net unrealized appreciation

   $ 12,280,644   
  

 

 

 

1. Derivative Financial Instruments

The Portfolio may use derivatives in an effort to earn income and enhance returns, to replace more traditional direct investments, to obtain exposure to otherwise inaccessible markets (collectively, “investment purposes”), or to hedge or adjust the risk profile of its portfolio.

The Portfolio did not engage in derivatives transactions for the six months ended June 30, 2013.

2. Currency Transactions

The Portfolio may invest in non-U.S. Dollar securities on a currency hedged or unhedged basis. The Portfolio may seek investment opportunities by taking long or short positions in currencies through the use of currency-related derivatives, including forward currency exchange contracts, futures and options on futures, swaps, and other options. The Portfolio may enter into transactions for investment opportunities when it anticipates that a foreign currency will appreciate or depreciate in value but securities denominated in that currency are not held by the Portfolio and do not present attractive investment opportunities. Such transactions may also be used when the Adviser believes that it may be more efficient than a direct investment in a foreign currency-denominated security. The Portfolio may also conduct currency exchange contracts on a spot basis (i.e., for cash at the spot rate prevailing in the currency exchange market for buying or selling currencies).

NOTE E: Securities Lending

The Portfolio may enter into securities lending transactions. Under the Portfolio’s securities lending program, all loans of securities will be collateralized continually by cash. The Portfolio will be compensated for the loan from a portion of the net return from the income earned on cash collateral after a rebate is paid to the borrower (in some cases, this rebate may be a “negative rebate” or fee paid by the borrower to the Portfolio in connection with the loan), and payments are made for fees of the securities lending agent and for certain other administrative expenses. It is the policy of the Portfolio to receive collateral consisting of cash in an amount exceeding the value of the securities loaned. The Portfolio will have the right to call a loan and obtain the securities loaned at any time on notice to the borrower within the normal and customary settlement time for the securities. While the securities are on loan, the borrower is obligated to pay the Portfolio amounts equal to any income or other distributions from the securities. The Portfolio will not have the right to vote any securities during the existence of a loan, but will have the right to regain ownership of loaned securities in order to exercise voting or other ownership rights. The lending agent has agreed to indemnify the Portfolio in the case of default of any securities borrower. Collateral received and securities loaned are marked to market daily to ensure that the securities loaned are secured by collateral. The lending agent will invest the cash collateral received in AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves, an eligible money market vehicle, in accordance with the investment restrictions of the Portfolio, and as approved by the Board. The collateral received on securities loaned is recorded as an asset as well as a corresponding liability in the statement of assets and liabilities. When the Portfolio lends securities, its investment performance will continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned. At June 30, 2013, the Portfolio had securities on loan with a value of $1,953,105 and had received cash collateral which has been invested into AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves of $2,124,015. The cash collateral will be adjusted on the next business day to maintain the required collateral amount. The Portfolio earned securities lending income of $3,733 and $837 from the borrowers and AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2013; these amounts are reflected in the statement of operations. A principal risk of lending portfolio securities is that the borrower will fail to return the loaned securities upon termination of the loan and that the collateral will not be sufficient to replace the loaned securities. A summary of the Portfolio’s transactions in shares of AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves for the six months ended June 30, 2013 is as follows:

 

Market Value

December 31, 2012

(000)

   

Purchases

at Cost

(000)

   

Sales

Proceeds

(000)

   

Market Value

June 30, 2013

(000)

   

Dividend

Income

(000)

 
$ 3,627      $ 42,116      $ 43,619      $ 2,124      $ 1   

 

12


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE F: Capital Stock

Each class consists of 500,000,000 authorized shares. Transactions in capital shares for each class were as follows:

 

    SHARES         AMOUNT  
    Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December  31,
2012
        Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December  31,
2012
 

Class A

         

Shares sold

    348,762        526,781        $ 4,671,983      $ 6,564,576   

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends and distributions

    –0 –      723,201          –0 –      8,519,314   

Shares redeemed

    (399,267     (981,046       (5,334,428     (12,236,787
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease)

    (50,505     268,936        $ (662,445   $ 2,847,103   
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Class B

         

Shares sold

    93,754        159,102        $ 1,248,242      $ 2,021,568   

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends and distributions

    –0 –      154,985          –0 –      1,831,918   

Shares redeemed

    (126,539     (375,770       (1,691,419     (4,632,882
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease

    (32,785     (61,683     $ (443,177   $ (779,396
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

NOTE G: Risks Involved in Investing in the Portfolio

Concentration of Risk—Although the Portfolio does not invest directly in real estate, it invests primarily in real estate equity securities and has a policy of concentration of its investments in the real estate industry. Therefore, an investment in the Portfolio is subject to certain risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate and with the real estate industry in general. To the extent that assets underlying the Portfolio’s investments are concentrated geographically, by property type or in certain other respects, the Portfolio may be subject to additional risks.

In addition, investing in Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”) involves certain unique risks in addition to those risks associated with investing in the real estate industry in general. REITs are dependent upon management skills, are not diversified, and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, default by borrowers and self-liquidation. REITs are also subject to the possibilities of failing to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Code and failing to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act. REITs (especially mortgage REITs) also are subject to interest rate risks.

Currency Risk—This is the risk that changes in foreign currency exchange rates may negatively affect the value of the Portfolio’s investments or reduce the returns of the Portfolio. For example, the value of the Portfolio’s investments in foreign currency-denominated securities or currencies may decrease if the U.S. Dollar is strong (i.e., gaining value relative to other currencies) and other currencies are weak (i.e., losing value relative to the U.S. Dollar). Currency markets are generally not as regulated as securities markets. Independent of the Portfolio’s investments denominated in foreign currencies, the Portfolio’s positions in various foreign currencies may cause the Portfolio to experience investment losses due to the changes in exchange rates and interest rates.

Derivatives Risk—The Portfolio may enter into derivative transactions such as forwards, options, futures and swaps. Derivatives may be illiquid, difficult to price, and leveraged so that small changes may produce disproportionate losses for the Portfolio, and subject to counterparty risk to a greater degree than more traditional investments. Derivatives may result in significant losses, including losses that are far greater than the value of the derivatives reflected in the statement of assets and liabilities.

Indemnification Risk—In the ordinary course of business, the Portfolio enters into contracts that contain a variety of indemnifications. The Portfolio’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown. However, the Portfolio has not had prior claims or losses pursuant to these indemnification provisions and expects the risk of loss thereunder to be remote. Therefore, the Portfolio has not accrued any liability in connection with these indemnification provisions.

NOTE H: Joint Credit Facility

A number of open-end mutual funds managed by the Adviser, including the Portfolio, participate in a $140 million revolving credit facility (the “Facility”) intended to provide short-term financing, if necessary, subject to certain restrictions in

 

13


REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

connection with abnormal redemption activity. Commitment fees related to the Facility are paid by the participating funds and are included in miscellaneous expenses in the statement of operations. The Portfolio did not utilize the Facility during the six months ended June 30, 2013.

NOTE I: Distributions to Shareholders

The tax character of distributions to be paid for the year ending December 31, 2013 will be determined at the end of the current fiscal year. The tax character of distributions paid during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 were as follows:

 

       2012        2011  

Distributions paid from:

         

Ordinary income

     $ 1,915,205         $ 1,768,593   

Net long-term capital gains

       8,436,027           7,902,535   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total taxable distributions paid

     $ 10,351,232         $ 9,671,128   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2012, the components of accumulated earnings/(deficit) on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed ordinary income

   $ 3,902,516   

Undistributed net capital gain

     6,487,793   

Unrealized appreciation/(depreciation)

     13,487,953 (a) 
  

 

 

 

Total accumulated earnings/(deficit)

   $ 23,878,262   
  

 

 

 

 

(a)   The difference between book-basis and tax-basis unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) is attributable primarily to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales.

For tax purposes, net capital losses may be carried over to offset future capital gains, if any. Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, funds are permitted to carry forward capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 for an indefinite period. These post-enactment capital losses must be utilized prior to the pre-enactment capital losses, which are subject to expiration. Post-enactment capital loss carryforwards will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses rather than being considered short-term as under previous regulation. As of December 31, 2012, the Portfolio did not have any capital loss carryforwards.

NOTE J: Subsequent Events

Management has evaluated subsequent events for possible recognition or disclosure in the financial statements through the date the financial statements are issued. Management has determined that there are no material events that would require disclosure in the Portfolio’s financial statements through this date.

 

14


 
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    CLASS A  
    Six Months
Ended
June 30,  2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended December 31,  
    2012     2011     2010     2009     2008  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $12.25        $11.58        $12.02        $9.64        $7.86        $16.23   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Income From Investment Operations

           

Net investment income (a)

    .17        .18        .11        .23        .19        .26   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment and foreign currency transactions

    .59        2.21        1.02        2.30        1.98        (4.38
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

    .76        2.39        1.13        2.53        2.17        (4.12
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Less: Dividends and Distributions

           

Dividends from net investment income

    –0 –      (.15     (.18     (.15     (.23     (.26

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

    –0 –      (1.57     (1.39     –0 –      (.16     (3.99
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total dividends and distributions

    –0 –      (1.72     (1.57     (.15     (.39     (4.25
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $13.01        $12.25        $11.58        $12.02        $9.64        $7.86   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Total Return

           

Total investment return based on net asset value (b)

    6.20     21.19     9.03 %*      26.34     29.46     (35.68 )% 
           

Ratios/Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

    $73,744        $70,048        $63,093        $66,493        $38,317        $24,082   

Ratio to average net assets of:

           

Expenses

    .80 %(c)      .84     .88     .87 %(d)      1.25     1.01

Net investment income

    2.54 %(c)      1.49     .91     2.15 %(d)      2.50     2.13

Portfolio turnover rate

    51     110     114     132     94     46

 

 

 

See footnote summary on page 16.

 

15


REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    CLASS B  
    Six Months
Ended
June 30,  2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended December 31,  
    2012     2011     2010     2009     2008  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $12.28        $11.61        $12.05        $9.67        $7.86        $16.20   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Income From Investment Operations

           

Net investment income (a)

    .15        .15        .08        .20        .20        .22   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment and foreign currency transactions

    .60        2.20        1.02        2.31        1.97        (4.37
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

    .75        2.35        1.10        2.51        2.17        (4.15
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Less: Dividends and Distributions

           

Dividends from net investment income

    –0 –      (.11     (.15     (.13     (.20     (.20

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

    –0 –      (1.57     (1.39     –0 –      (.16     (3.99
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total dividends and distributions

    –0 –      (1.68     (1.54     (.13     (.36     (4.19
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $13.03        $12.28        $11.61        $12.05        $9.67        $7.86   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Total Return

           

Total investment return based on net asset value (b)

    6.11     20.83     8.75 %*      26.05     29.22     (35.82 )% 
           

Ratios/Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

    $13,966        $13,568        $13,536        $14,479        $12,517        $11,104   

Ratio to average net assets of:

           

Expenses

    1.05 %(c)      1.10     1.13     1.13 %(d)      1.53     1.26

Net investment income

    2.28 %(c)      1.19     .64     1.89 %(d)      2.67     1.83

Portfolio turnover rate

    51     110     114     132     94     46

 

 

 

(a)   Based on average shares outstanding.

 

(b   )Total investment return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption on the last day of the period. Total return does not reflect (i) insurance company’s separate account related expense charges and (ii) the deductions of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Portfolio distributions or the redemption of Portfolio shares. Total investment return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized.

 

(c)   Annualized.

 

(d)   The ratio includes expenses attributable to costs of proxy solicitation.

 

*   Includes the impact of proceeds received and credited to the Portfolio resulting from class action settlements, which enhanced the Portfolio’s performance for the year ended December 31, 2011 by 0.06%.

See notes to financial statements.

 

16


REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
CONTINUANCE DISCLOSURE   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

INFORMATION REGARDING THE REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE PORTFOLIO’S ADVISORY AGREEMENT

The disinterested directors (the “directors”) of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”) unanimously approved the continuance of the Fund’s Advisory Agreement with the Adviser in respect of AllianceBernstein Real Estate Investment Portfolio (the “Portfolio”) at a meeting held on April 30-May 2, 2013 (the “May 2013 meeting”).

Prior to approval of the continuance of the Advisory Agreement, the directors had requested from the Adviser, and received and evaluated, extensive materials. They reviewed the proposed continuance of the Advisory Agreement with the Adviser and with experienced counsel who are independent of the Adviser, who advised on the relevant legal standards. The directors also reviewed an independent evaluation prepared by the Fund’s Senior Officer (who is also the Fund’s Independent Compliance Officer) of the reasonableness of the advisory fee, in which the Senior Officer concluded that the contractual fee for the Portfolio was reasonable. The directors also discussed the proposed continuance in private sessions with counsel and the Fund’s Senior Officer.

The directors considered their knowledge of the nature and quality of the services provided by the Adviser to the Portfolio gained from their experience as directors or trustees of most of the registered investment companies advised by the Adviser, their overall confidence in the Adviser’s integrity and competence they have gained from that experience, the Adviser’s initiative in identifying and raising potential issues with the directors and its responsiveness, frankness and attention to concerns raised by the directors in the past, including the Adviser’s willingness to consider and implement organizational and operational changes designed to improve investment results and the services provided to the AllianceBernstein Funds. The directors noted that they have four regular meetings each year, at each of which they receive presentations from the Adviser on the investment results of the Portfolio and review extensive materials and information presented by the Adviser.

The directors also considered all other factors they believed relevant, including the specific matters discussed below. In their deliberations, the directors did not identify any particular information that was all-important or controlling, and different directors may have attributed different weights to the various factors. The directors determined that the selection of the Adviser to manage the Portfolio and the overall arrangements between the Portfolio and the Adviser, as provided in the Advisory Agreement, including the advisory fee, were fair and reasonable in light of the services performed, expenses incurred and such other matters as the directors considered relevant in the exercise of their business judgment. The material factors and conclusions that formed the basis for the directors’ determinations included the following:

Nature, Extent and Quality of Services Provided

The directors considered the scope and quality of services provided by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement, including the quality of the investment research capabilities of the Adviser and the other resources it has dedicated to performing services for the Portfolio. They also noted the professional experience and qualifications of the Portfolio’s portfolio management team and other senior personnel of the Adviser. The directors also considered that the Advisory Agreement provides that the Portfolio will reimburse the Adviser for the cost to it of providing certain clerical, accounting, administrative and other services provided to the Portfolio by employees of the Adviser or its affiliates. Requests for these reimbursements are made on a quarterly basis and subject to approval by the directors and, to the extent requested and paid, will result in a higher rate of total compensation from the Portfolio to the Adviser than the fee rate stated in the Portfolio’s Advisory Agreement. The directors noted that the methodology used to determine the reimbursement amounts had been reviewed by an independent consultant retained by the Fund’s Senior Officer. The quality of administrative and other services, including the Adviser’s role in coordinating the activities of the Portfolio’s other service providers, also were considered. The directors concluded that, overall, they were satisfied with the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Portfolio under the Advisory Agreement.

Costs of Services Provided and Profitability

The directors reviewed a schedule of the revenues, expenses and related notes indicating the profitability of the Portfolio to the Adviser for calendar years 2011 and 2012 that had been prepared with an expense allocation methodology arrived at in consultation with an independent consultant retained by the Fund’s Senior Officer. The directors reviewed the assumptions and methods of allocation used by the Adviser in preparing fund-specific profitability data and noted that there are a number of potentially acceptable allocation methodologies for information of this type. The directors noted that the profitability information reflected all revenues and expenses of the Adviser’s relationship with the Portfolio, including those relating to its subsidiaries that provide transfer agency, distribution and brokerage services to the Portfolio. The directors recognized that it is difficult to make comparisons of the profitability of the Advisory Agreement with the profitability of advisory contracts for unaffiliated funds because comparative information is not generally publicly available and is affected by numerous

 

17


REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
CONTINUANCE DISCLOSURE
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

factors. The directors focused on the profitability of the Adviser’s relationship with the Portfolio before taxes and distribution expenses. The directors were satisfied that the Adviser’s level of profitability from its relationship with the Portfolio was not unreasonable.

Fall-Out Benefits

The directors considered the other benefits to the Adviser and its affiliates from their relationships with the Portfolio, including but not limited to benefits relating to soft dollar arrangements (whereby the Adviser receives brokerage and research services from brokers that execute transactions for certain clients, including the Portfolio); 12b-1 fees and sales charges received by the Fund’s principal underwriter (which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser) in respect of the Portfolio’s Class B shares; transfer agency fees paid by the Portfolio to a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser; and brokerage commissions paid by the Portfolio to brokers affiliated with the Adviser. The directors recognized that the Adviser’s profitability would be somewhat lower without these benefits. The directors also understood that the Adviser also might derive reputational and other benefits from its association with the Portfolio.

Investment Results

In addition to the information reviewed by the directors in connection with the meeting, the directors receive detailed performance information for the Portfolio at each regular Board meeting during the year. At the May 2013 meeting, the directors reviewed information prepared by Lipper showing the performance of the Class A Shares of the Portfolio as compared with that of a group of similar funds selected by Lipper (the “Performance Group”) and as compared with that of a broader array of funds selected by Lipper (the “Performance Universe”), and information prepared by the Adviser showing performance of the Class A Shares as compared with the Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT) Equity REIT Index (the “FTSE NAREIT Equity REIT Index”) and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index (the “S&P Index”), in each case for the 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year periods ended February 28, 2013 and (in the case of comparisons with the indices) the period since inception (January 1997 inception). The directors noted that the Portfolio was in the 1st quintile of the Performance Group and the Performance Universe for the 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year periods. The Portfolio outperformed both indices in all periods. The directors also reviewed performance information for periods ended March 31, 2013 (for which the data was not limited to Class A Shares), and noted that in the 3-month period the Portfolio had outperformed the Lipper VA Real Estate Funds Average and the FTSE NAREIT Equity REIT Index but lagged the S&P Index. Based on their review, the directors concluded that the Portfolio’s performance was satisfactory.

Advisory Fees and Other Expenses

The directors considered the advisory fee rate paid by the Portfolio to the Adviser and information prepared by Lipper concerning advisory fee rates paid by other funds in the same Lipper category as the Portfolio at a common asset level. The directors recognized that it is difficult to make comparisons of advisory fees because there are variations in the services that are included in the fees paid by other funds.

The directors also considered the advisory fees the Adviser charges non-fund clients pursuing a substantially similar investment style. For this purpose, they reviewed the relevant advisory fee information from the Adviser’s Form ADV and the evaluation from the Fund’s Senior Officer. The directors noted that, although the institutional fee schedule started at a rate equal to the Portfolio’s starting fee rate, it had more breakpoints at lower asset levels than the fee schedule applicable to the Portfolio. The application of the institutional fee schedule to the level of assets of the Portfolio would result in a fee rate lower than the rate being paid by the Portfolio. The directors noted that the Adviser may, in some cases, agree to fee rates with large institutional clients that are lower than those reviewed by the directors and that they had previously discussed with the Adviser its policies in respect of such arrangements.

The Adviser reviewed with the directors the significantly greater scope of the services it provides to the Portfolio relative to institutional clients. The Adviser also noted that because mutual funds are constantly issuing and redeeming shares, they are more difficult to manage than an institutional account, where the assets tend to be relatively stable. In light of the substantial differences in services rendered by the Adviser to institutional clients as compared to funds such as the Portfolio, the directors considered these fee comparisons inapt and did not place significant weight on them in their deliberations.

The directors also considered the total expense ratio of the Class A shares of the Portfolio in comparison to the fees and expenses of funds within two comparison groups created by Lipper: an Expense Group and an Expense Universe. Lipper described an Expense Group as a representative sample of funds comparable to the Portfolio and an Expense Universe as a

 

18


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

broader group, consisting of all funds in the investment classification/objective with a similar load type as the Portfolio. The Class A expense ratio of the Portfolio was based on the Portfolio’s latest fiscal year. The directors noted that it was likely that the expense ratios of some of the other funds in the Portfolio’s Lipper category were lowered by waivers or reimbursements by those funds’ investment advisers, which in some cases might be voluntary or temporary. The directors view the expense ratio information as relevant to their evaluation of the Adviser’s services because the Adviser is responsible for coordinating services provided to the Portfolio by others.

The directors noted that, at the Portfolio’s current size, its contractual effective advisory fee rate of 55 basis points, plus the 6 basis point impact of the administrative expense reimbursement in the latest fiscal year, was lower than the Expense Group median. The directors also noted that the Portfolio’s total expense ratio was lower than the Expense Group median and about the same as the Expense Universe median. The directors concluded that the Portfolio’s expense ratio was satisfactory.

Economies of Scale

The directors noted that the advisory fee schedule for the Portfolio contains breakpoints that reduce the fee rates on assets above specified levels. The directors took into consideration prior presentations by an independent consultant on economies of scale in the mutual fund industry and for the AllianceBernstein Funds, and by the Adviser concerning certain of its views on economies of scale. The directors also had requested and received from the Adviser certain updates on economies of scale at the May 2013 meetings. The directors believe that economies of scale may be realized (if at all) by the Adviser across a variety of products and services, and not only in respect of a single fund. The directors noted that there is no established methodology for setting breakpoints that give effect to the fund-specific services provided by a fund’s adviser and to the economies of scale that an adviser may realize in its overall mutual fund business or those components of it which directly or indirectly affect a fund’s operations. The directors observed that in the mutual fund industry as a whole, as well as among funds similar to the Portfolio, there is no uniformity or pattern in the fees and asset levels at which breakpoints (if any) apply. The directors also noted that the advisory agreements for many funds do not have breakpoints at all. Having taken these factors into account, the directors concluded that the Portfolio’s shareholders would benefit from a sharing of economies of scale in the event the Portfolio’s net assets exceed a breakpoint in the future.

 

19


 
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

THE FOLLOWING IS NOT PART OF THE SHAREHOLDER REPORT OR THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

SUMMARY OF SENIOR OFFICER’S EVALUATION OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT1

The following is a summary of the evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement between AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) and the AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund (the “Fund”), in respect of AllianceBernstein Real Estate Investment Portfolio (the “Portfolio”).2 The evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement was prepared by Philip L. Kirstein, the Senior Officer of the Fund, for the Directors of the Fund, as required by a September 2004 agreement between the Adviser and the New York State Attorney General (the “NYAG”). The Senior Officer’s evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement is not meant to diminish the responsibility or authority of the Board of Directors of the Fund to perform its duties pursuant to Section 15 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “40 Act”) and applicable state law. The purpose of the summary is to provide shareholders with a synopsis of the independent evaluation of the reasonableness of the advisory fees proposed to be paid by the Portfolio which was provided to the Directors in connection with their review of the proposed approval of the continuance of the Investment Advisory Agreement. The Senior Officer’s evaluation considered the following factors:

 

  1. Advisory fees charged to institutional and other clients of the Adviser for like services;

 

  2. Advisory fees charged by other mutual fund companies for like services;

 

  3. Costs to the Adviser and its affiliates of supplying services pursuant to the advisory agreement, excluding any intra-corporate profit;

 

  4. Profit margins of the Adviser and its affiliates from supplying such services;

 

  5. Possible economies of scale as the Portfolio grows larger; and

 

  6. Nature and quality of the Adviser’s services including the performance of the Portfolio.

These factors, with the exception of the first factor, are generally referred to as the “Gartenberg factors,” which were articulated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1982. Gartenberg v. Merrill Lynch Asset Management, Inc., 694 F. 2d 923 (2d Cir. 1982). The first factor is an additional factor required to be considered by the AoD. On March 30, 2010, the Supreme Court held the Gartenberg decision was correct in its basic formulation of what §36(b) requires: to face liability under §36(b), “an investment adviser must charge a fee that is so disproportionately large that it bears no reasonable relationship to the services rendered and could not have been the product of arm’s length bargaining.” Jones v. Harris Associates L.P., 130 S. Ct. 1418 (2010). In the Jones decision, the Court stated the Gartenberg approach fully incorporates the correct understanding of fiduciary duty within the context of section 36(b) and noted with approval that “Gartenberg insists that all relevant circumstances be taken into account” and “uses the range of fees that might result from arm’s-length bargaining as the benchmark for reviewing challenged fees.”3

PORTFOLIO ADVISORY FEES, NET ASSETS & EXPENSE RATIOS

The Adviser proposed that the Portfolio pays the advisory fee set forth in the table below for receiving the services to be provided pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement. The fee schedule below, implemented in January 2004 in consideration of the Adviser’s settlement with the NYAG in December 2003, is based on a master schedule that contemplates eight categories of funds with almost all funds in each category having the same advisory fee schedule.

 

Category   Advisory Fee Based on % of
Average Daily Net Assets
 

Net Assets

3/31/13

($MIL)

    Portfolio

Value

 

0.55% on first $2.5 billion

0.45% on next $2.5 billion

0.40% on the balance

  $ 92.1      Real Estate Investment Portfolio

 

1   The information in the fee summary was completed on April 22, 2013 and discussed with the Board of Directors on April 30-May 2, 2013.

 

2   Future references to the Fund and the Portfolio do not include “AllianceBernstein.” References in the fee summary pertaining to performance and expense ratio rankings refer to the Class A shares of the Portfolio.

 

3   Jones v. Harris at 1427.

 

20


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Adviser is reimbursed as specified in the Investment Advisory Agreement for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services provided to the Portfolio. During the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year, the Adviser received $45,659 (0.056% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets) for such services.

Set forth below are the Portfolio’s total expense ratios for the most recently completed fiscal year:

 

Portfolio    Total Expense Ratio        Fiscal Year  

Real Estate Investment Portfolio

     Class A    0.84        December 31   
     Class B    1.10     

I. ADVISORY FEES CHARGED TO INSTITUTIONAL AND OTHER CLIENTS

The advisory fees charged to investment companies which the Adviser manages and sponsors are normally higher than those charged to similar sized institutional accounts, including pension plans and sub-advised investment companies. The fee differential reflects, among other things, different services provided to such clients, and different liabilities assumed. Services provided by the Adviser to the Portfolio that are not provided to non-investment company clients and sub-advised investment companies include providing office space and personnel to serve as Fund Officers, who among other responsibilities make the certifications required under the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, and coordinating with and monitoring the Portfolio’s third party service providers such as Fund counsel, auditors, custodians, transfer agents and pricing services. The accounting, administrative, legal and compliance requirements for the Portfolio are more costly than those for institutional assets due to the greater complexities and time required for investment companies, although as previously noted, the Adviser is reimbursed for providing such services. Also, retail mutual funds managed by the Adviser are widely held. Servicing the Portfolio’s investors is more time consuming and labor intensive compared to institutional clients since the Adviser needs to communicate with a more extensive network of financial intermediaries and shareholders. The Adviser also believes that it incurs substantial entrepreneurial risk when offering a new mutual fund, since establishing a new mutual fund requires a large upfront investment, and it may take a long time for the fund to achieve profitability since the fund must be priced to scale from inception in order to be competitive and assets are acquired one account at a time. In addition, managing the cash flow of an investment company may be more difficult than managing that of a stable pool of assets, such as an institutional account with little cash movement in either direction, particularly, if a fund is in net redemption and the Adviser is frequently forced to sell securities to raise cash for redemptions. However, managing a fund with positive cash flow may be easier at times than managing a stable pool of assets. In recent years, investment advisers have been sued by institutional clients and have suffered reputational damage both by the attendant publicity and outcomes other than complete victories. Accordingly, the legal and reputational risks associated with institutional accounts are greater than previously thought, although still not equal to those related to the mutual fund industry.

Notwithstanding the Adviser’s view that managing an investment company is not comparable to managing other institutional accounts because the services provided are different, the Supreme Court has indicated consideration should be given to the advisory fees charged to institutional accounts that have a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio.4 In addition to the AllianceBernstein institutional fee schedule, set forth below is what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the AllianceBernstein institutional fee schedule been applicable to the Portfolio versus the Portfolio’s advisory fee based on March 31, 2013 net assets:5

 

Portfolio   

Net Assets

3/31/13

($MIL)

    

AllianceBernstein
Institutional

Fee Schedule

  

Effective

AB Inst.

Adv. Fee

    

Portfolio

Advisory

Fee

 

Real Estate Investment Portfolio

   $ 92.1      

U.S. REIT Schedule

0.55% on first $25m

0.45% on next $25m

0.40% the balance

Minimum account size $25m

     0.454      0.550

 

4   The Supreme Court stated that “courts may give such comparisons the weight that they merit in light of the similarities and differences between the services that the clients in question require, but the courts must be wary of inapt comparisons.” Among the significant differences the Supreme Court noted that may exist between services provided to mutual funds and institutional accounts are “higher marketing costs.” Jones v. Harris at 1428.

 

5   The Adviser has indicated that with respect to institutional accounts with assets greater than $300 million, it will negotiate a fee schedule. Discounts that are negotiated vary based upon each client relationship.

 

21


REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Adviser also manages AllianceBernstein Global Real Estate Investment Fund, Inc. (“Global Real Estate Investment Fund, Inc.), a retail mutual fund, which has a substantially somewhat investment style as the Portfolio. Set forth below is the fee schedule of Global Real Estate Investment Fund, Inc. and what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the fee schedule of the retail mutual fund been applicable to the Portfolio:6,7

 

Portfolio   AllianceBernstein Mutual Fund   Fee Schedule  

ABMF

Effective
Fee

   

Portfolio

Advisory
Fee

 

Real Estate Investment Portfolio

  Global Real Estate Investment Fund, Inc.  

0.55% on first $2.5 billion

0.45% on next $2.5 billion

0.40% on the balance

    0.550%        0.550%   

The Adviser also manages and sponsors retail mutual funds, which are organized in jurisdictions outside the United States, generally Luxembourg and Japan, and sold to non-United States resident investors. The Adviser charges the following fees for the Luxembourg fund that has a somewhat similar investment style as the Portfolio.8

 

Fund    Fee9  

Global Real Estate Securities Portfolio

  

Class A

     1.75

Class I (Institutional)

     0.95

The Adviser represented that it does not sub-advise any registered investment company with a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio.

II. MANAGEMENT FEES CHARGED BY OTHER MUTUAL FUND COMPANIES FOR LIKE SERVICES.

Lipper Inc. (“Lipper”), an analytical service that is not affiliated with the Adviser, compared the fees charged to the Portfolio with fees charged to other investment companies for similar services offered by other investment advisers.10 Lipper’s analysis included the comparison of the Portfolio’s contractual management fee, estimated at the approximate current asset level of the Portfolio, to the median of the Portfolio’s Lipper Expense Group (“EG”) and the Portfolio’s contractual management fee ranking.11,12

Lipper describes an EG as a representative sample of comparable funds. Lipper’s standard methodology for screening funds to be included in an EG entails the consideration of several fund criteria, including fund type, investment classification/objective, load type and similar 12b-1/non-12b-1 service fees, asset (size) comparability, expense components and attributes. An EG will typically consist of seven to twenty funds.

 

6   The Portfolio’s investment guidelines are more restrictive than that of AllianceBernstein Global Real Estate Investment Fund, Inc. The Portfolio primarily invests in equity securities of U.S. real estate investment trusts (“REITS”) and other U.S. real estate industry companies, in contrast to the AllianceBernstein Global Real Estate Investment Fund, Inc., which may invest in equities of non-U.S. REITS and other non-U.S. real estate industry companies.

 

7   The retail mutual fund was also affected by the settlement between the Adviser and the NYAG. As a result, the Portfolio has the same breakpoints in its advisory fee schedule as the retail mutual fund.

 

8   The Portfolio’s investment guidelines are more restrictive than that of the Luxembourg fund. The Portfolio primarily invests in equity securities of U.S. real estate investment trusts (“REITS”) and other U.S. real estate industry companies, in contrast to the Luxembourg fund, which may invest in equities of non-U.S. REITS and other non-U.S. real estate industry companies.

 

9   Class A shares of the funds are charged an “all-in” fee, which includes investment advisory services and distribution related services, unlike Class I shares, whose fee is for only investment advisory services.

 

10   The Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since “these comparisons are problematic because these fees, like those challenged, may not be the product of negotiations conducted at arm’s length.” Jones v. Harris at 1429.

 

11   Lipper does not consider average account size when constructing EGs. Funds with relatively small average account sizes tend to have higher transfer agent expense ratio than comparable sized funds that have relatively large average account sizes. Note that there are limitations on Lipper expense category data because different funds categorize expenses differently.

 

12   The contractual management fee is calculated by Lipper using the Portfolio’s contractual management fee rate at a hypothetical asset level. The hypothetical asset level is based on the combined net assets of all classes of the Portfolio, rounded up to the next $25 million. Lipper’s total expense ratio information is based on the most recent annual report except as otherwise noted. A ranking of “1” would mean that the Portfolio had the lowest effective fee rate in the Lipper peer group.

 

22


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

Portfolio    Contractual
Management
Fee (%)13
      

Lipper EG

Median (%)

      

Lipper EG

Rank

 

Real Estate Investment Portfolio

     0.550           0.750           3/11   

Lipper also analyzed the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year total expense ratio in comparison to the Portfolio’s EG and Lipper Expense Universe (“EU”). The EU14 is a broader group compared to the EG, consisting of all funds that have the same investment classification/objective and load type as the subject Portfolio.

 

Portfolio   

Expense

Ratio
(%)15

    

Lipper EG

Median (%)

    

Lipper EG

Rank

    

Lipper EU

Median (%)

    

Lipper EU

Rank

 

Real Estate Investment Portfolio

     0.844         0.884         6/11         0.842         9/15   

Based on this analysis, the Portfolio has a more favorable ranking on a management fee basis than it does on a total expense ratio basis.

III. COSTS TO THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES OF SUPPLYING SERVICES PURSUANT TO THE ADVISORY FEE ARRANGEMENT, EXCLUDING ANY INTRA-CORPORATE PROFIT.

The Adviser utilizes two profitability reporting systems, which operate independently but are aligned with each other, to estimate the Adviser’s profitability in connection with investment advisory services provided to the Portfolio. The Senior Officer has retained a consultant to provide independent advice regarding the alignment of the two profitability systems as well as the methodologies and allocations utilized by both profitability systems.

IV. PROFIT MARGINS OF THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES FOR SUPPLYING SUCH SERVICES.

The Portfolio’s profitability information, prepared by the Adviser for the Board of Directors, was reviewed by the Senior Officer and the consultant. The Adviser’s profitability from providing investment advisory services to the Portfolio increased during calendar year 2012, relative to 2011.

