The Fund invests dynamically in a number of global asset classes, including equity/credit, fixed-income, and inflation-sensitive instruments. In making decisions on the allocation of assets among asset classes, the Adviser will use a risk-balanced approach. This strategy attempts to provide investors with favorable long-term total return while minimizing exposure to material downside (“tail”) events. To execute this strategy, the Adviser assesses the volatility, tail loss and return potential of each asset. Fund assets are then allocated among asset classes so that no asset class dominates the expected tail loss of the Fund. This will generally result in the Fund having greater exposures to lower risk asset classes (such as fixed-income) than to higher risk asset classes. The Adviser will make frequent adjustments to the Fund’s asset class exposures based on its determinations of volatility, tail loss and return potential.

The asset classes in which the Fund may invest include:

  

The Fund’s investments within each asset class are generally index-based—typically, portfolios of individual securities, derivatives or exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) intended to track the performance of segments within each particular asset class. The inflation-sensitive asset class consists of instruments, the prices of which are affected directly or indirectly by the level and change in the rate of inflation, such as commodity derivatives. 

Equity securities will comprise no more than 75% of the Fund’s investments. The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities with a range of maturities from short- to long-term. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in high-yield securities (securities rated below BBB‑ by S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”), Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), or Fitch Ratings (“Fitch”), or the equivalent by any other nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”), which are commonly known as “junk bonds”). As an operating policy, the Fund will invest no more than 5% of its assets in securities rated CCC‑ or below. 

The Fund’s investments will generally be global in nature, and will generally include investments in both developed and emerging markets. The Fund typically invests at least 40% of its assets in securities of non‑U.S. companies and/or foreign countries and their agencies and instrumentalities unless conditions are not deemed favorable by the Adviser, in which case the Fund will invest at least 30% of its assets in such foreign securities. 

Derivatives, particularly futures contracts and swaps, often provide more efficient and economical exposure to market segments than direct investments, and the Fund’s exposure to certain types of assets may at times be achieved partially or substantially through investment in derivatives. Derivatives transactions may also be a quicker and more efficient way to alter the Fund’s exposure than buying and selling direct investments. In determining when and to what extent to enter into derivatives transactions, the Adviser considers factors such as the risk and returns of these investments relative to direct investments and the cost of such transactions. 

Because derivatives transactions frequently require cash outlays that are only a small portion of the amount of exposure obtained through the derivative, a portion of the Fund’s assets may be held in cash or invested in cash equivalents to cover the Fund’s 

derivatives obligations, such as short-term U.S. Government and agency securities, repurchase agreements and money market funds. At times, a combination of direct securities investments and derivatives will be used to gain asset class exposure so that the Fund’s aggregate exposure will substantially exceed its net assets (i.e., so that the Fund is effectively leveraged). In addition, the Fund may at times invest in shares of ETFs in lieu of making direct investments in securities. 

While the Fund may seek to gain exposure to physical commodities traded in the commodities markets through investments in a variety of derivative instruments, the Adviser expects that the Fund will seek to gain exposure to commodities and commodities-related instruments and derivatives primarily through investments in AllianceBernstein Global Risk Allocation (Cayman) Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Fund organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Subsidiary”). The Subsidiary is advised by the Adviser and has the same investment objective and substantially similar investment policies and restrictions as the Fund except that the Subsidiary, unlike the Fund, may invest, without limitation, in commodities and commodities-related instruments. The Fund is subject to the risks associated with the commodities, derivatives and other instruments in which the Subsidiary invests, to the extent of its investment in the Subsidiary. The Fund limits its investment in the Subsidiary to no more than 25% of its total assets. Investment in the Subsidiary is expected to provide the Fund with commodity exposure within the limitations of federal tax requirements that apply to the Fund. 

Currency exchange rate fluctuations can have a dramatic impact on returns. The Adviser may seek to hedge all or a portion of the Fund’s currency exposure resulting from Fund investments or decide not to hedge this exposure. The Adviser may also cause the Fund to take on currency exposure for purposes other than hedging, relying on its fundamental and quantitative research with the goal of increasing returns or managing risk. Currency-related investments may include currencies acquired on a spot (i.e., cash) basis and currency-related derivatives, including forward currency exchange contracts and options on currencies.