The Fund invests primarily in equity securities, either directly or through underlying investment companies advised by the Adviser (“Underlying Portfolios”). A majority of the Fund’s assets are expected to be invested directly in U.S. large-cap equity securities, primarily common stocks, in accordance with the Adviser’s U.S. Strategic Equities investment strategy (“U.S. Strategic Equities”), as described below. In addition, the Fund seeks to achieve exposure to international large-cap equity securities through investments in other registered investment companies advised by the Adviser, which may include International Strategic Equities Portfolio of Bernstein Fund, Inc. (“Bernstein International Strategic Equities Portfolio”). The Fund also invests in other Underlying Portfolios to efficiently gain exposure to certain other types of equity securities, including small- and mid-cap and emerging market equity securities. An Underlying Portfolio is selected based on the segment of the equity market to which the Underlying Portfolio provides exposure, its investment philosophy, and how it complements and diversifies the Fund’s overall portfolio.

Under U.S. Strategic Equities, portfolio managers of the Adviser that specialize in various investment disciplines identify high-conviction large-cap equity securities based on their fundamental investment research for potential investment by the Fund. These securities are then assessed in terms of both this fundamental research and quantitative analysis in creating the Fund’s portfolio. In applying the quantitative analysis, the Adviser considers a number of metrics that historically have provided some indication of favorable future returns, including metrics related to valuation, quality, investor behavior and corporate behavior.

Bernstein International Strategic Equities Portfolio focuses on investing in non-U.S. large-cap and mid-cap equity securities. Bernstein International Strategic Equities Portfolio follows a strategy similar to U.S. Strategic Equities, but in the international context.

Fluctuations in currency exchange rates can have a dramatic impact on the returns of foreign equity securities. The Adviser may employ currency hedging strategies in the Fund or the Underlying Portfolios, including the use of currency-related derivatives, to seek to reduce currency risk in the Fund or the Underlying Portfolios, but it is not required to do so.

The Fund seeks to maximize after-tax returns to shareholders by taking into account the tax impact of buy and sell investment decisions on its shareholders. For example, the Adviser may sell certain securities in order to realize capital losses. Capital losses may be used to offset realized capital gains. To minimize capital gains distributions, the Adviser may sell securities held by the Fund with the highest cost basis. The Adviser may monitor the length of time the Fund has held an investment to evaluate whether the investment should be sold at a short-term gain or held for a longer period so that the gain on the investment will be taxed at the lower long-term rate. In making this decision, the Adviser considers whether, in its judgment, the risk of continued exposure to the investment is worth the tax savings of a lower capital gains rate. There can be no assurance that any of these strategies will be effective or that their use will not adversely affect the gross returns of the Fund.