In addition to the Adviser’s direct profits from managing the Portfolio, certain of the Adviser’s affiliates have business relationships with the Portfolio and may earn a profit from providing other services to the Portfolio. The courts have referred to this type of business opportunity as “fall-out benefits” to the Adviser and indicated that such benefits should be factored into the evaluation of the total relationship between the Portfolio and the Adviser. Neither case law nor common business practice precludes the Adviser’s affiliates from earning a reasonable profit on this type of relationship provided the affiliates’ charges and services are competitive. These affiliates provide transfer agent, distribution and brokerage related services to the Portfolio and receive transfer agent fees, Rule 12b-1 payments, and brokerage commissions. In addition, the Adviser benefits from soft dollar arrangements which offset expenses the Adviser would otherwise incur.

The Portfolio has adopted a distribution plan for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 40 Act. Under the distribution plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to its principal underwriter, AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (“ABI”), the Portfolio’s distributor and an affiliate of the Adviser, at an annual rate of up to 0.50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The current annual rate that the Portfolio pays to ABI for 12b-1 fees is 0.25%. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, ABI received $353,666 in Rule 12b-1 fees.

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, the Adviser incurred distribution expenses in the amount of $117,813 in connection with activities primarily intended to result in the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. This amount includes the 12b-1 fees paid by the Portfolio to the Adviser.

Financial intermediaries, such as insurers, market and sell shares of the Portfolio and typically receive compensation from ABI, the Advisers and/or the Portfolio for selling shares of the Portfolio. These financial intermediaries receive compensation in any or all of the following forms: 12b-1 fees, defrayal of costs for educational seminars and training, additional distribution support, recordkeeping and/or administrative services. Payments related to providing contract-holder recordkeeping

 

13   The contractual management fee does not reflect any expense reimbursements made by the Portfolio to the Adviser for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services.

 

14   Except for asset (size) comparability, Lipper uses the same criteria for selecting an EG when selecting an EU. Unlike the EG, the EU allows for the same adviser to be represented by more than just one fund.

 

15   Most recently completed fiscal year end Class A total expense ratio.

 

23


REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

and/or administrative services will generally not exceed 0.35% of the average daily net assets of the Portfolio attributable to the relevant intermediary over the year. With respect to the Fund, which includes the Portfolio and other Portfolios of the Fund not discussed in this summary, ABI paid approximately $600,000 in 2012 and expects to pay approximately $600,000 in 2013 for educational support and distribution assistance (revenue sharing payments).

The transfer agent of the Portfolio is AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”). During the most recently completed fiscal year, ABIS received a fee of $1,385 from the Portfolio.16

The Portfolio effected brokerage transactions through the Adviser’s affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., LLC (“SCB & Co.”) and/or its U.K. affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein Limited (“SCB Ltd.”), collectively “SCB,” and paid commissions during the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year. The Adviser represented that SCB’s profitability from business conducted with the Portfolio is comparable to the profitability of SCB’s dealings with other similar third party clients. In the ordinary course of business, SCB receives and pays liquidity rebates from electronic communications networks (“ECNs”) derived from trading for its clients, including the Portfolio. These credits and charges are not being passed onto any SCB client. The Adviser also receives certain soft dollar benefits from brokers that execute agency trades for the Portfolio and other clients. These soft dollar benefits reduce the Adviser’s cost of doing business and increase its profitability.

V. POSSIBLE ECONOMIES OF SCALE

The Adviser has indicated that economies of scale are being shared with shareholders through pricing to scale, breakpoints, fee reductions/waivers and enhancement to services.

In May 2012, an independent consultant, retained by the Senior Officer, provided the Board of Directors information on the Adviser’s firm-wide average costs from 2005 through 2011 and the potential economies of scale. The independent consultant noted that from 2005 through 2007 the Adviser experienced significant growth in assets under management (“AUM”). During this period, operating expenses increased, in part to keep up with growth, and in part reflecting market returns. However, from 2008 through the first quarter of 2009, AUM rapidly and significantly decreased due to declines in market value and client withdrawals. When AUM rapidly decreased, some operating expenses categories, including base compensation and office space, adjusted more slowly during this period, resulting in an increase in average costs. Since 2009, AUM has experienced less significant changes. The independent consultant noted that changes in operating expenses reflect changes in business composition and business practices in response to changes in financial markets. Finally, the independent consultant concluded that the increase in average cost and the decline in net operating margin across the Adviser since late 2008 are inconsistent with the view that there are currently reductions in average costs due to economies of scale that can be shared with the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds managed by the Adviser through lower fees.

Previously in February 2008, the independent consultant provided the Board of Directors an update of the Deli study on advisory fees and various fund characteristics.17,18 The independent consultant first reiterated the results of his previous two dimensional comparison analysis (fund size and family size) with the Board of Directors.19 The independent consultant then discussed the results of the regression model that was utilized to study the effects of various factors on advisory fees. The regression model output indicated that the bulk of the variation in fees predicted were explained by various factors, but substantially by fund AUM, family AUM, index fund indicator and investment style. The independent consultant also compared the advisory fees of the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds to similar funds managed by 19 other large asset managers, regardless of the fund size and each Adviser’s proportion of mutual fund assets to non-mutual fund assets.

 

16   The Fund, which includes the Portfolio and other Portfolios of the Fund paid ABIS a flat fee of $18,000 in 2012.

 

17   The Deli study, originally published in 2002 based on 1997 data and updated for the February 2008 Presentation, may be of diminished value due to the age of the data used in the presentation and the changes experienced in the industry over the last four years.

 

18   As mentioned previously, the Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since the fees may not be the product of negotiations conducted at arm’s length. See Jones V. Harris at 1429.

 

19   The two dimensional analysis showed patterns of lower advisory fees for funds with larger asset sizes and funds from larger family sizes compared to funds with smaller asset sizes and funds from smaller family sizes, which according to the independent consultant is indicative of a sharing of economies of scale and scope. However, in less liquid and active markets, such is not the case, as the empirical analysis showed potential for diseconomies of scale in those markets. The empirical analysis also showed diminishing economies of scale and scope as funds surpassed a certain high level of assets.

 

24


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

VI. NATURE AND QUALITY OF THE ADVISER’S SERVICES, INCLUDING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PORTFOLIO

With assets under management of approximately $443 billion as of March 31, 2013, the Adviser has the investment experience to manage and provide non-investment services (described in Section I) to the Portfolio.

The information prepared by Lipper shows the 1, 3, 5 and 10 year performance returns and rankings of the Portfolio20 relative to its Lipper Performance Group (“PG”) and Lipper Performance Universe (“PU”)21 for the periods ended February 28, 2013.22

 

     Portfolio (%)     PG
Median (%)
    PU
Median (%)
    PG
Rank
    PU
Rank
 

Real Estate Investment Portfolio

         

1 year

    20.23        15.56        15.56        1/11        1/15   

3 year

    20.58        19.41        19.41        1/11        1/15   

5 year

    9.15        7.53        7.53        2/11        2/15   

10 year

    13.68        11.54        12.17        1/8        1/10   

Set forth below are the 1, 3, 5, 10 year and since inception performance returns of the Portfolio (in bold)23 versus its benchmarks.24 Portfolio and benchmark volatility and reward-to-variability ratio (“Sharpe Ratio”) information is also shown.25

 

     Periods Ending February 28, 2013
Annualized Performance
 
    

1

Year
(%)

   

3

Year
(%)

   

5

Year
(%)

    10
Year
(%)
    Since
Inception
(%)
    Annualized     Risk
Period
(Year)
 
            Volatility
(%)
    Sharpe
(%)
   

Real Estate Investment Portfolio

    20.23        20.58        9.15        13.68        10.33        24.72        0.58        10   

FTSE NAREIT Equity REIT Index26

    19.19        20.35        7.76        12.47        9.76        25.53        0.53        10   

S&P 500 Stock Index

    13.46        13.50        4.94        8.24        6.30        N/A        N/A        10   

Inception Date: January 9, 1997

             

CONCLUSION:

Based on the factors discussed above the Senior Officer’s conclusion is that the proposed advisory fee for the Portfolio is reasonable and within the range of what would have been negotiated at arm’s-length in light of all the surrounding circumstances. This conclusion in respect of the Portfolio is based on an evaluation of all of these factors and no single factor was dispositive.

Dated: May 29, 2013

  

 

20   The performance rankings are for the Class A shares of the Portfolio. The Portfolio’s performance returns shown were provided by Lipper.

 

21   The Portfolio’s PG/PU are identical to the Portfolio’s respective EG/EU.

 

22   Lipper investment classification/objective dictates the PG and PU throughout the life of the fund even if a fund had a different investment classification/objective at a different point in time.

 

23   The performance returns and risk measures shown in the table are for the Class A shares of the Portfolio.

 

24   The Adviser provided Portfolio and benchmark performance return information for periods through February 28, 2013.

 

25   Portfolio and benchmark volatility and Sharpe Ratio information was obtained through Lipper LANA, a database maintained by Lipper. Volatility is a statistical measure of the tendency of a market price or yield to vary over time. The Sharpe Ratio is a risk adjusted measure of return that divides a portfolio’s return in excess of the riskless return by the portfolio’s standard deviation. A portfolio with a greater volatility would be viewed as more risky than a portfolio with equivalent performance but lower volatility; for that reason, a greater return would be demanded for the more risky portfolio. A portfolio with a higher Sharpe Ratio would be viewed as better performing than a portfolio with a lower Sharpe Ratio.

 

26   Benchmark since inception date is the nearest month end after the Portfolio’s inception date.

 

25


AllianceBernstein

Variable Products Series Fund, Inc.

 

 

 

LOGO   AllianceBernstein Small Cap Growth Portfolio

 

June 30, 2013

 

Semi-Annual Report

 

LOGO

 

SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT


 

 

 

Investment Products Offered

 

  Ø  

Are Not FDIC Insured

  Ø  

May Lose Value

  Ø  

Are Not Bank Guaranteed

AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (ABI) is the distributor of the AllianceBernstein family of mutual funds. ABI is a member of FINRA and is an affiliate of AllianceBernstein L.P., the manager of the funds.

You may obtain a description of the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures, and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, without charge. Simply visit AllianceBernstein’s website at www.alliancebernstein.com or go to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “Commission”) website at www.sec.gov, or call AllianceBernstein at (800) 227-4618.

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Commission for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Fund’s Forms N-Q are available on the Commission’s website at www.sec.gov. The Fund’s Forms N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC; information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330.

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SMALL CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
EXPENSE EXAMPLE (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments, contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution (12b-1) fees; and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund 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 as indicated below.

Actual Expenses

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. The estimate of expenses does not include fees or other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes

The table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed annual rate of return of 5% before expenses, which is not the Fund’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 costs of investing in the Fund and other funds by comparing this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds. The estimate of expenses does not include fees or other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads), or contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions. Therefore, the second line of each classes’ table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

      Beginning
Account Value
January 1, 2013
     Ending
Account Value
June 30, 2013
     Expenses Paid
During Period*
     Annualized
Expense Ratio*
 

Class A

           

Actual

   $   1,000       $   1,166.70       $   6.29         1.17

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $ 1,000       $ 1,018.99       $ 5.86         1.17
           

Class B

           

Actual

   $ 1,000       $ 1,165.00       $ 7.62         1.42

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $ 1,000       $ 1,017.75       $ 7.10         1.42

 

 

 

*   Expenses are equal to each classes’ annualized expense ratios, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 181/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).

 

1


SMALL CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO
TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS*  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

COMPANY    U.S. $ VALUE        PERCENT OF NET ASSETS  

CoStar Group, Inc.

   $ 1,247,591           2.0

Dealertrack Technologies, Inc.

     1,061,908           1.7   

PolyOne Corp.

     1,040,512           1.7   

Grand Canyon Education, Inc.

     986,464           1.6   

Cabela’s, Inc.

     985,971           1.6   

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.

     982,719           1.6   

Chart Industries, Inc.

     971,009           1.5   

Kirby Corp.

     930,857           1.5   

Acadia Healthcare Co., Inc.

     923,877           1.5   

Middleby Corp.

     923,589           1.5   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 
     $   10,054,497             16.2

SECTOR BREAKDOWN**

June 30, 2013 (unaudited)

 

 

SECTOR    U.S. $ VALUE        PERCENT OF TOTAL INVESTMENTS  

Information Technology

   $   15,017,196           24.3

Health Care

     12,939,813           21.0   

Industrials

     12,746,460           20.7   

Consumer Discretionary

     12,051,548           19.5   

Energy

     3,473,143           5.6   

Financials

     3,221,352           5.2   

Materials

     1,040,512           1.7   

Consumer Staples

     377,007           0.6   

Short-Term Investments

     850,605           1.4   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Investments

   $ 61,717,636           100.0

 

 

 

*   Long-term investments.

 

**   The Portfolio’s sector breakdown is expressed as a percentage of total investments (excluding security lending collateral) and may vary over time.

Please note: The sector classifications presented herein are based on the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) which was developed by Morgan Stanley Capital International and Standard & Poor’s. The components are divided into sector, industry group, and industry sub-indices as classified by the GICS for each of the market capitalization indices in the broad market. These sector classifications are broadly defined. The “Portfolio of Investments” section of the report reflects more specific industry information and is consistent with the investment restrictions discussed in the Portfolio’s prospectus.

 

2


SMALL CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
  Shares     U.S. $ Value  
             

COMMON STOCKS–98.1%

   
   

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY–24.2%

   

COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT–2.8%

   

Aruba Networks, Inc.(a)

    18,550      $ 284,928   

Ciena Corp.(a)

    44,442        863,063   

Infinera Corp.(a)

    53,840        574,473   
   

 

 

 
      1,722,464   
   

 

 

 

COMPUTERS &
PERIPHERALS–1.1%

   

Synaptics, Inc.(a)

    18,160        700,250   
   

 

 

 

INTERNET SOFTWARE & SERVICES–6.7%

   

CoStar Group, Inc.(a)

    9,666        1,247,591   

Dealertrack Technologies, Inc.(a)

    29,972        1,061,908   

Demandware, Inc.(a)(b)

    11,710        496,621   

ExactTarget, Inc.(a)

    9,100        306,852   

Pandora Media, Inc.(a)(b)

    30,540        561,936   

Trulia, Inc.(a)

    15,760        489,978   
   

 

 

 
      4,164,886   
   

 

 

 

SEMICONDUCTORS & SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT–7.1%

   

Cavium, Inc.(a)

    24,130        853,478   

Fairchild Semiconductor International, Inc.(a)

    51,819        715,102   

Power Integrations, Inc.

    11,580        469,685   

Semtech Corp.(a)

    24,550        859,987   

Teradyne, Inc.(a)

    44,960        789,947   

Veeco Instruments, Inc.(a)

    19,632        695,365   
   

 

 

 
      4,383,564   
   

 

 

 

SOFTWARE–6.5%

   

Aspen Technology, Inc.(a)

    20,275        583,717   

Cadence Design Systems, Inc.(a)

    61,093        884,627   

Cyan, Inc.(a)

    16,563        173,083   

FleetMatics Group PLC(a)

    20,132        668,987   

Guidewire Software, Inc.(a)

    18,139        762,745   

PTC, Inc.(a)

    30,210        741,051   

Tableau Software, Inc.(a)

    4,183        231,822   
   

 

 

 
      4,046,032   
   

 

 

 
      15,017,196   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE–20.9%

   

BIOTECHNOLOGY–6.2%

   

Celldex Therapeutics, Inc.(a)

    17,457        272,504   

Cepheid, Inc.(a)

    6,192        213,129   

Clovis Oncology, Inc.(a)

    2,779        186,137   

Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)

    12,711        613,941   

Hyperion Therapeutics, Inc.(a)

    11,761        258,742   

Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)

    4,837        216,891   

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)

    12,218        328,298   
   

Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)

    7,950      $ 690,219   

Pharmacyclics, Inc.(a)

    2,530        201,059   

Puma Biotechnology, Inc.(a)

    6,346        281,572   

Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc.(a)(b)

    3,400        129,370   

Synageva BioPharma Corp.(a)

    4,745        199,290   

TESARO, Inc.(a)

    7,453        244,011   
   

 

 

 
      3,835,163   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES–3.0%

   

Align Technology, Inc.(a)

    16,460        609,679   

HeartWare International, Inc.(a)

    7,700        732,347   

Sirona Dental Systems, Inc.(a)

    7,564        498,316   
   

 

 

 
      1,840,342   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS & SERVICES–5.5%

   

Acadia Healthcare Co., Inc.(a)

    27,937        923,877   

IPC The Hospitalist Co., Inc.(a)

    11,981        615,344   

Mednax, Inc.(a)

    6,807        623,385   

Team Health Holdings, Inc.(a)

    20,149        827,519   

WellCare Health Plans, Inc.(a)

    7,823        434,568   
   

 

 

 
      3,424,693   
   

 

 

 

LIFE SCIENCES TOOLS & SERVICES–2.3%

   

ICON PLC(a)

    23,415        829,593   

PAREXEL International Corp.(a)

    13,590        624,325   
   

 

 

 
      1,453,918   
   

 

 

 

PHARMACEUTICALS–3.9%

   

Akorn, Inc.(a)

    43,988        594,718   

Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC(a)

    12,740        875,620   

Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)(b)

    8,086        117,004   

Pacira Pharmaceuticals,
Inc./DE(a)

    21,740        630,460   

Repros Therapeutics, Inc.(a)(b)

    9,100        167,895   
   

 

 

 
      2,385,697   
   

 

 

 
      12,939,813   
   

 

 

 

INDUSTRIALS–20.5%

   

AEROSPACE & DEFENSE–2.3%

   

Hexcel Corp.(a)

    27,000        919,350   

KEYW Holding Corp.
(The)(a)(b)

    38,101        504,838   
   

 

 

 
      1,424,188   
   

 

 

 

BUILDING PRODUCTS–0.2%

   

Ply Gem Holdings, Inc.(a)

    5,249        105,295   
   

 

 

 

COMMERCIAL SERVICES & SUPPLIES–1.1%

   

Interface, Inc.

    41,420        702,897   
   

 

 

 

CONSTRUCTION & ENGINEERING–1.4%

   

Dycom Industries, Inc.(a)

    37,091        858,286   
   

 

 

 

 

3


SMALL CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
  Shares     U.S. $ Value  
             

INDUSTRIAL CONGLOMERATES–1.2%

   

Carlisle Cos., Inc.

    12,140      $ 756,443   
   

 

 

 

MACHINERY–8.7%

   

ACTUANT CORP.–CLASS A

    20,360        671,269   

Chart Industries, Inc.(a)

    10,320        971,009   

IDEX Corp.

    13,055        702,490   

Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc.

    14,150        810,370   

Middleby Corp.(a)

    5,430        923,589   

RBC Bearings, Inc.(a)

    10,428        541,735   

Valmont Industries, Inc.

    5,701        815,756   
   

 

 

 
      5,436,218   
   

 

 

 

MARINE–1.5%

   

Kirby Corp.(a)

    11,703        930,857   
   

 

 

 

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES–1.2%

   

TrueBlue, Inc.(a)

    34,738        731,235   
   

 

 

 

ROAD & RAIL–1.5%

   

Genesee & Wyoming,
Inc.–Class A(a)

    10,869        922,126   
   

 

 

 

TRADING COMPANIES & DISTRIBUTORS–1.4%

   

United Rentals, Inc.(a)

    17,610        878,915   
   

 

 

 
      12,746,460   
   

 

 

 

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY – 19.4%

   

DISTRIBUTORS–1.2%

   

LKQ Corp.(a)

    27,463        707,172   
   

 

 

 

DIVERSIFIED CONSUMER SERVICES–2.9%

   

Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Inc.(a)

    23,750        824,362   

Grand Canyon Education, Inc.(a)

    30,607        986,464   
   

 

 

 
      1,810,826   
   

 

 

 

HOTELS, RESTAURANTS & LEISURE–1.3%

   

Orient-Express Hotels
Ltd.–Class A(a)

    13,358        162,433   

Panera Bread Co.–Class A(a)

    3,540        658,228   
   

 

 

 
      820,661   
   

 

 

 

INTERNET & CATALOG RETAIL–2.5%

   

HomeAway, Inc.(a)

    21,236        686,772   

Shutterfly, Inc.(a)

    15,500        864,745   
   

 

 

 
      1,551,517   
   

 

 

 

MEDIA–0.9%

   

National CineMedia, Inc.

    34,310        579,496   
   

 

 

 

SPECIALTY RETAIL–10.6%

   

Cabela’s, Inc.(a)

    15,225        985,971   

Conn’s, Inc.(a)

    17,648        913,460   

Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc.

    9,610        481,077   

Five Below, Inc.(a)

    11,759        432,261   

Francesca’s Holdings Corp.(a)

    25,746      $ 715,481   

Hibbett Sports, Inc.(a)

    14,225        789,488   

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.(a)

    12,620        982,719   

Mattress Firm Holding
Corp.(a)(b)

    15,913        641,294   

Restoration Hardware Holdings, Inc.(a)

    8,535        640,125   
   

 

 

 
      6,581,876   
   

 

 

 
      12,051,548   
   

 

 

 

ENERGY–5.6%

   

ENERGY EQUIPMENT & SERVICES–2.7%

   

Dril-Quip, Inc.(a)

    6,930        625,710   

Forum Energy Technologies, Inc.(a)

    9,750        296,692   

Oceaneering International, Inc.

    4,335        312,987   

Oil States International, Inc.(a)

    4,461        413,267   
   

 

 

 
      1,648,656   
   

 

 

 

OIL, GAS & CONSUMABLE FUELS–2.9%

   

Emerald Oil, Inc.(a)

    33,140        227,340   

Laredo Petroleum Holdings, Inc.(a)

    25,954        533,614   

Matador Resources Co.(a)

    36,976        442,973   

Oasis Petroleum, Inc.(a)

    15,965        620,560   
   

 

 

 
      1,824,487   
   

 

 

 
      3,473,143   
   

 

 

 

FINANCIALS–5.2%

   

CAPITAL MARKETS–2.0%

   

Affiliated Managers Group, Inc.(a)

    3,810        624,611   

Stifel Financial Corp.(a)

    17,886        637,994   
   

 

 

 
      1,262,605   
   

 

 

 

COMMERCIAL BANKS–3.2%

   

Iberiabank Corp.

    12,029        644,875   

Signature Bank/New York NY(a)

    8,336        692,055   

SVB Financial Group(a)

    7,463        621,817   
   

 

 

 
      1,958,747   
   

 

 

 
      3,221,352   
   

 

 

 

MATERIALS–1.7%

   

CHEMICALS–1.7%

   

PolyOne Corp.

    41,990        1,040,512   
   

 

 

 

CONSUMER STAPLES–0.6%

   

FOOD & STAPLES RETAILING–0.6%

   

Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. (The)(a)

    21,919        377,007   
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks
(cost $46,146,045)

      60,867,031   
   

 

 

 

 

4


 
 
    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Company       
Principal
Amount
(000)
    U.S. $ Value  
             

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS–1.4%

   

TIME DEPOSIT–1.4%

   

State Street Time Deposit
0.01%, 7/01/13
(cost $850,605)

  $   851      $ 850,605   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS BEFORE SECURITY LENDING COLLATERAL FOR SECURITIES LOANED–99.5%
(cost $46,996,650)

      61,717,636   
   

 

 

 

INVESTMENTS OF CASH COLLATERAL FOR SECURITIES LOANED–1.8%

   

INVESTMENT COMPANIES–1.8%

   

AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves–Class I,
0.07%(c)
(cost $1,095,714)

    1,095,714      $ 1,095,714   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS–101.3%
(cost $48,092,364)

      62,813,350   

Other assets less
liabilities–(1.3)%

      (776,149
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS–100.0%

    $   62,037,201   
   

 

 

 

 

5

 

 

(a)   Non-income producing security.

 

(b)   Represents entire or partial securities out on loan. See Note E for securities lending information.

 

(c)   Investment in affiliated money market mutual fund. The rate shown represents the 7-day yield as of period end.

See notes to financial statements.


SMALL CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

ASSETS

  

Investments in securities, at value
Unaffiliated issuers (cost $46,996,650)

   $ 61,717,636 (a) 

Affiliated issuers (cost $1,095,714—investment of cash collateral for securities loaned)

     1,095,714   

Receivable for investment securities sold

     735,891   

Receivable for capital stock sold

     22,460   

Dividends and interest receivable

     12,049   

Receivable from class action settlement proceeds

     23   
  

 

 

 

Total assets

     63,583,773   
  

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

  

Payable for collateral received on securities loaned

     1,095,714   

Payable for investment securities purchased

     177,780   

Payable for capital stock redeemed

     172,574   

Advisory fee payable

     35,416   

Distribution fee payable

     5,860   

Administrative fee payable

     5,263   

Transfer Agent fee payable

     158   

Accrued expenses

     53,807   
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     1,546,572   
  

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 62,037,201   
  

 

 

 

COMPOSITION OF NET ASSETS

  

Capital stock, at par

   $ 2,852   

Additional paid-in capital

     36,613,843   

Accumulated net investment loss

     (303,707

Accumulated net realized gain on investment transactions

     11,003,227   

Net unrealized appreciation on investments

     14,720,986   
  

 

 

 
   $ 62,037,201   
  

 

 

 

Net Asset Value Per Share—1 billion shares of capital stock authorized, $.001 par value

 

Class    Net Assets        Shares
Outstanding
       Net Asset
Value
 

A

   $   31,308,508           1,415,523         $   22.12   

B

   $ 30,728,693           1,436,426         $ 21.39   

 

 

 

(a)   Includes securities on loan with a value of $1,079,805 (see Note E).

See notes to financial statements.

 

6


SMALL CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS  
Six Months Ended June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

  

Dividends

  

Unaffiliated issuers

   $ 57,093   

Affiliated issuers

     1,137   

Interest

     74   

Securities lending income

     11,827   
  

 

 

 
     70,131   
  

 

 

 

EXPENSES

  

Advisory fee (see Note B)

     216,924   

Distribution fee—Class B

     35,588   

Transfer agency—Class A

     1,508   

Transfer agency—Class B

     1,461   

Custodian

     45,123   

Administrative

     21,667   

Printing

     17,189   

Audit

     16,503   

Legal

     14,024   

Directors’ fees

     2,265   

Miscellaneous

     1,586   
  

 

 

 

Total expenses

     373,838   
  

 

 

 

Net investment loss

     (303,707
  

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN ON INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS

  

Net realized gain on investment transactions

     1,767,226   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments

     7,377,205   
  

 

 

 

Net gain on investment transactions

     9,144,431   
  

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

   $ 8,840,724   
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

7


 
SMALL CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

     Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December  31,
2012
 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

    

Net investment loss

   $ (303,707   $ (455,562

Net realized gain on investment transactions

     1,767,226        10,564,871   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments

     7,377,205        (674,563
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets from operations

     8,840,724        9,434,746   

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM

    

Net realized gain on investment transactions

    

Class A

     –0 –      (1,011,897

Class B

     –0 –      (1,178,017

CAPITAL STOCK TRANSACTIONS

    

Net decrease

     (732,962     (12,349,425
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total increase (decrease)

     8,107,762        (5,104,593

NET ASSETS

    

Beginning of period

     53,929,439        59,034,032   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period (including accumulated net investment loss of
($303,707) and $0, respectively)

   $ 62,037,201      $ 53,929,439   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

8


SMALL CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE A: Significant Accounting Policies

The AllianceBernstein Small Cap Growth Portfolio (the “Portfolio”) is a series of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”). The Portfolio’s investment objective is long-term growth of capital. The Portfolio is diversified as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Fund was incorporated in the State of Maryland on November 17, 1987, as an open-end series investment company. The Fund offers thirteen separately managed pools of assets which have differing investment objectives and policies. The Portfolio offers Class A and Class B shares. Both classes of shares have identical voting, dividend, liquidating and other rights, except that Class B shares bear a distribution expense and have exclusive voting rights with respect to the Class B distribution plan.

The Portfolio offers and sells its shares only to separate accounts of certain life insurance companies for the purpose of funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies. Sales are made without a sales charge at the Portfolio’s net asset value per share.

Effective February 1, 2013, the Portfolio is closed to new investments except that Contractholders of variable products with investment options that included the Portfolio as of January 31, 2013, may continue to purchase shares of the Portfolio in accordance with the procedures for the purchase of shares in the prospectus of the separate account in which they invest, including through reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions.

The Portfolio may (i) make additional exceptions that, in the Adviser’s judgment, do not adversely affect the Adviser’s ability to manage the Portfolio; (ii) reject any investment or refuse any exception, including those detailed above, that the Adviser believes will adversely affect its ability to manage the Portfolio; and (iii) close and/or reopen the Portfolio to new or existing Contractholders at any time.

The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) which require management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Portfolio.

1. Security Valuation

Portfolio securities are valued at their current market value determined on the basis of market quotations or, if market quotations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable, at “fair value” as determined in accordance with procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Fund’s Board of Directors (the “Board”).

In general, the market values of securities which are readily available and deemed reliable are determined as follows: securities listed on a national securities exchange (other than securities listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. (“NASDAQ”)) or on a foreign securities exchange are valued at the last sale price at the close of the exchange or foreign securities exchange. If there has been no sale on such day, the securities are valued at the last traded price from the previous day. Securities listed on more than one exchange are valued by reference to the principal exchange on which the securities are traded; securities listed only on NASDAQ are valued in accordance with the NASDAQ Official Closing Price; listed or over the counter (“OTC”) market put or call options are valued at the mid level between the current bid and ask prices. If either a current bid or current ask price is unavailable, AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) will have discretion to determine the best valuation (e.g. last trade price in the case of listed options); open futures are valued using the closing settlement price or, in the absence of such a price, the most recent quoted bid price. If there are no quotations available for the day of valuation, the last available closing settlement price is used; U.S. government securities and other debt instruments having 60 days or less remaining until maturity are valued at amortized cost if their original maturity was 60 days or less; or by amortizing their fair value as of the 61st day prior to maturity if their original term to maturity exceeded 60 days; fixed-income securities, including mortgage backed and asset backed securities, may be valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service or at a price obtained from one or more of the major broker/dealers. In cases where broker/dealer quotes are obtained, the Adviser may establish procedures whereby changes in market yields or spreads are used to adjust, on a daily basis, a recently obtained quoted price on a security. Swaps and other derivatives are valued daily, primarily using independent pricing services, independent pricing models using market inputs, as well as third party broker-dealers or counterparties. Investments in money market funds are valued at their net asset value each day.

Securities for which market quotations are not readily available (including restricted securities) or are deemed unreliable are valued at fair value. Factors considered in making this determination may include, but are not limited to, information obtained by contacting the issuer, analysts, analysis of the issuer’s financial statements or other available documents. In

 

9


SMALL CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

addition, the Portfolio may use fair value pricing for securities primarily traded in non-U.S. markets because most foreign markets close well before the Portfolio values its securities at 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The earlier close of these foreign markets gives rise to the possibility that significant events, including broad market moves, may have occurred in the interim and may materially affect the value of those securities. To account for this, the Portfolio may frequently value many of its foreign equity securities using fair value prices based on third party vendor modeling tools to the extent available.

2. Fair Value Measurements

In accordance with U.S. GAAP regarding fair value measurements, fair value is defined as the price that the Portfolio would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. U.S. GAAP establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and a three-level hierarchy for fair value measurements based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability (including those valued based on their market values as described in Note A. 1 above). Inputs may be observable or unobservable and refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Portfolio. Unobservable inputs reflect the Portfolio’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on the best information available in the circumstances. Each investment is assigned a level based upon the observability of the inputs which are significant to the overall valuation. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized below.

 

   

Level 1—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 Portfolio’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

Where readily available market prices or relevant bid prices are not available for certain equity investments, such investments may be valued based on similar publicly traded investments, movements in relevant indices since last available prices or based upon underlying company fundamentals and comparable company data (such as multiples to earnings or other multiples to equity). Where an investment is valued using an observable input, such as another publicly traded security, the investment will be classified as Level 2. If management determines that an adjustment is appropriate based on restrictions on resale, illiquidity or uncertainty, and such adjustment is a significant component of the valuation, the investment will be classified as Level 3. An investment will also be classified as Level 3 where management uses company fundamentals and other significant inputs to determine the valuation.

The following table summarizes the valuation of the Portfolio’s investments by the above fair value hierarchy levels as of June 30, 2013:

 

       Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

Investments in Securities:

             

Assets:

             

Common Stocks*

     $ 60,867,031       $ –0 –     $             –0 –     $ 60,867,031   

Short-Term Investments

       –0 –       850,605         –0 –       850,605   

Investments of Cash Collateral for Securities Loaned in Affiliated Money Market Fund

       1,095,714         –0 –       –0 –       1,095,714   
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Investments in Securities

       61,962,745         850,605         –0 –       62,813,350   

Other Financial Instruments**

       –0 –       –0 –       –0 –       –0 – 
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total^

     $ 61,962,745       $ 850,605       $ –0 –     $ 62,813,350   
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

*   See Portfolio of Investments for sector classifications.

 

**   Other financial instruments are derivative instruments, such as futures, forwards and swaps, which are valued at the unrealized appreciation/depreciation on the instrument.

 

^   There were no transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 during the reporting period.

The Portfolio recognizes all transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy assuming the financial instruments were transferred at the beginning of the reporting period.

 

10


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Adviser has established a Valuation Committee (the “Committee”) which is responsible for overseeing the pricing and valuation of all securities held in the Portfolio. The Committee operates under pricing and valuation policies and procedures established by the Adviser and approved by the Board, including pricing policies which set forth the mechanisms and processes to be employed on a daily basis to implement these policies and procedures. In particular, the pricing policies describe how to determine market quotations for securities and other instruments. The Committee’s responsibilities include: 1) fair value and liquidity determinations (and oversight of any third parties to whom any responsibility for fair value and liquidity determinations is delegated), and 2) regular monitoring of the Adviser’s pricing and valuation policies and procedures and modification or enhancement of these policies and procedures (or recommendation of the modification of these policies and procedures) as the Committee believes appropriate.

The Committee is also responsible for monitoring the implementation of the pricing policies by the Adviser’s Pricing Group (the “Pricing Group”) and a third party which performs certain pricing functions in accordance with the pricing policies. The Pricing Group is responsible for the oversight of the third party on a day-to-day basis. The Committee and the Pricing Group perform a series of activities to provide reasonable assurance of the accuracy of prices including: 1) periodic vendor due diligence meetings, review of methodologies, new developments and process at vendors, 2) daily compare of security valuation versus prior day for all securities that exceeded established thresholds, and 3) daily review of unpriced, stale, and variance reports with exceptions reviewed by senior management and the Committee.

In addition, several processes outside of the pricing process are used to monitor valuation issues including: 1) performance and performance attribution reports are monitored for anomalous impacts based upon benchmark performance, and 2) portfolio managers review all portfolios for performance and analytics (which are generated using the Adviser’s prices).

3. Currency Translation

Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies and commitments under forward currency exchange contracts are translated into U.S. dollars at the mean of the quoted bid and ask prices of such currencies against the U.S. dollar. Purchases and sales of portfolio securities are translated into U.S. dollars at the rates of exchange prevailing when such securities were acquired or sold. Income and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars at rates of exchange prevailing when accrued.

Net realized gain or loss on foreign currency transactions represents foreign exchange gains and losses from sales and maturities of foreign fixed income investments, foreign currency exchange contracts, holding of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on foreign investment transactions, and the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the Portfolio’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized currency gains and losses from valuing foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities at period end exchange rates are reflected as a component of net unrealized appreciation or depreciation of foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities.

4. Taxes

It is the Portfolio’s policy to meet the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute all of its investment company taxable income and net realized gains, if any, to shareholders. Therefore, no provisions for federal income or excise taxes are required. The Portfolio may be subject to taxes imposed by countries in which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on income and/or capital gains earned or repatriated. Taxes are accrued and applied to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized appreciation/depreciation as such income and/or gains are earned.

In accordance with U.S. GAAP requirements regarding accounting for uncertainties in income taxes, management has analyzed the Portfolio’s tax positions taken or expected to be taken on federal and state income tax returns for all open tax years (the current and the prior three tax years) and has concluded that no provision for income tax is required in the Portfolio’s financial statements.

5. Investment Income and Investment Transactions

Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date or as soon as the Portfolio is informed of the dividend. Interest income is accrued daily. Investment transactions are accounted for on the date the securities are purchased or sold. Investment gains or losses are determined on the identified cost basis. The Portfolio amortizes premiums and accretes discounts as adjustments to interest income.

 

11


SMALL CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

6. Class Allocations

All income earned and expenses incurred by the Portfolio are borne on a pro-rata basis by each outstanding class of shares, based on the proportionate interest in the Portfolio represented by the net assets of such class, except for class specific expenses which are allocated to the respective class. Realized and unrealized gains and losses are allocated among the various share classes based on respective net assets.

7. Dividends and Distributions

Dividends and distributions to shareholders, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income dividends and capital gains distributions are determined in accordance with federal tax regulations and may differ from those determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. To the extent these differences are permanent, such amounts are reclassified within the capital accounts based on their federal tax basis treatment; temporary differences do not require such reclassification.

NOTE B: Advisory Fee and Other Transactions with Affiliates

Under the terms of the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio pays the Adviser an advisory fee at an annual rate of .75% of the first $2.5 billion, ..65% of the next $2.5 billion and .60% in excess of $5 billion, of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets. The fee is accrued daily and paid monthly.

Pursuant to the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio may reimburse the Adviser for certain legal and accounting services provided to the Portfolio by the Adviser. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, the reimbursement for such services amounted to $21,667.

Brokerage commissions paid on investment transactions for the six months ended June 30, 2013 amounted to $50,907, of which $1 and $0, respectively, was paid to Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. LLC and Sanford C. Bernstein Limited, affiliates of the Adviser.

The Portfolio compensates AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, under a Transfer Agency Agreement for providing personnel and facilities to perform transfer agency services for the Portfolio. Such compensation retained by ABIS amounted to $692 for the six months ended June 30, 2013.

NOTE C: Distribution Plan

The Portfolio has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Under the Plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (the “Distributor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, at an annual rate of up to .50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The fees are accrued daily and paid monthly. The Board currently limits payments under the Plan to .25% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The Plan provides that the Distributor will use such payments in their entirety for distribution assistance and promotional activities.

The Portfolio is not obligated under the Plan to pay any distribution and servicing fees in excess of the amounts set forth above. The purpose of the payments to the Distributor under the Plan is to compensate the Distributor for its distribution services with respect to the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. Since the Distributor’s compensation is not directly tied to its expenses, the amount of compensation received by it under the Plan during any year may be more or less than its actual expenses. For this reason, the Plan is characterized by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission as being of the “compensation” variety.

In the event that the Plan is terminated or not continued, no distribution or servicing fees (other than current amounts accrued but not yet paid) would be owed by the Portfolio to the Distributor.

The Plan also provides that the Adviser may use its own resources to finance the distribution of the Portfolio’s shares.

NOTE D: Investment Transactions

Purchases and sales of investment securities (excluding short-term investments) for the six months ended June 30, 2013 were as follows:

 

     Purchases     Sales  

Investment securities (excluding U.S. government securities)

   $ 23,134,861      $ 24,348,169   

U.S. government securities

     –0 –      –0 – 

 

 

12


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The cost of investments for federal income tax purposes was substantially the same as the cost for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, gross unrealized appreciation and unrealized depreciation are as follows:

 

Gross unrealized appreciation

   $ 15,085,466   

Gross unrealized depreciation

     (364,480
  

 

 

 

Net unrealized appreciation

   $ 14,720,986   
  

 

 

 

1. Derivative Financial Instruments

The Portfolio may use derivatives in an effort to earn income and enhance returns, to replace more traditional direct investments, to obtain exposure to otherwise inaccessible markets (collectively, “investment purposes”), or to hedge or adjust the risk profile of its portfolio.

The Portfolio did not engage in derivatives transactions for the six months ended June 30, 2013.

2. Currency Transactions

The Portfolio may invest in non-U.S. Dollar securities on a currency hedged or unhedged basis. The Portfolio may seek investment opportunities by taking long or short positions in currencies through the use of currency-related derivatives, including forward currency exchange contracts, futures and options on futures, swaps, and other options. The Portfolio may enter into transactions for investment opportunities when it anticipates that a foreign currency will appreciate or depreciate in value but securities denominated in that currency are not held by the Portfolio and do not present attractive investment opportunities. Such transactions may also be used when the Adviser believes that it may be more efficient than a direct investment in a foreign currency-denominated security. The Portfolio may also conduct currency exchange contracts on a spot basis (i.e., for cash at the spot rate prevailing in the currency exchange market for buying or selling currencies).

NOTE E: Securities Lending

The Portfolio may enter into securities lending transactions. Under the Portfolio’s securities lending program, all loans of securities will be collateralized continually by cash. The Portfolio will be compensated for the loan from a portion of the net return from the income earned on cash collateral after a rebate is paid to the borrower (in some cases, this rebate may be a “negative rebate” or fee paid by the borrower to the Portfolio in connection with the loan), and payments are made for fees of the securities lending agent and for certain other administrative expenses. It is the policy of the Portfolio to receive collateral consisting of cash in an amount exceeding the value of the securities loaned. The Portfolio will have the right to call a loan and obtain the securities loaned at any time on notice to the borrower within the normal and customary settlement time for the securities. While the securities are on loan, the borrower is obligated to pay the Portfolio amounts equal to any income or other distributions from the securities. The Portfolio will not have the right to vote any securities during the existence of a loan, but will have the right to regain ownership of loaned securities in order to exercise voting or other ownership rights. The lending agent has agreed to indemnify the Portfolio in the case of default of any securities borrower. Collateral received and securities loaned are marked to market daily to ensure that the securities loaned are secured by collateral. The lending agent will invest the cash collateral received in AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves, an eligible money market vehicle, in accordance with the investment restrictions of the Portfolio, and as approved by the Board. The collateral received on securities loaned is recorded as an asset as well as a corresponding liability in the statement of assets and liabilities. When the Portfolio lends securities, its investment performance will continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned. At June 30, 2013, the Portfolio had securities on loan with a value of $1,079,805 and had received cash collateral which has been invested into AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves of $1,095,714. The cash collateral will be adjusted on the next business day to maintain the required collateral amount. The Portfolio earned securities lending income of $11,827 and $1,137 from the borrowers and AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2013; these amounts are reflected in the statement of operations. A principal risk of lending portfolio securities is that the borrower will fail to return the loaned securities upon termination of the loan and that the collateral will not be sufficient to replace the loaned securities. A summary of the Portfolio’s transactions in shares of AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves for the six months ended June 30, 2013 is as follows:

 

Market Value

December 31, 2012

(000)

    Purchases
at Cost
(000)
    Sales
Proceeds
(000)
    Market Value
June 30, 2013
(000)
    Dividend
Income
(000)
 
$ 3,204      $ 16,377      $ 18,485      $ 1,096      $ 1   

 

13


SMALL CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE F: Capital Stock

Each class consists of 500,000,000 authorized shares. Transactions in capital shares for each class were as follows:

 

    SHARES         AMOUNT  
    Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
   

 

  Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 

Class A

         

Shares sold

    95,036        969,895        $ 1,973,238      $ 18,413,926   

Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions

    –0 –      53,483          –0 –      1,011,897   

Shares redeemed

    (128,813     (1,293,042       (2,678,524     (25,002,041
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease

    (33,777     (269,664     $ (705,286   $ (5,576,218
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Class B

         

Shares sold

    152,508        678,372        $ 3,127,191      $ 12,428,150   

Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions

    –0 –      64,232          –0 –      1,178,017   

Shares redeemed

    (156,596     (1,088,427       (3,154,867     (20,379,374
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease

    (4,088     (345,823     $ (27,676   $ (6,773,207
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

NOTE G: Risks Involved in Investing in the Portfolio

Foreign Securities Risk—Investing in securities of foreign companies or foreign governments involves special risks which include changes in foreign currency exchange rates and the possibility of future political and economic developments which could adversely affect the value of such securities. Moreover, securities of many foreign companies or foreign governments and their markets may be less liquid and their prices more volatile than those of comparable U.S. companies or of the U.S. government.

Currency Risk—This is the risk that changes in foreign currency exchange rates may negatively affect the value of the Portfolio’s investments or reduce the returns of the Portfolio. For example, the value of the Portfolio’s investments in foreign currency-denominated securities or currencies may decrease if the U.S. Dollar is strong (i.e., gaining value relative to other currencies) and other currencies are weak (i.e., losing value relative to the U.S. Dollar). Currency markets are generally not as regulated as securities markets. Independent of the Portfolio’s investments denominated in foreign currencies, the Portfolio’s positions in various foreign currencies may cause the Portfolio to experience investment losses due to the changes in exchange rates and interest rates.

Derivatives Risk—The Portfolio may enter into derivative transactions such as forwards, options, futures and swaps. Derivatives may be illiquid, difficult to price, and leveraged so that small changes may produce disproportionate losses for the Portfolio, and subject to counterparty risk to a greater degree than more traditional investments. Derivatives may result in significant losses, including losses that are far greater than the value of the derivatives reflected in the statement of assets and liabilities.

Indemnification Risk—In the ordinary course of business, the Portfolio enters into contracts that contain a variety of indemnifications. The Portfolio’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown. However, the Portfolio has not had prior claims or losses pursuant to these indemnification provisions and expects the risk of loss thereunder to be remote. Therefore, the Portfolio has not accrued any liability in connection with these indemnification provisions.

NOTE H: Joint Credit Facility

A number of open-end mutual funds managed by the Adviser, including the Portfolio, participate in a $140 million revolving credit facility (the “Facility”) intended to provide short-term financing, if necessary, subject to certain restrictions in connection with abnormal redemption activity. Commitment fees related to the Facility are paid by the participating funds and are included in miscellaneous expenses in the statement of operations. The Portfolio did not utilize the Facility during the six months ended June 30, 2013.

 

14


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE I: Distributions to Shareholders

The tax character of distributions to be paid for the year ending December 31, 2013 will be determined at the end of the current fiscal year. The tax character of distributions paid during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 were as follows:

 

       2012        2011  

Distributions paid from:

         

Net long-term capital gains

     $ 2,189,914         $             –0 – 
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total taxable distributions paid

     $ 2,189,914         $ –0 – 
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2012, the components of accumulated earnings/(deficit) on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed net capital gain

   $ 10,331,197   

Unrealized appreciation/(depreciation)

     6,248,585 (a) 
  

 

 

 

Total accumulated earnings/(deficit)

   $ 16,579,782   
  

 

 

 

 

(a)   The difference between book-basis and tax-basis unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) is attributable primarily to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales.

For tax purposes, net capital losses may be carried over to offset future capital gains, if any. Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, funds are permitted to carry forward capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 for an indefinite period. These post-enactment capital losses must be utilized prior to the pre-enactment capital losses, which are subject to expiration. Post-enactment capital loss carryforwards will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses rather than being considered short-term as under previous regulation. As of December 31, 2012, the Portfolio did not have any capital loss carryforwards.

NOTE J: Subsequent Events

Management has evaluated subsequent events for possible recognition or disclosure in the financial statements through the date the financial statements are issued. Management has determined that there are no material events that would require disclosure in the Portfolio’s financial statements through this date.

 

15


 
SMALL CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    CLASS A  
    Six  Months
Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended December 31,  
      2012     2011     2010     2009     2008  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $18.96        $17.09        $16.36        $11.95        $8.43        $15.48   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Income From Investment Operations

           

Net investment loss (a)

    (.10     (.12     (.15     (.13     (.13     (.13

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions

    3.26        2.69        .88        4.54        3.65        (6.92

Contributions from Adviser

    –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      .00 (b) 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

    3.16        2.57        .73        4.41        3.52        (7.05
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Less: Distributions

           

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

    –0 –      (.70     –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 – 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $22.12        $18.96        $17.09        $16.36        $11.95        $8.43   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Total Return

           

Total investment return based on net asset value (c)

    16.67 %*      15.02     4.46 %*      36.90 %*      41.76 %*      (45.54 )%* 
           

Ratios/Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

    $31,308        $27,479        $29,369        $29,018        $22,876        $18,003   

Ratio to average net assets of:

           

Expenses

    1.17 %(d)      1.18     1.18     1.37 %(e)      1.62     1.32

Net investment loss

    (.93 )%(d)      (.64 )%      (.85 )%      (1.00 )%(e)      (1.33 )%      (1.02 )% 

Portfolio turnover rate

    40     105     92     95     106     129

 

 

 

See footnote summary on page 17.

 

16


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    CLASS B  
    Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended December 31,  
      2012     2011     2010     2009     2008  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $18.36        $16.61        $15.94        $11.67        $8.26        $15.19   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Income From Investment Operations

           

Net investment loss (a)

    (.12     (.16     (.19     (.16     (.15     (.15

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions

    3.15        2.61        .86        4.43        3.56        (6.78

Contributions from Adviser

    –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      .00 (b) 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

    3.03        2.45        .67        4.27        3.41        (6.93
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Less: Distributions

           

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

    –0 –      (.70     –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 – 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $21.39        $18.36        $16.61        $15.94        $11.67        $8.26   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Total Return

           

Total investment return based on net asset value (c)

    16.50 %*      14.73     4.20 %*      36.59 %*      41.28 %*      (45.62 )%* 
           

Ratios/Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of period
(000’s omitted)

    $30,729        $26,450        $29,665        $29,128        $14,796        $11,111   

Ratio to average net assets of:

           

Expenses

    1.42 %(d)      1.43     1.43     1.62 %(e)      1.87     1.60

Net investment loss

    (1.18 )%(d)      (.89 )%      (1.11 )%      (1.23 )%(e)      (1.58 )%      (1.29 )% 

Portfolio turnover rate

    40     105     92     95     106     129

 

 

 

(a)   Based on average shares outstanding.

 

(b)   Amount is less than $.005.

 

(c)   Total investment return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption on the last day of the period. Total return does not reflect (i) insurance company’s separate account related expense charges and (ii) the deductions of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Portfolio distributions or the redemption of Portfolio shares. Total investment return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized.

 

(d)   Annualized.

 

(e)   The ratio includes expenses attributable to costs of proxy solicitation.

 

*   Includes the impact of proceeds received and credited to the Portfolio resulting from class action settlements, which enhanced the Portfolio’s performance for the six months ended June 30, 2013 and years ended December 31, 2011, December 31, 2010, December 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008 by 0.05%, 0.09%, 0.05%, 0.28% and 0.40%, respectively.

See notes to financial statements.

 

17


 
SMALL CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
CONTINUANCE DISCLOSURE   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

INFORMATION REGARDING THE REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE PORTFOLIO’S ADVISORY AGREEMENT

The disinterested directors (the “directors”) of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”) unanimously approved the continuance of the Fund’s Advisory Agreement with the Adviser in respect of AllianceBernstein Small Cap Growth Portfolio (the “Portfolio”) at a meeting held on April 30-May 2, 2013 (the “May 2013 meeting”).

Prior to approval of the continuance of the Advisory Agreement, the directors had requested from the Adviser, and received and evaluated, extensive materials. They reviewed the proposed continuance of the Advisory Agreement with the Adviser and with experienced counsel who are independent of the Adviser, who advised on the relevant legal standards. The directors also reviewed an independent evaluation prepared by the Fund’s Senior Officer (who is also the Fund’s Independent Compliance Officer) of the reasonableness of the advisory fee, in which the Senior Officer concluded that the contractual fee for the Portfolio was reasonable. The directors also discussed the proposed continuance in private sessions with counsel and the Fund’s Senior Officer.

The directors considered their knowledge of the nature and quality of the services provided by the Adviser to the Portfolio gained from their experience as directors or trustees of most of the registered investment companies advised by the Adviser, their overall confidence in the Adviser’s integrity and competence they have gained from that experience, the Adviser’s initiative in identifying and raising potential issues with the directors and its responsiveness, frankness and attention to concerns raised by the directors in the past, including the Adviser’s willingness to consider and implement organizational and operational changes designed to improve investment results and the services provided to the AllianceBernstein Funds. The directors noted that they have four regular meetings each year, at each of which they receive presentations from the Adviser on the investment results of the Portfolio and review extensive materials and information presented by the Adviser.

The directors also considered all other factors they believed relevant, including the specific matters discussed below. In their deliberations, the directors did not identify any particular information that was all-important or controlling, and different directors may have attributed different weights to the various factors. The directors determined that the selection of the Adviser to manage the Portfolio and the overall arrangements between the Portfolio and the Adviser, as provided in the Advisory Agreement, including the advisory fee, were fair and reasonable in light of the services performed, expenses incurred and such other matters as the directors considered relevant in the exercise of their business judgment. The material factors and conclusions that formed the basis for the directors’ determinations included the following:

Nature, Extent and Quality of Services Provided

The directors considered the scope and quality of services provided by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement, including the quality of the investment research capabilities of the Adviser and the other resources it has dedicated to performing services for the Portfolio. They also noted the professional experience and qualifications of the Portfolio’s portfolio management team and other senior personnel of the Adviser. The directors also considered that the Advisory Agreement provides that the Portfolio will reimburse the Adviser for the cost to it of providing certain clerical, accounting, administrative and other services to the Portfolio by employees of the Adviser or its affiliates. Requests for these reimbursements are made on a quarterly basis and subject to approval by the directors and, to the extent requested and paid, will result in a higher rate of total compensation from the Portfolio to the Adviser than the fee rate stated in the Portfolio’s Advisory Agreement. The directors noted that the methodology used to determine the reimbursement amounts had been reviewed by an independent consultant retained by the Fund’s Senior Officer. The quality of administrative and other services, including the Adviser’s role in coordinating the activities of the Portfolio’s other service providers, also were considered. The directors were satisfied with the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Portfolio under the Advisory Agreement.

Costs of Services Provided and Profitability

The directors reviewed a schedule of the revenues, expenses and related notes indicating the profitability of the Portfolio to the Adviser for calendar years 2011 and 2012 that had been prepared with an expense allocation methodology arrived at in consultation with an independent consultant retained by the Fund’s Senior Officer. The directors reviewed the assumptions and methods of allocation used by the Adviser in preparing fund-specific profitability data and noted that there are a number of potentially acceptable allocation methodologies for information of this type. The directors noted that the profitability information reflected all revenues and expenses of the Adviser’s relationship with the Portfolio, including those relating to its subsidiaries that provide transfer agency, distribution and brokerage services to the Portfolio. The directors recognized that it is difficult to make comparisons of the profitability of the Advisory Agreement with the profitability of advisory contracts for unaffiliated funds because comparative information is not generally publicly available and is affected by numerous factors. The directors focused on the profitability of the Adviser’s relationship with the Portfolio before taxes and distribution expenses. The directors were satisfied that the Adviser’s level of profitability from its relationship with the Portfolio was not unreasonable.

 

18


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Fall-Out Benefits

The directors considered the other benefits to the Adviser and its affiliates from their relationships with the Portfolio, including but not limited to benefits relating to soft dollar arrangements (whereby the Adviser receives brokerage and research services from brokers that execute transactions for certain clients, including the Portfolio); 12b-1 fees and sales charges received by the Fund’s principal underwriter (which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser) in respect of the Portfolio’s Class B shares; transfer agency fees paid by the Portfolio to a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser; and brokerage commissions paid by the Portfolio to brokers affiliated with the Adviser. The directors recognized that the Adviser’s profitability would be somewhat lower without these benefits. The directors also understood that the Adviser also might derive reputational and other benefits from its association with the Portfolio.

Investment Results

In addition to the information reviewed by the directors in connection with the meeting, the directors receive detailed performance information for the Portfolio at each regular Board meeting during the year. The directors noted that the Portfolio is a clone of another fund managed by the Adviser (the “Corresponding Fund”) and is managed to track the investment performance of its Corresponding Fund, although investment results may differ between the Portfolio and its Corresponding Fund due to differences in their expense ratios and other factors. At the May 2013 meeting, the directors reviewed information prepared by Lipper showing the performance of the Class A Shares of the Portfolio as compared with the Russell 2000 Growth Index (the “Index”), in each case for the 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year periods ended February 28, 2013 and (in the case of comparisons with the Index) the period since inception (August 1996 inception). The directors noted that the Portfolio was in the 4th quintile of the Performance Group and the Performance Universe for the 1-year period, in the 1st quintile of the Performance Group and the Performance Universe for the 3- and 5-year periods, and in the 2nd quintile of the Performance Group and the Performance Universe for the 10-year period. The Portfolio lagged the Index in the 1-year period, outperformed it in the 3-, 5- and 10-year periods, and essentially matched it in the period since inception. The directors also reviewed performance information for periods ended March 31, 2013 (for which the data was not limited to Class A Shares), and noted that in the 3-month period the Fund had lagged the Lipper VA Small Cap Growth Funds Average and the Index. Based on their review, the directors concluded that the Portfolio’s relative performance over time had been satisfactory.

Advisory Fees and Other Expenses

The directors considered the advisory fee rate paid by the Portfolio to the Adviser and information prepared by Lipper concerning advisory fee rates paid by other funds in the same Lipper category as the Portfolio at a common asset level. The directors recognized that it is difficult to make comparisons of advisory fees because there are variations in the services that are included in the fees paid by other funds.

The directors also considered the advisory fees the Adviser charges non-fund clients pursuing a substantially similar investment style. For this purpose, they reviewed the relevant fee information from the Adviser’s Form ADV and the evaluation from the Fund’s Senior Officer. The directors noted that, although the institutional fee schedule started at a rate different from the Portfolio’s starting fee rate, it had more breakpoints at lower asset levels than the fee schedule applicable to the Portfolio. Application of the institutional fee schedule to the level of assets of the Portfolio would result in a fee rate higher than the rate being paid by the Portfolio (including the impact of the expense reimbursement to the Adviser pursuant to the Advisory Agreement). The directors noted that the Adviser may, in some cases, agree to fee rates with large institutional clients that are lower than those reviewed by the directors and that they had previously discussed with the Adviser its policies in respect of such arrangements. The directors also reviewed information that indicated that the Portfolio’s fee rate is higher than the sub-advisory fee rate earned by the Adviser for sub-advising certain registered investment companies with a similar investment style. The directors noted that the advisory fee schedule for the Portfolio is the same as that for its Corresponding Fund.

The Adviser reviewed with the directors the significantly greater scope of the services it provides to the Portfolio relative to institutional clients and sub-advised funds. The Adviser also noted that because mutual funds are constantly issuing and redeeming shares, they are more difficult to manage than an institutional account, where the assets tend to be relatively stable. In light of the substantial differences in services rendered by the Adviser to institutional clients as compared to funds such as the Portfolio, the directors considered these fee comparisons inapt and did not place significant weight on them in their deliberations.

The directors noted that the Portfolio may invest in shares of exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”). The directors also noted that ETFs pay advisory fees pursuant to their advisory contracts, and that the Adviser had provided, and they had reviewed,

 

19


SMALL CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
CONTINUANCE DISCLOSURE  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

information about the expense ratio of the relevant ETFs. The directors concluded, based on the Adviser’s explanation of how it opportunistically uses ETFs when they represent the least expense way to obtain desired exposures for a fund or to temporarily “equitize” cash inflows pending purchases of underlying securities, that the advisory fee for the Portfolio would be paid for services that would be in addition to, rather than duplicative of, the services to be provided under the advisory contracts of the ETFs.

The directors also considered the total expense ratio of the Class A shares of the Portfolio in comparison to the fees and expenses of funds within two comparison groups created by Lipper: an Expense Group and an Expense Universe. Lipper described an Expense Group as a representative sample of funds similar to the Portfolio and an Expense Universe as a broader group, consisting of all funds in the investment classification/objective with a similar load type as the Portfolio. The Class A expense ratio of the Portfolio was based on the Portfolio’s latest fiscal year. The directors noted that it was likely that the expense ratios of some of the other funds in the Portfolio’s Lipper category were lowered by waivers or reimbursements by those funds’ investment advisers, which in some cases might be voluntary or temporary. The directors view the expense ratio information as relevant to their evaluation of the Adviser’s services because the Adviser is responsible for coordinating services provided to the Portfolio by others.

The directors noted that, at the Portfolio’s current size, its contractual effective advisory fee rate of 75 basis points, plus the 8 basis point impact of the administrative expense reimbursement in the latest fiscal year, was lower than the Expense Group median. The directors also noted that Portfolio’s total expense ratio was higher than the Expense Group and the Expense Universe medians. The directors noted that the Portfolio’s very small asset base of approximately $60 million impacted the Portfolio’s expense ratio. The directors concluded that the Portfolio’s expense ratio was acceptable.

Economies of Scale

The directors noted that the advisory fee schedule for the Portfolio contains breakpoints that reduce the fee rates on assets above specified levels. The directors took into consideration prior presentations by an independent consultant on economies of scale in the mutual fund industry and for the AllianceBernstein Funds, and by the Adviser concerning certain of its views on economies of scale. The directors also had requested and received from the Adviser certain updates on economies of scale at the May 2013 meeting. The directors believe that economies of scale may be realized (if at all) by the Adviser across a variety of products and services, and not only in respect of a single fund. The directors noted that there is no established methodology for setting breakpoints that give effect to the fund-specific services provided by a fund’s adviser and to the economies of scale that an adviser may realize in its overall mutual fund business or those components of it which directly or indirectly affect a fund’s operations. The directors observed that in the mutual fund industry as a whole, as well as among funds similar to the Portfolio, there is no uniformity or pattern in the fees and asset levels at which breakpoints (if any) apply. The directors also noted that the advisory agreements for many funds do not have breakpoints at all. Having taken these factors into account, the directors concluded that the Portfolio’s shareholders would benefit from a sharing of economies of scale in the event the Portfolio’s net assets exceed a breakpoint in the future.

 

20


 
SMALL CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

THE FOLLOWING IS NOT PART OF THE SHAREHOLDER REPORT OR THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

SUMMARY OF SENIOR OFFICER’S EVALUATION OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT1

The following is a summary of the evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement between AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) and the AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund (the “Fund”), in respect of AllianceBernstein Small Cap Growth Portfolio (the “Portfolio”).2 The evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement was prepared by Philip L. Kirstein, the Senior Officer of the Fund, for the Directors of the Fund, as required by a September 2004 agreement between the Adviser and the New York State Attorney General (the “NYAG”). The Senior Officer’s evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement is not meant to diminish the responsibility or authority of the Board of Directors of the Fund to perform its duties pursuant to Section 15 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “40 Act”) and applicable state law. The purpose of the summary is to provide shareholders with a synopsis of the independent evaluation of the reasonableness of the advisory fees proposed to be paid by the Portfolio which was provided to the Directors in connection with their review of the proposed approval of the continuance of the Investment Advisory Agreement. The Senior Officer’s evaluation considered the following factors:

 

  1. Advisory fees charged to institutional and other clients of the Adviser for like services;

 

  2. Advisory fees charged by other mutual fund companies for like services;

 

  3. Costs to the Adviser and its affiliates of supplying services pursuant to the advisory agreement, excluding any intra-corporate profit;

 

  4. Profit margins of the Adviser and its affiliates from supplying such services;

 

  5. Possible economies of scale as the Portfolio grows larger; and

 

  6. Nature and quality of the Adviser’s services including the performance of the Portfolio.

These factors, with the exception of the first factor, are generally referred to as the “Gartenberg factors,” which were articulated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1982. Gartenberg v. Merrill Lynch Asset Management, Inc., 694 F. 2d 923 (2d Cir. 1982). The first factor is an additional factor required to be considered by the AoD. On March 30, 2010, the Supreme Court held the Gartenberg decision was correct in its basic formulation of what §36(b) requires: to face liability under §36(b), “an investment adviser must charge a fee that is so disproportionately large that it bears no reasonable relationship to the services rendered and could not have been the product of arm’s length bargaining.” Jones v. Harris Associates L.P., 130 S. Ct. 1418 (2010). In the Jones decision, the Court stated the Gartenberg approach fully incorporates the correct understanding of fiduciary duty within the context of section 36(b) and noted with approval that “Gartenberg insists that all relevant circumstances be taken into account” and “uses the range of fees that might result from arm’s-length bargaining as the benchmark for reviewing challenged fees.”3

PORTFOLIO ADVISORY FEES, NET ASSETS & EXPENSE RATIOS

The Adviser proposed that the Portfolio pays the advisory fee set forth in the table below for receiving the services to be provided pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement. The fee schedule below, implemented in January 2004 in consideration of the Adviser’s settlement with the NYAG in December 2003, is based on a master schedule that contemplates eight categories of funds with almost all funds in each category having the same advisory fee schedule.

 

Category   Advisory Fee Based on % of
Average Daily Net Assets
 

Net Assets

3/31/13

($MIL)

    Portfolio

Growth

 

0.75% on first $2.5 billion

0.65% on next $2.5 billion

0.60% on the balance

  $ 58.9      Small Cap Growth Portfolio

 

1   The information in the fee summary was completed on April 22, 2013 and discussed with the Board of Directors on April 30-May 2, 2013.

 

2   Future references to the Fund and the Portfolio do not include “AllianceBernstein.” References in the fee summary pertaining to performance and expense ratio rankings refer to the Class A shares of the Portfolio.

 

3   Jones v. Harris at 1427.

 

21


SMALL CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Adviser is reimbursed as specified in the Investment Advisory Agreement for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services provided to the Portfolio. During the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year, the Adviser received $44,986 (0.075% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets) for such services.

Set forth below are the Portfolio’s total expense ratios for the most recently completed fiscal year:

 

Portfolio   Total Expense Ratio   Fiscal Year

Small Cap Growth Portfolio

 

Class A    1.18%

Class B    1.43%

  December 31

I. ADVISORY FEES CHARGED TO INSTITUTIONAL AND OTHER CLIENTS

The advisory fees charged to investment companies which the Adviser manages and sponsors are normally higher than those charged to similar sized institutional accounts, including pension plans and sub-advised investment companies. The fee differential reflects, among other things, different services provided to such clients, and different liabilities assumed. Services provided by the Adviser to the Portfolio that are not provided to non-investment company clients and sub-advised investment companies include providing office space and personnel to serve as Fund Officers, who among other responsibilities make the certifications required under the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, and coordinating with and monitoring the Portfolio’s third party service providers such as Fund counsel, auditors, custodians, transfer agents and pricing services. The accounting, administrative, legal and compliance requirements for the Portfolio are more costly than those for institutional assets due to the greater complexities and time required for investment companies, although as previously noted, the Adviser is reimbursed for providing such services. Also, retail mutual funds managed by the Adviser are widely held. Servicing the Portfolio’s investors is more time consuming and labor intensive compared to institutional clients since the Adviser needs to communicate with a more extensive network of financial intermediaries and shareholders. The Adviser also believes that it incurs substantial entrepreneurial risk when offering a new mutual fund, since establishing a new mutual fund requires a large upfront investment, and it may take a long time for the fund to achieve profitability since the fund must be priced to scale from inception in order to be competitive and assets are acquired one account at a time. In addition, managing the cash flow of an investment company may be more difficult than managing that of a stable pool of assets, such as an institutional account with little cash movement in either direction, particularly, if a fund is in net redemption and the Adviser is frequently forced to sell securities to raise cash for redemptions. However, managing a fund with positive cash flow may be easier at times than managing a stable pool of assets. In recent years, investment advisers have been sued by institutional clients and have suffered reputational damage both by the attendant publicity and outcomes other than complete victories. Accordingly, the legal and reputational risks associated with institutional accounts are greater than previously thought, although still not equal to those related to the mutual fund industry.

Notwithstanding the Adviser’s view that managing an investment company is not comparable to managing other institutional accounts because the services provided are different, the Supreme Court has indicated consideration should be given to the advisory fees charged to institutional accounts that have a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio.4 In addition to the AllianceBernstein institutional fee schedule, set forth below is what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the AllianceBernstein institutional fee schedule been applicable to the Portfolio versus the Portfolio’s advisory fee based on March 31, 2013 net assets:5

 

Portfolio   

Net Assets

3/31/13

($MIL)

  

AllianceBernstein

Institutional

Fee Schedule

 

Effective

AB Inst.

Adv. Fee

    

Portfolio

Advisory

Fee

 

Small Cap Growth Portfolio

   $58.9    Small Cap Growth Schedule

1.00% on first $50m

0.85% on the next $50m

0.75% on the balance

Minimum account size $25m

    0.977      0.750

 

4   The Supreme Court stated that “courts may give such comparisons the weight that they merit in light of the similarities and differences between the services that the clients in question require, but the courts must be wary of inapt comparisons.” Among the significant differences the Supreme Court noted that may exist between services provided to mutual funds and institutional accounts are “higher marketing costs.”Jones v. Harris at 1428.

 

5   The Adviser has indicated that with respect to institutional accounts with assets greater than $300 million, it will negotiate a fee schedule. Discounts that are negotiated vary based upon each client relationship.

 

22


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Adviser also manages AllianceBernstein Cap Fund, Inc.—Small Cap Growth Portfolio (“Cap Fund, Inc.—Small Cap Growth Portfolio”), a retail mutual fund, which has a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio. Set forth below is the fee schedule of Cap Fund, Inc.—Small Cap Growth Portfolio and what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the fee schedule of the retail mutual fund been applicable to the Portfolio:6

 

Portfolio  

AllianceBernstein

Mutual Fund

  Fee Schedule  

ABMF

Effective
Fee

   

Portfolio

Advisory

Fee

 

Small-Cap Growth Portfolio7

  Cap Fund, Inc.—Small Cap Growth
Portfolio
 

0.75% on first $2.5 billion

0.65% on next $2.5 billion

0.60% on the balance

    0.750     0.750

The Adviser provides sub-advisory services to certain other investment companies managed by other fund families that have an investment style similar to that of the Portfolio. The Adviser charges the fees set forth below for the sub-advisory relationships that have a somewhat similar investment style as the Portfolio. Also shown are the Portfolio’s advisory fee and what would have been the effective advisory fees of the Portfolio had the fee schedules of the sub-advisory relationships been applicable to the Portfolio based on March 31, 2013 net assets.

 

Portfolio   Sub-Advised
Fund
  Fee Schedule  

Effective

Sub-Adv.

Fee

   

Portfolio

Adv.

Fee

 

Small Cap Growth Portfolio

  Client #18,9  

0.60% on first $1 billion

0.55% on next $500 million

0.50% on next $500 million

0.45% on next $500 million

0.40% on the balance

    0.600%        0.750%   
  Client #2   0.55% of average daily net assets     0.550%        0.750%   
  Client #3  

0.65% on 1st $25 million

0.60% on next $75 million

0.55% on the balance

    0.621%        0.750%   
  Client #4   0.45% of average daily net assets     0.450%        0.750%   

It is fair to note that the services the Adviser provides pursuant to sub-advisory agreements are generally confined to the services related to the investment process; in other words, they are not as comprehensive as the services provided to the Portfolio by the Adviser. In addition, to the extent that certain of these sub-advisory relationships are with affiliates of the Adviser, the fee schedules may not reflect arm’s length bargaining or negotiations.

While it appears that the sub-advisory relationships are paying a lower fee than the Portfolio, it is difficult to evaluate the relevance of such lower fees due to differences in terms of the services provided, risks involved and other competitive factors between the Portfolio and the sub-advisory relationships. There could be various business reasons why an investment adviser would be willing to provide a sub-advisory relationship investment related services at a different fee level than an investment company it is sponsoring where the investment adviser is providing all the services, not just investment management, generally required by a registered investment company.

II. MANAGEMENT FEES CHARGED BY OTHER MUTUAL FUND COMPANIES FOR LIKE SERVICES.

Lipper Inc. (“Lipper”), an analytical service that is not affiliated with the Adviser, compared the fees charged to the Portfolio with fees charged to other investment companies for similar services offered by other investment advisers.10 Lipper’s

 

6   The retail mutual fund was also affected by the settlement between the Adviser and the NYAG. As a result, the Portfolio has the same breakpoints in its advisory fee schedule as the retail mutual fund.

 

7   The advisory fee of AllianceBernstein Cap Fund, Inc.—Small Cap Growth Portfolio is based on the mutual fund’s net assets at the end of each quarter and is paid to the Adviser quarterly, in contrast to the Portfolio, whose advisory fee is based on the Portfolio’s average daily net assets and is paid on a monthly basis.
8   The client is an affiliate of the Adviser.

 

9   Assets are aggregated with other accounts of the client for purposes of calculating the investment advisory fee.

 

10   The Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since “these comparisons are problematic because these fees, like those challenged, may not be the product of negotiations conducted at arm’s length.” Jones v. Harris at 1429.

 

23


SMALL CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

analysis included the comparison of the Portfolio’s contractual management fee, estimated at the approximate current asset level of the Portfolio, to the median of the Portfolio’s Lipper Expense Group (“EG”) and the Portfolio’s contractual management fee ranking.11,12

Lipper describes an EG as a representative sample of comparable funds. Lipper’s standard methodology for screening funds to be included in an EG entails the consideration of several fund criteria, including fund type, investment classification/objective, load type and similar 12b-1/non-12b-1 service fees, asset (size) comparability, expense components and attributes. An EG will typically consist of seven to twenty funds.

 

Portfolio    Contractual
Management
Fee (%)13
    

Lipper
EG

Median (%)

    

Lipper
EG

Rank

 

Small Cap Growth Portfolio

     0.750         0.885         2/14   

Lipper also analyzed the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year total expense ratio in comparison to the Portfolio’s EG and Lipper Expense Universe (“EU”). The EU is a broader group compared to the EG, consisting of all funds that have the same investment classification/objective and load type as the subject Portfolio.14

 

Portfolio   

Expense

Ratio
(%)15

    

Lipper
EG

Median(%)

    

Lipper

EG

Rank

    

Lipper
EU

Median (%)

    

Lipper

EU

Rank

 

Small Cap Growth Portfolio

     1.180         0.998         14/14         0.957         40/40   

Based on this analysis, the Portfolio has a more favorable ranking on a management fee basis than on a total expense ratio basis.

III. COSTS TO THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES OF SUPPLYING SERVICES PURSUANT TO THE ADVISORY FEE ARRANGEMENT, EXCLUDING ANY INTRA-CORPORATE PROFIT.

The Adviser utilizes two profitability reporting systems, which operate independently but are aligned with each other, to estimate the Adviser’s profitability in connection with investment advisory services provided to the Portfolio. The Senior Officer has retained a consultant to provide independent advice regarding the alignment of the two profitability systems as well as the methodologies and allocations utilized by both profitability systems.

IV. PROFIT MARGINS OF THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES FOR SUPPLYING SUCH SERVICES.

The Portfolio’s profitability information, prepared by the Adviser for the Board of Directors, was reviewed by the Senior Officer and the consultant. The Adviser’s profitability from providing investment advisory services to the Portfolio increased during calendar year 2012, relative to 2011.

In addition to the Adviser’s direct profits from managing the Portfolio, certain of the Adviser’s affiliates have business relationships with the Portfolio and may earn a profit from providing other services to the Portfolio. The courts have referred to this type of business opportunity as “fall-out benefits” to the Adviser and indicated that such benefits should be factored into the evaluation of the total relationship between the Portfolio and the Adviser. Neither case law nor common business practice precludes the Adviser’s affiliates from earning a reasonable profit on this type of relationship provided the affiliates’

 

11   Lipper does not consider average account size when constructing EGs. Funds with relatively small average account sizes tend to have higher transfer agent expense ratio than comparable sized funds that have relatively large average account sizes. Note that there are limitations on Lipper expense category data because different funds categorize expenses differently.

 

12   The contractual management fee is calculated by Lipper using the Portfolio’s contractual management fee rate at a hypothetical asset level. The hypothetical asset level is based on the combined net assets of all classes of the Portfolio, rounded up to the next $25 million. Lipper’s total expense ratio information is based on the most recent annual report except as otherwise noted. A ranking of “1” would mean that the Portfolio had the lowest effective fee rate in the Lipper peer group.

 

13   The contractual management fee does not reflect any expense reimbursements made by the Portfolio to the Adviser for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services.

 

14   Except for asset (size) comparability, Lipper uses the same criteria for selecting an EG when selecting an EU. Unlike the EG, the EU allows for the same adviser to be represented by more than just one fund.

 

15   Most recently completed fiscal year end Class A total expense ratio.

 

24


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

charges and services are competitive. These affiliates provide transfer agent, distribution and brokerage related services to the Portfolio and receive transfer agent fees, Rule 12b-1 payments, and brokerage commissions. In addition, the Adviser benefits from soft dollar arrangements which offset expenses the Adviser would otherwise incur.

The Portfolio has adopted a distribution plan for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 40 Act. Under the distribution plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to its principal underwriter, AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (“ABI”), the Portfolio’s distributor and an affiliate of the Adviser, at an annual rate of up to 0.50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The current annual rate that the Portfolio pays to ABI for 12b-1 fees is 0.25%. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, ABI received $74,116 in Rule 12b-1 fees.

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, the Adviser incurred distribution expenses in the amount of $225,253 in connection with activities primarily intended to result in the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. This amount includes the 12b-1 fees paid by the Portfolio to the Adviser.

Financial intermediaries, such as insurers, market and sell shares of the Portfolio and typically receive compensation from ABI, the Advisers and/or the Portfolio for selling shares of the Portfolio. These financial intermediaries receive compensation in any or all of the following forms: 12b-1 fees, defrayal of costs for educational seminars and training, additional distribution support, recordkeeping and/or administrative services. Payments related to providing contract-holder recordkeeping and/or administrative services will generally not exceed 0.35% of the average daily net assets of the Portfolio attributable to the relevant intermediary over the year. With respect to the Fund, which includes the Portfolio and other Portfolios of the Fund not discussed in this summary, ABI paid approximately $600,000 in 2012 and expects to pay approximately $600,000 in 2013 for educational support and distribution assistance (revenue sharing payments).

The transfer agent of the Portfolio is AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”). During the most recently completed fiscal year, ABIS received a fee of $1,385 from the Portfolio.16

The Portfolio effected brokerage transactions through the Adviser’s affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., LLC (“SCB & Co.”) and/or its U.K. affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein Limited (“SCB Ltd.”), collectively “SCB,” and paid commissions during the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year. The Adviser represented that SCB’s profitability from business conducted with the Portfolio is comparable to the profitability of SCB’s dealings with other similar third party clients. In the ordinary course of business, SCB receives and pays liquidity rebates from electronic communications networks (“ECNs”) derived from trading for its clients, including the Portfolio. These credits and charges are not being passed onto any SCB client. The Adviser also receives certain soft dollar benefits from brokers that execute agency trades for the Portfolio and other clients. These soft dollar benefits reduce the Adviser’s cost of doing business and increase its profitability.

V. POSSIBLE ECONOMIES OF SCALE

The Adviser has indicated that economies of scale are being shared with shareholders through pricing to scale, breakpoints, fee reductions/waivers and enhancement to services.

In May 2012, an independent consultant, retained by the Senior Officer, provided the Board of Directors information on the Adviser’s firm-wide average costs from 2005 through 2011 and the potential economies of scale. The independent consultant noted that from 2005 through 2007 the Adviser experienced significant growth in assets under management (“AUM”). During this period, operating expenses increased, in part to keep up with growth, and in part reflecting market returns. However, from 2008 through the first quarter of 2009, AUM rapidly and significantly decreased due to declines in market value and client withdrawals. When AUM rapidly decreased, some operating expenses categories, including base compensation and office space, adjusted more slowly during this period, resulting in an increase in average costs. Since 2009, AUM has experienced less significant changes. The independent consultant noted that changes in operating expenses reflect changes in business composition and business practices in response to changes in financial markets. Finally, the independent consultant concluded that the increase in average cost and the decline in net operating margin across the Adviser since late 2008 are inconsistent with the view that there are currently reductions in average costs due to economies of scale that can be shared with the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds managed by the Adviser through lower fees.

 

16   The Fund, which includes the Portfolio and other Portfolios of the Fund paid ABIS a flat fee of $18,000 in 2012.

 

25


SMALL CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Previously in February 2008, the independent consultant provided the Board of Directors an update of the Deli study on advisory fees and various fund characteristics.17,18 The independent consultant first reiterated the results of his previous two dimensional comparison analysis (fund size and family size) with the Board of Directors.19 The independent consultant then discussed the results of the regression model that was utilized to study the effects of various factors on advisory fees. The regression model output indicated that the bulk of the variation in fees predicted were explained by various factors, but substantially by fund AUM, family AUM, index fund indicator and investment style. The independent consultant also compared the advisory fees of the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds to similar funds managed by 19 other large asset managers, regardless of the fund size and each Adviser’s proportion of mutual fund assets to non-mutual fund assets.

VI. NATURE AND QUALITY OF THE ADVISER’S SERVICES, INCLUDING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PORTFOLIO

With assets under management of approximately $443 billion as of March 31, 2013, the Adviser has the investment experience to manage and provide non-investment services (described in Section I) to the Portfolio.

The information prepared by Lipper shows the 1, 3, 5 and 10 year performance returns and rankings of the Portfolio20 relative to its Lipper Performance Group (“PG”) and Lipper Performance Universe (“PU”)21 for the periods ended February 28, 2013.22

 

     Portfolio (%)     PG
Median (%)
    PU
Median (%)
    PG
Rank
    PU
Rank
 

Small Cap Growth Portfolio

         

1 year

    7.47        9.34        9.35        10/14        27/37   

3 year

    20.19        16.11        15.12        1/14        1/34   

5 year

    10.03        8.30        7.66        2/13        5/32   

10 year

    12.32        11.37        11.37        3/11        7/28   

 

17   The Deli study, originally published in 2002 based on 1997 data and updated for the February 2008 Presentation, may be of diminished value due to the age of the data used in the presentation and the changes experienced in the industry over the last four years.

 

18   As mentioned previously, the Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since the fees may not be the product of negotiations conducted at arm’s length. See Jones V. Harris at 1429.

 

19   The two dimensional analysis showed patterns of lower advisory fees for funds with larger asset sizes and funds from larger family sizes compared to funds with smaller asset sizes and funds from smaller family sizes, which according to the independent consultant is indicative of a sharing of economies of scale and scope. However, in less liquid and active markets, such is not the case, as the empirical analysis showed potential for diseconomies of scale in those markets. The empirical analysis also showed diminishing economies of scale and scope as funds surpassed a certain high level of assets.

 

20   The performance rankings are for the Class A shares of the Portfolio. The Portfolio’s performance returns shown were provided by Lipper.

 

21   The Portfolio’s PG is identical to the Portfolio’s respective EG. The Portfolio’s PU is not identical to the Portfolio’s EU as the criteria for including/excluding a fund from a PU is somewhat different from that of an EU.

 

22   The current Lipper investment classification/objective dictates the PG and PU throughout the life of the fund even if a fund had a different investment classification/objective at a different point in time.

 

26


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Set forth below are the 1, 3, 5, 10 year and since inception performance returns of the Portfolio (in bold)23 versus its benchmark.24 Portfolio and benchmark volatility and reward-to-variability ratio (“Sharpe Ratio”) information is also shown.25

 

    

Periods Ending February 28, 2013

Annualized Performance

 
    

1

Year

(%)

   

3

Year

(%)

   

5

Year

(%)

   

10
Year

(%)

   

Since
Inception

(%)

    Annualized     Risk
Period
(Year)
 
            Volatility
(%)
    Sharpe
(%)
   

Small Cap Growth Portfolio

    7.47        20.19        10.03        12.32        5.45        21.10        0.57        10   

Russell 2000 Growth Index

    11.17        15.77        7.83        11.22        5.42        19.67        0.58        10   

Inception Date: August 5, 1996

               

CONCLUSION:

Based on the factors discussed above the Senior Officer’s conclusion is that the proposed advisory fee for the Portfolio is reasonable and within the range of what would have been negotiated at arm’s-length in light of all the surrounding circumstances. This conclusion in respect of the Portfolio is based on an evaluation of all of these factors and no single factor was dispositive.

Dated: May 29, 2013

 

23   The performance returns and risk measures shown in the table are for the Class A shares of the Portfolio.

 

24   The Adviser provided Portfolio and benchmark performance return information for periods through February 28, 2013.

 

25   Portfolio and benchmark volatility and Sharpe Ratio information was obtained through Lipper LANA, a database maintained by Lipper.Volatility is a statistical measure of the tendency of a market price or yield to vary over time. The Sharpe Ratio is a risk adjusted measure of return that divides a portfolio’s return in excess of the riskless return by the portfolio’s standard deviation. A portfolio with a greater volatility would be viewed as more risky than a portfolio with equivalent performance but lower volatility; for that reason, a greater return would be demanded for the more risky portfolio. A portfolio with a higher Sharpe Ratio would be viewed as better performing than a portfolio with a lower Sharpe Ratio.

 

27


AllianceBernstein

Variable Products Series Fund, Inc.

 

 

 

LOGO   AllianceBernstein Small/Mid Cap Value Portfolio

 

June 30, 2013

 

Semi-Annual Report

 

LOGO

 

SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT


 

 

 

Investment Products Offered

 

  Ø  

Are Not FDIC Insured

  Ø  

May Lose Value

  Ø  

Are Not Bank Guaranteed

AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (ABI) is the distributor of the AllianceBernstein family of mutual funds. ABI is a member of FINRA and is an affiliate of AllianceBernstein L.P., the manager of the funds.

You may obtain a description of the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures, and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, without charge. Simply visit AllianceBernstein’s website at www.alliancebernstein.com or go to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “Commission”) website at www.sec.gov, or call AllianceBernstein at (800) 227-4618.

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Commission for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Fund’s Forms N-Q are available on the Commission’s website at www.sec.gov. The Fund’s Forms N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC; information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330.

AllianceBernstein® and the AB Logo are registered trademarks and service marks used by permission of the owner, AllianceBernstein L.P.


 
SMALL/MID CAP VALUE PORTFOLIO
EXPENSE EXAMPLE (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments, contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution (12b-1) fees; and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund 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 as indicated below.

Actual Expenses

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. The estimate of expenses does not include fees or other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes

The table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed annual rate of return of 5% before expenses, which is not the Fund’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 costs of investing in the Fund and other funds by comparing this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds. The estimate of expenses does not include fees or other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads), or contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions. Therefore, the second line of each class’ table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

      Beginning
Account Value
January 1, 2013
     Ending
Account Value
June 30, 2013
     Expenses Paid
During Period*
     Annualized
Expense Ratio*
 

Class A

           

Actual

   $   1,000       $   1,175.40       $   4.37         0.81

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $ 1,000       $ 1,020.78       $ 4.06         0.81
           

Class B

           

Actual

   $ 1,000       $ 1,173.50       $ 5.71         1.06

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $ 1,000       $ 1,019.54       $ 5.31         1.06

 

 

 

*   Expenses are equal to each classes’ annualized expense ratios, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 181/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).

 

1


SMALL/MID CAP VALUE PORTFOLIO
TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS*  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

COMPANY    U.S. $  VALUE        PERCENT OF NET ASSETS  

Men’s Wearhouse, Inc. (The)

   $ 9,318,291           1.6

Arrow Electronics, Inc.

     8,928,392           1.5   

Zions Bancorporation

     8,834,681           1.5   

Health Net, Inc./CA

     8,765,137           1.5   

TRW Automotive Holdings Corp.

     8,598,665           1.5   

Huntington Bancshares, Inc./OH

     8,521,590           1.5   

NV Energy, Inc.

     8,428,943           1.5   

Fidelity National Financial, Inc.—Class A

     8,409,216           1.4   

Popular, Inc.

     8,333,167           1.4   

Regal Entertainment Group—Class A

     8,252,795           1.4   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 
     $   86,390,877           14.8

SECTOR BREAKDOWN**

June 30, 2013 (unaudited)

 

 

SECTOR    U.S. $ VALUE        PERCENT OF TOTAL INVESTMENTS  

Financials

   $ 151,013,589           25.8

Information Technology

     113,385,980           19.3   

Consumer Discretionary

     106,804,844           18.2   

Industrials

     61,752,648           10.5   

Materials

     42,763,345           7.3   

Energy

     42,162,312           7.2   

Utilities

     29,386,573           5.0   

Health Care

     24,977,109           4.3   

Consumer Staples

     5,515,267           0.9   

Short-Term Investments

     8,848,684           1.5   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Investments

   $   586,610,351           100.0

 

 

 

*   Long-term investments.

 

**   The Portfolio’s sector breakdown is expressed as a percentage of total investments (excluding security lending collateral) and may vary over time.

Please note: The sector classifications presented herein are based on the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) which was developed by Morgan Stanley Capital International and Standard & Poor’s. The components are divided into sector, industry group, and industry sub-indices as classified by the GICS for each of the market capitalization indices in the broad market. These sector classifications are broadly defined. The “Portfolio of Investments” section of the report reflects more specific industry information and is consistent with the investment restrictions discussed in the Portfolio’s prospectus.

 

2


SMALL/MID CAP VALUE PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
  Shares     U.S. $ Value  
   

COMMON STOCKS–98.8%

   
   

FINANCIALS–25.8%

   

CAPITAL MARKETS–1.1%

   

E*Trade Financial Corp.(a)

    498,800      $ 6,314,808   
   

 

 

 

COMMERCIAL
BANKS–10.1%

   

Associated Banc-Corp

    290,280        4,513,854   

CapitalSource, Inc.

    589,350        5,528,103   

Comerica, Inc.

    200,710        7,994,279   

First Niagara Financial Group, Inc.

    779,010        7,844,631   

Huntington Bancshares, Inc./OH

    1,081,420        8,521,590   

Popular, Inc.(a)

    274,750        8,333,167   

Susquehanna Bancshares, Inc.

    341,864        4,392,952   

Webster Financial Corp.

    131,670        3,381,286   

Zions Bancorporation

    305,910        8,834,681   
   

 

 

 
      59,344,543   
   

 

 

 

INSURANCE–8.6%

   

Aspen Insurance Holdings Ltd.

    219,660        8,147,189   

Fidelity National Financial, Inc.–Class A

    353,180        8,409,216   

Genworth Financial, Inc.–
Class A(a)

    564,360        6,439,348   

Reinsurance Group of America, Inc.–Class A

    85,420        5,903,376   

Torchmark Corp.

    113,650        7,403,161   

Unum Group

    224,600        6,596,502   

Validus Holdings Ltd.

    212,050        7,659,246   
   

 

 

 
      50,558,038   
   

 

 

 

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT
TRUSTS (REITs)–6.0%

   

BioMed Realty Trust, Inc.

    222,950        4,510,278   

Camden Property Trust

    51,650        3,571,081   

LTC Properties, Inc.

    146,450        5,718,872   

Medical Properties Trust, Inc.

    354,560        5,077,299   

Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc.

    52,240        3,540,305   

Plum Creek Timber Co., Inc.

    92,810        4,331,443   

RLJ Lodging Trust

    357,800        8,046,922   
   

 

 

 
      34,796,200   
   

 

 

 
      151,013,589   
   

 

 

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY–19.4%

   

COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT–0.8%

   

Harris Corp.

    89,010        4,383,743   
   

 

 

 

ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT, INSTRUMENTS &
COMPONENTS–9.1%

   

Anixter International, Inc.(a)

    73,540        5,575,067   

Arrow Electronics, Inc.(a)

    224,050        8,928,392   

AU Optronics Corp. (Sponsored ADR)(a)

    969,352        3,353,958   

Avnet, Inc.(a)

    232,320        7,805,952   

Flextronics International Ltd.(a)

    509,280        3,941,827   

Insight Enterprises, Inc.(a)

    307,184        5,449,444   

Jabil Circuit, Inc.

    327,820        6,680,972   
   

TTM Technologies, Inc.(a)

    477,922      $ 4,014,545   

Vishay Intertechnology, Inc.(a)

    548,010        7,611,859   
   

 

 

 
      53,362,016   
   

 

 

 

IT SERVICES–2.6%

   

Amdocs Ltd.

    215,220        7,982,510   

Convergys Corp.

    293,370        5,113,439   

VeriFone Systems, Inc.(a)

    117,804        1,980,285   
   

 

 

 
      15,076,234   
   

 

 

 

SEMICONDUCTORS & SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT–5.6%

   

Amkor Technology, Inc.(a)(b)

    567,970        2,391,153   

Entegris, Inc.(a)

    681,500        6,399,285   

Lam Research Corp.(a)

    159,150        7,056,711   

Micron Technology, Inc.(a)

    391,230        5,606,326   

MKS Instruments, Inc.

    156,118        4,143,372   

SunEdison, Inc.(a)

    909,930        7,434,128   
   

 

 

 
      33,030,975   
   

 

 

 

SOFTWARE–1.3%

   

Electronic Arts, Inc.(a)

    327,950        7,533,012   
   

 

 

 
      113,385,980   
   

 

 

 

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY–18.3%

   

AUTO COMPONENTS–4.7%

   

Dana Holding Corp.

    287,800        5,543,028   

Lear Corp.

    123,260        7,452,300   

Tenneco, Inc.(a)

    124,850        5,653,208   

TRW Automotive Holdings Corp.(a)

    129,420        8,598,665   
   

 

 

 
      27,247,201   
   

 

 

 

AUTOMOBILES–1.3%

   

Thor Industries, Inc.

    153,010        7,525,032   
   

 

 

 

HOTELS, RESTAURANTS & LEISURE–2.2%

   

MGM Resorts International(a)

    470,010        6,946,748   

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

    180,280        6,010,535   
   

 

 

 
      12,957,283   
   

 

 

 

HOUSEHOLD DURABLES–3.4%

   

Meritage Homes Corp.(a)

    169,820        7,363,395   

NVR, Inc.(a)

    5,488        5,059,936   

PulteGroup, Inc.(a)

    384,050        7,285,429   
   

 

 

 
      19,708,760   
   

 

 

 

MEDIA–2.1%

   

Gannett Co., Inc.

    160,890        3,935,369   

Regal Entertainment Group–Class A

    461,050        8,252,795   
   

 

 

 
      12,188,164   
   

 

 

 

SPECIALTY RETAIL–3.4%

   

Abercrombie & Fitch Co.– Class A

    23,210        1,050,253   

GameStop Corp.–Class A

    93,170        3,915,935   

Men’s Wearhouse, Inc. (The)

    246,190        9,318,291   

Office Depot, Inc.(a)

    1,451,460        5,617,150   
   

 

 

 
      19,901,629   
   

 

 

 

 

3


SMALL/MID CAP VALUE PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

    
    
    
Company
  Shares     U.S. $ Value  
   

TEXTILES, APPAREL & LUXURY GOODS–1.2%

   

Jones Group, Inc. (The)

    529,220      $ 7,276,775   
   

 

 

 
      106,804,844   
   

 

 

 

INDUSTRIALS–10.6%

   

COMMERCIAL SERVICES & SUPPLIES–2.3%

   

Avery Dennison Corp.

    156,420        6,688,519   

Steelcase, Inc.

    444,520        6,481,102   
   

 

 

 
      13,169,621   
   

 

 

 

CONSTRUCTION & ENGINEERING–1.7%

   

Granite Construction, Inc.

    202,130        6,015,389   

Tutor Perini Corp.(a)

    225,240        4,074,591   
   

 

 

 
      10,089,980   
   

 

 

 

ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT–1.7%

   

EnerSys, Inc.

    68,000        3,334,720   

General Cable Corp.

    213,350        6,560,513   
   

 

 

 
      9,895,233   
   

 

 

 

MACHINERY–2.5%

   

Terex Corp.(a)

    246,870        6,492,681   

Timken Co.

    143,680        8,086,310   
   

 

 

 
      14,578,991   
   

 

 

 

ROAD & RAIL–1.3%

   

Con-way, Inc.

    202,350        7,883,556   
   

 

 

 

TRADING COMPANIES & DISTRIBUTORS–1.1%

   

Aircastle Ltd.

    383,694        6,135,267   
   

 

 

 
      61,752,648   
   

 

 

 

MATERIALS–7.3%

   

CHEMICALS–3.2%

   

Axiall Corp.

    127,590        5,432,782   

Chemtura Corp.(a)

    327,370        6,645,611   

Huntsman Corp.

    412,820        6,836,300   
   

 

 

 
      18,914,693   
   

 

 

 

CONTAINERS &
PACKAGING–0.8%

   

Graphic Packaging Holding Co.(a)

    584,010        4,520,237   
   

 

 

 

METALS & MINING–3.3%

   

Commercial Metals Co.

    450,020        6,646,795   

Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.

    94,685        6,207,549   

Steel Dynamics, Inc.

    434,210        6,474,071   
   

 

 

 
      19,328,415   
   

 

 

 
      42,763,345   
   

 

 

 

ENERGY–7.2%

   

ENERGY EQUIPMENT & SERVICES–3.2%

   

Bristow Group, Inc.

    81,160        5,301,371   

Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc.(a)

    318,460        7,337,319   

Helmerich & Payne, Inc.

    101,980        6,368,651   
   

 

 

 
      19,007,341   
   

 

 

 
    
    
    
Company
  Shares     U.S. $ Value  
   

OIL, GAS & CONSUMABLE FUELS–4.0%

   

Bill Barrett Corp.(a)(b)

    260,370      $ 5,264,681   

Cimarex Energy Co.

    112,420        7,306,176   

Stone Energy Corp.(a)

    160,420        3,534,053   

Western Refining, Inc.

    251,160        7,050,061   
   

 

 

 
      23,154,971   
   

 

 

 
      42,162,312   
   

 

 

 

UTILITIES–5.0%

   

ELECTRIC UTILITIES–2.6%

   

NV Energy, Inc.

    359,290        8,428,943   

PNM Resources, Inc.

    307,830        6,830,748   
   

 

 

 
      15,259,691   
   

 

 

 

GAS UTILITIES–2.4%

   

Atmos Energy Corp.

    160,430        6,587,256   

UGI Corp.

    192,780        7,539,626   
   

 

 

 
      14,126,882   
   

 

 

 
      29,386,573   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE–4.3%

   

HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS & SERVICES–4.3%

   

Health Net, Inc./CA(a)

    275,460        8,765,137   

LifePoint Hospitals, Inc.(a)

    165,555        8,085,706   

Universal Health Services, Inc.–Class B

    121,360        8,126,266   
   

 

 

 
      24,977,109   
   

 

 

 

CONSUMER STAPLES–0.9%

   

FOOD PRODUCTS–0.9%

   

Dole Food Co., Inc.(a)

    432,570        5,515,267   
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks
(cost $472,042,305)

      577,761,667   
   

 

 

 
    Principal
Amount
(000)
       

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS–1.5%

   

TIME DEPOSIT–1.5%

   

State Street Time Deposit
0.01%, 7/01/13
(cost $8,848,684)

  $   8,849        8,848,684   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS BEFORE SECURITY LENDING COLLATERAL FOR SECURITIES LOANED–100.3%
(cost $480,890,989)

      586,610,351   
   

 

 

 

 

4


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    
    
    
Company
  Shares     U.S. $ Value  
   

INVESTMENTS OF CASH COLLATERAL FOR SECURITIES
LOANED–1.5%

   

INVESTMENT
COMPANIES–1.5%

   

AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves–Class I,
0.07%(c)
(cost $8,911,077)

    8,911,077      $ 8,911,077   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL
INVESTMENTS–101.8%
(cost $489,802,066)

      595,521,428   

Other assets less
liabilities–(1.8)%

      (10,472,202
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS–100.0%

    $   585,049,226   
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

(a)   Non-income producing security.

 

(b)   Represents entire or partial securities out on loan. See Note E for securities lending information.

 

(c)   Investment in affiliated money market mutual fund. The rate shown represents the 7-day yield as of period end.

Glossary:

ADR—American Depositary Receipt

See notes to financial statements.

 

5


SMALL/MID CAP VALUE PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

ASSETS

  

Investments in securities, at value

  

Unaffiliated issuers (cost $480,890,989)

   $ 586,610,351 (a) 

Affiliated issuers (cost $8,911,077—investment of cash collateral for securities loaned)

     8,911,077   

Receivable for investment securities sold

     3,048,435   

Dividends and interest receivable

     519,604   

Receivable for capital stock sold

     485,528   
  

 

 

 

Total assets

     599,574,995   
  

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

  

Payable for collateral received on securities loaned

     7,005,597   

Payable for investment securities purchased

     4,607,946   

Collateral due to Securities Lending Agent

     1,905,480   

Payable for capital stock redeemed

     496,905   

Advisory fee payable

     336,314   

Distribution fee payable

     77,256   

Administrative fee payable

     7,807   

Transfer Agent fee payable

     154   

Accrued expenses

     88,310   
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     14,525,769   
  

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 585,049,226   
  

 

 

 

COMPOSITION OF NET ASSETS

  

Capital stock, at par

   $ 28,305   

Additional paid-in capital

     410,070,323   

Undistributed net investment income

     4,966,496   

Accumulated net realized gain on investment transactions

     64,264,740   

Net unrealized appreciation on investments

     105,719,362   
  

 

 

 
   $ 585,049,226   
  

 

 

 

Net Asset Value Per Share—1 billion shares of capital stock authorized, $.001 par value

 

Class      Net Assets        Shares
Outstanding
       Net Asset
Value
 

A

     $ 181,098,910           8,721,186         $ 20.77   

B

     $   403,950,316           19,583,466         $   20.63   

 

 

 

(a)   Includes securities on loan with a value of $6,675,610 (see Note E).

See notes to financial statements.

 

6


SMALL/MID CAP VALUE PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS  
Six Months Ended June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

  

Dividends

  

Unaffiliated issuers

   $ 4,427,608   

Affiliated issuers

     6,469   

Interest

     464   

Securities lending income

     97,143   
  

 

 

 
     4,531,684   
  

 

 

 

EXPENSES

  

Advisory fee (see Note B)

     2,096,889   

Distribution fee—Class B

     481,277   

Transfer agency—Class A

     1,177   

Transfer agency—Class B

     2,600   

Custodian

     61,020   

Printing

     42,068   

Administrative

     22,018   

Legal

     19,476   

Audit

     18,856   

Directors’ fees

     2,265   

Miscellaneous

     6,701   
  

 

 

 

Total expenses

     2,754,347   
  

 

 

 

Net investment income

     1,777,337   
  

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN ON INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS

  

Net realized gain on investment transactions

     32,439,917   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments

     53,158,632   
  

 

 

 

Net gain on investment transactions

     85,598,549   
  

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

   $ 87,375,886   
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

7


 
SMALL/MID CAP VALUE PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

     Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 

INCREASE IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

    

Net investment income

   $ 1,777,337      $ 2,906,031   

Net realized gain on investment transactions

     32,439,917        34,604,067   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments

     53,158,632        45,967,479   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets from operations

     87,375,886        83,477,577   

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM

    

Net investment income

    

Class A

     –0 –      (851,210

Class B

     –0 –      (968,496

Net realized gain on investment transactions

    

Class A

     –0 –      (4,960,815

Class B

     –0 –      (10,712,748

CAPITAL STOCK TRANSACTIONS

    

Net decrease

     (6,942,548     (37,267,033
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total increase

     80,433,338        28,717,275   

NET ASSETS

    

Beginning of period

     504,615,888        475,898,613   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period (including undistributed net investment income of $4,966,496 and $3,189,159, respectively)

   $ 585,049,226      $ 504,615,888   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

8


SMALL/MID CAP VALUE PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE A: Significant Accounting Policies

The AllianceBernstein Small/Mid Cap Value Portfolio (the “Portfolio”) is a series of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”). The Portfolio’s investment objective is long-term growth of capital. The Portfolio is diversified as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Fund was incorporated in the State of Maryland on November 17, 1987, as an open-end series investment company. The Fund offers thirteen separately managed pools of assets which have differing investment objectives and policies. The Portfolio offers Class A and Class B shares. Both classes of shares have identical voting, dividend, liquidating and other rights, except that Class B shares bear a distribution expense and have exclusive voting rights with respect to the Class B distribution plan.

The Portfolio offers and sells its shares only to separate accounts of certain life insurance companies for the purpose of funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies. Sales are made without a sales charge at the Portfolio’s net asset value per share.

The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) which require management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Portfolio.

1. Security Valuation

Portfolio securities are valued at their current market value determined on the basis of market quotations or, if market quotations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable, at “fair value” as determined in accordance with procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Fund’s Board of Directors (the “Board”).

In general, the market values of securities which are readily available and deemed reliable are determined as follows: securities listed on a national securities exchange (other than securities listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. (“NASDAQ”)) or on a foreign securities exchange are valued at the last sale price at the close of the exchange or foreign securities exchange. If there has been no sale on such day, the securities are valued at the last traded price from the previous day. Securities listed on more than one exchange are valued by reference to the principal exchange on which the securities are traded; securities listed only on NASDAQ are valued in accordance with the NASDAQ Official Closing Price; listed or over the counter (“OTC”) market put or call options are valued at the mid level between the current bid and ask prices. If either a current bid or current ask price is unavailable, AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) will have discretion to determine the best valuation (e.g. last trade price in the case of listed options); open futures are valued using the closing settlement price or, in the absence of such a price, the most recent quoted bid price. If there are no quotations available for the day of valuation, the last available closing settlement price is used; U.S. government securities and other debt instruments having 60 days or less remaining until maturity are valued at amortized cost if their original maturity was 60 days or less; or by amortizing their fair value as of the 61st day prior to maturity if their original term to maturity exceeded 60 days; fixed-income securities, including mortgage backed and asset backed securities, may be valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service or at a price obtained from one or more of the major broker/dealers. In cases where broker/dealer quotes are obtained, the Adviser may establish procedures whereby changes in market yields or spreads are used to adjust, on a daily basis, a recently obtained quoted price on a security. Swaps and other derivatives are valued daily, primarily using independent pricing services, independent pricing models using market inputs, as well as third party broker-dealers or counterparties. Investments in money market funds are valued at their net asset value each day.

Securities for which market quotations are not readily available (including restricted securities) or are deemed unreliable are valued at fair value. Factors considered in making this determination may include, but are not limited to, information obtained by contacting the issuer, analysts, analysis of the issuer’s financial statements or other available documents. In addition, the Portfolio may use fair value pricing for securities primarily traded in non-U.S. markets because most foreign markets close well before the Portfolio values its securities at 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The earlier close of these foreign markets gives rise to the possibility that significant events, including broad market moves, may have occurred in the interim and may materially affect the value of those securities. To account for this, the Portfolio may frequently value many of its foreign equity securities using fair value prices based on third party vendor modeling tools to the extent available.

2. Fair Value Measurements

In accordance with U.S. GAAP regarding fair value measurements, fair value is defined as the price that the Portfolio would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement

 

9


SMALL/MID CAP VALUE PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

date. U.S. GAAP establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and a three-level hierarchy for fair value measurements based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability (including those valued based on their market values as described in Note A. 1 above). Inputs may be observable or unobservable and refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Portfolio. Unobservable inputs reflect the Portfolio’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on the best information available in the circumstances. Each investment is assigned a level based upon the observability of the inputs which are significant to the overall valuation. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized below.

 

   

Level 1—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 Portfolio’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

Where readily available market prices or relevant bid prices are not available for certain equity investments, such investments may be valued based on similar publicly traded investments, movements in relevant indices since last available prices or based upon underlying company fundamentals and comparable company data (such as multiples to earnings or other multiples to equity). Where an investment is valued using an observable input, such as another publicly traded security, the investment will be classified as Level 2. If management determines that an adjustment is appropriate based on restrictions on resale, illiquidity or uncertainty, and such adjustment is a significant component of the valuation, the investment will be classified as Level 3. An investment will also be classified as Level 3 where management uses company fundamentals and other significant inputs to determine the valuation.

The following table summarizes the valuation of the Portfolio’s investments by the above fair value hierarchy levels as of June 30, 2013:

 

     Level 1     Level 2     Level 3     Total  

Investments in Securities:

        

Assets:

        

Common Stocks*

   $ 577,761,667      $ –0 –    $ –0 –    $ 577,761,667   

Short-Term Investments

     –0 –      8,848,684        –0 –      8,848,684   

Investments of Cash Collateral for Securities Loaned in Affiliated Money Market Fund

     8,911,077        –0 –      –0 –      8,911,077   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Investments in Securities

     586,672,744        8,848,684        –0 –      595,521,428   

Other Financial Instruments**

     –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 – 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total^

   $ 586,672,744      $ 8,848,684      $              –0 –    $ 595,521,428   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

*   See Portfolio of Investments for sector classifications.

 

**   Other financial instruments are derivative instruments, such as futures, forwards and swaps, which are valued at the unrealized appreciation/depreciation on the instrument.

 

^   There were no transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 during the reporting period.

The Portfolio recognizes all transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy assuming the financial instruments were transferred at the beginning of the reporting period.

The Adviser has established a Valuation Committee (the “Committee”) which is responsible for overseeing the pricing and valuation of all securities held in the Portfolio. The Committee operates under pricing and valuation policies and procedures established by the Adviser and approved by the Board, including pricing policies which set forth the mechanisms and processes to be employed on a daily basis to implement these policies and procedures. In particular, the pricing policies describe how to determine market quotations for securities and other instruments. The Committee’s responsibilities include: 1) fair value and liquidity determinations (and oversight of any third parties to whom any responsibility for fair value and liquidity determinations is delegated), and 2) regular monitoring of the Adviser’s pricing and valuation policies and procedures and modification or enhancement of these policies and procedures (or recommendation of the modification of these policies and procedures) as the Committee believes appropriate.

 

10


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Committee is also responsible for monitoring the implementation of the pricing policies by the Adviser’s Pricing Group (the “Pricing Group”) and a third party which performs certain pricing functions in accordance with the pricing policies. The Pricing Group is responsible for the oversight of the third party on a day-to-day basis. The Committee and the Pricing Group perform a series of activities to provide reasonable assurance of the accuracy of prices including: 1) periodic vendor due diligence meetings, review of methodologies, new developments and process at vendors, 2) daily compare of security valuation versus prior day for all securities that exceeded established thresholds, and 3) daily review of unpriced, stale, and variance reports with exceptions reviewed by senior management and the Committee.

In addition, several processes outside of the pricing process are used to monitor valuation issues including: 1) performance and performance attribution reports are monitored for anomalous impacts based upon benchmark performance, and 2) portfolio managers review all portfolios for performance and analytics (which are generated using the Adviser’s prices).

3. Currency Translation

Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies and commitments under forward currency exchange contracts are translated into U.S. dollars at the mean of the quoted bid and ask prices of such currencies against the U.S. dollar. Purchases and sales of portfolio securities are translated into U.S. dollars at the rates of exchange prevailing when such securities were acquired or sold. Income and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars at rates of exchange prevailing when accrued.

Net realized gain or loss on foreign currency transactions represents foreign exchange gains and losses from sales and maturities of foreign fixed income investments, foreign currency exchange contracts, holding of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on foreign investment transactions, and the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the Portfolio’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized currency gains and losses from valuing foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities at period end exchange rates are reflected as a component of net unrealized appreciation or depreciation of foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities.

4. Taxes

It is the Portfolio’s policy to meet the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute all of its investment company taxable income and net realized gains, if any, to shareholders. Therefore, no provisions for federal income or excise taxes are required. The Portfolio may be subject to taxes imposed by countries in which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on income and/or capital gains earned or repatriated. Taxes are accrued and applied to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized appreciation/depreciation as such income and/or gains are earned.

In accordance with U.S. GAAP requirements regarding accounting for uncertainties in income taxes, management has analyzed the Portfolio’s tax positions taken or expected to be taken on federal and state income tax returns for all open tax years (the current and the prior three tax years) and has concluded that no provision for income tax is required in the Portfolio’s financial statements.

5. Investment Income and Investment Transactions

Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date or as soon as the Portfolio is informed of the dividend. Interest income is accrued daily. Investment transactions are accounted for on the date the securities are purchased or sold. Investment gains or losses are determined on the identified cost basis. The Portfolio amortizes premiums and accretes discounts as adjustments to interest income.

6. Class Allocations

All income earned and expenses incurred by the Portfolio are borne on a pro-rata basis by each outstanding class of shares, based on the proportionate interest in the Portfolio represented by the net assets of such class, except for class specific expenses which are allocated to the respective class. Realized and unrealized gains and losses are allocated among the various share classes based on respective net assets.

7. Dividends and Distributions

Dividends and distributions to shareholders, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income dividends and capital gains distributions are determined in accordance with federal tax regulations and may differ from those determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. To the extent these differences are permanent, such amounts are reclassified within the capital accounts based on their federal tax basis treatment; temporary differences do not require such reclassification.

 

11


SMALL/MID CAP VALUE PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE B: Advisory Fee and Other Transactions with Affiliates

Under the terms of the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio pays the Adviser an advisory fee at an annual rate of .75% of the first $2.5 billion, .65% of the next $2.5 billion and .60% in excess of $5 billion, of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets. The fee is accrued daily and paid monthly. The Adviser has agreed to waive its fees and bear certain expenses to the extent necessary to limit total operating expenses on an annual basis to 1.20% and 1.45% of daily average net assets for Class A and Class B shares, respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, there were no expenses waived by the Adviser.

Pursuant to the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio may reimburse the Adviser for certain legal and accounting services provided to the Portfolio by the Adviser. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, the reimbursement for such services amounted to $22,018.

Brokerage commissions paid on investment transactions for the six months ended June 30, 2013 amounted to $504,801, of which $0 and $0, respectively, was paid to Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. LLC and Sanford C. Bernstein Limited, affiliates of the Adviser.

The Portfolio compensates AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, under a Transfer Agency Agreement for providing personnel and facilities to perform transfer agency services for the Portfolio. Such compensation retained by ABIS amounted to $692 for the six months ended June 30, 2013.

NOTE C: Distribution Plan

The Portfolio has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Under the Plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (the “Distributor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, at an annual rate of up to .50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The fees are accrued daily and paid monthly. The Board currently limits payments under the Plan to .25% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The Plan provides that the Distributor will use such payments in their entirety for distribution assistance and promotional activities.

The Portfolio is not obligated under the Plan to pay any distribution and servicing fees in excess of the amounts set forth above. The purpose of the payments to the Distributor under the Plan is to compensate the Distributor for its distribution services with respect to the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. Since the Distributor’s compensation is not directly tied to its expenses, the amount of compensation received by it under the Plan during any year may be more or less than its actual expenses. For this reason, the Plan is characterized by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission as being of the “compensation” variety.

In the event that the Plan is terminated or not continued, no distribution or servicing fees (other than current amounts accrued but not yet paid) would be owed by the Portfolio to the Distributor.

The Plan also provides that the Adviser may use its own resources to finance the distribution of the Portfolio’s shares.

NOTE D: Investment Transactions

Purchases and sales of investment securities (excluding short-term investments) for the six months ended June 30, 2013 were as follows:

 

     Purchases     Sales  

Investment securities (excluding U.S. government securities)

   $ 155,158,452      $ 162,179,148   

U.S. government securities

     –0 –      –0 – 

The cost of investments for federal income tax purposes was substantially the same as the cost for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, gross unrealized appreciation and unrealized depreciation are as follows:

 

Gross unrealized appreciation

   $  116,076,155   

Gross unrealized depreciation

     (10,356,793
  

 

 

 

Net unrealized appreciation

   $ 105,719,362   
  

 

 

 

 

12


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

1. Derivative Financial Instruments

The Portfolio may use derivatives in an effort to earn income and enhance returns, to replace more traditional direct investments, to obtain exposure to otherwise inaccessible markets (collectively, “investment purposes”), or to hedge or adjust the risk profile of its portfolio.

The Portfolio did not engage in derivatives transactions for the six months ended June 30, 2013.

2. Currency Transactions

The Portfolio may invest in non-U.S. Dollar securities on a currency hedged or unhedged basis. The Portfolio may seek investment opportunities by taking long or short positions in currencies through the use of currency-related derivatives, including forward currency exchange contracts, futures and options on futures, swaps, and other options. The Portfolio may enter into transactions for investment opportunities when it anticipates that a foreign currency will appreciate or depreciate in value but securities denominated in that currency are not held by the Portfolio and do not present attractive investment opportunities. Such transactions may also be used when the Adviser believes that it may be more efficient than a direct investment in a foreign currency-denominated security. The Portfolio may also conduct currency exchange contracts on a spot basis (i.e., for cash at the spot rate prevailing in the currency exchange market for buying or selling currencies).

NOTE E: Securities Lending

The Portfolio may enter into securities lending transactions. Under the Portfolio’s securities lending program, all loans of securities will be collateralized continually by cash. The Portfolio will be compensated for the loan from a portion of the net return from the income earned on cash collateral after a rebate is paid to the borrower (in some cases, this rebate may be a “negative rebate” or fee paid by the borrower to the Portfolio in connection with the loan), and payments are made for fees of the securities lending agent and for certain other administrative expenses. It is the policy of the Portfolio to receive collateral consisting of cash in an amount exceeding the value of the securities loaned. The Portfolio will have the right to call a loan and obtain the securities loaned at any time on notice to the borrower within the normal and customary settlement time for the securities. While the securities are on loan, the borrower is obligated to pay the Portfolio amounts equal to any income or other distributions from the securities. The Portfolio will not have the right to vote any securities during the existence of a loan, but will have the right to regain ownership of loaned securities in order to exercise voting or other ownership rights. The lending agent has agreed to indemnify the Portfolio in the case of default of any securities borrower. Collateral received and securities loaned are marked to market daily to ensure that the securities loaned are secured by collateral. The lending agent will invest the cash collateral received in AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves, an eligible money market vehicle, in accordance with the investment restrictions of the Portfolio, and as approved by the Board. The collateral received on securities loaned is recorded as an asset as well as a corresponding liability in the statement of assets and liabilities. When the Portfolio lends securities, its investment performance will continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned. At June 30, 2013, the Portfolio had securities on loan with a value of $6,675,610 and had received cash collateral which has been invested into AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves of $8,911,077. The cash collateral will be adjusted on the next business day to maintain the required collateral amount. The Portfolio earned securities lending income of $97,143 and $6,469 from the borrowers and AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2013; these amounts are reflected in the statement of operations. A principal risk of lending portfolio securities is that the borrower will fail to return the loaned securities upon termination of the loan and that the collateral will not be sufficient to replace the loaned securities. A summary of the Portfolio’s transactions in shares of AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves for the six months ended June 30, 2013 is as follows:

 

Market Value

December 31, 2012

(000)

   

Purchases

at Cost

(000)

   

Sales

Proceeds

(000)

   

Market Value

June 30, 2013

(000)

   

Dividend

Income

(000)

 
$ 6,422      $ 55,874      $ 53,385      $ 8,911      $ 6   

 

13


SMALL/MID CAP VALUE PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE F: Capital Stock

Each class consists of 500,000,000 authorized shares. Transactions in capital shares for each class were as follows:

 

    SHARES         AMOUNT  
    Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
        Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 

Class A

         

Shares sold

    1,222,695        1,122,960        $ 24,220,247      $ 18,970,347   

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends and distributions

    –0 –      356,566          –0 –      5,812,025   

Shares redeemed

    (1,375,977     (2,421,507       (27,316,494     (40,598,442
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease

    (153,282     (941,981     $ (3,096,247   $ (15,816,070
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Class B

         

Shares sold

    1,736,290        2,003,207        $ 34,282,587      $ 33,615,199   

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends and distributions

    –0 –      720,176          –0 –      11,681,244   

Shares redeemed

    (1,940,060     (4,017,175       (38,128,888     (66,747,406
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease

    (203,770     (1,293,792     $ (3,846,301   $ (21,450,963
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

NOTE G: Risks Involved in Investing in the Portfolio

Foreign Securities Risk—Investing in securities of foreign companies or foreign governments involves special risks which include changes in foreign currency exchange rates and the possibility of future political and economic developments which could adversely affect the value of such securities. Moreover, securities of many foreign companies or foreign governments and their markets may be less liquid and their prices more volatile than those of comparable U.S. companies or of the U.S. government.

Currency Risk—This is the risk that changes in foreign currency exchange rates may negatively affect the value of the Portfolio’s investments or reduce the returns of the Portfolio. For example, the value of the Portfolio’s investments in foreign currency-denominated securities or currencies may decrease if the U.S. Dollar is strong (i.e., gaining value relative to other currencies) and other currencies are weak (i.e., losing value relative to the U.S. Dollar). Currency markets are generally not as regulated as securities markets. Independent of the Portfolio’s investments denominated in foreign currencies, the Portfolio’s positions in various foreign currencies may cause the Portfolio to experience investment losses due to the changes in exchange rates and interest rates.

Derivatives Risk—The Portfolio may enter into derivative transactions such as forwards, options, futures and swaps. Derivatives may be illiquid, difficult to price, and leveraged so that small changes may produce disproportionate losses for the Portfolio, and subject to counterparty risk to a greater degree than more traditional investments. Derivatives may result in significant losses, including losses that are far greater than the value of the derivatives reflected in the statement of assets and liabilities.

Indemnification Risk—In the ordinary course of business, the Portfolio enters into contracts that contain a variety of indemnifications. The Portfolio’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown. However, the Portfolio has not had prior claims or losses pursuant to these indemnification provisions and expects the risk of loss thereunder to be remote. Therefore, the Portfolio has not accrued any liability in connection with these indemnification provisions.

NOTE H: Joint Credit Facility

A number of open-end mutual funds managed by the Adviser, including the Portfolio, participate in a $140 million revolving credit facility (the “Facility”) intended to provide short-term financing, if necessary, subject to certain restrictions in connection with abnormal redemption activity. Commitment fees related to the Facility are paid by the participating funds and are included in miscellaneous expenses in the statement of operations. The Portfolio did not utilize the Facility during the six months ended June 30, 2013.

 

14


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE I: Distributions to Shareholders

The tax character of distributions to be paid for the year ending December 31, 2013 will be determined at the end of the current fiscal year. The tax character of distributions paid during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 were as follows:

 

     2012      2011  

Distributions paid from:

     

Ordinary income

   $ 1,817,886       $ 1,713,105   

Net long-term capital gains

     15,675,383         –0 – 
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total taxable distributions paid

   $ 17,493,269       $ 1,713,105   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2012, the components of accumulated earnings/(deficit) on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed ordinary income

   $ 15,327,358   

Undistributed net capital gain

     22,855,201   

Unrealized appreciation/(depreciation)

     49,392,153 (a) 
  

 

 

 

Total accumulated earnings/(deficit)

   $ 87,574,712   
  

 

 

 

 

(a)   The differences between book-basis and tax-basis unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) are attributable primarily to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales and return of capital distributions received from underlying securities.

For tax purposes, net capital losses may be carried over to offset future capital gains, if any. Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, funds are permitted to carry forward capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 for an indefinite period. These post-enactment capital losses must be utilized prior to the pre-enactment capital losses, which are subject to expiration. Post-enactment capital loss carryforwards will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses rather than being considered short-term as under previous regulation. As of December 31, 2012, the Portfolio did not have any capital loss carryforwards.

NOTE J: Subsequent Events

Management has evaluated subsequent events for possible recognition or disclosure in the financial statements through the date the financial statements are issued. Management has determined that there are no material events that would require disclosure in the Portfolio’s financial statements through this date.

 

15


 
SMALL/MID CAP VALUE PORTFOLIO
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    CLASS A  
    Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2013

(unaudited)
    Year Ended December 31,  
      2012     2011     2010     2009     2008  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $17.67        $15.46        $16.95        $13.41        $9.92        $17.11   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Income From Investment Operations

           

Net investment income (a)

    .08        .13        .09        .08        .08        .13   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions

    3.02        2.72        (1.50     3.52        4.01        (5.63
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

    3.10        2.85        (1.41     3.60        4.09        (5.50
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Less: Dividends and Distributions

           

Dividends from net investment income

    –0 –      (.10     (.08     (.06     (.12     (.11

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

    –0 –      (.54     –0 –      –0 –      (.48     (1.58
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total dividends and distributions

    –0 –      (.64     (.08     (.06     (.60     (1.69
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $20.77        $17.67        $15.46        $16.95        $13.41        $9.92   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Total Return

           

Total investment return based on net asset value (b)

    17.54     18.75     (8.39 )%      26.91     42.86     (35.58 )% 
           

Ratios/Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

    $181,099        $156,832        $151,754        $174,068        $134,291        $99,957   

Ratio to average net assets of:

           

Expenses

    .81 %(c)      .82     .83     .84 %(d)      .87     .86

Net investment income

    .81 %(c)      .75     .56     .56 %(d)      .70     .95

Portfolio turnover rate

    28     50     70     54     58     49

 

 

See footnote summary on page 17.

 

16


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    CLASS B  
    Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended December 31,  
      2012     2011     2010     2009     2008  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $17.58        $15.38        $16.87        $13.36        $9.87        $17.03   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Income From Investment Operations

           

Net investment income (a)

    .05        .08        .05        .05        .05        .10   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions

    3.00        2.71        (1.50     3.50        4.01        (5.61
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

    3.05        2.79        (1.45     3.55        4.06        (5.51
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Less: Dividends and Distributions

           

Dividends from net investment income

    –0 –      (.05     (.04     (.04     (.09     (.07

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

    –0 –      (.54     –0 –      –0 –      (.48     (1.58
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total dividends and distributions

    –0 –      (.59     (.04     (.04     (.57     (1.65
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $20.63        $17.58        $15.38        $16.87        $13.36        $9.87   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Total Return

           

Total investment return based on net asset value (b)

    17.35     18.47     (8.62 )%      26.59     42.66     (35.75 )% 
           

Ratios/Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

    $403,950        $347,784        $324,145        $378,436        $264,635        $202,997   

Ratio to average net assets of:

           

Expenses

    1.06 %(c)      1.07     1.08     1.09 %(d)      1.12     1.11

Net investment income

    .56 %(c)      .51     .31     .31 %(d)      .42     .72

Portfolio turnover rate

    28     50     70     54     58     49

 

 

 

(a)   Based on average shares outstanding.

 

(b)   Total investment return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption on the last day of the period. Total return does not reflect (i) insurance company’s separate account related expense charges and (ii) the deductions of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Portfolio distributions or the redemption of Portfolio shares. Total investment return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized.

 

(c)   Annualized.

 

(d)   The ratio includes expenses attributable to costs of proxy solicitation.

See notes to financial statements.

 

17


 
SMALL/MID CAP VALUE PORTFOLIO  
CONTINUANCE DISCLOSURE   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

INFORMATION REGARDING THE REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE PORTFOLIO’S ADVISORY AGREEMENT

The disinterested directors (the “directors”) of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”) unanimously approved the continuance of the Fund’s Advisory Agreement with the Adviser in respect of AllianceBernstein Small/Mid Cap Value Portfolio (the “Portfolio”) at a meeting held on April 30-May 2, 2013 (the “May 2013 meeting”).

Prior to approval of the continuance of the Advisory Agreement, the directors had requested from the Adviser, and received and evaluated, extensive materials. They reviewed the proposed continuance of the Advisory Agreement with the Adviser and with experienced counsel who are independent of the Adviser, who advised on the relevant legal standards. The directors also reviewed an independent evaluation prepared by the Fund’s Senior Officer (who is also the Fund’s Independent Compliance Officer) of the reasonableness of the advisory fee, in which the Senior Officer concluded that the contractual fee for the Portfolio was reasonable. The directors also discussed the proposed continuance in private sessions with counsel and the Fund’s Senior Officer.

The directors considered their knowledge of the nature and quality of the services provided by the Adviser to the Portfolio gained from their experience as directors or trustees of most of the registered investment companies advised by the Adviser, their overall confidence in the Adviser’s integrity and competence they have gained from that experience, the Adviser’s initiative in identifying and raising potential issues with the directors and its responsiveness, frankness and attention to concerns raised by the directors in the past, including the Adviser’s willingness to consider and implement organizational and operational changes designed to improve investment results and the services provided to the AllianceBernstein Funds. The directors noted that they have four regular meetings each year, at each of which they receive presentations from the Adviser on the investment results of the Portfolio and review extensive materials and information presented by the Adviser.

The directors also considered all other factors they believed relevant, including the specific matters discussed below. In their deliberations, the directors did not identify any particular information that was all-important or controlling, and different directors may have attributed different weights to the various factors. The directors determined that the selection of the Adviser to manage the Portfolio and the overall arrangements between the Portfolio and the Adviser, as provided in the Advisory Agreement, including the advisory fee, were fair and reasonable in light of the services performed, expenses incurred and such other matters as the directors considered relevant in the exercise of their business judgment. The material factors and conclusions that formed the basis for the directors’ determinations included the following:

Nature, Extent and Quality of Services Provided

The directors considered the scope and quality of services provided by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement, including the quality of the investment research capabilities of the Adviser and the other resources it has dedicated to performing services for the Portfolio. They also noted the professional experience and qualifications of the Portfolio’s portfolio management team and other senior personnel of the Adviser. The directors also considered that the Advisory Agreement provides that the Portfolio will reimburse the Adviser for the cost to it of providing certain clerical, accounting, administrative and other services to the Portfolio by employees of the Adviser or its affiliates. Requests for these reimbursements are made on a quarterly basis and subject to approval by the directors and, to the extent requested and paid, will result in a higher rate of total compensation from the Portfolio to the Adviser than the fee rate stated in the Portfolio’s Advisory Agreement. The directors noted that the methodology used to determine the reimbursement amounts had been reviewed by an independent consultant retained by the Fund’s Senior Officer. The quality of administrative and other services, including the Adviser’s role in coordinating the activities of the Portfolio’s other service providers, also were considered. The directors concluded that, overall, they were satisfied with the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Portfolio under the Advisory Agreement.

Costs of Services Provided and Profitability

The directors reviewed a schedule of the revenues, expenses and related notes indicating the profitability of the Portfolio to the Adviser for calendar years 2011 and 2012 that had been prepared with an expense allocation methodology arrived at in consultation with an independent consultant retained by the Fund’s Senior Officer. The directors reviewed the assumptions and methods of allocation used by the Adviser in preparing fund-specific profitability data and noted that there are a number of potentially acceptable allocation methodologies for information of this type. The directors noted that the profitability information reflected all revenues and expenses of the Adviser’s relationship with the Portfolio, including those relating to its subsidiaries that provide transfer agency, distribution and brokerage services to the Portfolio. The directors recognized that it is difficult to make comparisons of the profitability of the Advisory Agreement with the profitability of advisory contracts for unaffiliated funds because comparative information is not generally publicly

 

18


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

available and is affected by numerous factors. The directors focused on the profitability of the Adviser’s relationship with the Portfolio before taxes and distribution expenses. The directors were satisfied that the Adviser’s level of profitability from its relationship with the Portfolio was not unreasonable.

Fall-Out Benefits

The directors considered the other benefits to the Adviser and its affiliates from their relationships with the Portfolio, including but not limited to benefits relating to soft dollar arrangements (whereby the Adviser receives brokerage and research services from brokers that execute transactions for certain clients, including the Portfolio); 12b-1 fees and sales charges received by the Fund’s principal underwriter (which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser) in respect of the Portfolio’s Class B shares; transfer agency fees paid by the Portfolio to a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser; and brokerage commissions paid by the Portfolio to brokers affiliated with the Adviser. The directors recognized that the Adviser’s profitability would be somewhat lower without these benefits. The directors also understood that the Adviser also might derive reputational and other benefits from its association with the Portfolio.

Investment Results

In addition to the information reviewed by the directors in connection with the meeting, the directors receive detailed performance information for the Portfolio at each regular Board meeting during the year. The directors noted that the Portfolio is a clone of another fund managed by the Adviser (the “Corresponding Fund”) and is managed to track the investment performance of its Corresponding Fund, although investment results may differ between the Portfolio and its Corresponding Fund due to differences in their expense ratios and other factors. At the May 2013 meeting, the directors reviewed information prepared by Lipper showing the performance of the Class A Shares of the Portfolio as compared with that of a group of similar funds selected by Lipper (the “Performance Group”) and as compared with the Russell 2500 Value Index and the Russell 2500 Index, in each case for the 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year periods ended February 28, 2013 and (in the case of comparisons with the indices) the period since inception (May 2001 inception). The directors noted that the Portfolio was in the 1st quintile of the Performance Group and the Performance Universe for the 1-year period, in the 3rd quintile of the Performance Group and the Performance Universe for the 3-year period, in the 3rd quintile of the Performance Group and 2nd quintile of the Performance Universe for the 5-year period, and 3rd out of 4 of the Performance Group and in the 3rd quintile of the Performance Universe for the 10-year period. The directors noted the small number of other funds in the Performance Group. The Portfolio lagged the Russell 2500 Value Index in the 1- and 3-year periods, essentially matched it in the 5-year period, and outperformed it in the 10-year period and in the period since inception. It outperformed the Russell 2500 Index in the 1-year period and in the period since inception, almost matched it in the 5-year period, and lagged it in the 3- and 10-year periods. The directors also reviewed performance information for periods ended March 31, 2013 (for which the data was not limited to Class A Shares), and noted that in the 3-month period the Portfolio had outperformed the Lipper VA Small-Cap Value Funds Average and the indices. Based on their review, the directors concluded that the Portfolio’s performance was satisfactory.

Advisory Fees and Other Expenses

The directors considered the advisory fee rate paid by the Portfolio to the Adviser and information prepared by Lipper concerning advisory fee rates paid by other funds in the same Lipper category as the Portfolio at a common asset level. The directors recognized that it is difficult to make comparisons of advisory fees because there are variations in the services that are included in the fees paid by other funds.

The directors also considered the advisory fees the Adviser charges non-fund clients pursuing a substantially similar investment style. For this purpose, they reviewed the relevant advisory fee information from the Adviser’s Form ADV and the evaluation from the Fund’s Senior Officer. The directors noted that, although the institutional fee schedule started at a rate different from the Portfolio’s starting fee rate, it had more breakpoints starting at lower asset levels than the fee schedule applicable to the Portfolio. The application of the institutional fee schedule to the level of assets of the Portfolio would result in a fee rate lower than the rate being paid by the Portfolio. The directors noted that the Adviser may, in some cases, agree to fee rates with large institutional clients that are lower than those reviewed by the directors and that they had previously discussed with the Adviser its policies in respect of such arrangements. The directors also reviewed information that indicated that the Portfolio’s fee rate is higher than the sub-advisory fee rate earned by the Adviser for sub-advising certain registered investment companies with a similar investment style. The directors noted that the advisory fee schedule for the Portfolio is the same as that for its Corresponding Fund.

 

19


SMALL/MID CAP VALUE PORTFOLIO
CONTINUANCE DISCLOSURE  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Adviser reviewed with the directors the significantly greater scope of the services it provides to the Portfolio relative to institutional clients and sub-advised funds. The Adviser also noted that because mutual funds are constantly issuing and redeeming shares, they are more difficult to manage than an institutional account, where the assets tend to be relatively stable. In light of the substantial differences in services rendered by the Adviser to institutional clients as compared to funds such as the Portfolio, the directors considered these fee comparisons inapt and did not place significant weight on them in their deliberations.

The directors also considered the total expense ratio of the Class A shares of the Portfolio in comparison to the fees and expenses of funds within two comparison groups created by Lipper: an Expense Group and an Expense Universe. Lipper described an Expense Group as a representative sample of funds similar to the Portfolio and an Expense Universe as a broader group, consisting of all funds in the investment classification/objective with a similar load type as the Portfolio. The directors noted that because of the small number of funds in the Portfolio’s Lipper category, Lipper had expanded the Expense Group of the Fund to include peers that had a similar (but not the same) Lipper investment objective/classification. The Expense Universe for the Portfolio had also been expanded by Lipper pursuant to Lipper’s standard guidelines. The Class A expense ratio of the Portfolio was based on the Portfolio’s latest fiscal year expense ratio. The directors noted that it was likely that the expense ratios of some of the other funds in the Portfolio’s Lipper category were lowered by waivers or reimbursements by those funds’ investment advisers, which in some cases might be voluntary or temporary. The directors view the expense ratio information as relevant to their evaluation of the Adviser’s services because the Adviser is responsible for coordinating services provided to the Portfolio by others.

The directors noted that, at the Portfolio’s current size, its contractual effective advisory fee rate of 75 basis points, plus the 1 basis point impact of the administrative expense reimbursement in the latest fiscal year, was lower than the Expense Group median. The directors also noted that the Portfolio’s total expense ratio, which had been capped by the Adviser (although the expense ratio was currently lower than the cap), was lower than the Expense Group and the Expense Universe medians. The directors concluded that the Portfolio’s expense ratio was satisfactory.

Economies of Scale

The directors noted that the advisory fee schedule for the Portfolio contains breakpoints that reduce the fee rates on assets above specified levels. The directors took into consideration prior presentations by an independent consultant on economies of scale in the mutual fund industry and for the AllianceBernstein Funds, and by the Adviser concerning certain of its views on economies of scale. The directors also had requested and received from the Adviser certain updates on economies of scale at the May 2013 meeting. The directors believe that economies of scale may be realized (if at all) by the Adviser across a variety of products and services, and not only in respect of a single fund. The directors noted that there is no established methodology for setting breakpoints that give effect to the fund-specific services provided by a fund’s adviser and to the economies of scale that an adviser may realize in its overall mutual fund business or those components of it which directly or indirectly affect a fund’s operations. The directors observed that in the mutual fund industry as a whole, as well as among funds similar to the Portfolio, there is no uniformity or pattern in the fees and asset levels at which breakpoints (if any) apply. The directors also noted that the advisory agreements for many funds do not have breakpoints at all. Having taken these factors into account, the directors concluded that the Portfolio’s shareholders would benefit from a sharing of economies of scale in the event the Portfolio’s net assets exceed a breakpoint in the future.

 

20


 
SMALL/MID CAP VALUE PORTFOLIO
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

THE FOLLOWING IS NOT PART OF THE SHAREHOLDER REPORT OR THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

SUMMARY OF SENIOR OFFICER’S EVALUATION OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT1

The following is a summary of the evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement between AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) and the AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund (the “Fund”), in respect of AllianceBernstein Small/Mid Cap Value Portfolio (the “Portfolio”).2 The evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement was prepared by Philip L. Kirstein, the Senior Officer of the Fund, for the Directors of the Fund, as required by a September 2004 agreement between the Adviser and the New York State Attorney General (the “NYAG”). The Senior Officer’s evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement is not meant to diminish the responsibility or authority of the Board of Directors of the Fund to perform its duties pursuant to Section 15 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “40 Act”) and applicable state law. The purpose of the summary is to provide shareholders with a synopsis of the independent evaluation of the reasonableness of the advisory fees proposed to be paid by the Portfolio which was provided to the Directors in connection with their review of the proposed approval of the continuance of the Investment Advisory Agreement. The Senior Officer’s evaluation considered the following factors:

 

  1. Advisory fees charged to institutional and other clients of the Adviser for like services;

 

  2. Advisory fees charged by other mutual fund companies for like services;

 

  3. Costs to the Adviser and its affiliates of supplying services pursuant to the advisory agreement, excluding any intra-corporate profit;

 

  4. Profit margins of the Adviser and its affiliates from supplying such services;

 

  5. Possible economies of scale as the Portfolio grows larger; and

 

  6. Nature and quality of the Adviser’s services including the performance of the Portfolio.

These factors, with the exception of the first factor, are generally referred to as the “Gartenberg factors,” which were articulated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1982. Gartenberg v. Merrill Lynch Asset Management, Inc., 694 F. 2d 923 (2d Cir. 1982). The first factor is an additional factor required to be considered by the AoD. On March 30, 2010, the Supreme Court held the Gartenberg decision was correct in its basic formulation of what §36(b) requires: to face liability under §36(b), “an investment adviser must charge a fee that is so disproportionately large that it bears no reasonable relationship to the services rendered and could not have been the product of arm’s length bargaining.” Jones v. Harris Associates L.P., 130 S. Ct. 1418 (2010). In the Jones decision, the Court stated the Gartenberg approach fully incorporates the correct understanding of fiduciary duty within the context of section 36(b) and noted with approval that “Gartenberg insists that all relevant circumstances be taken into account” and “uses the range of fees that might result from arm’s-length bargaining as the benchmark for reviewing challenged fees.”3

PORTFOLIO ADVISORY FEES, NET ASSETS & EXPENSE RATIOS

The Adviser proposed that the Portfolio pays the advisory fee set forth in the table below for receiving the services to be provided pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement. The fee schedule below, implemented in January 2004 in consideration of the Adviser’s settlement with the NYAG in December 2003, is based on a master schedule that contemplates eight categories of funds with almost all funds in each category having the same advisory fee schedule.

 

Category   Advisory Fee Based on % of
Average Daily Net Assets
 

Net Assets

3/31/13

($MIL)

    Portfolio

Specialty

 

0.75% on first $2.5 billion

0.65% on next $2.5 billion

0.60% on the balance

  $ 576.2      Small/Mid Cap Value Portfolio

 

 

1   The information in the fee summary was completed on April 22, 2013 and discussed with the Board of Directors on April 30-May 2, 2013.

 

2   Future references to the Fund and the Portfolio do not include “AllianceBernstein.” References in the fee summary pertaining to performance and expense ratio rankings refer to the Class A shares of the Portfolio.

 

3  

Jones v. Harris at 1427.

 

21


SMALL/MID CAP VALUE PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Adviser is reimbursed as specified in the Investment Advisory Agreement for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services provided to the Portfolio. During the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year, the Adviser received $45,506 (0.009% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets) for such services.

The Adviser has agreed to waive that portion of its management fees and/or reimburse the Portfolio for that portion of its total operating expenses to the degree necessary to limit the Portfolio’s expense ratios to the amounts set forth below for the Portfolio’s fiscal year. The waiver is terminable by the Adviser upon at least 60 days’ notice prior to the Portfolio’s prospectus update or May 1st of each year. The Portfolio was operating below its expense caps for the most recent fiscal year; accordingly the expense limitation undertaking of the Portfolio was of no effect. In addition, set forth below are the gross expense ratios of the Portfolio for the most recently completed fiscal year:

 

Portfolio  

Expense Cap Pursuant

to Expense Limitation

Undertaking

  Gross
Expense
Ratio
    Fiscal Year End

Small/Mid Cap Value Portfolio

  Class A    1.20%     0.83%      December 31
  Class B    1.45%     1.08%     

I. ADVISORY FEES CHARGED TO INSTITUTIONAL AND OTHER CLIENTS

The advisory fees charged to investment companies which the Adviser manages and sponsors are normally higher than those charged to similar sized institutional accounts, including pension plans and sub-advised investment companies. The fee differential reflects, among other things, different services provided to such clients, and different liabilities assumed. Services provided by the Adviser to the Portfolio that are not provided to non-investment company clients and sub-advised investment companies include providing office space and personnel to serve as Fund Officers, who among other responsibilities make the certifications required under the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, and coordinating with and monitoring the Portfolio’s third party service providers such as Fund counsel, auditors, custodians, transfer agents and pricing services. The accounting, administrative, legal and compliance requirements for the Portfolio are more costly than those for institutional assets due to the greater complexities and time required for investment companies, although as previously noted, the Adviser is reimbursed for providing such services. Also, retail mutual funds managed by the Adviser are widely held. Servicing the Portfolio’s investors is more time consuming and labor intensive compared to institutional clients since the Adviser needs to communicate with a more extensive network of financial intermediaries and shareholders. The Adviser also believes that it incurs substantial entrepreneurial risk when offering a new mutual fund, since establishing a new mutual fund requires a large upfront investment, and it may take a long time for the fund to achieve profitability since the fund must be priced to scale from inception in order to be competitive and assets are acquired one account at a time. In addition, managing the cash flow of an investment company may be more difficult than managing that of a stable pool of assets, such as an institutional account with little cash movement in either direction, particularly, if a fund is in net redemption and the Adviser is frequently forced to sell securities to raise cash for redemptions. However, managing a fund with positive cash flow may be easier at times than managing a stable pool of assets. In recent years, investment advisers have been sued by institutional clients and have suffered reputational damage both by the attendant publicity and outcomes other than complete victories. Accordingly, the legal and reputational risks associated with institutional accounts are greater than previously thought, although still not equal to those related to the mutual fund industry.

Notwithstanding the Adviser’s view that managing an investment company is not comparable to managing other institutional accounts because the services provided are different, the Supreme Court has indicated consideration should be given to the advisory fees charged to institutional accounts that have a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio.4 In

 

4   The Supreme Court stated that “courts may give such comparisons the weight that they merit in light of the similarities and differences between the services that the clients in question require, but the courts must be wary of inapt comparisons.” Among the significant differences the Supreme Court noted that may exist between services provided to mutual funds and institutional accounts are “higher marketing costs.” Jones v. Harris at 1428.

 

 

22


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

addition to the AllianceBernstein institutional fee schedule, set forth below is what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the AllianceBernstein institutional fee schedule been applicable to the Portfolio versus the Portfolio’s advisory fee based on March 31, 2013 net assets:5

 

Portfolio   

Net Assets

3/31/13

($MIL)

    

AllianceBernstein
Institutional

Fee Schedule

 

Effective

AB Inst.

Adv. Fee

      

Portfolio

Advisory

Fee

 

Small/Mid Cap Value Portfolio

   $576.2      Small & Mid Cap Value
Schedule

0.95% on first $25m

0.75% on the next $25m

0.65% on the next $50m

0.55% on the balance

    0.585        0.750
        Minimum account size $25m       

The Adviser also manages AllianceBernstein Discovery Value Fund, Inc. (“Discovery Value Fund, Inc.”), a retail mutual fund, which has a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio. Set forth below is the fee schedule of Discovery Value Fund, Inc., and what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the fee schedule of the retail mutual fund been applicable to the Portfolio:6

 

Portfolio  

AllianceBernstein

Mutual Fund

  Fee Schedule  

ABMF

Effective
Fee

   

Portfolio

Advisory
Fee

 

Small/Mid Cap Value Portfolio

  Discovery Value Fund, Inc.  

0.75% on first $2.5 billion

0.65% on next $2.5 billion

0.60% on the balance

    0.750%        0.750%   

The Adviser provides sub-advisory services to certain other investment companies managed by other fund families that have an investment style similar to that of the Portfolio. The Adviser charges the fees set forth below for the sub-advisory relationships that have a somewhat similar investment style as the Portfolio. Also shown are the Portfolio’s advisory fee and what would have been the effective advisory fees of the Portfolio had the fee schedules of the sub-advisory relationships been applicable to the Portfolio based on March 31, 2013 net assets.

 

Portfolio        Fee Schedule  

Effective

Sub-Adv.
Fee

    Portfolio
Advisory
Fee
 

Small/Mid Cap Value Portfolio

  Client # 1  

0.50% on the first $250 million

0.40% on the balance

    0.472%        0.750%   
  Client #2  

0.95% on the first $10 million

0.75% on the next $40 million

0.65% on the next $50 million

0.55% on the balance

    0.580%        0.750%   
  Client #3  

0.61% on the first $150 million

0.50% on the balance

    0.529%        0.750%   

It is fair to note that the services the Adviser provides pursuant to sub-advisory agreements are generally confined to the services related to the investment process; in other words, they are not as comprehensive as the services provided to the Portfolio by the Adviser.

While it appears that the sub-advisory relationships are paying a lower fee than the Portfolio, it is difficult to evaluate the relevance of such lower fees due to differences in terms of the services provided, risks involved and other competitive factors between the Portfolio and the sub-advisory relationships. There could be various business reasons why an investment adviser would be willing to provide a sub-advisory relationship investment related services at a different feel level than an investment company it is sponsoring where the investment adviser is providing all the services, not just investment management generally required by a registered investment company.

 

5   The Adviser has indicated that with respect to institutional accounts with assets greater than $300 million, it will negotiate a fee schedule. Discounts that are negotiated vary based upon each client relationship.

 

6   The retail mutual fund was also affected by the settlement between the Adviser and the NYAG. As a result, the Portfolio has the same breakpoints in its advisory fee schedule as the retail mutual fund.

 

23


SMALL/MID CAP VALUE PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

II. MANAGEMENT FEES CHARGED BY OTHER MUTUAL FUND COMPANIES FOR LIKE SERVICES.

Lipper, Lipper, Inc. (“Lipper”), an analytical service that is not affiliated with the Adviser, compared the fees charged to the Portfolio with fees charged to other investment companies for similar services offered by other investment advisers.7 Lipper’s analysis included the comparison of the Portfolio’s contractual management fee, estimated at the approximate current asset level of the Portfolio, to the median of the Portfolio’s Lipper Expense Group (“EG”) and the Portfolio’s contractual management fee ranking.8,9

Lipper describes an EG as a representative sample of comparable funds. Lipper’s standard methodology for screening funds to be included in an EG entails the consideration of several fund criteria, including fund type, investment classification/objective, load type and similar 12b-1/non-12b-1 service fees, asset (size) comparability, expense components and attributes. An EG will typically consist of seven to twenty funds.

The Portfolio’s original EG had an insufficient number of peers. Consequently, Lipper expanded the Portfolio’s EG to include peers that have a similar but not the same Lipper classification/objective as the Portfolio. However, because Lipper had expanded the Portfolio’s EG, under Lipper’s standard guidelines, the Portfolio’s Lipper Expense Universe (“EU”) was also expanded to include universes of those peers that had a similar but not the same Lipper investment objective/classification. A “normal” EU will include funds that have the same investment objective/classification as the subject portfolio.10,11

 

Portfolio    Contractual
Management
Fee (%)12
    

Lipper
EG

Median (%)

    

Lipper
EG

Rank

 

Small/Mid Cap Value Portfolio

     0.750         0.804         4/12   

Set forth below is a comparison of the Portfolio’s total expense ratio and the medians of the Portfolio’s EG and EU.13 The Portfolio’s total expense ratio ranking is also shown in the table below.

 

Portfolio   

Expense

Ratio
(%)14

    

Lipper
EG

Median (%)

    

Lipper
EG

Rank

    

Lipper
EU

Median (%)

    

Lipper
EU

Rank

 

Small/Mid Cap Value Portfolio

     0.824         0.874         4/12         0.879         8/30   

Based on this analysis, the Portfolio has a more favorable ranking on a management fee basis than on a total expense ratio basis.

 

7   The Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since “these comparisons are problematic because these fees, like those challenged, may not be the product of negotiations conducted at arm’s length.” Jones v. Harris at 1429.

 

8   Lipper does not consider average account size when constructing EGs. Funds with relatively small average account sizes tend to have higher transfer agent expense ratio than comparable sized funds that have relatively large average account sizes. Note that there are limitations on Lipper expense category data because different funds categorize expenses differently.

 

9   The contractual management fee is calculated by Lipper using the Portfolio’s contractual management fee rate at a hypothetical asset level. The hypothetical asset level is based on the combined net assets of all classes of the Portfolio, rounded up to the next $25 million. Lipper’s total expense ratio information is based on the most recent annual report except as otherwise noted. A ranking of “1” would mean that the Portfolio had the lowest effective fee rate in the Lipper peer group.

 

10   Except for asset size comparability, Lipper uses the same criteria for selecting an EG peer when selecting an EU peer. Unlike the EG, the EU allows for the same adviser to be represented by more than just one fund

 

11   The Portfolio’s EG includes the Portfolio, five other VIP Small-Cap Value funds (“SCVE”) and six VIP Mid-Cap Value funds (“MCVE”).

 

12   The contractual management fee does not reflect any expense reimbursements made by the Portfolio to the Adviser for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services. In addition, the contractual management fee does not reflect any advisory fee waiver or expense cap that would effectively reduce the actual management fee.

 

13   The Portfolio’s EU includes the Portfolio, EG and all other VIP SCVE and VIP MCVE funds, excluding outliers.

 

14   Most recently completed fiscal year end Class A total expense ratio.

 

24


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

III. COSTS TO THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES OF SUPPLYING SERVICES PURSUANT TO THE ADVISORY FEE ARRANGEMENT, EXCLUDING ANY INTRA-CORPORATE PROFIT.

The Adviser utilizes two profitability reporting systems, which operate independently but are aligned with each other, to estimate the Adviser’s profitability in connection with investment advisory services provided to the Portfolio. The Senior Officer has retained a consultant to provide independent advice regarding the alignment of the two profitability systems as well as the methodologies and allocations utilized by both profitability systems.

IV. PROFIT MARGINS OF THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES FOR SUPPLYING SUCH SERVICES.

The Portfolio’s profitability information, prepared by the Adviser for the Board of Directors, was reviewed by the Senior Officer and the consultant. The Adviser’s profitability from providing investment advisory services to the Portfolio decreased slightly during calendar year 2012, relative to 2011.

In addition to the Adviser’s direct profits from managing the Portfolio, certain of the Adviser’s affiliates have business relationships with the Portfolio and may earn a profit from providing other services to the Portfolio. The courts have referred to this type of business opportunity as “fall-out benefits” to the Adviser and indicated that such benefits should be factored into the evaluation of the total relationship between the Portfolio and the Adviser. Neither case law nor common business practice precludes the Adviser’s affiliates from earning a reasonable profit on this type of relationship provided the affiliates’ charges and services are competitive. These affiliates provide transfer agent, distribution and brokerage related services to the Portfolio and receive transfer agent fees, Rule 12b-1 payments, and brokerage commissions. In addition, the Adviser benefits from soft dollar arrangements which offset expenses the Adviser would otherwise incur.

The Portfolio has adopted a distribution plan for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 40 Act. Under the distribution plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to its principal underwriter, AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (“ABI”), the Portfolio’s distributor and an affiliate of the Adviser, at an annual rate of up to 0.50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The current annual rate that the Portfolio pays to ABI for 12b-1 fees is 0.25%. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, ABI received $846,302 in Rule 12b-1 fees.

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, the Adviser incurred distribution expenses in the amount of $2,025,374 in connection with activities primarily intended to result in the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. This amount includes the 12b-1 fees paid by the Portfolio to the Adviser.

Financial intermediaries, such as insurers, market and sell shares of the Portfolio and typically receive compensation from ABI, the Advisers and/or the Portfolio for selling shares of the Portfolio. These financial intermediaries receive compensation in any or all of the following forms: 12b-1 fees, defrayal of costs for educational seminars and training, additional distribution support, recordkeeping and/or administrative services. Payments related to providing contract-holder recordkeeping and/or administrative services will generally not exceed 0.35% of the average daily net assets of the Portfolio attributable to the relevant intermediary over the year. With respect to the Fund, which includes the Portfolio and other Portfolios of the Fund not discussed in this summary, ABI paid approximately $600,000 in 2012 and expects to pay approximately $600,000 in 2013 for educational support and distribution assistance (revenue sharing payments).

The transfer agent of the Portfolio is AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”). During the most recently completed fiscal year, ABIS received a fee of $1,385 from the Portfolio.15

The Portfolio did not effect brokerage transactions and pay commissions through the Adviser’s affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., LLC (“SCB & Co.”) nor its U.K. affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein Limited (“SCB Ltd.”), collectively “SCB,” during the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year. The Adviser represented that SCB’s profitability from business conducted in the future with the Portfolio would be comparable to the profitability of SCB’s dealings with other similar third party clients. In the ordinary course of business, SCB receives and pays liquidity rebates from electronic communications networks (“ECNs”) derived from trading for its clients, including the Portfolio. These credits and charges are not being passed onto any SCB client. The Adviser also receives certain soft dollar benefits from brokers that execute agency trades for the Portfolio and other clients. These soft dollar benefits reduce the Adviser’s cost of doing business and increase its profitability.

 

15   The Fund, which includes the Portfolio and other Portfolios of the Fund paid ABIS a flat fee of $18,000 in 2012.

 

25


SMALL/MID CAP VALUE PORTFOLIO
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

V. POSSIBLE ECONOMIES OF SCALE

The Adviser has indicated that economies of scale are being shared with shareholders through pricing to scale, breakpoints, fee reductions/waivers and enhancement to services.

In May 2012, an independent consultant, retained by the Senior Officer, provided the Board of Directors information on the Adviser’s firm-wide average costs from 2005 through 2011 and the potential economies of scale. The independent consultant noted that from 2005 through 2007 the Adviser experienced significant growth in assets under management (“AUM”). During this period, operating expenses increased, in part to keep up with growth, and in part reflecting market returns. However, from 2008 through the first quarter of 2009, AUM rapidly and significantly decreased due to declines in market value and client withdrawals. When AUM rapidly decreased, some operating expenses categories, including base compensation and office space, adjusted more slowly during this period, resulting in an increase in average costs. Since 2009, AUM has experienced less significant changes. The independent consultant noted that changes in operating expenses reflect changes in business composition and business practices in response to changes in financial markets. Finally, the independent consultant concluded that the increase in average cost and the decline in net operating margin across the Adviser since late 2008 are inconsistent with the view that there are currently reductions in average costs due to economies of scale that can be shared with the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds managed by the Adviser through lower fees.

Previously in February 2008, the independent consultant provided the Board of Directors an update of the Deli study on advisory fees and various fund characteristics.16,17 The independent consultant first reiterated the results of his previous two dimensional comparison analysis (fund size and family size) with the Board of Directors.18 The independent consultant then discussed the results of the regression model that was utilized to study the effects of various factors on advisory fees. The regression model output indicated that the bulk of the variation in fees predicted were explained by various factors, but substantially by fund AUM, family AUM, index fund indicator and investment style. The independent consultant also compared the advisory fees of the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds to similar funds managed by 19 other large asset managers, regardless of the fund size and each Adviser’s proportion of mutual fund assets to non-mutual fund assets.

VI. NATURE AND QUALITY OF THE ADVISER’S SERVICES, INCLUDING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PORTFOLIO

With assets under management of approximately $443 billion as of March 31, 2013, the Adviser has the investment experience to manage and provide non-investment services (described in Section I) to the Portfolio.

The information prepared by Lipper shows the 1, 3, 5 and 10 year performance returns and rankings of the Portfolio19 relative to its Lipper Performance Group (“PG”) and Lipper Performance Universe (“PU”)20 for the periods ended February 28, 2013.21

 

16   The Deli study, originally published in 2002 based on 1997 data and updated for the February 2008 Presentation, may be of diminished value due to the age of the data used in the presentation and the changes experienced in the industry over the last four years.

 

17   As mentioned previously, the Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since the fees may not be the product of negotiations conducted at arm’s length. See Jones V. Harris at 1429.

 

18   The two dimensional analysis showed patterns of lower advisory fees for funds with larger asset sizes and funds from larger family sizes compared to funds with smaller asset sizes and funds from smaller family sizes, which according to the independent consultant is indicative of a sharing of economies of scale and scope. However, in less liquid and active markets, such is not the case, as the empirical analysis showed potential for diseconomies of scale in those markets. The empirical analysis also showed diminishing economies of scale and scope as funds surpassed a certain high level of assets.

 

19   The performance rankings are for the Class A shares of the Portfolio. The Portfolio’s performance returns shown were provided by Lipper.

 

20   The Portfolio’s PG/PU are not identical to the Portfolio’s respective EG/EU as the criteria for including/excluding a fund in/from a PG/PU is somewhat different from that of an EG/EU.

 

21   Lipper investment classification/objective dictates the PG and PU throughout the life of the fund even if a fund had a different investment classification/objective at a different point in time.

 

 

26


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

      Portfolio (%)        PG
Median (%)
       PU
Median (%)
       PG
Rank
       PU
Rank
 

Small/Mid Cap Value Portfolio

                      

1 year

     17.00           14.87           14.40           1/6           2/15   

3 year

     13.16           12.97           12.97           3/6           7/14   

5 year

     7.86           7.14           7.38           3/6           4/13   

10 year

     11.84           12.29           11.84           3/4           5/9   

Set forth below are the 1, 3, 5, 10 year and since inception performance returns of the Portfolio (in bold)22 versus its benchmarks.23 Portfolio and benchmark volatility and reward-to-variability ratio (“Sharpe Ratio”) information is also shown.24

 

     Periods Ending February 28, 2013
Annualized Performance
 
   

1

Year
(%)

   

3

Year
(%)

   

5

Year
(%)

   

5

Year
(%)

       Since
Inception
(%)
    Annualized        Risk
Period
(Year)
 
                     
                  Volatility
(%)
    Sharpe
(%)
      

Small/Mid Cap Value Portfolio

    17.00        13.16        7.86        11.84           9.88        20.30        0.57           10   

Russell 2500 Value Index

    18.92        15.19        7.82        11.72           8.81        18.73        0.59           10   

Russell 2500 Index

    15.17        15.75        7.92        11.92           7.75        N/A        N/A           N/A   

Inception Date: May 2, 2001

                     

CONCLUSION:

Based on the factors discussed above the Senior Officer’s conclusion is that the proposed advisory fee for the Portfolio is reasonable and within the range of what would have been negotiated at arm’s-length in light of all the surrounding circumstances. This conclusion in respect of the Portfolio is based on an evaluation of all of these factors and no single factor was dispositive.

Dated: May 29, 2013

 

22   The performance returns and risk measures shown in the table are for the Class A shares of the Portfolio.

 

23   The Adviser provided Portfolio and benchmark performance return information for periods through February 22, 2013.

 

24   Portfolio and benchmark volatility and Sharpe Ratio information was obtained through Lipper LANA, a database maintained by Lipper. Volatility is a statistical measure of the tendency of a market price or yield to vary over time. The Sharpe Ratio is a risk adjusted measure of return that divides a portfolio’s return in excess of the riskless return by the portfolio’s standard deviation. A portfolio with a greater volatility would be viewed as more risky than a portfolio with equivalent performance but lower volatility; for that reason, a greater return would be demanded for the more risky portfolio. A portfolio with a higher Sharpe Ratio would be viewed as better performing than a portfolio with a lower Sharpe Ratio.

 

27


AllianceBernstein

Variable Products Series Fund, Inc.

 

 

 

LOGO   AllianceBernstein Value Portfolio

 

June 30, 2013

 

Semi-Annual Report

 

LOGO

 

SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT


 

 

 

Investment Products Offered

 

  Ø  

Are Not FDIC Insured

  Ø  

May Lose Value

  Ø  

Are Not Bank Guaranteed

AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (ABI) is the distributor of the AllianceBernstein family of mutual funds. ABI is a member of FINRA and is an affiliate of AllianceBernstein L.P., the manager of the funds.

You may obtain a description of the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures, and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, without charge. Simply visit AllianceBernstein’s website at www.alliancebernstein.com or go to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “Commission”) website at www.sec.gov, or call AllianceBernstein at (800) 227-4618.

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Commission for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Fund’s Forms N-Q are available on the Commission’s website at www.sec.gov. The Fund’s Forms N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC; information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330.

AllianceBernstein® and the AB Logo are registered trademarks and service marks used by permission of the owner, AllianceBernstein L.P.


 
VALUE PORTFOLIO  
EXPENSE EXAMPLE (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments, contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution (12b-1) fees; and other Fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund 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 as indicated below.

Actual Expenses

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. The estimate of expenses does not include fees or other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes

The table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed annual rate of return of 5% before expenses, which is not the Fund’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 costs of investing in the Fund and other funds by comparing this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds. The estimate of expenses does not include fees or other expenses of any variable insurance product. If such expenses were included, the estimate of expenses you paid during the period would be higher and your ending account value would be lower.

Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads), or contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions. Therefore, the second line of each classes’ table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.

 

      Beginning
Account Value
January 1, 2013
     Ending
Account Value
June 30, 2013
     Expenses Paid
During Period*
     Annualized
Expense Ratio*
 

Class A

           

Actual

   $   1,000       $   1,187.20       $   3.90         0.72

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $ 1,000       $ 1,021.22       $ 3.61         0.72
              

Class B

           

Actual

   $ 1,000       $ 1,185.00       $ 5.26         0.97

Hypothetical (5% annual return before expenses)

   $ 1,000       $ 1,019.98       $ 4.86         0.97

 

 

 

*   Expenses are equal to each classes’ annualized expense ratios, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 181/365 (to reflect the one-half year period).

 

1


VALUE PORTFOLIO  
TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS*  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

 

COMPANY    U.S. $ VALUE        PERCENT OF NET ASSETS  

Exxon Mobil Corp.

   $ 8,718,775           5.6

Pfizer, Inc.

     5,996,941           3.8   

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

     4,983,376           3.2   

Wells Fargo & Co.

     4,787,320           3.1   

General Electric Co.

     4,668,147           3.0   

Chevron Corp.

     4,437,750           2.9   

Bank of America Corp.

     4,279,808           2.7   

Citigroup, Inc.

     4,211,766           2.7   

Hewlett-Packard Co.

     3,286,000           2.1   

Capital One Financial Corp.

     3,140,500           2.0   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 
     $   48,510,383           31.1

SECTOR BREAKDOWN**

June 30, 2013 (unaudited)

 

 

SECTOR    U.S. $ VALUE        PERCENT OF TOTAL INVESTMENTS  

Financials

   $ 43,902,938           28.0

Consumer Discretionary

     26,072,473           16.7   

Energy

     22,573,097           14.4   

Health Care

     20,911,252           13.4   

Information Technology

     9,950,870           6.3   

Industrials

     8,802,724           5.6   

Materials

     6,377,946           4.1   

Utilities

     6,085,672           3.9   

Consumer Staples

     5,572,759           3.6   

Telecommunication Services

     4,324,548           2.8   

Short-Term Investments

     1,915,603           1.2   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Investments

   $   156,489,882           100.0

 

 

 

 

 

*   Long-term investments.

 

**   The Portfolio’s sector breakdown is expressed as a percentage of total investments and may vary over time.

Please note: The sector classifications presented herein are based on the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) which was developed by Morgan Stanley Capital International and Standard & Poor’s. The components are divided into sector, industry group, and industry sub-indices as classified by the GICS for each of the market capitalization indices in the broad market. These sector classifications are broadly defined. The “Portfolio of Investments” section of the report reflects more specific industry information and is consistent with the investment restrictions discussed in the Fund’s prospectus.

 

2


VALUE PORTFOLIO  
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    

Company

  Shares     U.S. $ Value  
   

COMMON STOCKS–99.1%

   
   

FINANCIALS–28.1%

   

CAPITAL MARKETS–1.3%

   

Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)

    8,800      $ 1,331,000   

State Street Corp.

    10,000        652,100   
   

 

 

 
      1,983,100   
   

 

 

 

COMMERCIAL BANKS–5.8%

   

CIT Group, Inc.(a)

    57,100        2,662,573   

Fifth Third Bancorp

    19,800        357,390   

KeyCorp

    24,700        272,688   

Regions Financial Corp.

    36,700        349,751   

US Bancorp/MN

    18,800        679,620   

Wells Fargo & Co.

    116,000        4,787,320   
   

 

 

 
      9,109,342   
   

 

 

 

CONSUMER FINANCE–3.3%

   

Capital One Financial Corp.

    50,000        3,140,500   

Discover Financial Services

    43,000        2,048,520   
   

 

 

 
      5,189,020   
   

 

 

 

DIVERSIFIED FINANCIAL SERVICES–8.6%

   

Bank of America Corp.

    332,800        4,279,808   

Citigroup, Inc.

    87,800        4,211,766   

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

    94,400        4,983,376   
   

 

 

 
      13,474,950   
   

 

 

 

INSURANCE–9.1%

   

American International Group, Inc.(a)

    50,700        2,266,290   

Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.(a)

    11,900        1,331,848   

Chubb Corp. (The)

    25,400        2,150,110   

Everest Re Group Ltd.

    11,400        1,462,164   

Fidelity National Financial, Inc.–Class A

    45,900        1,092,879   

Genworth Financial, Inc.–Class A(a)

    95,100        1,085,091   

MetLife, Inc.

    6,800        311,168   

PartnerRe Ltd.

    19,300        1,747,808   

Progressive Corp. (The)

    11,600        294,872   

Reinsurance Group of America, Inc.–Class A

    17,600        1,216,336   

Torchmark Corp.

    5,600        364,784   

Travelers Cos., Inc. (The)

    10,300        823,176   
   

 

 

 
      14,146,526   
   

 

 

 
      43,902,938   
   

 

 

 

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY–16.7%

   

AUTO COMPONENTS–2.5%

   

Lear Corp.

    17,200        1,039,912   

Magna International, Inc. (New York)–Class A

    19,400        1,381,668   

TRW Automotive Holdings Corp.(a)

    22,200        1,474,968   
   

 

 

 
      3,896,548   
   

 

 

 

AUTOMOBILES–1.7%

   

Ford Motor Co.

    168,100        2,600,507   
   

 

 

 
   

HOUSEHOLD DURABLES–1.2%

   

PulteGroup, Inc.(a)

    95,700      $ 1,815,429   
   

 

 

 

MEDIA–6.2%

   

Comcast Corp.–Class A

    23,100        967,428   

Gannett Co., Inc.

    24,800        606,608   

Liberty Global PLC(a)

    8,133        602,493   

Liberty Global PLC(a)

    15,000        1,018,350   

News Corp.–Class A

    57,000        1,858,200   

Regal Entertainment Group–Class A

    23,000        411,700   

Time Warner Cable, Inc.–Class A

    13,000        1,462,240   

Time Warner, Inc.

    18,700        1,081,234   

Viacom, Inc.–Class B

    25,300        1,721,665   
   

 

 

 
      9,729,918   
   

 

 

 

MULTILINE RETAIL–1.3%

   

Macy’s, Inc.

    43,700        2,097,600   
   

 

 

 

SPECIALTY RETAIL–3.8%

   

Abercrombie & Fitch Co.–Class A

    6,500        294,125   

GameStop Corp.–Class A

    31,100        1,307,133   

Home Depot, Inc. (The)

    2,900        224,663   

Lowe’s Cos., Inc.

    34,500        1,411,050   

Staples, Inc.

    13,400        212,524   

TJX Cos., Inc.

    49,600        2,482,976   
   

 

 

 
      5,932,471   
   

 

 

 
      26,072,473   
   

 

 

 

ENERGY–14.5%

   

ENERGY EQUIPMENT & SERVICES–2.3%

   

Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc.

    20,100        1,382,679   

Halliburton Co.

    33,000        1,376,760   

Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc.(a)

    34,600        797,184   
   

 

 

 
      3,556,623   
   

 

 

 

OIL, GAS & CONSUMABLE FUELS–12.2%

   

Chevron Corp.

    37,500        4,437,750   

Exxon Mobil Corp.

    96,500        8,718,775   

HollyFrontier Corp.

    4,300        183,954   

Marathon Petroleum Corp.

    28,300        2,010,998   

Phillips 66

    11,900        701,029   

Royal Dutch Shell PLC (ADR)

    17,900        1,142,020   

Valero Energy Corp.

    52,400        1,821,948   
   

 

 

 
      19,016,474   
   

 

 

 
      22,573,097   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE–13.4%

   

BIOTECHNOLOGY–0.8%

   

Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(a)

    15,000        1,198,050   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES–1.3%

   

Medtronic, Inc.

    40,400        2,079,388   
   

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS & SERVICES–3.7%

   

Aetna, Inc.

    29,400        1,868,076   

Health Net, Inc./CA(a)

    28,800        916,416   

 

3


VALUE PORTFOLIO  
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    

Company

  Shares     U.S. $ Value  
   

WellPoint, Inc.

    36,100      $ 2,954,424   
   

 

 

 
      5,738,916   
   

 

 

 

PHARMACEUTICALS–7.6%

   

Johnson & Johnson

    34,500        2,962,170   

Merck & Co., Inc.

    35,900        1,667,555   

Pfizer, Inc.

    214,100        5,996,941   

Roche Holding AG (Sponsored ADR)

    20,500        1,268,232   
   

 

 

 
      11,894,898   
   

 

 

 
      20,911,252   
   

 

 

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY–6.4%

   

COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT–0.6%

   

Harris Corp.

    18,300        901,275   
   

 

 

 

COMPUTERS & PERIPHERALS–2.1%

   

Hewlett-Packard Co.

    132,500        3,286,000   
   

 

 

 

SEMICONDUCTORS & SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT–1.8%

   

Applied Materials, Inc.

    133,700        1,993,467   

Micron Technology, Inc.(a)

    56,300        806,779   
   

 

 

 
      2,800,246   
   

 

 

 

SOFTWARE–1.9%

   

CA, Inc.

    9,600        274,848   

Electronic Arts, Inc.(a)

    60,600        1,391,982   

Symantec Corp.

    57,700        1,296,519   
   

 

 

 
      2,963,349   
   

 

 

 
      9,950,870   
   

 

 

 

INDUSTRIALS–5.6%

   

AEROSPACE & DEFENSE–0.3%

   

Northrop Grumman Corp.

    6,700        554,760   
   

 

 

 

AIRLINES–0.8%

   

Delta Air Lines, Inc.(a)

    68,800        1,287,248   
   

 

 

 

INDUSTRIAL CONGLOMERATES–3.0%

   

General Electric Co.

    201,300        4,668,147   
   

 

 

 

MACHINERY–1.5%

   

Illinois Tool Works, Inc.

    22,900        1,583,993   

Parker Hannifin Corp.

    2,000        190,800   

Timken Co.

    9,200        517,776   
   

 

 

 
      2,292,569   
   

 

 

 
      8,802,724   
   

 

 

 

MATERIALS–4.1%

   

CHEMICALS–3.2%

   

Axiall Corp.

    29,500        1,256,110   

Huntsman Corp.

    69,000        1,142,640   

LyondellBasell Industries NV

    38,800        2,570,888   
   

 

 

 
      4,969,638   
   

 

 

 
   

CONTAINERS & PACKAGING–0.9%

   

Rock Tenn Co.

    14,100      $ 1,408,308   
   

 

 

 
      6,377,946   
   

 

 

 

UTILITIES–3.9%

   

ELECTRIC UTILITIES–2.9%

   

American Electric Power Co., Inc.

    19,000        850,820   

Edison International

    32,300        1,555,568   

NV Energy, Inc.

    89,400        2,097,324   
   

 

 

 
      4,503,712   
   

 

 

 

GAS UTILITIES–0.8%

   

Atmos Energy Corp.

    32,000        1,313,920   
   

 

 

 

MULTI-UTILITIES–0.2%

   

DTE Energy Co.

    4,000        268,040   
   

 

 

 
      6,085,672   
   

 

 

 

CONSUMER STAPLES–3.6%

   

FOOD & STAPLES
RETAILING–1.8%

   

CVS Caremark Corp.

    4,700        268,746   

Kroger Co. (The)

    70,500        2,435,070   
   

 

 

 
      2,703,816   
   

 

 

 

HOUSEHOLD
PRODUCTS–0.9%

   

Procter & Gamble Co. (The)

    18,700        1,439,713   
   

 

 

 

TOBACCO–0.9%

   

Philip Morris International, Inc.

    16,500        1,429,230   
   

 

 

 
      5,572,759   
   

 

 

 

TELECOMMUNICATION
SERVICES–2.8%

   

DIVERSIFIED TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES–1.7%

   

AT&T, Inc.

    74,100        2,623,140   
   

 

 

 

WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES–1.1%

   

Vodafone Group PLC (Sponsored ADR)

    59,200        1,701,408   
   

 

 

 
      4,324,548   
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks
(cost $121,888,346)

      154,574,279   
   

 

 

 

 

4


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

    

Company

  Principal
Amount
(000)
    U.S. $ Value  
   

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS–1.2%

   

TIME DEPOSIT–1.2%

   

State Street Time Deposit
0.01%, 7/01/13
(cost $1,915,603)

  $ 1,916      $ 1,915,603   
   

 

 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS–100.3%
(cost $123,803,949)

      156,489,882   

Other assets less
liabilities–(0.3)%

      (507,738
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS–100.0%

    $ 155,982,144   
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

(a)   Non-income producing security.

Glossary:

ADR—American Depositary Receipt

See notes to financial statements.

 

5


VALUE PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF ASSETS & LIABILITIES
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

ASSETS

  

Investments in securities, at value (cost $123,803,949)

   $ 156,489,882   

Receivable for investment securities sold

     448,336   

Dividends and interest receivable

     247,124   

Receivable for capital stock sold

     2,091   
  

 

 

 

Total assets

     157,187,433   
  

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

  

Payable for investment securities purchased

     801,265   

Payable for capital stock redeemed

     217,464   

Advisory fee payable

     67,685   

Distribution fee payable

     30,402   

Administrative fee payable

     7,283   

Transfer Agent fee payable

     179   

Accrued expenses

     81,011   
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     1,205,289   
  

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 155,982,144   
  

 

 

 

COMPOSITION OF NET ASSETS

  

Capital stock, at par

   $ 12,489   

Additional paid-in capital

     179,413,896   

Undistributed net investment income

     4,078,306   

Accumulated net realized loss on investment and foreign currency transactions

     (60,208,480

Net unrealized appreciation on investments

     32,685,933   
  

 

 

 
   $ 155,982,144   
  

 

 

 

Net Asset Value Per Share—1 billion shares of capital stock authorized, $.001 par value

 

Class    Net Assets        Shares
Outstanding
       Net Asset
Value
 

A

   $ 1,887,296           149,606         $ 12.62   

B

   $   154,094,848           12,339,188         $   12.49   

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

6


VALUE PORTFOLIO  
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS  
Six Months Ended June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

  

Dividends

  

Unaffiliated issuers (net of foreign taxes withheld of $17,703)

   $ 1,952,321   

Affiliated issuers

     744   

Interest

     49   

Securities lending income

     11,536   
  

 

 

 
     1,964,650   
  

 

 

 

EXPENSES

  

Advisory fee (see Note B)

     448,513   

Distribution fee—Class B

     201,664   

Transfer agency—Class A

     31   

Transfer agency—Class B

     2,853   

Custodian

     41,671   

Printing

     30,385   

Administrative

     21,496   

Legal

     16,714   

Audit

     16,614   

Directors’ fees

     2,265   

Miscellaneous

     3,576   
  

 

 

 

Total expenses

     785,782   
  

 

 

 

Net investment income

     1,178,868   
  

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN ON INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS

  

Net realized gain on investment transactions

     10,723,991   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments

     15,907,230   
  

 

 

 

Net gain on investment transactions

     26,631,221   
  

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

   $ 27,810,089   
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

7


 
VALUE PORTFOLIO
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

     Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 

INCREASE IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATIONS

    

Net investment income

   $ 1,178,868      $ 2,903,480   

Net realized gain on investment and foreign currency transactions

     10,723,991        9,812,887   

Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation of investments

     15,907,230        12,001,916   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets from operations

     27,810,089        24,718,283   

DIVIDENDS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM

    

Net investment income

    

Class A

     –0 –      (29,034

Class B

     –0 –      (2,792,590

CAPITAL STOCK TRANSACTIONS

    

Net decrease

     (31,280,624     (39,143,747
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total decrease

     (3,470,535     (17,247,088

NET ASSETS

    

Beginning of period

     159,452,679        176,699,767   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period (including undistributed net investment income of $4,078,306 and $2,899,438, respectively)

   $ 155,982,144      $ 159,452,679   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

8


VALUE PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2013 (unaudited)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE A: Significant Accounting Policies

The AllianceBernstein Value Portfolio (the “Portfolio”) is a series of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”). The Portfolio’s investment objective is long-term growth of capital. The Portfolio is diversified as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Fund was incorporated in the State of Maryland on November 17, 1987, as an open-end series investment company. The Fund offers thirteen separately managed pools of assets which have differing investment objectives and policies. The Portfolio offers Class A and Class B shares. Both classes of shares have identical voting, dividend, liquidating and other rights, except that Class B shares bear a distribution expense and have exclusive voting rights with respect to the Class B distribution plan.

The Portfolio offers and sells its shares only to separate accounts of certain life insurance companies for the purpose of funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies. Sales are made without a sales charge at the Portfolio’s net asset value per share.

The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) which require management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Portfolio.

1. Security Valuation

Portfolio securities are valued at their current market value determined on the basis of market quotations or, if market quotations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable, at “fair value” as determined in accordance with procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Fund’s Board of Directors (the “Board”).

In general, the market values of securities which are readily available and deemed reliable are determined as follows: securities listed on a national securities exchange (other than securities listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. (“NASDAQ”)) or on a foreign securities exchange are valued at the last sale price at the close of the exchange or foreign securities exchange. If there has been no sale on such day, the securities are valued at the last traded price from the previous day. Securities listed on more than one exchange are valued by reference to the principal exchange on which the securities are traded; securities listed only on NASDAQ are valued in accordance with the NASDAQ Official Closing Price; listed or over the counter (“OTC”) market put or call options are valued at the mid level between the current bid and ask prices. If either a current bid or current ask price is unavailable, AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) will have discretion to determine the best valuation (e.g. last trade price in the case of listed options); open futures are valued using the closing settlement price or, in the absence of such a price, the most recent quoted bid price. If there are no quotations available for the day of valuation, the last available closing settlement price is used; U.S. government securities and other debt instruments having 60 days or less remaining until maturity are valued at amortized cost if their original maturity was 60 days or less; or by amortizing their fair value as of the 61st day prior to maturity if their original term to maturity exceeded 60 days; fixed-income securities, including mortgage backed and asset backed securities, may be valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service or at a price obtained from one or more of the major broker/dealers. In cases where broker/dealer quotes are obtained, the Adviser may establish procedures whereby changes in market yields or spreads are used to adjust, on a daily basis, a recently obtained quoted price on a security. Swaps and other derivatives are valued daily, primarily using independent pricing services, independent pricing models using market inputs, as well as third party broker-dealers or counterparties. Investments in money market funds are valued at their net asset value each day.

Securities for which market quotations are not readily available (including restricted securities) or are deemed unreliable are valued at fair value. Factors considered in making this determination may include, but are not limited to, information obtained by contacting the issuer, analysts, analysis of the issuer’s financial statements or other available documents. In addition, the Portfolio may use fair value pricing for securities primarily traded in non-U.S. markets because most foreign markets close well before the Portfolio values its securities at 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The earlier close of these foreign markets gives rise to the possibility that significant events, including broad market moves, may have occurred in the interim and may materially affect the value of those securities. To account for this, the Portfolio may frequently value many of its foreign equity securities using fair value prices based on third party vendor modeling tools to the extent available.

2. Fair Value Measurements

In accordance with U.S. GAAP regarding fair value measurements, fair value is defined as the price that the Portfolio would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement

 

9


VALUE PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

date. U.S. GAAP establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and a three-level hierarchy for fair value measurements based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability (including those valued based on their market values as described in Note A. 1 above). Inputs may be observable or unobservable and refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Portfolio. Unobservable inputs reflect the Portfolio’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on the best information available in the circumstances. Each investment is assigned a level based upon the observability of the inputs which are significant to the overall valuation. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized below.

 

   

Level 1—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 Portfolio’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

Where readily available market prices or relevant bid prices are not available for certain equity investments, such investments may be valued based on similar publicly traded investments, movements in relevant indices since last available prices or based upon underlying company fundamentals and comparable company data (such as multiples to earnings or other multiples to equity). Where an investment is valued using an observable input, such as another publicly traded security, the investment will be classified as Level 2. If management determines that an adjustment is appropriate based on restrictions on resale, illiquidity or uncertainty, and such adjustment is a significant component of the valuation, the investment will be classified as Level 3. An investment will also be classified as Level 3 where management uses company fundamentals and other significant inputs to determine the valuation.

The following table summarizes the valuation of the Portfolio’s investments by the above fair value hierarchy levels as of June 30, 2013:

 

       Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

Investments in Securities:

             

Assets:

             

Common Stocks*

     $ 154,574,279       $ –0 –     $             –0 –     $ 154,574,279   

Short-Term Investments

       –0 –       1,915,603         –0 –       1,915,603   
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Investments in Securities

       154,574,279         1,915,603         –0 –       156,489,882   

Other Financial Instruments**

       –0 –       –0 –       –0 –       –0 – 
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total^

     $ 154,574,279       $ 1,915,603       $ –0 –     $ 156,489,882   
    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

*   See Portfolio of Investments for sector classifications.

 

**   Other financial instruments are derivative instruments, such as futures, forwards and swaps, which are valued at the unrealized appreciation/depreciation on the instrument.

 

^   There were no transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 during the reporting period.

The Portfolio recognizes all transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy assuming the financial instruments were transferred at the beginning of the reporting period.

The Adviser has established a Valuation Committee (the “Committee”) which is responsible for overseeing the pricing and valuation of all securities held in the Portfolio. The Committee operates under pricing and valuation policies and procedures established by the Adviser and approved by the Board, including pricing policies which set forth the mechanisms and processes to be employed on a daily basis to implement these policies and procedures. In particular, the pricing policies describe how to determine market quotations for securities and other instruments. The Committee’s responsibilities include: 1) fair value and liquidity determinations (and oversight of any third parties to whom any responsibility for fair value and liquidity determinations is delegated), and 2) regular monitoring of the Adviser’s pricing and valuation policies and procedures and modification or enhancement of these policies and procedures (or recommendation of the modification of these policies and procedures) as the Committee believes appropriate.

 

10


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Committee is also responsible for monitoring the implementation of the pricing policies by the Adviser’s Pricing Group (the “Pricing Group”) and a third party which performs certain pricing functions in accordance with the pricing policies. The Pricing Group is responsible for the oversight of the third party on a day-to-day basis. The Committee and the Pricing Group perform a series of activities to provide reasonable assurance of the accuracy of prices including: 1) periodic vendor due diligence meetings, review of methodologies, new developments and process at vendors, 2) daily compare of security valuation versus prior day for all securities that exceeded established thresholds, and 3) daily review of unpriced, stale, and variance reports with exceptions reviewed by senior management and the Committee.

In addition, several processes outside of the pricing process are used to monitor valuation issues including: 1) performance and performance attribution reports are monitored for anomalous impacts based upon benchmark performance, and 2) portfolio managers review all portfolios for performance and analytics (which are generated using the Adviser’s prices).

3. Currency Translation

Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies and commitments under forward currency exchange contracts are translated into U.S. dollars at the mean of the quoted bid and ask prices of such currencies against the U.S. dollar. Purchases and sales of portfolio securities are translated into U.S. dollars at the rates of exchange prevailing when such securities were acquired or sold. Income and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars at rates of exchange prevailing when accrued.

Net realized gain or loss on foreign currency transactions represents foreign exchange gains and losses from sales and maturities of foreign fixed income investments, foreign currency exchange contracts, holding of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on foreign investment transactions, and the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the Portfolio’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized currency gains and losses from valuing foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities at period end exchange rates are reflected as a component of net unrealized appreciation or depreciation of foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities.

4. Taxes

It is the Portfolio’s policy to meet the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute all of its investment company taxable income and net realized gains, if any, to shareholders. Therefore, no provisions for federal income or excise taxes are required. The Portfolio may be subject to taxes imposed by countries in which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on income and/or capital gains earned or repatriated. Taxes are accrued and applied to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized appreciation/depreciation as such income and/or gains are earned.

In accordance with U.S. GAAP requirements regarding accounting for uncertainties in income taxes, management has analyzed the Portfolio’s tax positions taken or expected to be taken on federal and state income tax returns for all open tax years (the current and the prior three tax years) and has concluded that no provision for income tax is required in the Portfolio’s financial statements.

5. Investment Income and Investment Transactions

Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date or as soon as the Portfolio is informed of the dividend. Interest income is accrued daily. Investment transactions are accounted for on the date the securities are purchased or sold. Investment gains or losses are determined on the identified cost basis. The Portfolio amortizes premiums and accretes discounts as adjustments to interest income.

6. Class Allocations

All income earned and expenses incurred by the Portfolio are borne on a pro-rata basis by each outstanding class of shares, based on the proportionate interest in the Portfolio represented by the net assets of such class, except for class specific expenses which are allocated to the respective class. Realized and unrealized gains and losses are allocated among the various share classes based on respective net assets.

7. Dividends and Distributions

Dividends and distributions to shareholders, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income dividends and capital gains distributions are determined in accordance with federal tax regulations and may differ from those determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. To the extent these differences are permanent, such amounts are reclassified within the capital accounts based on their federal tax basis treatment; temporary differences do not require such reclassification.

 

11


VALUE PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE B: Advisory Fee and Other Transactions with Affiliates

Under the terms of the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio pays the Adviser an advisory fee at an annual rate of .55% of the first $2.5 billion, .45% of the next $2.5 billion and .40% in excess of $5 billion, of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets. The fee is accrued daily and paid monthly. The Adviser has agreed to waive its fees and bear certain expenses to the extent necessary to limit total operating expenses on an annual basis to 1.20% and 1.45% of daily average net assets for Class A and Class B shares, respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, there were no expenses waived by the Adviser.

Pursuant to the investment advisory agreement, the Portfolio may reimburse the Adviser for certain legal and accounting services provided to the Portfolio by the Adviser. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, the reimbursement for such services amounted to $21,496.

Brokerage commissions paid on investment transactions for the six months ended June 30, 2013 amounted to $96,770, of which $0 and $0, respectively, was paid to Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. LLC and Sanford C. Bernstein Limited, affiliates of the Adviser.

The Portfolio compensates AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, under a Transfer Agency Agreement for providing personnel and facilities to perform transfer agency services for the Portfolio. Such compensation retained by ABIS amounted to $692 for the six months ended June 30, 2013.

NOTE C: Distribution Plan

The Portfolio has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Under the Plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (the “Distributor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, at an annual rate of up to .50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The fees are accrued daily and paid monthly. The Board currently limits payments under the Plan to .25% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The Plan provides that the Distributor will use such payments in their entirety for distribution assistance and promotional activities.

The Portfolio is not obligated under the Plan to pay any distribution and servicing fees in excess of the amounts set forth above. The purpose of the payments to the Distributor under the Plan is to compensate the Distributor for its distribution services with respect to the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. Since the Distributor’s compensation is not directly tied to its expenses, the amount of compensation received by it under the Plan during any year may be more or less than its actual expenses. For this reason, the Plan is characterized by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission as being of the “compensation” variety.

In the event that the Plan is terminated or not continued, no distribution or servicing fees (other than current amounts accrued but not yet paid) would be owed by the Portfolio to the Distributor.

The Plan also provides that the Adviser may use its own resources to finance the distribution of the Portfolio’s shares.

NOTE D: Investment Transactions

Purchases and sales of investment securities (excluding short-term investments) for the six months ended June 30, 2013 were as follows:

 

       Purchases      Sales  

Investment securities (excluding U.S. government securities)...................

     $ 38,778,985       $ 69,567,661   

U.S. government securities

       –0 –       –0 – 

The cost of investments for federal income tax purposes was substantially the same as the cost for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, gross unrealized appreciation and unrealized depreciation are as follows:

 

Gross unrealized appreciation

   $ 34,111,474   

Gross unrealized depreciation

     (1,425,541
  

 

 

 

Net unrealized appreciation

   $ 32,685,933   
  

 

 

 

1. Derivative Financial Instruments

The Portfolio may use derivatives in an effort to earn income and enhance returns, to replace more traditional direct investments, to obtain exposure to otherwise inaccessible markets (collectively, “investment purposes”), or to hedge or adjust the risk profile of its portfolio.

 

12


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Portfolio did not engage in derivatives transactions for the six months ended June 30, 2013.

2. Currency Transactions

The Portfolio may invest in non-U.S. Dollar securities on a currency hedged or unhedged basis. The Portfolio may seek investment opportunities by taking long or short positions in currencies through the use of currency-related derivatives, including forward currency exchange contracts, futures and options on futures, swaps, and other options. The Portfolio may enter into transactions for investment opportunities when it anticipates that a foreign currency will appreciate or depreciate in value but securities denominated in that currency are not held by the Portfolio and do not present attractive investment opportunities. Such transactions may also be used when the Adviser believes that it may be more efficient than a direct investment in a foreign currency-denominated security. The Portfolio may also conduct currency exchange contracts on a spot basis (i.e., for cash at the spot rate prevailing in the currency exchange market for buying or selling currencies).

NOTE E: Securities Lending

The Portfolio may enter into securities lending transactions. Under the Portfolio’s securities lending program, all loans of securities will be collateralized continually by cash. The Portfolio will be compensated for the loan from a portion of the net return from the income earned on cash collateral after a rebate is paid to the borrower (in some cases, this rebate may be a “negative rebate” or fee paid by the borrower to the Portfolio in connection with the loan), and payments are made for fees of the securities lending agent and for certain other administrative expenses. It is the policy of the Portfolio to receive collateral consisting of cash in an amount exceeding the value of the securities loaned. The Portfolio will have the right to call a loan and obtain the securities loaned at any time on notice to the borrower within the normal and customary settlement time for the securities. While the securities are on loan, the borrower is obligated to pay the Portfolio amounts equal to any income or other distributions from the securities. The Portfolio will not have the right to vote any securities during the existence of a loan, but will have the right to regain ownership of loaned securities in order to exercise voting or other ownership rights. The lending agent has agreed to indemnify the Portfolio in the case of default of any securities borrower. Collateral received and securities loaned are marked to market daily to ensure that the securities loaned are secured by collateral. The lending agent will invest the cash collateral received in AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves, an eligible money market vehicle, in accordance with the investment restrictions of the Portfolio, and as approved by the Board. The collateral received on securities loaned is recorded as an asset as well as a corresponding liability in the statement of assets and liabilities. When the Portfolio lends securities, its investment performance will continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned. As of June 30, 2013, the Portfolio had no securities out on loan. The cash collateral will be adjusted on the next business day to maintain the required collateral amount. The Portfolio earned securities lending income of $11,536 and $744 from the borrowers and AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2013; these amounts are reflected in the statement of operations. A principal risk of lending portfolio securities is that the borrower will fail to return the loaned securities upon termination of the loan and that the collateral will not be sufficient to replace the loaned securities. A summary of the Portfolio’s transactions in shares of AllianceBernstein Exchange Reserves for the six months ended June 30, 2013 is as follows:

 

Market Value

December 31, 2012

(000)

   

Purchases

at Cost

(000)

   

Sales

Proceeds

(000)

   

Market Value

June 30, 2013

(000)

   

Dividend

Income

(000)

 
$ 816      $ 20,341      $ 21,157      $ 0      $ 1   

 

13


VALUE PORTFOLIO
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE F: Capital Stock

Each class consists of 500,000,000 authorized shares. Transactions in capital shares for each class were as follows:

 

    SHARES         AMOUNT  
    Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
   

 

  Six Months Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 

Class A

         

Shares sold

    13,984        3,550        $ 163,893      $ 36,002   

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends

    –0 –      2,895          –0 –      29,034   

Shares redeemed

    (8,497     (24,236       (100,303     (248,107
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease)

    5,487        (17,791     $ 63,590      $ (183,071
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Class B

         

Shares sold

    170,670        316,889        $ 1,977,859      $ 3,142,785   

Shares issued in reinvestment of dividends

    –0 –      280,662          –0 –      2,792,591   

Shares redeemed

    (2,813,659     (4,484,363       (33,322,073     (44,896,052
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease

    (2,642,989     (3,886,812     $ (31,344,214   $ (38,960,676
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

NOTE G: Risks Involved in Investing in the Portfolio

Foreign Securities Risk—Investing in securities of foreign companies or foreign governments involves special risks which include changes in foreign currency exchange rates and the possibility of future political and economic developments which could adversely affect the value of such securities. Moreover, securities of many foreign companies or foreign governments and their markets may be less liquid and their prices more volatile than those of comparable U.S. companies or of the U.S. government.

Currency Risk—This is the risk that changes in foreign currency exchange rates may negatively affect the value of the Portfolio’s investments or reduce the returns of the Portfolio. For example, the value of the Portfolio’s investments in foreign currency-denominated securities or currencies may decrease if the U.S. Dollar is strong (i.e., gaining value relative to other currencies) and other currencies are weak (i.e., losing value relative to the U.S. Dollar). Currency markets are generally not as regulated as securities markets. Independent of the Portfolio’s investments denominated in foreign currencies, the Portfolio’s positions in various foreign currencies may cause the Portfolio to experience investment losses due to the changes in exchange rates and interest rates.

Derivatives Risk—The Portfolio may enter into derivative transactions such as forwards, options, futures and swaps. Derivatives may be illiquid, difficult to price, and leveraged so that small changes may produce disproportionate losses for the Portfolio, and subject to counterparty risk to a greater degree than more traditional investments. Derivatives may result in significant losses, including losses that are far greater than the value of the derivatives reflected in the statement of assets and liabilities.

Indemnification Risk—In the ordinary course of business, the Portfolio enters into contracts that contain a variety of indemnifications. The Portfolio’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown. However, the Portfolio has not had prior claims or losses pursuant to these indemnification provisions and expects the risk of loss thereunder to be remote. Therefore, the Portfolio has not accrued any liability in connection with these indemnification provisions.

NOTE H: Joint Credit Facility

A number of open-end mutual funds managed by the Adviser, including the Portfolio, participate in a $140 million revolving credit facility (the “Facility”) intended to provide short-term financing, if necessary, subject to certain restrictions in connection with abnormal redemption activity. Commitment fees related to the Facility are paid by the participating funds and are included in miscellaneous expenses in the statement of operations. The Portfolio did not utilize the Facility during the six months ended June 30, 2013.

 

14


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

NOTE I: Distributions to Shareholders

The tax character of distributions to be paid for the year ending December 31, 2013 will be determined at the end of the current fiscal year. The tax character of distributions paid during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 were as follows:

 

       2012        2011  

Distributions paid from:

         

Ordinary income

     $ 2,821,624         $ 2,319,658   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total taxable distributions paid

     $ 2,821,624         $ 2,319,658   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2012, the components of accumulated earnings/(deficit) on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed ordinary income

   $ 2,899,438   

Accumulated capital and other losses

     (70,487,891 )(a) 

Unrealized appreciation/(depreciation)

     16,334,123 (b) 
  

 

 

 

Total accumulated earnings/(deficit)

   $ (51,254,330
  

 

 

 

 

(a)   As of December 31, 2012, the Portfolio had a net capital loss carryforward of $70,487,891. During the fiscal year, the Portfolio utilized $9,482,255 of capital loss carryforwards to offset current year net realized gains.

 

(b)   The difference between book-basis and tax-basis unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) is attributable primarily to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales.

For tax purposes, net capital losses may be carried over to offset future capital gains, if any. Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, funds are permitted to carry forward capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 for an indefinite period. These post-enactment capital losses must be utilized prior to the pre-enactment capital losses, which are subject to expiration. Post-enactment capital loss carryforwards will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses rather than being considered short-term as under previous regulation.

As of December 31, 2012, the Portfolio had a net capital loss carryforward of $70,487,891 which will expire as follows:

 

SHORT-TERM
AMOUNT

  

LONG-TERM

AMOUNT

  

EXPIRATION

$  70,487,891    n/a    2017

NOTE J: Subsequent Events

Management has evaluated subsequent events for possible recognition or disclosure in the financial statements through the date the financial statements are issued. Management has determined that there are no material events that would require disclosure in the Portfolio’s financial statements through this date.

 

15


 
VALUE PORTFOLIO  
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    CLASS A  
    Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended December 31,  
      2012     2011     2010     2009     2008  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $10.63        $9.37        $9.84        $8.97        $7.67        $13.92   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Income From Investment Operations

           

Net investment income (a)

    .10        .20        .17        .12        .16        .27   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment and foreign currency transactions

    1.89        1.26        (.50     .93        1.41        (5.62
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

    1.99        1.46        (.33     1.05        1.57        (5.35
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Less: Dividends and Distributions

           

Dividends from net investment income

    –0 –      (.20     (.14     (.18     (.27     (.28

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

    –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      (.62
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total dividends and distributions

    –0 –      (.20     (.14     (.18     (.27     (.90
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $12.62        $10.63        $9.37        $9.84        $8.97        $7.67   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Total Return

           

Total investment return based on net asset value (b)

    18.72 %*      15.73     (3.50 )%      11.81 %*      21.12 %*      (40.83 )%* 
           

Ratios/Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

    $1,887        $1,533        $1,517        $1,707        $1,594        $1,490   

Ratio to average net assets of:

           

Expenses

    .72 %(c)      .72     .71     .71 %(d)      .70     .67

Net investment income

    1.70 %(c)      1.98     1.78     1.37 %(d)      2.09     2.46

Portfolio turnover rate

    24     40     62     73     64     33

 

 

 

See footnote summary on page 17.

 

16


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Selected Data For A Share Of Capital Stock Outstanding Throughout Each Period

 

    CLASS B  
    Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2013
(unaudited)
    Year Ended December 31,  
      2012     2011     2010     2009     2008  

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $10.54        $9.28        $9.75        $8.90        $7.59        $13.79   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Income From Investment Operations

           

Net investment income (a)

    .08        .17        .15        .10        .14        .24   

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment and foreign currency transactions

    1.87        1.26        (.50     .91        1.41        (5.58
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net asset value from operations

    1.95        1.43        (.35     1.01        1.55        (5.34
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Less: Dividends and Distributions

           

Dividends from net investment income

    –0 –      (.17     (.12     (.16     (.24     (.24

Distributions from net realized gain on investment transactions

    –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      –0 –      (.62
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total dividends and distributions

    –0 –      (.17     (.12     (.16     (.24     (.86
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $12.49        $10.54        $9.28        $9.75        $8.90        $7.59   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
           

Total Return

           

Total investment return based on net asset value (b)

    18.50 %*      15.54     (3.78 )%      11.42 %*      21.04 %*      (41.01 )%* 
           

Ratios/Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of period (000’s omitted)

    $154,095        $157,920        $175,183        $212,522        $213,827        $197,080   

Ratio to average net assets of:

           

Expenses

    .97 %(c)      .97     .96     .96 %(d)      .95     .92

Net investment income

    1.44 %(c)      1.72     1.51     1.12 %(d)      1.84     2.24

Portfolio turnover rate

    24     40     62     73     64     33

 

 

 

(a)   Based on average shares outstanding.

 

(b)   Total investment return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption on the last day of the period. Total return does not reflect (i) insurance company’s separate account related expense charges and (ii) the deductions of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Portfolio distributions or the redemption of Portfolio shares. Total investment return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized.

 

(c)   Annualized.

 

(d)   The ratio includes expenses attributable to costs of proxy solicitation.

 

*   Includes the impact of proceeds received and credited to the Portfolio resulting from class action settlements, which enhanced the Portfolio’s performance for the six months ended June 30, 2013 and years ended December 31, 2010, December 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008 by 0.06%, 0.01%, 0.02% and 0.02%, respectively.

See notes to financial statements.

 

17


 
VALUE PORTFOLIO  
CONTINUANCE DISCLOSURE   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

INFORMATION REGARDING THE REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE PORTFOLIO’S ADVISORY AGREEMENT

The disinterested directors (the “directors”) of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”) unanimously approved the continuance of the Fund’s Advisory Agreement with the Adviser in respect of AllianceBernstein Value Portfolio (the “Portfolio”) at a meeting held on April 30-May 2, 2013 (the “May 2013 meeting”).

Prior to approval of the continuance of the Advisory Agreement, the directors had requested from the Adviser, and received and evaluated, extensive materials. They reviewed the proposed continuance of the Advisory Agreement with the Adviser and with experienced counsel who are independent of the Adviser, who advised on the relevant legal standards. The directors also reviewed an independent evaluation prepared by the Fund’s Senior Officer (who is also the Fund’s Independent Compliance Officer) of the reasonableness of the advisory fee, in which the Senior Officer concluded that the contractual fee for the Portfolio was reasonable. The directors also discussed the proposed continuance in private sessions with counsel and the Fund’s Senior Officer.

The directors considered their knowledge of the nature and quality of the services provided by the Adviser to the Portfolio gained from their experience as directors or trustees of most of the registered investment companies advised by the Adviser, their overall confidence in the Adviser’s integrity and competence they have gained from that experience, the Adviser’s initiative in identifying and raising potential issues with the directors and its responsiveness, frankness and attention to concerns raised by the directors in the past, including the Adviser’s willingness to consider and implement organizational and operational changes designed to improve investment results and the services provided to the AllianceBernstein Funds. The directors noted that they have four regular meetings each year, at each of which they receive presentations from the Adviser on the investment results of the Portfolio and review extensive materials and information presented by the Adviser.

The directors also considered all other factors they believed relevant, including the specific matters discussed below. In their deliberations, the directors did not identify any particular information that was all-important or controlling, and different directors may have attributed different weights to the various factors. The directors determined that the selection of the Adviser to manage the Portfolio and the overall arrangements between the Portfolio and the Adviser, as provided in the Advisory Agreement, including the advisory fee, were fair and reasonable in light of the services performed, expenses incurred and such other matters as the directors considered relevant in the exercise of their business judgment. The material factors and conclusions that formed the basis for the directors’ determinations included the following:

Nature, Extent and Quality of Services Provided

The directors considered the scope and quality of services provided by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement, including the quality of the investment research capabilities of the Adviser and the other resources it has dedicated to performing services for the Portfolio. They also noted the professional experience and qualifications of the Portfolio’s portfolio management team and other senior personnel of the Adviser. The directors also considered that the Advisory Agreement provides that the Portfolio will reimburse the Adviser for the cost to it of providing certain clerical, accounting, administrative and other services to the Portfolio by employees of the Adviser or its affiliates. Requests for these reimbursements are made on a quarterly basis and subject to approval by the directors and, to the extent requested and paid, will result in a higher rate of total compensation from the Portfolio to the Adviser than the fee rate stated in the Portfolio’s Advisory Agreement. The directors noted that the methodology used to determine the reimbursement amounts had been reviewed by an independent consultant retained by the Fund’s Senior Officer. The quality of administrative and other services, including the Adviser’s role in coordinating the activities of the Portfolio’s other service providers, also were considered. The directors were satisfied with the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Portfolio under the Advisory Agreement.

Costs of Services Provided and Profitability

The directors reviewed a schedule of the revenues, expenses and related notes indicating the profitability of the Portfolio to the Adviser for calendar years 2011 and 2012 that had been prepared with an expense allocation methodology arrived at in consultation with an independent consultant retained by the Fund’s Senior Officer. The directors reviewed the assumptions and methods of allocation used by the Adviser in preparing fund-specific profitability data and noted that there are a number of potentially acceptable allocation methodologies for information of this type. The directors noted that the profitability information reflected all revenues and expenses of the Adviser’s relationship with the Portfolio, including those relating to its subsidiaries that provide transfer agency, distribution and brokerage services to the Portfolio. The directors recognized that it is difficult to make comparisons of the profitability of the Advisory Agreement with the profitability of advisory contracts for unaffiliated funds because comparative information is not generally publicly available and is affected by numerous factors. The directors focused on the profitability of the Adviser’s relationship with the Portfolio before taxes and distribution expenses. The directors were satisfied that the Adviser’s level of profitability from its relationship with the Portfolio was not unreasonable.

 

18


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Fall-Out Benefits

The directors considered the other benefits to the Adviser and its affiliates from their relationships with the Portfolio, including but not limited to benefits relating to soft dollar arrangements (whereby the Adviser receives brokerage and research services from brokers that execute transactions for certain clients, including the Portfolio); 12b-1 fees and sales charges received by the Fund’s principal underwriter (which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser) in respect of the Portfolio’s Class B shares; transfer agency fees paid by the Portfolio to a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser; and brokerage commissions paid by the Portfolio to brokers affiliated with the Adviser. The directors recognized that the Adviser’s profitability would be somewhat lower without these benefits. The directors also understood that the Adviser also might derive reputational and other benefits from its association with the Portfolio.

Investment Results

In addition to the information reviewed by the directors in connection with the meeting, the directors receive detailed performance information for the Portfolio at each regular Board meeting during the year. The directors noted that the Portfolio is a clone of another fund managed by the Adviser (the “Corresponding Fund”) and is managed to track the investment performance of its Corresponding Fund, although investment results may differ between the Portfolio and its Corresponding Fund due to differences in their expense ratios and other factors. At the May 2013 meeting, the directors reviewed information prepared by Lipper showing the performance of the Class A Shares of the Portfolio as compared with that of a group of similar funds selected by Lipper (the “Performance Group”) and as compared with that of a broader array of funds selected by Lipper (the “Performance Universe”), and information prepared by the Adviser showing performance of the Class A Shares as compared with the Russell 1000 Value Index (the “Index”), in each case for the 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year periods ended February 28, 2013 and (in the case of comparisons with the Index) the period since inception (July 2002 inception). The directors noted that the Portfolio was in the 3rd quintile of the Performance Group and 4th quintile of the Performance Universe for the 1-year period, in the 4th quintile of the Performance Group and 5th quintile of the Performance Universe for the 3-year period, and in the 5th quintile of the Performance Group and the Performance Universe for the 5- and 10-year periods. The Portfolio lagged the Index in all periods. The directors also reviewed performance information for periods ended March 31, 2013 (for which the data was not limited to Class A Shares), and noted that in the 3-month period the Portfolio had outperformed the Lipper VA Large-Cap Value Funds Average and the Index. Based on their review, the directors concluded that the Portfolio’s performance in the 1-year period was acceptable. The directors determined to continue to monitor the Portfolio’s performance closely.

Advisory Fees and Other Expenses

The directors considered the advisory fee rate paid by the Portfolio to the Adviser and information prepared by Lipper concerning advisory fee rates paid by other funds in the same Lipper category as the Portfolio at a common asset level. The directors recognized that it is difficult to make comparisons of advisory fees because there are variations in the services that are included in the fees paid by other funds.

The directors also considered the advisory fees the Adviser charges non-fund clients pursuing a substantially similar investment style. For this purpose, they reviewed the relevant advisory fee information from the Adviser’s Form ADV and the evaluation from the Fund’s Senior Officer. The directors noted that, although the institutional fee schedule started at a rate different from the Portfolio’s starting fee rate, it had more breakpoints at lower asset levels than the fee schedule applicable to the Portfolio. The application of the institutional fee schedule to the level of assets of the Portfolio would result in a fee rate lower than the rate being paid by the Portfolio. The directors noted that the Adviser may, in some cases, agree to fee rates with large institutional clients that are lower than those reviewed by the directors and that they had previously discussed with the Adviser its policies in respect of such arrangements. The directors also reviewed information that indicated that the Portfolio’s fee rate is higher than the sub-advisory fee rate earned by the Adviser for sub-advising certain registered investment companies with a similar investment style. The directors noted that the advisory fee schedule for the Portfolio is the same as that for its Corresponding Fund.

The Adviser reviewed with the directors the significantly greater scope of the services it provides to the Portfolio relative to institutional clients and sub-advised funds. The Adviser also noted that because mutual funds are constantly issuing and redeeming shares, they are more difficult to manage than an institutional account, where the assets tend to be relatively stable. In light of the substantial differences in services rendered by the Adviser to institutional clients as compared to funds such as the Portfolio, the directors considered these fee comparisons inapt and did not place significant weight on them in their deliberations.

 

19


VALUE PORTFOLIO  
CONTINUANCE DISCLOSURE  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The directors also considered the total expense ratio of the Class A shares of the Portfolio in comparison to the fees and expenses of funds within two comparison groups created by Lipper: an Expense Group and an Expense Universe. Lipper described an Expense Group as a representative sample of funds similar to the Portfolio and an Expense Universe as a broader group, consisting of all funds in the investment classification/objective with a similar load type as the Portfolio. The Class A expense ratio of the Portfolio was based on the Portfolio’s latest fiscal year. The directors noted that it was likely that the expense ratios of some of the other funds in the Portfolio’s Lipper category were lowered by waivers or reimbursements by those funds’ investment advisers, which in some cases might be voluntary or temporary. The directors view the expense ratio information as relevant to their evaluation of the Adviser’s services because the Adviser is responsible for coordinating services provided to the Portfolio by others.

The directors noted that, at the Portfolio’s current size, its contractual effective advisory fee rate of 55 basis points, plus the 3 basis point impact of the administrative expense reimbursement in the latest fiscal year, was lower than the Expense Group median. The directors also noted that the Portfolio’s total expense ratio, which had been capped by the Adviser (although the expense ratio was currently lower than the cap), was lower than the Expense Group and the Expense Universe medians. The directors concluded that the Portfolio’s expense ratio was satisfactory.

Economies of Scale

The directors noted that the advisory fee schedule for the Portfolio contains breakpoints that reduce the fee rates on assets above specified levels. The directors took into consideration prior presentations by an independent consultant on economies of scale in the mutual fund industry and for the AllianceBernstein Funds, and by the Adviser concerning certain of its views on economies of scale. The directors also had requested and received from the Adviser certain updates on economies of scale at the May 2013 meeting. The directors believe that economies of scale may be realized (if at all) by the Adviser across a variety of products and services, and not only in respect of a single fund. The directors noted that there is no established methodology for setting breakpoints that give effect to the fund-specific services provided by a fund’s adviser and to the economies of scale that an adviser may realize in its overall mutual fund business or those components of it which directly or indirectly affect a fund’s operations. The directors observed that in the mutual fund industry as a whole, as well as among funds similar to the Portfolio, there is no uniformity or pattern in the fees and asset levels at which breakpoints (if any) apply. The directors also noted that the advisory agreements for many funds do not have breakpoints at all. Having taken these factors into account, the directors concluded that the Portfolio’s shareholders would benefit from a sharing of economies of scale in the event the Portfolio’s net assets exceed a breakpoint in the future.

 

20


 
VALUE PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

THE FOLLOWING IS NOT PART OF THE SHAREHOLDER REPORT OR THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

SUMMARY OF SENIOR OFFICER’S EVALUATION OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT1

The following is a summary of the evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement between AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) and the AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund (the “Fund”), in respect of AllianceBernstein Value Portfolio (the “Portfolio”).2 The evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement was prepared by Philip L. Kirstein, the Senior Officer of the Fund, for the Directors of the Fund, as required by a September 2004 agreement between the Adviser and the New York State Attorney General (the “NYAG”). The Senior Officer’s evaluation of the Investment Advisory Agreement is not meant to diminish the responsibility or authority of the Board of Directors of the Fund to perform its duties pursuant to Section 15 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “40 Act”) and applicable state law. The purpose of the summary is to provide shareholders with a synopsis of the independent evaluation of the reasonableness of the advisory fees proposed to be paid by the Portfolio which was provided to the Directors in connection with their review of the proposed approval of the continuance of the Investment Advisory Agreement. The Senior Officer’s evaluation considered the following factors:

 

  1. Advisory fees charged to institutional and other clients of the Adviser for like services;

 

  2. Advisory fees charged by other mutual fund companies for like services;

 

  3. Costs to the Adviser and its affiliates of supplying services pursuant to the advisory agreement, excluding any intra-corporate profit;

 

  4. Profit margins of the Adviser and its affiliates from supplying such services;

 

  5. Possible economies of scale as the Portfolio grows larger; and

 

  6. Nature and quality of the Adviser’s services including the performance of the Portfolio.

These factors, with the exception of the first factor, are generally referred to as the “Gartenberg factors,” which were articulated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1982. Gartenberg v. Merrill Lynch Asset Management, Inc., 694 F. 2d 923 (2d Cir. 1982). The first factor is an additional factor required to be considered by the AoD. On March 30, 2010, the Supreme Court held the Gartenberg decision was correct in its basic formulation of what §36(b) requires: to face liability under §36(b), “an investment adviser must charge a fee that is so disproportionately large that it bears no reasonable relationship to the services rendered and could not have been the product of arm’s length bargaining.” Jones v. Harris Associates L.P., 130 S. Ct. 1418 (2010). In the Jones decision, the Court stated the Gartenberg approach fully incorporates the correct understanding of fiduciary duty within the context of section 36(b) and noted with approval that “Gartenberg insists that all relevant circumstances be taken into account” and “uses the range of fees that might result from arm’s-length bargaining as the benchmark for reviewing challenged fees.”3

PORTFOLIO ADVISORY FEES, NET ASSETS & EXPENSE RATIOS

The Adviser proposed that the Portfolio pays the advisory fee set forth in the table below for receiving the services to be provided pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement. The fee schedule below, implemented in January 2004 in consideration of the Adviser’s settlement with the NYAG in December 2003, is based on a master schedule that contemplates eight categories of funds with almost all funds in each category having the same advisory fee schedule.

 

Category   Advisory Fee Based on % of
Average Daily Net Assets
 

Net Assets

03/31/13

($MIL)

    Portfolio

Value

 

0.55% on first $2.5 billion

0.45% on next $2.5 billion

0.40% on the balance

  $ 167.8      Value Portfolio

 

1   The information in the fee summary was completed on April 22, 2013 and discussed with the Board of Directors on April 30-May 2, 2013.

 

2   Future references to the Fund and the Portfolio do not include “AllianceBernstein.” References in the fee summary pertaining to performance and expense ratio rankings refer to the Class A shares of the Portfolio.

 

3   Jones v. Harris at 1427.

 

21


VALUE PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

The Adviser is reimbursed as specified in the Investment Advisory Agreement for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services provided to the Portfolio. During the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year, the Adviser received $45,169 (0.027% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets) for such services.

The Adviser has agreed to waive that portion of its management fees and/or reimburse the Portfolio for that portion of its total operating expenses to the degree necessary to limit the Portfolio’s expense ratios to the amounts set forth below for the Portfolio’s fiscal year. The waiver is terminable by the Adviser upon at least 60 days’ notice prior to the Portfolio’s prospectus update or May 1st of each year. The Portfolio was operating below its expense caps for the most recent fiscal year; accordingly the expense limitation undertaking of the Portfolio was of no effect. In addition, set forth below are the gross expense ratios of the Portfolio for the most recently completed fiscal year:

 

Portfolio  

Expense Cap Pursuant

to Expense Limitation

Undertaking

  Gross
Expense
Ratio
    Fiscal Year End

Value Portfolio

 

Class A    1.20%

Class B    1.45%

   

 

0.72%

0.97%

  

  

  December 31

I. ADVISORY FEES CHARGED TO INSTITUTIONAL AND OTHER CLIENTS

The advisory fees charged to investment companies which the Adviser manages and sponsors are normally higher than those charged to similar sized institutional accounts, including pension plans and sub-advised investment companies. The fee differential reflects, among other things, different services provided to such clients, and different liabilities assumed. Services provided by the Adviser to the Portfolio that are not provided to non-investment company clients and sub-advised investment companies include providing office space and personnel to serve as Fund Officers, who among other responsibilities make the certifications required under the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, and coordinating with and monitoring the Portfolio’s third party service providers such as Fund counsel, auditors, custodians, transfer agents and pricing services. The accounting, administrative, legal and compliance requirements for the Portfolio are more costly than those for institutional assets due to the greater complexities and time required for investment companies, although as previously noted, the Adviser is reimbursed for providing such services. Also, retail mutual funds managed by the Adviser are widely held. Servicing the Portfolio’s investors is more time consuming and labor intensive compared to institutional clients since the Adviser needs to communicate with a more extensive network of financial intermediaries and shareholders. The Adviser also believes that it incurs substantial entrepreneurial risk when offering a new mutual fund, since establishing a new mutual fund requires a large upfront investment, and it may take a long time for the fund to achieve profitability since the fund must be priced to scale from inception in order to be competitive and assets are acquired one account at a time. In addition, managing the cash flow of an investment company may be more difficult than managing that of a stable pool of assets, such as an institutional account with little cash movement in either direction, particularly, if a fund is in net redemption and the Adviser is frequently forced to sell securities to raise cash for redemptions. However, managing a fund with positive cash flow may be easier at times than managing a stable pool of assets. In recent years, investment advisers have been sued by institutional clients and have suffered reputational damage both by the attendant publicity and outcomes other than complete victories. Accordingly, the legal and reputational risks associated with institutional accounts are greater than previously thought, although still not equal to those related to the mutual fund industry.

Notwithstanding the Adviser’s view that managing an investment company is not comparable to managing other institutional accounts because the services provided are different, the Supreme Court has indicated consideration should be given to the advisory fees charged to institutional accounts that have a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio.4 In

 

4   The Supreme Court stated that “courts may give such comparisons the weight that they merit in light of the similarities and differences between the services that the clients in question require, but the courts must be wary of inapt comparisons.” Among the significant differences the Supreme Court noted that may exist between services provided to mutual funds and institutional accounts are “higher marketing costs.” Jones v. Harris at 1428.

 

22


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

addition to the AllianceBernstein institutional fee schedule, set forth below is what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the AllianceBernstein institutional fee schedule been applicable to the Portfolio versus the Portfolio’s advisory fee based on March 31, 2013 net assets:5

 

Portfolio   

Net Assets

3/31/13

($MIL)

      

AllianceBernstein

Institutional

Fee Schedule

    

Effective

AB Inst.

Adv. Fee

      

Portfolio

Advisory

Fee

 

Value Portfolio

   $ 167.8        

U.S. Diversified Value Schedule

0.65% on first $25m

0.50% on the next $25m

0.40% on the next $50m

0.30% on the next $100m

0.25% on the balance Minimum account size $25m

       0.412        0.550

The Adviser also manages AllianceBernstein Value Fund, Inc. (“Value Fund, Inc.”), a retail mutual fund, which has a substantially similar investment style as the Portfolio. Set forth below is the fee schedule of Value Fund, Inc. and what would have been the effective advisory fee of the Portfolio had the fee schedule of the retail mutual fund been applicable to the Portfolio:6

 

Portfolio  

AllianceBernstein

Mutual Fund

  Fee Schedule  

ABMF

Effective
Fee

   

Portfolio

Advisory
Fee

 

Value Portfolio

  Value Fund, Inc.  

0.55% on first $2.5 billion

0.45% on next $2.5 billion

0.40% on the balance

    0.550%        0.550%   

The Adviser provides sub-advisory services to certain other investment companies managed by other fund families that have an investment style similar to that of the Portfolio. The Adviser charges the fees set forth below for the sub-advisory relationships that have a somewhat similar investment style as the Portfolio. Also shown are the Portfolio’s advisory fees and what would have been the effective advisory fees of the Portfolio had the fee schedules of the sub-advisory relationships been applicable to the Portfolio based on March 31, 2013 net assets.

 

Portfolio        Fee Schedule  

Effective

Sub-Adv.

Fee

    Portfolio
Advisory
Fee
 

Value Portfolio

  Client # 17  

0.49% on the first $100 million

0.30% on the next $100 million

0.25% on the balance

    0.413%        0.550%   
  Client #27   0.30% of the average daily net assets     0.300%        0.550%   

It is fair to note that the services the Adviser provides pursuant to sub-advisory agreements are generally confined to the services related to the investment process; in other words, they are not as comprehensive as the services provided to the Portfolio by the Adviser. In addition, to the extent that certain of these sub-advisory relationships are with affiliates of the Adviser, the fee schedules may not reflect arm’s length bargaining or negotiations.

While it appears that the sub-advisory relationships are paying a lower fee than the Portfolios, it is difficult to evaluate the relevance of such lower fees due to differences in terms of the services provided, risks involved and other competitive factors between the Portfolio and the sub-advisory relationship. There could be various business reasons why an investment adviser would be willing to provide a sub-advisory relationship investment related services at a different fee level than an investment company it is sponsoring where the investment adviser is providing all the services, not just investment management, generally required by a registered investment company.

 

5   The Adviser has indicated that with respect to institutional accounts with assets greater than $300 million, it will negotiate a fee schedule. Discounts that are negotiated vary based upon each client relationship.

 

6   The retail mutual fund was also affected by the settlement between the Adviser and the NYAG. As a result, the Portfolio has the same breakpoints in its advisory fee schedule as the retail mutual fund.

 

7   The client is an affiliate of the Adviser.

 

23


VALUE PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

II. MANAGEMENT FEES CHARGED BY OTHER MUTUAL FUND COMPANIES FOR LIKE SERVICES.

Lipper Inc. (“Lipper”), an analytical service that is not affiliated with the Adviser, compared the fees charged to the Portfolio with fees charged to other investment companies for similar services offered by other investment advisers.8 Lipper’s analysis included the comparison of the Portfolio’s contractual management fee, estimated at the approximate current asset level of the Portfolio, to the median of the Portfolio’s Lipper Expense Group (“EG”) and the Portfolio’s contractual management fee ranking.9,10

Lipper describes an EG as a representative sample of comparable funds. Lipper’s standard methodology for screening funds to be included in an EG entails the consideration of several fund criteria, including fund type, investment classification/objective, load type and similar 12b-1/non-12b-1 service fees, asset (size) comparability, expense components and attributes. An EG will typically consist of seven to twenty funds.

 

Portfolio    Contractual
Management
Fee (%)11
    

Lipper

EG

Median (%)

    

Lipper
EG

Rank

 

Value Portfolio

     0.550      0.745      1/13   

Lipper also analyzed the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year total expense ratio in comparison to the Portfolio’s EG and Lipper Expense Universe (“EU”). The EU12 is a broader group compared to the EG, consisting of all funds that have the same investment classification/objective and load type as the subject Portfolio.

 

Portfolio   

Expense

Ratio
(%)13

    

Lipper

EG

Median (%)

    

Lipper

EG

Rank

    

Lipper

EU

Median (%)

    

Lipper

EU

Rank

 

Value Portfolio

     0.722      0.775      3/13         0.763      12/32   

Based on this analysis, the Portfolio has a more favorable ranking on a management fee basis than on a total expense ratio basis.

III. COSTS TO THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES OF SUPPLYING SERVICES PURSUANT TO THE ADVISORY FEE ARRANGEMENT, EXCLUDING ANY INTRA-CORPORATE PROFIT.

The Adviser utilizes two profitability reporting systems, which operate independently but are aligned with each other, to estimate the Adviser’s profitability in connection with investment advisory services provided to the Portfolio. The Senior Officer has retained a consultant to provide independent advice regarding the alignment of the two profitability systems as well as the methodologies and allocations utilized by both profitability systems.

IV. PROFIT MARGINS OF THE ADVISER AND ITS AFFILIATES FOR SUPPLYING SUCH SERVICES.

The Portfolio’s profitability information, prepared by the Adviser for the Board of Directors, was reviewed by the Senior Officer and the consultant. The Adviser’s profitability from providing investment advisory services to the Portfolio decreased during calendar year 2012, relative to 2011.

 

8   The Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since “these comparisons are problematic because these fees, like those challenged, may not be the product of negotiations conducted at arm’s length.” Jones v. Harris at 1429.

 

9   Lipper does not consider average account size when constructing EGs. Funds with relatively small average account sizes tend to have higher transfer agent expense ratio than comparable sized funds that have relatively large average account sizes. Note that there are limitations on Lipper expense category data because different funds categorize expenses differently.

 

10   The contractual management fee is calculated by Lipper using the Portfolio’s contractual management fee rate at a hypothetical asset level. The hypothetical asset level is based on the combined net assets of all classes of the Portfolio, rounded up to the next $25 million. Lipper’s total expense ratio information is based on the most recent annual report except as otherwise noted. A ranking of “1” would mean that the Portfolio had the lowest effective fee rate in the Lipper peer group.

 

11   The contractual management fee does not reflect any expense reimbursements made by the Portfolio to the Adviser for certain clerical, legal, accounting, administrative and other services. In addition, the contractual management fee does not reflect any advisory fee waiver or expense cap that would effectively reduce the actual management fee.

 

12   Except for asset (size) comparability, Lipper uses the same criteria for selecting an EG when selecting an EU. Unlike the EG, the EU allows for the same adviser to be represented by more than just one fund.

 

13   Most recently completed fiscal year end Class A total expense ratio.

 

24


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

In addition to the Adviser’s direct profits from managing the Portfolio, certain of the Adviser’s affiliates have business relationships with the Portfolio and may earn a profit from providing other services to the Portfolio. The courts have referred to this type of business opportunity as “fall-out benefits” to the Adviser and indicated that such benefits should be factored into the evaluation of the total relationship between the Portfolio and the Adviser. Neither case law nor common business practice precludes the Adviser’s affiliates from earning a reasonable profit on this type of relationship provided the affiliates’ charges and services are competitive. These affiliates provide transfer agent, distribution and brokerage related services to the Portfolio and receive transfer agent fees, Rule 12b-1 payments, and brokerage commissions. In addition, the Adviser benefits from soft dollar arrangements which offset expenses the Adviser would otherwise incur.

The Portfolio has adopted a distribution plan for Class B shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 40 Act. Under the distribution plan, the Portfolio pays distribution and servicing fees to its principal underwriter, AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (“ABI”), the Portfolio’s distributor and an affiliate of the Adviser, at an annual rate of up to 0.50% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets attributable to Class B shares. The current annual rate that the Portfolio pays to ABI for 12b-1 fees is 0.25%. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, ABI received $418,618 in Rule 12b-1 fees.

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, the Adviser incurred distribution expenses in the amount of $1,117,197 in connection with activities primarily intended to result in the sale of the Portfolio’s Class B shares. This amount includes the 12b-1 fees paid by the Portfolio to the Adviser.

Financial intermediaries, such as insurers, market and sell shares of the Portfolio and typically receive compensation from ABI, the Advisers and/or the Portfolio for selling shares of the Portfolio. These financial intermediaries receive compensation in any or all of the following forms: 12b-1 fees, defrayal of costs for educational seminars and training, additional distribution support, recordkeeping and/or administrative services. Payments related to providing contract-holder recordkeeping and/or administrative services will generally not exceed 0.35% of the average daily net assets of the Portfolio attributable to the relevant intermediary over the year. With respect to the Fund, which includes the Portfolio and other Portfolios of the Fund not discussed in this summary, ABI paid approximately $600,000 in 2012 and expects to pay approximately $600,000 in 2013 for educational support and distribution assistance (revenue sharing payments).

The transfer agent of the Portfolio is AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. (“ABIS”). During the most recently completed fiscal year, ABIS received a fee of $1,385 from the Portfolio.14

The Portfolio did not effect brokerage transactions and pay commissions through the Adviser’s affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., LLC (“SCB & Co.”) nor its U.K. affiliate, Sanford C. Bernstein Limited (“SCB Ltd.”), collectively “SCB,” during the Portfolio’s most recently completed fiscal year. The Adviser represented that SCB’s profitability from business conducted in the future with the Portfolio would be comparable to the profitability of SCB’s dealings with other similar third party clients. In the ordinary course of business, SCB receives and pays liquidity rebates from electronic communications networks (“ECNs”) derived from trading for its clients, including the Portfolio. These credits and charges are not being passed onto any SCB client. The Adviser also receives certain soft dollar benefits from brokers that execute agency trades for the Portfolio and other clients. These soft dollar benefits reduce the Adviser’s cost of doing business and increase its profitability.

V. POSSIBLE ECONOMIES OF SCALE

The Adviser has indicated that economies of scale are being shared with shareholders through pricing to scale, breakpoints, fee reductions/waivers and enhancement to services.

In May 2012, an independent consultant, retained by the Senior Officer, provided the Board of Directors information on the Adviser’s firm-wide average costs from 2005 through 2011 and the potential economies of scale. The independent consultant noted that from 2005 through 2007 the Adviser experienced significant growth in assets under management (“AUM”). During this period, operating expenses increased, in part to keep up with growth, and in part reflecting market returns. However, from 2008 through the first quarter of 2009, AUM rapidly and significantly decreased due to declines in market value and client withdrawals. When AUM rapidly decreased, some operating expenses categories, including base compensation and office space, adjusted more slowly during this period, resulting in an increase in average costs. Since 2009, AUM has experienced less significant changes. The independent consultant noted that changes in operating expenses reflect changes in business composition and business practices in response to changes in financial markets. Finally, the

 

14   The Fund (which includes the Portfolio and other Portfolios of the Fund) paid ABIS a flat fee of $18,000 in 2012.

 

25


VALUE PORTFOLIO  
SENIOR OFFICER FEE EVALUATION  
(continued)   AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

independent consultant concluded that the increase in average cost and the decline in net operating margin across the Adviser since late 2008 are inconsistent with the view that there are currently reductions in average costs due to economies of scale that can be shared with the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds managed by the Adviser through lower fees.

Previously in February 2008, the independent consultant provided the Board of Directors an update of the Deli study on advisory fees and various fund characteristics.15,16 The independent consultant first reiterated the results of his previous two dimensional comparison analysis (fund size and family size) with the Board of Directors.17 The independent consultant then discussed the results of the regression model that was utilized to study the effects of various factors on advisory fees. The regression model output indicated that the bulk of the variation in fees predicted were explained by various factors, but substantially by fund AUM, family AUM, index fund indicator and investment style. The independent consultant also compared the advisory fees of the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds to similar funds managed by 19 other large asset managers, regardless of the fund size and each Adviser’s proportion of mutual fund assets to non-mutual fund assets.

VI. NATURE AND QUALITY OF THE ADVISER’S SERVICES, INCLUDING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PORTFOLIO

With assets under management of approximately $443 billion as of March 31, 2013, the Adviser has the investment experience to manage and provide non-investment services (described in Section I) to the Portfolio.

The information prepared by Lipper shows the 1, 3, 5 and 10 year performance returns and rankings of the Portfolio18 relative to its Lipper Performance Group (“PG”) and Lipper Performance Universe (“PU”)19 for the periods ended February 28, 2013.20

 

     Portfolio (%)     PG
Median (%)
    PU
Median (%)
    PG
Rank
    PU
Rank
 

Value Portfolio

         

1 year

    14.28        14.28        14.66        7/13        17/28   

3 year

    10.25        11.19        11.18        9/13        22/27   

5 year

    1.15        2.93        3.33        12/13        24/25   

10 year

    6.18        8.41        8.09        11/11        22/22   

 

15   The Deli study, originally published in 2002 based on 1997 data and updated for the February 2008 Presentation, may be of diminished value due to the age of the data used in the presentation and the changes experienced in the industry over the last four years.

 

16   As mentioned previously, the Supreme Court cautioned against accepting mutual fund fee comparisons without careful scrutiny since the fees may not be the product of negotiations conducted at arm’s length. See Jones V. Harris at 1429.

 

17   The two dimensional analysis showed patterns of lower advisory fees for funds with larger asset sizes and funds from larger family sizes compared to funds with smaller asset sizes and funds from smaller family sizes, which according to the independent consultant is indicative of a sharing of economies of scale and scope. However, in less liquid and active markets, such is not the case, as the empirical analysis showed potential for diseconomies of scale in those markets. The empirical analysis also showed diminishing economies of scale and scope as funds surpassed a certain high level of assets.

 

18   The performance rankings are for the Class A shares of the Portfolio. The Portfolio’s performance returns shown were provided by Lipper.

 

19   The Portfolio’s PG is identical to the Portfolio’s respective EG. The Portfolio’s PU is not identical to the Portfolio’s EU as the criteria for including/excluding a fund from a PU is somewhat different from that of an EU.

 

20   Lipper investment classification/objective dictates the PG and PU throughout the life of the fund even if a fund had a different investment classification/objective at a different point in time.

 

 

26


    AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund

 

Set forth below are the 1, 3, 5 and 10 year and since inception performance returns of the Portfolio (in bold)21 versus its benchmarks.22 Portfolio and benchmark volatility and reward-to-variability ratio (“Sharpe Ratio”) information is also shown23.

 

    

Periods Ending February 28, 2013

Annualized Performance

 
   

1

Year
(%)

   

3

Year
(%)

   

5

Year
(%)

   

10

Year

(%)

    Since
Inception
(%)
    Annualized     Risk
Period
(Year)
 
               
               Volatility
(%)
    Sharpe
(%)
   

Value Portfolio

    14.28        10.25        1.15        6.18        6.20        16.39        0.34        10   

Russell 1000 Value Index

    17.63        13.66        3.88        8.77        8.50        15.68        0.50        10   

Inception Date: July 22, 2002

               

CONCLUSION:

Based on the factors discussed above the Senior Officer’s conclusion is that the proposed advisory fee for the Portfolio is reasonable and within the range of what would have been negotiated at arm’s-length in light of all the surrounding circumstances. This conclusion in respect of the Portfolio is based on an evaluation of all of these factors and no single factor was dispositive.

Dated: May 29, 2013

 

21   The performance returns and risk measures shown in the table are for the Class A shares of the Portfolio.

 

22   The Adviser provided Portfolio and benchmark performance return information for periods through February 28, 2013.

 

23   Portfolio and benchmark volatility and Sharpe Ratio information was obtained through Lipper LANA, a database maintained by Lipper. Volatility is a statistical measure of the tendency of a market price or yield to vary over time. The Sharpe Ratio is a risk adjusted measure of return that divides a portfolio’s return in excess of the riskless return by the portfolio’s standard deviation. A portfolio with a greater volatility would be viewed as more risky than a portfolio with equivalent performance but lower volatility; for that reason, a greater return would be demanded for the more risky portfolio. A portfolio with a higher Sharpe Ratio would be viewed as better performing than a portfolio with a lower Sharpe Ratio.

 

27


ITEM 2. CODE OF ETHICS.

Not applicable when filing a semi-annual report to shareholders.

ITEM 3. AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT.

Not applicable when filing a semi-annual report to shareholders.

ITEM 4. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES.

Not applicable when filing a semi-annual report to shareholders.

ITEM 5. AUDIT COMMITTEE OF LISTED REGISTRANTS.

Not applicable to the registrant.

ITEM 6. SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS.

Please see Schedule of Investments contained in the Report to Shareholders included under Item 1 of this Form N-CSR.

ITEM 7. DISCLOSURE OF PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.

Not applicable to the registrant.

ITEM 8. PORTFOLIO MANAGERS OF CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.

Not applicable to the registrant.

ITEM 9. PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS.

Not applicable to the registrant.

ITEM 10. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS.

There have been no material changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the Fund’s Board of Directors since the Fund last provided disclosure in response to this item.


ITEM 11. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.

(a) The registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-2(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended) are effective at the reasonable assurance level based on their evaluation of these controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of this document.

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

ITEM 12. EXHIBITS.

The following exhibits are attached to this Form N-CSR:

 

EXHIBIT
NO.
  

DESCRIPTION OF EXHIBIT

12 (b) (1)    Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
12 (b) (2)    Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
12 (c)    Certification of Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002


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.

(Registrant): AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc.

 

By:  

/s/ Robert M. Keith

  Robert M. Keith
  President

Date: August 12, 2013

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

 

By:  

/s/ Robert M. Keith

  Robert M. Keith
  President
Date:   August 12, 2013
By:  

/s/ Joseph J. Mantineo

  Joseph J. Mantineo
  Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer
Date:   August 12, 2013
EX-99.CERT 2 d562347dex99cert.htm CERTIFICATIONS PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 Certifications Pursuant to Section 302

Exhibit 12(b)(1)

CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER

I, Robert M. Keith, President of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc., certify that:

1. I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc.;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include a statement of cash flows) of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The registrant’s other certifying officers and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for the registrant and have:

 

a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

b) designed such internal control over financial reporting to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

 

c) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report based on such evaluation ; and

 

d) disclosed in this report any change 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; and


5. The registrant’s other certifying officers and I have disclosed to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and

b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date: August 12, 2013

 

/s/ Robert M. Keith

   

Robert M. Keith

   

President

   


Exhibit 12(b)(2)

CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER

I, Joseph J. Mantineo, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc., certify that:

1. I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc.;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include a statement of cash flows) of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The registrant’s other certifying officers and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for the registrant and have:

 

a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

b) designed such internal control over financial reporting to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

 

c) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report based on such evaluation ; and

 

d) disclosed in this report any change 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; and


5. The registrant’s other certifying officers and I have disclosed to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information ; and

b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date: August 12, 2013

 

/s/ Joseph J. Mantineo

       
Joseph J. Mantineo    
Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer    
EX-99.906 CERT 3 d562347dex99906cert.htm CERTIFICATIONS PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 Certifications Pursuant to Section 906

EXHIBIT 12(c)

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF THE

SARBANES-OXLEY ACT

Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1350, each of the undersigned, being the Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer of AllianceBernstein Variable Products Series Fund, Inc. (the “Registrant”), hereby certifies that the Registrant’s report on Form N-CSR for the period ended June 30, 2013 (the “Report”) fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and that the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Registrant.

Date: August 12, 2013

 

By:

 

/s/ Robert M. Keith

  Robert M. Keith
  President
By:  

/s/ Joseph J. Mantineo

  Joseph J. Mantineo
  Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer

This certification is being furnished solely pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and is not being filed as part of the Report or as a separate disclosure document.

A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906 has been provided to the Registrant and will be retained by the Registrant and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.

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